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Advice... returning back to cycling.

All the gear and no idea, as ever. I don't think it's new though. I've never been taken in by the bling aspect of the sports that I do, my climbing gear gets used until it's in rags, safety gear gets used until it's unfit and retired, my last new bike was bought in 2005, and other stuff has been second hand and very definitely non bling. I get more out of restoring old bikes with reconditioned bits, new paint and parts as necessary, than I do from buying new.
 
Many years ago I had a recumbent built for me by Optima Cycles in the Netherlands. The two chaps who ran the business were rather scathing about Shimano with the comment that 'Shimano wears out whilst Sram wears in'. Most of the bikes I have owned seemed to have had European components so I can't comment on the veracity of their statement but I thought it was interesting as it seemed to come from their experience rather than prejudice.

If this was mid 90s or later I think it's prejudice. SRAM is not European, though SRAM did acquire Sedis and Sachs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SRAM_Corporation
The only European component maker I know of is Campagnolo - I'm not sure if Mavic still makes derailleurs ?
Any Shimano gear 105/LX or better since the mid 90s has been quality stuff. In fact even the "low end" Tiagra and SRAM Apex seemed perfectly good to me (albeit on bikes that didn't do a lot of mileage).
 
If this was mid 90s or later I think it's prejudice. SRAM is not European, though SRAM did acquire Sedis and Sachs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SRAM_Corporation
The only European component maker I know of is Campagnolo - I'm not sure if Mavic still makes derailleurs ?
Any Shimano gear 105/LX or better since the mid 90s has been quality stuff. In fact even the "low end" Tiagra and SRAM Apex seemed perfectly good to me (albeit on bikes that didn't do a lot of mileage).
Their experience and comments related to Sachs/Huret so point taken about SRAM. I used SRAM as few people seem to remember Sachs/Huret these days.
 
I get more out of restoring old bikes with reconditioned bits, new paint and parts as necessary, than I do from buying new.

I'm more like that the older I get. My grandfather never bought anything new. Always a fix-me-up project and then keeping it going. He took pride in that effort. Had a decent savings he left to my grandmom when he passed to show for it.
 
Many years ago I had a recumbent built for me by Optima Cycles in the Netherlands. The two chaps who ran the business were rather scathing about Shimano with the comment that 'Shimano wears out whilst Sram wears in'. Most of the bikes I have owned seemed to have had European components so I can't comment on the veracity of their statement but I thought it was interesting as it seemed to come from their experience rather than prejudice.
The same used to be said for Campag, it is nonsense. It is more likely that they couldn't supply Shimano as cheaply as others.
 
The same used to be said for Campag, it is nonsense. It is more likely that they couldn't supply Shimano as cheaply as others.
You may be right and I suspect there was a similar view of Japanese components on cycles that some in the audio community had about Japanese audio. Having said that, I also suspect that like Sony in the audio world, Shimano had a broad range of products and may well have produced some real rubbish.
 
Some of the early Japanese cars and bikes were very definitely built to a price and somewhat crap, until they got their act together with things like the CB 175/200/250/etc and Civic. Some Shimano gear is pretty duff now, in cheap bikes. Maybe it was less well priced then as a result of high import tariffs in the 70s.
 
Shimano always made the mistake of also making really cheap entry-level stuff for the bike shaped objects one would find at Halfords etc. That didn’t stop their top-end stuff being seriously good, but a lot of high-end cycling looks to have a degree of snobbery to me, so it may push it below Campag etc in some minds.

In reality I doubt there is much difference between the brands once you get beyond a certain price point. I just wish you could buy simpler systems with less crowded rear cassettes. I’d be perfectly happy to go back to say a 7 speed cassette and a correspondingly thicker chain and stronger longer-lasting gear teeth. I really do not want or need 11-speeds and tend to jump them in twos when shifting!
 
I think most cyclists are pragmatists, they will go with whatever works & they can get bits for. I honestly don't think the crap they out on Halfords bikes has any impact on sales of 105, Ultegra etc. There are some die hard Campag users but these are becoming rarer, this is purely based upon a straw poll of fellow cyclists in my club.
 
Sorry if this has been covered already - any suggestions for a bicycle camera? I'm fed up being knocked off my bike and although a bike-cam won't stop it happening, it should provide me with evidence where an incident needs to be reported to the police.
 
whatever bike you get look into the Garmin rear light / radar system. I gave up road biking after being knocked off the bike by as as*hole pickup truck driver who never stopped, which made me move to mountain biking. The new Garmin systems give you an audio and visual warning or approaching vehicles with distance and speed and so far has proved amazingly accurate. If its a choice between an upgraded crankset or the Garmin rear radar, the radar wins anytime.

I wear one of these whenever I'm cycling on the road (except in events)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AO7ETQ/?tag=pinkfishmedia-20

https://handsonbike.blogspot.com/2012/02/bike-peddler-take-look-mirror-review.html

I feel naked without it, like the time the rear view mirror became unstuck from the car windscreen and I had no rear view mirror for a few days. I think it's a cheaper, low tech way to achieve a similar result.

Sorry to read you've been knocked off Derek - no idea about cameras, but I'll read the responses with interest.
 
I must have ridden well over 50,000 miles - well that’s ballpark but 40 years as a regular cyclist and have only ever been knocked off twice. Once 38 years ago was a case of an elderly driver pulling out to the main road without seeing me. Nearly very serious but just one night in hospital and some kudos from my student friends at the time. It did finally scare me into buying a helmet though.

The other time a bit of a comedy moment in Victoria (London) where me and a van driver were both being far too polite “you first “No after you” and we both set off at the same time so he drove into me. Nothing serious.

I especially agree with sq225917’s comments about eye contact. Don’t like heavily tinted glass in cars for this reason. I always use the motorbike rider’s ‘lifesaver’ glance though I don’t call it that to my wife while we’re on the tandem.
 


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