let the pages of prolix debate ensue…

I only have a tapered steerer on my road/cross bike, but with rigid forks it really helps to cut down fore/aft flex. I can understand the benefit for mtb’s having a fatter headtube, as it creates stiffer front end of the frame.

..Or far cheaper, the H-bar copy that is the Humbert Space Bugel for about £20. A friend has some and says they’re great.

Wow, some people really still say ‘I/you would though wouldn’t you?’ in a non ironic way!? I hadn’t realised the world had regressed to a 1994 episode of men behaving badly…

Will be watching it from the roadside by hook or by crook. Will probably involve a night of bikepacking somewhere beforehand! Will try and watch it when it gets to London, which will be just as mentally busy. Will also be watching the Commonwealth Games road race about a month or so later too.

Agree that parellel push were the best ones. It’s not true that it over complicated things. They were more powerful and wore evenly with far less adjustment. Best i used were old LX parellel push in blue, brilliant. Found XT of the same era were not as good.

…in fact, apart from the frame it is an utter monstrosity

The frame is lovely…what’ll you do about the chain tension? There’s something odd about the front mudguard though…

Wow, tyres in a washing machine blows my mind. Don’t quite understand putting a cassette in the dishwasher though, as you can just put it in a bath of white spirit for the same effect and don’t risk being busted.

Also, isn’t it being a bit wasteful putting the washing machine on for some tyres!? Fair play to you though, it’s always nice to do naughty things when the other half is away!

I was using Durano 25’s, but have had a rash of punctures since winter kicked in, and something slit the sidewall too. It’s a shame because they ride brilliantly in all conditions. Have had to invest in some heavy ‘puncture proof’ 40mm tyres (it’s a cross bike) for the winter months.

You’re a lucky sod if £1200 budget for a frame ‘isn’t much’!

It’s an alright piece of singeltrack – ride it fast for most fun, very little gradient, and not in the least bit technical. Worth a go, and there’s hidden trails across the road to the north of Verwood, if you fancy getting lost a bit…

Nowt special and didn’t start using strava until February this year, but a fair bit of climbing for a southerner. Includes some classic alpine climbs and the Marmott route – 4000m of climbing in one hit! Hoping to double it this year.

2198km (1365 miles)
33,329m climbing (109,347ft)
117 hours
129 rides

Very bizarre, but at least you got the result you deserved, i’d have been pretty pissed off if it had turned out against you. Although nothing should have happended in the first place, apart from an apology from the nut job lady!

Very nice indeed. I’ve spent some time in Finland, and stayed in some wooden houses and a log cabin. I would feel complete being able to build my own house out of wood…and have an mtb leaning against the wall.

You should be able to get the pistons back in but it will be fiddly, then a re-bleed. Sintered pads next time!?

I’ve never really ridden a FS properly, and i’m quite curious about trying one. But I simply can’t afford to build one to the spec I would like without stripping down the HT. This would mean it would have to be my one mtb, and i’m not convinced it would work out for me. I currently have a 120mm inbred 26er which I ride on anything, including trips to Snowdon and Cadair Idris. Certainly the best tool for trail centres and long climbs.

If you’re not concerned about outright speed, then a HT will go down anything, it’ll just be different to a FS. I’m quite fastidious with maintenance, but have no idea if a FS will test my patience – i’ve only ever heard hearsay about the burden of FS maintenance, is it really that bad?? Interested to know.

It sounds like great fun, but i’d urge caution: let the conditions dictate when you go out, and I think they’re saying don’t bother! The weather looks pretty terrible, and although you’ll probably be fine, if you do get into trouble you’ll be in a worse position than if the weather was OK. Also, good luck keeping your stove going in 50mph winds to cook that lump of meat!

..or get a turbo trainer DVD?

‘American Flyers’ has kevin Costner in it. Being chased by a dog. Who needs EPO Lance, when you could have had some wholesome motivation…

The film is about training for a race in the Rocky Mountains too!

I found it hard enough on a rented Lynskey titanium road bike with decent gearing…respect!

Probably an inbred, yes…

Although in theory it won’t deliver the last couple of % best shifting, it will still work well with thise combos. I’ve always run SRAM chains on shimano cassettes and they work great.

For more cash you could also get new lowers if you’re feeling a bit more flush?

