I wash my bike in an apartment block. I bought a small karcher portable pressure washer. Roughly £100. Best investment in bike cleaning. Does roughly 2 bikes on 1 tank. Can fill it with luke warm water. It’s perfect.
Going to miss Nic on the podcast. Controversial opinion… Jimmy vs. Nic (Ying and Yang stuff.) on the Pod much more entertaining than Jimmy vs. Francis (Flat back and forth.) UDH great idea and worth mentioning that SRAM mtb mechs have crash protection and if they do get damaged, essentially can be replaced in two parts. Props for the Muussstarrrd (on the beat) coloured Cannondale jersey!
I use one of those garden sprayers for washing my bike. Rinse the bike, spray bike wash, scrub with brushes, then rinse off. The car wash idea is good for extreme mud, on your way driving home from the trail.
Finally someone cycling in The Netherlands that's not Dutch complaining about the wind here. I do a lot of riding in the polders. It's flatter than a pancake and there's always, always, always, wind. It's cold, harsh wind that's constant. I actually plan my rides the day that I'm riding based on the wind direction, head winds first and tail wind on the way back. However... the wind often changes direction so some times you just spend battling head winds the entire ride. Dutch mountains are no joke.
I live in a first floor flat that has a small area outside, unfortunately directly alongside a busy city centre road. For years I've washed my bikes using a watering can full of water and a bucket with brushes, bike wash, ect. It doesn't need much space outside and silly as the watering can might look, it really helps get the water where I want it. I'm just amazed I've never had a random pedestrian tell me no matter how much I water it I'll never grow a new bike!
33:25 toe overlap entered the chat... Nic is totally right: the solution to this problem is actually more sizes and more incompatibility (due different wheel sizes) and not the other way around. The availability of small bike sizes is really a thing, but XL is still needed.
This podcast is the best cycling-related content on U-tube IMHO. It always makes me laugh and makes me think, and there are always non-mainstream sensible opinions that I completely identify with (as well as the other ones, of course). Keep it up!
Im with Nick, I use an old aluminium clunker bike that I've had for years, ditched the rear wheel and it now lives on the turbo. Simples. Theres also hundreds of cheap bikes on marketplace etc that would be perfect for puting on the turbo.
Just to be more accurate the Full Mount version from SRAM is not hanging off the frame. It’s hanging off the axle. The axle is taking the full load so the frame doesn’t have to. That’s the clever part of the design. You can literally stand on the derailleur and nothing happens because the axle can cope with that load.
I agree with Nick about British insurance companies. I always say about them that, 'at least Dick Turpin had the good grace to wear a mask when he robbed you'.
Some insurers are not too bad. But overall as a market sector, there’s a really high proportion of flat out robbers. Thing is, most robbers deep down probably know they’re doing something morally wrong. When you cross horns with an insurer, you know there’s no conscience of any kind.
Some of what he said is fair, but he's not understanding risk. Any 19 year old, especially males, are a massive risk driving. That's proven in all historical statistics. So they should pay more insurance. It doesn't matter what they drive because the damage can be done with any vehicle. Under 25s should pay way more than a 60 year old with 40 years of clean driving.
Bike Cleaning: I have a 60V Greenworks cordless power sprayer. It is just enough to spray off my RAV4 and perfect for cleaning bikes. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a cover for carrying warm water through the house. Just keep some distance from the sprayer and use just enough pressure to remove dirt.
I recently purchased 2021 De Rosa SK Pininfarina which has a proprietary rear mech hanger - out of concern that De Rosa will someday stop making the hangers, as soon as I took possession of the bike I reached out to De Rosa and bought 5 hangers (they are cheap) and 5 kits of all the proprietary little rubber gaskets that go around the head tube and seat post. I usually keep a bike for 10-ish years and buy used "interesting" brand bikes so I just always buy multiples of those type small parts everytime I purchase a new bike...UDH would be so much better.
I'm in! I've done 276 hours of riding this year (so far) and i was going to try and step it up next year so project 400 sounds good to me. and Nic's completely right about smaller wheels, as a mountain biker i prefer 27.5 as I'm 5 foot 9, there's a slight disadvantage with rollover but the wheel strength, nimbleness and clearance to my backside on steep terrain is a huge advantage, i had a gravel bike and much preferred the 650b wheels than the 700c too
I very much doubt I could get insurance for a 200K super car for less than a student gets it for a Micra. The reason UK insurers take the driver into consideration when insuring a car is because there is more risk if the car is being driven by an inexperienced driver, it’s fairly simple. They are also not trying to get out of liability- they are not liable if you break the contract you signed with them.
To Phill, who wants to re-spray his bike. I would suggest hydrographic dipping, also known as water transfer printing or hydro-dipping. You can get all sorts of crazy patterns and designs this way and it will cost you a fraction of a re-spray price. I think prices start at around £120 for a frame (it may depend on a frame size) and around £70 for a fork, If you can strip down your bike and clean/de-grease the frameset. I had my 2009 Boardman Pro done this way and it looks great. Also, you won't have to face any surfaces, as in reality, it is just a very thin foil/sticker. As for the re-spray cost, £500 - £800 would get you a super nice, second-hand bike these days, so maybe it is not the best idea. Whatever you decide, enjoy your ride, mate!
When in doubt, declare *any* modifications to your car - they're not all going to cause higher premiums or invalidate your cover. In my case a dashcam counted as a modification when I renewed, but it resulted in a premium reduction for me. Similarly, the one person mentioned on the show that told their insurer about their tow bar received a small premium rebate. I think there's a connotation that modifications are a problem to insurers, so people tend not to pay attention to them when taking out or renewing their insurance.
I agree, but ... I don't think a modification that is completely unrelated to the claim in question should be used by an insurance company to wriggle out of paying. I accept there will be grey areas. A fair and reasonable approach works both ways, or should.
According to my Strava I logged 385 hrs so far in 2024, down from 430 hrs in 2023, because I am injured more this year. I am still injured right now, day 32 of resting already and still my hip is not healed. I will rest until there is zero pain, forget about the 400.
