Here it is with a pair of the bargain German Fox 34’s.

I got on a few months ago when they were £80, not a bad bike at all, bought as a place holder but I still have it. Not as long as the newest lot of long, low hardtails but rides nicely and is reasonably slack with a 130mm fork. Although the link above says it only takes 26/28t chainrings mine takes a 30t, I assume the daft chainring sizes is a typically Planet X mis-spec.

Bit of an update on mine. Made the switch to drops, along with a some XT cranks, a pair of TRP Spyres, and then a slightly more exciting paint job from a rattlecan. Getting it prepped for the Torino-Nice Rally, just need to sort a light/usb charger to pair with the dynamo hub.

The highrise stem makes me feel a bit ill but makes it a lot more comfortable for all day rides.

I’ve built up a couple of pairs of Novatec hubs, including using some of those cheap WTB rims from Planet X using these ACI spokes:

https://www.cyclebasket.com/m9b0s454p979/ACI_Alpina_Stainless_Steel_DB_Spokes_Silver_Singles_

Can’t go wrong for 21p a spoke (including nipple) for a cheap build.

18 in 2013.

A ’96 Peugeot 106 1.0, 4 speed. Dog slow, built like a crisp packet, and I loved it.

Sutton Bank mtb ride yesterday, to catch the TdY as it came through and then Lady Cannings and Stanage Edge today on the mtb. Going to mix it up with a road ride tomorrow, can’t quite believe how good the weather is!

I’m running a 9 speed XT mech (m770) with the Sunrace 11-40 cassette and that works fine.

Hope you’re doing okay and all the best for a speedy recovery!

I’m sure you’ll be aware and the hospital will have given good advice, but keep a very close eye on yourself over the coming weeks for any delayed symptoms from the concussion/knock to the head. I hit my head falling off my bike last year and it took over two months for the symptoms of the brain bleed I had to manifest.

Works Components again.

£540 for a 2.0l diesel Octavia at 23. Only a couple of years no claims though because of a named driver having an accident in a previous car. Not too bad.

An Octavia

A Cotic

Public Sector

Single speed

Gravel bike

Too many bikes

@hollyboni

Spokes and new cassette arrived today so I’ve built up the rear wheel and renewed the drivetrain this evening. There’s ample room for the Horizons and guards both front and back, with 5mm clearance to the chainstays either side (the tightest place for clearance). Loads of room around seatstays and both bridges, even with guards, which I struggled to get 700x32c in without rubbing on the bolt going into the chainstay bridge through the guard.

Haven’t test ridden yet because the new chain isn’t playing ball with the really knackered old chainring, gonna have to wait a few more days for the new one to arrive. As an aside, I’m very happy with the Sunrace 11-40t 9 speed cassette for the price, with a 40t ring it should give a fairly decent range.

Ditching the rack and getting some dropbars sorted soon too. Could do with wider guards as they barely cover the wider tyres. Hopefully the photos work!

The Plug with 650b in the front (trial fit with no disc/guards not properly adjusted etc.) I’ll try and get a photo of clearance in the rear when the wheel is built up next week.

New narrow wide ring and 11-40t Sunrace 9 speed cassette in the post now, and then a flared drop bar/bar end shifter conversion at some point too.

Sidenote: Never had a tighter rim/tyre combo than the Crests/Horizons. They did pop up tubeless though with only a hand pump and held pressure for a good few hours without sealant too. Needed pumping up to quite a high pressure to pop the bead onto the rim though (even with soapy water). Not ridden with the Horizon on yet, waiting for the snow to clear and the rear wheel.

Currently building up some 650b wheels (Crests/XT rear/dynamo front) for my Plug. 47c WTB Horizons fit both front (Kaffenback fork) and rear with plenty of space, even room for guards. I’ll try and get some photos posted up once I re-lace the rear wheel with correct length spokes, having mis-measured the correct length first time round and being unable to dish it correctly. With the idea in mind of using the bike for the Torino-Nice Rally later in the year.

Ordered one last week from Hong Kong via eBay. Should arrive middle of March apparently. A change from a 11-32 on my cross/commuting bike to go with a 40t narrow wide.

I used to use the service to get to college daily up to Shrewsbury and then regularly to get up to Manchester to go over to uni in Leeds up until last year. The mainline trains are almost always the Class 175 which are two car and have four tables in each car if I remember rightly. Not particularly comfortable and they only have plug sockets on the table seats. Space for two bikes per trainset. They’ll occasionally join two trainsets together to have a four car set.

Very occasionally (1 in 20 journeys) it’d be an older Class 158 (I think) that was actually more comfortable.

The ‘Pacers’ are even worse but only run on the line that goes from Shrewsbury out past Knighton and into mid-Wales.

Which ever one it is it’s likely to be late and rammed, Arriva Trains Wales are shite.

