I think it’s a Novatec D882SB. Can’t find any bits for them either!

Oh yeah, for the money it’s a cracking hub.

Yeah, done that. They just told me they don’t sell them but that if I think it’s a warranty issue I can return it for inspection. I just need some pawls. It’s not a warranty issue!

If they do turn out to be the same as Novatecs and Superstar Switches (think these are Novatec D882SB), let me know if you find some pawls and springs. Mine are knackered and Superstar don’t sell replacements.

Yeah, they do. Don’t want to drop £30 on a freehub for the sake of a couple of pawls though!

Bump bump

Not that low really. Just under/over 30PSI front/back on Maxxis tyres. I might let them drop to around 25 if it’s not rocky. I find I end up going lower with Schwalbes as they’ve got really stiff sidewalls.

Can you tell a difference?

When I’m setting them up and keeping them running nicely whilst commuting daily through the mud, yes. Surely most people can.

Or do you just mean you want newer shifters?

You got me. I do want a new shifter because, as I said above:

it’s bust

Why?

Because I prefer it. Why not?

Singlespeed is an option, but I’m commuting through the Peaks on it daily and I’d rather be able to spin from time to time. (And not just at walking pace on the flats.)

Off to look for parts on ebay. Cheers!

It’s a battered frame with a corroded fork and cheap wheels – it’s not worth much!

It needs a shifter, cos it’s bust, and a mech, cos it’s bent. Other things are all consumables.

One of the reasons for replacing the drivetrain is that I’d like to get a 1:1ish cable pull. I think that 10-speed 105 has this and is the cheapest option. I’d need a cassette, chain and shifter, which I’ve found new for £110. Not looked on ebay yet.

I’m already looking at cheap cassettes and chains, but not seeing Tiagra or Sora shifters for significantly less.

It needs a few drivetrain bits and bobs. Probably sellable now, but worth under £200 anyway. £140 gets me 15% of the way towards the replacement I’m after.

If you’re only going to trail centres then why change from the Ardent? Especially if it’s a 2.4 on a 29er. They’re not short of grip. You’re not going to be riding through mud, just a wet trail centre. We often get a really nice dry spell in March too.

I’d save my money and certainly wouldn’t put on something draggy like a Shorty or MM (which are, incidentally, fantastic in sloppy stuff). If you’re really worried, maybe keep it Maxxis and go with a Minion?

A Whyte 901 isn’t too far over your budget and looks amazing. Maybe you could find one on offer somewhere?

Google/ring until you find emails for the correct people. Phoning up first can’t hurt. Phoning up afterwards can’t hurt either.

Somewhere like a local paper is probably gagging for news. You can might be able to email anyone and it’ll find its way through. Ditto certain websites. Bigger national titles aren’t and you’ll often need to get it to the correct person yourself.

Make it easy for the people you email. Get to the point quickly. Don’t add multiple attachments they have to wade through. Make sure what you send them isn’t full of errors. Put simple contact details – eg for more info, pictures etc contact (email, phone).

Don’t be too sad if you get totally ignored. (But chase them up if you do.)

In this case:

a) is correct. Companies, teams, etc are singular.

b) is probably more widely, if incorrectly, used though.

If you’re referring to members of whatever organisation you’re talking about, it’ll usually be b).

OUT – for a few reasons. Insurance etc the last straw.

Nah, don’t sell it.

I’ve had a year or so break from riding, and before it I rode more than anyone I know, something like five days a week at times. Then I got a bit bored of bikes, started climbing again, started running and was utterly disinterested in riding. I think I rode once in about 8 months. The only reason I didn’t sell my bikes was that I’d have got nothing like what they were worth (to me). Eventually some friends went on a riding trip and it suddently sounded like fun again, so off I went and back it all came. Don’t run at all now and barely climb, just ride.

Then again, if I’d sold my bikes, I’d probably have been just as happy and doing different things…

I think the new rules after the rushup edge debacle are ” play nicely wherever you like”

They really aren’t.

I think most people would take Pook’s route if they wanted to stick to bridleways.

It’s rather hard responding to something that’s so obviously just designed to fob people off, though.

We been sent copies of a press release that’s on their website.

I just got that exact response, as did my girlfriend.

They didn’t even manage to copy and paste my name in the same colour as the rest of the text…

It doesn’t actually reply to any of my questions and is essentially just fobbing me off.

I’ve replied starting with ‘Thanks for taking the time to read about my concerns and for sending such a lovely generic reply.’

Keep hassling them!

@Andyl:

Another miss-match is inertia. An F1 car is ultimately a low mass so has low interia and is thus easier to deviate than a 2 ton car. So when it hits a bump or a load of standing water there will be more of an affect in terms of movement of the car, change in speed etc. In complete opposite think of a big truck hitting a bit of standing water compared to a little hatchback.

