ChrisDiz

Hi all,

Please pardon my noobness. I hope this is the right place.

I've signed up for the London to Brighton (British Heart Foundation) bike ride this year and need to get my bike (and fitness) in order.

I have the 2002 Scott Tampico (Hardtail) here and I think I need to know more about what parts it has as standard if I'm going to start asking more detailed questions.

I know this already:

"LIGHT WEIGHT ALLOY FRAME WITH BIAXIAL TUBING.
PRELOAD ADJUSTABLE RST CAPA TL FORKS 65MM TRAVEL.
27 SPEED DEORE EQUIPTMENT WITH SCOTT V BRAKES.
SHIMANO REAR HUB, SCOTT FRONT WITH ALESA RIMS AND IRC MYTHOS TYRES.
SCOTT BRANDED BARS, STEM AND SEAT POST."

I think I have a 22" frame & 26" wheels. From the bottom of the crankcase to top of frame seat post hole is 22", the wheels are 22" wide and 26" with tyres. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

I've checked on the Scott website but the manuals only go back as far as 2003 for this bike. I bought it in 2005 and had barely ridden it until 3 years ago. Since then last year was when I really started cycling.

First off I desperately need a new rear wheel as I now have 4 broken spokes (2 have already been replaced - I'm 21-22 stone). I know I need a strong wheel but with my armchair knowledge of bikes I'm unsure what to get. Will this wheel from Halfords be adequate for my needs and small budget or will there be compatibility issues? My bus driver (I know, he won't stop talking to me about bikes, while driving!) said it's not as easy as I think.

The front wheel is fine, but the shocks are a bit stiff after attempting to give someone a drunken lift on the handlebars uphill last year. I gave up after 5 metres.

Lastly, my budget is pocket fluff and a near melting credit card, so there will be no rockshox or the like for me! Scwalbe Marathon plus anti puncture tyres and a decent saddle are the only exuberances I have on this bike.

Many thanks for putting up with my jumbled thoughts,

Chris

dabac

Bicycle are generic enough that you don't need a specific manual. A generic bicycle maintenance handbook (assuming is't not too old) will tell you anything you need to know. There might even be one at your local library. Even Haynes make one that isn't too bad.

The Halford wheel should do. Some minor rear derailer adjustment might be needed.
But more important is that inexpensive wheels like that are often poorly adjusted and assembled. If you're on the heavy side, and intend to do some serious riding, get it checked over by a competent bike mechanic before you start riding. Make sure that the spoke tension is correct and even, and that the bearings are properly adjusted.
But unless there's any damage to your current hub/rim, you might be equally or better off by having your current wheel rebuilt with new spokes, preferably using a thinner gauge on the non-drive side. Shouldn't differ too much in cost from buying-and-servicing.
And your wheels are probably not 22" wide. The tyres might be 2.2" wide though...
If the wheel can take a 26" tyre, then it's a 26" wheel.

BCRider

The Halford wheel will be fine but there is one small issue with it. That wheel is set up for an 8 or 9 speed cassete while your old cassete is a 7 speed. So it'll flop around on the freehub a bit. And that assumes that your old wheel uses a freehub and not a freewheel. To figure out for sure what you have you can go to www.parktool.com/repair . Hover your mouse over the rear hub area until the right tag comes up and then click. The Park repair site is like having one of the best bicycle repair books right at your finger tips. Spending some time looking at it and comparing it to your bike would be time well spent.

Assuming your old wheel uses a swappable cassete when it is fitted to the new wheel you'll just need to use a spacer to make it all work. Not a big deal.

The less expensive machine built wheels are often not set up with enough or even spoke tension. So I would suggest that for long term durability you get the new wheel and then take both your new rear wheel and the old front into a shop and have them tune both to a higher standard then what they are currently at. Yes, it'll cost. But you'll have a lot fewer troubles in the future with them.

RST forks are for the most part the cheapest of the cheap. But if they are straight and working well they'll be good enough. If they are bent and sloppy and need replacing I'd suggest you find an old school set of rigid forks to replace them. The rigid forks will be lighter and work better for a bike that is clearly used mostly for street and hard path riding.

dabac

Not if the info that he linked to is correct, see quote "27 SPEED DEORE EQUIPTMENT". The stuff he has should fit right on.

fietsbob

Shimano made all the parts , so go to shimano website to gain abundant PDF versions
of the info that ships in the individual boxes , if you bought each part retail
and there's tech break downs too https://www.shimano.com/

a separate company made the frame ,painted logos on it, and mounted all the parts on.

