For my 40mm Syntace rims, I just ran three passes of 25mm TESA tape (same stuff as Stans) around it. One pass tight to each sidewall and a third around the well of the rim.
What Northwind said too, avoid having an edge where the tyre bead will be dragged over it repeatedly under tension.

I’d have said that a chain device was pretty much essential on any 2x set-up in the rough-stuff.

E13 DRS or Blackspire Stinger were the two that worked best for me.

After the voluntary ban, we usually do a “Snowdon-twice” day.
Up Rangers; Down Rhyd Ddu; Up Telegraph/Llanberis; Down Rangers.
Big day but makes the best use of the better descents.

I’ve been using those Shimano AM41 things for a few years but they’re not very well made and typically seem to fall apart in less than a year.
A few friends use the MT91 boots on flats but they’re designed for cleats so not ideal with flats.

Really wish someone would make something like the MT91 but with a stealth rubber sole for flats.

I know Michael well and have done a couple of trips to Garda with him and one to Finale.
Both excellent destinations. Quite different characters though; Finale is fast and flowy with a bit of tech thrown in; Garda has more technically challenging stuff if you’re seeking it out but loads of easier choices if you’re not.
I’ll be doing both again.

I’ve got the AB 30t spiderless SRAM one on one bike and the Works 32t 104bcd on another. Both work fine. Only bought them because they were the same price as round ones.
Initially I would have said that I couldn’t tell any difference personally… however, I’ve noticed that the one bike I still have with a round chainring is now beginning to feel a little “different”, so maybe there is something in it.

how cliquey will it be?

Maybe just not quite cliquey enough for beardy-weirdy fat-bikers Rich ;)

Thanks for the input everyone, especially tuskaloosa and teamhurtmore
Unfortunately I had poor internet so mostly had to rely on the email that tuskaloosa kindly sent me the night before and which described navigation.

I parked at Walking Bottoms and, as I had only a few hours to spare, headed up the fireroad to the south and found stuff to try from there.
Some of the short runs off Pitch Hill to the Windmill were OK but obviously you’re not going to get 400m vertical descents on those hills (Eric & Gary Glitter were the runs according to Strava). Heading the other way, Root of all Evil wasn’t bad and John the Baptist was a nice run back to the carpark afterwards.
Thanks again all.

I’ve only ever done the Spoon Hall descent from the carpark (as thestabiliser described). It’s quite a good setion.

It’s a really good event.
Free home-made cake en-route
Free after-party.
It even ends at a brewery!!!
What’s not to like?
Hope to be doing it again this year.

One thing to note, every unsuccessful credit application that you make has an impact on your ability to make a further one.

Try the eligibility checkers on MSE first if you’re in any doubt:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/eligibility/credit-cards/%5B/url%5D

sorry, correction, Grimsargh to GF in about 30 mins. [edit] and not at the moment as the road is closed near Whitewell [/edit]

In reverse order of awesomeness:

3. Mango
2. Blackberries
1. Raspberries

What they all said^^^
Preston itself is not nice, you wouldn’t want to live there.
The outlying villages are generally nice enough though. We’re in Grimsargh. It suits us just fine; close to M6; main bus route into town (which is good for kids going to college); schools are generally good once you get out of Preston itself.
Riding wise: For a full day out, it’s 45 mins to South Lakes or Calderdale. For a short blast or nightride, it’s 20 mins to Rivington and 30 mins to Gisburn Forest if you’re a trailcentre fan.

Don’t drink the stuff, but it’s great for cooking a ham in. Leave it in the slow cooker all day with a bottle of full-fat Coke…. Luvverly

Good to know. My Cyrus 2 is still going strong too :)

Git!

Just experienced this yesterday, for the second time!
Once, I would accept but twice now – on separate bikes, both times the rear. (M785) That’s a design or build fault!
I’ll be sending them back under warranty.
Oil is black, clearly some seal degradation somewhere. Suspect the master cylinder seal is wearing where it passes over the ports to its reservoir.

This is a classic example of UK banks ripping off their customers for what should be a free service.

*bites*

Why should it be free?

because it’s no different to making an on-line payment from your account into any other person’s account. As they make money on the exchange rate they charge, why should we be charged extra for the transaction itself?
I wouldn’t be happy if they charged me for any other direct transfers.

Sort out where you’re staying first. That could necessitate you considering the driving option too.

15 years ago… IBAN and SWIFT codes were all that I needed to do an online transfer from by German current account (DB24) to any account in the EU, for free.
Today… From the UK, if I want to send money to any non-UK bank, the thieving scumbags want to charge me!!! £20 is fairly typical I think.

This is a classic example of UK banks ripping off their customers for what should be a free service.

Some do, and some don’t.
Some offer it optionally, some say it’s a mandatory condition of their cover and won’t even allow you to disable it when you take out the cover.
I’ve never once had a better price by continuing existing cover, than by cancelling and going elsewhere.

