I’m loving this thread now.

Plenty to think about …

Trouble is getting them, I think – Salsa Alternators look good but I don’t know if you can get them, likewise the Pace sliders. 2 Souls weigh quite a bit and don’t look exactly elegant.

bencooper – yes, my understanding is negligible! I’m going with what I’m told.

letmetalktomark – have done that, but Ceeway are the main supplier and the standard choice is Richey or anything else not very inspiring.

jameso – will PM you.

I was tempted, but …

Not my niche – Rigid SS would have been better, or hardtail geared.
Would prefer frame & forks, and then pick my own finishing kit.
Taste – I just don’t like white stuff, especially rims.

My experience is to keep advertising it, but lower the price a bit until you’re as low as you’re prepared to go. Keep it factual about how it’s be used etc. rather than your life story.

Good luck!

Damn, damn, damn. That is still the nicest bike I’ve seen, ever.

Will mail you a few questions, Candodavid … I’m so close to getting one ordered, I just need the final push (and sod the price over the others).

Saw that one .. Tempting, but prefer designs without chain stay brace behind the BB (the one on my Explosif gathers mud like no one’s business). That’s why the Pipedream and Pace are quite high up on the list.

I’ve looked at Shand frames too … Very nice and time to look again I think, This will all mean selling my 19″ Explosif which will be a painful experience though.

Mattbibbings – yes please. Email addy in profile.

The Curtis is just about perfect … or could be made so as you get to specify everything anyway, but all at a price.

Not sure about EBB vs. sliders. Not had any trouble with sliders but they don’t look as elegant a solution as EBB.

That Skookum does look nice, and very reasonable price too. Nice colour too on Letmetalktomark’s frame.

The Pace was the bike I tested up at Dalby – really liked it and Adrian was a top bloke to chat to as well.

Trouble is they all look lovely to my eyes.

Ah, the agony of choice.

Thanks Candodavid – already emailing Gary to find out options … Sliders vs. EBB etc.

Damn … yes, I have been drooling over a Swift too. This isn’t getting easier 🙁

Catching up … RP23 on my 5 Spot is great (but anything after the DHX Air would feel good).

Best I had was a PUSH’d Vanilla RCA on my old XCE … Almost invisible performance.

Lovely bikes. My late 05 HL still runs fine but a good shock is a must. Pivots last for ages if looked after. Now have a TNT 5 Spot, a HL 5 Spot and a XCE in the house, and no bother from any of them.

Snap! Sorry, bad choice of word there, but I had an arthroscopy yesterday too. Unfortunately gastric fluids came back onto my lungs, and a night in hospital as a result. Typing this in a very nice room in a Nuffield hotel, sorry, hospital.

My priority is now weight loss (gained too much in the 5 months my knee has laid me off). Presumably the physics gave you some exercises to improve things?

I can see many ways to fall out with my neighbour over this! I’m just interested in finding out the legal position, and whether I’d need planning consent to erect a fence that measures 2m from my neighbour’s high side of the boundary or not.

I run a WI 38/35 to 16/19 DOS.

Never use it as intended … But have run both depending on main purpose of bike. So, 38/16 for commuting (on fat tyres) and 35/19 for slightly hilly offroad.

Thanks retro83 – all now sorted and working as it should.

In browser (Safari).

Tried the Adobe site and it’s not responding. Will have another go.

Amazingly I have tried that, but thanks for the effort.

Thanks all.

What’s good enough for that Oldgit is good enough for this one.

The Crud ones look like they’d work but not the SKS – the forks are disk only carbon ones, so no bolt hole at the top.

Thank all. Still can’t see why Longbottoms should be double the price of what appear to be decent alternatives.

Definitely having cast … just who makes it is the question. The plumber who’ll be doing it recommends St. Gobain’s PAM (made in Telford I think) as it’s less than half the price of Longbottoms.

Just posted on the other thread, Candodavid. That is one lovely frame … due to become a standard Curtis offering?

Candodavid – that has to be the nicest thing I’ve seen on here for some time. Is that going to be a standard Curtis offering?

I might have a 04 Explosif in 14″ flavour to sell in a couple of months (but it’s blue). Might be too small though (as my 5′ 4″ daughter is moving up to a 16″ 456).

So there are two types of people who receive training from Jedi, those who say it’s the best thing ever and those who get to taste hospital food………

2/3 of us had a brilliant day. We got air, a good laugh and to drive someone else’s flash motor at speed. To be fair, the injured party out-faced himself* despite being told that he should go at his own speed.

1/3 of us had a brilliant 1/2 day. Lesson I guess is to go in a group with similar skill levels.

I’d go again anytime, but might take a bit more care next time to not throw myself into those nettles, which were vicious.

*I don’t think he was influenced by me & andrewmoke pointing and laughing in any way whatsoever.

Mate of mine, not me this one.

A: More hilarious than spectacular. Over a very small drop, lost control and shot down the hill with legs flapping. Eventually jack-knifed, shot over bars and threw himself shoulder & head first into the ground. Audience of me, andrewmoke & Jedi so I think that’s worth 6 for niche name-dropping.
B: Double break of shoulder blade, dislocated shoulder, broken arm. Multiple facial / thigh & hip grazes. 4
C: 130!!
D: 14
E: Not happy with this scoring system … only opened him up once so 1, but that was to insert a plate, two rods and 14 screws in his shoulder. Think there should be a point per bit of metal inserted into body.
F: Bike unharmed although I did nearly stuff someone’s car up the arse of his BMW X5 when taking it home for him (using the left foot to change gear in an auto isn’t wise). 1 point for a new helmet only.

So, official score 156, but I think 172 better reflects the effort and suffering involved.

I run 2 commuters for that London – Explosif running 2.3 UST Vredestein Killer Bees at 35psi, and heavy steel tourer / hybrid on Schwalbe Marathon touring tyres (35mm) at 60 psi. Latter for the better part of the year, the Explosif for the worse weather.

Personally I find the tourer more comfortable due to the riding position (on the hoods) regardless of tyre pressures and quicker to get up to speed. As for the rest, it depends on the surface – a rougher surface is more likely to slow me down more on the tourer, but on a smoother one the narrower tyres are definitely quicker. As I’m as aerodynamic as a brick I can’t think the benefit is much to do with that!

Thanks all – will check it out.

Bugger bugger bugger.

Any ideas on what would cause it? The Evo has only been ridden in the dry on towpaths on my commuter so far! It’s started driving the pedals round when pushed in the last 2 days only.

A search function … who’d have thought it?

Build something up off Classifieds – I have 24″ wheels [Deore to Sun Rhino Lite] to start you off. Came off my son’s bike (a XS Turner) when he moved up to 26″ wheels. That bike lasted him from 7 to 14 as it grew with him!

If I wanted an air horn, I’d buy one. I want a nice bell! Bells tend to get people to move (in London, anyway) rather than make then drop dead.

Thanks all … the search continues but the Lion one is good. The Sogreni has the looks, but not at the price it seems to be no matter how gorgeous it looks.

Either.

Alternative could be XT cranks with Phil Wood outboard BB – best of both worlds?

Often wondered about this … on my commuter fitted with mudguards I get this. Centre BB to dropout distance is 610mm (56cm frame) which seems pretty standard (same on a few others I’ve had measured to check).

Tempted to try shorter cranks (currently using 175mm), but not sure 165s would feel right. Anyone tried much shorter cranks and felt OK with it?

Anyone with a CDF here tonight?