ChrisDiz

Hi again,

Thanks for your replies! I think I'll like it here.

Yep, 27 gears... 2" wide tyre

I'll get one of the generic cycle repair manuals you mention, I just wanted to see if anyone had a thorough parts list for the specific bike but I'll go over it and jot down all the part numbers I guess.

Well I gave Evans a call last night and have decided, with the help of a bit more debt [slaps forehead], to go for the Mavic Crossride UB 2011 V Brake Wheel Set. I read a couple of reviews that the 2010 model had some weak hub issues, but the 2011 seems to be stronger. They should do a price match too so looking at £140 for both. They managed to talk me into front & rear! Hopefully they will deal with my weight better than the halfords ones. In 3 months I should weigh less anyway.

I'm also going to get a stage 1 service as there are a few clicks I don't like the sound of. Especially if I'm going to give it some punishment on long rides! Maybe if I wear an Evans shirt logo during the ride they'll help me out further?

Now I'm reconsidering the front forks.

I could just not worry about them (free), get them serviced for £75-95 (worth it?) or get some new ones for roughly the same price. Again, the lowest rung of wealth has pointed me towards these:

£85 https://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-fork-ec001715
£94 https://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-fork-ec024482
£121 https://www.evanscycles.com/products/...-fork-ec024483

I ride 5 miles to work every day along a poorly surfaced bumpy canal trail so the less strain on my wrists and frame the better. They're coil forks so apparently good for my weight (is that correct?) and they have a lock out system for smooth roads. BTW what's a Pushloc? A lock out remote? Fork fitting is £25 as I can't do it myself yet.

Should I avoid these like the plague? Will they suffice for my needs? Is one of the three better than the others? Should I just save my money? Should I stop whining and do my own research?

Cheers again...

dabac

If you have the chance, back away from the Crossrides. They're OK, even nice while they're in good condition, but if they get damaged you're in for a nasty surprise.
Look at this quote: "Specific hubs and rims". If you pop a spoke, you have to get an exact Mavic replacement spoke - and those tend to be few and far between. Not many bike stores stock them, even fewer sell them separately. With traditional, J-bend spokes replacements are so much easier to come by. Same goes for the freehub body. Shimano you can pick up OTC pretty much anywhere, but Mavic I've never found stocked anywhere.
And this bit:"the lightest entry level mountain bike wheelset" That's not a sensible selling point for a guy on the heavy side. And 20 spokes? that's really pushing it. Did the guy who sold you the wheels know your weight? Bad on him if he did.

jimc101

Hi Chris

If you are getting it serviced, would much rather go with an long established independant, than a Tesco type chain store. Would inticipate it being cheaper as well.

Get yourself over to Phil Corley Cycles in Stacy Bushes, have used them for years, and they are a very good shop. They should be cheaper, and will offer better advice than Evans.

For your bike, it isn't really the type you want for long distance, as it's an MTB, you really want a road bike, but as you say you have a very limited budget, would suggest

Forks - If they are worn out, see if you can get a set of rigids to replace them

Wheel, as you have v-type brakes, you are more limited with new wheels, as everything is going disc now, would spend £10 more on this https://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+S...LS-REAR-ND.htm than the Halfords wheel or the Mavic's as they will be easier to fix as don't uses propritary parts

Groupset - Deore is 9 speed rear, 3 front, if working well, leave alone, will be a bit low, so you won't be able to get a lot of speed up, but from hearing about the London to Brighton, it's a pretty slow ride with the main bunch

Tyres - this yould be a good area to look at upgrading to slicks, what about these https://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+S...+Pair_2126.htm £20 for a pair of fast slicks!, for these you would probably need some smaller inner tubes https://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+S...+Tube_2592.htm

Would be worth picking up a track pump as well if doing this, pop into Lidl, they have cycling kit on offer this week.

One last thing, do a few longer rides, and make sure you are comfortable with the contact points, esp the saddle, as over a long distance, this will hurt if not right

HTH

James

dabac

I dunno about coils and weight really. The big advantage of coils vs air-sprung forks is usually held to be ruggedness and service interval. Air forks need better seals to maintain air pressure (and springiness) while coil forks are more forgiving. But if an air fork sags too much you just up the pressure a bit, for a coil fork you have to track down a stiffer coil set. It's really common for rear shocks, but not quite as much for forks.

