Kmc for me, although I have just fitted a wipperman to my cx bike, so will be interesting to see how that goes this winter.

It’s possible to put a big ride if you want to without too much trouble.
I used to ride with a club from Hucknall through to Clumber & back with no more than half a mile on road.
From Gedling you can get from Bulcote up behind the Churc, or Burton Joyce up Bridle road into Lambley, Woodborough, Calverton into Blidworth Woods & then as far as you want towards Sherwood Pines & further still if you want.

I’m Cytech level 3 qualified, DT wheelbuilder, suspension specialist course etc. etc.
Had ten years running a shop for someone else as main sales & mechanic & was earning £8 per hour & that was considered reasonable money.
As a mechanic only the going rate appears to be around minimum wage.

Froglegs out of choice, or I’ve just fitted some of the Kore canti’s (they were cheap)

Anthem X IMO
I ride just about everything on my original Anthem, with 3.5″ travel & steeper head angles.
Sold my Reign & just don’t ride my 456 as the Anthem does it all.
Great fun at most trail centres if that’s what you’re thinking about, quicker than a lot of longer travel bikes unless you’re going places like Cwmcarn for the bigger DH stuff.

I used to have a pair of Middleburn Ti skewers & the rear snapped for no reason. Really wanted a replacement but couldn’t bring myself to pay almost £50 at the time for one skewer!

I haven’t test ridden a bike since 1998 when I bought a second hand GT Zaskar. Every other bike I’ve just bought it.

Nothing. I go out & ride to help clear my head.
What annoys me though is people who ride with both ear pieces in & turned up too loud, so they have no idea that there’s a rider behind them.
I find the best method for that though is just to blast past, push them out the way & shout ‘STRAVA’ as loud as I can, seems fair.

My ’05 Reign, the first shape with the forged basket around the bottom of the shock-lovely bike.
My Empella Bonfire cross bike at the end of last season. I was a fool to sell it then & so cheaply.

Derbyshire if it wasn’t for all the tourists as soon as the sun comes out 🙁
So more likely Powys. Some stunning scenery, great riding & not many people-just don’t tell everyone.

I still service a Giant Cadex from 96? or thereabouts, no problems with it at all.
And a MCM full sus come to think of it, or at least did until it was stolen last year.
Will-your XTC is an ’06, not ’05 😉

Best bike
spare
road bike
cross bike this week.

That’s it for me at the moment, as long as I’m not counting my first two ever race MTB’s at the back of the shed or anything that’s not complete & rideable as that’d add up to another 5…
Isn’t it in the rules that it’s N+1?

I put 680’s on mine & had to cut them down by 20mm as they felt too wide.
I must be getting old:(

Same here. Think- I’ve only been out on my mountain bike about ten times this summer, although I am heading out for a blast when SWMBO gets home from work.

They can be DIY’s easily enough with sockets, vice & hammers.
Bearings are all industry standard types, so unless you need the bolts, sleeves & bushes for the horst link if it’s an ’02 then you don’t need the genuine kit.
IIRC, the main pivot is either a 6000 or a 6001 & only two of, one in each side pressed up to a shoulder on the swingarm.

Yep, not a problem, I’ve done it on an old cx bike & a road bike earlier in the year & it worked fine.

Keep practicing. The more you do, the easier it gets.
I had exactly the same in my first duathlon, but 3-4 races later it feels much easier.

Sorry, I mis understood what you were look ing for, I’ll blame that on not much sleep & a small child.
Windwave are usually pretty good at knowing what’s interchangeable. Don’t suppose there are any dead ones on ebay are there to scavenge for parts?

Does this help at all?
Click here

Although, if you need some new parts-best of luck.

I’ve met Ian a few times & done bits of work for him & seems a really sound bloke.
Really seems to know his stuff & been doing it long enough now.

Adaptor to pump up some old (’02?) Bomber Marathons or similar

Should be available. Some cheap bikes still come with them new.
Pretty sure VP still do them. Any LBS, if they haven’t got them in stock, should be able to help you out.
If you’re struggling, drop me an email & I’ll see what I can do.

what don’t you like about tubeless?