Omg, the statement, there is no achievement for a headwind is spot on. I live in very flat Florida and am constantly dealing with wind. The bane of my cycling experience
Totally agree that the UK insurance market is a total con. If the tow bar contributed in any way to the crash or increased the severity of the crash, then sure you could understand them rejecting the claim. Maybe if you were actually towing a trailer at the time you could understand it. Otherwise it's completely irrelevant.
It’s not irrelevant. This person modified the car that they had declared to their insurer, therefore invalidating the policy. Even in a system like they have in South Africa that Nick describes, I doubt SA insurers let you make modifications without informing them.
@@rob-c. The insurance company have a duty to define and inform what is considered a relevant modification. If you fit non-OEM windscreen wipers or non-OEM oil filter then this would technically be a modification, would they deny insurance because of this? Some insurance companies consider a tow bar to be a modification, others not. What's completely mad is that Allianz-owned Flow insurance who denied the claim have nothing about tow bars on the web site. Allianz themselves have a statement on their website covering modifications that states clearly that tow bars are covered "We also cover air conditioning, fog lights, parking sensors and tow bars"...
Sram's proposed new indoor trainer design fixes a problem that doesn't exist. it is more complicated and still requires you to remove the thru axel--you might as well just pull the wheel and pop it on the direct drive trainer. And, Cannondale makes great bikes. I have a couple. They are super light and ride nicely. The AI rear end is not a problem even if you want to switch wheels. Re-dishing a rear wheel to fit is not a huge issue.
JD: I'm at 718 hours of activity in 2024. Just passed 10,000 riding miles. I need to track down the Strava group. Love the pod (and Francis's riding shenanigans).
when removing your wheel from a disc brake bike, always put something in to prevent the calipers from closing by accident. doesn't have to be fancy, i use a piece of folded cardboard.
A watering can works wonders to wash the bike after a mucky ride. I've heard some people use garden sprayers that you have pump up with great effect, and there are some portable chargeable pressure washers that have their own water container, some MTB racers use those to rinse down the bike before putting it inside the car.
UDH seems good idea if just kept at hanger level. but feel like we will transfer to direct mount, and hanger mount will phase out so older bike be hard to get parts for. there is battery operated bike washers that i found handy Karcher do one
Just a suggestion. plot a route in flanders and the Netherlands in the summer together. You get to experience the flemmish classicsvibe and the Amstel goldrace for two or three days. And lots of easy miles for the rest of it. In summer the wind is mostly one or two beaufort. A 100 km can be done easily at 25kph average for any cyclist even with bags. Some bikeshops, clubs. cafe`s "fans" probably would like to meet you guys in person aswell. So might be good for networking aswell.
Zwift cog would solve all of Nick's turbo woes, obviously not compatible with them all but it could be as seen by JetBlack having compatibility in their new one
@ I don't know if it's Zwift locking down the software or whatever but it would be good for us consumers if all the turbo apps could use it. Of course that would be bad for Zwift so my hopes aren't high
I think the tow bar issue is a bit complicated. You buy a new with factory fit tow bar. Do you have to declare it to insurance? You buy a second hand car where previous owner fitted tow bar, you haven’t modified the car they did. Are we all risking the insurance being invalidated by speccing options. Maybe this is not so clear cut
Any options specced with a new car will be on the build database that the insurance companies have access to, so they will already be aware when quoting - they aren't classed as a modification. Any change after the car was built (not sure about dealer-fitted) will be counted as a modification, whoever made them. It's the responsibility of the purchaser of a 2nd-hand car to find out what isn't standard. Agreed this isn't always clear. However, you can always go to a dealer and ask for the built sheet to help identify any differences.
He’ll be back next time Francis is on a jolly. And to be fair, he makes an excellent stand in. A bit controversial at times, certainly don’t always agree with him on everything; in fact definitely not. But a good addition to the team for sure. Much, much, much, much better than any ‘special guests’ because although they are special, they never have any chemistry.
When I worked as a mechanic in the Netherlands I could not understand why so many people had Triathlon bars on their Dutch bike. Then I went for a ride in the “Polder” (the totally flat land reclaimed from the sea) 😂
I did the same Nick suggested and made a "Zwift"-Bike from a rim brake carbon bike that has been damaged in an accident. Fixed the frame with lots of epoxy resin, removed the brakes and also replaced the front wheel with a solid block so it is super rigid and stiff. As I ride a lot and sweat a lot indoor and do a lot of sprints I don´t want to put any of my bikes on it that I ride outoodrs. Putting a disc brake bike on DirectDrive trainer is also annoying as for the brake block required, and it takes more time to mount. Then sweat is dripping on the brake pads. I stopped putting my good disc brake bike on the indoor trainer for these reasons. I run 11s campa indoors, using up old parts...using a Wahoo Kickr v5. I had to buy a campa hub as it did not come with one, annoying. Then Wahoo sent me a replacement for my broken hub that allows both campa and shimano cassettes - tested it but it appears not to take all Shimano cassettes for some reason. Wahoo trainers come with adapters for all kind of diameters, it is not so hard to get wrong but I get your point "this could be a lot better". Then I think Direct Drive trainers at people that are willing to do some stuff themselves, and for this reason they are the "best cheapest" smart bike option. Otherwise just need to spend more and all these issues are gone.
What happens, if you have a crash on your rear derailleur with a full mount derailleur? The rear mech hanger is not there any more to bend or brake. What will brake then? The derailleur or the frame or the axle additionally destroying the hub? Will you be able to replace any of them at the same cost as a rear mech hanger? I doubt it. Will the warranty of the frame cover such an accident? I'm not sure. But I am sure Sram will love to sell you a shiny new derailleur at full price. Don't get me wrong, I think a standardized rear mech hanger is a great idea, but getting rid of the hanger bears the unnecessary risk of making a crash much more expensive.
Sram says if you crash on your derailleur, it's robust enough to take most typical front and side impacts, so nothing should get irreparably damaged. You may need to readjust it, but that's typical of most equipment post-crash. I checked online and the forums, and there's almost no reports of anyone sustaining unreasonable damage crashing on a t-type derailleur, let alone crashing at all. Only instance I could find was a youth racer getting mixed up in a pile-up at a race and having poor shifting (which was resolved at an LBS). What I gather from the evidence, if you're crashing hard enough to cause major damage to the derailleur, which is modular and repairable with parts from Sram, or the frame, that would've been the case whether the bike was equipped with a full mount deraiileur or not.
