I am sure there must be some single speed chainrings out there with some big old nasty long teeth but I am yet to find one. Anyone have any ideas?

I would even settle for a narrow/ wide design where the wide rings are longer and have a more triangular cross section to help ease the mud off. Hmmm…. what I would do with a CNC machine :D

Pinkbike article is all I have found so far… though I hope the rings arrive in time for winter testing.

JonV’s interpretation of what I feel about the current narrow/ wides is spot on :D

If the wide tooth is just wide enough to hold a chain and just narrow enough to let the chain pass nicely over it as you pedal then it doesn’t take too much mud to upset this nice balance. It is made even worse by these wide teeth having a very square rather than triangular profile so it is hard for the chian to push off the mud as it would a normal tooth.

I love the clean look of the N/W set up, love the lack of areas for mud to cling and can probably live with one or two dropped chain per muddy ride… maybe :?

I am expecting frustration in winter :? As with tyres thought it very much depends on the type of mud you have. Chalky, gritty mud that attaches itself to the wide teeth won’t be much fun but those riding in thinner mud/ loam might well never have any issues :D

Santini H20 material is quite nice too and rated as waterproof as any of the other suggestions here. They tend to be pricey but have a quality, understated feel. I have the long sleeve jersey and am more than happy going for a bimble in the rain :D

A last look over the left shoulder is super important too when turning left. It sounds really daft but the number of times I have seen cars try and undertake me using a hatched section of road or empty parking bays despite me indicating I will turn left is staggering. This is in the city centre and not out on fast roads which makes it even more baffling.

I am a bit confused, are we agreeing PFPS as a diagnosis is not very helpful? :D

What you are saying is not incorrect about PFPS nor is the point I was trying to make, which that PFPS as a diagnosis does not tell you the underlying cause for the pain nor the right solution. As you correctly say, the causes and solutions are many which is why I find PFPS as a diagnosis frustrating- it really tells you no more than you already know which is that the patient has pain. You can rule out many of the more well known causes but what do you do when you exhaust the well known possibility? You are still left with a patient with pain and no better understanding of what is causing them the pain. The lack of understanding part comes from many patients not ever getting to the bottom of the pain when it isn’t one of the more obvious causes yet still have “PFPS”.

The large number of possible knee issues when faced with pain and the relatively high reliance on soft tissue structures for stability/ function of the knee is why personally, as a patient, I would want as much information as possible to direct treatment (or at least rule out several possibilities). Not pushing for this reasonably early gets you in exactly the position you describe with waiting for NHS physio which is a perhaps relatively easily treatable condition turning in to much more trouble than it needed to be a year or two down the line. From a clinical point of view perhaps a little absurd in the early stages of the pain but from a patient point of view, potentially quite important in the long term.

What would be your flow of action and timescales as a patient with a lot of knee pain, feeling something was quite wrong? I would have thought involving the NHS GP and physios as early as possible, even if seeing a private physio on the side right at the start is the best way forward to avoid long delays if anything further is required beyond the scope of a private physio.

Can you explain patellofemoral pain syndrome then Glupton? I am yet to hear a consensus as to the causes and best treatment including international medicine/ orthopaedic/ biomechanics conferences/ papers/ clinics.

Even the wealth of reliable ( :? ) information that is Wikipedia says: “
Clinicians have traditionally used a variety of treatments for patellofemoral pain syndrome, many of which have little supporting evidence”. The name “pain syndrome” gives away the lack of underlying understanding of the vast majority of anterior knee pain.

Unfortunately the practical training a physio gets is as variable as GP experience these days. Any GP should be able to perform basic clinic tests and have a rough idea of what might be going on… however they should also be able to take bloods but I think I have only ever met one GP prepared to do it themselves :D

Yes a private physio might be able to help to some degree but to get to the bottom of a lot of the potential knee issues an MRI really is important. This is of course highly dependent on the injury but if I were in a lot of pain and thought there was some soft tissue damage I would be pushing for an MRI while seeing a physio in the mean time.

