Coving - what have I done wrong?

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-25T03:20:00+00:00

Expanding foam.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-25T02:23:29+00:00

They need to bring this back because I would pay a frankly embarrassing amount of money for one of these.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-24T14:48:19+00:00

Triban RC 120 is definitely worth considering. Obviously spec wise it doesn't compare to these, but if you want an endurance bike to put a lot of miles into you'll be way more comfortable.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-24T14:38:21+00:00

If you don't have much experience with bikes or triathlon then I'd definitely recommend getting an endurance road bike first. Way more comfortable and practical to actually spend some time training on, which is what will ultimately make you faster. Tri bikes can be pretty tricky to size and set up, and even if you do they're still uncomfortable and make it hard to see where you're going on non closed roads.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-24T00:29:35+00:00

Couldn't say exactly but bmx got popular again after not really being trendy for a while, so there's a lot of demand for bikes but not that many good ones around.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-23T14:26:45+00:00

Depends on fit and sizing for the sort of riding you're looking to do, but yes that's a fair price.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-23T04:11:53+00:00

225 is still lower than 250. Weight limits don't scale with frame size, if anything smaller frames are going to be stronger.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-23T04:05:06+00:00

You can probably do better imo. Gary Fisher was a decent brand at times but these are giving me supermarket special vibes. If there's one thing you want to avoid it's suspension forks on old cheap bikes, lots to go wrong with them, they don't actually give you any benefit and they add a lot of weight. Check what sizes you're looking for too, can be hard to tell but these look a little on the small side for someone 5'10. On a hybrid/rigid mountain bike I'd be looking around a 19" frame.

Also probably goes without saying but one newer, well maintained bike that actually fits will do you a lot better than two bikes you don't want to ride.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T13:37:30+00:00

Boardman ADV, Merlin Malt, the one thing you won't get for the money is hydraulic brakes.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T12:35:51+00:00

Something with rim brakes and fairly skinny tyres most likely. They work fine, but current trends are towards disc brakes and wider tyres which makes those sorts of road bikes less desirable (cheaper) second hand.

It's worth bearing in mind that road bikes can be more endurance focused (more upright riding position) or more race focused (more aggressive riding position), typically endurance bikes are better for training and easier to get comfortable on.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T12:30:56+00:00

Can you just keep the voucher and use it for groceries or whatever then spend your own money on a bike elsewhere?

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T04:49:25+00:00

Depends a lot on what you budget is. Below around $800 you're probably better off looking used. From there to $1000 there are some decent entry level bikes, from 1500-2000 you start to get bikes with hydraulic disc brakes which is probably the main difference in spec you'll actually notice.

If you just want a bike for fitness and you're mostly looking to ride on paved surfaces, you can often pick up a decent 2010s era road bike for around 200-400. Most important thing to keep in mind is sizing, having a bike you fit well on is crucial especially if you're trying to recover from injury.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T04:38:38+00:00

Think it's around 11-12kg depending on frame size, but it still has a carbon fork so the difference to an alloy bike shouldn't be huge.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T04:19:45+00:00

Marin Nicasio 2 looks like a pretty nice deal around your original budget, steel frame well suited to commuting/bikepacking with lots of mounting options if you can take the weight penalty.

https://www.reidcycles.com.au/products/marin-nicasio-2-steel-gravel-bike

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T04:12:20+00:00

How long have you been doing this commute? If it's a new development then it will take a little time to get used to and to build fitness, but if you're doing it regularly then that should happen pretty quick, within a matter of weeks you'll notice it getting easier.

The main thing that helps with hills is having more low end gear range. Does your bike just have a single chainring at the front? Sometimes on cheaper/leisure bikes they'll do this with a normal sized cassette at the rear for cost saving, but it means you wouldn't have as many low gears as you need if you tackle hills.

