Thanks ‘box’
That’s what I was wanting to hear. Good to know it works.

@sillyoldman
Thanks for that…. good to know: is this something you’ve tried?

I’m currently using 11speed Sunrace 50t cassettes, with 11 speed XT mechs and it works, but has to be just right with adjusting to get all the cogs working smoothly.

Looking to see if 12 speed mechs will run more smoothly.

dont shop with the Devil, obvs….
but here they are.

Like Woody, my boys are running “suntour xct Jr” at 150ish mm.
Plenty light enough with a lightweight NW ring instead of the steel jobby that arrived on it.

My Shimano saint one has lasted 6 years so far, across 3 bikes…. still
Smooth. I bought another on sale thinking it was so good I needed another for when it went. Still in the spares box 4 yrs later and no sign of needing it anytime soon.

The new GoPro is pretty amazing TBH. Horizon lock, 2k @240fps and the footage is pretty sweet. Lots of instant profiles you can set and use quickly, which makes getting the ‘look’ right a lot easier.

My 1998 Marin Team DH says hi… 😀

Hah, well yes…. historically there have been exceptions to that rule. Marin bikes seem to be an exception to most of them at some point.

The issue comes when the leverage means you could do the same at 80% of travel though!

Yes, if your bike had some kind of massive falling rate linkage. Which none do.

As mentioned above, just enough to stop rattle. My springs will all move up and down a little when the bike is unweighted. When the bike is loaded (with fat ass) the spring does not move against the pre-load collar.
If you get the spring weight right, on the bike with a good suspension curve, you’ll be unlikely to go back to air.

Price wise I dont think GX AXS will be as cheap as folk are hoping.

My LBS has stock @ £554.

For as long as people who make the laws only travel by car, this will continue to be the norm. Sad and depressing as that is.

As a soon-2-be 52 yr old, the first question I’d ask is…. WTF is creatine?

Am I missing out on something?

So plainly, I’m no help.

Nothing much will happen. You’ll survive.

You can’t just keep repeating it’s grey when it’s been explained to you in black and white.

Well, the specific bike related question seems to be clear now. It was more of an observation on ‘grey’ area around taxation rules generally.

It’s an interesting area, which is pretty grey in tone. I’m a supporter of paying Tax, from a moral, social standpoint (in fact i do, lots of it) but if there are grey areas in the rules, then it’s a matter of interpretation, which we have to leave HMRC to make a call on.

Example: (as checked and advised on from my accountant)
years ago, when i went on honeymoon to Patagonia, I was commissioned to take some photo’s for the travel company who arranged the trip. They wanted some for their office walls.

I asked my accountant how much of the trip I could write off against tax. I was told, the trip as purely a photographic expedition would ALL be deductable, even from the quite small (a few hundred pounds) sale of 1 framed image. So long as the photo’s could be used to build a business asset.

Question was, how much was me travelling to Patagonia for taking the photo, and how much was honeymoon? Should i close my eyes until I got there to take the photo? Should i eat only the cheapest meals, or rent the smallest car? In the end i had a lovely 2 weeks taking lots of pics, drinking, walking, horse-riding… and claimed around 60% of it. There was no way to find out enough detail to certify what is considered reasonable expenditure or not.

How long does something need to be owned to make it 2nd hand? or how long used?
Surely Grey area = avoidance, not evasion. I’m not an expert at all, only interested in others point of ‘ reasonable’.

well, it’s not quite as simple as you all seem to be suggesting..
If something is ‘used’ you don’t pay VAT on purchasing it, AFAIK?

What is ‘used’?…
if it’s a grey area, it’s the very definition of tax evasion, Surely?

I used to go to the states alot, buy a bike, ride it around on holiday for a couple of weeks and bring it home. It was used, muddy, tyres worn…. HMRC considered that used?

Not quite sure about the in’s and out’s of what you’re suggesting. But, it just sounds like tax avoidance, not tax evasion.

Legal enough for every thieving corporation and most government ministers to have been doing it for years.

If the rules say it’s ok, is it ok?

I have 2 sets of wheels for my trail bike, which are swapped quite regularly. The casette wear is not an issue if they’re swapped frequently, as they wear at an even rate.

One set has heavier tyres for trail center use in the summer and swapped to Mud spikes for the winter.
The other set has lighter semi-tread tyres (minion SS) for longer summer rides.

Both on Hope Pro4’s with same size discs. They swap out in seconds and need no tweaks to indexing and calipers needed.