I’ve tried Stans on Mavic & DT rims & Bontrager wheels & TBH, the Bonty’s were a heavy wheel, so never going to offer the weight advantage people speak of.
The Stans I got one tyre to seal properly out of two wheel sets, the others would last for 2-3 rides before needing re inflating due to leaking sidewalls.
That I could just about live with, but I could never get a narrow mud tyre to seal. If it’s really claggy when I’m racing, I like to run 1.8’s or even narrower & just doesn’t seem possible tubeless, regardless of system.

Combine that with the faff of changing tyres if conditions change somewhere like Mayhem or SITS & it was enough to put me off & go for the easy life.

So my current system tends to be:
Schwalbe Racing Ralphs/Rocket Rons/Nobby Nics or Maxxis Medusa 1.8’s or Conti xc 1.5’s if it’s really sticky.
Combined with Schwalbe xx lite tubes & means I end up with about the same weight as running rim strips & sealant, but without the fuss.
Pressure wise, I can usually happily run around 25psi without pinch flats unless I’m in the Peak District, but then I’ve usually got bigger tyres on anyway.

Pretty much yes.
Conversion kit so you get the yellow tape, rim strip & sealant, or the ghetto approach of insulation tape, BMX inner tube cut down & some liquid latex.
*edit*
Don’t blame me if it doesn’t work-I’m not a fan of tubeless & still use good ol’ fashioned tubes (albeit light ones)

12-25 & you’ll be fine.
I run a 50/34 & a 12-27 when I’m going to the Alps, Pyrenees etc. other than that I stick to the 25 as I don’t like the big gaps between the gears, leaves you hunting to find the right one.

They usually come with them as standard, but if not, any Giant dealer can order you one in that’ll fit properly.

Easy to replace, most LBS’s can get them in from Fishers if they don’t have them in stock, just depends on Fishers’ stock level then really, but a quick check is showing most of them in stock.

No brakes, tyres aren’t great, seatpost is seized, chrome flaking off the rims, grips are shot.
I was planning on sorting it mechanically & selling it back on, just haven’t got round to it yet.
What I paid for it £40.

I also bought a BMX whilst having a rather large glass or two of a nice red.
So if anyone wants a rough looking Eastern Shovelhead BMX, let me know.. 🙄

Most parts on the Shimano Europe diagrams are available.
Any bike shop with a Madison account (just about everyone) can get them.

Yes.

Torq for me as well.
After trying SIS & High5 & not having the greatest stomach reaction to either…
Rode the Etape with Torq, 8 gels, 2 750mm bottles of energy drink, 2 bars & no problems.

Have you spoken to your physio or chiropractor to have thier view on which might be best?

Good plan, might pull in Bala as well if I head that way, or go exploring out towards Mach as you say. I’ve never ridden out that way so might go for a look.
Thanks for the ideas.

Last time I went out through Guilsfield, Llanfyllin, round Vyrnwy & back. Nice ride just wondered where the locals go!

I wouldn’t for Thetford, not sticky enough iirc from when I raced there in the wet. I’d rather run something a bit bigger, have a touch more grip & comfort to be able to carry more speed. Medusa 1.8 maybe if you still want something narrow(ish)?

skittish, uncomfortable & not huge amounts of grip.
Great for clearance though if it’s REALLY sticky or for small cx bikes

I’ve run Shimano for the past three years.
They’ve been ok, but when the cleats die & they’re getting close, I’ll swap to either Look or ideally Speedplay.

Yes you can. The valve core is the same as any other shraeder valve. Just make sure you check there isn’t any pressure in it before you remove it.
When you serviced them last time, did you use a genuine service kit or generic O rings on the air pistons? As if the generic metric ones, they’re not an exact match for the originals.

Not in the slightest. She even bought me my road bike (TCR Advanced) & thinks they should live in the house (which they do) to keep them safe