If the derailleur sits on the axle, as suggested, the only thing that takes the impact is the axle and nothing else. That means, nothing breaks or bends. I guess you could say that the axle can get dented but it'll take so much force that it would mean the derailleur itself should be broken or bent.
I have a few issues with SRAM but UDH is a Godsend. I need to have 5 different hangers for all my different bikes that range in price between $45 for a Specialized to $127 for my Commencal😮
I entirely agree on Nick's point about smaller bikes and 650B wheels. It doesn't make sense to have the same wheelsize on very big and very small bikes, the frame to wheel proportions are totally different. I like how Surly does it with the Straggler where the small frame sizes are 650B, the mid sizes can be bought in either 700C or 650B and the big ones are 700C. Also I don't understand why anyone would want a 100+mm stem, If I could I'd never touch a stem that's longer than 80mm again in my life. Short stems for life. My daily commuter Surly straggler (56cm, I'm 183cm) has a 75mm stem rather than the recommended 100 and I could never imagine a 100mm stem on that bike.
For what it's worth, living in the same situation in the same area as the listener at the end, I had good success with a cheap home Depot garden sprayer for bike cleaning purposes. Obviously a spigot and hose are going to work better but that was not available to me.
A garden hose doesn't prevent you from having to scrub unfortunately. I have a pressure washer and still have to scrub.. I may as well have just stayed with a bucket and sponge, at least then I could have spent the pressure washer money on bike bits instead 😅
400 hours is 7.7 hours/week or more than an hour a day. If you miss just one workout, you’ve upped the next week’s requirement to almost 9 hours. Let’s see how many people actually make it to 400, because I’ll find it very impressive.
Back in the early 80's I rode raleigh chopper type bike cheap alternative (it was called a Scrambler and a Halfords brand, it was Purple with white tyres and looking back I don't know I don't know how I survived riding it...until my BMX came along and later a race bike). My mate had a 5 speed racer with Cow Horns....on the downhills my Scrambler was considerably faster without pedalling...but on the flats I'd struggle to keep up.
I live in Tasmania where we have strong winds and and many mountains and hills, on a recent ride there was a strong head wind at the same time as an 8ish % gradient, that was "fun"
My wheel-off turbo trainer is the perfect excuse to keep a beloved old bike that would otherwise serve no function. I imagine this is true for many people who frequently use their trainers.
Oh, imagining my friends bikes already falling in price (for used market) because of being non UDH compatible (most of them just made this step up when buyer wont be just an amature who buying first road bike "to touch" the road cycling). And I'm so glad to having brazing kit to change dropouts on a beloved steel frames to whatever I want.
I have a Wahoo Kickr Rollr because my bike has a propietary rear axle that makes it impossible to install on a direct drive turbo trainer. At first I was bummed that I couldn't use a direct drive, but the Kickr Rollr sidesteps all of the cassette compatibility issues and the requirement to remove the rear wheel. The one downside for some people is that you must provide your own power meter because the Kickr Rollr does not have one built in. I have Favero Assioma Pro MX-1 power meter pedals that I can quickly swap onto any of my bikes. As far as resistance and responsiveness of the resistance in Zwift it seems fine to me.
As a owner of 2 cannondale bikes i have never had trouble with the pair of them ,granted one is a year 2000 cad aluminium cafe de columbia , but i have had 2 carbon synapse one a rim brake the other a disc ,sold the rim brake one to my eternal regret but still like the disc one
My 5'2" wife rides a TRI bike with 650c wheels and she is incredibly fast,, but we can no longer find wheels or tires. Unless we go super custom and the cost is astronomical.
The Canondale AI should have been the new standard across the industry. It actually makes a lot of sense. As for the direct mount trainer, how can you have a problem with pulling your brake? As soon as you take the wheel out, put in a spacer. It is pretty simple. And that SRAM trainer won't save hassle. You still have to pull out your through axle. And how will it work with bikes that now have the axle end covered?
The only point I am unsure on with mechs been fixed mount is what happens in a crash? No longer have a sacrificial part? Was the one bit I thought that was going to be discussed but then it went in another direction. Other then that UDH seems a win all round. PS great Pod as always and Merry Christmas all.
So the mech disengages itself. And all the exterior parts are replaceable. They even showed people standing and jumping on them. It’s pretty impressive tech.
@NicVieriMechanic cheers! Might have to go on a UA-cam journey of discovery to see it in action. So much change since my bike mechanic days in the early 2000's Ps love the jumper!
I hate the fact that the cost of standardization is getting more common stuff to be antiquated or getting to a point of repairing a bike become nth% harder. 🤦♂️ We’re already struggling to repair bikes and reuse bikes for future uses cause all the standardization is gonna cost more on the consumer end rather than on the manufacturer’s end. 🤦♂️🤦♂️ For listener’s take over guy, Some car wash places allow cleaning bikes, especially the DIY one. My thing personally was the Simple Green foaming spray, Finish line speed degreaser, And a basic chain cleaning tool. The only thing that I had to worry since I did it on our balcony in our apt, the grime and grit after washing, it stuck to the concrete balcony, but ours just needed elbow grease and dawn it got the job done.
Insurance is a scam not just in the uk. I had my garage insured for 10k against theft. Theft happened, Through lots of effort myself and the police recovered 70% of my stolen goods, including 2 of my bikes. My third bike was damaged, and even after presenting receipts for everything, a claim of roughly 5k for the unrecovered frame and wheels was payed in the sum of 380 euros by the insurance company.
Couple of things I can think of for the future: Did the policy require the bikes be locked and with a certain strength of lock? Was there a requirement to declare individual items inside the garage that a worth a certain amount and above? I know these are conditions of my household insurance, even though the value of my bike is nowhere near the total amount my contents insurance covers.
@@rob-c. no specific requirements on how the goods were stored other than be in a locked garage, and yes contents were itemized and registered. They argued age of goods and other such bull excrement.
