Re: old school?

On 9/13/2024 4:11 AM, Roger Merriman wrote:

Due to various reasons I’ve bought a new bike for the commute or at least
dry days I want to go get there quicker or rather get up later, so bought a
cheap road bike as it will get left places and well doesn’t need to be good
just good enough.
 And so is a Sora 9s road bike with rim brakes and fairly tall gearing.
 I’ve attached a pannier as well I don’t like carrying stuff on my back.
 It as stock came with 25mm tires which was quite a culture shock and back
to the kit I used to use, including one of the tires I used being Lugano if
V2 though I also used 4 seasons and Gatorskins in 25mm form a decade or so
back.
 Clearly it’s a rather cheaper bike than my other bikes, and the Rim brakes
are objectively worse ie less powerful though may well do better as and
when I change out to cartridge pads. But it’s good enough for its intended
purpose and I really dislike cable disks!
 But 25mm tires though absolutely pumped up a touch too high from the shop
ie old school to the max ie 120psi and gave a very skittery and firm ride,
I swapped out to some 32mm tires which is about the only modern bit of the
bike it’s tire clearance will take 32mm with out mudguards though have
fitted an asssaver to warn against wet or damp roads.
 It’s much better with 32mm that extra volume and footprint does make quite
a difference, dropped some 40psi.
 Did need to be tires that where not adverse to encountering glass as I do
pass two small sections that are a touch grim though my route is slightly
different ie less parks, etc but I remember how awful Gatorskins where if
there was any moisture, and thus went for Armadillos which apparently are
more normal levels of grip which this far seem to be.
 But in its stock form was very much a blast from the past with 25mm tires
at 120psi, and similar to what I’d ridden a decade or so in the past, and
the tires was the stand out feature that reminded me of what road bikes
where like then!
 Roger Merriman

Excellent!
My usual advice for an urban commuting vehicle is 'a bike you do not love'.
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971