aracer: thanks that’s a good explanation. Will double up on the revs (2 per hole!) 😉

MTG: Yes, though plain guage spokes have more material, they are apparently, no stronger. In fact, butted spokes are theoretically stronger than plain guage, due to the manufacturing process used on them (forging etc). However, I’ve always broken spokes at the thread anyway and I don’t know if that area is any stronger on butted spokes. I’d guess they are certainly no weaker there, though.

The benefit of thicker spokes isn’t strength, it’s stiffness, though from what I can see, thicker spokes don’t add *that* much stiffness compared to the weight they add and you might be better off “spending” that weight on a beefier rim if you’re looking to build a stiffer wheel.

DT78: that’s useful, cheers.

From the link aracer posted: (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/wheel/index.htm) “Standard” rim, 32h, revolutions deflect 11% more than plain guage spokes. Given the fact that the choice might, more realistically be between comps and revs, you’re probably talking more like 8% deflection difference. Then include the fact that the carbon LB rims are likely quite a bit stiffer than the ali rim he was using and the difference in spoke stretch seems quite negligable (to me, at least).

Based on all that, I’ll probably go with Revs. I already blew my weight budget on the 35mm LB rims anyway (over the XC ones – 420g each vs 365g) so need to keep it light as poss everywhere else.

Expecting it to come out something like this:

35mm LB Carbon hookless 29er rims, 420g x2 = 840g
64 x DT rev = 330g
64 x DT ali nips = 20g
DT 240s rear hub with 36t = 255g (without skewer)
Lefty front hub = 117g

Total = 1562 That’s 50g each heavier than my current 29er crests, which feel lovely and light but a bit flexy.

I find bib shorts quite warm in summer. If I bought some more I’d get the Castelli or similar ones that are pretty much just straps from the waist up.

Stickers on both my 240s rears too.

Hob Nob: You might be right about some compliance being useful. However, spoke tension should have no effect on wheel stiffness (perfectly logical to think it does but from everything I’ve read, it doesn’t), so not sure about the Enve DH thing…

Just grabbing the rim and pulling it towards the frame / fork on a few bikes here, it’s quite shocking how floppy 29er wheels are compared to 26. Very generally, they seem to deflect about twice as far. (all same spec wheels – Crests, revs, 32h)

Tom: Yes, Comps are the middle ground missing from that. Agree with you on 2cross / 3cross angst!

Also, I’m another “non-physicist” (and too lazy to research properly) but would assume cross-sectional area is more relevant than he makes it out to be…I would have thought the relationship between CSA and “stretchiness” would be a square or something (ie: twice as thick = 4x as stiff, or something like that)

Looking into this as well for my next wheels (LB 29er / 35mm also) You might find this interesting…http://www.noxcomposites.com/wheel_building. According to the Nox guys, spoke guage is a long way down the list of what makes a wheel stiff:

1) The rim stiffness
2) The number of spokes
3) The spoke bracing angle
4) The gauge of the spokes
5) The lacing pattern

Also this article compares spoke guage in discussion of stiffness: http://speedbloggen.com/2012/06/wheels-again-and-math/

– DT straight 14 gauge – 2.0mm diameter, yields 3.14 mm^2
– DT Revolutions – 1.5mm diameter, yields 1.77 mm^2
– DT Aerolites – .9mm x 2.3mm, yields 2.07 mm^2 (assumed rectangular area)
– Sapim CX-Rays – .9mm x 2.2mm, yields 1.98 mm^2 (assumed rectangular area)

His conclusion: if you really want stiff, get plain guage – not much difference between the others. Note: some flex in the spokes may make a stronger wheel as it’s absorbing impact that would otherwise be taken in the hub or rim.

You mention your supercomps had fatigue problems? I’m surprised, as the only DT spokes I’ve ever broken through fatigue went after 5 years or more (comps) and I thought that was pretty reasonable. I’ve used revs since and never had one break. (I’m quite a “light” rider though, and don’t tend to break stuff).

Will be interested to hear what you decide on.

Not normal.

You should pay with luncheon vouchers.

