Can you drop it round the house and I’ll have a look?

It could be ANYTHING!

Having said that, I’ve not had problems with my UN52 BB for many years. I suspect those resin cups…. 52s have metal cups. Anyway, grease everything.

al.

It’s a shame, but as the ‘sport’ gets more popular there’s going to be a share of c0cks. The population is littered with them, and as you’ve said anyone can buy a bike. Problem is, a nervous newcomer or youngster who gets bullied like that is likely to not come back.

I had a fair to-do with a wee prick on an On-One Ti 456 at 10 Under last year who was behaving in that way, and when I cycled past him later (what was his hurry earlier!?) he totally gobbed off at me. “You this, You that.” Ersholes the lot of them. Even if they do buy good bikes sometimes!

Cheers, al.

Wow. You all hate Contis?! I love em.

To answer the question though, I really don’t like: WTB Velociraptors. Maybe good on dry Californian dust, but rubbish in the real world.

Contis then:
1. The first tyre I tried that transformed my ride (for the better) was Conti Vapors at SITS in about 2002. Whatever I had on was spinning in the mud. A stall had Vapors cheap and voila! I could ride again! So I rode Vapors for years.

2. Then I got a bit better and kept washing out on Vapors. Went to Vertical Pros, tubelessed : http://www.tubelesswheels.com – like that. Still using them. All-round brilliance.

3. Then I started riding in winter night-time mud (ie Strathpuffer). And Maxxis Medusas (tubelessed, as above) are the dog’s. So, I kept them on for the remainder or Winter. And Spring. And Summer. And they turn out to be a bit skittery on wet roots, so not in Autumn.

I ride Conti on the road bikes.
The only Conti tyre I HATE is the Leader. Rubbish!

al.

SSUK09 was in Dalby Forest, a startlingly developed Forestry Commission facility near Scarborough. Did you notice that the field we were camped in had a liquor licence and official emergency exit points!? Beaurocracy gone mad!

But it had real toilets, great kids play areas and f’n excellent trails =)

I’m the guy on the old Edinburgh Bicycle Contour. It’s been Hammerited but it’s having an exciting life…

Me:

Cheers, al.

Sure, help yourself.

al.

MAVERICK! Thanks ziggy! What an awful POS. =)

So, what’s the vintage on a Raleigh Maverick? Seems to be 1985. The forum below says

The Maverick was out in 1985 in 5 and 15 speed versions.
Mid 1987 the range expanded;

Montage – 501 frame, low end Suntour bits.
Ozark – 531 main frame, sub-Deore Shimano bits (no Exage gorups in those days)
Avanti – 531 frame and forks, full Deore XT groupset.

http://www.raleighbikes.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=106

So, I reckon I’d kill for an original Avanti!

al.

Doog: you _know_ do you!? Put me out of my misery!

al.

Well, mustang seems plausible. But they seem to be pink. Mine wasn’t.
Not mine:

Wasn’t Walter or Chloe either.
Cheers, al.

Why has nobody said “Tesco torch” yet?!

I used them zip-tied to my helmet at the ‘Puffer this year and by hell they work.

al.

Baby wipes.

There’s no showers are there? And is it porta-stinky loos?

Cheers, al.

Just looked at Google Maps for the area. Looks like the highest contour is at 200m. So, seems like less climbing than we feared.
Google Map

Whatever, if it’s hard I’ll just have another beer.

al.

Wow, I bet the database is totally creaking with this thread. Keep it up! Let’s see how much it can take!

al.

Mr Sparkle: I made this exact point a few weeks back, but the Minds Are Made Up. Silly to have the event on the Sunday if you ask me, but as it is we’re making a long-weekend of it and heading to the 7 stanes on the Sunday.

Cheers, al.

Charlie, are you doing SSUK ones? Last year’s were good. (And the wife could use a new “I brake for cake” one….)

al.

I’d recommend watching the start, then wandering along the course and watch at a slightly scary obstacle. The start’s good because people’s bikes get ‘repositioned’. The slightly scary obstacle’s good becasue loads of ‘competitors’ are in fact rubbish at riding bikes and so hilarity ensues.

I’m deciding whether to take my comedy shit SS or my really rather good SS. Or both, probably. We have a great big van, I could put the SS CX bike in too…..

Cheers, al.

BigJohn – I assure you popping a wheelie at that stage was not an option!

Cheers, al.

Well, that was a long reply! Wish I’d read it last week…

The shpeel from Chris Juden on the CTC link Brant supplied says the same thing – stand up and get your leg against the top tube.

A bloke at work was thrown from his MTB suddenly when descending a Glentress fireroad at 35mph. I think we now know why…

I was lucky, and it sounds like there’s fek all I can do to avoid it in future. But I’ll know better if it happens again.

Thanks all.

al.

Brant: On-One one that came with the Pompino Pro build.

Well, that’s a remarkably tricky thing to measure. All in all, I’d say the length is exactly the same give or take a mm.

al.

Brant: So, I’d say my Kaff is steep and long! Hence rigidity of your average trifle.

Mr Armchair Theorist says the Kaff fork is long. I’ll go and measure the carbon (on-one) fork against the Kaff fork.

Back in a tick.

al.

Thanks Brant.

Both cases involve something which acts as the “final straw”: an extra factor that when added to bike that is already somewhat prone to shimmy, tips it over the edge. We’d all be safer if bike designers would steer a bit further from that edge to start with!