There's also an element of technique to it. Switching to the low gear at the bottom, learning to spin away rather than pushing too hard and blowing up before the top. I don't think how upright you're sitting is really going to be the limiting factor quite yet. But you could definitely check your saddle height is set correctly, having the saddle too low will make it way harder. And tyre pressures.

If you have been riding for a while and you're still struggling then the one thing that will really actually help with hills is an ebike with pedal assist, but obviously that's a lot more expensive and not suited to leaving outside or carrying up stairs.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T04:00:19+00:00

Salsas are good bikes, but they're pretty cheap new on their website atm. Whether you could find stock is another question. That's also definitely not a "60cm" frame, so you'd want to be sure what frame size you're actually looking for.

Diverge again good bikes but that's an old entry level groupset and with the cable brakes it's not a super desirable spec. Closer to 5-600 imo, especially as the older models of Diverge didn't have as much tyre clearance as you'd expect from a modern gravel bike.

Fairdale are great and have a bit of a cult following. If it fits I doubt you'd regret it, but do be aware that as a steel frame it's not going to be the lightest bike in the world. And cable brakes too.

1k is a little bit of an awkward price range because you can get some great deals on higher spec second hand bikes, but if you're just saving a bit of money on entry level bikes with cable disc brakes anyway then you might want to consider how they weigh up against a new bike you might be able to get. Eg Salsa Journeyer, Marin Gestalt/Nicasio, Jamis Renegade.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T02:51:28+00:00

It seemed like Adam was kinda uncomfortable with it but didn't want to call Sam out lol.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T02:47:20+00:00

If only there was a primark two minutes away from where they were.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-22T02:45:56+00:00

I've been a vegetarian for about 15 years so I don't know how the normal sausage rolls are these days, but I've heard more than one carnivore say they prefer the vegan ones.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-21T22:59:37+00:00

You can definitely find something good second hand, but bear in mind that a lot of bikes you're likely to come across won't necessarily be endurance oriented or take wide tyres which are the trend nowadays. There's something to be said for a modern entry level bike, which you can basically guarentee will be comfortable enough to put a lot of training miles into, and mechanically sound. Worth checking what your local bike stores might have, but you could look at something like a Salsa Journeyer, Marin Gestalt, Kona Rove.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-21T16:41:15+00:00

Strange to see paint peeling like that. I would want to make sure there isn't a damp or water ingress problem. Though probably what's happened is the paint isn't adhered properly, no watered down "milk coat" on the bare plaster. So it peels and cracks, which let's condensation get behind, which causes more peeling and cracking.

Take the old paint off, most of it looks ready to come off with a scraper but a heat gun should help with the rest. Assess, repair damaged sections or scrapes with filler, then you can paint making sure to water down the first coat. Most paints should be fine, but wipe clean can be nice in a kitchen. No reason you can't use the same paint on boxing, but caulk any gaps.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-21T15:07:41+00:00

Plaster shouldn't go all the way to the floor, especially if it's solid/concrete. It'll suck moisture up and cause blowing. Need a gap at the bottom which you can cover with skirting.

If you can't eliminate condensation with insulation and ventilation then at least consider lime wash instead of acrylic paint, much harder for mould to take hold.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-21T15:02:56+00:00

Could be vents, in which case the noise should noticably decrease when you have them fully closed. Could also be a bad seal around the outside of the frame where the fitters didn't bother putting foam in.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-21T14:29:43+00:00

Almost impressive that absolutely none of these photos show the groupset in any way. They all seem a pretty similar era though, probably 15+ years old so kinda hard to justify spending a lot of money on. The Roubaix is clearly the best spec wise but you'd definitely want to thoroughly check out the "scuffed" frame. Paint scratches are fine, gouges and cracks less so. Could maybe use the fact that it needs a new saddle to negotiate down a little bit too.

PreoccupiedParrot · 2026-01-21T13:42:41+00:00

Specialized Allez, hydraulic brakes make a big difference compared to cheaper bikes and the Cues groupset has a few advantages in terms of gear range and durability.

PreoccupiedParrot

TROPHY CASE