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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2014 10:11:35 GMT
Hi everyone.
Doing the London/Surrey 100 next year, so ive had to sell on my trusy commuter hybrid to get something a little more appropriate for the training and the ride itself.
Whilst I can find a tonne of great reviews online for the 500SE, I cant find anything for the 500. From what I can tell the only difference is the gear system? Is the 500 worth the extra £70?
Thanks!
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Post by Paulinblack on Oct 20, 2014 10:29:16 GMT
Boil it down to:
Do you like (a) Shimano or (b) Microshift? Do you like (a) black hoods or (b) blue? Can you afford the extra £70
There's your answer.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2014 11:08:02 GMT
Must admit, purely asthetically I do like the blue, and I can afford the extra £70 (although obviously would rather keep it!)
This is my first road bike though, so have absolutely no preference at all over Shimano or Microshift. I guess the purpose of this post is to ask which is better - and if there is £70 worth of difference between the two!
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Post by william39 on Oct 20, 2014 11:17:14 GMT
Better value for me would be the 500SE and then put the extra £70 towards a new wheelset, Shimano R501 can be found for about £70 normally. If you check out some of the recent posts here you will see some people have been having problems with the stock wheels even with low mileage.
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brianevesham
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A short ride is better than no ride.
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Post by brianevesham on Oct 20, 2014 11:44:27 GMT
I would go 500 for only another £70 +1 for the R501 wheels as well.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2014 12:17:59 GMT
Thanks everyone!
Will see how I get on with the stock wheels over winter, but any issues and I will look into getting them changed!
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Post by Paulinblack on Oct 20, 2014 19:37:18 GMT
Many would say Shimano is better. Thats why the 500 is £70 more expensive.
The 500SE is supposed to be the budget option.
Both bikes are good and I'm sure you won't be disappointed with either.
P.S. I went for the more expensive option in March as the SE was delayed. I preferred the black hoods anyway. I hadn't ridden a road bike for 30 years. I'm happy!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2014 21:36:46 GMT
Thanks. I had never ridden a road bike so the first ride was a little intimidating.
Ive only ever ridden a 3 gear hybrid, so had no idea how im supposed to get my foot into the toe clips (Ive actually taken them off and will probably keep them off until im confident enough to get cleats).
Also the gearing system has me confused. Not sure when im supposed to shift the rear gears and when im supposed to do the front.
If anyone knows of an idiots guide it would be appreciated!!
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Post by erictherat on Oct 20, 2014 21:59:41 GMT
re gears - a simple answer is the front gears give you small for climbs, big for descent and fast flats and the middle for in between. The rear gears fine tune it. You should not cross the gears too much. ie - if in the small chainring (front) - use the top 3-4 on the cassette (back). The big chainring for the bottom 3-4 and in the middle use the middle range. So - look at the road ahead. and get the chainring you need for this section, and then stay in that ring and change gears on the cassette as you need them. Also - try and change gears before you need them. nothing worse that hitting a steep bit and being stuck in the big chainring - plan ahead. gcn vids are nice - tho this one talks about compact chainrings (2 at the front - you lucky to have a triple!) tho the principle is the same. Another good tip is to try and increase your cadence. use a lower gear and spin faster - your legs with thank you! www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B2bu8uHyMchope this helps, and does not confuse more. get out there and ride ride ride - the position and gears will become natural.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2014 22:03:56 GMT
Thanks! I remember I kept accidentally switching down when i wanted to go up and vice versa when I first got my hybrid, so im sure I will get the hang of it sooner rather than later!
Clearly I was changing gear far too often earlier, but wanted to experiment. My daily ride is pretty flat in central London, so sounds like I should very rarely be changing the front gear from the big one or the middle.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2014 5:28:09 GMT
So which bike did you go for in the end?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2014 8:51:59 GMT
Went with the SE in the end. Thought id save some money which I will need to spend on repairs etc in the future.
Thanks for the youtube video above. A big help - much smoother ride this morning gear wise - still the odd accidentally shifting up gears when I wanted to go down however!
Decided to lower the seat a bit whilst getting used to it, and have removed the toe clips. Absolutely hate the things - no idea how im supposed to get my feet into them. Will get myself some cleats when I get the chance.
Right now by biggest issue is braking hard from the hoods (or at all). Due to previous injuries I dont have the stength/dexterity in my wrist right now. Plus it doesnt quite brake as easily as my hybrid. Can get it to a complete stop without help from my feet - or gripping the brakes from the drop.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 21, 2014 14:08:28 GMT
Have a look at the interupters I've had fitted (on my Hit The Road thread). Or do a search for cross top brakes on Wiggle.
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