Ah. You’re not a subscriber but you want the subscribers discount code?

That’s the knub of it.
I buy occasional STW digital magazine copies (normally on the tarmac before a flight somewhere) but i’m not a paid-up subscriber. I’m a freeloader.

Ah, yes… maybe i’ve misread the STW homepage article, where it suggest an extra 10% for STW members. Might only be on the first order from Sportpursuit.

Thanks anyhow.

My endura pants are pretty generous in the thigh/butt area…

Work for my ‘Chris Hoy’ sized thigh beef.

Ok, thanks all.
Still weird though.

It’s a park tool ‘feature’.
As above, I’ve an old handlebar I use as a lever to ‘unstick’ it.

I’ve been running rimpact for a while now, on carbon rims. The protection from pinch/rim issues is very good, running pressures needed for traction.

However, they are a pain to repair on the trail when something goes wrong. I’ve had 2 slashes in the sidewalls (Maxxis EXO+) which did not seal due to the rimpact preventing the solution getting to the area where the cut was.

I think the cut in sidewall might have been induced by lower pressure used with the rimpact too. I now run ‘pre-rimpact’ pressures again, avoiding this again, so far anyway.

I’m often within 3 miles of home, and just rode home on the flat tyre (which the rimpact was great for).

But if I was riding further from home it would be an issue.

Thanks @71stu
That’s interesting to know. Did you get a similar strength/lbs spring in progressive, as the non-progressive you replaced?

Re-dished all my hopes, using Wolftooth kit. It means the wheel has better triangulation on the spokes, so providing you’re ok with tweaking a wheel, there’s no reason to worry about this.

Any perception of strength loss from not running slightly wider flange spacing is just nonsense and drinking the cool-aid hype spouted by marketeers.

If the wheel is evenly tensioned, there’s nowt to worry over.

@shanner
I’m 105kgs and I’m running either a 50, or a 55 on a 180mm lyrik, I can’t recall without looking. I like my fork quite supple, but I’m still not getting full travel on mine.

Maybe try a 50lbs instead, as the HBO means you can run softer than normal with lots of mid/end stroke control. I certainly went down 2 spring rates before I found the sweet spot.

Anyone else?

Thanks Tracey.
I’m a larger person, so air shocks are not an option for me as they run too close to max pressure. That’s the reason for coils for me.

You could go right on trend…. run the stumpy mullet with 165mm cranks? You’d sort the low BB issue with that.

I’m running my stumpy mullet when the trails get dry/faster and have 165mm cranks too.

Almost eliminated pedal strikes for me.
(Different stumpy/set-up however)

most companies, specialized particulalry, run stems that are always too long on their frames i find.

go size larger and shorten sten.

I had a very sweet Mountain Cycle ‘rumble’ for a few years… was quite light and had monocoque head tube junction area, with short machines stays and was made for a 140 ish fork.

Slotted replaceable dropouts gave options for SS or gears. It’s was fab in drab olive green. If it had been tapered head tube, I’d still have it.

Sold it on here I think.

Not mine, but same as this.

As mentioned above.
It’s pish.

My 120kgs, racing downhill, jumping, smashing down Alps….

Only ever built wheels the regular way. In fact, I’ve never even considered which ‘direction’ the spokes go for inner, or outer threading. Just laced ‘em up and bashed them around a trail.

Since I’ve started building my own wheels, which is about 20 years, I’ve yet to bend one.

Yes, it is surprising how much difference 10mm makes. Pedal strikes went from constant to almost never on the same bike for me.

Didn’t notice any other real difference though. Like torque, or cadence etc:

Showers pass trousers are ace, more spendy, but really very good.

This is a pretty straightforward conversion actually.

11speed mech on 10s setup works fine (Shimano for sure)
Sun race cassette, to 46t
Front chainring as middle ring on cranks…

Shouldn’t need a goat link unless your frame is somehow different.

I’ve done this with both stumpy and enduros from that year.

All good.

@plastercaster

@lardman how are the grip levels of the Verdict compared to the Shorty in the mud? A marginal step up or a big, noticeable difference?

I’d say they are quite a big step up. noticable in off camber corners in the gloop, where they hook up loads more.

Yep, they fit my large paws well, where some don’t.

as spooky mentions, i’d bet it was the pads slightly catching the disc ‘spokes’… had that before and had to put some washers under the caliper to move it out 2mm.