That hissing feeling!

neilled

Well I just picked my new bike up today - Trek 1000 in Discovery Channel Team Colours, for £399. Not bad all considered - I've paid less than I would for a lower speced 1.2 and even got the "mr average" frame size as well - a 56cm!

Wasn't that impressed by the local bike shop though, not a pure cycling shop, in fact you could say they're mainly motorbikes! Anyway, the set up of the saddle wasn't quite right, the tyres were under inflated (about 60 psi) and the literature one assumes is supposed to accompany the bike wasn't given to me. This appears at odds with treks policy of refusing to allow online sales so that the bikes can be set up properly, the customer gets manauls etc...... Nothing serious but a tad annoying just the same.

To be honest I think treks policy is more about trying to ensure that the brand is perceived by joe public as a "premium" product rather than actually providing customer service.

Never mind though, took a spin home on it, a nice 5 mile trip, no bother there, felt good to be on drops on the open road. Once I got back I whipped out the allen keys and tweaked everything till it was right.

Then I decided to take an 8 mile spin with my mum who's gotten partial to borrowing my 7.5fx flatbar. Halfway through I got that hissing sinky feeling, the dreaded flat on the rear!

Net result was ringing a relative, the Trek 1000 and the mother hoping in the car and being dropped home and me taking the 7.5Fx for the rest of the trip.

Not impressed with the tires at all, switched to armadillos on the 7.5 months ago and haven't been bothered at all with punctures, second ride on the new bike and I get a flat :mad::mad::mad:!

Net result, onto ebay and ordered a set of gator skins. Not as tough as armadillos i know, but at the same time, there shouldn't be as much glass out here in the countryside and my dad will be using the bike as well - he's been off bikes for years and I know how bad the armadillos can be in the wet!

So, anyone else experience anything similar or am I just colossally unlucky!

Oh well, hope I have better luck with my new SPD's for the 7.5 that should fingers crossed, arrive tomorrow!

TinyExplosions

Punctures are odd things, you can go months and months without getting one, then 3 or 4 in a week -it's just bad luck a lot of the time.

Nice one on the bike though -the discovery colours are damn handsome... where'd you get it from if you don't mind me askin?

Raam

With your new bike, you can sign up for this
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055324882

blorg

That was certainly a good deal- was that a new bike, just last year's model? If so, a phenomenal deal. Where did you get it? Do they have any more ;-)

I don't know that I would be so hard on the tyres. You get punctures on all road bike tyres, including very decent ones. Even Gatorskins. IIRC in the last year I have punctured on (across different bikes: )

- Schwalbe Stelvio
- Schwalbe Ultremo
- Schwalbe Marathon
- Continental Gatorskin
- Bontrager Race Lite

Some of these are better than others but there are some very good tyres in there. You get used to it and get mighty fast at fixing them. You have to be prepared and bring pump, tube, tyre lever and patches on every ride. I strongly recommend a Crank Bros Speed Lever, this makes it so easy to take off and replace the tyre, you are talking seconds for each operation. Park Tool ready-glued patches are also very handy, a lot quicker than traditional patches, but I wouldn't necessarily trust them as long as a traditional patch; more an emergency fix if you've run out of tubes (I've had one fail the next day.)

Only tyres you won't puncture on in my experience is Armadillos, but the trade-off is crap handling- utterly unsuited to a road bike. Gatorskins handle a lot better certainly.

Chips Lovell

I don't know. I'd never expect a bike shop to have tyres inflated to just the right pressure or the saddle exactly the way I want it. I've also never gotten a manual with a bike, except for a very general booklet I got with my Bianchi that was mainly ass covering legal warnings such as saying it wasn't designed for stunts and Bianchi wasn't to blame for accident or death.

Stock tyres are rarely top drawer. It's one of the ways a manufacturer will save on costs. After all, no one is going to say they aren't going to buy a bike just because it doesn't have Michellin or Continental tyres or whatever.

And, as Tiny said, punctures are a bit of a lottery. You'll get them with even the best tyres. I wouldn't go on the shortest of spins without a spare tube, tyre levers and mini-pump.

Caroline_ie

Yeah, Looks quite neat I must say. I have a trek 1000 as well, the 2006 version in grey and blue, not the discovery one. That's the one I am bringing to France with me. Mine is a 43 frame though ...
Neat bike!! And it's 'retro' now too!!

neilled

TinyExplosions wrote: »

Punctures are odd things, you can go months and months without getting one, then 3 or 4 in a week -it's just bad luck a lot of the time.