It’s never been a legal requirement to have auto-renewal.

I run the same tyres that I would year-round in UK too.
Dual ply mid compound rear, single ply/UST soft compound front.
Always tubeless

Rear something like
Dual ply Minnion DHF 60a
Supergravity trailstar Mary or HansDampf

Front something like
Single ply or UST Minnion 42a
Snakeskin vertstar Mary

Rock Razor would be a deathtrap on snow or mud – I wouldn’t.

Off on a slight tangent here, but I’d have thought that the BB area of a bike would be expected to take major rock impacts fairly regularly in the course of normal use and be designed to withstand this.
Begs the question over where normal use ends and crash damage starts.

glasgowdan – Member
The Binnein Mhor route I’ve done a couple of times beats the Mamore Lodge trails though

I’ve hike-a-biked up around the back of Sgurr Eilde Mor (not worth it) and then descended from Coire an Lochain (that’s a very good section). What’s the extra bit from Binnein Mhor like?

Stupot, those pics ^^^ in his post are Devil’s Staircase, not Ciaran Path.
CP is pretty good but not fantastic. I’d agree with Northwind that the Mamore Lodge trails are better. Search them out on Strava.

I did find that Sky were very keen to block all sorts of sites. Noticed this as progressively more of the movie streaming sites went on their block list last year. Not entirely surprising as Sky are ultimately a content, more than platform, supplier.

Yes, I know that doesn’t explain why this particular site was blocked, but it suggests that they actively seek stuff to block. Her site got on their list by mistake I’d guess.

I left Sky because of it.

Yes the one past Earnsdale Res, that was previously blocked-off is now open.

Wasn’t aware of any other closures in that area though.

strip, clean, grease, re-assemble.

Only worth replacing when teeth worn out

Syntace No9 Titan are extremely good but eyewateringly expensive if you’re paying RRP.

Vaults are almost on a par with them but a bit more fragile IME and don’t stand up to impacts well (I’ve bent axles and ripped pins out too often)

For durability and value for money, I’d be hard pressed to look past Superstar Nanos. Not as big and grippy as the Syntace or Vault but not bad.

I have heard people claiming Shimano 11 spd mechs will work with Sram shifters and vice versa . Anybody know if this is true ?

Pull ratios are very close but not identical. I’d be interested to know if anyone’s had success with this.

I was in the same situation/quandary. X01 came as standard on the Liteville 601.
I fitted it and am giving it a go.
I like the carbon spiderless cranks. Stuck a 30t oval on and so-far so-good. Suspect the GXP BB won’t last but plan to swap it out for a Hope one with GXP adapter when it fails.
I like the 10-42 cassette but will go for GX when it comes to replacement.
I don’t like the shifter ergonomics at all and am missing the multi-release of XT too.
The rear mech is the problem for me. Mechs are pretty much consumable items IMO and consumables shouldn’t cost hundreds of pounds. They’ll only take so many impacts before they get mangled and die. Admittedly, so far the X01 mech is holding-up well and has survived a couple of decent impacts with only superficial damage.
I think I’ll swap out the mech and shifter for XT when the X01 mech bites the dust. I’ll keep the X01 crankset and stay with a SRAM cassette, just downgrade to a GX cassette.

br makes a good point.
Risk/reward, I guess.

Not good at all Tony
I don’t expect to see him back on here.

Daughter is about to take her test too.
I was genuinely surprised that they teach ’em to sit there at the lights with clutch down/biting.
I was also amazed that they tell ’em to apply the brake through the corner now. I was always told that I should have done all my braking before the corner. Car feels much more stable if you’re accelerating through a corner.
They do teach a bit of “eco-driving” though, which covers the “keep rolling – don’t stop” thing.

Done Lancs to Garda a couple of times now.
Short day at work; get away mid afternoon; chunnel about 10pm; on the uplift bus at 12 noon.
That sort of distance is not fun if you’re the only driver but easy enough with two driving.

Coming from Edinburgh, I’d agree with the Hull-Rotterdam/Zeebrugge suggestion though. We use that regularly, it breaks the journey and makes for an easy day-two.

Food was very good at Dog & Partridge[/url] but it wasn’t open last time I was over that way (a good while ago)

Larger four sprockets machined from single aluminium billet

mmmm, I can’t see me being an “early adopter”. Will be watching for some reviews in 6-9 months time.
[edit] 20 seconds late [/edit]

Works Components ones are cheap and running fine so far on two of my bikes

I started dropping chains when my RaceFace N/W was worn.

Fitted a top guide which stopped the problem but I quickly realised that I was treating the symptoms, rather than the cause.
Upon inspection, the narrow teeth had worn dangerously thin. I suspect I could have almost snapped them off by hand if I’d tried.