u/CornwallJon

Currently have a Nanga Mountain Lodge jacket which (apparently) has 860FP Polish goose down (93%) and feather (7%). It’s an incredibly light jacket that packs up tiny. Not sure exactly of the fill weight but I think about 80g. What can I get from Arcteryx that will be demonstrablyand significantly warmer? Either down or synthetic? Doesn’t necessarily have to be in the current range. I’m thinking Atom SV, Fission SV, Nuclei SV, Thorium.

Use is mainly urban, Central Europe winter casual wear.

This morning, after working flawlessly since I purchased it about six months ago, my Karoo 3 just stopped recording speed and distance mid ride. This happened three times and the only fix I could find was to reboot it each time. The device is not linked to a speed sensor, just uses GPS. It is linked to a power meter but always has been and never had any problems previously - I think power might still have been recording, cant remember. the unit is in great condition and has been totally babied all its life! Any thoughts?

Hi! Can anyone tell me what’s likely to be on at Reading on Friday after Fontaines DC ends (supposedly about 23:30(? Looks like only Silent Disco DJs in Warehouse, Ballroom and Gallery until 03:00, and no other non-silent music elsewhere?

Is it possible for those with Friday day tickets to get in to Silent Disco with the headphones, and does anyone know how long it takes to return the headphones at the end? I can see it’s no longer possible to order headphones in advance; are they likely to be sold out on the day?

I am trying to figure out a time for someone to come and collect me after the bands and not sure whether it’s worth sticking around much after midnight, given that I only have a day ticket. I don’t want to ask to be collected at 02:00 and find there’s not a lot to see/do especially if the Silent Disco headphones have run out (I think having to pay extra for that is a total scam btw).

Cheers!

I see a lot of negative comments on here about the Soloist, mainly around the fact that it's neither the most aero, nor the best climber, it uses lower quality carbon than the S5 and R5 and it's kind of expensive for what it is (or is not).

I hired the previous generation (2025) Soloist on holiday in Mallorca this year and I liked it. It felt stable, quick enough, light enough. I usually ride a 2020 Giant TCR SL0 and I particularly enjoyed the Soloist on descents - felt more confidence inspiring than the TCR (though possibly this was because I was on a size 56 Soloist and my TCR is a 58 - I am 6ft 2ins).

I like to ride as fast as possible but I don't really fancy an S5. I don't know anyone who rides one and it seems total overkill for most of my riding which is 40-50km solo blasts and 60 - 100km fast club rides. On the other hand, the R5, while obviously a lovely bike, seems virtually identical to the TCR in most respects and I'd just like to try something slightly different. I also think the R5 headtube looks a bit long in the bigger sizes, which is a pet hate of mine. I'm impressed at the overall weight of the new Soloist, though I realise this is mainly in the integrated bar/stem.

I know there is infinite choice out there, but if I like the look of the Soloist and the price is manageable (is it really hugely more expensive than other premium brand equivalents?), why should I not just get one?

Hi all, I have just replaced the saddle on my 2020 TCR SL. Previous saddle was a Selle San Marco Superleggera Aspide, which developed a crack on the seat area (not the rails). This was perfectly rideable but seemed to be causing a lot of creaking and cracking noises in use, hence replacing.

I have bought a very similar saddle and fitted it, but I am still getting a lot of creaking and cracking noises. In fact bought two identical saddles and fitted the other to my Cannondale, where it is completely silent. I also tried putting the old Cannondale saddle on the Giant and that too is giving creaking and cracking noises.

SO I am coming round to the opinion that there is some problem with the seatpost clamp of the TCR SL. I have torqued the saddles up pretty tight, and used carbon paste, but when I push down on the front or back end, there is movement and noise. In use, the noise is almost constant unless riding on 100% flat tarmac (ie never in the UK). Any ideas?

Does anyone have any good/bad/indifferent experience with custom kit suppliers? This is for a UK-based club, 50-60 members. Open to suppliers based in UK or international. Interested to learn about pricing for standard s/s jersey of good quality (ie something people will actually want to wear and rivalling Rapha/Gobik/Assos/Castelli quality). Also any details on how the supply works - think standard approach is to accumulate a minimum order of 15-20 before ordering?

I have just sold a Normcore v3 hand grinder as I always found it a lot of effort to grind 18g of beans and the device was difficult/uncomfortable to hold. It would have been better if the rubber grip part was fixed to the metal body to offer some purchase while in use, but it’s not. Does anyone else feel this type of grinder is just more effort than it’s worth?

Anyone know why this is?

Hi all,

Considering buying an R5 to replace my 2019/20 TCR Advanced SL (with Force D1 groupset except for Red D1 p/m crankset), weighing 7.0kg on the nose with 1,300-ish gram Light Bicycle AR45 wheels.

Options are:

This 2025 model with SRAM Red E1 for £6,995:
https://www.merlincycles.com/cervelo-r5-red-axs-carbon-road-bike-2025-338388.html

This 2025 model with SRAM Force D2 for £4,995
https://www.merlincycles.com/cervelo-r5-force-axs-carbon-road-bike-2025-338380.html

Or the new 2026 model with SRAM Force for £7,495:
https://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/cervelo_r5_force_axs_road_bike_-_five_black-silver_2026-44085

My Giant TCR Advanced SL is size L with reach of 402 and stack of 581. The 2026 size 58 seems to have the closest geometry and a shorter headtube than the previous generation in size 58 which I think looks a bit out of proportion with its 192mm headtube.

Clearly getting a 2025 model with full SRAM Red E1 for £500 less than the new model with Force E1 is tempting but is the 2026 model that much more evolved to make the step down in groupset worth it? As far as I know, Force E1 is pretty similar to Red apart from the crankset weight - I could use the existing D1 Red crankset from my Giant TCR to make some weight savings there.

Which deal would you go for and why?

Can anyone tell me how sizing of the Shimano RC903 shoes compares with Fizik Infinito and/or Shimano XC703? I am size 44.5 in the Fizik and 45 in the XC703.

Are there any really accurate foot measuring charts for this shoe that you could recommend? Thx

Bit of a long shot but does anyone know if the Koo optical clip fits any other brand of glasses?

Can anyone tell me simply whether or not the wireless blips that cost around £100 can be used to scroll through the Karoo pages while riding, if paired with Force D2 shifters?

I don’t love the Karoo screen swipe or side buttons (coming from Wahoo they make me feel like I’m going to twist the Karoo off its mount 😀). I was planning to upgrade to Force E1 shifters but obviously that’s about five times the price of the blips and a lot of faff.

Also just used Rival E1 shifters on a hire bike and my hands did not love them.

Got the Rival E1 shifters on a hire bike at the moment. They feel much less comfortable than my Force D1 hoods. Less cushioned, with a squarer, more angular feel that is really not comfortable after 50km or so.