So, they reckon it’s your fault!

😉

al.

Twohats: tyres eh? Conti 700x23c at 100PSI, used but new-ish. As I say I can feel this at 2MPH if I shake the bars, so I don’t think it’s that for me. After I change the fork, if it’s still wobbly I’ll try the tyres.

Actually I just realised I have another front wheel so I’ll try that first (and avoid crown-race whacking!).

al.

I’ve got a Kaff fork in the garage, I’ll bang it on. I just rode to the postbox at the end of the street and back, giving the bars a deliberate shake. Something is distinctly wobbly.

Spokes are tight, QR’s tight, headset isn’t loose… I’ll try changing the fork.

As for standing up and letting go of the bars – no way! I’d have a skint face for sure.

al.

… and here’s the full-on instructions. http://www.hadland.me.uk/aw.pdf

Marvellous. =)

al.

Yeah Steve, but the road at Markle is REALLY bad. I went slow… bang.

I phoned the LBS (The Bike Chain, Edinburgh) and I’ll be popping in next week. They have all these pumps so I can throw them against the wall and see what survives 😉

al.

Druid: Ah, I just got the “Turdo” joke. heh. 😆
al.

Druid: Yeah, it’s not pretty. On CO2: I find that the valve freezes before I get to a decent pressure & I have no idea what pressure I’m at. So, “nah”.

Actually the slightly bigger CB pump looks good. Wiggle £32 and in stock. Cuclink Plus review says it’ll do 120PSI (with effort). I think the pumps above would be pannier-only, not for a MTB backpack. This one would come with me everywhere. Current favourite.

Cheers, al.

Fuzzy: Hmm, Lezyne stuff is pretty isn’t it ?=) The micro floor drive has a gauge too, on the hose by the looks of it. 192g so only 20m more than my current Topeak. £35 from wiggle but none in stock.

Topeak Turdo Morph with Gauge is a similar idea – little pump with T-bar handle and a foot peg. Also has a gauge. £30 from wiggle and in stock.

I like the look of the Lezyne, but the Topeak’s cheaper and in stock…
hmm.
Cheers, al.

Those of you suggesting that anything rational will come out of talking to the to the neighbour – you’re lucky you’ve never lived next to this particular flavour of loony. Like getting into a car, gardens bring out the very worst in certain people. It’s very very unpleasant.

Having said that, taking matters into your own hands is asking for trouble – you’ll be technically wrong and you’re opening yourself up to proper trouble.

IME, you’re stuffed. I certainly appear to be with my current idiot neighbour.

al.

You’ve got an inner and an outer bashguard on, so you’ll be OK with the chain (not) falling off. I tried it once without guards and it was hopeless. I bought a DMR chaincage, which worked but was about the fiddliest piece of tin I’ve ever used.

Front gears are fine. I went the other way…. 1×3

😉

Cheers, al.

Ross you bastard!
(Good SS blast round GT last night BTW. I still hate you though.)
al.

father: I got about 350 shots last year which are all here:

Al’s SSUK08 Slideshow[/url]

I’m being chivvied into actually riding, but I’m in 2 minds….

Cheers, al.

Sure, “If you think you can do it better then host it yourself” – obviously I’m really grateful for the organisation of the event and it’ll be a great hoot either way.

All I was suggesting is race Sat instead of Sun.

See you there! We’re planning a trip home via the lakes or maybe newcastleton on the Sun evening for monday riding. Yes we have Monday off too!

Cheers, al.

The party-proper at Drumlanrig was the night after the race. Also for SSWC Aviemore. Worked very well. Having to drive at 6pm is going to put a damper on things.
al.

In my experience, spokes break at the head. There’s no butting there. It’s a price thing I think.

al.

Yes, but seriously….
I’m more interested in the social than the “race”. And right now it’s looking more race than social. It’s a worry. It’s a rare weekend off!
al.

They have “SM-RT80” diameter 203 stamped on them.

Which, amongst others, brings up this result:

Original Shimano Deore Saint Oversize-Center Lock Disc. Deore Saint Discs in two sizes available: 160 and 203 mm.

Oversize-Center Lock Disc not compatible with conventional Center lock or disc rotor mount (6 holes System)!

So, that’s that then.

al.

I like it. I used it loads when I first got it (not your phone, but it’s a Nokia N82 brick). I found out: switch on Sports Tracker then use the app-switcher to start Nokia Maps. Voila! You track your route and have a decent live map too.

Cheers, al.

Wow, no Conti tyres mentioned I think…

I’m just back from a Red at Glentress on the Singular with Conti Mountain Kings 2.4″ done “ghetto tubeless”. Fantastic. Ran them way lower pressure than I run my ghetto 26″ Conti Verticals, about 25PSI. No slippage at all, dusty trails and loose gravel.

CRC have them for about £24 each I think.

I ran it previously with Conti Vapors, ghetto of course. These are great for mixed-terrain commuting (I get to use the John Muir Way for part of my commutte =) but rubbish once you push them off-road at speed.

Garden comments welcome.

al.

Thanks, sounds like it’s worth persevering then…
Also sounds like your front has sprung a leak!
I found the tech docs here: http://www.formulabrakeusa.com/tech/index.htm
al.

Hi flyingmonkey, how good/bad are your B4s? Can you skid!? I’m sure they were good when I first had them… but they were my first discs straight from V’s.
I actually have 2 sets of these already, so I guess not much point in me taking another set!
Cheers,al.