Ive got both – in 27.2

My i850 is great! Ok it's not perfect but I guessed it was worth a £54 punt from Leisure Lakes cause I could rarely be bothered stopping and dropping the post. Now I do it on the fly. Some folks say you can never go back to a normal post – but tbh that's not me. Note – the first thing I did was fit a tube as a gaiter.

On the other hand the Thomson Elite isnt perfect either! For some reason it seems a little smaller than previous 27.2 posts and slips down occasionally. I'll not get another.

I wouldnt worry. Timescales still seem normal. Do remember that the posties are on strike in various parts of the country.

I've ordered lots from them and never ever been stung, even if you are you're probably still getting a massive bargain.

In future though – Id consider making separate orders from DX – remember the post is free. They'll even post over a $1 mount for free.

That's nothing – check this out.

Still I do sympathise. I splatted a hornet once and his dying message to human hind wasn't nice!

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12630318&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=hawk+attack&start=60

There are lots of budget choices out there. Everyone's butt is different.

I went through a saddle buying frenzy and before I got ended up where my end is (sic). Along the way I also got a Spoon.

For me it's one of the most painful saddles ever made and a slightly less important aspect – its way heavier (50%) than it says on the box / sleeve.

For me though ultimatley though I think it's down to the hammock shape. You'll either love it or hate it – you can guess what camp I'm in! Build quality is also on the lowish side.

Overall – its a cheapish way to see if you like hammock saddles.

I had the same problem with mine. The seal around the damper rod had gone (ie the inner one).

If you want to try a third party seal see this post for a possible source for O rings (note the seal measurements were for the air side – if you want the measurements for the damper side before you disassemble yours let me know) – although there wasnt a final conclusion to the thread:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/dual-air-reba-o-ring-size

Usually 2 weeks for a DX so long as it's in stock.

Glad to see you're not going to rely on just one light though – especially a DX (although to be fair the 2 mode torch and the "bike light" seems more reliable).

Whatever you get – when someone with brighter lights comes up behind you you'll probably wish you'd got got something brighter.

A tough one to know for sure. I got a set new last month from CRC for 269.

I'd guess most stuff depreciates 50% in the first year. If there's a problem with them then this'll need reflected in the price.

ps – I noticed that CRC sold bearings for them (£30 ish)- but they're sold under the name that's in the tech spec for the wheels – sorry I cant remember the name.

I'm 75kg and give my SP XC3's a hard time (eg Innerleithen XC flat out). No problems at all – unless you count scratches & scrapes.

Got mine yesterday and considering all the complaints about quality I had to take it apart just to check!

TBH it's pretty good in my (amateur) opinion. A few things seem to have changed since the review mentioned above (on candlepower forums and also the mtbr threads). Mine has a longer lead than mentioned, no swarf whatsoever, thermal transfer paste is evident on the heatsink, the screw that mounts into the light unit is longer and has a good grip. There's an extra plastic(?) washer / insulator between the LED and the reflector. The mounting O rings are also different to those pictured- seem beefier. The charger and battery stayed cool during charging.

Overall I think that the manufacturers are listening to / reading the comments they've got so far. It's definitely better than any of the P7 torches I've bought over the last year (a driver in one of those has died completely so I had so rewire it for direct drive and dont expect it to live much longer).

As for performance – its brighter than either of my P7 torches – I'm not sure if it's meant to? Run time seems to match claims so far. It does have a slight green tint.

Realistically I think it's too bright to use around cars – it really does dazzle folk. On my way back from the hills I had a few oncoming cars stop and later a dog owner complain about her dog getting dazzled! How she 'measures' that I'm not sure. I think Im going to try adding some sort of mask / vignette or maybe a shaped piece of coke can over the top part of the lens to change the throw into something more like a dipped car headlamp for when I'm on the road.

For £50 – I think it's great. But given my past experiences I'd still be reluctant to have any DX light as my only light when out in the wilds. Come to think of it I'd be nearly as reluctant with just one of any brand of light. I'll post an update when I've had it a week or so and will also take some beamshots comparing it to a P7 torch and a pair of Niterider Minewt X2's.

I had a similar set up on a GT, but with an oversized headtube.

Check the link above. Find the section: "Low Profile", "Zero Stack", "Integrated with Cups", "Internal Headset", "Semi-Integrated" types

Looks like one of those to me. You should be able to find one with cartridge bearings – but this means replacing the cups that are pressed into the frame (but it sounds like you'll need to do that anyway).

Note that you should measure the inside of the headtube to check if its an 'oversized' one. If so you may need an FSA Orbit Z or similar.

Another alternative is to do a google for "Focus bike-type headset" and see if anyone else has the same question / answer.

The postive chamber has just one seal – the negative two. The kit comes with 2 "outside" of the pistons seals and 1 internal (between the piston and the shaft) for the negative chamber. You also get circlips and other bits.

As accurate as I can get with steel rule(from a new set waiting to fit):

o/s diameter – 27.5mm
i/s diameter – 21.5
Height 3.25mm

Let us know if you manage to source them.

I've got a Mountain King, Speed King and Race King – all in the Supersonic versions and all converted to ghetto tubeless with Noflats. All fit easy and seat fine – even with a track pump. Apart from the Mountain King they hold air surprisingly well – but do need a few psi added once a week.

My mountain King though has sidewalls like a tea bag! It goes from 30 psi to flat in 2 days. So I've pretty much given up on tubeless for it.

Otherwise I've had no problems with them – I'm 12 stone. No burps, splits or punctures. I've done around 800 miles off road with a Speed on the front and Race on the rear. Oh – the black chilli is fab!

Id hesitate to use them (except possibly the Race) on the road for commuting : the tread will slow you down and they do growl and they do wear and arent cheap.

Ive got a 2.1 and a 2.35 folding, both converted with Stans (ghetto). Both loose air slowly – although the 2.1 does so quicker. Still only takes a couple of psi per week. Both very easy to mount and seal initially.

I dont know why but the 2.35 doesnt feel as grippy as the 2.1 (on dt 4.2d rims)- I bought the bigger one to put on the front but now run it on the back.

I traded in my old car for my wife's new one and have a couple of pointers from my experience.

The current keeper must be the person doing the trade with the garage (that'll be you).
The current keeper must have had the car at least 12 months – you cant sell / reregister it in the parents name and they then scrap it.
The new car has the be registered in the same name as the old car.
The finance (if any) deal (and credit rating) had to be in the name of the owner of the new car.
The insurance cost more as the policy was in my wife's name but the car was in my name. I've no idea why this happens – seems like any excuse to charge us more?

Apart from that it was straightforward.

Garmin forerunner 305

I got some Bolle glasses from Screwfix for around £6. Not too bad looking.
screwfix.com/bolle

Picture doesnt really show it but lenses make everything seem kinda yellow. Do me fine.

Check out
coffeegeek.com/consumerreviews

I got a Rancilio Silvia and love it. The major downside is that the wife doesnt get out of bed now until I make her a cappuccino !