I’m selling complete or breaking a titanium gravel bike in medium,it’s a Planet X tempest frame.
It has all the eyelets for luggage,guards etc I can sell the frame on its own £400 or with a few parts i.e.:headset,mech,seatpost & clamp etc.

The frame can run big tyres nearly 70mm between stays at the top & bottom,unlike website spec says ? I’ve got 650b wheels with 2.1s no issues.
It has lauf forks but I’m sure you can pick up some rigid new from PX etc
PM me if you’re interested thanks.

Sram will tell you to not use anything else which is rubbish,all the NW 11sp are the same but of course sram eagle ones probably cost more 🙄

As for a bit thinner 12sp is 5.3mm compared to 11sp 5.5mm so sweet FA in it 👍

I always use X11-93 on 3 bikes a mid priced around £16 good quality chain,you can buy fancy gold or hollow pin for 3 times the cost but no better performance though.

I replace mine at 0.6 so get 3-4 chains per cassette 👍

I’m assuming you have 30mm bsa thread cups I’d just get an angle grinder & cut a bit out,not sure if anyone else makes the spanner let alone open ended ?

Cheap lens & oakleys don’t mix I’ve worn them for about 20 years,I wouldn’t use a different lens the optics are perfect would a copy give the same protection ?

The M2 ( modern shape) with prisim lens is amazing non glare field of view,they highlight objects in changing conditions,my last M frames I had for over 16 years they traveled to a few countries 1000s of cycling miles.

Sadly I crashed Monday thus scratched the prisim (only few months old)  lens (battered myself too) so I’m going to have to buy new ones, I’ll get an amber or clear lens to make use of my scuffed frame lol.

That’s the J&L I do believe their ok been on eBay for a long while,this is what I’m using

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/All-Titanium-Road-MTB-Moutain-Bike-Seat-Post-27-2mm-350mm-400mm-Long/172044791442?hash=item280eab2e92:m:mFxq8n_TUuj1HrqQ986TRbQ

I carry ladders on a rack & on one occasion 4 years ago the rack did come off,luckily no-one else involved just slightly scuffed roof but it’s a work van, it touched my bonnet seesaw effect 😮 as Id applied the brakes near home !

Just before this happened I’d reversed & not realised after touching the open garage door,this had slid one foot out of its fixing point this was on a Citroen Berlingo.

After this I refitted it & saw that the foot pack doesn’t fit that well into the roof fittings,I aligned it all & pulled the bars to bring/pull the feet closer,before tightening fully it seemed more secure after.

I use a Rhino rack on my latest van much more secure than Thule offerings,my bikes fit into the van,but if I had a car I’d prefer a towbar mounted rack though.

Its easy to not realise somethings amiss don’t take it for granted its ok,reason we have an mot.

Cheap carbon hmm do your research look at sellers feedback,plenty of forums online you can always check back years Google it,buy from a more reputable seller like Ican.

So really cheap £13 🙄 maybe ok ? but it’s often fake branded stuff that’s likely bad ( the ones you hear more about). I’ve had some carbon riser bars years ago off eBay from Hong Kong proved to be very strong & light.

Nowadays I personally use Easton carbon bars often in sales for a good price & hammer them with confidence,my Ican & Carbonspeed rims are holding up well two years of (ab)-use on my bikes.

I like my £50 China titanium seatpost the slight flex is comfortable & I do bikepacking so seatpack could rub etc,over three years on a 180g 350mm post that’s been well used off-road.

Everyone is different inc injury or other reasons,no one saddle will work it’s often a trial & error process.
I’ve tried lots of saddles over the years & accepted pain was associated with riding then had Adamo seats on my bikes for two years,although they stop numbness I still got sitbone sores after 30+ miles so kept on looking at alternatives.

There’s a few strange pad types some adjustable some fixed,crazy ones like the Infinity surely that’s a bloody joke a saddle with no middle just the edge 😆
Anyhow I’d never tried real leather before but read mixed reviews upon them,some been hard & required many miles to ‘wear in’.

This was when I by chance came across Selle Anatomica its softer leather & designed to work as a ‘hammock’ it’s got a central slot so each side can flex independently.
I can now do hours in the saddle & get no sores,as with anything they take a few tweaks to get right but whether I’m riding in basic shorts/trousers to proper cycling gear I notice no difference.
I’d recommend not getting real leather wet carry a cover,even if after a ride it’s out in rain & I’m in the pub I cover it up.

A really nice pair of wheels makes a bike it’s a major component,not unlike a crankshaft in an engine you wouldn’t run a cheap one in an performance bike or car !

For years I’ve owned countless hope hubbed wheel sets,I’ve built my own but easier to get my wheel builder friend to do it while I’m out working. I can’t stand machine built rubbish they always come loose over time,because the stress has never been relieved during build.

