I used the 30mm WTB tape from Chain Reaction, still holding fine after 2 months.

You don’t have enough in the cupboard ;)

There are a few suggestions on here

http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue.aspx?VenueNumber=35

Who knew[1], it was all a big fat wheeze… http://lakedistrictjourno.com/2015/03/29/lost-on-scafell-britains-sense-of-humour/

[1] Me, I knew

Yeah, I am expecting a “sighting” of the Loch Ness Monster any day now.

It was taken near Aberdeen, on the top of Cairn William with Bennachie in the background.

I rode Moab, last week in August a few years ago, it was fine, a little hot in the afternoon, but if you do most of your riding in the morning you will survive. The main season starts on Labor Day, which is first Monday in September so you will be just outside peak season.

Benz

To answer your question on decommissioning, the companies get tax relief to the amount of the decommissioning during the years that the field is making a profit. The company knows about the liability and should make allowance for the period when there will be a negative cashflow. Companies are vetted by DECC (the government)that they have the financial strength to sustain these negative cashflows.

Interesting article from Robert Preston on the BBC website today, essentially he is saying the Saudis will keep the price low until a number of US shale gas companies go bust and their backers get their fingers burnt sufficiently badly that they won’t invest in the industry again. It’s all about market share in the long term, expect the price to stay low for a couple of years.

I have had a Serfas box for about 10 years now and it’s tough as old boots. The wheels are positioned on the side, rather than the bottom so it’s stable when being pulled. Disavantages are weight (abot 11kg on its own) and size, you have to remove the forks to fit the bike, but I have used it for my 29er.

Julians

What size/type headset does the frame take. Now you have had it a couple of weeks how are you liking it? I am seriously considering getting this frame.

I knew reservoir engineering would finally be usful for mountain biking. Perfect spheres, randomly packed have a porosity of around 40%, given that gravel is not perfectly spherical and the gaps will also fill with smaller particles, I estimate about 30% of your volume will be available for water.

Are they sucking down when you let the air out? If they are, pump them up until you get full travel, then slowly let the air out to the pressure you want. You need to equalise the pressure between positive and negative sides as you do it by pulling up on the brace every few psi.

Not sure about the tubeless test port, if there is air coming out of the hole it means there is a hole in the rim bed and a lot of sealant would have to leak to seal both holes. I found this out the hard way, as a set of Haven Carbons had a hole drilled in the rim bed – I don’t know why but I spent ages looking for a leak around the tyre bead. As the rims were carbon it was easy enough to seal the holes with a dab of epoxy.

I have just built up some rims using DT Swiss 240 hubs and Competition Spokes. The DT Swiss Spoke calculator with the Light Bicycle quoted ERD’s worked fine. I used aluminium nipples but if you aren’t too fussed about the slight extra weight brass nipples are easier to work with – because the rims are so stiff, you end up with pretty high spoke tension and it is easy to round off the alloy nipples.

Where are the trails, might have a look this weekend?

I got 2 35mm 27.5 rims delivered last week. Paid $414 to Light Bicycle and did not have any import duty. Took just over 3 weeks, but that included a week of Chinese national holiday.

I have a Trance X 29er in medium, I think it is about 6-1/2 lbs, pretty light really for what it can do.

One of these by any chance?

http://www.mtbtrails.info/Trail_Venue.aspx?VenueNumber=46#TrailNumber63%5Dnull

I am still using my original Diablo Mk1 exclusively on my helmet (the original bar mount was rubbish anyway). I have never noticed the weight and have never run out of battery, but I do only use it on high for the descents. Before that I had the original Joystick, but it wasn’t powerful enough. I know the new ones are more powerful but I would definitely go the Diablo route, 1300 vs 400 lumens is a big difference.

I have a Trance X 29er which I run with 150mm Pikes. But they are dual position so I normally have them at the 130mm position and just used the 150mm for descents. Seems to work pretty well.

We were out with Ciclo a last month and a girl joined us part way through the week. She had originally booked with another company, I’m not 100% sure but the facts seem to fit with it being BikingAndalucia. She had been the only person on the holiday and had had a bad experience, seems like the guide wasn’t keen on women and pushed her too hard. Anyway she had a much better time with Ciclo.

Interesting I was just thinking this as I rode my 2002 Airborne Lancaster to the local shops. Tends to get as used as a general runabout and tourer now, but it has outlived every other bike I have owned – I usually change bikes every year or two but the Airborne just soldiers on. It is still the lightest mountain bike I have and looks in pretty good nick.

Using a Magic Mary on the front and a Mountain King 2.4 on the back. The Magic Mary is well… magic, extremely grippy but not too draggy, although I am not too sure if I would want it on the back. The Mountain King is OK but slides in really wet conditions.

