hydraulic brakes is something that I really missed from my MTB. the brakes are extremely responsive, and you do not to apply much pressure to engage them. in fact, its quite common to just brake with a single finger for the hydraulic brakes on the MTB. however for RB use, the braking power tends to be toned down in order to avoid sudden wheel lockups.

I guess one huge advantage on RB is that it moves the braking surface away from the rims to the disc in the middle, thus eliminating the problem of carbon rims overheating

for UCI, seems to be mainly 2 safety concerns. what happens in a fast moving peloton when different riders has brakes that behaves differently. and the very real risk of getting bad burns should skin happened to contact the hot disc surfaces (should not happen when riding, but a possibility in the event of a crash)

a bit of both actually. while there are differences, you also need to weight in your own budget for it.

I know somebody who had splurged on a big brand name due to peer pressure, and 3 months later had to sell the bike cause of insufficient cash flow

I got a rather dumb question. Tubulars right? Is the glue compulsory? Or is it just for the extra safety?

ok cools. just wanted to confirm that the joker at this shop who told me that glue is optional is on drugs

must be. he told me that glue is optional after telling me that they ran out of glue

heard some horror stories about the tufo tape being a nightmare to remove and clean up. anybody got any experiences?

oh yah!

this is a good point. there's nothing wrong with getting an older model if the stuff is good.

true especially for quite a number of brands for their 2011 models where they come with mid range mavic or fulcrum wheels, and the 2012 and after only comes with entry level shimano wheels.

check out the components that comes with the bike too to help you decide.

that's bloody light for an alu bike

ahhh ok. Polygon does make very light alu frames. which model/year is yours?

not sure if Tesco is a good idea. for a simple utility bike like that, maybe look at the Raleigh Ugo? should be able to get it for around RM800 I think

chances are that a bike out of tesco will be in serious need of proper tuning of which I'm not sure if anybody there can do for you. getting from a bike shop at least gets you that free tuning out upon purchase. ask about their servicing too. some give 2 or 3 times free service, others maybe as generous up to 1 year.

hmm... Rule #25?

nah.. the one about the cost of the bike compared to the car

saddle and seat post removal ought to bring it to below 7kg

powahhhh rider!!!

clinchers? or tubs?

tubs should be able to drop it to sub 7. or a lighter rim like Stan's Alpha 340?

if you're still thinking on it, then you might want to consider a 2nd hand one instead. cause if you've decide to really get into it, chances are that you'll be wanting to change bikes

an entry level folding bike should be just nice actually. the one I mentioned, the Raleigh Uno while a bit on the heavy side and not as fancy as the more expensive ones, is built to last. and you can fold it away for storage when not in use too