My XT785 front calliper piston seals failed after 4 months (moderate) use …replaced under warranty promptly as no parts available. Confidence dented in reliability but still an awesome brake! Credit to Madison the shimano distributer for a rapid sort…they sent a replacement immediately to my LBS before receiving the faulty one.

You have a point with English course length…..less than most now (NZ, Aus,SA, Canada 4 years undergrad all uni based) thanks to cost cutting. But as mentioned, a true sports physio will have pursued further full time university based post graduate training and there are numerous excellent post grad English physio’s. Time in profession is no substitute for this. Don’t know too many top physio’s working for free as they’re far too busy! Look for pg dip/masters in sports or manipulative physio quals if you want a specialist.

Define “Sports Physio”……someone who has actually done a full time university based post graduate course for a further year at least, and then worked with professional teams/athletes at high level, or a new graduate who looks after the local football/rugby/hockey team at the weekend and works at a (in name only) “sports physio” practice. One in the same so do your research on who you see……same as any profession.

Thanks 2POC…that’s very helpful reassuring to hear the GD’s an OK replacement for the reverb……..now I just need to work out how to convince the wife that a new frame is needed….think she might notice that upgrade whereas others have slipped under the radar!!

Nice build….I have some flow rims, reba’s and shimano drivetrain just waiting for a chance to jump onto a soul frame from my current 18″ hardtail too. Have to ditch the reverb though so wondering what size gravity dropper classic for a large soul, although sounds like you’ve gone medium rather than large frame?

Bbsb beat me to it but here’s the link to the brilliant “middle class is magical” song from the mongrels tv series (flash required)

Middle class is magical[/url]

From previous thread…..iphone4 as GPS

Viewranger App….download 1;25000 OS maps as needed in 5km square grid “tiles” (app comes with credit to buy tiles and top ups available “in app”) so no need to fork out£90.00 for the whole country.

Mount in waterproof case….best find on my internet hunt and brilliant in practical use is this…. http://www.cyclewiz.co.uk/BikeConsole-Bike-Mount-for-iPhone-4S-4-3GS-3G_AY5CC.aspx?0
….allows rotation to landscape and handles cross country off road well with the supplied mount. Probably not ideal for full on black route trail centre but then why would you need it then anyway??!

Best feature of the viewranger app…..you can mark out waypoints on a chosen route and then with it handlebar mounted the GPS dot shows you where you are on your route with the route a series of coloured lines(customisable in colour/thickness) along your waypoints. You can export or import routes as well. Turn off wifi and bluetooth, tone down screen brightness and get 4 hour+ rides constant on with an iphone 4. Turn off screen lock and tone down brightness further and you have a brilliant night ride always on map with live location update! Run it alongside an app like cyclemeter and you get to track speed, distance, altitude, and route on map + ability to export, give live tracking info, track competitors etc.

I have been able to chart out night rides in completely unknown countryside near where I live, on and off road and discover lots of new territory without having to stop start to look at conventional maps to work out where the hell I am. Result.

Even the heavier clamps not great with the Inton 2200 in that it’s fixed and nonadjustable for light angle…its one downside, But there’s a good cheap hope clamp alternative as detailed in this thread (either straight up or modified as I’ve described at the end of current posts…)

Inton light thread link

I see your 2000 and raise you 200 (and at only £105.00)………. Inton 2200

Originally intended to cross…..but apparently not the end of the world if they don’t….would imagine they are more laterally “exposed” though with a straight rather than crossed course. My current rockhopper project is to enclose cables completely and route under top bar to avoid the bare cable/under bottom bracket thing all together…… 2 x episodes of complete cable seize in frozen mud under the bottom bracket this winter have been my motivation…..

+1 for the hope bracket….but I’ve modified it to use the supplied heavy mount clip. Unfortunately the supplied heavy mount gives zero adjustability once fixed on the bar, and so I have used the light side part of the “heavy mount” as intended, but took the slide on part of the other side of the mount off and mounted that on the hope part….just a matter of drilling out the top of the hope mount to match the raised rounded projection on the underside of the slide clip (see pictures below AFTER adapting)…..also took off some of the thickness of the round part for a snugger fit into the top of the hope bracket. Found a approx 11mm screw to match the original longer one and now have a very secure adjustable mount with the option to rotate forwards and backwards once hope clip opened, pivot side to side and to clip the light on/off.

Hope that’s helpful…….

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IMG_2531[/url] by kiwifiz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

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IMG_2533[/url] by kiwifiz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

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IMG_2535[/url] by kiwifiz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

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IMG_2536[/url] by kiwifiz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

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IMG_3436[/url] by kiwifiz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Battery pack fits snugly under stem….oh yeah, and it’s a stunningly good light as well!

