Just finished watching the womens race on iPlayer – it’s there!

I would definitely recommend Wych Bearings – they do a large range of Enduro bearings:

http://www.wychbearings.co.uk/bike_bearings.html

Edenvalleyboy – I have the Bontrager Rythm Elite wheels and they have DT Swiss Onyx hubs – re-badged as Bontrager.
Yours might be the same – look at the ONYX 135mm Disc Brake diagrams in this service manual:
https://www.dtswiss.com/Resources/Support/HUBS/DT-Swiss-Hubs-Onyx,-Cerit-Technical-Manual

It’s dual language English-German, but don’t be put off, if you have Onyx hubs, this is all you need. You will find plenty of spare parts if you Google ‘DT Swiss Onyx hubs’, mainly because they are not very weather resistant and need looking after.
HTH – Justin

Thanks for the tips all – I will definitely be taking advantage of the advice from the centre – sounds like they’re switched on mountain bikers.
I didn’t book this weekend but judging by your responses, we should be in for some excellent riding.
Gunnerside Gill, Great Pinseat, Fremington Edge descent and Schoolmaster Pasture all on my list now.

If it helps – I am 5’10 (bit long bodied, short legged though) and ride a large Aeris. I really don’t feel stretched out on it. Rides great.

Oh yes… went for the blue too!

Sorry no, Gloucestershire.

I like the Fabric(Charge) Scoop.
Not expensive… nice colours… reasonably comfy.

I am really chuffed with my Aeris. Rear end flex has not been noticeable, but I’m not a heavy rider.
The Aeris seems to be quite efficient on climbs and cross-country, but very stable on the downs – it keeps telling me to ride faster!

Hi there – I would like to slacken the HA on my 2010 Fuel EX too. I am waiting for someone else to come up with something like this that will suit tapered steerers – the Angleset seems to be ridiculously expensive.
I believe that Works Components will be bringing out something like this soon.

I used to go as low as 20 PSI… and yes, excellent handling. However I found that my tyres kept losing pressure after a while. I only realised why when I put them under water (whilst on the wheel and inflated). Small bubbles were streaming from the sidewalls, even though I could not see any holes.
In summary, don’t run them too low, you will trash your sidewalls.
BTW, I weigh 12 stone and run wide rims, which I highly recommend when going tubeless, especially with large tyres (Bontrager XR4s).

Roger – you’re doing a great job… I go out cycling with the guys from work (on average about 6 of us). Cranham is one of the popular destinations, though not usually in Winter. I can be your point of contact, though Andy W is the one who leads mostly. I guess the message is to keep off the trails for the moment. You can always contact me through the CCCC Yahoo group, if I don’t see you on a Saturday.

Justin Mellor

Jonb – I had the same problem. In the end I did manage to blow the stuck piston out of one half of the caliper… I used a track pump and managed to get some plastic piping that fitted fitted well enough into the inlet bore, with one finger over the opening that feeds across to the other caliper. Came out with quite a pop – watch yourself.

Hotfly

Here's one that I'm not going to use (runs out tomorrow sometime).

7f28b-9999a

OK – thanks guys… dasnut, you must have a pretty upright riding position with that setup. Don't you find that with the 50mm stem, the steering goes a bit wiggly when climbing up v. steep hills?

Sounds like I really need to ride a medium Zesty.

Special – I doubt it, unless you mean special as in really really cheap ones.
You don't need special batteries for slow charging. Though I think that I am right in saying that NiMh batteries would fare slightly better because they are less prone to crystaline growth, which is more pronounced at low charge rates. You probably can't get hold of NiCds anyway these days.

HTH

Hmmm… I like the sound of this. If I get a revelation I will be able to do all of the servicing myself, but if I buy Fox, I will need to send it off to be serviced at considerable cost (not to mention the fact that I would be without a bike for a while). Am I right??

OK thanks guys – looks like I definitely should try and sort out an Orange 5 test ride. Cwmcarn would be a good place. I wasn't going to bother because I couldn't imagine that it would be good enough going uphill. Round here, I do seem to be spending most of my time climbing… doesn't take long to get down. I rode a trek fuel and that definitely was good for climbing.

ScottChegg – is that 5's are top notch climbers, provided you have a Talas on the front? Don't reckon I can afford a 5 with a Talas. Can't see how they would climb well without lockout or travel adjust.

Hmm looks like this thread's come to life again. Still haven't got myself a new bike yet. But whatever I get, I want it to climb at least as well as my old Scott Genius.

There seem to be a few issues with the Zesty, but changing the headset and BB isn't too serious. A few wheel bearing problems too I've heard.

This is encouraging – there may be hope for me yet! Mid 40s, reasonable MTBer but have real problem with jumps. I watch with envy as I see others doing it and getting so much more out of the trails! Tried a CycleActive training session and just about managed to do drop offs (without going over the bars), but failed to do the jumps. Fear of getting airborne and being unable to stop myself pitching forwards is preventing me from launching properly. I need help on this and think that I need to do this really progressively.
Is there a suitable skills session for me?
I'm not afraid of coming off (not trying hard enough if you don't), but a friend spent 3 months in hospital and was almost paralysed having come down off over the front wheel (reaaly small jump).

The LL Demo Ride is 28th Feb. Or are we talking about something different?

Progressive_Si… I should be able to get over to Bristol to try out a VF2 (that anodised blue looks great), I would just need to find somewhere nearby to try it out.

Thanks all – bit of a mixed response about the 5… Votchy, I find that I get a lot bob (and therefore energy wastage) when struggling up a steep techy bit. Unless I lock the forks that is. BTW, Talas on the Orange 5 puts it out of my price range.
I must say, I do seem to spend a lot of my time climbing here in the Cotswolds… I can put up with an extra pound in weight, but the geometry and the suspension have got to be right.
Valleydaddy – encouraged to hear that the switch to the Zesty has made a big difference… I would like to be sure that, if I spend £2K+, I will be able to keep the thing running for a good few years.
BTW Enduro do a replacement BB – probably better than the Shimano BB that's fitted.

