I was not aware of that – thanks for the heads up dirtyrider

1st year – ran Maxxis Ardent 2.25 front tubed at around 30psi and Maxxis Advantage 2.1 rear tubed at around 32psi on large(ish) forked hardtail. No punctures. Both regular Maxxis folding tyres, no fancy protection, EXO sidewalls, etc….

2nd year – ran Schwalbe Hans Dampf 2.35 Snakeskin Trail Star front, tubeless at 25psi, Schwalbe Hans Dampf 2.35 Snakeskin Pacestar rear, tubeless at 28psi on a 6″ travel trailbike. No punctures.

This year – dunno – giving serious consideration to going fat…

Also worth bearing in mind that if you’re changing from knobbly tyres to slicks, you’ll almost certainly drop the overall circumference and that will have the effect of lowering your gear ratio. I’d reckon you’d want to go a couple of teeth bigger to address this, and that’s *before* you worry about spinning out with your current setup

timba – absolute pressure is relative to vacuum, gauge pressure is relative to atmospheric.

It’s possible – though unlikely in the case of a bike pump – that the gauge is calibrated in absolute pressure. In this case, the gauge would read 14.7psi/1bar at rest (at sea level). I’m defining at rest to mean not hooked up to a tyre/thumb over valve and pumping/whatever. This should really be clearly identified by appending an “a” to the units (psia, bara).

Assuming the gauge reads “0” at rest then it’s calibrated in gauge pressure. Strictly speaking, this should have “g” added to the end of the units (psig, barg). But because it’s what we’re on about with tyre pressures, this is usually missed off pressure gauges on pumps car/bike/shock pumps. Gauge pressure is effectively the differential pressure between atmospheric pressure and the pressure within the pressurised body (e.g. tyre, shock, fork) that you’re interested in.

If you thing about it… a tyre at a pressure of anything less than atmospheric pressure (14.7psia at sea level) would not resist the atmospheric pressure bearing down on it and would be crushed. As a result, it wouldn’t be at all effective as a tyre.

Re: accuracy of gauges, accuracy and resolution are all well and good but so long as you always use the same gauge, good repeatability is good enough. Obviously, an accurate gauge must have good repeatability, but a gauge which gives consistent results (i.e. good repeatability) need not be particularly accurate.

Most track pumps have gauges that read to 150psi or more, but the nature of a mechanical gauge means you’ll never get particularly good/accurate/repeatable readings if you’re only using the first 25% or so of the scale – I wouldn’t generally trust a reading from a mechanical gauge much below 50% of full scale deflection.

There are two races on Saturday rhid – Enduro Sport and AM Challenge. Both using the same course with 3x stages, but the Enduro Sport is enduro format (timed on the 3x stages only) and the AM Challenge is sportive format (timed for the whole lap of 3x stages and liaisons/transitions/pedaly bits). Enduro Sport start times from 10:15 to 12:30, AM Challenge start time is 13:30 to 14:00. Clearly if one is doing one race and one is doing the other, start times are going to be different.

And as for riding with your mates, there’s a group of 20 or so of us that entered for the Sunday event independently. Team thing seems to have worked out fine for us.

It’s pretty much inevitable that as an event grows, things will change – some things work, some things don’t, some things may only work with relatively small numbers whereas bigger entries require a bit more organisation. They did the “choose your slot at registration” thing last year – it worked OK but towards the end of registration there was a lot of slots that had one or two spaces and as we were riding as a group of 3 we ended up with a later start time than we would have liked.

I can assure you I’m not getting days mixed up as I didn’t ride stage 5 in practice :P It’s not impossible that I’m getting years mixed up though :oops: Stage 5 last year was pretty much identical to stage 4 from the 2013 event.

Anyway, whether it was drizzling or not, it was certainly deceptively greasy by the end of Sunday, making it pretty easy to get a bit out of shape. And it’s one of those stages where it’s all too easy to find yourself going a bit quicker than might be advisable…

Uberbike do finned now – with the finned bit being a separate part so you only replace the actual pad bit. They’re a bit more fiddly to fit as 5 elements (finned plate/pad/spring/pad/finned plate) to align and get the retaining pin through rather than 3 (finned pad/spring/finned pad), but having run a set with race matrix pads in Zees on the rowdy hardtail at the weekend initial reaction is positive.

Re: Saturday practice – worth noting that the full course will not be open for practice on Saturday this year – event website suggests only two stages available for Saturday practice – http://www.ardrockenduro.co.uk/events/enduro-2/
I would guess that the 3 stages not available for practice will be the 3 stages that form the Enduro Sport event which is running on Saturday.

As for mud riding skillz, well, the bottom of last years’ stage 1 evolved a bit between Saturday practice and a fairly late starting slot on Sunday. Other than that, I don’t recall mud being a particular issue. Bits of stage 5 got a bit lairy descending on greasy damp grass as it started to drizzle a bit at the end of Sunday, but not muddy as such.