Speaking as whatever is bigger than a Clydesdale, riding in a headwind absolutely SUCKS. Do I get blown around by crosswinds? No. But where I live we frequently have winds strong enough that I have to pedal downhill.
Was lucky enough to be able to get a new Orbea Terra through my works leasing plan, sadly they still only have 170mm+ cranks so now I'm riding on cranks that are 10mm to big :(
Flow insurance now part of Allianz. The driver failed to disclose the modification and the insurance company wouldn't have insured him if he had. Therefore policy cancelled.
I'm not sure that the aerodynamic drag equation would agree with Nic's comments on bigger heavier riders being less affected by wind - in fact it quite strongly disagrees with it. As a >100kg 189cm rider I still prefer hills because of the reward.
Yes, get the UCI to band Carbon frame and forks. There should be rules to even up the bikes amongst teams so it’s more about the rider than the bicycle technology.
@@Dlawler Carbon Forks and Frames are not recyclable, all components on race bikes should be able to be recycled very easily as part of the cleaner green future
@@overland_adventure_nz carbon frames and forks are recyclable. While due to its smaller use and relatively long life span of things that are made from it. The procedures and use have been slow on the uptake. This isn't the 90s anymore. Carbon fibre recycling is now a thing
@ most carbon frame owners have been told by recyclers they are not interested! I worked for a local bicycle shop in New Zealand and specialised bikes and a number of other bike brands do not recycle them. We had to just throw them in the bin under instructions so unless you’re in Europe somewhere that has a scheme set up I would suspect over 90% of all carbon bikes of disposed of in rubbish tips.
@@overland_adventure_nz With the cost going down, and use of carbon fiber going up across alot of industry's. It seems like the bike industry and consumers, helping the recycling push. Would be more beneficial, than a niche organisation banning it
I paid about 300 for my frame - carbon, then 1500 for the gearset, and 2 wheels about 800 tho I do also have a custom steel frame, did used to use it but like the carbon ride, tho I do plan to put the gearset on that and buy another to put on either a custom carbon ideally so I can't stay on rim - brakes as they're just much simpler from the 'go..
UDH is also a solution to a problem the industry created with carbon frames. UDH is like Boost or Super Boost. Its not an innovation though its being marketed as such. These are fixes for standards they foist upon the industry with larger wheels, epoxy frames, etc. Makes the frames cheaper to produce and eliminates corrosion and insert issues. Its a win win... for them. Consumers don't generally care but these are solutions to problems the industry created.
Nick you bought a Battaglin Roma? Will you make a video of it? That bike looks fantastic!! Dream bike land! ps: Equilbrium Bikes Elysion is similar but instead of Stainless steel it's made of Titanium also pretty cool.
You could actually create a Strava challenge, so the achievers get a badge as reward. Probably on the same level as purple heart or something (no idea what it means lol)
Canyon snail, crackandfail. Used to wrench at a trek dealer haha so I know I have zero credibility. They made some great brushed aluminum frames that always caught my eye.
Headwind = the Dutch Alps (a cliche, but needs to be said). Re uphill with downhill reward, on my rides I always get a wind payback as I start by going into the wind. Don't most people do this??
I never ever push my bike although it weighs 40 kg when I travel (food, water, spare parts ...) - no matter how steep it is. However, when I cycled through the Netherlands the wind was so strong that I was not able to *push* the bike in the flat. :-(
Nick opinións are the best, smart and cold data, period.
I wash my bike in an apartment block. I bought a small karcher portable pressure washer. Roughly £100. Best investment in bike cleaning. Does roughly 2 bikes on 1 tank. Can fill it with luke warm water. It’s perfect.
Going to miss Nic on the podcast. Controversial opinion… Jimmy vs. Nic (Ying and Yang stuff.) on the Pod much more entertaining than Jimmy vs. Francis (Flat back and forth.) UDH great idea and worth mentioning that SRAM mtb mechs have crash protection and if they do get damaged, essentially can be replaced in two parts. Props for the Muussstarrrd (on the beat) coloured Cannondale jersey!
I use one of those garden sprayers for washing my bike. Rinse the bike, spray bike wash, scrub with brushes, then rinse off.
The car wash idea is good for extreme mud, on your way driving home from the trail.
Finally someone cycling in The Netherlands that's not Dutch complaining about the wind here. I do a lot of riding in the polders. It's flatter than a pancake and there's always, always, always, wind. It's cold, harsh wind that's constant. I actually plan my rides the day that I'm riding based on the wind direction, head winds first and tail wind on the way back. However... the wind often changes direction so some times you just spend battling head winds the entire ride. Dutch mountains are no joke.
I live in a first floor flat that has a small area outside, unfortunately directly alongside a busy city centre road. For years I've washed my bikes using a watering can full of water and a bucket with brushes, bike wash, ect. It doesn't need much space outside and silly as the watering can might look, it really helps get the water where I want it. I'm just amazed I've never had a random pedestrian tell me no matter how much I water it I'll never grow a new bike!
33:25 toe overlap entered the chat...
Nic is totally right: the solution to this problem is actually more sizes and more incompatibility (due different wheel sizes) and not the other way around.
The availability of small bike sizes is really a thing, but XL is still needed.
Gonna be sad to see Nick gone but at least we get more of him on his own channel.
This podcast is the best cycling-related content on U-tube IMHO. It always makes me laugh and makes me think, and there are always non-mainstream sensible opinions that I completely identify with (as well as the other ones, of course). Keep it up!
I'd like to point out that it seems like the new Colnago Y1RS also has UDH - so adoption seems to be trickling to the Road scene as well.
Im with Nick, I use an old aluminium clunker bike that I've had for years, ditched the rear wheel and it now lives on the turbo. Simples. Theres also hundreds of cheap bikes on marketplace etc that would be perfect for puting on the turbo.
Same here....there's plenty of old rim bikes out there to setup a dedicated turbo...but I guess it depends if you have the money and space
Just to be more accurate the Full Mount version from SRAM is not hanging off the frame. It’s hanging off the axle. The axle is taking the full load so the frame doesn’t have to. That’s the clever part of the design. You can literally stand on the derailleur and nothing happens because the axle can cope with that load.