Unfortunately too, for a lot of people getting physio through a GP is still the only option. Of course if the OP can self refer then why not :D

Aaargh! “Anterior knee pain” and “patellofemoral pain syndrome” is basically a doctor/ physio telling you that you have pain at the front of your knee and they don’t know what to do about it. You can tell them you have pain at the front of your knee! Anterior knee pain is especially hard to get to the bottom of hence why it is generally referred to as an all encompassing “pain syndrome”.

A private physio will still need an MRI to base their diagnosis/ treatment on (to include or exclude a multitude of possibilities). In theory a GP should be able to perform the same quick clinical tests a physio would do in the first instance but I guess this depends heavily on the GP. NHS physio is perhaps better as in most places they should be able to arrange a referral if they think you need the scan after some time trying various options. Still need to visit a GP first to get the NHS physio appointment.

Sorry for the continued cynicism :?

Basically the best advice I can give is see your GP and if you feel something is really wrong and you are in a lot of pain be pushy for some action and don’t get fobbed off with 6 weeks, upon 6 weeks of rest to see if anything changes…

Persistence with the GP/ Physio is key as most people they see day to day will be happy to sit behind a desk all day with a bit of knee pain. If you like to ride a lot/ enjoy your sport then chances are you will be much less happy so need to push a bit more to get the extra time and money invested in trying to get to the bottom of it. As I have said though, you may find everything is fine next week which is why the NHS won’t go overboard with thing immediately.

My sister and husband have just bought a VW Amarok they claim is for work… should I buy them tribal tattoo/ MMA lesson vouchers for Christmas or will that discover that all in their own time :D

Could be a VMO tear??? The VMO is mainly active towards full extension of the knee and not really used too much during walking. If stairs/ cycling/ fully straightening the knee are very painful it is at least possible.

These things are very hard to describe and judge even for your Doctor. If you have damaged a ligament then the GP should be able to pick this up by pulling your knee bout (technical description).

The only way to tell for sure if you have any other soft tissue damage is to have an MRI although your GP will be very loathed to give you one as they are very expensive. If there is some soft tissue damage then chances are that by the time you actually get an MRI it might not be the best timing.

On the other hand, it might just be something minor and one of those annoying niggles which goes away quickly hence why a GP will not be rushing the expensive MRI unless something really jumps out to them. Most likely you will get ibuprofen and be told to rest for 6 weeks.

For the time being, I think the only advice a Doc would give you is to only do as much of anything as you are comfortable with. Bracing is most likely OTT, especially until you see the Doctor tomorrow.

GP is the only route to any form of investigation or treatment so it all depends on your persistance/ symptoms really.

Oh and yes, I am very cynical of the NHS mechanisms for sorting knee injuries but can fully appreciate why everything is as it is :D

It all depends on your aims and goals- I am guessing you are saying you want to be able to ride longer to explore the countryside a bit more.

If you try to ride hard all the time (for example every commute) you will only wear yourself out. The real gains come from recovery (of course you need the overload first)… and most people will ride too hard when they should be taking it easy and ride too easy on the few rides a week that need to be properly hard.

Patience in building up the time riding is important too as is consistency. No point in getting in a good couple of weeks riding and then do nothing for the next couple of week or knackering yourself for a month only to pick up niggles.

Strictly speaking the way to “get fitter” is to ride as many easy miles as you can fit in. Cycling is a very aerobic sport and the very hard mid week efforts should be a final tune up for speed if and when needed in the year. Of course this is not the most fun approach in the world and most people do not have time to fit in a decent volume of riding hence the low time/ high intensity approach many here suggest.

I would say to start with at least, gradually increase the easy week rides and extend the length of an easy weekend ride. Going nuts on hills repeatedly or half killing yourself on a turbo might be fun but can probably wait a few weeks :wink:

Also, although I might have said ride easy “miles” judge duration by time as distance has far too many variables to judge volume.

That would be my thoughts anyway but I am sure many would disagree :?

