My payment method has expired.

Trying to update it on iPhone is frankly impossible. I’ve tried a few times.

I’ll try on desktop tomorrow, but you’re making paying you very hard!

To be fair he’s not wrong and you’re not either.

Fair. I doubt EV owners are the worst offenders when it comes to the overuse of vehicles. Having an EV probably indicates a level of environmental conscientiousness. The comment about “holes in hedges” and “making progress” is tarring us with the wrong brush (although Tesla insurance premiums would indicate the opposite…).

FWIW, I commute by bike/train, and my partner/son go as many places by bike (with the macride) as possible.

Bruce wins. Because none of the rest of us use trains, buses, bikes or our feet where we can.

Good job, Bruce.

2500km into running a new model 3 dual motor here. Tesla indicate I’ve spent $21 total (£11) in electric. So 0.7p per mile in “fuel”. I’m on the same tariff as the OP here in Aus, so we do the majority of our charging for free.

The vehicle is on a salary sacrifice. The dual motor is around $66k AUD new here. I’m fortunate to get full higher-rate tax benefits on the car, electric, all maintenance and insurance. So that’s 45% off all list prices.

As above, it feels like cheating. Such a nice car to drive, so cheap to run, I can almost forget that I have mental Elon to thank for the pleasure.

Most favourite ever? As on page 1, Samui. Felt like being on a tropical island holiday, whilst (still) being in an airport. Transport options outside were interesting though – back of a pickup, or back of a scooter.

Vancouver is also excellent, mostly for chilled-ness. Getting off the plane in LHR is a culture shock after boarding there.

Honourable mention for O’hare. The border guard remembered me second time around after 6mo and asked me if I liked the brewery he recommended the previous time he stamped my passport.

Worst is harder to pin down. The U.K. has bad infrastructure and grumpy staff. Here in Sydney it is almost impossible to get a beer, but you can buy a myriad of designer shyte. Taipei was much the same.

I guess most worstest has to be Lyon. Having cycled there on a horrible main road, I slept at a horrible hotel for my 6am flight. I went to the airport where bike boxes were promised, but the fella who gave them out was late in.

Then, once sorted with a box, the oversized luggage chap announced it was “too grand”, shrugged, and was basically a useless turnip. The easyJet chap then took me under the airport (no euphemism) to the cargo bit, and we all but put my bike on the plane ourselves. The airport was ok, but the staff are terrible.

The whole “work out how big it is by jumping on foot” or working out that the gap is barely longer than your bike trick worked for me. Once cleared, I’d play with how slow I could go to clear the jump, which sometimes felt like I was barely moving!

Then the fear starts again when you work up to gaps of multiple bike lengths. I guess at that point another trick is needed, and a better advisor (than me) is also required 😄

I always used to be a “compression wide open” type. Then I used a shockwiz, and tried some alternative settings, which I’ve stuck with for years and am very happy with.

Most notably I use a reasonable amount of HSC and LSC, air pressure 15psi below recommended (!!) and no tokens. I rarely bottom out at all.

I think damper quality has a lot to do with the ability to go down this route. I.e. can the compression assembly handle high and low speed inputs reliably and consistently? Older RS dampers suffered with spiking at high speed, so what worked for bimbling was downright dangerous when things got wild. Newer, high end dampers seem to have resolved a lot of this issue.

Late response, sounds like you’ve made your mind up.

We have a ‘21 prado. I know it’s not a “proper” ‘cruiser, but it does allow us to get places a “normal” car wouldn’t. This weekend we’ve been camping near Oberon, to the west of the Blue Mountains. This morning I woke up at 6, hopped in the car and (naughtily) collected some fallen wood for a camp fire from deeper in the forest. Went through deep muddy puddles, over lots of rocks, and had zero worries about getting stuck or breaking something. This matters when you have a 2 year old in the car with you and zero phone signal!

If you get out and about in Aus, a Toyota is worth having. We bought ours because they last well, and when they do break, spares are available and cheap enough.

In short, for $30k, I’d have it for the car alone.

Anyway, I’m off to bed, I’m knackered 😃

To add, and on topic:

Last year I bought a clearance but BNIB Fox X2 for $450AUD (~£230). It was dead on arrival, with oil sloshing in the box.

Returned to Fox Australia who sent a new 2024 model within days (great service). That was punted on and I went back to an Ohlins coil that I’ve had tuned with a lighter compression stack.

