PP: I'm toying with the idea of going 29er for my SS, which would mean that my not-broken 16" 853 Inbred would be available.

al.

See that blue 853 Inbred above? I did exactly that, except it was a log instead of a rock. Whack! Purple spots (literally). Bike didn't notice.

al.

I didn't know 853 Inbreds with cable stops had been made. Mine has none.

I've had a DN6 Inbred for many years, couldn't damage it. Recently sold.

The 853 is my current steed. Here it is on the beach during the Christmas snow (remember the Christmas snow of 2009!?).

Cheers, al.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/allankelly/sets/72157623166857984/show/

I think they're all 60cm frames.
al.

There you go then.

Our survey says: P1SH

thanks.

al.

mk1fan: thanks for your opinion.

In this case the upper main pivot on the rocker is a single Allen bolt, tightened from 1 side.

The lower main pivot behind the BB turns out to be in 2 parts, with the RHS concealed (you can not get to it) behind the chainrings, requiring the crank to be removed to tighten it – or to hold it still while you tighten the other end.

I assumed that the bottom bolt was the same as the top bolt and did one side up tight. I was wrong.

There should be a warning sticker on the RH chainstay IMO saying -> Tighten this thing regularly. And it needs threadloc in the factory.

Cheers, al.

Cheers, al.

Postscript: Went to Tesco to buy a handbag-sized tin of WD40 to flush it a bit more, but they just have big cans.

Popped into The Bike Chain for a chin-wag and they gave me a handbag-sized tin of 3-in-one spray – "They're samples, help yourself." Just what I needed. Thanks!

Cheers, al.

Postscript: I got the right guy and the part's in the post! Rob from Straiton had a damaged frame, drifted the part out, talked to me knowledgeably, all very good.

It's a lottery with Halfords, and this time it's turned out OK 🙂

Cheers, al.

Here's another thread too. It got a bit cheeky.
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tubeless-sealants-caffe-latex

Cheers, al.

I used JRA's Wheel Milk for ages and it's fine. I found it ended up in a huge lump inside the tyre, so it's good for trail bikes where the priority is to avoid pinch-flats. If you have a risk of punctures like I do on the road – East Lothian has a lot of Hawthorn which is like needles – then you need your sealant to stay liquid. Stans does the job there better for me.

Not tried Joe's, Bontrager or the CaffeLatex foamy stuff which sounds good.

http://www.tubelesswheels.com

Cheers, al.

BTW. TBChain: Simple answer is "yes". Question is "do you take children? Or just that old-fashioned cash stuff?"

daddy al.

Ah. Procedure X. I'll "steel my loins". Ouch.

It was a good bike for a couple of hours BTW.

🙄

al.

LeeW wins "irrelevant post" award on this thread. You should know that OEM wheels are pricey to repair – it's probably not your lbs.

Och, wheesht. Wheels is wheels.

al.

I just want the part. It's a feking bolt, come on a bit of Loctite will prevent the problem in future (I hope). If the head wasn't concealed behind the chainrings I would have tightened it.

TBC: You are indeed evil and nasty. Filling your "other" window with all the bikes I DIDN'T buy is just plain evil and nasty. I'm going to hide under my Orange duvet.

Cheers, al.

Diglover: It's a Pothole-Proof Pompino (c).

Built specifically for my commute on rubbish roads through beautiful countryside in the dark!

Cheers, al.

There's no photos on this thread.

al.

The inevitable driving to 'Puffer, SITS, Glentress every weekend makes our sport far from eco-friendly. Never mind shipping all the kit from the factories in Taiwan in the first place.

A tiny bit of GT85 on the little-spotted trail-side snootle-bugs makes zero difference.

Pure hype.

al.

Kids: warm milk and cookies.

Me: red wine and blue cheese.

al.

What gearing on the Pomp for Schiehallion Davey?
al.

That article in that magazine link is very good. I did smile at Cy's comment though:

Up until CEN came along, you could just draw a frame shape in BikeCAD, pick a few tubes off a catalogue, go to Taiwan and get 100 made and hey presto! You're a bike company.

Ehhhh…. Isn't that exactly what Cy/Brant/others did to get started?!

The main comments from Cotic, Genesis, Ragley all say "yes, you have to think about it, but it's perfectly achievable." Which is not what it says on the On-One site. It actually doesn't say much on the On-One site. Well, that's up to them. I love Inbreds, most recently rode my 853 SS at Puffer '10.

I would like to know which test they failed and how. Certainly passed all my "safety tests" over 5 or so years!

Cheers, al.

What are the brakes? Have Shimano brought out road-specific disks? Cable I suppose (because hydraulic STI levers seems too good (and expensive) to be true).

The grouppo doesn't really matter though does it, you're after a swoopy disc road bike I guess.

a.

I just had a look at the map I posted 🙄 and I'll recommend you a route:

From the top of spooky (north-most red), descend to the shelter/meteorite then turn _left_ and down Betty Blue to the road. Follow the road out to Deliverance black, and enjoy proper old Glentress. At the top of the Redemption climb, take the shortcut back onto the road and follow blue (yes, blue) with the Freeride park in the middle all the way to the Hub.

Yee, and indeed, ha!

al.

Ah, well that's me out then. Midges == not me thanks. I had a great time at 10 Under a few years back, but I'll never go there again in summer thanks to the biting insects. Puffer too? Damn.

al.

The trail building at GT never stops. The climb from The Hub (at the bottom) to Buzzards nest (the top carpark, a couple of miles in) is now all off-road and great fun – yes, climbing can be fun!