Michael Angleo Batio – deeply moving, very sensitive playing as always! 😀 I’d like to see that quad-guitar of his setup thus:
Neck 1) 6 string. Neck 2) banjo. Neck 3) ukelele. Neck 4) sitar 😀

These kind of “power” solos are all about target notes hitting bang on chords on slow(ish) repeated progressions. As a listener it seems like it’s all down to an amazing soloist but IMO when composing / playing, it’s actually the chord progression behind it that really dictates 90% of the feeling and sound there. In some ways it dictates what’s played. (doesn’t stop Stairway’ being a blinding solo, of course!)

For anyone that likes the Gilmourish stuff, you might enjoy this one: (5:00 onwards)

and this ‘ un from about 3:25

Njee: are your spoke threads showing below the nipples? (ie: are the spokes a bit too short? Do they go into the nipple head ok?)

Ah cool, nice that that works out…Including the nipple heads in the ERD measurement didn’t make sense to me at first but of course, it’s where the spoke ends come to that is what you want since ideally they would end exactly flush with the outer face of the nipple head.

Scienceofficer: Thanks. The drawing I found online quotes 589mm for ERD of the 29er/35mm. Did you include the nipple heads?

I always just googled for spoke lengths ghetto style before but I’ve found, with ali nips especially, the spokes have to be bang on (if you don’t want the nipple heads to fail later due to not being supported by the spoke) so did some looking up on correct ERD measurement…I’m sure everyone except me does it properly but just found this vid and might be helpful in case anyone doesn’t know:

Then you can input your ERD value here to find correct spoke length: http://spokes-calculator.dtswiss.com/Calculator.aspx

Thanks, chaps!

Northwind: Maybe phone customs and ask (seing as how they’re a bit busy with cavity searches to process your rims and all)…would they mind measuring the ERD so you can get on with your spoke ordering?*… 🙂

Just ordered a pair of 35mm 420g ones (I really like lightweight wheels but the wide rims seem like a great idea, so willing to add a bit of bloat in exchange for tyre profile)

*they better wash their hands first.

Thanks for all the info on these. Having a serious think about some of the LB hookless XC rims (27mm wide, 365g +\- 15g). Spoke to Nancy at LB on the livechat and she was very helpful. Said the 3k actually comes in a bit lighter than UD.

Currently on 29er Crests / 32H / 3 cross / Revs. No problems with them and they are really nice and light but I’d like to try something with less lateral flex at a similar weight – hence the interest in carbon…. Thinking about using 2 cross (with revs) for these – anyone tried that?

Quoted ERD for these is 592mm. Can anyone comment if they’ve found this to be accurate? or any examples of what spoke lengths worked?

ta!

btw: I thought this was quite interesting on lateral stiffness: http://www.noxcomposites.com/wheel_building

SQ: It was a huge improvement on the Basik LVX arm I had before. Probably as big a difference as any other TT upgrade I’ve made (which surprised me). I did find it a bit tricky to hand cue at first (being a uni-pivot) but I’ve got used to it now. Still a bit dicey when one is operating it in a “refreshed” state, though… 😀

That’s cool that you’re modding. I almost built a DIY geddon for the LP12 but a S/H Lingo came up and I was feeling lazy 😉 Really odd that the power supply makes such a difference – didn’t believe it until I heard it!

Plenty of good advice here already and you won’t go wrong with a Project, I think.

Riding in the mud is a good analogy. There is nothing sensible about vinyl at all. It’s all in the tactile side. Personally I think MP3 is awesome for convenience but absolutely love our vinyl system for the sheer enjoyment of listening. Crazy how good a rock dragged though plastic can sound – Absolutely daft way of reproducing music but you will love it! 🙂

sq – is that yours up above? Beautiful!

“Self righteous arse trumpet
He should pay attention to what he’s doing, not every other bugger
I’ll bend his finger the wrong way ” cracking post 🙂

IMO cities should be about people, not cars and I don’t see much to complain about here.

Dissapointed not to see anyone wheelieing whilst ferrying the drugs, though. It is a dying art?

“so” as the start of a sentence.

Chapeau and Bidon = French / poncy. I quite like the equivelent – “Hat!”, though.

– “Gnar“
– Yes, “running” (a stem) is just horrendous – compulsory extradition for that.
– “finishing kit” (arghh!)
– “Quinoa“. (when pronounced: “Keeyyynwaaaahhhh”) Are we playing Margo and Jerry? (ok, this one doesn’t have THAT much to do with bikes, but still…)
– “upgrade“.