I agree with Nick about British insurance companies. I always say about them that, 'at least Dick Turpin had the good grace to wear a mask when he robbed you'.
😂
Some insurers are not too bad. But overall as a market sector, there’s a really high proportion of flat out robbers.
Thing is, most robbers deep down probably know they’re doing something morally wrong. When you cross horns with an insurer, you know there’s no conscience of any kind.
Some of what he said is fair, but he's not understanding risk. Any 19 year old, especially males, are a massive risk driving. That's proven in all historical statistics. So they should pay more insurance. It doesn't matter what they drive because the damage can be done with any vehicle. Under 25s should pay way more than a 60 year old with 40 years of clean driving.
Just ride bikes instead.
@@garrywhelan9211 Spot on. The actuarial statistics don't lie
100% on the Tour Divide. Some friends and I have been section riding it over the past few years. Incredible nature, views, and gravel riding.
Ahhhh, a discussion of SRAM's 'Trojan' Hanger - the only thing to say is Well played SRAM, well played.....
Bike Cleaning: I have a 60V Greenworks cordless power sprayer. It is just enough to spray off my RAV4 and perfect for cleaning bikes. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a cover for carrying warm water through the house. Just keep some distance from the sprayer and use just enough pressure to remove dirt.
I recently purchased 2021 De Rosa SK Pininfarina which has a proprietary rear mech hanger - out of concern that De Rosa will someday stop making the hangers, as soon as I took possession of the bike I reached out to De Rosa and bought 5 hangers (they are cheap) and 5 kits of all the proprietary little rubber gaskets that go around the head tube and seat post. I usually keep a bike for 10-ish years and buy used "interesting" brand bikes so I just always buy multiples of those type small parts everytime I purchase a new bike...UDH would be so much better.
15:30 British cycling don’t care.
I'm in! I've done 276 hours of riding this year (so far) and i was going to try and step it up next year so project 400 sounds good to me.
and Nic's completely right about smaller wheels, as a mountain biker i prefer 27.5 as I'm 5 foot 9, there's a slight disadvantage with rollover but the wheel strength, nimbleness and clearance to my backside on steep terrain is a huge advantage, i had a gravel bike and much preferred the 650b wheels than the 700c too
I very much doubt I could get insurance for a 200K super car for less than a student gets it for a Micra.
The reason UK insurers take the driver into consideration when insuring a car is because there is more risk if the car is being driven by an inexperienced driver, it’s fairly simple.
They are also not trying to get out of liability- they are not liable if you break the contract you signed with them.
Well said 🎉
To Phill, who wants to re-spray his bike. I would suggest hydrographic dipping, also known as water transfer printing or hydro-dipping. You can get all sorts of crazy patterns and designs this way and it will cost you a fraction of a re-spray price. I think prices start at around £120 for a frame (it may depend on a frame size) and around £70 for a fork, If you can strip down your bike and clean/de-grease the frameset. I had my 2009 Boardman Pro done this way and it looks great. Also, you won't have to face any surfaces, as in reality, it is just a very thin foil/sticker. As for the re-spray cost, £500 - £800 would get you a super nice, second-hand bike these days, so maybe it is not the best idea. Whatever you decide, enjoy your ride, mate!
When in doubt, declare *any* modifications to your car - they're not all going to cause higher premiums or invalidate your cover. In my case a dashcam counted as a modification when I renewed, but it resulted in a premium reduction for me. Similarly, the one person mentioned on the show that told their insurer about their tow bar received a small premium rebate.
I think there's a connotation that modifications are a problem to insurers, so people tend not to pay attention to them when taking out or renewing their insurance.
Well said. Just be honest with your insurance company
I agree, but ... I don't think a modification that is completely unrelated to the claim in question should be used by an insurance company to wriggle out of paying. I accept there will be grey areas. A fair and reasonable approach works both ways, or should.
@@edlazda3245 the point is they wouldn’t have offered a quote if he declared the tow bar when applying for the policy .
I just rang Admiral and they told me tow bar is counted as a small modification so doesn't need declaring. The more you know!
@@rosa__lux692 I would have charged you an admin fee
According to my Strava I logged 385 hrs so far in 2024, down from 430 hrs in 2023, because I am injured more this year. I am still injured right now, day 32 of resting already and still my hip is not healed. I will rest until there is zero pain, forget about the 400.
Cannondale deserve all the glory and praise, just for the BB drop on the 20" kids bike alone
To many brands are still so far behind on this
Omg, the statement, there is no achievement for a headwind is spot on. I live in very flat Florida and am constantly dealing with wind. The bane of my cycling experience
Its also dull as hell.
bane ... i think
@davewright8206 ooops.... stupid auto correct
@@mctrials23 absolutely. I use Rouvy to get my climbing in, which is still not as nice as real world, but at least I can put a movie on.
Funniest thing I've seen this year, Emily yawning during turbo trainer problems conversation. Priceless 😂.
Totally agree that the UK insurance market is a total con.
If the tow bar contributed in any way to the crash or increased the severity of the crash, then sure you could understand them rejecting the claim. Maybe if you were actually towing a trailer at the time you could understand it. Otherwise it's completely irrelevant.
It’s not irrelevant. This person modified the car that they had declared to their insurer, therefore invalidating the policy. Even in a system like they have in South Africa that Nick describes, I doubt SA insurers let you make modifications without informing them.
Just declare the modification and you'll be ok
@@rob-c. The insurance company have a duty to define and inform what is considered a relevant modification. If you fit non-OEM windscreen wipers or non-OEM oil filter then this would technically be a modification, would they deny insurance because of this? Some insurance companies consider a tow bar to be a modification, others not. What's completely mad is that Allianz-owned Flow insurance who denied the claim have nothing about tow bars on the web site. Allianz themselves have a statement on their website covering modifications that states clearly that tow bars are covered "We also cover air conditioning, fog lights, parking sensors and tow bars"...
Shimano years ago brought out the Hone groupsets where the rear derailleur attached to the hub axle.
