I used to really like Optimum Nutrition chocolate Casein protein. Really nice made thicker than instructions say to make an angel delight type substance!

I think the one I normally buy is strawberry cream. It’s fine – I make it with water not milk – it’s not dissimilar to strawberry yazoo.

Banana had a slightly ‘burny’ aftertaste for me.

Jam roly poly tasted very sweet and artificial and a bit weird.

Cookies and cream was acceptable, just about. But very sweet.

Tiramisu was rank.

So strawberry cream gets my vote.

Doctor may refer you to a specialist but will take time. Could go to a private physio and see what they say.

I managed to get the large bearings out with a drift and ballet ok. I haven’t looked to see how to get the small rear bearings out yet. I think superstar components have some cheap bearings installers on offer at the moment – they may do the job potentially (although I haven’t looked that hard yet). Alternatively I’ll give the threaded rod with nuts / washers a go.

Those rear bearings are the ones I referred to as Horst link bearings (maybe incorrectly). Was wondering whether to change them – but sounds like I should. I think all my bolts are ok – if I could buy them individually I would but sounds like that might be difficult to do.

Need some advice on how to put the new bearings in – do I need some kind of press to do it safely? There’s no immediate hurry as I can’t ride the mtb for at least another month or two post shoulder operation. Just want it all together so I can get the new 1 x 10 drivetrain in and check I can get it working properly.

6901rs for the main bearings (now out the frame) and 698rs for Horst link bearings. Not tried to remove these yet!

Thanks Hadge – going to try and have a look at it later (after food shopping with the wife!)….once done I’ll try and call in the week.

Just make sure it’s a genuine SJcam 4000 – there are loads of eBay adverts that list sj4000 in the title. It aren’t actually genuine. All the genuine ones (unless really old) actually hace sjcam written on the front of the camera.

I’ve got an sjcam m10 – its effectively an sj4000 in a go pro session shaped case. Works ok – compared to the basic go pro hero there isn’t much in it. The sjcam has a sharper picture, but the GoPro has more vivid colours and responds better to lie light conditions (like in thick tree cover).

Mine cost £37 delivered from Hong Kong. It’s the non wifi model. I did break the on button dropping it in its case on to concrete, but think it was a freak landing on just the wrong point. Cost me £10 to get fixed but took about a month as it went back to China.

Thanks – so if I take the pivot bolt / cover off it should be marked on the side of the bearing?

Some kind of penetrating / release oil (not wd40 or gt85) might help here. That’s what I used last time I had a tough bottom bracket to get out. Spray it liberally the night before you plan to get it out. Then spray it again in the morning a few hours before having a go at it. Leverage is probably your friend – I connected all the bars in my socket set so I had a bout a 3 foot long bar attached to the bb tool. Your main problem is making sure the tool doesn’t twist off the bb – especially if you’ve managed the cup already. Maybe have a friend to push the tool on the bb whilst you heave on the bar.

I’ve always used gas and thought it was best for cooking. Our new kitchen a couple of years ago came with a 5 ring induction hob. Had to get all new pans, but so worth it. IMO far superior to gas – it can heat stuff quicker in terms of say boiling water, but it also does low simmering better as no heat concentration on one point on a pan. Also as it’s glass it’s much easier to clean.

Pan wise we went with Circulon – but the non stick coating isn’t lasting that well considering the price of the pans.

This seems entirely fair and I’m glad. Cyclists that ride through red lights and do random things with no warning give us all a bad name. I commute on my bike sometimes and drivers often don’t give you much space and treat you with disdain. Some of that has to be put down to idiots on bikes disregarding all road laws. Although there are always idiots in cars regardless.

Appreciate this is IT, so will be different from the Bank sector (where I work), but my 2p:

Business casual I’d wear suit type trousers, with a very decent long sleeve shirt and formal leather shoes. Would not count business casual as needing a tie. TM Lewin have got some offers on there – get a proper work type shirt in slim fit – they will measure for both collar size and arm length and he’ll look smart (I’d pick a shirt with a double cuff for cufflinks). Blue is classed as a business colour I’m a lot of people’s eyes and looks better than white without a tie (just imo).

For me, chinos fall into smart casual. Which in banking is generally not jeans. Never heard of business relax, but would think smart jeans would be OK for that, but still with shoes and a more casual shirt.

I haven’t got a van, but the visibility out of my Citroën DS5 isn’t great. Must have the smallest windscreen wiper in the back, fitted to any car ever!

The only car I’ve had where I like the rear setup – it’s got sensors across the back and on the corners – plus a reversing camera as well. Also has front and front corner sensors which it shows on the screen in the car. Means you can get into car park space which you have no right to manoeuvre into. Think the rear camera is much more useful than just rear sensors.

I think my wife will get a mulberry handbag for Xmas this year. Way more than I usually pay, but she’s pregnant with our first child and is due 20th December. Thought it would be a nice surprise. Although she doesn’t actually like surprises that much so could be risky.