Si – the Chumba looks very good, but where do I get to demo ride one (I'm Gloucestershire based)??

Legspin – do your legs give up 'cos your Orange 5 is not much for climbing?? I ride for fun and don't race, but it is gratifying to get up something you want to ride down.

[She was pushing her religion (whichever it may be) on somebody who didn't want it. She was being paid to teach maths and not fairy tales]

Junkyard, Jahwomble et al – not sure what bikes you ride but if, for example, you thought that the Orange 5 (no I don't ride one) was utterly fantastic, you might be forgiven for mentioning it to other people, because you want them to get as much benefit as you have. This is the motivation that Christians have. But yes I agree with the need to be sensitive and respect other people's view. Lot's of people on STW think it's OK to take the p1$$ out of people who believe in God. Well, I can live with that… I just think… "there's something amazing that they haven't got yet… I hope they do someday… there really IS more to life!" Can you live with that?

Sodom n Gomorrah:

"does it have the bit where the chap encourages his daughter to be gang raped to please god?"

Nothing in the Bible says he did this to please God… and certainly nothing that says it did please God.

It's all there in the OT the nasty stuff that went on doesn't get covered up.

Crikey – I'm certainly no expert on evolution, though I am starting to read up about it.

For me it all came about in reverse… having grown up an atheist, I had some God encounters/experiences that turned my life around and things have never been the same since. I now try and work out how all this fits.

Quote from Stephen Jay Gould, America's leading evolutionary biologist (not a believer AFAIK)…

based on the views of evolutionary biologists 'either half my colleagues are enormously stupid, or else the science of Darwinism is fully compatible with conventional religious beliefs – and equally compatible with atheism.'

Two surveys amongst active scientists, one in 1916, the other in 1997 – the figure for the number that believed in God (that is personal and answers prayer) remained a consistent 40%, with 45% (in 1997) believing that there is no God. The big statement from Dawkins is that 'most scientists don't believe in God'. Something of an overstatement!

As I understand it, many (from both sides) seem to agree that science neither proves nor disproves the existence of God.

Hmm quite a few issues here.

Starting with thye easier stuff… Crikey – I agree with you… it's not OK to take just the bits of the Bible that you like or fit in with you ideas. I don't believe I do that. It IS (in my view) reasonable to use your loaf in interpreting the Bible. The OT, for example, contains history, law, poetry, prophecy etc. Lots of pictures and images, in keeping with certain literary styles of the times.

Kenny Senior – Christian just means followe of Christ – I think that I am correct in saying that this term was coined before the gospels were written and circulated.

The OT is not at all disregarded by Christians as just background history. The NT is seen as the fulfilment of the hundreds of prohecies in the OT that point to Christ. It all fits together.

Junkyard… don't be in too much of a rush to misinterpret and then dismiss. Your critique needs taking on point by point – too lengthy for this post. I take it that you are of the 'this is all there is…' philosophy – aka atheism.

Well… I'm happy to nail my colours to the mast and say that I am a Bible believing Christian. The kind of creationism that I am happy with doesn't come from the USA, doesn't believe in 6 x 24hour periods (seems ridiculous- a day can equally be interpreted as a period) and doesn't have a problem with the evolution (not micro-evolution at least) or the Big Bang. If the Big Bang has everything starting from a singularity – ie nothing, it would seem to line up well with Genesis… 'God Spoke'…everything coming into being through knowledge/power(??).

Gets off soap-box… the thing that really troubles me about some of the recent STW posts are the comments that line up with Richard Dawkins' God Delusion. A lot of people seem to have simply swallowed all this without a critical look. Mr Dawkins philosophical arguments about religion seem to be seriously flawed in most areas and yet he has succeeded in convincing most people that his rationale is overwhelming and that nobody can challenge his views with any degree of intellectual rigour. NOT SO!!!

Well I'm another potential Orange 5 owner. I'm waiting for the LBS to get a new demo bike in so that I can compare it with a Fuel Ex and a Zesty (and yes I would rather buy British… if I can afford it!).

I am really keen to see how well the 5 climbs… compared to the Fuel Ex (which was impressive going up, but so, so going down). I'm used to being able to lock out my forks. There's an upgrade for this for another £150. £2500 already seems like a lot of money to me. Is the Talas really worth the extra? (+£240 to upgrade to that).

The maxle sounds like good future-proofing, but I may not notice it.

Not quite sure how I can explain all this to the wife…

Thanks for the tip Onzadog/Fivespot – those Digigauges look like what I'm after.

What I want to know is how do you guys measure tyre pressure that accurately?

I don't think that the readings on my track pump gauge are anywhere close at the lower end of the scale.

Any recommendations for a gauge?? I also want to run as low as possible without pinch-flatting.

Talking of Cup & Cone bearings, can any one tell why the cup part is not replaceable – I have had to junk a number of wheels because water ingress has caused pitting and damage… to cups and cones. Once the hub's gone, it's often not cost effective to get the wheel rebuilt (wheel building is one thing I have never tried to tackle).

You are probably going to tell me that I should be stripping down and inspecting my wheel bearings more frequently. At least with replaceable sealed bearings, you don't need to strip them down on a periodic basis, just to check.

I don't yet have any wheels with sealed bearings, but I would imagine that they are not as free running and efficient as properly adjusted cup & cone bearings (which have less contact area). Anyone agree with this??

Appreciate your thoughts – maybe I don't need to shell out the extra cash on fancy wheel hubs??