Wild Ones is the best thing to come out of the north east since the Durham Miners’ Gala.
Sram's proposed new indoor trainer design fixes a problem that doesn't exist. it is more complicated and still requires you to remove the thru axel--you might as well just pull the wheel and pop it on the direct drive trainer. And, Cannondale makes great bikes. I have a couple. They are super light and ride nicely. The AI rear end is not a problem even if you want to switch wheels. Re-dishing a rear wheel to fit is not a huge issue.
JD: I'm at 718 hours of activity in 2024. Just passed 10,000 riding miles. I need to track down the Strava group.
Love the pod (and Francis's riding shenanigans).
when removing your wheel from a disc brake bike, always put something in to prevent the calipers from closing by accident. doesn't have to be fancy, i use a piece of folded cardboard.
A watering can works wonders to wash the bike after a mucky ride. I've heard some people use garden sprayers that you have pump up with great effect, and there are some portable chargeable pressure washers that have their own water container, some MTB racers use those to rinse down the bike before putting it inside the car.
For apartment bike cleaning. Get a 2 gallon pump sprayer. Fill it up and carry it out to where you are cleaning the bike.
UDH seems good idea if just kept at hanger level. but feel like we will transfer to direct mount, and hanger mount will phase out so older bike be hard to get parts for.
there is battery operated bike washers that i found handy Karcher do one
Nick is spot on. Every manufacturer is all in on 700c. Under 50cm, the compromises become obvious. 650 would solve this.
Just a suggestion. plot a route in flanders and the Netherlands in the summer together. You get to experience the flemmish classicsvibe and the Amstel goldrace for two or three days. And lots of easy miles for the rest of it. In summer the wind is mostly one or two beaufort. A 100 km can be done easily at 25kph average for any cyclist even with bags. Some bikeshops, clubs. cafe`s "fans" probably would like to meet you guys in person aswell. So might be good for networking aswell.
Zwift cog would solve all of Nick's turbo woes, obviously not compatible with them all but it could be as seen by JetBlack having compatibility in their new one
I like the idea of that. But had a customer last week who refuses to ride on zwift. He wants it for training peaks. 😞
@ I don't know if it's Zwift locking down the software or whatever but it would be good for us consumers if all the turbo apps could use it. Of course that would be bad for Zwift so my hopes aren't high
Just checked the club on Strava and there are now 1,706 members. Let's get it to 3,000 before the end of the year!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Bella 🤍
Virtual hug on the sleigh
❄❄
🎄🦴🐿
I done so far 830h activities this year 😃🤩
I really like it when Nick is on the podcast. I think we are cut from the same cloth, which means we would argue with each other incessantly.😂❤❤❤
Can we get a marathon of nicks rants of 2024
I think the tow bar issue is a bit complicated. You buy a new with factory fit tow bar. Do you have to declare it to insurance?
You buy a second hand car where previous owner fitted tow bar, you haven’t modified the car they did.
Are we all risking the insurance being invalidated by speccing options.
Maybe this is not so clear cut
Any options specced with a new car will be on the build database that the insurance companies have access to, so they will already be aware when quoting - they aren't classed as a modification. Any change after the car was built (not sure about dealer-fitted) will be counted as a modification, whoever made them. It's the responsibility of the purchaser of a 2nd-hand car to find out what isn't standard. Agreed this isn't always clear. However, you can always go to a dealer and ask for the built sheet to help identify any differences.
Thanks Nic. It was a fun ride. Cheers.
He’ll be back next time Francis is on a jolly.
And to be fair, he makes an excellent stand in. A bit controversial at times, certainly don’t always agree with him on everything; in fact definitely not. But a good addition to the team for sure.
Much, much, much, much better than any ‘special guests’ because although they are special, they never have any chemistry.
When I worked as a mechanic in the Netherlands I could not understand why so many people had Triathlon bars on their Dutch bike. Then I went for a ride in the “Polder” (the totally flat land reclaimed from the sea) 😂
I did the same Nick suggested and made a "Zwift"-Bike from a rim brake carbon bike that has been damaged in an accident. Fixed the frame with lots of epoxy resin, removed the brakes and also replaced the front wheel with a solid block so it is super rigid and stiff. As I ride a lot and sweat a lot indoor and do a lot of sprints I don´t want to put any of my bikes on it that I ride outoodrs. Putting a disc brake bike on DirectDrive trainer is also annoying as for the brake block required, and it takes more time to mount. Then sweat is dripping on the brake pads. I stopped putting my good disc brake bike on the indoor trainer for these reasons.
I run 11s campa indoors, using up old parts...using a Wahoo Kickr v5. I had to buy a campa hub as it did not come with one, annoying. Then Wahoo sent me a replacement for my broken hub that allows both campa and shimano cassettes - tested it but it appears not to take all Shimano cassettes for some reason. Wahoo trainers come with adapters for all kind of diameters, it is not so hard to get wrong but I get your point "this could be a lot better". Then I think Direct Drive trainers at people that are willing to do some stuff themselves, and for this reason they are the "best cheapest" smart bike option. Otherwise just need to spend more and all these issues are gone.
Just joined Project 400 :), and with a new bike coming early next year.....fun times.
What happens, if you have a crash on your rear derailleur with a full mount derailleur? The rear mech hanger is not there any more to bend or brake. What will brake then? The derailleur or the frame or the axle additionally destroying the hub? Will you be able to replace any of them at the same cost as a rear mech hanger? I doubt it. Will the warranty of the frame cover such an accident? I'm not sure. But I am sure Sram will love to sell you a shiny new derailleur at full price.
Don't get me wrong, I think a standardized rear mech hanger is a great idea, but getting rid of the hanger bears the unnecessary risk of making a crash much more expensive.
Sram says if you crash on your derailleur, it's robust enough to take most typical front and side impacts, so nothing should get irreparably damaged. You may need to readjust it, but that's typical of most equipment post-crash. I checked online and the forums, and there's almost no reports of anyone sustaining unreasonable damage crashing on a t-type derailleur, let alone crashing at all. Only instance I could find was a youth racer getting mixed up in a pile-up at a race and having poor shifting (which was resolved at an LBS). What I gather from the evidence, if you're crashing hard enough to cause major damage to the derailleur, which is modular and repairable with parts from Sram, or the frame, that would've been the case whether the bike was equipped with a full mount deraiileur or not.