Never used Saints / Zee, but have Guide RS on my bike with 160mm sram rotors at each end. Used them with both resin and sintered pads and had them a year and a few months.

They’ve been faultless since I had them – I’ve done a lot of mucky wet bike rides so prefer them with sintered pads.

Bled them once in the time I’ve had them (as I put the third set of pads on) – that was a relatively easy job and both have a firm lever at first bleed attempt. My only prior experience of bleeding brakes is magura hs33 rim brakes – and that was a lot more fiddly.

In use they’ve been perfect – never once thought I need more power. A mate keeps trying to persuade me to get bigger rotors, but haven’t seen the point so far.

I’m probably a fairly average rider. Do a bit of trails stuff, plus couple of uplift days this year and loved them so steering more towards that next year. In September I did a dry uplift day in bpw and the braked took a pounding – yet didn’t fade once. The lever stayed consistent the whole day.

In terms of speed I’m faster then all but one of my mates, and overtook some other people at bpw – but there’s no danger of getting close to anyone’s kom on strava. I’d say the brakes got a very thorough workout.

I’ve had a go on a mates bike with slx discs and didn’t like the initial grabby-ness of the brakes. Probably comes down to personal preference though.

Still waiting for mine to arrive – also now ordered a raceface NW 34t chainring to go on the slx crank.

I feel your pain. Now 4.5 weeks ish out from a shoulder op. Can now drive and use a turbo trainer OK – but even riding a bike on the flat / road is a few months away :-(

Cost me so far a new chain, nw race face chainring, new slx crank and bb, plus some new 5-10 shoes.

Maybe you need a baby nasal aspirator? Mothercare suggested I get one for the impending daughter due in December. The woman absolutely wet herself when I asked if it’s basically a snot sucker. It is. I imagine emptying the thing is a horrible ordeal.

I’ve got a friend who is significantly amazing going uphill – miles ahead of me (I’m very average at best uphill).

He always picks the hilliest routes with nastiest climbs and then just buggers off up them. No social climbing involved. So tempting to hire an e-bike for a ride without pre-warning him. Can’t see myself buying one though – I need the fitness.

I have another mate who is nearly as fast as the first one uphill – but he paces himself generally so he doesn’t bomb off and you can actually talk to him.

Much less twatish.

Seems like the best way to avoid lack of bike misery pending being back ok to ride!

Mine is getting new suspension bearings as well as a new drive train / bottom bracket etc. If I had the cash it would be getting whizzier forks too. A new baby on the way precludes that.

Cheers Chris – sounds like I’ve hopefully made a good purchase then. Whilst I can’t ride for ages due to shoulder surgery, then I can at least play with bikes and get them ready for January when I hope to at least do some tame xc stuff.

Seemed too cheap to be true – I don’t think they’ve got anymore on the site at that price either now that I can see. Almost half the price compared to anywhere else. Result!

Good to know – the one I’ve ordered is an fc-670 slx triple for 10 speed. Have to decide if the slx is going on the fs or the hardtail. The hardtail has a new raceface xc crank on it which looks quite nice but might not be as hard wearing as the slx.

Just found JE James have a triple slx crankset with bb for £45 delivered. Seems a bargain.

The race face aeffect is quite a bit more expensive than deore and a bit more than zee. The raceface has no ring (s) or bottom bracket either.

Not sure on the really cheap ones posted on ebay above – seems too cheap!

Thanks for comment’s. My gxp crank is pretty low end so doesn’t have a removable spider looking at pictures of it.

Think it’s running on a hollow tech 2 bb as standard – but the bearings are pretty gritty so I want a new one.

Thinking perhaps then getting a deore hollow tech triple for £55 complete with bb. Won’t cost much more than the mentioned chainring plus a bb. Maybe able to sell the rings from the deore and my current cranks/rings on ebay to offset the cost too.

Don’t want to spend the earth on the change – want some pikes to replace my revelations at some point!

A 36 tooth chainring is also probably too big. Currently have a 28 tooth granny ring with an 11-36 cassette. Figuring a 34 with an 11-42 cassette gives me a pretty similar climbing gear – just a bit off the top speed. That said I rarely get into the 42 chainring / 11 tooth rear cog anyway.

Ah – I only had 1 anchor so your shoulder must have been more damaged.

Saw a physio today who said I’m making good progress so far. I’ve been out the sling during the day less and less since the end of week 2 per surgeons opinion.

I’ve got the OK to use the turbo but not a bike out in the road yet – apparently I shouldn’t put too much weight on it yet.

Just curious to see what other people have managed. Hoping to be back on the mtb around Jan time then I guess. Ages!

Just my 2p worth. I bought some bomber z1’s with a snapped off brake boss in. Tried to use some cheap ez outs and they didn’t help at all. Couldn’t get them to bite.

