Thanks all, you’ve given me even more choices to get my head around! I’m not particularly fussed about 12s, just didn’t realise 11s was now also offering a wide range on the back. I do like the taller gears so, so a 10t top would allow a slightly smaller chainring for the same ratio. There doesn’t seem to be much love for 12s by the sounds of it. Although I remember when 10s and 11s were fairly new lots of people were wary about their durability/setup sensitivity.

It is for a 29er, but I don’t think a 30t chainring is going to get me anywhere near the gearing that I’m used to (40:11 on a 26er). So I’m looking to put a 36 or even 38 chainring at the front. With that, I think 46 on the back would almost be as low as I need, with the option to go for a 11-51 cassette if necessary.

So now some more compatibility questions:

Do 1x 12s chainsets work with 11s chains? i.e. XT M8100 chainset with 11s?

Does M8100 rear derailleur work with 11 speed shifter (M8000)? If I use 11-51 cassette (deore or sunrace) then M8000 derailleur is only designed for up to 46t cassette?

I guess the simple solution is to run deore 11 (M5100) throughout, but I’d rather up to xt where I can. I’ve been looking around and Linkguide components don’t seem to be readily available? Is it really new/supply issues, or am I just not looking hard enough?

Yes, I have it.

Remote-ish, Cornwall.

For me it’s been brilliant, and the other day they dropped the monthly charge by a tenner I think.

The kit’s well made and setup is easy. It’s fast, ~250mph most of the time. It’s reliable, with no drop-outs so far, after nearly a year. It just sits there doing its thing and I don’t have to communicate with any of the providers we have in this country which is a major bonus.

The only drawback is, you know, Elon 🙂

May I ask whereabouts in Cornwall you are? Those speeds sound really good (best I can get is about 15mb on fttc or 4g), but I wonder how much starlink performance varies locally? Apparently the UK average DL speed for starlink has dropped to 85mb, but maybe the more populated areas where the uptake is higher are dragging down the average speeds?

Vernon Barker looks a good shout. Will try them, thanks.

The clamp on adaptors make me wince. But as it’s only a a temp solution for a 5 stone rider, I expect the brakes would lock the back wheel before any great force is imparted on the bracket.

Spoon?

Thanks for the suggestions. I’d tried ‘manipulating the tyre to try and get it to pop into position, but that wasn’t working. Rim tape is Superstar yellow shiny stuff, which I believe is quite similar to Stan’s own tape?

I’ve got some tyres seated ok now. I got an adaptor so that I could attach my compressor’s tyre inflater (schrader) to the Presta valves. I don’t have a pressure gauge that fit’s onto presta valves either, so I found that I hadn’t been getting anywhere near 50psi with my presta hand pump. Soon as I got up to about 45-50 with the compressor the tyres popped into place.

I’m finding the presta valves to be a real faff tbh, would much prefer to be using schrader ones, like I always have in the past. I’ve read that it’s possible to open out the hole in the Stan’s rim to accept a schrader valve instead. Seriously considering this, or is that a really bad idea?

Looking for some sort of chainguard for my donkey/pub bike… I only want to protect my trouser leg from the chain.

Where are your skinny jeans man? I hope you’re not going to the pub/donkey sanctuary dressed like its still 2004? [/quote]

You need skinny legs for skinny jeans, and I’ve got proper cycling calves!

I’m not into wearing bracelets, but I don’t know how that’s supposed to save my trousers anyway? :-p

This is what I’m looking at: http://www.driveline.com.tw/_en/product_detail.php?id=176

If it fits behind the crank arm, it should do the job, and it even comes with longer bolts. Which seems like a good deal for £15.

The Salsa tooth fairy looks like it’s unavailable, and it and the Black Spire ones look like overkill for what I need. Those plastic chain cases look suitable though.

Hi Dave,

yes I’ve got a fork sorted now thanks – had a slight change of plan and bought a Cannondale Lefty Max!