Results are up but not really. Anyone see anything other than a list of entrants?

Did it a few years ago, it is a good if longish day out. When we did it, the descent from the Zwolferkogel in Hinterglemm was mostly fireroad and not worth the time it took, looking at the map it appears they had put in a new red route, so that would be an improvement.

I got a set of 2013 Fox 34 Talas 110-140CTD for £300 if you are interested.

I have the same bike, but use dual position Pikes. I normally ride withy them at 120mm and only use the 150mm setting for descending. I haven’t noticed more pedal strikes than my previous bike, what tyres are you using – I use Continental Mountain King 2.4’s, they are quite tall, so that may be the difference.

I was in a similar position and went for some Campagnolo Vento’s on special offer. They seem pretty good for the money, on the second ride I managed to drop into a massive pothole by mistake and the wheels shrugged it off. Although they are Campagnolo, they do a version with a Shimano freehub.

I have the 2 position version so 120mm on the climbs and 150mm on the descents. Seems to work OK

I will check tonight. I originally built the frame with a Fox 34, XT components, but splashed out on Easton Carbon Havens when they were on a crazy offer at CRC last year. The only thing I have changed is the Fox for a Pike. The Pike is better but not dramatically so, certainly not to the extent the magazine reviews would suggest (the Fox is for sale if anyone is interested). I have Continental Mountain King 2 tyres on which are very good, but thinking of swapping the front for a Schwalbe Magic Mary for a trip to Spain in September.

Where it excels is fast and rocky, I took it to Torridon last weekend and the descents were noticeably smoother than on my 26er which has 20mm more travel. Even tight and techical is easier as the front wheel is less likely to stall on a mid-turn rock. The only place I prefer my 26er is steep and fast through the trees where the slightly faster steering is an advantage.

I don’ – I know the cups are built into the headtube, but I don’t know if they can be removed. I can check tonight if you want?

If you are buying it frame only, then it comes with the headset. Great bike by the way, I bought one cheap from JE James just as a tester for 29″ wheels and have been well impressed – It gets ridden lots more than my super expensive Pivot 5.7 carbon.

I bought the Trance frame cheap last year from JE James and I have been surprised how versatile it is. I did the 75km Selkirk MTB Marathon on it last month (came 4th in the Super Vets) but I have also cleared steep technical stuff on it which I have never cleared on my 160mm 26″ bike. I am 5′ 8″ and went for a medium. Never ridden the Anthem, so can’t really comment on that. I think you would enjoy both bikes and judging by the type of riding you do, I would say 29er is definitely the way to go.

I have Mountain King’s on one bike and Ruber Queens on another, both in 2.4″ Blach Chilli versions. The Mountain Kings are much smaller. They won’t be as grippy as the Nevegal’s but will roll faster. I think they are a good allrounder but it depends on your trails where you put the compromise between grip and rolling resistance.

I did the Selkirk MTB Marathon last month with a Maxxis Ikon on the back and a Continental X-King on the front, both 2.2’s. It was interesting on the muddy downhills with a couple of slides into the heather but generally I was impressed with both the grip and pretty good rolling resistance. I normally ride with Continental Mountain King 2.4’s.

Unless, they have changed in the last couple of years, you do need a different axle. The 12mm axle has a slightly thinner wall thickness as the bolt thru takes some of the forces. I got my axle from Starbike.com

Try this as well

http://mtbtrails.info

I have used the repair kit from these guys. Similar damage but to non-driveside chainstay, bike is still going strong 3 years later.

http://www.carbonology.com/repair-moulding-kits-c-130.html?sesid=hn4jh7r0mm4cvldiivflqquaa6%5D

I cut a triangular piece of carbon big enough to go round the chainstay 4 or 5 times. Start wrapping the narrow end round the break, wetting with resin each wrap and covering more of the chainstay, this spreads the stresses. Finally, wrap cling film tightly around the repair to try and squeeze any air out. Once dry remove the clingfilm. You can leave as is, or sand to produce a smooth surface, I didn’t bother becasuse it was going to be covered by chaninstay protection tape anyway.

Just got mine. Ordered from Leisure lakes yesterday.

Pete at Banchory Cycles should be able to help you if you are out that way.

In terms of riding around Aberdeen, it’s flat and rubbish – all those mountains you see are an illusion.

p.s. check out mtbtrails.info

I have got XTR M988 on one bike and XT M785 on another. The XT’s are definitely more powerful, but the XTR’s are powerful enough and a fair bit lighter. They are only I-spec B-type though so don’t throw away those funny little black bolts you get with the shifters , like I did!