Well, it was indeed the freehub body. Bigsi, did you do anything in particular to your hub to cause it to go? This one only lasted 4 months! I've had a stock hubs on my stumpy fsr for 2.5 years with no complaints. Odd. :(

Anyway, as you suggested, my lovely LBS laced the rim to a lovely Pro II, in gold! Looks f**king hideous, and doesn't even slightly go with the rest of the bike, but what the hell. :-)

Also took the opporunity to get rid of 1×9 (stupid idea!) :oops: and go back to 27 gears, and also to fit a pair of maxle Reba Teams in place of the manitous. 8)

Out for a 3 hour ride last night straight from the LBS after work. silent bike, hot forests, dry trails, good company, beer in big beer garden with biking mates as a reward at the end, bloody lovely!

Cheers all,

Kev

having one of those perfect days with the wife and kids, ending with them tired but happy and going to bed nicely!

That feeling of being the first one down a fresh powder run – steep, wide and it's all yours as you build up speed and do a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge carved first turn. Oh, just fabulous.

Cresting a really tough, steep and narrow bit of singletrack just at the point where you think you can't posibly do it, and finding a wonderful flowy, jumpy, out-of-the-saddle-pedally bit of trail.

Being somewhere together with old friends (whom all have kids now too) and sharing a few drinks, a stolen marlboro light and just having a totally unpretentious good time. Just brilliant.

Great thread!

beautiful shots, augmented by a hint of arse crack on the last one. Nice! :wink:

Kev

ooh, BTW, jsut tried a 65 y old Glengoyne (I think, we had had a few!), and my god that was the most spectacular drink ever.

My dad always said, being a very experienced whisky drinker fae Glasgow, that anything over 20years all start to taste too strong, with too much booze in it.

Bollox! It was F A B U L O U S. :lol:

buggery expensive though :cry:

You need 3 to get the spectrum – so always keep in stock –

1) An islay (my fave Bowmore)
2) Highland Park – nicely in the middle (5 out of 10 peeps in a blind taste testing preffered this one, 3 preffered the below, 2 the above)
3)SOmething a bit Jey but still drinkable – Glenmorangie/Gelnkinchie/Glenfidich

that would be my strategy!

Kev

^^ wot he said!

:-)

no more work!

more with family, deffo a bit more biking/skiing/tennis/whatever.

Would also, and I am fully aware this sounds well-****, be involved in either directly training/coaching/mentoring kids, or doing the same for teachers (my wife is a teacher, and, ironically, receives the worst training and coaching).

Kev

I have a trail-gator, and chose it over a tag-along. It's a lot more flexible as, obviously, when you get there, little-un can then go and zoom off themselves.

Downsides – only one – you have to make sure that the connectors on your bike and kids bike are absolutely aligned perfectly, and this takes a bit of fiddling, to ensure the wee bike stays uproight and straight. A tiny bit off and your wee one will be swinging off to one side.

Trailgator FTW!

Kev

Woolacombe, or at the other end of the coutnry, Fortrose or Rosemarkie on the Black Isle north of Inverness. Or nairn for that matter. Stunning palces, though the northerly ones may not exactly be a 'summer' beach holiday!

I still love woolacombe in North Devon, went as a kid when I was wee, then back as a teenager, then back with my kids. Always at woolacombe bay hotel, which has lost some of it's shine, but the self catering appartments are very good.

Kev

I think that is pretty much it. I just marked a line, held it steaady and hacked away with a hacksaw. Not the straightest line, but it doesn't have to be, did the job nicely. Then jsut banged in the SFN with a srewdriver through teh centre hole and bob's your uncle. I am a complete dunce with this stuff also, so it really ain't too hard.

Only other advice:

Measure twice – cut once

Measure twice – cut once

Measure twice – cut once

Measure twice – cut once

Measure twice – cut once

:-)

Kev

Tim – Member

Nicknoxx – Member

Threaded browsing so you can who's replied to who.

Hate forums like that – having to click and load to follow a conversation through. quoting is easier

+100!!

Sorry! Becky you were indeed the first common sense poster, hugely appreciated! on way to LBS now. :-)

Crucially, does a Hope proII come in white? We all know white hubs are stronger and go faster uphill. :-)

Well, to the logical willej who said 'swap out the wheel', and to foureyes who suggested bunging a wee wheel in resulted in the following:

Nicely niche!

And do you know what? Noise was gone. Definitely hub, taking it to LBS tomorrow as this is outside my experience. Now thinking back on it, this has been going on for a long time and progressively getting worse. What would cause it? Would there have been a little bit of play at the begining that has slowly wrecked the hub?