Taper steerer or straight? If it’s straight, a zero stack lower cup on the headset will save you a good few mm? Tapered 180mm will be very tight on a 19″ frame.

I was bidding on some forks with a 165mm steerer, to go on my 17″ Sherpa (100mm head tube). I measured the stack height as 126mm top to bottom on the headset, plus 40mm for the stem bring it up to 166mm. Unless I missed something, that would have just fitted together with minimal spacers. Adding 20mm on for the 19″ frame brings it up to 186mm. That would be borderline I think, but it’s possible your headset could be a fraction slimmer than mine.

120mm on the 19″ frame. And if its the same forks I’m following, the steerer is too short for that!

I suspect that incident would look very different from the bmx riders position. The roadie started to overtake the bmx just as bmx was accelerating. They must have been side by side for a few seconds before the bmx pulled ahead. No way the roadie didn’t know he was there.

Both equally at fault IMO as neither of them were riding defensively – either of them could have taken evasive action and avoided the initial incident. bmx rider is a total dick for kicking though, it could so easily have ended much worse.

I’m interested in this subject – I have a 17″ Sherpa (and I’m same height as you), with a rigid fork (cheap P2 from a Kona Unit). At present it’s all still in bits, so I have no idea how it’ll ride. Plan was to use the rigid fork over the winter at least, and get bouncy fork later. Can’t see it being built and rideable for a few months at least though.

Will it be noticeable having the pedals offset from centre? I can’t see any alternative, other than increasing the chainline, but I’m concerned that’ll have a knock effect on the rest of the drive train?

It’s probably too late now, but you should never agree to an interview under caution without your own/the duty solicitor present. It was basically a fishing expedition by plod, and as they’ve charged you, you probably said too much/the wrong thing.

If it was exactly as you say, then you’ve done nothing wrong, but you are now in a hole that you need to properly defend yourself out of. The best thing that can save you is the CCTV from the bus, you need to request that they preserve it (and ask nicely for them to provide you with a copy). Your argument is probably that it was the bus driver that left the scene – you were parking so went no where, it was him that drove off and later called the police from another location.

I’d suggest joining PistonHeads forums, and post in the ‘Speed, Plod & Law’ section (you won’t be able to as a new member, so post in one of the other sections and ask for it to be moved). Some experts (including motoring solicitors) post in there.

I’ve just got my two Cotic Soul frames back from powder coating, and one of them is almost this shade of blue (RAL 5015, with a slight metallic effect mixed in).

Thanks to CaptainFlashheart, I’ll always know it as “Gregg’s Blue” from now on!

The other one is RAL ‘Traffic Red’, not started building either yet, I’ll try and get some photos up soon.

Don’t fret he’ll get there in his own time. My daughter is coming up to 5 and she’s only just getting the hang of riding with stabilisers. To be fair she’s only had a few goes on the bike. It’s very hilly by us, so she can’t just go outside and practice – we have to drive somewhere flat. Couldn’t have started any earlier, she is small for her age and has only just got the strength to get a pedal action going (that’s the SS/10 inch wheel combo for you!).

It is getting difficult to get decent 26″ rim brake rims now though. I think most of what is available is old stock. But I guess cheap oem rims are still being made for cheap 26″ bikes that don’t come with disc brakes?

My guess is 26″ disc rims will still be obtainable for 10 years after 650b takes off properly. Tyres for much longer, but in a reduced range possibly.

Guess I’m just not hitting it hard enough then! I have got a bit of wood over the end of the axle, bit it still feels like I’m almost hitting it hard enough to damage the threads. Might try heating it next.

Also having similar issues with a Hope XC rear hub, so it’s not just the superleggera being difficult.

Swampi – SS have the updated Superleggera on special offer at present – £60 for the Trizoid version. Hardly worth sending yours off at that price. You could buy the tool (i’ve seen it online for £30), and then try and sell it on again afterwards, might be cheaper than posting yours off?

I’ve just sent a couple of frames off to Bournes Powder Coating. They quoted me £40 (for each one) over the phone, which included dipping and stripping first. £5 extra for a metallic colour, £5 for powder coating the forks.

