I’ve got a Kindernay too. I’ve had it for almost three years but only just built it all up with a Gates belt. It took a slight modification as the lock ring sat too proud for the shifter attachment. But other than that, it’s now working great.

BUT, and it’s a big but for someone who likes a quiet bike…it’s DAMNED noisy. Some gears (lower) it’s almost silent. Higher gears it sounds like your freewheeling even when pedalling but not too bad. Though the middle gears that you’d use for most cruising around sound terrible. The hub uses effectively straight cut gears and as we know from racing cars with straight cut boxes, they are noisier. But on a bike, I’m not sure I can cope with it.

tell me, did your hub get any quieter that you noticed? Of course at the expense and now building a wheel I’ll persevere for a while. But I have a niggling feeling I’ll eventually swap it out for an XTR drivetrain at a lower weight and lower (although now additional) cost if the noise remains this high.

Hello Smoove Lovers 

New UK distributor organised and stock arriving late January. 

Website will be live later this week (www.blackmountainscycleworks.com – ignore current location).

@martinhutch – Smoove is absolutely the next bottled wax lube available for wet weathers 🙂

@ wind_bag

The problem with vocal cords is, walkers who haven’t seen you only hear “BLAHHHHHHH” and don’t step to the left…or right. They just step.

The point of Timber! is to have the bell sounding in a couple of situations vocal chords (or a loud freehub or conventional bell) doesn’t usually help with.

1. You see walkers crowding a trail. Switch it on and people hear a friendly instinctively ‘bicycle’ sound approaching. It’s not startling and people thank you for it. You usually don’t even have to slow down.

2. You don’t see walkers. But you’re shredding/shralping/blazing a Singletrack that you know is shared by others. Switch the bell on and they’ll hear you before you see them. But they’re smiling with their dog under control. Pure harmony.

Vocal chords don’t usually work seamlessly

Band On Vs Bolt On.

The ‘tinkle’ is the same on both models. The band-on is easier to move from bike to bike and fits over bar tape or around road bike stems. but the elastic band will over stretch if removed too often. The biggest advantage of the bolt-on model is that it anchors to the bar much more firmly. So if you pound the ‘on’ switch, it’ll stay where you bolt it, whereas the band on can swivel around the slim part of the bar. It’s fine on the bulge part of the handlebar near the stem clamp though.

The standard bolt-on has now been discontinued and so you have the choice of the Standard bell (band-on £27.99) or the YEW! (Bolt-on £32.99).

Email me a photo and purchase receipt. Sales@cyclorise.com – I’ll sling you a discount on a replacement.

Hey everyone – Timber! bell importer Cyclorise here.

The Rock Bros copy is the copy of the Timber! v1.0 bell which was phased out a few years ago. We’re now on the v4.0.

With each version, the internals and mechanism improved. The current v4.0 has been available through the Singletrack shop for two years now and has proved exceptionally reliable. In fact, the v4.0 bolt on bell has recently been replaced with the new ‘Yew!’ Which is more robust for not only use/wear, but from impacts/bashes. Then, if it does get damaged for whatever reason, it is rebuildable with replacement parts if required.

Earlier model bells such as the v1.0/2.0 definitely wore in regards the mechanism over time. Keeping them switched off became harder as they aged. The v3.0 was much better and came with a slimmer clamp. Though the cable crimp that holds and pulls the clapper up tight sometimes vanished. The v4.0 solved the cable crimp issue and also solved the longevity issue. But of course eventually, any mechanical er…mechanism will wear.

I hope this lowdown helps. To my knowledge, there’s only Timber! (And the knock off rock Bros v1.0 copy) as well as one other copy cat who literally bought one off our show stand a few years ago who make a trail bell with a on/off function. Timber! is the only one that can be activated without removing your hand from the handlebar.

For long term reliability and serviceability, check out the new Yew! from the Singletrack shop. Or subscribe to Singletrack Mag and get one for FREE 🙂

Hey GeorgesDad
I own the importer (UK) of Fasst Co bars. I’ll let others do the selling (I don’t want to hijack the thread), but if you have any questions please throw them at me. My personal favourite ever component (well…since the dropper seatpost).

UNPOPULAR OPINION

If you like your Revgrips, have tried bar angle, brake lever angle, tyre pressures, suspension etc… Fasst Company suspension bars are the real deal. Eye watering in terms of price point, but they so do work well.