Was it 18 Bikes that were offering framebuilding courses? Obviously they’re not in London and a course may not be available to suit your timescale, but might be a way of being involved )very involved) in the build without holding up a pro who’s more interested in getting your frame finished and out the door.

Been to Ethiopia twice with work a few years ago (circa 2010/2011). One return trip with British Airways, one return trip with Ethiopian, flying from Heathrow each time. Not a lot to choose between them tbh. So long as you’ve got a good book and don’t get bored easily, a 6hr stop at Addis airport is no better or worse than a 6hr stop at any other airport. If you’re the type of person who gets bored easily and like to while away transit stops in duty free, then it’s probably not the route for you.

Internal flights with Ethiopian Airlines – well, that’s a slightly different matter, but this is also true of many airlines.

I usually run around 7psi front, 9psi rear (On One Fatty running Floaters with tubes in on std On One Wheels). Tried going down to 6psi on the front but it felt a little too ready to roll off the rim. Back end can get a bit bouncy when pedalling, but changing gear and spinning as smoothly as possible helps.

Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive is a great little box – much underrated. May not quite cut it at the more mentalist end of the scale, but they’re cheap enough that you could add something else to cover that base.

Hear a lot about Ibanez Tube Screamers, but to me the Sonic Distortion was the better pedal. And a much nicer shade of green. I had a few of those old 9 series Ibanez pedals BITD when they were worth nowt…

Despite what many say, a Big Muff *is* capable of subtle, it’s generally owners who aren’t. Just keep those knobs below 12 o’clock (apart from tone – they muddy up pretty quick) and maybe back off the guitar volume control a touch.

Marshall Guvnor? Useful little box, but probably silly money these days.

MXR Distortion+ is a good wee beastie. I note the one pictured in redsox post above is on Bob Mould settings too… :)

Assuming the nipples are threaded the full way, the unthreaded bit of the spoke will trash the thread in the nipple.

As above, though there may also be specific local bylaws to be considered

“High” is 140/90 or above.
“Typical” is 120/80 to 140/90.
“Ideal” is somewhere between 90/60 and 120/80.
“Low” (as in worryingly low) is 90/60 or below.
All figures from http://www.bloodpressureuk.org, IANAD

Note that “Typical” does not mean “Ideal” – it’s not uncommon for folks to say your pressure is a bit low when what they actually mean is that it’s perfectly fine and just a bit lower than they typically see. Sounds to me like you’ve nothing much to worry about.

Formulas are lovely when they work, but get expensive very quickly when they go wrong. And there’s something distinctly bonkers about a company that will sell you a seal kit and even fancy anodised piston caps, but won’t let their dealers sell the the essential tools to fit same parts. Hell, dealers aren’t even allowed to own workshop tools. The first hint of bother and it’s back to the importer.

It could be argued that the same rings true for Shimano – levers and calipers can’t really be serviced at home. The key difference is that a replacement lever or caliper is readily available, and won’t cost you more than a complete brake did in the first place. And re: SLX and XT being distinctly on/off – this may be true of the older brakes, but the current crop (M675 SLX, M785 XT) are pretty progressive, with the 4 pots (Zee, Saint) offering even more modulation.

… I am hard on wheels…

That statement alone would rule out any Mavic factory options for me. Spares availability in the UK is shocking.

…and thus might make more sense on trails…

In any debate where “fat” might be the answer, what makes sense has nothing to do with anything. The question is less “what would make sense” and more “what will be more fun”…

Indeed PJM1974 – having bought my first “proper” mountain bike in 1996, it amazes me that price points have remained as static as they have over the years given that we’ve had almost 20 years of inflation since then. And that’s before we get to the fact that even relatively basic equipment works sooooo much better than it did back in the day. My £400 in 1996 bought me a fully rigid Kona with threaded forks and quill stem, 21 gripshifted gears and cantilever brakes. Look at what you get for £400 these days. And if you really want a nice surprise, adjust that £400 for 20 years or so of inflation and see what that would buy you…

Does a static caravan count as a permanent building or a temporary building?

I’m with scotroutes – sometimes, the least appropriate bike you have is the most fun. I’ve really enjoyed my fat experience so far. Whilst it may not be the fastest bike I own, it generally tends to make me smile the most.

Assuming they’re 4 bolt, if you can get to two opposite bolts, then just measure across the bolt holes, centre to centre. They’ll be either industry standard 104mm or SRAM 2x specific “standard” 120mm.

I’d suggest that it’s the details of “their” specific solution that they’ve patented, not the general concept.
[edit]As noted by brant above[/edit]

Be very wary of s/h Mavic wheels. In my experience (and the experience of several folks above, by the looks of it), maintenance is a proper PITA. I suspect this is, in part, because they insist on using aluminium nipples which corrode onto the spokes, making truing/tensioning spokes an impossible task – which is a shame, because they need tend to go out of true quite easily. I’ve killed a couple of pairs. Shimano R500/501 readily available for cheap, and IMHO a much better bet provided you don’t have an irrational fear of cup and cone bearings.

Anyone else had any problems with headsets coming loose when using the On One CNC stem? Since fitting one to my Fatty, I’ve had to adjust the headset every ride as it seems to just rattle loose. Can’t seem to get the stem to clamp tight enough round the steerer

Altura 3/4’s for me – in the past, they’ve offered them with the plain vanilla Airstream pad or the fancier Progel pad, but the website only seems to list the Progel version currently

Obviously, you need a compatible frame to use a stealth…

…and the patience to thread the hose through said compatible frame :wink:

Ex 182 Cup owner here – cracking little car, little being the operative word. Couldn’t get away with a “full fat” 182 due to the overstuffed leather & alcantara seats. Poverty spec cloth on the 182 Cup meant I could just about fit. I’m not quite 6′, though quite long in the leg…

In all the discussion of cambelts above, the crucial thing that no-one has yet mentioned is that while the cam belt is 72k miles, the auxiliary belt which is right next to it is due every 36k miles. It’s a much easier (and cheaper) job to do, but frequently overlooked – more often than not, a failed auxiliary belt takes the cambelt with it… The variator pulleys often get a bit sticky, but can be left until the cambelt gets done – a sticky variator pulley results in more of a step change as it comes on cam.

I had mine for just under 3 years, racked up almost 60k miles, averaging 35mpg or so over that time – pretty respectable for the kind of car. I was kinda sad to see it go but my driving habits had changed and it wasn’t a relaxing drive for smashing in motorway miles. And bikes fit in the back of my current car a little easier…

It’s completely unfair, but legally the only alternative is to lie to the ins co’s commit insurance fraud

FTFY

Do they really still use film???

HADECS (HA Degital Enforcement Camera System) cameras don’t

It depends… earlier editions of the HADECS standards did not permit cameras to prosecute when a variable limit is not in force. With HADECS v3 now in place, they can.

And Hora – do you really think the M60 doesn’t need a Managed Motorways (actually Smart Motorways is the term the HA are now promoting) scheme? Yes, it’ll be crazy disruptive whilst it’s going on and it probably won’t solve all the congestion issues, but it could help. However, to make a real difference, what is needed is to get rid of about half the junctions…

Winstanleys had some decent discountage on Hope Hoops last time I looked, but that was a few months back.

http://www.cyclebasket.com

Try as many as you can and find the ones you’re most comfortable (least uncomfortable?) wearing. There are few things more pointless than safety equipment you refuse to wear because it’s uncomfortable/bulky/cumbersome/makes you look like a dick

Worked fine for the OEM fork and shock on my 2013 Commencal, and also helped with a basic setup of some 2013 OEM forks that I got cheap which are fitted on another bike. As always with suspension setup, there’s an element of personal preference and any manufacturers recommendations will tend towards the conservative side of things. As always, the “best” setup will be a very personal thing, so expect to do a certain amount of dialing in to get things “just so”, but as a simple method of getting somewhere in the ballpark, it’s not bad.

Other than the headset being made of cheese and as close to completely unsealed as makes no difference, I’ve had no issues with my 2013 Meta AM2. Frame bearings still doing what they ought to. As others have said, it’s not a light frame, but it doesn’t feel like a heavy frame when you’re riding. It climbs surprisingly well for a fairly slack 6″ travel bike that’s the wrong side of 30lb.

As someone posted above, buying a slightly older model direct from Commencal Outlet may well work out as cheap, if not cheaper, than buying from a UK supplier. Obviously this will vary with exchange rates. Don’t forget that you’ll need to factor in the delivery charge (55 euros iirc) and any bank changes you might incur. That said, delivery was quick – next day, I think.

Rutland Bikes on eBay? Got a 125mm 31.6 from them for £179.99 posted a few weeks back, expecting OEM in bubble wrap. Really surprised when a fully retail packed one arrived, bleed kit ‘n’ all

c) no wheelbuilder work their salt puts lube on nipples because it can allow them to slacken off over time

Actually… a little oil on the tip of the spoke helps avoid the spokes from becoming twisted as you build a wheel. A little oil on the rim drilling helps the nipple turn in the rim whilst you’re building the wheel. Both of these practices are recommended in the WheelPro book. I’ve built a few wheels based on the advice in the WheelPro book and haven’t had any issues with spokes coming loose.

Had it sold it and regretted it ever since. Late 70’s Fender Twin Reverb, master volume model, with a pair of 16ohm Celestion G12H’s fitted and a crazy mix of completely unmatched valves in the power amp. A complete one-off combination that sounded unlike any other Twin I’ve tried since (and I’ve tried quite a few over the years to try and recreate that sound). The speakers were a large part of that amp – big impedance load meant the power amp started overdriving nice and early, and also meant you could wind the volume open without getting complaints from the other side of town. I miss that amp. :|