This has been done so many times :D

Definitely KMC or Connex

Personally I would go for a KMC X10-SL for £25 from the ‘bay. Can also get the bling gold version for the same price

Does anyone know where the Pearl Izumi Amfib can be found for a good price? I am in need of a second pair of winter tights and before buying Lusso again I think the Pearl Izumi’s may be worth a try. A quick Google suggests the cheapest a Medium can be had for is £90-100 :?

MTB baggies over bibs keeps the spray off your rear end and are fine for shorter rides IMO, but in the heavy rain on longer rides the waterproof layers of a waterproof tight around the knee and calf are really quite welcome to not get too cold/ miserable :D

Lusso Max Repel can be had for around £40 and are absolutely fantastic. I wear my most comfortable 3/4 bibs underneath and that seems to do the trick for any 3-4 hour ride in heavy rain in Spring/ Autumn/ Winter.

In my opinion the key to any waterproof stuff on the bike is insulation. You need another layer in between the Waterproof Lusso’s and skin, so in the Summer I have worn my lightest, thinnest 3/4 bibs underneath and not overheated. A good example of why I say insulation is important is I have some CAstelli Nano Light stuff which is also very waterproof but as soon as it rains the coolness of the rain instantly gets transferred to skin so even though skin is dry it might as well be getting wet with how cold the skin feels…

Hi Tony,

I am already a bit late to the thread as you have put your order in but I would just say be prepared for them to not work 100% perfectly in mud.

I couldn’t find a single negative comment about the various narrow/ wide chainrings online and everyone seems to be over the moon with them but it has only taken me 200km to repeatedly drop the chain.

The worst was during a very muddy, very wet 60km ride where there was gritty mud building up around the wide teeth on the chainring which stops the chain from sitting low down on the teeth like it should. The shape of the wide teeth does not allow the mud to be pushed down and off the tooth as it does on the narrow/ normal teeth. Several times during the ride I noticed the chain sitting high on the teeth then eventually clunk down and locate properly (or fall off).

I can’t help feeling a better design when wanting to use without a chain guide is probably a more normal single speed chain ring tooth profile with very long, hooked teeth. FSA are soon to be releasing the Megatooth ring which does exactly that and aims to avoid the narrow/ wide approach which seems to be prone to issues in thick, gritty mud… at least in my limited experience.

I noticed yesterday that Absolute Black (another narrow/ wide chainring manufacturer) have added a sentence to the website to essentially say they may not work well in mud… shame there wasn’t any mention of issues like that when I bought them :(

Not a real grumble, but it is nice to be aware of the possible limitations of wide/ narrow because no other manufacturers have so much as mentioned it…. not sure it is the best British Winter set up :|

My personal cynical opinion is that the new mechs do most of the work and although some chain gripping effect is demonstrable hanging things off a narrow/ wide, in the real world use the chain ring grip effect seems limited. I am going to try and find a long tooth single speed ring (non-narrow/ wide) and see if that performs any better, especially in mud. Perhaps more pertinently, does it perform any worse…

Just in case it looks like it is just me being a bit “special” setting everything up, I have since noticed Nino Schurter now rides a chain guide set up on his otherwise XX1 drivetrain for racing…

It seems funny that these kind of problems are just starting to crop up when a few months ago you couldn’t find a bad word said about any ring of this design from any manufacturer. Perhaps releasing them at the start of Summer helped :)

It’s one of those things you never think will happen- really bad luck!