Shackleton

Revgrips now does a 35mm grip sleeve. It’s called the ‘RG7’.

Regarding your comment of “bigger the better” when it comes to medical professionals, are these medical professionals riding bike parks or alpine length descents? I ask because there IS an issue with going ‘too’ big.

I’ve helped hundreds of riders fix the size of their grips because DEPENDING ON THE KIND OF RIDING THEY DO, there absolutely is a problem with going too big.

For example, when gripping the bars tightly and pulling hard on the brakes for long periods of time, such as fun and left hot doe hills or more technical trails, the larger the grip is, the harder your fingers have to work to hold on to the grip. With the way MTBers use one or maybe two fingers on the brake, having a grip that’s too large for them can cause significant pain in the outside two fingers and up the outside of the hand. If anyone reading this has experienced that pain, it’s typically because grips are too big. By going slimmer for the more technically oriented riders, you can save a lot of hand discomfort.

That all being said, if you’re the kind of rider to shy away from the fast and steep stuff and prefer a weekend on the Moors or getting lost in the Welsh outback, then really there isn’t a grip sleeve too large. For ‘general riding’, those medical professionals might be right. But for more capable riders who like downhills and tech trails, a slimmer grip will be more comfortable.

I first experienced this when at Dirt Farm and using the 34mm Large Revgrips. My fingers and hand hurt which I was surprised about having had two years of happy Revgrips use. But when sizing back down to 32.5mm, those pains vanished. Indeed, I ended up going to 31mm in the end and find that a perfect fit for my riding style and my XL gloved hands.

So, I’d recommend never broadstroke advising larger grips without understanding an individual riders’ needs.

Hi everyone.

I’m not here to promote Revgrips, but as the owner of Revgrips UK distributor, Cyclorise I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about what has become our best selling brand. I do believe answering questions by businesses is allowed, so long as I’m not using the forum to outwardly deliver a hard sell. Moderator, please correct me if I’m wrong 😃

So ask away.

That stem…it has to be the best looking of the isolated suspension stems on the market. I for one am going to be sampling one of those soon 🙂

You’ll gave a set to try on an incoming bike Charlie 🙂

I bought a set of the Chilao pedals 18 months ago….ish. At the time Yoshimura weren’t shipping outside the US so I had them shipped multiple times around the country before eventually landing with me here in the UK. They’re things of beauty.

@revs1972

Good question. My wife woke on the day of departure struggling for breath. We called for assistance so she was taken to the local medical centre and was tested there. Therefore I had to also test.

There was no requirement for us to test in order to depart in any other situation…just the day 2 test after coming home. So if you don’t develop symptoms, then there’s no need to test.

It would be up to you if you suspected you’d contracted it and didn’t test before travelling home. It would be much better having to Isolate at home than abroad.

YES! We got home last week having had an extended stay in Gran Canaria.

We were there for a week and the short story is that the whole family (2 adults and 1 21 month old) tested positive on our day of departure. We were quarantined in our hotel room for a further 10 days (12 actually, but that’s because my 21 month old son wasn’t tested for two more days so we had to isolate for ten days from that date).

We had to order food to our room and our mobile and room phone range several times a day from covid teams and doctors to ensure we were ok and to enforce our quarantine. They only issued our discharge letters on the morning of the end of quarantine. There wasn’t a guard outside the room or anything, but the hotel were instructed to cater for our needs directly by covid teams and us ‘skipping bail’ as it were, would result in a significant fine. Quite rightly too.

It cost us £3k for that extra stay on top of the holiday plus a significant dent on our business’s income due to our unplanned absence.

One hotel room with a 21 month old and poorly parents was extremely challenging. Luckily we had a balcony and a good view.

It’s definitely put us off the idea of travelling again for as long as there are quarantine rules in place. But I accept it was bad luck and doesn’t happen to the vast majority of holiday makers. But it was a couple of weeks that will remain in our memories for the wrong reasons.

My biggest advice…make sure you have good insurance. We insured with Axa (via Puffin) who happened to have solid covid cover. They paid out for our room, flights and internet-ordered food/essentials shop that we did. They did not cover the £180 over-stay at the airport parking in Cardiff, nor the travel from Bristol airport due to returning to a different location from our original plan.

DON’T SKIMP ON INSURANCE COVER.

Yep, I have a cassette which I would buy time and time again for the looks, weight, shifting quality and longevity. Jockey wheels and a round chainring. Never dropped a chain and I’ve been pleasantly surprised how long it’s all lasted given the crap i ride through. I chose silver for pimpness. Got it from Gonebikingmad here in the UK.

