Okay, so it's a contrived and appalling title but I'm apologising to nobody. It is vaguely cycling related as, continuing part of last Wednesday's babbling novel, we're getting that bit closer to getting a tandem now. We're still (Sigh) waiting to hear back about the second-hand tandem we've expressed an interest in and, if we're not getting it, we'll get a Dawes Galaxy Twin from Spa Cycles.Part of me kind of hopes the 'first refusal' person wants the second-hand tandem as that would make things simple for us and force us into buying the new tandem. I think the second-hand tandem is a six speed triple whereas the Dawes would be a nine speed triple and those extra gears might come in handy when my excess weight, lack of fitness, local hills and tandem uphill toughness all combine. To be honest, I'm not even sure a lowest gear of front 28/32 rear would be low enough for me. I guess (If we get the Dawes) we could try it and change the chainset if we find a 48/38/28 is too big for my puny yet overweight body. Something a couple of teeth down in each chainring might be more suitable for my high cadence and low ability, especially if we're planning to do any touring on it whatsoever.
At the moment, Spa Cycles is selling the Dawes Galaxy Twin for £1015 GBP (Plus £30 GBP, I think, shipping). Whilst I think that's a pretty big load to shell out on a bicycle, it's about £300 GBP or more less than the retail, which most places seem to charge and I'm hopeful we would use a tandem quite a bit. I guess I'll only know if we would use it once we've got one but I think it's a low risk to take. Besides, compared to the price of some tandems, it's chump change. As you may be able to tell, I'm not one for taking risks. Mister Sensible/Bland, that's me.
Spa Cycles might be making a few pounds out of me and my cycling compadres. Asides from the prospective tandem situation, I'm trying to convince my Dad into getting a touring compact double chainset and I'm considering getting a Dawes Horizon for winter usage. Again, they seem the cheapest for it, at £340 GBP (Plus £20 GBP shipping, which I imagine/hope would be covered in the tandem's shipping if I was getting it).
I've heard Dawes 'isn't the company it once was' and such tales from the elder statesmen of cycling but the specs of the two bikes I'm interested in look pretty good for the price and I'm not concerned whether someone in England, Czechoslovakia or the far east make and assemble parts of my proposed bike. Admittedly, there are a some components of the Horizon's I'm not especially enthralled by. For example, the Horizon's Rigida wheel rims don't instill me with huge amounts of confidence. Kirby Girl and I have owned two bicycles with Rigida rims and both of us had problems with spokes breaking. Hopefully it's just been bad luck. We both found the spokes stopped breaking when we had our wheels rebuilt and I know a local man who does good wheelbuilding for a low price. All in all, I think both bikes would fit our needs and I hope to get everything sorted out within the next week or two.
It would be good having the Horizon here so my Dad could use it if he's up for a cycling visit. He's a little shorter than me but I normally cycle on a 54cm frame, he uses a 52cm and the Horizon comes in 53cm so it all works out. Like me, he's a big fan of low gears.
Enough of my thoughts and witters. I'll leave it there. As always, thanks for taking the time to read this. I know it's a bit of a slog to get through. I've you've any worthwhile options for tandems and winter bikes with low gears and good storage, please comment below and let me know.
3 comments:
Yes, I've had prob's with Rigida wheels too. I had 700x20 on my bike which I use for a hilly 40 mile commute and on the occasional camping trip and spokes have popped on the rear wheel.
The idea that more gear options will make hills easier isn't true. Really you only need three gears- one for speeding down hills, one for normal riding, and one for spinning up a hill. More than three allows you to be in a gear that is aerobically efficient for you. I.e., spinning at the ideal rate for your muscular and cardiac ability.
Thanks for the comments people. It's fills my heart with glee to discover some people actually read this. Thanks for taking the time to do so and remark upon it. It's very much appreciated.
Pushiron, on one of my girlfriend's bikes she kept on having problems with the spokes of her Rigida rims popping (For a while it seemed to be almost once a week she would have at least one spoke break) so we took them to a local wheel builder who re-spoked them and now they're just fine. We were lucky as he's a really good bloke and charges a pittance (It was something like £7 a wheel, including the new spokes) to do such work but, if you know someone like that, it's worth giving that a go rather than spending big on the likes of new wheels. Of course, you might want to change the wheels anyway, in which case it's a good excuse to do so. I hope your spoke problems disappear.
I see what you mean about only really needing three gears (Some fixed wheel and single speed lovers may say only one gear is required) Anonymous (If that is your real name) but I certainly find it easier to cycle with a greater range of gears than I would with only three. As you alluded to, different people will find greater efficiency at different cadences and, therefore, I find it easier to cycle uphill at the cadence which suits me. As there are great varieties in length and steepness of hills I, in turn, find a greater range of gears makes climbing easier too. I did get the point though. I'm not being an ass about it.
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