Well, it’s not good for resale value, but a friend did the same thing on the post mount of a RS Recon fork. You can tap the thread out to a larger size (and the caliper hole made slightly bigger) and use a bigger bolt. It’s at the limit but it will work, just forget about warranties and stuff like that anymore!

All the ones I have cut have needed spreading and are certainly tight enough once seated, and once tightened. I always test it by seating the bearing on it and giving it a spin. But sounds like you have been convinced the other way anyhow…so get ye a crown race setter or to your lbs!

Well, the choice is yours OP. A bodge is only a bodge if it lacks thought and is a temporary fix – but cutting a crown race isn’t like this. There is an element of easier fitting as a reason for doing it, but there is no real down side to doing so, other than perhaps a perception from other people that you may not be doing a ‘proper’ job. Which is fine, both approaches are opinion, there’s no actual difference in technical performance…

I’ve split any crown race i’ve had that wasn’t split in the first place, and they have been fine for years. When the stem cap is tightened up there is no movement where there shouldn’t be, and your bearings would have to be completely shagged to make the crown race spin, as it is still a pretty tight fit once split (needs to be spread to seat fully).

If the bearings are cartridge, do it and it is no problem at all.

I like the sound of the foam stuff, i’ll be treating myself to some at xmas! I’ve used jizer before, but found it a bit too potent, and it is so runny that if you use too much it gets into the freehub and washes out the grease. Great for a chain bath, but I use white spirit for that which is cheaper still…

Me and my brother took the train to l’Alpe d’Huez this year and it was very pleasant, as we drove last time. You can take your bike in a bag on all trains OK, so go from scotland to King’s X, then eurostar to paris, then TGV to Grenoble (3hrs direct from Paris Gare de Lyon). Bus transfer from Grenoble less than an hour. If you book early the prices are very reasonable, and it is a very pleasing way to travel. I left from London at 730am, and arrived in Grenable about 1530, so adding in scotland journey and it should be same day, or perhaps get the sleeper the night before (my brother did this from Glasgow)..

With the right scouting on the internet and older stock in your lbs, you can get amazing deals, but it will take up more of your time. A friend built up a decent 29er hardtail (full xt brakes and transmission, xtr hubs, mavic rims thomson stem/seatpost, reba forks) by patiently buying sstuff brand new from ebay or sale items from german bike online stores, and he did it for £700 in total. It just took a bit longer and time to look, but very much worth it in the end.

Also accept that a late 2000’s 9-speed mtb isn’t very far away at all from a brand new bike in terms of performance, but costs comparatively little to upgrade/maintain – and enjoy!

I never have data on when recording a ride, and the strava app itself is a pretty poor gps logger and especially inaccurate on an iphone. It’s worth downloading a simple gps tracker and exporting the data from that to strava. The data is only needed to give you a mapping image, not record the gps waypoints.

would love to go over the bars backwards. On the up side, at least you won’t see the car/elk that kills you.

Pinnacle Arkose 3 frame for £110. Seems to be room for 40mm tyres on mine, easily.

My skills are compensated for by having a soft front and a tumescent tail.

I think it is psychological rather than down to machinery. Any MTB is fun if you feel lucky to be on it and making the most of any trail you happen to be on. I’ve been using my hardtail to commute to work, and there is no off road, but it’s just way more fun because I can manual over a few bumps rather than chatter over them on my commuter, or jump off kerbs…it’s a state of mind I try and keep whenever I ride, so you get the most out of the bike and trail no matter what the bike or trail is.

Normal stickers are only just tolerable, but it’s just tragic having your name somewhere.

If you’re worried about gear range, you can run Alfine with two or three chainrings up front, and any old rear mech to take up the slack (small old road one will do – shimano made a alfine specific one). Slightly defeats the object but still less maintenance as the rear mech doesn’t do any shifting.

As others have said with staying lose and low, but try and drop your heels and wrists at the same time. Looking at bike side-on, think of the wrists like the hands round a clock face (handlebar) and you want to try and get them closer to 9 o’clock. When they are higher (say, 11 o’clock), bumps will rotate your wrists (and you!) over the bar, rather than into it. Tilting your levers higher can help with this a lot, as not doing this may automatically put your wrists too far over the bar. Also make sure the fork is at a good pressure and not burning up travel too quickly…