Thanks all. I’ve built plenty wheels but not had occasion to for a few years. Situation has definitely got worse. I wonder if it’s due to wider rims – building a spider-web road wheel might be an art, but everyone can build a fat bike wheel. So don’t sell the public spokes. Maybe…

Thanks for the tips, I’ll look at Rose. SJS are of course great for everything (I have Brompton!) and their spoke selection is almost TOO good. Lunch time tomorrow Web browsing sorted then!

Al.

Hi there,

7 months on and I’ve got the same query. I had a look on http://www.epicbleedsolutions.com/products/bleed-kits/clarks/%5B/url%5D but there’s no mention of M2 that I can see.

Any help or hints appreciated.

Cheers, al.

Found an x-small Surly 1×1 on fleabay. All is well.

al.

Thank also for the tip re: 44mm head tube. Taking the 27.5 and 44mm tips together, leads me to the 45650B hitch is also nice’n’cheap 🙂

Bargain-tastic!

Thanks all,

27.5 is interesting, wider clearance too perhaps. So, another trawl through the the frame sites coming up!

Cheers, al.

Anyone know the time of day for the race events?

Thanks Scardey. I’ll assume the worst cash-wise but it does get me my great big wheels 🙂

Is Jess Varnish a real name?

Bonny anyway!

The OP on this thread said this was a boring stage!

I think it’s one of the best. I’ve always liked Tommy, and that was utterly vicious today.

I hope Wiggo and Froome are in different teams next year, what a fight that would be 🙂

Al.

I’ve been told I’ve got a nice bum, so why not?’ Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton on posing naked with volleyball star Zara Dampney ahead of the Games

Hey Brant, that would be great! Can you post them somewhere?

I guess we could get a few made…

Cheers, al.

Hi, I set up a website to help. Hope it helps.

http://tubelesswheels.com/

Cheers, al.

Just put them in the washing machine, with some towels so the machine isn’t battered to death. Zero spin. Then your newspaper ritual…

a.

Thanks guys, it’s a bargain either way =)

… and that’s Belhaven Bay, Dunbar, East Lothian.
=)

Thanks HTTP404 “page not found”. So it’s a good rip-off. Well, that’ll do me =)
al.

PS here it is (ah, happy days…)

al.

Agreed, I used Midges with bar-end shifters on my Singular. Worked a treat in the wilds. However at Glentress I found the drop thing too mad and I needed to swap to flats. I actually caught my drop bars in a bush on the second corner of Pennels and landed upside down about 15 feet below!

Cheers, al.

Thanks SB. Well, I’ll take more pictures then. But for now the cable routing is all top-tube, with a pair of stops on the RHS and a single stop on the LHS. And the dropouts are pretty big – I think you can see them OK in the shot above.

There is a serial number stamped into the BB shell – does that help?

al.

Thanks Al, and for the email nudge.

I got 2xAlex DX32 rims, one built onto a non-disk front so I’ve been out “half fat” and front brake-less. All very good & under £50 all-in. Dunno if you saw my pics?
Snow ride pics

An 80mm is over 2x the DX32 width – are you going for an Endo/Larry? It’ll need it I think. I’m running a 3″ Gazza.

… and it’s currently thawing at a rate of knots!

Cheers, al.

Hi, that’s a 26″ wheel with 3″ tyre. But up until today I’ve been riding it with a 29er with 2.55″ WTB tyre. It rides great, I’ve ridden it that way for the last year. Glentress, local loops, Puffer Lite (Scottish Veteran Singlespeed champion! Niche niche niche =).

The ‘suspension adjusted’ RC31 26″ fork is ideal – the On-One fork or others would be the same. It has plenty of room for a 29er wheel without being too tall. I had a 29er carbon fork my Singular which was quite a bit taller.

Cheers, al.

Hey Bruce, I would have joined you yesterday but I had the kids. Those are 26″ Pace RC31 forks, there’s still a finger’s clearance both sides so there’s some chance I’d get an Endomorph in there. Probably not though according to epicyclo’s measurements. Worth a try anyway. I’ll get out with you guys one of these days (week after New Year I’m childless) and if I can borrow, that would be fab. I’d buy a Larry rather than an Endo though. And I’ll get Surly or Salsa fat forks some time next year, prob the Surly 100mm ones.

And yeah, single brake. The bargain wheel I bought isn’t disc hub so… But I didn’t miss it. I think I braked once, and that was to take a picture.

Cheers, al.