Milford sound South Island New Zealand 1991….my ’89 Diamondback Ascent on the back of my Ford Falcon 500 (4.1 litre straight 6 column shift….pure class with vinyl roof and beer crate holding up the front bench seat! But a great ski/surf/MTB mission wagon). The bikes still going strong as a commuter with a friend in Denmark.

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Mail0004 – Version 3[/url] by kiwifiz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Shimano M647. Reliable mech, indestructible and don’t “grab” with rock strikes like a metal body will.£44.00 quid (merlin) well spent.

Thanks for the heads up BWD. Will check it out…..

Pook I’m up in the Peak D at Easter for first proper look around so would it be ok to drop you an email re your gpx routes??

Thanks all for your thoughts…..looks like a soul it is as there will be a fair amount of XC in the mix. Now what to swap my reverb with (??!)

@sugdenr….thanks for feedback….but how heavy are you other bfe/soul riders?/did it influence your choice??

A late resurrection of this post…..have been thinking very much along the lines of the OP in terms of HT bike set up (120mm and trail/peak centric build and use) and a desire to shift to soul or bfe…..but wondering how rider weight stacks the decision…..I’m just over 6ft and 91kg’s and wonder if that means the burlier bfe might be the better option. Obviously a call to Cotic would be helpful, and swinging a leg over said steeds, but interested on the STW panels thoughts….. :D

A great morning ride on largely untracked virgin snow with hardly anyone about in Warwickshire between Dorridge and Henley in Arden…..over 15cm deep in places with the front wheel spending as much time going sideways as forwards at times!

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An early start from Dorridge bundled up against the -1º outdoor temp…the 37 km route way pointed on the phone using viewranger app and OS 1:25000 mapping….the only way I don’t get horribly lost![/url] by kiwifiz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

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The trusty steed![/url] by kiwifiz[/url], on Flickr

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Thankfully a down not an up![/url] by kiwifiz[/url], on Flickr

from the icebreaker merino’s mouth…..

baaaaaa……

ahhhh, I feel at home with all those flattened vowels…

@ zoota…sourced the route from “the edge cycleworks” website, one several options for Long Mynd….:

here

Downloaded the GPX file to viewranger and then synced to cased up iphone viewranger app (using 1;25000 OS maps) mounted on handlebar

A good collection of regional rides including peak district at this site, most with GPX links, so like having your own (digital) guide! Looking forward to trying some more of their routes….thanks edge team!

A first visit to Long Mynd today for a 20 mile loop under clear blue skies….. frozen streams of run off water on the ascents/descents, snow on trails up top and black ice on the short road sections….amazing if not a little treacherous! Only two other tyre trails on the route and not another bike in sight….felt rather spoilt having it all to myself. Was heading for home during the sunset which was pretty special too. But man was it chilly…….gear cables froze up completely under bracket at one point along with ice thickened jockey wheels, requiring chipping away of solid slush to get changes working again (must get round to sorting outers!). My feet have finally thawed out several hours later with the help of a rather long bath soak, but all very much worth it.

…….and another vote for ss sintered

As per recent post on this same question

My new 2012 XT’s were fabulous…I stress WERE as the front calliper has blown a piston seal at 4 months old (less than 1 trail ride a week average) and it’s been in the shop coming up to two weeks waiting for parts……seems I’m not alone and there are possible manufacturing issues resulting in banjo and piston leaks…..

see discussion at…… http://forums.mtbr.com/brake-time/love-new-2012-xt-brakes-734689-3.html

Hope a seal replace sorts them as they are superb when working…..but reliability is now in doubt for me at least.

and the outcome…..

Ok have heard back from the LBS. The bad news…..no 2012 XT piston seal parts available in the UK. The good news…..warranty swap out of whole front calliper + new pads! Result, but doesn’t bode well for the Shimano option….looks like this is an acknowledged problem.

Good result in the end but 2 weeks no riding while waiting for the warranty swap. To the shimano distributors credit they sent the replacement immediately before the faulty calliper was sent back. Seems the chat amongst tinkering friends though is that when things go wrong Hopes are self serviceable, and Shimano’s are swop outs….. will be interested to hear others comments.

Ok have heard back from the LBS. The bad news…..no 2012 XT piston seal parts available in the UK. The good news…..warranty swap out of whole front calliper + new pads! Result, but doesn’t bode well for the Shimano option….looks like this is an acknowledged problem.

