I’ve only been out a couple of times the past few weeks… Feels like it hasn’t stopped raining in about a month!

Been getting some gym and spin classes in instead though!

You have very clean bikes.

Top of Great Hill a couple of weeks ago. No trouble pedalling up, loads of fun smashing my way down! 😀

Uuuh… Have you got the chain routed through the mech properly? That’s a confusing photo, but if that’s the upper jockey I think the chain should be on the other side…

If it IS just a weird photo, chain too long?

Never got round to the MBUK one last year, thanks! Possible TopCashback/Quidco too…

I’d claim for ANY damage to kit – it might only be a scuff, but wouldn’t be like that if the driver was paying attention.

And you say you’re ok now, but be prepared to feel like you’ve been hit by a train tomorrow morning… Take it easy for the rest of the day.

My size 10 Chambers are spot on. Really comfy too!

Went with the HV model in the Gauge, but could probably have gotten away with the standard fit.

Found that site, but the 123 euros is before VAT – works out around £120 including postage. Managed to get the 1150 for £80 anyway (even less after cashback!), so am happy with that! 🙂 Thanks though!

The Camelback are good, but I don’t know what happened with mine – to click or un-click the hose from the bladder it requires so much f*%kin elbow grease it’s unreal!!!

@medoramas mine’s the same. I can’t get the hose to click in. I have to wrap the hose with a towel and put so much force on it. It’s taking longer and longer to do it now. Very frustrating.

Any solutions? New hose? Or new bladder required?

Same happened with mine – it’s the little o-ring on the end of the hose getting worn. You can request a new one from their warranty page. Took about a week to arrive IIRC. Mine’s now back to an easy click in!

Sounds like the Fenwicks stuff. Got it (Fenwicks) in my road tyres and haven’t been assimilated yet…

CRC and Wiggle have got some Schwalbes for £35.

The longer silver bit is crimped to the hose, so you’d need to snip it off and replace with one of these: http://www.merlincycles.com/rock-shox-reverb-hose-barb-for-post-end-58226.html

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/66674/Hope_Handlebar_Bayonet_Clamp

There ya go!

Ah, that explains it! Thanks for the info – Cheap (relatively) and heavy it is!

The GX cassette is all steel…

Anyone been able to find the 1175 cassette anywhere?

The Spitfire’s a good choice! I have one in mint flavour! 😀 Has done me from XC races to smashing around steepish rocky stuff.

The Cane Creek shock’s brilliant too – Really plush open, but firms up nicely with the climb switch.

Definitely more road orientated, but a great shop – they know their stuff, never pushy or rushed. Paul built both my road and MTB wheels and they’re solid as a solid thing.

In my experience Wiggle are great… but DX are crap. Had a huge heavy parcel somehow go missing last year – they were hopeless with chasing it up/compensation claim/communication/etc – then 2-3 months later it turned up smashed to bits. 😐

If it’s a 73mm BB shell you just need the one spacer on the drive side:

http://www.hopetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/BBinstructions.pdf

Got the right spacers?

2.35 Schwalbes for me. Hans Dampfs are a good all rounder. Rock Razor on the back when it’s dry, Magic Mary on the front when it’s sloppy.

Just fitted a tyre with the Airshot too – fresh tyre straight out of the box, so still with the fold kinks in, and it went up straight away first time – very impressed!

Could only get my ghetto inflator to 50-60psi before it started leaking everywhere, and there’s much less fear of the Airshot exploding and taking my face with it too. 😀 Bit expensive for a tin with a hose on, but well worth it for the reduction in faff!

I’ve got the same BB width/BB/cranks, from memory it is indeed one spacer on the drive side – I can double check tomorrow. I find the cranks have to be done up really tight! Might just be that…

That looks easy enough! Thanks for the link!

Did you ever figure this out? One of the adjustable pistons on mine keeps backing itself off slightly – was hoping a drop of loctite would fix it, but doesn’t look any obvious way to get into it…

My 650b Rock Razor looks to measure about 56mm on a 30mm internal rim.

Pretty fat tyre overall, so if you’re squeezing something in might not be the best bet.

I’m gonna feel a right nob if it was just some guy trying out his new bike now… 😆

EVERYTHING in Little Hulton is stolen.

Hence my curiosity! 😀

Did you get a good look at him? Where exactly was he?

I was going fairly quickly, but got a bit of a look: Green parka, baseball cap, and I think mixed race (is that the PC way to say that now? 😀 ).

Passed him here. Going across the front of the pub, looked to be possibly heading up Highfield Road.

Endura do a Hummvee jersey that has rear pockets and a looseish fit. One of the pockets has a zip too.

Mudguards off, Rock Razor on. Wheeeeeeeeee!

Mistaken for a Santa Cruz yesterday, and today a Yeti:

Now with less mudguard!

Can you share more, Ben? Anything to fit a standard freehub?

As far as I can tell it’s these:

https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/products/sram-xg-1175-full-pin-cassette%5D

https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain/products/sram-xg-1150-full-pin-cassette%5D

One has an alu 42t, the other’s all steel (and a bit heavier). Both XD.

As much as I love Hope stuff, and tend to go for it wherever possible… The pedals don’t seem that great – Too expensive for a not that grippy pedal.

So I’d go for the Superstar. Or even better, DMR Vaults!

Haven’t had mine (XX1 cranks, but I’d imagine they’re the same) loosen up, but they need to be done up pretty damn toight in the first place to remove play.

The rear Mudhugger’s brilliant. Might not look great, but works really well, and a lot more secure than the seat post mounted guards. With all the slop at the moment it’s staying on – who cares what people think/say! 😀

A bender fender’s a good idea all the time, if only to stop so much crap getting flung at the stanchions.

I’ll take that as a compliment! 😀 It works though!

Well if we’re posting photos…

😀

Another Hope here. Been running flawlessly for about 2 years now.

I tried a bell at one point – people either don’t hear it or jump out of their skin. I find a freehub whirr and polite excuse me usually works.