Don’t forget to tell all those twitterers/tweeters/twatters etc..etc about it too :lol:

After similar confused googling and finding no Info, I just measured my existing cranks on the frame and they were 172mm, so I ordered 168!!

I did find this after actually ordering, but as mentioned above just play safe with 168mm;- (Weirdly the Q168 is 141mm on the Spec pagge???)
http://cdn.sram.com/cdn/farfuture/YpU-WUMXbdni3qyD5HRJPERVgiFIXtxwvPRVhP11TJE/mtime:1354290867/sites/default/files/techdocs/gen_0000000004172_rev_c_-_xx1_frame_fit_specifications.pdf

Never been to Afan, but the previous events have usually been a ‘lap’ of a normal trail with 5 timed sections along it. Sometimes we go the wrong way along a section to create a dh timed trail that is a climb on the normal trail.

Doing a quick Google, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a lap of W2 @ 44km, so better get training :lol:

I think I may have solved your problem as it’s just happened to be me on a 2nd rear wheel that I’ve just fitted an XD freehub to – basically the drive side end adaptor is too large diameter on the end that sits against the freehub, so the cassette lock ring ‘pinches’ it when you tighten it up!!

Take the cassette off and see if there’s little ‘teeth marks’ on the shoulder of the adaptor.

The first freehub I fitted had a 142mm drive side adaptor with it and thats fine and when I compared it with a 142mm adaptor from a normal conversion kit it’s a smaller diameter.

I’m going to contact Hope tomorrow, they obviously know about the problem as they’ve machined different adaptors for the XD freehub!

If it’s anything like the new XD freehub, it will be a direct replacement on Pro 2 Evo & Pro 3 hubs, but won’t fit the old Pro 2.

However, you can modify the Pro 2 and bring it up to Pro 2 Evo Spec by replacing the axle, 2mm spacer and end adaptors. I have just done this on 2 old pro 2 hubs to enable the XD freehub to fit

Have you fitted the XD freehub to a Pro 2 or Pro 2 Evo Hub?

It can be fitted to both, but you need to convert the Pro 2 to Evo spec by replacing the axle, 2mm spacer and axle adaptors.

I’m a bit confused by your statement ‘…the silver end cap turns with the cassette’. By silver end cap do you mean the QR adaptor that pushes onto the end of the axle, or the cassette lock ring?

Technically you could use 68/73 cups in an 83mm shell and they wouldn’t need any spacers at all. If you have a closed BB shell, (i.e. intereupted seat tube) then you don’t actually need the central tube, which is there to stop crap falling down the seat tube from getting into the BB.

However 83mm cups have longer threads on them, so if you were a bit ‘heavy footed’ there is a danger that the 68/73 cups would would knacker the shell threads.

Also if you’re fitting a BB mounted chain device then there are not enough threads on the cup period and it’s a non starter.

Yeh, X12 = Syntace = 142mm all the same.

The ‘other’ company, T2R, is still operating and taking orders for 2013 holidays and guided rides during the ‘MTB’ season. He’s being clever with his words as they aren’t there ‘right now’ as it’s the snow season!!

T2R hire properties for the MTB season, Bearback own property, i.e. are ‘tenured’. They both ‘legally’ operate guiding operation for the trails outside of the bike park.

The ‘other’ company fills their off season time distributing Commencal, Spank and IXS MTB products to Canada.

Check out http://www.ticket2ridebc.com for holiday info, as well as providing a full holiday they also do daily guided rides to Pemberton, Squamish and Whistler valley and also hire out a range of Commencals to suit.

Bike park usually opens the 2nd weekend in May and depending upon how much snow they have had, there could be limited trails open for the 1st couple of weeks. You could do 1 run of every blue and green in a day easy and the 2nd day you just do the ones you like the best. One word of warning though, even the blues and greens vary in level and ‘Crank It Up’ is at the top end and a lot of novices come to grief on that run!!

Don’t let that put you off though, start on the easy one’s and slowly build up. Unfortuanately the best Blue won’t be open in May as that starts from the top of the mountain, which doesn’t open until the end of June.

Something to consider, it’s actually cheaper to take your own bike than to pay for 2 days hire!

As well as cycling whistler is an adventure capital, there’s lots of things to do.

Last time I counted I had 74 and I’ve acquired at least 8 since then, sold a pair and junked 2 pair, so guessing ~ 76!!

Result of having 7 bikes and numerous wheels for each bike so I don’t have to ferk around changing tyres at race weekends :D

I have also had a few off bi_king in the past 2 years, highly recommended seller.

The level of ‘gnar’ depends upon your riding skill :lol:

Is there anything at Inners that you can’t ride? They usually use one of the std dh runs and cut something new, loamy and rooty.

Fugly and a travesty to put it on the best DH frame out there :cry:

If you’re going tubeless to try and save weight,you’ve missed the point.

It was one of the marketing points in the early days and also a fact that your unsprung/rolling weight will be less which is a great benefit.

Whistler- – http://www.ticket2ridebc.com

Can’t promise no neds, but they are Canadian ‘City Boy Neds’ and actually funny as ferk to listen too :lol:

You’re making your wheels even heavier, kind of defeats the whole object of tubeless & sealant!!

One of my cranks did exactly the same last year which I bought in 2009 and they replaced them without question. Go onto windwave site and email them, they will ask you to fill in a returns form which is available on the site, you will also have to send proof of purchase to to prove they are not a grey item.