Guess it depends on whether you want a powder coat finish or a spray finish. And I wouldn’t risk powder coating an aluminium frame, unless they can do low temp powder coating.

The non-drive side isn’t an issue and the fronts are fine but in my case water and muck would enter the freehub seal

I just serviced an older XT rear hub (M756), and the sealing on the non drive side seems to be a lot more substantial than it is on the drive side. I thought the seal was missing, but I think that’s just how they are.

I’ve just had a look at a 15 year old hub (Deore LX) on one of my bikes, thought it was fine – spins nice a freely, feels smooth whilst mounted. As soon as I unmounted the wheel and tried to turn the axle by hand I found it feels like a pepper grinder! I think it was adjusted over tight when built, because it seems excessively tight now (even though it still span quite freely). Stripped it down and one ball has a chunk missing out of it’s surface, looks almost like chrome plating has come off, and leaves a dull surface underneath. One of the cones (guess the same side) has a little nick in it as well. I’ll probably try and rebuild it with new balls, and see if I can get away without replacing the cone as well, as they seem hard to get. A brand new, latest model, XT front hub is available for less than £20, so it might be easier to rebuild the rim onto one of those.

I seem to have accumulated an extra frame, I should sell it really, but I’m tempted to build it up on a budget. I might get a set of Superstar wheels for that one, be an interesting comparison. The biggest complaints I have read about them is the bearings not lasting, which is probably because they make them with the cheapest bearings, and don’t grease them enough. The freehubs seem to fail mostly because the alloy freehub body breaks around the pawl seats. I would think a steel freehub would help to that end.

Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll be fine. We just had our third last month, he got shoulder distocia (stuck half way out basically), and when they managed to pull him out he was blue, limp, and not moving at all. It took five minutes of the doctors inflating his lungs with a bag before he started breathing by himself.

They resuscitated him right next to us, and my missus was in hysterics watching this happen. I was totally calm all the way through (don’t know why though). He spent the next 5 days in ICU, and the level of care and attention they get in there is amazing (compared to our first two who didn’t have such complications and went straight onto the post natal ward). It’s amazing how many extra little things they tested for in ICU, that could easily affect a healthy baby but would never be picked up.

It sounds like yours had low blood sugar from birth, but they don’t usually test blood sugars just after birth unless mum has gestational or regular diabetes. The reason ours had to stay in ICU for so long was because his blood sugars took a while to come up to normal (but once they’ve got there, they shouldn’t drop again).

I think the Shimano cup and cone hub bearings themselves are fine, I’d rather have something adjustable and rebuildable (best case is a clean and regrease, then the balls wear first, followed by the cones, and then the cups are generally last). So they have to be proper neglected for the cups (pressed into the hub, not really replaceable) to be bad.

But it’s the freehubs that concern me – I’ve been out of the cycling scene for 10 years or so, and back then Shimano freehubs almost never went wrong, not until they’d done galactic mileages anyway. I like the idea of quicker engagement, but with the traditional pawl/ratchet design, it means smaller parts/surfaces taking the load, and it seems difficult to make them reliable. If Shimano can’t do it with their expertise and huge r&d budgets, it must be a very tough challenge.

It’s also a pity that Shimano freehubs are not serviceable, although it seems that there was a tool that will open them, and there are guides to it online.

I got to the bottom of this in the end – the steel dust shield thingys that sit on the cones had slid outwards partially over the flats on the cone. They were tight enough that trying to wedge in a cone spanner wouldn’t shift them, but gentle levering with a screwdriver pushed them back.

Not sure what is supposed to keep them in position though, is it just the friction onto the cone?

Thanks to you lot I’ve just gone and bought a wheel set with Chris King is hubs!

In ‘the good old days’ the Shimano stuff was untouchable from a value and durability POV. These days they seem to have lost the plot a bit – the recent freehubs (with more engagement points) seem to have got quite a reputation for failing.

