Anyone with spare 26er, fast rolling tyres? Would be interested in taking them off your hands!

I don’t do the Gym. Partly cost/time, but mostly any exercise time I get, I would rather be out on the bike, pretty much irrespective of the weather. I do some running, which isn’t especially core-oriented either, but mixes it up a bit. I guess I’m fairly fortunate in being fairly fit/slim and don’t have a history of back problems etc, but at 50 years old, do get aches, niggles, stiffness etc. At the moment I keep that at bay by post ride stretching, and when I remember, just a few reps of sit ups, planks, press ups at home. That works for me currently … Sure I would benefit from a couple of structured gym/weight sessions a week but as already said, would prefer to be out on the bike …

Given also that they are relatively pricey (£25ish upwards)

I usually get them for £20ish, and no that’s not pricey.

That was the price on CRC and Wiggle when I first looked (and started this thread) a few weeks ago, although I have seen them at £23 since. The Praxis Works one was £30, so a bit more, but initial impressions are the quality is a step over the standard SRAM products, without paying silly (IMO) Hope-type money.

Like others, have found Shimano HT BB’s much much longer lasting. Ultegra on the current commuter (and formerly CX/gravel toy) for over a year and ~6k Kms. XT’s on the MTBs generally last 1-2 years with plenty of muddy, gritty, wet riding, so think complaints about the (lack of) longevity of the GXP ones are justified.

Just a bit of an update. Settled on the Praxis Works BB eventually, delivered last week and finally installed it yesterday. Initial impressions are that it seems a quality item, well made, well greased etc. Also impressed with the detailed installation instructions showing which size dust seals, spacers etc to use for respective road/MTB cranks and BB shells. Hopefully I’ll get a decent lifespan out of this.

Love my Pickenflick.

Doubt it. I’ve a 700×42 Conti AT ride in mine (2018, not sure if any different in clearance?) … plenty of room to spare but doubt a knobbly 2.1. When I was considering getting mine, read a thread on here and someone posted pics of their 650x2in (file tread) wheels/tyres.

Up until about 5 years ago, only replaced when stolen. Stable was just 1 HT and 1 commuter.

But got more ‘into’ biking, and found that although my Boardman HT was fine for local stuff, it wasn’t really the right bike for weekends away to bigger places (notably too little bike for Antur!)

Cash has always been tight-ish, so still followed a N+1-1=N rule, but did specifically choose my next MTB (On One 45650b) to be a more capable ‘one-MTB’ bike than the Boardman I sold.

On the commuting side, went from a road bike to a disc Boardman hybrid to a CX bike … Found I loved the versatility of the thing and hatched a plan over a number of years to add (ADD! Not swap!) for a second similar (nicer) bike … My 50th birthday Pickenflick was the realisation of that plan, the old CX retired to just commuting/winter road ride duties.

Mind you, had to sell the On One 45650b to part fund that, but that was offset by having gathered (begged, borrowed, ebay) most of the bits to put together not one, but two MTB’s … A rigid SS Inbred and a Cannondale Prophet. Being 26ers, they were cheap but still do the job!

Ideally, I would still like another hardcore HT, a road bike and a commuting SS drop bar bike, but having increased my collection from 2-4 bikes, which cover pretty well all the riding I ever want/need to do, I’ll leave it there for now …

Any real-world experience & reviews of the Praxis works one? (Or indeed the Uberbikes one?)

Fancy the UB version as it comes in lots of shiny colours, but don’t want to wait forever and won’t bother if they’re not much better than the Sram ones.

^^^ where?

I do think there have been some knobbish comments on here, from people who seem to think F*** you to other people we have to share outdoor space with, and that the ‘tourists’ that crowd up Snowdon should just have to put up with us.

I do get that we should challenge the access laws in England and Wales, and I often exercise my views on that by riding designated footpaths and ‘bits of cheek’, but generally try not to be a knob about it, and crucially, choose the time and place so that it’s quieter and less likely to piss other people off.