I snapped a rear cable half way in to one of the SPAM Salisbury Plain events but luckily could finish thanks to a triple up front which made the 11T bearable in most situations…

Now I always carry a spare cable… but stupidly no means to cut it! Thinking about it, maybe I should go and cut it to a reasonable length now :D

It was on the local news online although it seems to have since been removed.. maybe Gav saw your post Tiny and decided he might be better off trying to make friends in Bath :D

Having said that, Henson also gave an interview in the last few days saying he would happily fight Fearns in a charity boxing match where he thinks he can earn back some respect. A brave comment given the pre-season charity boxing matches have just finished at Bath :wink: We all support you Gavin! :D

Very true David! I have done the down tube and chainstay of my Scalpel and that was nearly 100g extra! You would pay decent money to loose that kind of weight from anywhere else on the bike

Henson is apparently looking to move on from Bath… maybe he should just join Newport after all and go back to enjoying nights out in Cardiff instead :D

Needs some green anodized parts, maybe some orange too, then I think you have pretty much every “black” covered :D

Knowing the frame would have helped locate the custom frame kit from elsewhere that didn’t need to measure it for you and make it from scratch. Seems that isn’t the issue…

What you are basically saying is you want to pay £100 (cheapest I guess you can hope for) to 200 (current price you have already found) to have someone put the tape on for you?

Well if you can find alternative frame wraps from elsewhere what is wrong with doing it yourself or asking the LBS to do it for you? Shipping the frame seems like a daft an expensive solution to a simple problem of sticking some clear tape on your frame

Just trying to think laterally as the insured courier isn’t likely to be cheap. Out of ideas now

Assuming you bought from your LBS can they not arrange shipping for you? They must post stuff all the time. Least they can do for you having got so much money out of you :D

Or ask the LBS to Heli-Tape it for you? You never know you might be surprised at the delicate skills behind the ham fist appearance… or maybe not :D

Alternatively can invisiframe do the tape and covering free for you since you are having to go to a lot of effort and expense to essentially give them a new product? I am sure many others wish for their pride and joy to be protected as you do so they can sell some frame kits in the future besides just yours. Might be worth a phone call to explain the cost of insurance. Then treat it like a £200 professional frame protection job which isn’t so bad…

Carbon, £2500 frame, unusual design, available on Frameskin… no ideas! A Santa Cruz? Yeti? Knowing the frame really would help locate an alternative solution…

No issues here!

What is the frame?

It seems it is the measuring up causing the issue and extra expense/ hassle.

Plenty of companies provide custom frame protection, if we know the frame someone might know of an existing custom tape supplier.

Can the company not get hold of a demo frame/ bike to measure up and you apply the new design frame protection yourself at home?

Is there anything the custom route offers that heli-taping yourself doesn’t? Unless is is a peculiar frame then down tube, chainstays, seatstays and headtube should be tricky to cover yourself.

DanW, how very dare you!! The black bit on the downtube is how they come. Crude frame protector, pah!

I also was thinking of the bit where the seat tube and top tube meet by the dropper post cable too. The black on the downtube ironically looks like the worst bit of this “black bike” :D Was a bit more yellow on the down tube too much to ask from On-One? :D

Really fun looking bike that should be a blast!

Aesthetically great frame balanced out by crude black frame protection (at least that’s what I assume it is) :?

Black fork will look great :D

I don’t think Santa Cruz offer anodized finishes any more, at least they didn’t when I bought my Superlight. Either it was getting very expensive for them or they were struggling to control the quality… something along those lines.

Have you tried various options through Parcel2Go?

What would be the real cost of replacing this £2500 frame- could you insure for a lower amount?

Is driving it to them yourself at least an option, even if in one direction?

Buy the tape and do it yourself?

Other frame kits from other manufacturers?

Just a few options :D

Ouchy!
http://www.euroncap.com/tests/nissan_navara/317.aspx

Seems fine if you are a three year old passenger though so it’s not all bad news :D

Ahhh all this talk that the Superlight is not super light! It is a 2.5kg frame and shock which is the same as a Giant Anthem. It is the build that makes it light or heavy really… I had mine built to 9.4kg with a lot of classifieds trawling and patience and it was perfect for the long rides/ events I enjoyed.

There is no other comparable frame offering the same value, reliability and ride in my opinion.

The SC superlight is a fantastically balanced little bike. Bob isn’t an issue- the basic shock is more than fine. Pedal strikes are also a non-issue. I would imagine that those who suggest otherwise could have taken more time to set up the shock (took me a week or two to dial in). When the shock was due for a quick check over Loco also tuned it to reduce a little mid stroke wallow I felt could be improved for my style of riding.

