Still feeling sick…

wurth timesert…

But how to fit it when access is fouled by a "C" shaped clamp???

Well. I suppose if Orange managed to tap it in the first place, it is doable with the right tools, so maybe a new heli coil could be inserted… I bloody hope so! 🙁
(FYI, the clamps and bolt holes were all properly masked)

Well. Picked up my frame this morning and all would appear to be well. However, it has been a bit of a ball ache making sure that Keep Powder Coating knew what areas to mask etc. The paint stripping took much longer than anticipated and they didn't keep me informed and made excuses that someone was supposed to call me. They also quibbled about the price this morning, saying that it should be £80 when they had told me it would be £75. I also have to scrape a layer of paint out of the shock bolt holes – but they said that this was intentional as they only put one coat of powder on them (not really sure why).
Bottom line is i got what i wanted but the customer service was poor so it caused me a bit of hassle. If i were to do it again i think i would have paid up to 50% more and posted the frame to a more organised outfit.
I'll post some pics when i get home tonight.

Are the pistons moving the same amount and at the same time when you pull the brake lever? Could be that one of them is sticking, which is resulting in one pad being closer to the rotor. Try putting a dot of oil around the pistons – after you've taken the pads out.

Linky[/url]

Well… He's updated his blog. Interesting take on it all. 😯

Another vote for Spesh Adaptalites. I used to go for interchangeable lenses but since i've had a pair of Adatptalites the only time i swap to clear lensed glasses is on night rides. They are brilliant. The frames don't obstruct your vision and the shape brings the lenses away from your face and allows ventiliation to stop your sweat smearing them.
Very much recommended.
Paul.

Not if you strapped your phone to the stanchions?

I've had a pair for 10 months or so. They are really comfy and stiff – they come with inserts to make them even stiffer. They stick to DMR flatties like glue! They are also pretty weatherproof and warm. However, they've got breathing holes in the toecaps, which does let water in if there's lots of spray about.
My only gripe is that the velcro on the laces protector flap scratches the back of your hand when you're doing up the laces. Also, they're not that grippy for walking in when it's really muddy.
All in, a good purchase. 🙂

Let the caked-on mud dry and then knock it off with a stick and/or brush next time i go out. Like others, i focus on the drivetrain and fork stantions. There is a pile of mud in my garden from the area where i knock the dried mud off. My bike runs much sweeter than friends' who put more effort into making theirs look cleaner.
I think dirt gives a bike character.

It does, a bit, but it would be easier to set it up to give a sag of between a 1/4 (firmer, more XC setting) to a 1/3 (plusher, more freeride setting) of its full travel when you sit on the bike.

I searched high and low for a year looking for my perfect jacket, and i found it here.
The Showerspass Elite2: waterproof; air scooping sleeves; gaping back and pit vents; breathable material; and a removable hood!
I had to import mine from America but i have recently found a UK distributer here.

Hmmm… Just had phone call from Keep. Price has increased to £75 due to it requiring bead blasting to remove the paint. Had been told they were going to look into chemical treatment as they thought shot blasting would be too rough. Bead blasting is gentler but costs more.
Still, the overall price is currently lower than anyone elses (stickers and pivot bearings from Orange were £35).
Hope they do a good job… They do seem to be receptive to my concerns though (i think…).

Dropped frame and swingarm off with Keep Powdercoating in Uckfield. They said they had previously done an Orange 5, which was promising. I talked through the bits that needed masking and all seems to be good. They've got all manner of rubber bits and bungs for blanking bolt holes etc.
£45, they say. Which might go up because i've asked them to chemically strip it rather than shot blasting.
They reckon they should have it done by the end of the week.
Will report back if all goes very well.

wot colour are you having ?

Undecided, as yet. They have a number of standard colours in stock and i'm tempted by green, orange or blue. Will decide when i can determine the particular hues on visiting the shop to drop the frame off on Monday.
(btw, hairdryer and screwdriver did the trick a treat)

Sooper.
Thank you all.
🙂

Whatis bolsta?

robhughes,
Is that what gave you the brain injury?
🙂

Ooh… Windridge look like they properly know what to do with bike frames, but Keep is so much closer to home (and cheap!). Hmmm.

