Justcyclingstuff

You’ll find a lot guides online for  “entry level” road bikes which will usually (and not unreasonably) focus on reviewing a number of bikes at a similar price point. But what should you be looking for in a more general sense if you’re after your first proper road bike? Price Of course everyone will have a different idea of budget, but to keep things simple I would say that proper road bikes start at around £500. That gets you into decent frames and components that should last pretty well. Frame type An aluminium  frame with a carbon fork is probably the best material at this price. You could get a steel frame, but you’d end up with a heavy overall bike, and carbon is going to be out of the price range. Weight Don’t be fooled by a flashy-looking bike that weighs a ton, when it comes to road bikes weight matters. 10kg is the number you’re looking for at this price level, less than that and you’re doing well, but if the bike is nudging towards 11kgs then there are prob...

If you're looking for a high quality alloy seatpost then two that stand out are the Nitto S83 and the Thomson Elite. I own both, so how do they compare? Looks The S83 is a smooth, classic looking seatpost which is similar to road seatposts of a few decades ago. The Thomson has more of an industrial look, particularly with its textured machined surface.  Versions Thomson have loads of different versions available: in just about every combination of length and diameter you could want. The S83 is more limited, but if you like something a bit different you won't see so many of them out there on other bikes. Weight Thomson is a clear winner here. Depending on the exact version you get it's around 200 grams, which is pretty good for an alloy post. The Nitto is around 100 grams heavier. Saddle clamp The Thomson uses a tried and tested two bolt design which uses surprisingly small diameter bolts, but grips securely. The S83 uses large diameter bolts and is probab...

The Cambium saddles has been a useful way for Brooks to expand beyond their well-known leather range, whilst maintaining something with a classic look. The Cambium was originally promoted by Brooks as a saddle you didn’t need to worry about in the wet, unlike its leather saddles. The fact that the latest version comes with a different surface called “all weather” is perhaps an admission that the original Cambiums weren’t as hard-wearing as they could have been. Nevertheless, the new covering looks good and seems wear resistant. It’s also cheaper than the original Cambium at around £80 if you shop around. The Cambium comes in different widths and I’d say this one, the C15, is a “standard” road bike width. Although you wouldn’t buy this saddle as a lightweight choice, it does feel pretty heavy when you pick it up, so it really needs to be comfortable to be worth it. The “carved” version means it has a central cutout, and I think this is where the issues lie with this s...

A well worn argument on cycling forums all over the internet. The discussions quickly seem to descend into insults, which all seems a bit unnecessary when all we're talking about is a bike braking system. For now, I'm sticking to my rim brakes, here's why: Garage full of wheels Like most cyclists I've got a few sets of wheels hanging around and unsurprisingly they're all rim brake. Also, I think we'll see lots of nice high-end rim brake wheels coming up on eBay in the next year or two as others make the switch. Have we reached a standard yet? Well the answer may well be yes as the industry settles on thru axles in 100x12 front and 100x142 rear, but perhaps give it a year or two? There are plenty of road disc brake frames using quick releases out there that are now looking obsolete after only a couple of years. Weight and price I've deliberately put weight and price together. Yes, if you're riding the Tour you can get a disc brake bike built ...

So, first things first: if you judge a seatpost by maximum lightness for minimum money then you might as well stop reading now, this isn't for you. However, if you're looking for a quality seatpost and weight is a secondary issue then read on. The S83 is a beautifully crafted piece of engineering that has a quality finish. It's a nice alternative to all the black carbon out there and looks particularly good on a steel or titanium bike. Most of the ones you'll find have got a silver finish, although black ones are available, you might need to search a bit on the internet and perhaps order directly from Japan. One issue that frustrates me with some seatposts is the poor quality of the saddle clamps, which can be flexy, with poor quality easily rounded bolts, often in the name of reducing weight. No such issues with the S83, which has large, high quality bolts that grip the saddle firmly. Both of the bolts are accessed from below making adjustment straig...