For a piece of video that long I’d use Premiere (or Final Cut). After Effects gets unwieldy with long durations/ timelines. All of the effects are just scaling, blurring and transitions applied to still images and graphics made in illustrator/photoshop.

Making sure the logos on tyres line up with the logos on the rims is about as far as it goes. A bike that’s mechanically correct tends to be aesthetically correct by default.

If it’s grinding in all the gears then it sounds like a new chain + worn chainring issue.

I haven’t had chainsuck in years and I use a triple front. If you’ve been off your bike for a length of time maybe you’re bike setup skills are also out of practice, working on the presumption that you built your new frame up yourself. I’d suggest taking your bike into your LBS and getting them to set it up.

Still unsure about the comfort /Sportive geo. Personally I went for a full-on road frame and cut the steerer slightly longer so I can lower the stem height as I prefer- logic being that if I bought a Sportive, I’d end up getting a mentalist road bike in the end anyway. Unless you want a do-it-all long distance, all weather machine with rack and mudguard mounts then go for a proper road frame.

I use SPDs on my road bike- means only 1 pair of shoes across 3 bikes and easier to unclip at traffic lights.

I have tubeless ready tyres and Stans rims but use tubes and have had zero problems. I found the initial installation of tubeless grim (couldn’t get the tyre to inflate with a compressor) so gave up. Might try it again at some point but I keep up with riding buddies using tubeless so I might not bother.

Talk Talk are an ‘added value’ reseller. Best avoided anyway, despite the hacking.

Watching youtube vids to observe form seconded. I’d suggest doing core training along with free weights (not machines). Don’t get sucked into the macho BS and push too hard too early. I’ve found doing core stuff on the matt and doing free weights (heavier, less repetitions) works for me.

I think the skinwalls work myself, might even be part of the reason why the black mudguards look so good….

Just being a ****- great looking bike all round. I’d never of attempted to fit mudguards to a bike with such small clearances, nice work.

Get a proper purchase with a small monkey wrench / mole grips and carefully wiggle it side to side.

Joking aside, neat looking installation on the Diverge. You barely notice they’re there.

nice ‘guards, shame about the skinwalls.

Ultegra 6800 is a thing of joy. Best groupo I’ve owned on any bike ever (25 years). Do it.

They all are when you’ve done a few dozen sets. There’s a couple of tricks but it’s not hard on most bikes.

Hints & tips please- tell us how. I generally like building and maintaining my bicycles but mudguards are a chore.

Yes, Bontrager do some ‘guards with adjustable stays that don’t need to be cut. I’m personally a bit wary of how they look- you end up with a lot of surplus metal.

Yeah they don’t look great.

Always a pain fitting SKS guards. Mine are still waiting to have the ends of the stays dremeled off and the caps fitted wish probably won’t happen. Wish someone would design some guards that are easy to fit. I did see some Bontragers in my LBS that attempted to address the stay cutting problem, also had better clearance for big tyres. They weren’t cheap though.

Was on my 17lbs Litespeed T3 doing a steep climb and was overtaken by a chap in his 50s commuting on a fixie. To be fair I was carrying a bag full of Sainsburys. Next time.

Come around to thinking they could well be a good thing for cycling in general. Either way, contentious!

Listen to this, it’s quite telling. Get’s juicy at 24:50:-

The Spokesmen #117 – Semi-live from Sea Otter

Electric Bikes are set to be the most contentious issue of modern times .

Agreed. Definite case of the industry creating a need/marketplace. Not that keen on red tape generally but I hope e-bikes get regulated to death.

*this info is based on very old Hope brakes, so is possibly irrelevant. Though, possibly not, as I’ve never had the slightest inclination to swap back.

It was more a comment on how spares and telephone support are still available for an old product. If Hope are still willing to entertain an old spendthrift git like me then I think the extra ££ initial price you pay for Hope stuff is worth it.

I’ve had a pair of original Hope Minis on 4 different bikes since 2002. I’ve stripped and rebuilt them twice in that time and replaced the original from rotor with a bigger one so I could fit some post mount Foxes. All parts for the 2x rebuilds were still available from Hope. If you upgrade your kit regularly then go Shimano, if you want a product that lasts then go Hope.

Your iPad/iPhone talks to the Apple TV via the wifi router. Any limitations in speed is down to your router, not the Apple TV.

I’ve had my Apple TV for 4 years and it’s been brilliant. I use it in quite a limited way; just the Netflix app, also streaming BBC iPlayer from my phone and streaming movies from my laptop using the Beamer OSX app. It’s been effortless and bugless.

Sorry thought you meant ‘flash alloy’ as in a high end alloy bike. Cannondale still make them…

Cannodale’s bike range is massive with lots of disciplines. Best to specify a model if you want a response on here.

Shoot on a plain white background as the patterned surface in the images you posted distracts from the work. Rather than forking out for a lighting setup, wait for an overcast day and shoot outdoors (diffused omi-directional light).

Exposure wise, I’d take your light meter readings from the bight areas as these will become over-exposed if you expose for the shadows or mid tones as metal is hyper reflective.

Had the same problem choosing wheels for my CX bike. After a lot of research it turns out a lot of people use Open Pros and Open Sports with CX tyres. Ended up getting some Open Sports with 105s

Are you taking about the CAAD road frames? Never ridden one but did ponder, they get good reviews.

Bought a ’94 Kona Kilauea frame to build up as commuter. Medium size so the TT length and standover was spot on for me. Also light (Tange Prestige) and had seat tube profiling at the BB so was stiff- sprinted like a road bike. Unfortunately it died from rust (no ED coating in them days). That said, 5/5 – would buy again.

http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product/423/htt182/hope-pro-2-evo-rear-bearing-support-bush-kit.html

Got told by my LBS that they no longer did gear cable off the reel and would only sell me an Dura Ace cable set for £25. Also wouldn’t lend me a spoke wrench for 5 mins so I could fit the spokes I’d just bought as my front wheel was dangerous. Ended up walking home. I don’t go in there so much now.

Mindless nostalgia. Bikes are for riding, not for polishing.

This case is one of those strange anomalies when you have a libertarian, ‘anyone can sue anyone for anything’ culture. It works a lot of the time but cases like this and constant high school shootings are a byproduct, along with a deregulated food market and the obesity problem.

The Conservatives are cutting back on some channels of public expenditure (healthcare, public services etc) and investing in infrastructure projects as a way of stimulating the economy. It’s the American model of Keynesian economics. They’re still spending a lot but being ideologically selective about where they spend by utilising the private sector. The ‘Austerity’ thing is just spin.

Reactionary politics + reactionary journalism. If you have a moderate centre-left viewpoint you’ll get shouted down these days; social media is mostly to blame. Owen Jones uses similar techniques to whip up the crowd.

Used them a few years ago and they were great; fast rolling, also very grippy for such a widely spaced tread. Unfortunately they used to wear very quickly and were expensive. Maybe the new cheaper, harder compound doesn’t transfer well to the King’s tread pattern.

As long as the chain is genuinely newish you should be fine. Be sure to ensure the 2 two new links aren’t tight (push them back and forth sideways to loosen) and the pins correctly inserted- even on both sides.

Always fancied the Intense road bike. Guess it’s old hat now.

Have a look at the Specialized Romin Evo. Most comfortable, light and well made saddle I’ve owned. It’s marketed as a road saddle but I find it comfy for off road use, also free of shorts destroying stitching.

Loads of wheel deals out there; Wiggle, Chain Reaction & Merlin are good places to start.