Anyway, cheers all very much indeed for helping! :-)

Kev

I would deffo er on the side of caution here, protein in pee is not good.

(excuse me whilst I drag some of this out my brain, used ot work in this field a bit) :oops:

The nephrons in your kidney are designed to filter stuff out your blood and pass it down to your bladder for weeing out. Most of these are very small molecules. Proteins are large molecules, so either your nephrons in your kidneys are not doing their job and letting protein out (acute/chronic renal failure), or something in your system is forcing large amounts of protein out your system through the nephrons and into urine (e.g. v high protein diet, some kind of crush injury that has developed a lot of swelling – the fluid of which contains a lot of protein).

The former is obviously not good, but if caused by something like infection, you can get it sorted fast.

The latter is not that good either as your nephrons are not designed to let that amount of protein out and it can cause long term damage. Had your BP checked? A high BP is a common cause of kidney failure but it is treatable and kidney function can return to normal pretty fast.

I had both an infection and a crush injury a few years ago (infection + dislocated knee– lovely!), kidney's stopped working, get really thirsty, peeing all the time, very foamy pee. Got infection treated and knee sorted and it went away and function is now A-OK.

So, bascially, it ain't great for a number of reasons, get it checked ASAP and take appropriate action to get it sorted!

Kev

Dano, aye, EBB refitted and smoth and lovely. Checked headset and it is OK, but hadn't thought of that till now!

Willie, that is only test that will confirm, and will indeed try that ASAP. It does not feel right.

whisperer, I will check and report back!

Kev

Ooh, hadn't thought of that, only got one set of 29er wheels though. However mate has a big boy bike also so will go and borrow a wheel. Nice shout.

Kev

Apparently as an extra from Dallas to boot. Better in action trousers and outdoor kit.

mtbmaff, aye, I thought so too, but replaced and the problem is exactly the same.

Ton, aye, reckon EBB fine as it is all tickety boo and presents no issues.

But what the **** else can it be?

Kev

Big ****! :wink: Thought about that, but it also happens out the saddle so pretty much rules it out.

More help please!

Kev

ton, you are taking the piss, yes? Just checking. 8O

Foureyes, for first post – thanks, will check again. For second post – glad to be of service! :lol:

Anyone else? Hub likely cause?

Kev

Yup, had the first ride last week as 1×9, although as I am truly fat and unfit I went for a 28t ring on an 11-34 on a 29er. Figured that as I rarely use anything but middle on my trails, with occasional granny, I wouldn't be losing much.

In reality, it was great. No hassles and it meant winching up some of the steep stuff pushing a bigger gear. Duh! Failed a couple of times but figure I'll get stronger.

I do seem to have developed a dreadful crackng/clonking noise & feeling through the drivstrain however. Not sure what the hell that is, hoping a new cassette and chain will fix it!

We're planning a St. moritz camping and mtb raid this weekend to hook up with a mate who's doing a road ride Basel – St. moritz.

Now looking at the forecast and wondering if it is a wise move to be up in mountains we don't know, in an area we haven't ridden before, when the forecast is -1 with wind and snow. Hmmmmm.

Are we daft? or is it MTFU?

Kev

Well mr fanylion, any updates?

was reading this with Interest shooterman, and FWIW, I think you've definitely done the right thing.

Nice one. Enjoy!

kev

Certainly sounds like one of them might be ready for a bit of solids, second the baby rice suggestion.

Prepare yourself for some truly incredible nappies after first solids though. Oof! 8O

Also, prepare yourself that one of your children may just be a 'bit of a mare'. :-) At least with twins you get it over with relatively quickly, unlike our protracted release of children over many years.

Kev

yes
35

for just headphones, I have been extremely happy with Sennheiser CX300s. great fit, some isolation, incredibly good sound for the cash.

Brilliant.

If your wanting ones with a mic and stuff on the cable, your gonna have to spend some more cash to get good sound as well as that extra functionality. I use Etymotic HF2s (very good indeed).

For just amazing sound, great isolation, and somehting a bit special (I travel a lot, so really appreciate good headphones on a long journey), etymotic ER4P. You gotta aspire to something!

For day to day and great performance, the sennheiser's above are unbeatable.

Kev

you may have the option to download on iTunes, as these IME all go straight to the movie.

Kev

All top tips, many thanks people. Friends seemed to recommend that we go for figures/vehicles and lego will drive us potty, but he has a fair bit of proper lego, with a we ebit of star wars lego in there, and he does love it.

Hadn't seen play.com, that looks good.

Maybe we will go for lego after all, it is nice.

Kev

just a further little comment. This is the first Hope stuff I have bought, for some reason I had resisted based on the real love/hate reactions that Hope seems to engender.