Seem to be mixed opinions on the Hopes – people either love them or hate them, and not many in between! My perception is that whilst they are marginally better than their cheap imported competitors, they don’t really justify the much higher price.

I’d ruled out the Chris Kings before I’d even started looking – I’d love a rear of those, but way out of my budget, even second hand. But now StuE has started me looking at them, wondering if I can perhaps justify the expense…

Now with pictures:

Brake rotor is not fitted. I disassembled the rotor side – not for any particular reason, just that that one came apart first when I put the spanners on the lock nuts at each side.

The gap for the cone spanner on the side I’m trying to tighten (rotor side) is about 1.6mm, the RH side locknut has 2.1mm gap, and all my cone spanners are about 2.3mm.

Only thing I can think is to try and grind down a cheap con spanner to make it fit!

I don’t have any much at the moment to try it with – it’s a new bike I’m building up. I have to buy a front mech either way. I thought a triple would give me an upgrade path if I later change to a triple chain set.

I guessed the ring spacing might be different, but that’s all taken care of by the indexing in the shifter (and the switch to select 2/3). The mech doesn’t have any indexing does it? So it shouldn’t really care if the spacing is different, it just moves the amount the shifter tells it to. But I guess there may be differences in the shape/size of the cage. Probably not worth taking the risk if that’s the case then.

So you wanted to keep the one you’ve just bought til April, then return it as part of an exchange for a more expensive bike? Or you want to return it now for a CASH refund, hold onto the money til April, then buy a more expensive bike (possibly) from the same place.

Look at it from the retailer’s point of view – they’ve bent over backwards to help you (with the price match etc), now you want them to do you another favour (beyond your statutory rights) and give you 100% refund?

Have you explained to them that you want to EXCHANGE the bike for a more expensive model? I’m sure they’d be much more amenable to that, but you’d have to do it straight away, not hang onto it til April.

Thanks matther01, interesting stuff.

So is 9 speed obsolete at slx/xt level these days, and you’d only buy it for legacy compatibility? Or do Shimano still sell 9 speed groupsets as mainstream?

I did wonder about a double chain ring setup rather than triple (simpler sounds better to me), but I don’t think the range would be quite wide enough for me these days, and I read somewhere that the the frame wasn’t really designed for it (chainstay clearance etc). My frame is an older model, not sure if the chainstays have been modified recently with this in mind?

Merlin have a great deal on SLX groupset, but it doesn’t come with a clutch mech, which kind of put me off a bit. CRC have a 10% offer, but they don’t have full XT groupsets in stock either. I haven’t tried pricing all the components individually, but I imagine it works out quite a bit more expensive to buy all the parts separately?

I’ve bought a pair of 2010 Rockshox Recon Race forks, apparently they are pretty much the same as the low end Reba. Only 100mm travel, but it seems there’s a reasonable chance of getting up to 120 by removing spacers, if it feels like I need the extra. Only thing is that the lockout has stopped working, I’m hopeful that will just need an oil/o ring service, seems to be a common RS problem.

Also bought some Mavic 717s on xt hubs, although the rear rim sounds a bit rough. If it’s beyond trueing, I guess I’ll have to swap another rim onto it. Another 717 or ZTR 355, or a Crest? Spoke length looks near enough the same between those.

Still not decided between SLX and XT drivetrain. Doesn’t help that Merlin and CRC both seem short on Shimano parts at the moment. Is it just a late shipment coming in or are they running out of end of line parts – are new updates imminent?

My intention is for the RL to stay as my rigid, lightweight (I think it’s 23.5 lbs iirc) semi road ride, and for the Soul to be a bit more of a trail hack. Nothing too lairy as I’m too old and fragile, and have too many responsibilities to end up in traction these days!

My RL is the older original geometry one (I think they changed it for a more modern shape at some point), but I’ve measured the top tube length and it’s only 20mm shorter than the Soul. BUT it does have the old school long stem (120mm!) and flat bars combo, so I don’t think the Soul will feel longer, if it build it up with riser bars and a short stem?