Bighit arrives - First impressions

[scarrabri]

I was in first. How much do you weigh?

Hi 12st my friend with full rack bag on the back,you will have to slim down a little lol or sweat, your legs will get stronger you just wait and see,you will be racing up them there hills, very best wishes Brian.

 

[flecc]

Congratulations on the golf result PJM.

I see you enjoy the fast run down Sanderstead Hill as much as I do, and your suspension probably eases you over those harsh ridges across the wide top stretch. I just get my teeth rattled!

On the gearing, I'd say stick with it for a short while since your improving fitness might make change unnecessary. If after a while you find change still desirable, there are other cassette choices spreading thr gears a bit wider or the megarange sets with a very low first gear. A wide range is better than megarange usually though, avoiding the big jump between the lowest two gears. Either way, a larger bottom gear sprocket often means a change of the rear mechanism as well, since standard ones often cant handle the jump. Doesn't cost much though, a Shimano Acera rear mechanism works well on large sprockets and costs around £15 last time I looked.

Many people exceed bike weight limits without trouble, the makers are always very conservative in their ratings. On your disc brakes, mechanically operated ones are generally not particularly strong, though there is the odd exception like some Avid models that are liked. A change to hydraulic is a bit complicated and expensive, but if yours don't improve as they run in, maybe a change to a recommended Avid cable operated model might help.

I very much agree with your last paragraph, government's attempts at social engineering with the aim of protecting the young have been as bad as all such attempts always are, resulting in a new form of deprivation and long term behavioural ill effects. A Wii, X box or getting senseless on alcohol is no substitute for a full life.
.

 

[PJM]

Flecc, it comes with a Acera derailleur as standard. If I was to use a Shimano Acera Megarange 11-34 would it just be a straight swop of the cassette?

 

[flecc]

Yes, if you have the Acera rear mechanism you'd only need that cassette. Here's my small wheel bike with a 13 to 34 tooth Megarange freewheel and the Acera mechanism (photo before trimming the chain length):

 

[vhfman]

PJM, you may not want to be fitting parts on your new Bighit so soon; but if you are not happy with the brakes, it is a fairly simple job to replace the present system with some new mechanical ones.

Personally I’ve found Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes are very good. And when setup correctly they feel almost as good as hydraulic systems; you can also continue to use your existing levers. I bought some recently Here for about £40 per set. If your Zoom forks will take 185mm discs then they will certainly give you more stopping power compared to the 160mm you have now.
I have also changed to Goodridge brake cables on all my bikes. I find they give a more, ‘positive feel’ compared to the Shimano\Jagwire ones that were fitted, which to me always felt spongy and tended to stretch in use. The Goodridge cables are pre stretched, PFTE coated, the outer cables are quite stiff but still flexible.

Chris

 

[scarrabri]

Hi does all this changing of parts so soon mean the warranty is no longer valid?

 

[flecc]

Hi does all this changing of parts so soon mean the warranty is no longer valid?

In theory yes, but I've never known of any company using upgrades as an excuse to avoid warranty liability, after all the product is being improved. Warranties have no legal force anyway, our protection is provided by the sale of goods act. For a company to avoid it's legal liabilities it would have to prove that the modifications caused or contributed to the fault being complained of.

 

[PJM]

Thanks for the input. How long should the disc brakes take to bed in? Obviously the gear and saddle issues are not tearing urgent but the brakes are an issue I would like to prioritise. I cannot see how the manufacturer would raise issue with me upgrading components in any event. Obviously if any of the new components fail warranty issues are not theirs to worry about. I am not tweaking performance but looking to improve safety and comfort.

 

[flecc]

On your downhill return route I would think only a couple of runs should be sufficient to show any improvement that might occur. If there's no detectable improvement then, the recommended Avid upgrade coud do the trick since a number of members have expressed satisfaction with the BB7s.

 

[Blew it]

Here are a couple of sources for Avid BB7,

ON ONE £40 each delivered

If you don't mind waiting four or five days for delivery, you can buy BB7 calipers only from HongKong. You can use these with your existing 160mm rotors

A PAIR HERE £52 delivered

ANOTHER PAIR HERE £52 delivered

Don't worry too much about the quoted delivery times, the two sets I purchased arrived within five days by airmail.

One more bargain, if your looking for a speedo with a large sharp-contrast display. Available from Rutland Cycling Ebay shop, £10.50 delivered

HERE

This is what they look like.

 

[PJM]

Thanks guys. I already have a computer fitted but nice cheap speedo. I will probably give it a couple of weeks and try and see how I get on before I change the brakes or gear ratios. If anyone could recommend a good saddle though I might change that to try and stop the numbness. Another thought it has Kenda semi slick tyres that are more semi than slick. The reviews also show they have weak side walls and are puncture prone. Would it be worth giving the Schwalbe City Jets a whirl. They seem to get good reviews at a very competetice price.