Sonus Faber Cremona Auditors with an Exposure 2010s2 amp fed by a (cirkused) LP12. I really like it but there’s lots of good gear around and everyone has different taste, so not sure if I’d say “get those!” to you…

If it’s for a small room, how about looking for speakers that are specifically designed to go close to a wall? Most speakers are designed to be a bit away from walls and will likely be compromised to some extent if they are placed close to a wall or (even worse) in a corner.

A company I used to work for told us not to worry about all the extra work hours because there’d be a massive bonus at the end of the project. Turned out there wasn’t.

Just saying 🙂

Upside down method works well but doesn’t require fettling and the fettling is one of the joys of a proper fire to me. For that reason I use boy-scout method (kindling pyramid, then logs on top once it’s going).

Personally I can’t stand the stink of firelighters and it seems a waste to consume them when you could use a waste product like newspaper instead. I find just lightly scrunching the newspaper works best – compress it too much and it can be a bit reluctant.

Vents fully open and door very slightly ajar helps to give a nice draft through the burner to get it started.

We had a great weekend. Riders were all polite and good spirit out on the course. Only thing I didn’t like was the music in the arena – would have been perfect for a 13 year old girls pyjama party but us grown ups could do without the whiny euro-pop on repeat. In sharp contrast, the DJ under the bridge was awesome! – was hard not to stop for an extended listen when passing on the night laps. Overall a brilliant event and that course was an absolute blast to race on. Big thanks to all the organisers.

Deliberate collision IMO – time gap between horn sounding and impact gave plenty of time to slow / stop.

If the government really want to encourage people to use bikes, first they need to make them feel safe on the roads. A big part of that is making drivers aware that this kind of assault is not acceptable. Piss poor effort on the part of the police here….

I had a Camelbak Octane. The low bladder really does work well and you can hardly feel the weight even when full. Waist pockets are really handy for snacks etc. On the downside, the main tool pockets are high up and with the bladder around your waist, any tools etc. are right against your back, so they need to be arranged for comfort (and maybe safety in case you land on your back). Also, for some strange reason, they made the main hose very slightly too short IMO. Filling up is *slightly* more hassle than a normal CB but not worth worrying about – the hose is detachable, which makes it a bit easier.

In the end I sold it and bought a Rogue. The rogue is small and sits higher up so you can still use your jersey pockets. If I didn’t like using my jersey pockets so much I’d probably have kept the Octane though, it’s very good.

gofasterstripes – wonderful.

Just came back from a nip around the course at race pace and thought it was bloomin’ fantastic. I wasn’t bowled over when we “toured” it on Tuesday but it really rides very differently when you’re coming into each section flat out and hunting for oxygen 😉 Ground conditions are perfect – it really will be a blast on Saturday. That first climb is steep but it’s very grippy atm – there’s plenty enough grip to climb it standing up if you’ve got the legs.

Don’t think it’ll make too much difference if it rains tomorrow btw, it’s been drying out pretty fast in there recently – it should be all loose and dusty after a couple of laps 😀

Really like the 240s as it’s such an ingeniously simple design, so I’d just stick with that (or go with the 180 version if I had money to burn)

Not sure what people are talking about with “replacing DT freehub” here….the “freehub” is not part of the hub at all, it’s just two opposing discs (about the size of pound coins) that are pushed together with springs. If pressed, I reckon I could replace them both in under a minute with no tools at all.

Centre bearing replacement does need an expensive proprietary tool though…

The link above is regarding racing in the heat, the same guest on this episode talks about electrolytes and cramping:

http://ec.libsyn.com/p/8/2/9/82963bfc148d3642/IMTalk_Episode_356_-_Paul_Laursen.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d01cf8337d7ce586003&c_id=5570950

In addition to the Tim Noakes link, you might find this podcast useful. From about 2/5 of the way through there’s an interview with Paul Laursen from the institute of high performance sport about racing in hot conditions.

The incredulity in the interviewer’s voice when he asks the question: “so is there any need for electrolytes at all?” is absolutely priceless!

http://ec.libsyn.com/p/5/d/0/5d051c278283d2fe/IMTalk_Episode_365_-_Paul_Laursen.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d01cf8337d7ca55e92a&c_id=5759900

Yes, Lovely image there.