In my opinion the thing that really sets the SL apart is the geometry. There is no other way to describe it apart from perfectly balanced both up and down, on tight singletrack and on fast open rocky descents. I love to climb super steep rocky, rooty trails and have always been frustrated by other bikes- needless to say the SC delivers. The other advantages of a nice clean, simple suspension design were exactly what I was after. In 18 months of use I have only had to replace the lower shock bushing.

As for disadvantages, I would say that the paint isn’t the best- it tends to look scratched a little easily.

Magazines tend to refer to the Superlight as a “fun” bike and that is the tyoe of thing you write of a industry BS until you get a chance to ride one :D

You might also find this thread interesting: SC Superlight thread

This thread would definitely be enhanced by a reply from the OP otherwise it will very quickly go even more downhill :D

Maybe he/ she is out cougar/ silver fox hunting and doesn’t have the time to reply? :D

He may not be that way inclined….

Sugar daddy works just as effectively according to preference :D

Go find yourself a sugar-mama

Lots of problems solved in one hit :D

Sounds pretty normal :D

I guess one answer has already been covered and that is to warm up before the group ride even if it only means bimbling over to where you meet.

It also sounds like you have the low intensity stuff pretty sorted with some impressively long rides but how much high intensity riding to you tend to do? Is it possible that you might always struggle at the start (even if warmed up) in the group rides you mention as the others tend to ride shorter but faster? Perhaps you are not so aware of this as your endurance means you feel good and strong towards the end of the group ride which kind of levels the playing field against the guys who are faster but lack the same endurance?

Third option might be to really attack the foam roller and get some very short moderately hard intervals in on the turbo the day before just to try and flush out the legs and bring back some zip?

As you can probably tell I am no physiologist but hope some extra ideas might be useful :D

So in conclusion, walkers should be aware of their surroundings, cyclists should show a little courtesy.

Basically yes….

Some cyclists power mince past walkers on shared paths and some walkers take up the entire path and seem surprised to see people waiting behind them

I guess the question is how do you be a “courteous cyclist”….

I still haven’t found a solution. You can be cheery, let them know you are there and pass slowly and safely and still get a barrage of abuse. Whenever I have followed people with bells the walkers/ joggers tend to be in their own world and jump out of their skin nearly falling in the canal!

I do feel it would be helped if all users could stay left and be aware of their surroundings (not just walkers). Big families out for a walk, dogs and groups of joggers don’t tend to like to stay to one side of a shared path however

In that case document the dogs in some way as evidence of her breaching the contract and claim whatever puts you out of pocket at the end of the tenancy. Any worries beyond that?

Document everything and get everything in writing then you put yourself in the best possible possible come the end of tenancy.

Deductions and the like come surely come at the time of moving out based on the condition of the property. If there have been breaches of contract by either side (assuming no pets is in the contract) then it makes it much easier for the Deposit Protection Scheme to allow X amount of the deposit to be used for cleaning/ replacement of items. Again, it is all about keeping accurate records, receipts, photos (need to be signed and dated by both parties) to back up your claims for deductions from the deposit.

You did register the deposit with a Deposit Portection Scheme and take a comprehensive inventory signed by the tenant at the start of tenancy didn’t you…..?

it doesn’t need to be £800 does it? As long as the sale of the rest of the kit means the overall cost is less than £800. Not suggesting this was will be without hassle, but it’s an option to bear in mind

I think the cost of the Cannondale full bike coming with a Carbon XLR even on sale will make it hard to save many pennies but I appreciate the suggestion and alternative idea. Likewise unfortunately for second hand bike I could strip a Lefty from. I also have over 100 items of bike parts I am trying to sell and think my wife would kill me if that list increased :D

Use code STW10 with Qwerty to a 10% discount

If this indeed works then that is bloomin’ amazing! :D Shame they have just run out of Carbon XLR’s :? Also, I can’t see anywhere to put the code in