A bit of mutual respect and consideration to other users goes a long way and is just basic human decency. We live on a crowded island and whether we are bikists, tourists, mountaineers, families with children, horse-riders, dog walkers etc etc, space is often at a premium in lots of places in the countryside. In the same way that those of us who commute or ride tarmac feel unsafe when a car rushes past with little consideration for our safety, I think on Snowdon, at busy times, we need to put ourselves in the shoes/boots/flip-flops of those walking up and down and think what it feels to have a bunch of MTBs hurtling down, scattering slate and shale at 30mph.

The voluntary ban is just an admittedly imperfect solution to try and make sure a little respect, consideration and common sense goes around.

So. Stupid of me not to Google “difference between road & MTB bottom brackets”.

The XT doesn’t fit, so have got the old GXP back on pending arrival of the Uberbike ones back in stock. But, keep ringing them and they keep saying 3ish weeks until they have some more in, but that seems a guess more than anything …

Can anyone recommend an alternative to the SRAM one, but that’s not silly money. Would be prepared to pay £35 max for something better than the stock product.

Cheers.

Nice one. Need a new GXP BB so waiting until they have their stainless steel ones back in stock.

It’s horrible, I hate it. No grip, skidding all over the place.

Not much actual advice I can offer, but sorry to hear that, you must be pretty shaken up. Hope the injuries heal ok.

Worth getting in touch with a LBS to get them to quote for assessing the bike for damage and any repairs (or replacement) necessary. And I’d bide your time a little bit (before agreeing a final settlement) until your medical assessments have shown the extent of the damage.

Since the OP has mentioned the Pickenflick as an option, and in the spirit of recommending what you have … get a Pickenflick!

Now, just to qualify my views, like the OP, I have never been a roadie … the only drop-bar bike I’ve owned in recent years (before the ‘flick) has been a Saracen Hack, which I’ve occasionally (only occasionally mind you) shod with 28c slicks and ridden a proper road ride on. So, I don’t speak as an experienced road-rider.

As winter has been so sh*te and longlasting this year, I’ve ridden the Pickenflick as a solely road bike until a couple of weeks ago … and really really enjoyed it. It has a more supple ride on 28c tyres than the Hack has on 35c tyres, and my road Strava segments and general average speeds are quicker than the Hack, even when that was on road tyres. Some of my segments compare favourably to ‘proper’ roadies I know, on ‘proper’ road bikes. It’s a perfectly decent performer on the road, quick enough for me, although I’m sure a 8kg carbon road bike would be a little bit quicker.

The Pickenflick is meant to be a ‘proper’ CX bike (although was, I understand, designed principally as the ideal tool for the 3 Peaks CX race, which is somewhat different to the usual summer/winter CX series). But it’s not steep-angles & race twitchy, it’s very playful off road but also quite slack (HA is 70° I think on my small frame) and stable, and has tonnes of tyre clearance … I’ve got 700x42c knobblies on it with room to spare. So, its probably more a ‘gravel’ than CX bike.

Mine is the SRAM Rival 22 version … I’d wanted the 1×11 but that was not available at the time. Be aware that there are no rack/mudguard mounts, so as a winter road bike, it’s not ideal, and as an adventure bike, you’re confined to using frame/handlebar/seatpack luggage. Also, you may want to size down … I’m normally a medium, but found the top tube length of that size way too long, so opted for a small.

Notwithstanding some of the component quality issues (rear wheel went back for replacement bearings after a few weeks, the GXP BB lasted only 1k km’s), I really, really like this bike.

Mudguards on the Hack all year round now … Before, it was my only #dirtydropbargoodness bike so hadn’t fitted mudguards for the past couple of years; now I’ve got the Pickenflick I can use that when I want to take the muddy/dusty way in!

Just a fork fender on both MTBs and a down tube fender on the SS HT … It’s light and innocuous and being slender steel tubing, any mud (which we do still get through the summer) flings off the wheels, past the downtube and into my eyes without it. Never really bother with a rear mudguard on the MTB.

Daviek … Only recently built up to 4 in my collection, the FS and SS HT builds were each put together for a total of around £200-400! Amazing what deals you can get on

Of course, N+1 does solve some of the that-bike’s-broken-I’ll-ride-this-one-instead problem … but only up to a point. Then you’ve got 4 bikes to fix / get fixed rather than 2!