Had to wait about 3 months for the replacements to turn up, but still got a complete crankset and BB in return even though I only returned the damaged crank :D

Some ‘cycling’ gloves cost more than the identical ski / hiking ones though!!

Went to buy some liners and the ‘Btwin’ branded gloves in the cycling section were £5.99, liners in the ski and hiking section were £1 or £4.99. Also noted that waterproof gloves were cheaper too.

Medium

Whistler – http://www.ticket2ridebc.com

Adventure capital of the world!!!

MTB mecca of the world;-
http://www.ticket2ridebc.com

Some lovely road hills in the valley to cycle up too if you’re really inclined, although I’d still do them on the MTB as the trails back down are mint.

Commencal DH V3 – fantastic DH bike.

Check out commencal direct as they are selling off 2012 bikes and also ex demo.
http://www.commencal-store.co.uk/PBSCCatalog.asp?ActionID=67174912&PBCATID=1598442
http://www.commencal-store.co.uk/PBSCCatalog.asp?ActionID=67174912&PBCATID=1598401

… and before someone starts the tired old wifes tales about cracked frames, I was told by the Commencal Marketing Manager that Nth America and UK have not had one single cracked frame warranty since launch.

Speed is your friend on the black / Dble black, you start to ride over the top of the rocky stuf :wink:

I went on my DH bike, but you’d be ok with a 5″ or 6″ AM bike as there were plenty of them there, or some hardcore riders were even on hardtails.

Tracks are all weather, just be careful on the rock slabs though as they are slippy.

All tracks are flowy, they have been designed by someone who know’s the craic :wink: they just get more technical, steep, ‘jumpy’ and rocky towards the double black.

They’re bigger than the Meta 5.5, pivot diameter has increased to M10x22 now.

You’ll also need the following;-
New press fit BB, (as mentioned above),
Hope tapered steerer adapter to convert your Std forks to tapered headtube,
New rear hub or adaptors to convert to 142×12,
New Fr mech, direct mount
New tapered headset

Nice Steel Panther pics too :lol:

32 hole hub requires 258mm both sides for Std 3 cross.

Sapim Race for a bullet proof build
Sapim D-Light for a lighter build, (and still pretty strong)
Sapim CX-Ray for lightweight bling build

I used D-light on my enduro wheels and they are still straight after 5 rounds of UK Gravity Enduro.

Mine has done me good for 45 years of cycling, so it appears to work :wink:

I’m 5’7″ and the medium is spot on for me, you Def need a large.

Try looking in the whole highway code that applies to all vehicles on the road;-

126……..Drive at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear…

Plus a whole number of rules;-
https://www.gov.uk/general-rules-all-drivers-riders-103-to-158/general-advice-144-to-158

:roll: You vary your speed to suit the road and traffic conditions by using your brakes and gears. Don’t know the No. but isn’t that a rule in the highway code?

If there was a line of stationary traffic are you sugesting that’s it still ok for a cyclist to travel at ‘his normal riding speed’ which could be anything up to 30mph??? :roll:

I find the ‘safest’ way to cycle on the road is to assume everyone is a plonker and expect the un-expected at all times. Yes it’s nice to cycle fast, but there is a time and place.

Gareth just epitomises the wrong attitude to take, rides too fast and assumes, wrongly, that the ‘rules of the road’ will protect him.

Believe me the D3 does not fall apart in a big impact :lol: :wink:

Leads onto another question though of the use of neck braces too, wrt neck injuries, (dives into bunker!!)

I was pondering about them too for my road bike and spoke to my make who has eliptical rings on his xc bike.

He raves about the rings, BUT, to get the most benefit you need them on every bike you have as you have to ‘learn’ to pedal differently to maximise the advantage and obviously that won’t happen if you’re running normal rings on other bikes.

You may get some benefit, but not the full effect possible. He said not to bother unless you get them for every bike.

Fantastic place, the double black in the wet is a right old sphinter twitcher :lol:

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Mavic-at-Eurobike-2012.html

Certainly looks like 2013 Crossmax are available in XX1 freehub, but not sure if 2012 and older versions can be converted though??

I wouldn’t think so, lots of further potential on that hill :wink:

Saw it at the w/e and it’s Def not a pump track as it’s got a DH gradient to it (as can be seen from the embankment on the lhs).

…and Bud said it ain’t going to open for a few weeks until it’s bedded in, (with this weather probably next year!!)

It’s so amusing/frustrating/ridiculous (delete as appropriate) when someone who “knows everything” shouts out a statement such as this. Because if you were in possession of any real facts, rather than just your own experience and some heresay and conjecture, then you’d realise what you’ve said is complete bollocks!

Some manufacturers trade prices are better than others, and some by quite some margin. But none that I know of are approaching what you seem to be paying (you’re probably paying trade cost to the distributor, not to the retailer), and many/most are far more expensive

‘mboy’ – So my own 4 years experience with one manufacturer isn’t ‘fact’ then :?: I have spreadsheets with distributor and RRP prices on it sent to me every year, so what part of this isn’t a fact? There are 9 other riders in the team who have also had these deals in the past 4 years, so I know it’s not a one off deal for me and that will be 9 other people with the same ‘experience’, is that still not a fact??

I meet and talk to the Engineers and Marketing men from the manufacturer every year too – another ‘fact’!!

I also stated that I was getting my bikes off the distributor, but you dispute my figures and then just confirm what I stated!!

So who is talking bollox exactly???

TBH I’m not bothered what you think, I’ll just smugly carry on riding my new bike every year that’s cost less than 50% of the UK RRP :lol: