My click came from the stem, although it sounded like it came from the BB area and only happened when I lay it on thick pedalling wise. I guess when you’re putting down some power you pull on the opposite side of the handlebars more – specially when stood up.

Ben

The Book Thief.

I haven’t cried since I was a kid (I may be emotionally stunted) but this got me.

Yep.

Binned it.

Can’t imagine it’ll be worth anything but hassle rebuffing marketting gubbins. You don’t get owt for nowt.

Plus, who’s going to set up a luxury-market based business in the current climate? huh?

if you fill it in and get some wine, let me know how it tastes…..

Ben

No, I’ve never used an Ipod, but i suspect it’ll be an inferior experience using the interface (I believe it’s also difficult to sync playlists for example)

It works really well for me as I tend to listen to whole albums, so I just set it going and listen – the interface isn’t really a problem for me.

Ben

Oh. and I should say that it takes a bit of DIY to get it working – it ain’t slick when syncronising in my experience.

Having said that, the firmware is regularly updated to sort out user requests and the Sansa website is quite friendly when it comes to explaining what to do.

Ben

Yep. Love it, but only really because of the sound quality. It sounds absolutely marvelous with a decent pair of ‘phones (haven’t used the ones it came with)

The user interface isn’t as intuative as the Creative it replaced, and if you want to view video (or pictures) then you have to convert them using the Sansa media converter.

Much more than I could say here: Anythingbutipod Sansa Fuse forum
Ben

Also, sometimes a saddle that’s too high causes lower back problems.

I had a physio appointment on Monday.

He told me that cyclists tend to walk and stand like ducks (i.e. with their arses and bellies stuck out in opposite directions)

He said that the best cure is plenty of crunchies and back-strengthening exercises, but to make sure that when you walk or stand you pull your bum and stomach ‘tight’ and you stand ‘strong’ and tall.

Since then I’ve been concentrating on this, to the point now that if I stand like a udck now it feels quite uncomfortable.

And my back? It’s much better.

Ben

There are some things you just can’t plan for.

Today I cycled into work (33 miles) with the intention of making the return journey this evening. I parked my bike in the bike store (the only one there today – it’s not an easy office to cycle to as it’s in the centre of Birmingham).

Changed into my cycle gear to go home, but something happened to the lock on the door (someone had been in there and slammed the door, dropping the catch on the yale lock making the store completely inaccessable). Had to catch the train home, leaving my rather pricey road bike to the vagaries of the locksmith who will visit over the weekend…… :(

Did that work?

I had hiccups for 4 days until I phoned a doctor at which point they stopped immediately.

Ben

Boo!

In my experience, minty arse lard is an aquired taste. It can feel very cool (almost wet?) and make the wearer rather uncomfortable.

I use the Ozone Elite cream for all chafing uses – on the bike, thigh run when running and erm,……well that’s all I can admit to.

Ben

Yes, but I took my own bike.

It was nice to explore and I found/saw things that you wouldn’t see by driving about. The hills are very hilly, and the maps equally inaccurate.

I was on a family holiday, and when they drove somewhere for the day via the winding coast road, I rode up and over the mountains on the more direct route, often arriving within a few minutes of their arrival.

I did get horribly lost in the centre of the island at one point,which was scary as the locals only spoke Greek and in that part fo the island very rarely spotted.

Ben

Where: Worcester (East side) to Birmingham City Centre via Crowle/Hanbury/Finstall/Blackwell/Hopwood and the Pershore Road (*phew*)

On: Specialized Allez with Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels.

When: once or twice a week, morning or evening depending on work commitments, starting in about 2 week’s time until it gets too dark in the autumn.

Ben

Looks like they should turn up the thermostat in the ST offices – the poor lass has to wear a scarf to work!

Was the tape cold?

Sometimes the glue stuff needs to be warm to be sticky.

I do.

’tis brill.

You may get some people who have done a carpark test and say it’s not good, but I’ve not seen negative comments from anyone who’s used one in anger.

More here: <http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/genesis-io-id-anyone-got-one&gt;

Peppa

Yep.

Sansa Fuze.

Not great menu system, but FANTASTIC sound quality. 8gb was around 75 squid from Argos.

Ben

Went with my wife last year for our 10 year anniversary and walked everywhere. Stunning architecture and friendly people.

Really found the Museum of Communism (above Macdonalds and next door to a casio!) brought home the brutality of the soviet regime and reminded me of TV coverage of revolutionary riots I saw when I was in my early teens.

Castle was nice, as was Charles bridge, but a bit ‘formal’ tourist – lots of street vendors, so it is best to try and do these early in the morning before they get too cluttered.

We wondered up to the metronome that swings on the cliffs overlooking the city and found an area that was obviously very grand in it’s time but badly neglected now. Turns out there was a statue of Stalin there for years that was blown up as part of the liberation of the city. The metronome represents the passage of time (something along the lines of time healing all wounds).

I wouldn’t eat in any of the restaurants on St. Wencelas square. They are expensive and very poor. Having said that, we found restaurants elsewhere to be excellent, and the cafes and bars dotted around are superb for a relaxing beer/coffee.

We had about 5 days there, but to be honest this was maybe a day longer than really needed.

Ben

Ahhh. That may explain it – although as I say we’ve ridden in lower temps the forks may not have been exercised enough to keep them warm.

“You can trackstand and change gear though, so it isn’t all bad.”

I wasn’t suggesting that.

You can carry on pedalling and provided you keep the pressure on the unit won’t change.

Horses for courses.

There’s a big surprise!!

Olly – longevity is something I’m keeping an eye on. I am aware of keen cyclists who have run these hubs for a long while (18 months +)without issue (albeit these chaps are whippets).

I’m told that once the internals wear out then it’s a quick swap-out of an £80 cartridge that contains the mechanism, so comparable with a deraileur set up as long as the mileage is equal.

My point is that if you’re trying to shift under heavy load, you are probably trying to grab a whole load of gears at once (as clubber suggested in the original post; “….awkward moments”)

I for one have found that the Alfine is better in these situations – you can preselect a gear you want before ‘choosing’ to change: You keep the pressure on whilst you select an appropriate gear – even 5 or 6 clicks away and then do your pedalling ‘hiccup’ after which you are solidly in the selected gear. I don’t know if this is a designed feature, but once you’re used to it, it can be very useful. (There is a slight grinding noise if you have elected to change gear but are putting too much pressure into it to allow a change)

Whilst not wishing to be dismissive of Clubber’s remarks, you need to ride the Alfine in anger a few times to get used to it and understand some of the features.

I agree the Bikeradar review isn’t quite right.

Any ideas as to what might cause sudden loss of positive air?

This happened the other night in blizzard conditions (however, we’ve ridden on colder nights this year, so I don’t think temp is that significant)

….however if you try to shift under heavy load using a deraileur system they can skip quite badly (or in extreme cases break the chain – it happened to me last Monday) with ensuing bolleux/stem interface issues.

With the Alfine it won’t shift, but a short pause (I’ve previously described it as a ‘hiccup’) in pedalling will plonk it solidly into the selected gear – even if that gear is 5 or 6 notches away from the one you’re currently in – no fuss.

Dreadful. Mainly ‘cos the staff can’t get to work rather than delays due to snow blocking the way etc.

J
F
D
I

What’s the worst that can happen? (there appears to be a ready market for Alfine hubs if you want rid after a few weeks)

I would have thought it’s spelt it out in the article you’ve linked to.

I use the whole charge when night riding and recharge my night riding batteries just before setting out again. NiMH best for this then.

On my commuting light, I charge the batteries and use them over the course of a week or so. Hybrio seem better for this option as they may last 3 or 4 weeks.

Ben

Take the lense out, wrap the foil tightly round the perspex block and carefully cut a hole where the LED will poke through.

The problem with the foil cake case is that:
1) there’s no glass, so the LED is open to the elements
2) it’s metal and might short across the LED if you’re not careful (maybe a bit of tape to insulate it?)
3) it’s fragile because of point 1

The light created looks great in the garage (and is an improvement IMO on the basic use of it as a torch) but on the trail when bombing along you feel as though the light pool is black in the centre as there’s no penetration to the beam at all.

The mod to the lens works well, don’t be afraid to be rough with the ‘machining’ as the majority of the beam focus is done using the outer egde of the lens.

Ben

Oh dear…..here we go.

I bought the C cell powered one. Realised that the beam was too focussed, so stuck a ball-end dremmel tool into the perspex lens block and rounded out the small convex lens part at the end of the hole. Result: wider beam focus.

I also played around with manufacturing an orange peel reflector using a foil cake case. This created a wonderfully smooth light pool, but on the trail this tended to light the bushes on either side of the trail and not much in the middle.

Ben

Ummm….

and on the nong nang ning the trees go ‘ping’

On the Ning Nang Nong the cows go ‘bong’

“I should just add that sneaky trails within the Forest Park area should be avoided at all costs”

Understood. That’s why I was asking really.

Ben

*runs to waterstones for Explorer 152 sneaky peak*

Thanks PhilO!

Any extension recommendations to make it longer than 9.5 miles?

(I don’t mean repeating bits, but sneaky trails away from the Twrch)

2.2 folding are crap on the front wheel in mud. Otherwise fine.

Cost – don’t know sorry, mine came on the bike
Weight – your back wheel will definitely be heavier! By all accounts the Alfine =1.6kg, and it replaces cassette, rear hub, both front and back deraileurs, a couple of chainrings and front shifter and cables.
Spacing – don’t think you’ll need to do anything different
Durability – fine I believe (rode mine only about a dozen times, the bloke in the lbs has been running his for over a year for commuting and MTB duties and reckons it’s still going well)

Sorry if that’s not much use……

OK. My rant was about ‘boy racers’ in modded saxos/106s etc. not the superior RS/EVO/track racer type (who I assume are more sensible and socially aware – sorry another sweeping generalisation).

I understand that it’s the equivalent of driving around squirting passers-by with a water pistol and if it was just the once then I’d have a gentle smile to myself. But I get it at least once every time I set out and it always makes me jump and it isn’t the same car all the time.

That coupled with the enormous exhaust pipe and the insistance on taking the engine to 5000rpm in the 150m from my house to the end of the road at 1230 in the morning grates just a bit. There’s rarely any loud music to accompany this.

Don’t they see how anti-social it is? If I start my car very early/late in the day I have a little grimace to myself about whether I’m disturbing someone’s sleep. I certainly don’t rev the bullocks off it and squeal the tyres round the corner.

However, in order to restore peace I have decided that it’s just me getting old and grumpy and I shouldn’t let it worry me.

Aye, I s’pose so. At least it’s relatively creative.

I’ve calmed down enough to go to bed now – us old farts need our sleep.