I agree … most of the time … with b_s_n. It IS satisfying when you manage to do something successfully that you’ve either not attempted before, or failed! Setting up the FS tubeless was a recent example for me, and successfully indexing gears.

Brake bleeding was a bit more mixed. Tried several times, seemed to have got the bubbles out, lever felt solid against the bleed block. Removed the syringes etc, and it all goes floppy 😣. Finally sorted it on Sunday, which was when I then discovered the hose leak.

Oh. Forgot to add that the pack of chainring bolts the bike shop sold me the other day (to replace the one that fell off the Rival crank) are the wrong size, despite me presenting them with a specimen (taken from aforementioned crank!) …

I used to use Nuun, and then struggled to get hold of them (not aware of the history/problems). I use Zero now, which I presume ARE zero (apart from electrolyte stuff), but haven’t actually checked …

*trots off down to the kitchen to read the label …

… Right, bit of sweetener, green tea extract, otherwise Vit C, magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium. Not sure if that ticks your ‘free from’ requirements?

Right. XT BB and adaptor arrived in the post over the weekend. 2 questions …

1. When I removed the SRAM Rival Chainset, there was a thin plastic washer between the Non-DS arm and the bearing face of the BB. Do I use this again? Also, on the DS part of the crank, a plastic ring/washer slotted over the crank axle, pushed right up to the inside face of the spider. Keep that too?

2. The GXP BB that I removed didn’t come with spacers between the BB cups and BB shell of the bike (and I’ve also noticed on my Hack that its Ultegra BB also doesn’t have spacers.) But I’ve always fitted spacers to my XT BB’S on my (mountain) bikes. Are ‘road’ BB’s different to MTB ones, and don’t need the spacers fitting? But since I have a MTB BB (XT), I DO need to fit the spacers?

Sorry, probably daft questions …

Cheers

Cheers Staffo … That’s the kind of stuff. Think I’ll avoid SS this year, maybe give it a thought in future years. Pickenflick it is then, will try and get it set up tubeless.

Munrobiker 😁

Just spent 5 minutes searching for that website!

These are what I’m looking for. Not sure why the internet didn’t understand my request first time around …

https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/accessories-c11/bottles-cages-c139/hollow-6mm-bottle-cage-p6458

Thanks, but not really what I’m after. Wanted the more traditional alloy wire cages, like these, but orangier!

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F112799932079

Just the three of us then breninbeener?! …

There must be others out there with wisdom to offer?

What’s your budget? If off the shelf, something like the Genesis CdF? Or get something custom made … Woodrups in Leeds comes recommended

I’m far from experienced in the world of tubeless, but having failed to properly set up with some valves bought off here (no idea what make), which leaked no matter what I did with them, I bought some Stan’s valves which work perfectly on Stan’s rims (which is good … would have been disappointed if they hadn’t!)

Will follow this thread with interest, as I’ve got some Vision wheels to set up tubeless on the Gravel bike …

Another suggestion from the PX/On One stable … The On One Pickenflick. No good if you need mudguards and/or rack mounts (doesn’t have any) but a stonking good ride and at a very reasonable budget, either full bike or frameset. Coming from my Saracen Hack (which I guess is similar to the Arkose), I’ve been really impressed with the way mine rides, feels light-ish, stiff-ish, compliant and responsive. Been great as a road bike on (dry) winter days, and really loving it now it’s back in ‘gravel’ mode with 42c Conti knobblies.

Try fitting the pedal from the inside face of the crank, this might retap the thread for you.

^^^ this.

Your LBS should be able to sort it if that doesn’t work.</span>

Up the top of my street, through the churchyard, and into a small section of woody singletrack. It’s ok rather than decent, but good for starters. Or in the other direction, 3 mins on the road before a great, varied section … ancient cobbles buried amongst the dirt, fast, flowy, jumping off cobbled lips or roots, culminating in a steep, rocky descent to a wooden bridge over a stream. So much good stuff in and around north Leeds … You can have a belting 1 hour blast or a full day loop. Or there’s a wealth of technically much easier trails, but which are a hoot flat out on a CX/gravel bike.