Why is this not affected by downforce? Why does the increased effective weight of the car not make them more stable over bumps etc?

(Genuine question! I gave up science at GCSE so it might well be obvious!)

Slackline’s pretty long.

Sorry – just noticed the £400 is complete.

Good article that. I’d say I do do most of what’s suggested there. Not come across that method of building a rear wheel. I think I’ve just messed up and done a bad job on this one.

I’ve got a couple of decent wheels to compare to. I’ve built a few wheels, never had any really significant differences in tension (this one has a LOT) and never had any particular problems.

Really? I’m not convinced about that. And certainly not with as much difference as this.

The bead’s clean and shouldn’t be too large as it’s been working fine up until now.

I normally have to get one bead locked on with a tube, then pop one off and inflate tubeless. Interesting about the tubes, dvatcmark, that could explain it, although it used to work.

I’ve had them up to 60psi with a tube in. Really not sure what’s going on.

With or without soapy water the beads seem to push up to the bead hooks no problem. They just won’t lock there.

Bloke opposite me listens to music all day. No problem with that at all, except every five minutes he insists on singing a random lyric with my name inserted somewhere. It’s literally impossible to concentrate on anything, even STW.

I saw that, but my helmet’s a medium. Might have to go for it! Ta.

I really like my Pivots, but I’ve cracked the metal base plate on both shoes in about 8 months. It was causing issues clipping in, so I cut the metal away, just leaving the plastic underneath. Still works fine, but I can feel the pedal a bit more than I’d like now.

I use Shimano pedals so I don’t know what would happen with Time, but I’d not describe the metal soles as durable.

Ah, cheers anyway.

Assuming it used to snap to the OSM bridleways, were they pretty accurate when actually used to navigate? Cos they aren’t always in the same place as the tracks on the satellite images, hence my confusion.

I wasn’t defending the cost, design or suitability of the work that gets done, I was criticising some on here who approach these topics as though mountain bikers are the be all and end all of the outdoor community, and end up sounding like whiney children, which I don’t think helps us carry much weight with those who are in charge of this kind of work.

So not what I said then? 🙂

It’s got naff all to do with whether it’s more fun for mountain bikers or not.

Given that I live, work and ride in Derbyshire, not sure I’ll agree with the tone of Browns remarks there.

What my wife’s employers do with our council tax money is actually of interest to us. It is just feasibly be possible that other people hold valid opinions that are different to yours

People have different views? No sh1t! What’s done with my council tax is important? Blimey, who knew?

My point is that they’re not really taking much into consideration, other than what’s cheapest and easiest. I believe the PDNPA are also concerned about the character of the area. I’m not sure what’s wrong with wanting that.

It seems fashionable lately to knock down anybody who suggests that maybe not all tracks should be gravel-topped roads that wouldn’t look out of place in Hyde Park.

As with all other DCC work, it’s bloody ugly and totally out of character with the area. They know this too. It’s got naff all to do with whether it’s more fun for mountain bikers or not.

And of course, as is fashionable lately, along comes Mr Smith (who doesn’t live anywhere near here, if I recall correctly) and his bunch of DCC apologists.

Woah woah woah. You’re all missing the main point of interest here.

Indpendent mattress engineer? That’s a job?! 😯

How physically demanding is his job? is he working in the old fashioned sense of the word working … or sat on his arse behind a desk?
Yes, I agree it is work .. but sat behind a desk isn`t exactly burning the calories is it. Even a very very lazy person could manage to do that.
And out socialising does not exactly mean he is burning the calories either, especially if its sat on his arse again with a pint and plate of curry in front of him.

That’s a perfect example of my point. He might not be physically active, but he’s constantly doing ‘stuff’ – even if it is sat behind a desk. I’m sat behind mine browsing STW. He sits behind his working. And he’s still ‘lazy’?

EDIT

So your definition of laziness is something to do with burning calories? That’s weird.

That.

it’s probably just inactivity rather than laziness

This. Depends what you mean by lazy too.

I’m a skinny bugger, pretty fit, play a whole load of sports, hate sitting still. But I’m on here rather than working and spent half my time watching TV rather than doing stuff at home. Not physically ‘lazy’ but an absolute waster elsewhere.

My best mate is shorter than me, must weigh ten stone more and can’t run a mile. But he works his ass off, is always out socialising, gets home and cooks for hours to create amazing meals. Maybe he’s ‘lazy’ in the physical sense but in every other way he’s so far ahead of me it’s ridiculous.

Who’s the lazy one?

Lezyne alloy drive – it’s not dual action, but they last longer and inflate faster than anything else I’ve used.

Pretty much all my riding mates use them now.

it’s a fashion thing.
fashion stating previously “SPDs are for serious cyclists” so most were on spds and now “flats are for gnarr cyclists” and we get a big shift to flats.

This.