I do like Rockshox shocks, and would imagine that I’d be happier with the setup you’ve gone for overall. But I also had Ohlins on my motorbike, and very much enjoyed the matchy matchy of three gold and yellow things.

TLDR: you’ve probably done the right thing, but the better thing was to buy an Ohlins and a Ducati 😃

@DrP

Erm, hate to be a pedant, but nope.

Brake brand and model (levers at least) must match*.

Pedals and grips too for that matter, obvs 😄

*I still wretch a little when I think back to running a hope mini front and v-brake rear combo on an Azonic Evo years ago. At least they matched in that neither worked…

Chain bearings?

A stock chain has 117 of them. Tend to be referred to as rollers, but they are a plain bearing

Another user in Aus here. I picked up a $199 hardware deal last year.

It’s expensive monthly, but I’ve had top notch performance and no drop outs. The same can’t be said for the NBN here! Our previous FTTN connection would drop out as soon as it rained, and often required a technician call out to fish around the rats nest of cables under the street.

One thing to watch – our gen2 (I think) router has crap WiFi range. I bypass the Starlink router to an old asus one and get much better signal inside and outside the house.

Not ridden the Giant, but I just fitted some 40mm Rudys to my bike. They’re ace! Managed to find some new boxed ones on Marketplace for £300. Money well spent.

Your question took me back around 20 years to when I used to think this was funny. 

Thankfully the internet (and I) have changed a bit! 

Chain reaction have the Ragley Bigwig going cheap don’t they? Was my first 29er and I loved it. Finally felt like a bike for someone my height (which isn’t as tall as you).

Are you still in Sydney, @cakeandcheese??

Ah! Sorry, I’m crap at replies.

I’m in the Blue Mountains now. Sydney is far too big for me! Beaches are nice though, lived in Newport for a short while

Give direct plastics in Sheffield a call. They stock a massive range and will be cheaper than eBay I suspect.

Let them know what it’s for and I’m sure they’ll have a range of options for you

Jsync, sorry I missed your previous question.

I’m 78kg and not very good, so went with a PC2 tune. Seems right for me.

Interesting comparison with the Grip2. I always thought that would be better again, but can see how having too many adjustments would make life harder.

I also set mine up with a shockwiz. That was well worth the time and effort.

From the “other” thread:

There was a time in the early/mid 00’s when every other bike on the trails was an Orange 5. I remember MBR raving about each new model nearly as much as they raved about anything from Specialized.

And then…. Nothing. Just seemed to vanish from the scene. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Sad news though, definitely one of the early iconic brands.

Carbon happened, at scale, allowing for more innovative shapes and suspension designs. Halo bikes were carbon, reviewed well, and their alloy alternatives were sold to the most of us.

Orange should’ve gone carbon. Innovate or die. 

Saw 260mm rain in 24 hours here… tracks will be closed for a while now

Crikey. I’ll stop complaining about the showers we’re having then. It’s a bugger to get your washing dry though!

Had a run out on the gravel bike. Met family here for a paddle and cool down after. Saw 33deg in the Blue Mountains yesterday (rubbing it in on purpose!)

Came here to say that after moving to sydney in 2020 I had the same issue. Tried the halo, didn’t work.

Bought an Oakley lid from the Manly store and have been happy ever since. 

Head says 6-bolt. Cheaper, better spares availability, more easily serviced.

Heart says centre lock. Torque transmitted through splines is just better than through bolts in shear. Those bolts might work fine, but they’re not elegant. 

For road I’d prefer CL, mtb would be 6 bolt. Which is what I use. 

Previously had a 2013 Zoe with the 22kwh battery. Ours at 20k miles in 2020 was returning 70 miles in summer, 60ish in winter.

We used ours for the 15 mile round trip commute. Charged it on a mains extension overnight a couple of times a week. Emigrated and sold it for £4K. I still miss it more than the Golf R estate is was paired with! 

I’d say try it. It was lovely to drive and as above, you’ll find that 80% of the time you grab the keys to the EV, even with a tiny range. 

150L on the Prado Reeksy – good enough for a couple of trips to work at least 🫣

Edit – it’ll be getting a roof platform next too, to completely undermine my fuel consumption argument. But that’s because there is now a baby in the back, and all his associated toys (which are far less fun than my toys)

Like Reeksy, I’m in Oz and see them everywhere. Unless you’re actually crossing the continent, I think they’re pointless. 