Anyway, as well as the kit being amazing, I had a question about set up and thought, seeing as how they list a tech support phone number, I would give them a call. Engaged first time, second time spoke to a very helpful chap who understood my questions exactly and gave very specific and useful advice on how to sort out. He even had a northern accent and everything! :wink:

So, I have not had that experience with any other piece of bike kit I own, and is beginning to make me think this wee British engineering firm might be a wee bit special. I will of course update his as soon as something goes tremendously wrong, which is now bound to happen.

Keep up the good work Hope tech northern lads!

Kev

What is it you are worried about? Content? Delivery Style? Peeing yourself?

Would be good to know, then we can sort you out!

Kev

Aye, potentially not the best idea with a stinker of a cold, but I needed to get out.

This is the woods behind me in Oberwil NW Switzerland, kinda dots back and forward into France for comedy 'Bonjour' or 'Guten Morgan' depending on which side of the woods you pop out of.

Steve, I know that feeling! Used to rep in the north of Scotland and was driving over the Lecht and Glenshee frequently, always just wanted to get out the car and ski on those amazing mid week days with no bugger on the hill. :evil:

Rocketdog, aye, it is indeed. Enjoying it so much but really having a hard time putting off purchasing maxle reba's to replace the QR manitous. must. resist. internet. bike. stores.

Early rides are the dog's bollox. Just wonderful to get out and spin, jump, whing, judder, wheely, zoom, gnar, chop and rampage before work! :D

Must get back to that now…. :lol:

Kev

The bizarre, isolated and exisiting in a bizarre bubble Switzerland, The Royston Vasey of Europe.

not exactly a massively different timezone, but definitely not UK.

mudmonster, no, no need to bleed, as your only disasembling the push rod in the lever that depresses the piston in the cylinder. So it's – pull lever to depress piston, take of circlip that holds in the pushrod, clean round inside of cylinder. at caliper end, give the outside of exposed pistons a good clean round witha cootton bud and relevant DOT (5.1?) push the pistons back into the housing, which pushes the piston in the lever back up again.

Repeat.

Christ, am I making this any more clear? 8O :lol:

It was acutally quite simple, just a bit of a faff. Sadly it doesn't last that long, as the lever pistons really need the upgraded grease from Hayes to prevent it happening.

Kev

I believe this is quite a common issue. It certainly was with mine but with a bit of TLC you can get them going again.

It is probably a sticky lever piston, the bit that pushes into the reservoir. IIRC you can ask Hayes to send out a wee repair kit as they apparently put the wrong grease or sommat in a some batches of the brakes.

I coaxed mine back into life by disassembling the lever/piston and cleaning the inside with the relevant dot fluid, pushing the pads back, squeezing, cleaning, repeat repeat a few times and it was good. For a while. But as it is a bit of a defect unless you fancy having to go through this rigmarole every few rides either get the proper repair kit off Hayes or ask your LBS. Mine also has pretty sticky pistons which go the same cleaning treatment. Also helped.

Kev

would you not rather get an iPad? *runs from forum with hands over head*

:lol:

I have an x200 from work, and although I am a fully paid up, card carrying, screaming apple fanboi, I think thinkpads are still the best designed windows laptops.

alpin – Member
no idea… not my car….

cable ties?

lol, that does look fantastic.

There is still something uterly magical about a ferrari. Used to live up north of Aberdeen, not a poor city, and was on a country lane in my 1.8 astra (ragged to death for 135K miles!) when saw a wide red thing in my rear view. Pulled in at first opportunity to let it go past, had all windows down and head out window encouraging him to 'give it some beans' on the way past. they of course obliged. :D

It was an F40, with the clear bonnet thing covering the engine, and my lord, that was an absolutely amazing noise. I mean absolutely incredible. Not a screach, not a big bassy boom, but a soulfoul building of mechanical perfection that peaked at a magnificent wail and followed by a wonderful shift into the next gear. uuugh! :oops:

I can still absolutely perfectly remember it, was not fussed about them really before that except in a remote 'supercar + boy' kinda way. I doubt I will ever have one but my lord that was truly wonderful.

Sorry for the waxing! And to answer the question, I'm not done yet! (35, 2 kids, wife, not nearly enough income to cover expenditure…. etc etc) :roll:

Kev

Actually my experience is opposite. They used to have a relatively poor selection for what i wanted, a frustrating processing time and with slow delivery. Recently been superb however, shoes, brakes, bits and bobs at rocket speed.

Just wanted to throw it in.

CRC also been great as usual, plus free water bottle recently, maybe getting a bit slower with postage. Never used Merlin. *logs into merlin wesbsite*