I run a distribution business and we still use parcel2go.com which anyone can use. Prices are very good and it’s easy to use.

I won’t go into too much detail as I’m the importer and shouldn’t use this forum to advertise.

But look up Revgrips and search STW reviews on this site for the Revgrips review from 2019. No grips or bars minimise vibrations in the same way.

@ianc
Like Onzadog says, running your finger and not feeling any stickiness is a good method but that doesn’t always mean the chain isn’t lubricated where it matters. The outer stickiness goes away as a thin layer of dust lands on it and dissapears during the miles. Running your finger like Onzadog says and seeing the rollers spinning freely is a good time to ‘top up’.

Above all of that, just like you say if the chain sounds dry and unlubricated, then it is. Be aware of you’re hearing that dry noise after just one average ride or fewer miles than you expect, then go back to your application method.

Happy also to talk on the phone or DM (details found on our social medias @cyclorise)

@RocketDog
Interesting one. SMOOVE typically outlasts Squirt ten-fold. Would love to trouble shoot application here and figure out how SMOOVE could come out on top 🙂

Hi all.
I’m the UK importer of SMOOVE and trouble shoot regularly with people. SMOOVE is quite different to other lubes and as such, forces you to break some habits you have when it comes to applying lubes.

The problem both iainc and davosaurusrex sights is down to over application. SMOOVE is VERY hard wearing. SO what is happening here, is you are applying too much, either at original application or after washing when you may not need to apply any more, you are indeed applying another layer. Over time, this will build up and build up. With SMOOVE, you don’t need to apply after every wash (unless you do a deep clean perhaps) and why SMOOVE Prep degreaser exists, to really break down old SMOOVE before reapplying.

So to solve the problems experienced, apply less frequently to avoid that build up of gunk. Applied right and gunk does not appear and is consistently low friction (average as you’d expect) but really clean. The key here is…it’s a LONG lasting lube, which means it stays put longer than you traditionally expect a lube to last in all weathers and even during washing, especially clean white wax lubes.

Another common issue is when people think it’s not lasting long and washes off too easily. That’s because the chain had not been thoroughly dried inside the pins and plates before applying, so the lube does not set. It seems you guys are doing the prep correctly but then over-applying. Try breaking that habit of re-lubing before every ride. There’s not usually a need for SMOOVE to be applied that often. That’s what SMOOVE is about 🙂

Happy to answer any more questions.

Thomas

Another Dibley!?!?! That’s impossible…this could get interesting. Next you’ll tell me his name is Tom or Thomas. PM coming over, thank you Welsh.

Kingdom, yes that’s a good suggestion. I’m coming off a Lynsky titanium hardtail and wonder about the ride feel of a cheaper Titanium hardtail.

Yes frame only. Funny you say that about alloy. The Liteville hardtail is appealing.

Hi Glenh

I run a UK importer and have recently launched a new brand, focussed on packless riding (Lourí). We launched with just a couple of models but have big plans. Don’t worry, i’m getting to the point.

A product idea I have will be launched a bit later this year via a crowd-funding campaign. I can’t say too much here, but this product will address your exact problem. Being a ‘packless’ inspired product, you’ll find this hydration option won’t require cage-mounts, won’t require the space needed to house a usual sized water bottle, yet should delivery 650-720ml of water with a very low stack-height. Keep an eye out there for more news later in the year.

T

I adore mine now I swapped the rubbish Monarch shock for a DVO.

It’s a large and is totally pimped out w/SixC carbon cranks, XX1, DVO forks/shock etc. I ride it only for special occasions lol.

Taking it to Moab in April and then selling it in May to fund a business. It will be for sale then if anybody is interested in keeping in touch.

As most of you didn’t like my own RFX very much, I built another that I think you’ll agree is much nicer.

Turner RFX on the Silverfish UK Facebook page

pinetree – Member

@the OP: Have you tried Skratch Labs stuff?

I don’t know if they do a recovery product, as it’s all fruit-based, but their hydration/energy stuff is really nice.

Yep, it’s 100% natural and made from the WHOEL fruit, not just the juices. Sooooo, it won’t upset your stomach, despite using consitently all day and every day. OK, sales pitch over.

There isn’t a recovery option in the UK YET, but as sales pick up, the other products may start to appear in the UK. It’s proving to be incredibly popular, so shan’t be long.