Nope. The main line from Manchester down to Cardiff  is almost always a class 175. The crappy Pacer commuter types only go on the Heart of Wales line up as far as Shrewsbury I think.

Road: That budget would do nicely for some 650b wheels/tyres to try on my Charge Plug, in the name of extra comfort and experimenting.

Mtb: Not so sure to be honest, nothing that imminently needs upgrading on either. Would require more thought.

Edit: As oldnpastit said, probably not in the spirit, but the mtb upgrade money would probably be best spent on some coaching!

Ideally try some 650b wheels and 42mm tyres on my 700c Charge Plug, for extra comfort.

Is this any use to you?

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/on-one-inbred-29er-frame-large-on-one-carbon-monocoque-29er-fork

The fork came off my Inbred that’s also in the ad, had loads of steerer spare at 190mm long.

Andy, I’ve got a set of the D771/772s, Superstar brand them as the Switch Ultralite. Superstar have endcaps for the front and axles for the rear to convert them. Either QR/10mm/15mm front and 135QR/135×12/142×12 on the back. The front (D771) can’t be converted to 20mm like the Switch Evo.

As said above the Switch Evos are Novatec D881/D882.

I got my D771/D772 from cycling deal.au in Australia. Arrived in 6 days and cost £62 for the pair (Inc postage), and then got the appropriate endcaps from Superstar as above.

Don’t bother trying to order the Octane One, I tried twice to order the 29er from CRC and both times after a week of faffing it turned out it’s not in stock, even when the site says it is. A shame as it looks like a decent frame for the price.

Love the snow, but for the first time I’m not back in Shropshire with my parents but up in York, missing it all. Had photos from them this morning with about 6″ of snow in them and still snowing heavily. A bit gutted to be missing it all! Read something saying it’s the heaviest snow fall in Powys/Shrops/Herefordshire since 1991 – thus in my life time.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I’ll get on booking it in this afternoon, probably at the Layerthorpe Halfords as it’s literally just around the corner. No need for a specialist, it’s only a £500 shed of a Citroen.

This might be handy:

=http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/dropper-of-choice]

Both Reverbs I’ve had have sagged badly. The one on the full sus has about 20mm of sag now, very annoying. Just got a Brand-X XL for the hardtail. Very nice action and the extra inch of drop is useful. Time will tell how long it lasts but with a 2 year warranty and at that price you can’t go wrong. Very easy to install too and no messing about bleeding it either.

Montane Prism too, love mine! Nice balance of being warm but not too warm.

I’ve just done some measuring Andy.

100mm QR axle
480mm A-C
190mm straight steerer with bung included
IS mount
Unfortunately only about ~40mm of offset according to my measurements

Pictures here if you are interested: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/on-one-inbred-29er-frame-large-on-one-carbon-monocoque-29er-fork

There’s a chance the On One carbon monocoque ones I have under the stairs are the right measurements, I’ll check after work, if you’d be interested in some excellent condition second hand ones?

Not an app, but if you’re on a computer then Ventusky us great.

First car (Peugeot 106) was a doddle, just pop the rubber bung off the back of the light and swap the bulb with acres of room. Handy given that it blew bulbs all over the shop.

Current Citroen involves unplugging the ABS control box thingy and cutting your hand to death, massive pain.

Mine are running flat.

An update! Finally received confirmation from the DVLA this morning that I’m okay to drive again, 9 weeks after submitting the initial form. As others have said above, it was chasing down the consultant that took the longest (6 weeks!). First he was on holiday, then his secretary was on sick leave and conveniently lost the letter. Finally managed to get through to someone at the end last week, who managed to sort it for me at the hospital end. A relief to be back behind the wheel!

Edit: With the doctor’s go ahead I could have driven before hearing back from the DVLA, but actually getting hold of him turned out to be nearly impossible.

Usually specific to headset.

Built up a bike on a real budget earlier this year with a Brand-X headset. Absolutely fine about 2000km in. Sealed cartridge bearings for £12.
I’m not fussed by the name on it, certainly not enough to spend £40 on a Cane Creek or £80 on a Hope one..

By play in the wheels do you mean they need truing or new bearings? Either way, probably far cheaper to get a shop to fix them up rather than getting new wheels.

Good to hear, I’m very tempted by the 42c ones, depending on whether it’ll squeeze into the back of my Tricross.

Thanks scaredypants, that’s very helpful! I’ll keep an eye on that site after the 26th and drop Anton an email if that doesn’t work.

Excellent kayla, really appreciate that. I’ll send you an email over now.

Edit: Email sent

@kayla1 – Ideally I want to keep hold of the 135 axle in case the wheels go on another bike. Would you be open to me buying an axle off you?

@scaredypants – my Google skills are letting me down, I don’t suppose you have a link?