Good shout on Uberbike … out of stock though.

Yes. Or No.

As per my profile name, almost all my MTB riding has been on HT’s, and for years, a HT has been my do it all MTB. That’s not particularly been through choice or some purist-value thing, just that I’ve not had the cash for 2 MTBs. My 45650b met most of my requirements most of the time, at home on local trails, taking trail centres in its stride, capable (enough) for big days out in the mountains.

I have just built up a Cannondale Prophet (total cost around £350), as it was so cheap, thought “why not”. Am glad to have it. Haven’t ridden it much yet, suspect it will get used quite a lot, but the other MTB (no longer have the 45650b), Inbred Rigid SS will get used on quick local blasts, and through the winter slop.

TBH, most of the local trails can be ridden on FS, HT, Rigid, CX/gravel bike, the advantages ebb and flow depending on which bike is on which bit of trail.

My FS will be a nice option to have. I’m not convinced, for me, it would be my preference as my only MTB (but that view may well change as I get more time on the bike).

What’s your budget?

I’m loving my Pickenflick, currently in ‘road’ mode with 28 tyres. It’s not up for cat 3 road races, but then, neither am I. But, decently light-ish, stiff-ish, compliant frame (stock wheels a little heavy), Hydro brakes, good clearance (700×43 / 650b x 2″ish). 2 sets of wheels and most bases covered.

Brilliant.

If I use the Tesa tape, do I get the width for what is written on the rim, or do I have to measure the internal width?

I’ve only done this once, only the season it first opened (on a Boardman HT … Somewhat under-biked!)

Has it changed / developed much since? Seem to recall there were only 4 or 5 lines down, have they added any more?

@postierich … Have toyed with the jennride for a couple of years, just the planets haven’t aligned. It’s still on the shortlist! Along with the Dales200/300.

There used to be the Mary Townley Loop CX, but doesn’t seem to have been run for a couple of years … Anyone know if that’s back on the agenda, or something similar

I’m not sure I see the point really …

If you have the clearance, I’d just run bigger tyres, set up tubeless, lower pressures. Most Gravel bikes (and many CX-type) bikes will have clearance for 700 X 38-42c or 650b X 1.7-2in tyres, which will be perfectly fine on all but the rockiest off road.

Or get a Monster cross with 29×2.3 rubber.

If you need to ride something gnarlier, you’re on the wrong bike …

I think there is growing overlap between gravel/monstercross/MTB, but in my view, once you start wanting a suspension fork, you want a MTB.

No. But can be fiddly, faffy, prone to going ‘out of tune’ and susceptible to shi**y riding (winter commuting) conditions.

I’ve had BB5s that haven’t been that powerful, and the adjustment dial siezed so had to bin them. Cheap Promax originally on my Hack, which were underwhelming at best. Currently got TRP Spyre on the front / Shimano CX on the back, work well and are powerful when set up but lose performance as they wear (despite adjusting the pads) and the Spyre in particular has been prone to seizing / becoming stiff this winter. Mate’s London Road that I was looking after for a year had BB7s which were consistently very good (but did freeze up during a couple of sub-zero rides)

By contrast, my Pickenflick, which has SRAM Rival HRD is night and day better than all the cable disc brakes on my other bikes, and notably better than the BB7s on my mate’s bike … The original organic pads didn’t last long through a few wet gritty muddy rides, but since replacing with semi-metallic, have been excellent (so far).

If you really only have a few quid, cable disc brakes are probably worth it (and I’ve ‘made do’ for years) but if you can find a way to get the extra money together, it’s a no-brainer in my view.

Be interested to see what people suggest … I use a rack and waterproof pannier (for laptop, diary, notebook and other miscellaneous chattel) but don’t like bikes with racks and the pannier is too big for 95% of the time so stuff clatters about when I take the off road options home. Wondering about a seatpost qr rack and rack top bag …

For your use, a full frame bag?

I would get in touch with Smudge at MTB Batteries and see whether he can refurb your light with new batteries … Sure he does this sort of thing on a regular basis.