My new 2012 XT’s were fabulous…I stress WERE as the front calliper has blown a piston seal at 4 months old (less than 1 trail ride a week average) and it’s been in the shop coming up to two weeks waiting for parts……seems I’m not alone and there are possible manufacturing issues resulting in banjo and piston leaks….. :evil:

see discussion at…… http://forums.mtbr.com/brake-time/love-new-2012-xt-brakes-734689-3.html

Hope a seal replace sorts them as they are superb when working…..but reliability is now in doubt for me at least.

all weekend riding sabotaged by new XT brakes front calliper seal failure pissing hydraulic fluid all over front pads…..only 4 months old…….an increasingly common problem apparently….. :evil: Surf/weather conditions looking promising in North Devon for Sunday so may have to switch to the water code….not all bad!

Have Rockshox Reba 120’s on mine….frame in theory good for up to 110mm on my looking into this prior to upgrade but works brilliantly with the 120’s going down at least…general climbing not a problem, but a little light up front/twitchy on really steep uphills……an acceptable tradeoff for me in terms of the massive grin factor gained on the downhills….you just have to get your weight well forwards. 130mm might be just a little step too far for climbing practicality/change of geometry…..hopefully someone’s tried it and can comment.

Viewranger App….download 1;25000 OS maps as needed in 5km square grid “tiles” (app comes with credit to buy tiles and top ups available “in app”) so no need to fork out£90.00 for the whole country.

Mount in waterproof case….best find on my internet hunt and brilliant in practical use is this…. http://www.cyclewiz.co.uk/BikeConsole-Bike-Mount-for-iPhone-4S-4-3GS-3G_AY5CC.aspx?0
….allows rotation to landscape and handles cross country off road well with the supplied mount. Probably not ideal for full on black route trail centre but then why would you need it then anyway??!

Best feature of the viewranger app…..you can mark out waypoints on a chosen route and then with it handlebar mounted the GPS dot shows you where you are on your route with the route a series of coloured lines(customisable in colour/thickness) along your waypoints. You can export or import routes as well. Turn off wifi and bluetooth, tone down screen brightness and get 4 hour+ rides on a iphone 4. Turn off screen lock and tone down brightness further and you have a brilliant night ride always on map with live location update! Run it alongside an app like cyclemeter and you get to track speed, distance, altitude, and route on map + ability to export, give live tracking info, track competitors etc.

I have been able to chart out night rides in completely unknown countryside near where I live, on and off road and discover lots of new territory without having to stop start to look at conventional maps to work out where the hell I am. Result.

+1 for on & on’s analysis…… Got mine just before Christmas (thank you Santa Neninja!) and got 2 hours 40 mins on high/ full charge on a chilly 6º night ride from the claimed 3 hours on high. Could be wound down considerably for most on/off road purposes but the novelty of having so much light was hard to resist on a first test! ” In use” pictures on the crgmoto.co.uk website are an accurate show of what they’re like. Great value and quality for the money as a first impression.

Big thanks to phil56….poplock now fully operational thanks to spare screw….very much appreciated.

Now if only someone had a spare Blur LT2 frame they were giving away…….. :wink:

Does anyone actually stock the Lakes 302’s to try on? Have had no joy finding anywhere and so went for the Mavic drifts instead, having tried the Mavic Razor for a size comparison. I’m still waiting for them to come into stock on a CR discount buy thou gh so keen to hear of any Drift wearers experiences so far?

You’ve given yourself an ulnar nerve neuropraxia (temporary, squashed nerve damage) on both occasions…means you are compressing the ulnar nerve as it passes through the little finger side of the palm.

see this very useful link: http://www.hughston.com/hha/a_15_3_2.htm

You need to make sure you’re not loading all your weight through the outer edge of the palm…. useful prevention strategies mentioned in the article.

I get the same if I’m not careful on road rides….length of time consistently squished is one of the key contributing factors with road riding…..we are constantly changing grip/position with MTB’ing so nerve gets some time out from constant longterm compression.

Fabulous….dropping you an email now :-)

Hi Phil…it is indeed the alloy one. What can I trade you for the bolt? I recon a bacon Sarnie is good currency if you are anywhere near Cannock Chase?!

Just found this post thread while searching for a pushloc part myself…..the actual bolt to clamp it to the bar. Shifted my brakes and gears + pushloc inboard on the bar a bit and because the pushloc uses a smaller fitting alan key, forgot to tighten it……result was pushloc flying off bar 10 minutes into ride…doh! a trail fix with insulation tape salvaged the ride but now need a new one. Realise your bolt might have broken as part of the off but hope you don’t mind me asking if you still have it??