I own two fatbikes seeing most of the weight is in the wheels, I own 2 pairs of fat carbon & a pair of Nextie 29+ carbon wheels for them. When you have fat wheels a similar weight as normal mtb ones boy is it noticeable !

I’d say from experience of many tools,machinery,motorcycle & cycle bearings, once subjected to hammering out its totally knackered end of ! Most likely you’ve dented the running surface & probably flatted areas of the balls,it’s not going to last long after that the really cheap ones can go stiff ? even from normal use so buy Enduro or better replacements.

I’ve saved a few by prising the seal off flushing out & re-packing with grease,often bearings don’t have enough grease from new or subject to water ingress like my sram jockey wheels need frequent services to keep rolling.

I use extra marine grease even on new ones before fitting.

All depends upon what you want to spend Ive tried loads inc Adamo which are quite good despite looking strange.

One day by chance I saw an advert so done some reasearch & paid £160 each for 3 bikes (ok a lot of money) on Selle anatomica these are American not Italian made ! The leather isn’t hard like brooks it’s soft but isn’t padded strange at 1st not what I’d expected,you kind’ve sit in these like a hammock I can do hours & hours without pain,discomfort or funny sores.

Saddles do take time to setup correctly though the SA needed a few tweaks & about 20 miles from new,been leather once you’ve sweated into it it’s slightly slippery ‘new’ finish goes.Far as I’m concerned once found you cannot put a price on comfort,I ride my bikes in both cycling gear & normal trousers or thin shorts the saddles are still as good.

It amazes me how many people spend £100s or £1000s on bikes then put a shitty £20 saddle on 🤔

The little wedge that locks the aheadset up caused mine,I put grease on the steerer where it sits & it solved my creak that sounded like I’d cracked my carbon frame !

I’ve already owned my fatboy carbon comp for 2 years,brought after trying a hire fattie on holiday. I brought a wazoo when I got home two months use confirmed for me that fatbikes where absolute fun to ride,their capable of stuff a normal mtb cannot do like riding around my coast at low tide.

Suspension just adds to a fatbikes capability,I feel beaten up/fatigued after a few hours off-road on rigid forks.

Yes I’ve overtaken roadies in short high energy bursts,but doesn’t mean I can keep it up for long but it sure is fun though.

Climbing is no different on a fatbike than anything else,except I’ve got grip where others have to walk what’s hard to understand about that ? it’s not just me I regularly meet other fatbikers at swinley & we all overtake people.

A lot of cycling stuff I’d not do to exact torque settings you risk breaking it or it becomes seized,pedals especially just a fraction turn or nip from screwed in is plenty make sure you grease the threads though.

And remember torque settings change when threads are dry or greased the manufacturer will unlikely say that.

I recently brought a £10 bargain new 105 chain set because a pedal was stuck, it was a simple job of heating it up boiling water for the arm & a blowtorch on the spindle I got it out.

I have known of people cracking a sump on a motorcycle ruined the whole engine 🙄 just tightening the oil drain plug up ! Seen plenty more in my years of bmx’s,mtb’s,vehicles etc etc.

One thing I will add I never get sprayed water near bearings better off rinsing the sand & loose stuff,with a jug of water after beach rides then just wash by hand 👍

Ive owned quite a few hope hubs & never experienced any freehub problems yet done 1000s of wet miles in muddy woods. I recently sold a 3+ year old pair of pro 2 evo 29er wheels that have been though plenty of mud & water but running smooth as silk.

Im nearly 2 years in on a pair of fatsno’s inc many beach rides without issue too preventative maintenance is the key,I have serviced the freehub & pop outer seals off the bearings to pack extra marine grease into them. Also smear the outside of them before replacing the end caps or axle covers,could just be one duff one among the many that are made.

Just buy 2 new enduro bearings about £4 each (same as hope uses but charge more) & a set of springs it’ll be good again, unless the hub physically failed it’s wear & tear most likely not warranted.

Without seeing the situation no one can say for sure but I do diy for both myself & as a job I’ve seen so many shocking bodges,where lazy incompetent previous workmen/owners can’t be arsed so just do ‘minimum necessary’ even not spending money at all.

I had a bath panel that I had to smash off cos someone glued it on to cover holes up in the internal wall they couldn’t be bothered to fix,then discovered the bath had a rotten overflow pipe for god knows how many years untouched had damaged the floor I got to it in time !

Delt with a house for a friend dry rot throughout the downstairs we had to remove the whole floor & replace all the timber, cos a dick had blocked the air vents front to rear of the house ! Going down that same road lots of vents are covered over on other houses & I’ve seen this in other areas too,so a simple vent,water leak etc can lead to major problems if left not to mention the costs putting it right.

Moral of the story get it looked at & repaired properly believe me you don’t ever want to see how bad it can get.

Planet X are selling complete bikes like the picknflick for £1000 & frames from £600 just brought a tempest myself it’s easy to build your own spec & have a nice bit of change left out of £2k.