And yes, Pushlock is a remote device. Looks a bit like a shifter, mounts to the handle bar. Controls the lockout feature at the flick of a switch. One thing I react to is the 160 mm max rotor diameter. At your weight you might want some more if you start getting more adventurous on your bike.
I'd avoid the Dart 2 2011. It has 100 mm travel as compared to the 65 mm of your current fork. While probably not enough to make it unrideable, it's a sizeable change you might prefer to avoid. Same goes for any other 100 mm travel fork.
You mentioned your wrists. A 22" is fairly big. Unless you have the reach to match you'll end up in a fairly stretched out position. You might want to look for a shorter stem, maybe one with a bit rise too. That'll bring you more upright, which is good news for wrists and shoulders. Not so much for the butt though. If you ride with a backpack - stop it. That'll add load on your arms and shoulders. Get a rack instead.

ChrisDiz

Oh yeah, I'm assuming they do because of the picture but would they take v-brakes?

How important is it to match front & rear wheels?

So many decisions...

jimc101

Not having matching front and rear wheels makes no difference to a bike, as long as they fit the frame, and have the correct braking surface. the rear from Merlin https://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+S...LS-REAR-ND.htm is a non-disc i.e. rim brake rim, which is for v-type, canti or caliper brakes.

Looking at your fork question, would not advise getting a replacement, as the bike only cost £300, 5 years ago, replacing the fork with a new suspension one would be a false economy, would look very closly at what any repairs would cost you, as they can quickly add up, and getting a new bike can soon be cheaper, something like the Trek FX series starting at £300, and will do everything you want for the L-B ride; also should come with free setup, and a service.

Having ridden around MK, I have not found anywhere which is too bad for a hybrid like the FX to cope with; you mention about frame strength, any current bike has to pass CEN testing, and will be more then capable of doing canal path work, for strain on your wrists, would suggest Ergon type grips, these only cost a little more than regular grips, but can make a big difference to your hands / wrists.

Also, the bike you currently have is a 22", that big, I take it you are 6' 4"+ otherwise this may be too big for you

dabac

If you're still talking about the Mavics - yes. UB is mavic-speak for machined brake surfaces.

Apart from aestethics - not at all, as long as both are strong enough for the job. Some prefer to use different spoke patterns & spoke numbers front and rear, in the quest for that little extra. Some people who've originally bought a pair of boutique/proprietary wheels end up running mismatched pairs when one wheel fails as repairs are often financially unsound.

davidad

At your weight I would find a wheel with 36 double butted spokes. Anything less is false economy. Try for shimano hubs. Also the strongest.
Like this: https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/26-(559)-...hub-prod22954/

ChrisDiz

Hey,

Right, thanks for the advice so far. Im going to cancel the mavics and probably go with the 36 spoke jobby on the assumption that more spokes equals less strain on each. I'll probably just keep the front and get it tuned at Phil Corleys. I went there this afternoon and am impressed. My housemate is probably getting a trek fx 4500 from there too.

Yep, I'm 6'6". If anything the frame could be slightly bigger but I have the saddle kind of high. A friend is going to lend me a suspension seat post so that should help with stresses on the wheel when I'm not careful.

My tyres are slick in the centre with grip either side and eat up Tarmac so I'm happy with them for now. Puncture resistant too!

I'm leaving the forks as they are. I can't justify replacements just yet.

I'm definitely getting some ergon grips. I tried some out and they're gtreeeaat! The GC3s look like the best for me.

I also have a lightweight backpack with a bladder system and a cutout on the back for cool backs. It's comfy and practical so I think I'll just go with that for now.

And yep, I stocked up at Lidl on Monday morning. Bargains compared to the rack clothing at evans!!! Waterproof jacket, 2 shirts, a gillet, extra cycling shorts and some great socks. They said size 9-11 but I'm 14-15 and they would comfortably fit a size 16!

And finally, I've been accepted and have paid for my place in the L2B! 8D any preparation tips will be gladly accepted, along with any sponsorship offers.

Many thanks peeps!

Chris

jimc101

Sound like your getting there, if you liked Lidl's kit, Aldi do some very good kit as well, they havn't done a bike week yet this year, so there should be one soon.