If you’re at the point of throwing up from heat / dehydration etc., though, it’s really not good at all. The same thing happened to me a couple of years ago and I remember reading up on it and being surprised by how serious that degree of heatstroke actually is….and as I said, you’ll need to be extra careful because you’re more susceptible now it’s happened once.

IHN:

Yes, but then you drink far more water than salt? Isn’t the whole point of those high5 Zero / Nuun tablets that they aproximately match the concentration in sweat?

For anyone that thinks they need to be taking on fluids that contain the same concentration of electrolytes as their body, you’ll need to seriously up the number of Nuun tablets… Body electrolyte concentration is about 150mml (or something like that) – that’s about the same as seawater.

“Isotonic” refers to the total osmolality (concentration) of the drink (ie: including sugars etc.) not just the electrolyte content.

OP: drink to thirst and try to keep your core and head temperature down. If you watch any of the XC pros in hot races, they douse their clothing in cold water 2x per lap to lower temperature through evaporative cooling. Best is gradual exposure an hour or so a day and you’ll gradually acclimatise. Bear in mind that (sorry, I can’t remember why) exposure to heat stroke once makes you more vulnerable to get it again this season.

I test rode the Cannondale. It certainly looks nice and I generally realy like Dales. I don’t know what it weighs but it felt heavier and a bit more “dead” than I expected and some of the components seemed a bit cheap. I’d go for an on one or a 2nd hand Swift if I was you.

In the end, I saved up a bit more and built up a Swift. It’s lovely.

As epicyclo said, I think getting some nice light wheels is pretty important on a 29er – makes a big difference to the ride.

bikeneil: No, you can pop the wipers and foam rings out in 2 minutes. Needs a new pillow pack at most. The forks were bought new from and fitted by the same shop, 2 weeks prior, probably ridden twice and you really think the customer should pay to have them looked at when they weren’t working properly from new? You sound like you’re easily parted from your money.

bencooper: Yes, as above, bought from and fitted by that shop 2 weeks before.

To redress the balance a little, I will say that I’ve had good service at almost every other LBS in town.

I commute up it sometimes….It’s quite enclosed by trees so there’s not much to look at. On the plus side that means it’s pretty sheltered from the wind.

Down side is dog walkers and dog shit where it passes through towns and villages.

Bought two pairs of Foxes and had them fitted at our LBS in Brighton 4 years ago. 2 weeks later, my wife took hers in for a look (waving the receipt)as they were leaking oil from one of the wipers. She left them there and when she got back they claimed they’d had to “service” them and charged her £40! She explained she just wanted them checked as they’d just been fitted but they told her she’d scratched the stanchions and that had caused the oil to leak. She didn’t know any better so she paid.

When she got home I stripped them down and the stanchions were fine. There was a tiny nick in one of them but it was 5mm below the crown so it wasn’t going anywhere near the wipers. I phoned them up and complained but to no avail.

The whole attitude of many of these places is so short sighted…We’ve spent £1000’s on bikes stuff in the 4 years since and not a single penny of it in that shop, despite it being our nearest.

DanW: Yes, that’s what great about Leftys in comparison – the wearing surfaces are easily replaceable.

Wobbliscott: Of course, the needle bearings and shims are still there, so they will be fine. I’m pretty sure that lower seal is also a bushing though (that’s what makes it stiffer as it goes through the travel) – the lower leg is running through that so any wear would likely mean a new lower leg presumably.

I’m actually slightly disappointed with the new design…I’m sure it’s stiffer but one of the great things with the older version was that the wearing surfaces were needle bearings and shim strips – cheap to replace when they wear and as a result, Lefty’s seem to stick around forever… With this new bushing are we not going to get into the same situation with Foxes and stanchion wear, where the whole lower leg needs to be replaced and it’s half the price of the fork?

Whatever you go for, definitely base it on the forecast and prevailing wind direction (particularly if you take the one way ride / train option) it will make a massive difference to the fun factor.

Also note, depending which 50 mile route you pick, the climbing will likely vary from around 1400m to 2000m and it’s the climbs that get you. (the whole thing is about 3300m of ascent from memory)

Non Payment strike. Always. It’s pretty flimsy but it’s the only protection Ebay offers sellers against this kind of misuse.

I’d like to see one of these buyers at Christie’s explaining after winning an auction that their mum bought one of these already, so they don’t need this one any more, so they won’t be paying…