@Onzadog…but it is mine.

Perhaps it will end up with all-black tyres and it will end up with a slightly longer stem. But after its first weekend of riding, I’m in love! The perfect fit for me, both in size, style and looks.

Everybody is talking ‘wider is better’ nowadays. Yes a wide rim is awesome, but the wider the rim, the heavier they are. You need to consider the trade off for the width on a heavier rotating mass. The rotating mass doesn’t matter much once you’re up to speed but it does under acceleration which affects the handling of your bike, especially on twisty trails which require pedalling.

Consider that until only months ago, your average ‘trail’ rim would only be 21mm internal or there about. Which suggests even the 24mm would be a significant upgrade without adding much weight. The 30’s are AWESOME for handling. Ideal for bike parks and descending. But for your average ‘trail rider’ who wants to climb, descend and generally use their trail bike for everything, I think the 27mm offers the best of both.

Not sure what your warning is about!?
But thanks, those are good tips. I think I’ll stick to “Oscar” rather than “Big fat dildo’s” as my repetition phrase.
Here’s a picture of the little brighter… Oscar the Vizsla on my Twitter feed

Like Northwind says about the on-one ring, hope were the first to include that feature. I know though on real world use, RF, Hope, e.13 and North Shore Billet, all perform as well as one another. Can’t comment on the cheaper ones, but expect alloy strength to suffer which will transpire in longevity of life. Buy cheap, buy twice n’ all. But honestly can’t speak from experience.

Sram’s X-Sync really is the best still but at a price!

Hello all. Thought I’d jump in just to clarify things as I think the BR piece confused the message slightly.

I’m the parts buyer at Wiggle, I have a colleague who buys wheels. Tune is a highly desirable brand as we all know which has a focus on light weight and quality airing on the ‘extreme’. The thing we identified was, that buying Tune isn’t a straight forward task, with ‘generally’ only small dealers retailing the brand, of which most seldom carry good stock. Lead times can be quite long on boutique brands like this too. So…

…with the help of Poshbikes, we reached out to Tune to discuss how Wiggle could make the brand accessible on a more scalable level, without sacrificing quality or the image of the brand. With the historic reputation of online retailers (this reputation is changing thanks to responsible online retailers like Wiggle), Tune were understandably cautious and sensitive to the potential backlash from their smaller retailers, so they came up with the idea to offer a line of product that was only available to us.

We call it Black Series by Tune and I must make clear, that this is not an ‘Own Brand’ product. It is made by Tune on the same CNC machines, using the same engineers and same quality control processes. In-fact, Black Series is an evolution of Tune products with a few subtle improvements that will end up rolling down into the rest of the Tune range which marginally aid weight and stiffness. Every part is made by Tune in Germany, so if you think the skewers look familiar, perhaps the lever shape is a functional one commonly used, but trust me, it’s not the same product. The range is however ‘exclusive’ to Wiggle.

Bringing on Black Series by Tune is intended as a sign of commitment to our loyal road and in this instance particularly MTB customers, that Wiggle is taking quality bike components very seriously. We want our customers to be able to shop with us because we offer fair and reliable value, good service and a well thought-out range which inspires as well as fulfills essentials like headsets, cables, brake pads etc. Black Series is part of that ‘inspiration’ angle.

Yes it’s expensive, but it’s clear you all appreciate quality and exclusivity first. And you know, you can have any colour you like, so long as it’s black, which incidentally, makes up for 98% of sales where colour options exist across most brands.

Yes indeed, some great advice. Unlike Miss Notax, I love the Do-or-Die moments but lots of these are brought about by the speed at which you ride them.

Fruite for sure. Slickrock is so short, I usually treat that as an end of the day ride if you’ve got 90 mins before the sun goes down. Not something you focus the whole day around.

Yes, all those trails listed are around Moab town (or City as they call it).

Fruita may be a bit far, but worth a consideration. We’ll ride all those trails suggested by everybody here thank you! I’ve ridden almost all of those before and can’t wait to ride them again!

Roll on October eh Miss Notax

Hello Ferrit
I’m interested to see your opinions of your 301 now you’ve had it for a few months. I’m in the market for a hard hitting AM< bike that I can XC/jump/drop/give hell. Options are Tracer 275, Turner Burner, Liteville 301 and Nicolai Hellius which I see you have previously owned.

Can you tell me this flat out beats the Hellius? That would be helpful to hear.