• Weight distribution for off roading must be compromised 
• Added weight overall
• Aero drag (off roaders are obsessed with range, and the tent will be a step backwards)
• They take FOREVER to set up in reality. Once you’ve messed about getting the vehicle somewhat level, then pegged out your awning, then set up the tent, then made your bed…quicker with a decent normo tent

One think I do like the look of is a toy trailer. Box trailer for bikes, motorbike, kayak, and a weeks worth of food/beer/wine.

That took too much effort! Back to using imgbb

Photo heading up a hill whilst camping. Later got stuck in a big mud hole. Was fun and traumatic all at once.

Zippy, I’m not! I can’t bring myself to spend the money to be honest. That and the fact that because of my car having a large single swing out door (landcruiser prado) means that I’d need lots of expensive add ons to make it work day to day.

If I could stomach the $2500+ AUD I’d have a Shingleback with swing out arm. Lovely kit, and very popular here in Aus, but a lot of money for some angle iron.

As it is I have a Yakima Holdup Evo. Cost $600 and works well enough, but I’d missed the wheelbase limit which my bike exceeds. I still use it but the bikes rock side to side on heavy off-road. No damage to the bikes so far though.

Nah, hitches all the way.

I used to use a buzzrack on a ball and to get the thing to not rotate you had to give it the full hulk setting on the release lever.

Current Yakima on a 50mm hitch just slides in, nips up, and has the pin through. Not going anywhere! Also good for vertical bike racks, which I can’t see working with a ball.

I believe Giant do a shim – it came with some new bikes.

https://www.giantbikespares.com/Giant-TCX-Advanced-%28MY21%29-D-Fuse-Seatpost-Shim–1724-TCXADV-0001/product_detail/3-47410

Another antipodean here, and another fan of ‘roo leather. I’ve a very bald head and it keeps the rays off my bonce, lugs and snout.

Brahma squishy kangaroo for me 🦘

I vote laser cut plate, then bead blasted.

If you look at the cut edge it’s jagged and has a decent burr in places. That happens because ally is very reflective at the specific laser wavelength typically used – usually around 600nm. Only 10% or so of the laser energy is absorbed into the melt pool, the rest bounces around the pool causing an unstable cut and that rough edge. Typically occurs when cutting thicker material.

Waterjet could’ve made a neater part. Or using a shorter wavelength laser, such as a blue 400nm unit (but they’re rare and expensive).

None of the above is really relevant in this instance – I just wanted to add to the nerding.

I believe Nobby Nics may be your answer

I believe you might be right! Will have a search for some

To add to the above, a request for advice and ideas.

I’d like some fancy wheels, and some new tyres. Wheels would be 26” (obvs) and with black rims/spokes. Mavic ceramic would be lovely, but where to find them?

Tyre wise I’d like something that looks like a billy bonkers tan wall, but with a bit more tread for dry trails.

Any ideas?

I bought this as a station bike about 6 months ago

It’s getting used quite a lot. Ridden it four days in the last seven for example, including a local trail centre. I’m now considering “upgrading” a few bits. The forks lose air and bottom out too easily, the right shifter has lost its return spring. Otherwise though it rides really well, surprisingly well in fact.

To go on I have some Noleen Girvin style forks (with a working “smart shock” coil) and a 1998 XT/LX 8spd groupset. I’m also eyeing up some 1996 Bomber Z1s which would be lovely…

Deflate current shock, fully compress the suspension, and check for clearance. If more than the 6mm mentioned above (tyre on seat tube, saddle with it dropped, and shock piggy back) then you’re probably good to go.

The prices are definitely getting a bit bonkers.

I have a 2020 stage 5, which I don’t really have any desire to change. But I saw the switch and thought that deserves a look on the website.

Here in Aus the cheapest build is “from” $15.5k. The most expensive starts at $22.5k! That’s near enough £12k!!

Also check that the levers don’t already have olives in behind the nut. My ultegra levers did, and I nearly ruined them by trying to screw another in there.

(These were part of a groupset from Merlin – I’m guessing OEM)

ZTTO shaft clamps. Worked out at £10 and tested for marring on an old air shaft. Work very well, no marks caused!