If the derailleur sits on the axle, as suggested, the only thing that takes the impact is the axle and nothing else. That means, nothing breaks or bends. I guess you could say that the axle can get dented but it'll take so much force that it would mean the derailleur itself should be broken or bent.
Best bike cleaning option for apartment dwellers is a self serve car wash.
I have a few issues with SRAM but UDH is a Godsend. I need to have 5 different hangers for all my different bikes that range in price between $45 for a Specialized to $127 for my Commencal😮
I've always described myself as a headwind specialist.
Great episode. 😊
I entirely agree on Nick's point about smaller bikes and 650B wheels.
It doesn't make sense to have the same wheelsize on very big and very small bikes, the frame to wheel proportions are totally different.
I like how Surly does it with the Straggler where the small frame sizes are 650B, the mid sizes can be bought in either 700C or 650B and the big ones are 700C.
Also I don't understand why anyone would want a 100+mm stem, If I could I'd never touch a stem that's longer than 80mm again in my life. Short stems for life. My daily commuter Surly straggler (56cm, I'm 183cm) has a 75mm stem rather than the recommended 100 and I could never imagine a 100mm stem on that bike.
I still have my Cannonade Campagnolo edition mountain bike that I bought back in 1988!
For what it's worth, living in the same situation in the same area as the listener at the end, I had good success with a cheap home Depot garden sprayer for bike cleaning purposes. Obviously a spigot and hose are going to work better but that was not available to me.
A garden hose doesn't prevent you from having to scrub unfortunately.
I have a pressure washer and still have to scrub.. I may as well have just stayed with a bucket and sponge, at least then I could have spent the pressure washer money on bike bits instead 😅
Ooh, I hadn't thought about a garden sprayer, and it looks like they're pretty inexpensive! Thanks.
Romain Anonymous is probably a great name to stay under the radar on strava
😂😂😂
400 hours is 7.7 hours/week or more than an hour a day. If you miss just one workout, you’ve upped the next week’s requirement to almost 9 hours. Let’s see how many people actually make it to 400, because I’ll find it very impressive.
Back in the early 80's I rode raleigh chopper type bike cheap alternative (it was called a Scrambler and a Halfords brand, it was Purple with white tyres and looking back I don't know I don't know how I survived riding it...until my BMX came along and later a race bike). My mate had a 5 speed racer with Cow Horns....on the downhills my Scrambler was considerably faster without pedalling...but on the flats I'd struggle to keep up.
I live in Tasmania where we have strong winds and and many mountains and hills, on a recent ride there was a strong head wind at the same time as an 8ish % gradient, that was "fun"
Please give Nic his pro title back.
😂😂😂
@ asking politely for a friend
@@thomashosang2595 Yes Emily, listen to your viewers 😋
A trainer that you don't need worry about interface and/or wheel removal - it exists -> Wahoo Kickr Rollr
My wheel-off turbo trainer is the perfect excuse to keep a beloved old bike that would otherwise serve no function. I imagine this is true for many people who frequently use their trainers.
Oh, imagining my friends bikes already falling in price (for used market) because of being non UDH compatible (most of them just made this step up when buyer wont be just an amature who buying first road bike "to touch" the road cycling).
And I'm so glad to having brazing kit to change dropouts on a beloved steel frames to whatever I want.
The CO2 process is a fitness test - it's not a training tool...it's a bit like saying you have to not exhale while doing a Vo2 test...
Why don't they combine rollers and a turbo trainer? Make the back wheel sit on rollers and the roller end has a turbo trainer mechanism attached
Wahoo do something like this.
I have a Wahoo Kickr Rollr because my bike has a propietary rear axle that makes it impossible to install on a direct drive turbo trainer. At first I was bummed that I couldn't use a direct drive, but the Kickr Rollr sidesteps all of the cassette compatibility issues and the requirement to remove the rear wheel. The one downside for some people is that you must provide your own power meter because the Kickr Rollr does not have one built in. I have Favero Assioma Pro MX-1 power meter pedals that I can quickly swap onto any of my bikes. As far as resistance and responsiveness of the resistance in Zwift it seems fine to me.
One size bike for everyone isn’t unpopular, it’s unhinged.
Short folks can apparently be awfully spiteful.
As a owner of 2 cannondale bikes i have never had trouble with the pair of them ,granted one is a year 2000 cad aluminium cafe de columbia , but i have had 2 carbon synapse one a rim brake the other a disc ,sold the rim brake one to my eternal regret but still like the disc one
Project 400 Zwift group rides?
My 5'2" wife rides a TRI bike with 650c wheels and she is incredibly fast,, but we can no longer find wheels or tires. Unless we go super custom and the cost is astronomical.
Regarding cleaning bike... Karcher OC3 7l version. Expensive but fantastic and they are selling a collapsible version as well
The Canondale AI should have been the new standard across the industry. It actually makes a lot of sense. As for the direct mount trainer, how can you have a problem with pulling your brake? As soon as you take the wheel out, put in a spacer. It is pretty simple. And that SRAM trainer won't save hassle. You still have to pull out your through axle. And how will it work with bikes that now have the axle end covered?
Well there's only one place for the Project 400 ride - Commondale in North Yorkshire, Nick can bring his new Cannondale
Need to make Nic a regular
The only point I am unsure on with mechs been fixed mount is what happens in a crash? No longer have a sacrificial part? Was the one bit I thought that was going to be discussed but then it went in another direction. Other then that UDH seems a win all round.
PS great Pod as always and Merry Christmas all.
So the mech disengages itself. And all the exterior parts are replaceable. They even showed people standing and jumping on them. It’s pretty impressive tech.
@NicVieriMechanic cheers! Might have to go on a UA-cam journey of discovery to see it in action. So much change since my bike mechanic days in the early 2000's
Ps love the jumper!
SRAM is also offering the derailleur in non direct mount also. They are not leaving out frames that cannot take it. That would kill their market.
