Thought I saw you on my ride today @anon67149139. Turns out it was somebody else with the same specialized helmet, venta kit and similar looking bike.
In other news, I’m so unfit right now
Aw not me, chief. Probably Sam (or Ollie W). I was out in VCUK kit today.
Bit slippy out there still, buggering 'ell.
Was out by the good life center in Headbourne worthy. Wasn’t too bad out there, not icy, just frosty roads, so manageable
Aha, our favoured coffee stop! 
Good in there. Great fried egg sarnie
update for ya’ll:
gonna go for this: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-se-road-bike-id_8306187.html
basically because I need to spend money on accessories and that bike looks pretty good to me.
some qs:
- i need some clipless pedals (reasonably priced). Any recommendations?
- does anyone use one of those phone mounts on the front? would quite like to see where i’m going. again, recommendations?
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I’ve got that bike. It’s really good. Also in the market for clipless pedals but cant help with the phone thing
point 1: decide if you want mountain bike shoes/pedals or road shoes/pedals. they both have pluses and minuses but they do the same job. mtb shoes: easier to walk in off the bike, easier to clip into/out of. you can buy shoes which don’t look like bike shoes, but also ones which look like road shoes (some folk frown upon the use of mtb shoes and pedals on a road bike but these people are pricks).
road pedals will be lighter and possible more comfy due to a larger surface area of the actual pedal and cleat. there’s debate over actual “power transfer” of road vs mtb pedals: i think it’s basically bullshit but each to their own.
i use mtb shoes and pedals because i commute with them and need to walk around a bit and can’t possibly see any benefit of swapping now. mr pn who’s super fucking fast also wears mtb shoes and uses the same pedals as i do.
i wear these shoes (they’re lady specific, giro civila, the boy equivalent is the giro republic):
with these pedals:
if my shoes died i would buy the exact same ones, they are fantastic
phone mounts: buy a garmin (i had one of these before getting a garmin: The universal smartphone mount Finn - every bike and every smartphone)
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for pedals I’d go for SPDs (ie mountain bike pedals) rather than the road ones. esp if they’re for commuting where you’re starting / stopping all the time or if it involves any amount of walking. loads easier to use too imo and lots of decent pedal options out there for pretty cheap.
don’t use a phone mount. wouldn’t trust it not to drop and smash my phone and to be any use your phone would have to be on all the time so would probably shaft the battery.
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I have also finally ordered my new bicycle.
I am so fucking excited.
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thanks lads.
btw i really wouldn’t reply on things like google maps for routes- it won’t take you down nice quiet roads which is the whole point of cycling, really. look for routes local bikes clubs use (there are loads on our website, for example, and I know local routes into Kent like the back of my hand now, so give me a shout if you want any tips. a short 40km route from se London is commonly known as “Darwin’s ear” and gives a good intro to the sort of riding you will do: 42.8 km Ride Activity on May 4, 2016 by Niki W. on Strava), and if you must use your phone, find an app which can do offline navigation or something, and use GPX files.
lol, I have that helmet if thats you on the right. 
of course it’s me on the right
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Phone mount - Quad lock is by far and away the best on the market
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okay turns out my company offers a cycle to work scheme through evans.
dunno what to do now.
know loads of folk that swear by CTW even some that get a new bike every year through it, I don’t really understand the ins & outs of it myself. like you pay it back through salary sacrifice, but can you pay it all in a oner or do you have to pay it back over a minimum period (like a year?) what happens if you get another job etc
is it just evans your work does, or is it any CTW scheme shop?
says ‘through evans’ in the ol’ handbook but I’d prefer to buy elsewhere if possible. like get the Triban and spunk 500 quid this Giro Aerohead Ultimate Helmet with MIPS | Helmets | Wiggle
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evans offer loads of brands and you should be able to get something decent but the value of decathlon bikes is unrivaled imho