Keep an eye on the website stuff goes up & down in price the tempest reduced by £100 from last week 👍

I get it often on certain promenades & dedicated cycle paths they seem oblivious to a massive white line & bike painted on it ! You get whole families taking up the width of over 10-15ft people are often in daydreams on mobiles etc.

As for dogs loose what about extending leads once more than 5ft away its out of control imo,I do give way & acknowledge others it’s give & take they should more often notice us cyclists too, instead of watching us approach from half a mile or more away then panic,faf about as I’m almost on top of them !

Do they walk out in front of cars ? but a cycle could cause just as bad an injury so why ignore us ?

Moral of the story you get bad days we all do sometimes,often just ignore it but also accept people are what they are,in busy towns & shops they bump into you on foot.

I love it when loose dogs give chase & I’m able to get a good move on,nothing funnier than owner screaming half a mile of more away when said dog runs out of puff.

Sports direct or Mountain warehouse only £8-£10 I’ve used them for years normally get a new one every year.

I’d look very carefully to determine the calipers is inline with the disc,look for uneven pad wear,sticking piston common to either poor adjustment or out of alignment frame mounting not unusual no matter how much the bike cost !

I replaced some deore pads last year but within a few weeks where contaminated,still loads of meat left though ! after swapping the shit shimano resin pads for uber race matrix never looked back what a difference,amazing power in all conditions.

Oakley lenses are made for specific sports or activities to block & allow certain types of light optimising field of vision,I recently got some M2 prisim road bloody awesome,they offer the usual high quality forget their on,fit & feel I prefer the single lens myself.

Best to go try some even think about more than one lens if you intend using them in varying conditions,although iridiums are so good I have worn mine even at dusk & can still see everything.

I’ve had several pairs over the past 20+ years,my M frames that I’ve just replaced where around 18 years old in vgc but you’d never guess,so I certainly had my monies worth ! sold on here 2 weeks back. Expensive yes you do get what you pay for with Oakley though but you only get one pair of eyes buy the best 😎

Buy a proper make bag for a little more & it’ll probably last a few years too,blacks where selling the eurohike down for £50 a while ago I looked at them last year but opted for an oex Helios from go-outdoors.

Remember to store bags lofted too my oex comes with a storage bag,someone mentioned on another forum that the aldi ones didn’t seem to puff up barely at all ! & the filling felt a bit rough,meaning bigger feathers = not so warm compared to proper makes.

There’s a lot more to building wheels it’s lacing them correct for the disc (often overlooked even expensive stuff) & drive side torque,also taking the stress/twist out during build reason they loosen if it’s not done right.

Ive both built my own & had a few wheels built by Harry rowland you get what you pay for he uses Sapim db spokes,nipples.

Stans are far from the best out there pain in the ass getting shwalbe to fit yet specialized go on by hand ?

I’ve had loads of saddles & always suffered numbness,hard skin spots after 30+ miles either too padded,or not enough,tried ISM without nose for a couple of years good saddle but still got pain in my sitbones.

I then took a punt on a selle anatomica I now don’t suffer at all no pains,sores etc,I’ve more energy to ride with the only draw back is a leather saddle is heavier,& needs to be looked after try not to get it wet too I carry a cover for it.
Saddles are personal though what one person likes another will hate,also experiment with adjustment it takes time to get that dialled in too.
The biggest expense is when you have to kit 4 bikes out with the same seat but I cannot put a price on comfort.

I buy spare cores off eBay bag of 10 was about £3 posted ‘no brainier’ if one clogs/snaps replace it & carry spares.
When not in use keep the valves at the top of the wheels this should keep them away from sealant.
On deep section carbon rims like mine schrader won’t work anyhow you can’t buy extra long ones !

Carry a proper tool,a pair of small pliers or a Gerber style multi tool,so you’ve something to get at the valve core.
Seems crazy people spend huge sums on a bike but can’t fit a frame bag for a few essential tools,of course it doesn’t look ‘cool’ so just borrow a mates tools or push then

I’ve got two 11sp & an eagle GX mech’s easy to free them pop outer seals off using a razorblade (careful !) upper corner prise them out,get a nut/bolt though middle tight then clamp in a vice.
Copious amounts of gt85 or similar,rock back & forth until it frees off then flush out repack with grease ideally marine re-fit seals back they’ll be good as new.
I give mine a service every 6-8 months or after been submerged & not had any problems since, people seem to hammer stuff but don’t bother then moan its seized up !

I run the Sunrace cos the ratios are much better the last 3 cogs 36-40-46 not the silly shimano 10 tooth jump I really don’t understand why they went for that ratio ? I find the gearing very good overall 1×11.
Using mine with a sram GX mech no mods needed works out of the box,I don’t always use the 46 more often 40 is enough but when it’s needed saves walking I’m running 32T up front.