From there, you should mix + match the red + blue sections. Black's still loooong and 'out there' – you won't meet anyone – and round Buzzard it's busy on weekend afternoons. But get up to Spooky either on red or poofing-out straight up Anderson Road (avoids 2 fairly meaty climbs and one fun descent) and you're on the rollercoaster. There's at least 3 top-bottom routes from the top of Spooky to the Hub, each with loads of variations.

Study the map (which has improved too!) and just go round and round.

But also do Inners, it's amazing – a proper Mountain Bike track. 5 miles climbing to start with mind. But then there's the down… Oh, yes.

Maps:
http://www.thehubintheforest.co.uk/Downloads/7stanesglentressinnerleithen.pdf

Cheers, al.

East Lothian 10 miles each way rural roads and occasional farm tracks and forest paths. Pompino, 700c, CX tyres (Maxxis Larsen Mimo), puncture-proof strips (we have a LOT of hawthorn in East Lothian, all cut nice + neat and all over the road…) and 40×16 SS.

How the bloke above does 48×16 I have no idea!

3 years ago I rode it with skinny road tyres every day 30 miles to and from Edinburgh fixed 40×14, training for TransScotland, "1000 miles in May" and raised money for Sick Kids doing that. That was good. No serious hills though – on fixed it's the descents that put me off!

Cheers, al.

hi Alek, no I've done 3 proper Puffers but not the Lite. So, thinking about events for this year. What was your #laps?

Cheers, al.

I've used SRAM PC-1 Nickel chains for years, but I've found them to be variable quality and I got a real duff one this time round. Not helped by moving from 16t BMX freewheel at 1/8" to 20t On-One sprocket at 3/32" for Puffer, and sticking with 1/8" chain which fell off on every lap at just the wrong moments, despite constant tensioning. Hence this picture (look carefully you can see the loose chain!)

So, I bought a 3/32" KMC Z610HX off Mr TheBikeMonger for £14.28 delivered and it's much better. Can't speak for longevity (yet) but Mr TBM says it's great and I believe him.
http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/userimages/procart3.htm

Actually, I was completely knackered after Puffer and pressed the wrong button, ordered the 1/8" version. DOH! However the lovely Mr and Mrs TheBikeMonger replaced it for me right away, before they'd even received the other one back. And they gave me an extra link. Many thanks!

(BTW, you need to clean and re-lube a new chain. The gunk they come in is for long-term storage not long-term use.)

Cheers, al.

Nope. Not in puffer. Round Glentress, sure. And today at the BMX thing, sure. But battering over natural trails has nothing to do with pumping at all.

Anyway, it's all bikes, it's all good!

Enjoy what you enjoy. And try other people's stuff.

a.

> pumping is the foundation for every mtb technique

Hmm. I don't recall "pumping" once during Puffer. Apart from the smelly type of pumping inevitable after living entirely on energy foods for 24 hours. I stank, to be honest.

al.

Well, that was blimmin FANTASTIC. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys riding a bike.

The tuition was excellent, let us do our thing whilst ensuring we got some basics. There was a young lad who was clearly astoundingly good, and happy to chat and explain everything. He rode without brakes. Ooooo-o-k. Wow.

So, I had the best time riding the ultra-smooth bowls, putting together loops to cover the lower part of the park. The "pumping" thing is much harder than it looks! I got better at it, but definitely not nailed (dude!).

Then rode 30 miles home on the Pompino in the rain to remind myself what proper cycling is all about 😉

Cheers, al.

Fab, I need a haircut. I can do a mo-hawk for the sesh then get it chopped.

Top idea! al.

I thought you wore unfeasibly loose jeans that somehow stay up? And Spiderman pants out the top? Well, that's my plan…

GW: Yeah, in Ocean Terminal. 4 stories above the docks. Weird.

And 3 stories above Marks and Spencer. Weirder.

al.

Wow, no wonder I poofed out as a younger lad… Still, might be my last chance so I'll go for it. Thanks guys.
al.

Ah, so here's the puffer chat. Back to work for me today, I prefer Puffer reality to Office reality! Good to meet you all again. Sure it had it's moments, but I basically had a great time. Here's our pics (with nearly no people in them).

Thanks to… well, everyone really!

Cheers, al.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/allankelly/sets/72157623112201467/show/

White mud

Chain off again!

Dawn!

Hey Charlie and Lola, I see my chain's on the way thanks.

… and I see you have an actual real shop that's actually there. Wow.

Is that completely fantastic or what?

(and am I dead jealous or what!?)

al.

1. Warm up the tyres – they'll not be stiff then.
2. Use CO2, it's cheap from e.g. tyreinflators.co.uk.

The usual link: http://www.tubelesswheels.com

Cheers, al.

£100!? Well, I'd no idea. That's dead generous – congratulations!
al.

This is the sort of thing toe-straps are still useful for. Attach wheels loosely together at rim with one toe-strap. Rest axles on opposite sides of rack. 2nd toe-strap/zipties attaches wheels to rack at axles. Tighten rim toestrap. Ta, and indeed, dah.

a.

Well, you did it. And all for a snow globe and a bottle of ale! My quaich from last year's still shining on the shelf…

Cheers, al.

One thing which was really touching was the gratitude of the organisers towards the competitors and support. The work put in by Strathpuffer crew is immense and obviously hugely appreciated – I'll heartily second Jeremy on that (Jeremy: you beat me by 28 minutes!) – and we have also to recognise that given the conditions the turn-out was amazing, the mood was upbeat, the cameraderie and – what manners! No pushy macho rubbish, no elitism, just one big happy event.

Well, just about back to reality. Whining kids ruined by a weekend's spoiling by relatives, mountains of washing, impending return to the office…

Ah, but I can look back on a fantastic adventure 🙂

Cheers all, al.

(I stuck some pictures up: http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/strathpuffer-photos)