Just did a Yell.com search (I'M SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING BUT I'M NOT AND NO ONE IN THE OFFICE IS ANY THE WISER – TRY DOING THAT WITH A PHONECALL; HA HA HA!!!).
T.M.T. POWDER COATING LTD?

Ooh. Just had a reply from another company. Seems the emails are steadily working their way down the pipe.
I prefer emails to phone calls during working hours. It's much harder to pretend you're working with a phone on the side of your head and non-work-related words coming out your mouth.

Crikey. You seem to know a lot about his business! Have you downloaded his annual returns from Companies House or something?
I think i'll go with Keep Powder Coating. 🙂

thisisnotaspoon,
Welcome to the 21st Century
😛

Just had a reply from Keep Powder Coating. They've done at least one bike frame, according to their website, and charge between £45-60 per frame, for stock colours. Not bad, i thought.

Well. It would seem that Rowan Sorrel seems to like the place:

Travel Guide: LAKE GARDA

Most bikers seem to congregate at the northern end of the Lake at Riva. We stayed further up in the mountains at Lake Ledro, to the east of Riva. The place is drenched in fluoro lycra Germans.

(lots of highly specced these about, which i'd not encountered before)

They only sponsor Silence Lotto, you ****.
🙂

I emailed three local companies last week and i've not had a single reply… which does not bode well.
Hmm. Orange's £175 deal is actually looking attractive now. At least i can trust them to do the job properly.

The Combe House Hotel[/url] at Holford looked nice, and did a cracking cream tea 🙂

Just read through this post and it's reminded me of the lovely few days i had being shown around the Tox by the locals while i was in the area on hols last year. My missus and her family were more than a little worried when i said i was off to meet "Knottie" and "Sharki" for a bit of "muddy riding" in a deserted car park on top of a bleak hill… (hello to you both, by the way!)
Happy days 🙂

Hmm… Looks kind of like a cross between a Turner and Thumpercross. More industrial looking than my Orange5. I'm not sure if i like its looks but the ride sounds interesting.

Found a few places on yellow pages but was really hoping to get a recommendation from someone with direct experience. I guess Southampton's not that far away.

What!? I bloody work at Sussex Uni; why did i not know about this!?
Think i'll go along after work next week. 🙂

I bought a proper cup removal tool, brand new, for £10 and a home-made headset press, fashioned out of washers, a length of bolt thread and some welded metal bits, for about £5, both from Ebay. Hope headsets have a split crown race so no need for a removal tool for that. I've changed half a dozen headsets with this set up. Simples.

Hmm… Middleburn look the best value for money then, it would seem (quite a bit cheaper for a full set than Shimano on CRC).

I had a pair of the new servowave XTs on my hardtail, which has a 180mm rotor up front. They were too much for it. I was thrown over the handlebars going into a corner in the woods! Have since swapped them to my more relaxed head angle full susser, which works splendidly with them. Having fiddled with a number of other makes (Hayes, Formula) I would only buy Shimano brakes now (and have done for a few years: old XT, new XT, LX and XTR).

how do they come up for size…..how big is an XL?

Pretty neat, actually. I followed their size chart and my medium Elite2 is a proper cycling snug fit with a long back and short front. I think their Mountain bike top is a roomier fit though, with a less scalloped front. Not sure if you can get them over here, which is a shame.
It's got a massive back vent that combined with the roomy cuffs and pit vents, really stops you cooking in your own juices. It's also very good at keeping the p*ssing rain off.

I spent a very long time looking for the jacket that i eventually bought. I thought my requirements were simple… they are/were:
* gaping pit vents;
* breathable material;
* easily openable cuffs to allow cool air to be scooped in; and
* a removable hood for riding in filthy weather and commuting duties.
I found the only jacket that comfortably fulfils these criteria here[/url].

Other possible is that the lockring isn't done up tight enough – but surely that's too obvious?