For prep work, the simplest thing is to just get out and ride make a route up on Google maps, the minor roads going out to Newport Pagnal then over to Turvey / Odell & Sharnbrook are normally fairly quiet (where every you go you will have to hit some main roads), there look to be plenty of quiet roads going Buckingham way as well, guess it depends on where you start from which will make the biggest difference to route.

If you want to do some group rides, have a look at MK CTC https://www.mkctc.org.uk/easyriders.htm to start with.

Mondoman

davidad's suggestion of a decent 36-spoke wheel is spot-on.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is upgrading your brake pads to Kool-stop salmon. The salmon material works great in wet (especially) and dry.

ChrisDiz

Jim, is there any noise yet on when Aldi will have a bike week? I went down to Winslow the other day past the disused railway station. I've got cyclemeter on my phone... Can I download any routes with it?

Mondo, are those brake pads or shoes? I only have v-brakes...

I'm sorely tempted to save up for a new bike though... maybe something in the trek series? I'll add it to my wish list.

ChrisDiz

Before I pays my monies to SJS, please can someone confirm that this wheel is technically correct to fit my bike as an easy replacement.

Is it good for v-brakes? I can't see "UB" anywhere...

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/26-(559)-rear-wheel-36h-mavic-ex721-black-rim-with-shimano-deore-m590-black-hub-prod22954/

Thanks muchly!

jimc101

Chris, best thing for checking on when Aldi have their promo weeks, is to get on the e-mail newsletter; https://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/servic...?WT.z_src=main they show the special buys a week or 2 in advance, I'm going on that they 2 at least 2 cycling events a year, we should be due for one soon, but as I don't work for them, this is a based on last year.

For brake pads, there are loads to choose from https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/C...CategoryID=557, would guess yours don't have a cartridge, so you can either buy a set with cartridges, or a plain set, the Halt Gooy look ok, don't have any experiance of them, but have a set of their road pads I will be installing today; and they get decent reveiws. You will get a lot of advise about the Kool Stop Salmon pads, that's great in the US, but they are not too widly avaliable in the UK.

jimc101

That wheel https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/26-(559)-rear-wheel-36h-mavic-ex721-black-rim-with-shimano-deore-m590-black-hub-prod22954/ while yes it will fit, and is non disc really is an overkill for what you need, if well build, 32 hole will be more than sufficent, I orginally suggested this https://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+S...LS-REAR-ND.htm , it's half the price, & Merlin have a very good reputation for wheels.

ChrisDiz

Hi Jim,

I've been umming and ahhing all day given your last bit of advice on wheels... And my decision is......... Da da da da da da daaaaaa......... I'm going with the 36 spoke wheel. Why, I hear you ask? Peace of mind. An overkill wheel for an overweight me! Thanks for the prep & accessory advice though; I promise I'll heed it! ('ve just ordered the gooey pads)

Now to get on the roads!! (when the wheel arrives....)

ChrisDiz

Hi Peeps,

The wheel is on and it held up admirably for my first 40 mile ride. It even felt more direct when transferring power from the chain! After how long should I get it checked and tuned?

My lower back however is in agony!!

jimc101

40 miles (65km) is a lot so start off with if you haven't cycled much before, would look to start with say 10-15km, then build up slowly over a period of weeks so you body can adjust to the change in exercise pattern

davidad

Glad to hear the wheel has worked out well. The general rule for training is to add no more than 10% a week to prevent injury.

ChrisDiz

Thanks for the wise words.. but I'm quite sure I did my back in struggling with my bike, trying to get it in the car boot without catching on every bloody thing possible! I had to drive to the start and I was late, so in anger I supported the bike's weight while over extending. Not clever. Then riding the whole distance.... It hurt much less when I was back on the bike so I carried on for the charity's sake.

For the last month and a half (excluding the past 2 weeks) I've been riding 10 miles a day 3-4 days a week, during which I've also been on a 13, 26, then this 40 mile ride. I reckon I'd have been alright had I not tried to ram my bike in the boot.

But anyway, I've been to the chiropractors and am going to take better care of myself. While I have good muscle mass, my core muscles are underused apparently. Yoga or pilates has been recommended.

The Ergon GC3 grips are fantastic by the way!!

C

Ps. I've gone off the original topic; should I be posting in another sub forum now?