Plastic bags over the toes. For years I’ve cut the corners out of disposable shopping bags, pop over the toes, into the shoes, warm.

Cheers, al.

5PSI … 80mm rims … 2kg tyres …. HAHHAHAHaahaa.

This is great isn’t it?

Al – I’m going for it because I’ve had such success with my 69’ed Inbred. The front’s ‘only’ 2.55″ 29er but it makes all the difference. I can’t quite ride down dunes, but I can ride round almost all of the beach by the house. Riding summer Puffer rigid I thought would be a step too far, but no, it was great I didn’t miss suspension once. I have a choice of bikes and the one I reach for every time is this one.

So bigger must be better, right?

And you get weird looks + comments which is always great 😉

other-al.

cynic-al: That’s kinda where I’m going. This Gaz 3″ will need a new rim, I’ll find a wide 32h and rebuild a wheel I have. Then as you say, wider at front + rear.

As Woody says a fat frame needs a wide BB, so you end up with the original handlebars and not much else!

al.

Ah sorry Al, I got Woody’s tyre. 2kg though eh?
Cheers, al.

Woody is that 3″?
al.

Aha, and off that Unicycle site there’s this 26″ x 3″ tyre at £28.
tyre[/url]
So, all in that’s less than the price of a Surly rim =)
al.

I just measured my Pace RC31s. They have 93mm clearance. From epicyclo’s measurements that’ll take an Endomorph on a 32mm rim and I should think up to 40mm as well.
Tartybikes have an undrilled 36 spoke Alex rim, 38mm wide at £25. CRC have 36 spoke 6-bolt front Deore hubs for £15.99. CRC again for 36 plain gauge spokes + nipples for £10.99. This is looking like a New Year project!
rim hub spokes
Cheers, al.

Thanks. Are rears just stronger then?
al.

Oh look, I found this site with Echo front 26″ for £20 with 40mm width. That ought to do eh?
al.

Morning all,

Coastkid, I’ve been trying to hook up with your beach/snow rides & I’ll make it out one of these days. I have kids to juggle so some weekends are easy and some impossible. Thanks for the offer of an Endomorph. With that I can bodge one way or t’other. So I’ll watch the East Lothian MTB Facebook group for rides & get in touch with you.

So, trials rims – what do you recommend? I’ve dug around t’internet a bit this morning but not found anything yet – I probably just don’t know what I’m looking for!

Epi old chap – I have a ‘Puffer solo entry (my 4th winter Puff) but may not be able to go. I hope to, but life’s upside down at the moment. Anyway, I’ve enough crap in the garage to bodge something I’m sure! So thanks for the offer, I’ll post on here when I get round to it.

Cheers, al.

Flashes: So, that’s the Surly with the funny-shaped fork to accommodate the rear hub. Marvellous, marvellous, marvellous. You have the Pugs frame too?
I do lots of beach riding so this is dead on!
al.

won’t ride on sand/snow etc as the rear tyre is std

Actually the front makes all the difference in soft stuff. The narrow rear will drive, but without a floating front you just dive, can’t steer, have to push. Big front works.
Loving the bearded one’s fork bodge =)
And yeah, I know I need a rear 135mm hub for the forks. I’ll find one in a skip!

al.

Bike Radar have published the story with lots of comments from Emma.

“I fear that it’s people sitting behind desks who wouldn’t know a pedal from a brake lever that are making the decisions,” she said.

They should probably give in gracefully and maybe setup somewhere else.
al.

I just saw this via their email newsletter: What’s Next?

Seems the company is in a state, but they’re taking it seriously. Good luck to them!

al.

I like that one!
al.

What confuses me about all this is the role of the FC. What is the FC actually for nowadays? Clearly selling cheap timber doesn’t pay the wages, so are they primarily a leisure outfit?

And whilst everyone is hand-wringing about the people responsible for the world-class Glentress facility, let’s remember the proper hard work done by Andy Wardman (FC employee) and and the Trailfairies (not employees!).

Cheers, al.

I’ve had a Pompino for ages – brilliant little thing. I run it SS or fixed, so can’t comment on Alfine.

On-one frames in general are fab – steel, cheap, work very very well. I’ve had 6 in all (currently 4). I totally agree with the original premise that “good design needn’t cost a lot”.

Cheers, al.

Here’s my site I put up for exactly this. It’s great, transformed my riding. No punctures, neither pinch or thorn. Go for it!

tubelesswheels.com

al.