They unfortunately don’t. The 13Speed XPLR mech only comes in full-mount
@NicVieriMechanic I didn't realize that. I guess I was only thinking of MTB
I hate the fact that the cost of standardization is getting more common stuff to be antiquated or getting to a point of repairing a bike become nth% harder. 🤦♂️ We’re already struggling to repair bikes and reuse bikes for future uses cause all the standardization is gonna cost more on the consumer end rather than on the manufacturer’s end. 🤦♂️🤦♂️
For listener’s take over guy, Some car wash places allow cleaning bikes, especially the DIY one.
My thing personally was the Simple Green foaming spray, Finish line speed degreaser, And a basic chain cleaning tool. The only thing that I had to worry since I did it on our balcony in our apt, the grime and grit after washing, it stuck to the concrete balcony, but ours just needed elbow grease and dawn it got the job done.
Insurance is a scam not just in the uk. I had my garage insured for 10k against theft. Theft happened, Through lots of effort myself and the police recovered 70% of my stolen goods, including 2 of my bikes. My third bike was damaged, and even after presenting receipts for everything, a claim of roughly 5k for the unrecovered frame and wheels was payed in the sum of 380 euros by the insurance company.
😂
Couple of things I can think of for the future: Did the policy require the bikes be locked and with a certain strength of lock? Was there a requirement to declare individual items inside the garage that a worth a certain amount and above? I know these are conditions of my household insurance, even though the value of my bike is nowhere near the total amount my contents insurance covers.
@@rob-c. no specific requirements on how the goods were stored other than be in a locked garage, and yes contents were itemized and registered. They argued age of goods and other such bull excrement.
Speaking as whatever is bigger than a Clydesdale, riding in a headwind absolutely SUCKS. Do I get blown around by crosswinds? No. But where I live we frequently have winds strong enough that I have to pedal downhill.
Wonderful Producer Emily 🥰😘🥰😍❤
I am all about udh. Standardize as much as you can.
Was lucky enough to be able to get a new Orbea Terra through my works leasing plan, sadly they still only have 170mm+ cranks so now I'm riding on cranks that are 10mm to big :(
Flow insurance now part of Allianz. The driver failed to disclose the modification and the insurance company wouldn't have insured him if he had. Therefore policy cancelled.
About the small bikes, Canyon gravel bikes are 650b on their smaller sizes
Is it possible to expand the pod to have Jimmy, Francis AND Nic at the same time?
I'm not sure that the aerodynamic drag equation would agree with Nic's comments on bigger heavier riders being less affected by wind - in fact it quite strongly disagrees with it. As a >100kg 189cm rider I still prefer hills because of the reward.
Yes, get the UCI to band Carbon frame and forks.
There should be rules to even up the bikes amongst teams so it’s more about the rider than the bicycle technology.
The carbon fork doesn't hold up to that, you can get sub $1000 bikes with carbon forks
@@Dlawler Carbon Forks and Frames are not recyclable, all components on race bikes should be able to be recycled very easily as part of the cleaner green future
@@overland_adventure_nz carbon frames and forks are recyclable. While due to its smaller use and relatively long life span of things that are made from it. The procedures and use have been slow on the uptake. This isn't the 90s anymore. Carbon fibre recycling is now a thing
@ most carbon frame owners have been told by recyclers they are not interested!
I worked for a local bicycle shop in New Zealand and specialised bikes and a number of other bike brands do not recycle them. We had to just throw them in the bin under instructions so unless you’re in Europe somewhere that has a scheme set up I would suspect over 90% of all carbon bikes of disposed of in rubbish tips.
@@overland_adventure_nz With the cost going down, and use of carbon fiber going up across alot of industry's. It seems like the bike industry and consumers, helping the recycling push. Would be more beneficial, than a niche organisation banning it
I paid about 300 for my frame - carbon, then 1500 for the gearset, and 2 wheels about 800 tho I do also have a custom steel frame, did used to use it but like the carbon ride, tho I do plan to put the gearset on that and buy another to put on either a custom carbon ideally so I can't stay on rim - brakes as they're just much simpler from the 'go..
Indeed "Salty in his area" is an inuendo, but "salty in the area he rides in" is not better.
So late. I'm almost done with work at the office :(
This made it sound like I listen to the podcast while at work, which I am not going to comment on.
UDH is also a solution to a problem the industry created with carbon frames. UDH is like Boost or Super Boost. Its not an innovation though its being marketed as such. These are fixes for standards they foist upon the industry with larger wheels, epoxy frames, etc. Makes the frames cheaper to produce and eliminates corrosion and insert issues. Its a win win... for them. Consumers don't generally care but these are solutions to problems the industry created.
Nick you bought a Battaglin Roma? Will you make a video of it? That bike looks fantastic!! Dream bike land! ps: Equilbrium Bikes Elysion is similar but instead of Stainless steel it's made of Titanium also pretty cool.
Yes, I’ll film it next week hopefully. Has to stay wrapped under the Christmas tree till then 😋
@NicVieriMechanic 🤩😍🤩👍🏾👍🏾
A bucket of hot soapy water, brushes and a watering can for rinse is the best way to clean a bike in an apartment
You could actually create a Strava challenge, so the achievers get a badge as reward.
Probably on the same level as purple heart or something (no idea what it means lol)
Canyon snail, crackandfail. Used to wrench at a trek dealer haha so I know I have zero credibility. They made some great brushed aluminum frames that always caught my eye.
how is Nic so wise lmao
Headwind = the Dutch Alps (a cliche, but needs to be said). Re uphill with downhill reward, on my rides I always get a wind payback as I start by going into the wind. Don't most people do this??
I've bent my mech hanger quite a few times, still not sure about direct mounting. might have cracked the frame or destroyed the derailleur instead
It’s mounted to the thru axle so in case of a crash there’s mainly shear force on the axle.
I never ever push my bike although it weighs 40 kg when I travel (food, water, spare parts ...) - no matter how steep it is. However, when I cycled through the Netherlands the wind was so strong that I was not able to *push* the bike in the flat. :-(
I am new to strava and am unable to find the Project 400 club. Is that the full and correct strava name for it?
Found it!