Ended up using a cobalt bit to slowly drill the majority of the screw out. Then ran a tap through it to clear the remains of the screw out of the threads.

So far so good – the new brake boss screwed in fine and hasn’t pulled out.

I’ve not got a yari (but would like one – or a pike)but have RS Revelations. If the yari is anything like it, most of them will have the same length stanchions but will just have different length airshafts. I recently changed from 130mm travel to 150mm travel. Think the part was £27. I got Bad Ass Bikes near Bristol to change the part for me (as I don’t have circlip pliers / spare fork oil etc).

The stanchions are marked all the way round with various travel and sag setting lines depending on what airshaft is fitted.

I know it’s not meant to be difficult to do but I just cba to do it. Thought their all in price for £60 was great. Forks are much plusher since it was done as they did a lower leg service effectively at the same time.

Seems a bit extreme to change brakes because the pads sit close to the disc. Surely there must be a way of setting them up so they don’t catch / run all the time?

If you do swap then it’s a vote for Sam Guides from me. I’ve got the Guide Rs and eye been faultless so far. Easy to bleed and have reach adjustment. If you feel flush then I think the guide rsc also has bite point adjustment (that actually works ). You can feel how much power you’ve got at all times and judge when lock up will occur. Always got enough power, and even banzai speeds at bpw haven’t made me think I need more brake (running 160mm discs at both ends).

I’ve not tried modern hopes, but find shimano brakes too grabby. I’ve tried some formulas on a mates bike which seemed OK, but haven’t been very reliable.

So it’s chain wear and clutch in mech main things to check. I can’t believe my big chainring is worn out – I’ve barely used it. The small one is much more likely to get worn. Although the whole groupset is only a little over a year old and on its first chain still. Kept it immaculately clean – although it has had some muddy / wet rides.

I have the old style mechanical plummet post. Had it just over a year now I think. In terms of maintenance I’ve not had to do anything. The post hasn’t been stripped, I haven’t adjusted the tension and haven’t done any maintenance on the remote cable either.

It still works exactly the same as it did when new. I don’t have another dropper to compare it to as it’s the only one I’ve had. My mates ks lev has had to be rebuilt in the same time and it’s more temperamental.

Obv the mechanical one isn’t infinitely adjustable – it’s either up, down or halfway up. I mostly use it halfway down – it only gets fully down on a steep dh or if loaf’s of dropoffs. Like at flyup 417 on the red run or boneville at BPW.

There is some slop on the saddle from new – but this isn’t something you notice when riding and hasn’t got worse that I’ve noticed.

Main upside vs a lot of other cheap posts (externally routed ones) is that the cable goes into the front of the postnear where it goes into the frame. So it stays mud free.

Main downside is how ugly the rubber boot is – but it’s essential to leave this on.

To how would I check it’s exactly straight?

I mean it looked straight to the eye. Think it’s a cnc’d aluminium one rather than a cast one. The bike is a boardman pro fs and the original one was made of cheese. I set the rear derailleur up after changing the hanger as I out a new shifter in St the same time.

Cheers for all the comments guys. I’ll check chain stretch this weekend and the height of the front derailleur. Didn’t know you could adjust clutch mechs. I know you can’t switch the sram one on and off like shimano ones though.

The bike has a new mech hanger on it. So if anything is bent it would be the derailleur. Although it hasn’t had a knock for ages and the chain thing only just started happening.

Fair point – I’ll get the free mbuk chain checker out on the weekend and see what occurs.

Think it has two measurements 0.75 and 1.0 perhap’s? If the former then change just the chain – if the latter then maybe too late and need to change cassette and chain?

Only thing is that’s money that could go to replacing my 150mm revelations with 150mm pikes. Went to bpw the other day and loving the no riding up / smashing it down all day.

Hi there – it was falling off the big chairing – to the outside. Hever had it before and if I change the stop screw on the derailleur it won’t make it up into the big chainring.

I rarely use the big chainring in fairness – so I don’t think it can be torn out. No bent teeth either.

If I change the chain I should irkvably change the cassette too – but if I do that did the problem is still there then I’d be miffed.

Tempted to save up and go 1 x 11. I can’t ride my bike for at least 12 weeks (and then on the road / easy flat trails) as just had shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum.

Slightly different but I have the guide rs. They’ve been really good so far. The standard organic pads didn’t last too well once the weather got wet last year (think swinley forest sandy soil ground them down). Sram and Uberbike sintered pads have been fantastic in them since. I’m on 160mm discs at both ends and I’ve got almost endless power – even hurtling at pace down bpw all day I didn’t want for any extra power. Modulation wise they feel better than all the shimano discs I’ve used. I don’t think theres much weight difference between levels and guides.

I think the rs is the lowest guide that has swinglink instead of direct link which keeps pads further away initially.

They are also really easy to bleed – I had a first time attempt a month ago and got both perfect first time with a nice firm lever. No dragging of pads on disc.