Nice one on the bike though -the discovery colours are damn handsome... where'd you get it from if you don't mind me askin?

Patrick McNulty and Sons Enniskillen tel from the south 004428 6632 2423. They have the trek 1500 for £999 in a 56 cm (also in discovery colours) running shimano 105 and a 1200 in a (I think, it could be smaller) 54 cm for £450 anyone who is interested. These are both brand spanking new - didn't see anything else up there on special, though I could have missed it. Enough of you southerners come up for the cheap dental work and booze, why not pick up a bike next time your at it? With the weak pound and strong euro it would be even better value.

The 1000 is from the 2007 range, so old enough, but still a nice bit of kit. I've heard alot of compaints about the sora shifters but so far they seem fine. Having said that I'm no hard core rider and have used cheaper bikes in the past. I think I'll get around to replacing the pedals with SPD's but I'll need to get the hybrid design with a flat on one side to ensure my dad is able to use it from time to time.

The plan is for me to take the 7.5fx back to dublin for university and then leave the 1000 at home for going in and out of work at the weekends and spinning around on.

You guys are right, I'm probably being a bit too harsh on the shop but I could really feel the tyres being a bit to soft on the way home, particularly as alot of it is uphill! Generally the lads in there were quite good, although not a patch on the two characters who used to work out in the belfield bike shop!

Re: the Armadillo's - I agree entirely, I've had some close calls on my 7.5 but feel there's no alternative for Dublin. I think gatorskins will be a reasonable compromise.

So whens the boards 200 happening? I'd need to train for it and unfortunately I'll be going home at weekends (i'm going into finals) so no Saturday spin for me, which is ironic, seeing I'm living around the corner from where you guys start on a saturday or sunday

I did consider showing up but thought with the 7.5 I'd never be able to keep up!

Raam

neilled wrote: »

So whens the boards 200 happening? I'd need to train for it and unfortunately I'll be going home at weekends (i'm going into finals) so no Saturday spin for me, which is ironic, seeing I'm living around the corner from where you guys start on a saturday or sunday

I did consider showing up but thought with the 7.5 I'd never be able to keep up!

July 19th, there are shorter options.

blorg

Trek 7.5 is a very decent hybrid and you'll have lower gears than the guys on the road bikes, good for spinning up the climbs.

neilled

Raam wrote: »

July 19th, there are shorter options.

Not a hope, like any sane northerner I'm away the 12th weekend so I won't get another weekend off work! Pity though.

bassman22

puncture on the way to an exam..... almost a disaster.... locked the bike and started running (had forgotten my wallet also so no taxiing)
got picked up by a lady who stopped to see why i was running like a crazy person!

neilled

bassman22 wrote: »

puncture on the way to an exam..... almost a disaster.... locked the bike and started running (had forgotten my wallet also so no taxiing)
got picked up by a lady who stopped to see why i was running like a crazy person!

Ugh thats horrible, I can only imagine the panic setting in, I've cut it close getting to a number of exams.

Anyway, the new SPD shoes arrived today, basic enough pair mind you but they make some difference. Also a set of gatorskins, a spare tube and an Air Zound arrived!

Hoped on the 7.5 and done about oh 6 miles or so to get used to new SPD's. Following this I decided I'd take the 1000 out for a spin (just over 12 miles i think) - and found after using the SPD's the supplied toeclip pedals on the 1000 were a major pain in the rear!

I don't know why I didn't make the change earlier! Now the only dilemma is how soon I should add the A530 hybrid pedal to the 1000 whether I should get a "proper" road shoe or just stick with what I have for the time being......

I have to say, the service I've gotten from highonbikes.com has been great - i've gotten the gatorskins, the M324 Pedals and the replacement tubes from them. Ordered on tuesday and the gear arrived today! With their prices and speed of delivery I can't see the point in making the trip to local shops anymore...........

Stark

A pair of stiff soled SPD shoes can actually feel just as good as a road shoe I've found (picked up a pair of Pearl Izumis the other week in a wiggle.co.uk sale). If you're cycling in traffic then SPDs are far easier than Look Keo/SPD-SL. What kind of shoes did you pick up? I find the sole does make a difference.

neilled

Stark wrote: »

A pair of stiff soled SPD shoes can actually feel just as good as a road shoe I've found (picked up a pair of Pearl Izumis the other week in a wiggle.co.uk sale). If you're cycling in traffic then SPDs are far easier than Look Keo/SPD-SL. What kind of shoes did you pick up? I find the sole does make a difference.

Went for shimano mt31's of Chain Reaction cycles. Cheap enough anyway!