I’ve used a petrol station compressor with my valve cores in place and a presta adapter in the past for stubborn tyres with 100% success.

I used an eBay slide hammer bearing puller a few times on my Bronson’s linkage bearings and it worked fine. The expanding part broke while using it for another job and since then I just carefully tap them out using a bolt against the bearing lip from the opposite side. Also works fine.

No. Light/strong: pick one. Only the “light” option currently exists.

There is no way that the 2.6 & 2.8 Butcher Grids have the same casing strength as the 2.3. They’re probably the lighter version of the Grid casing found on the Purgatory Grid (much thinner sidewalls, slightly thinner tread casing), if not an even lighter casing – look at their spec weight compared to the 2.3. A 0.1″ width increase in normal tyres from other brands adds about 100g, compared to the Butcher’s 15g per 0.1″ increase over the 2.3 Butcher Grid.

I’ve patched a sidewall hole successfully in the past, and also plugged one once which worked for the rest of the life of the tyre. Also just glued one recently, so far so good.

My current Reverb sags 2-3mm when I sit on it. Barely noticeable. I contacted bike-components.de who said that if/when it starts to sag more than this I can send it in for a free service or replacement. Seems fair.

Thanks for the tips guys. I’ll contact the German online shop first and see what they advise, etc. I’m not trying to wangle a free replacement or service but that would be nice. I live in the French Alps and ski until April/May so sending the post away for a while isn’t a problem.

Related question here.

I rode a new Reverb Stealth for 8 months last May-November and at the end of that period I could feel the post sagging ever so slightly (2-3mm max) when I sat on it. This doesn’t bother me but is it a sign that a service is due soon?

My previous Reverb developed 5-10mm sag after about 12 months of use which did bother me a little so if my new one may go this way I guess a service would be a good shout? Best to send it back to the popular German online shop I bought it from or a suspension service centre?

Ta.

Slide hammer & collet set for removal (£16 on eBay).

M8 bolt, nuts & big washers for pressing (£2 at local hardware shop).

I’ve done my Bronson bearings twice with this. Why spend more?

Über bike Race Marrix normally do me about a month of alpine riding (about 15 days), feel pretty good and are quiet. Tried Superstar Kevlar recently. Felt a bit better but genuinely only lasted two and a half days and squealed like a piggy (yes they were bedded in with clean rotors). Back to Race Matrix now and much happier.

Likewise, my compression adjusters all do nothing now (the 3 position and the low-speed). I’ve been riding it fine for the few weeks, not massively concerned because I always run the 3-position compression fully open and the low-speed just a few clicks in, and I’m pretty sure that it currently rides the same as if all compression was fully open.

I’m hoping to keep riding it until winter and then warranty it (also experiencing the well-documented steerer unit creaking). Is this a sensible idea?

Also will attempting to do a simple lower leg removal & oil change service knacker anything once it’s already in this state?

in reality I find it increases lever throw, particularly if you run your lever close to the bar

Exactly what I find, this is what I don’t like about Shimanos (currently Zees). Which current levers are non Servo Wave? Older XTRs apparently were.

But you are taking your findings from a sample of one (pair of zee brakes). I agree with others that they have excellent modulation and outright power.

Three pairs of Zees (two other friends’ previously unmentioned), two pairs of XTs.

And yes. Internet bikers widely talk nonsense and I’d like to bring my own real findings to the table. Experienced friends agree.

I live in “The Alps”. Currently Butcher Control front & Butcher Grid rear with no problems.

Control is a bit thinner all over than Schwalbe Snakeskin and Grid feels the same or a little thicker all over compared to a Maxxis EXO.

My front was fine. Rear Snakeskin Double Defense was a bit fragile between the knobs; lots of tiny holes showing wet patches in the space of 6 weeks and one hole which had to be plugged. Sidewalls fine. I’ve since returned to sturdier casings.

I’ve heard/read more than a few people expressing the opinion that Zees have the best modulation of all the SHimano brakes

I’ve had Zees for two years. Two friends’ XTs feel about the same for modulation and much better for lever throw. Pretty sure it’s not a bleed or pad issue.

Shimano are generally poor for modulation, regardless of what anyone tells you.

XTs feel better, Zees have more power. Buy accordingly.

My current setup has the front brake line rubbing/hitting the fork crown making an annoying clicking noise and wearing away the paint. Coloured it in with a black marker and spread a bit of urethane glue on that area of the crown; problem solved.

M4 grub screws usually. Measure to be sure. Buy on eBay.

There is vulcanising fluid and rubber cement. They’re not the same thing.

The Weldtite kit comes with a tube of stuff. I just wanted to know what it is, as I can’t tell. Seems like vulcanising solution to me but not sure.

Many laptops will overheat if you run them with the screen closed. Figure out another solution, like selecting which single display gets used, or blacking out the unused screen when your external screen is used fullscreen.

The Weldtite ones go for a fiver online. Five plugs, couple of insertion tools and a little knife to trim the plug when done. Comes in a little box, and will do for ages if you buy some of the above refills.

What about the fluid? Is it just normal vulcanising solution? Got the Weldtite plug kit and can’t tell.

What about the fluid? Is it just normal vulcanising solution? Got the Weldtite plug kit and can’t tell.

Is Sue Barker still presenting the tennis, and has anyone taught her how to read an autocue without saying “ehhh” 2-3 times per sentence yet?

2.35 Snakeskins have the crosshatch pattern on the sidewalls. 2.25 Snakeskins do not.

If it’s genuinely a good idea an investor will back it. If the creators believe in their product they will take the investment.

Rulla Bearings sorted me out quickly & cheaply. Bearings seem good quality.

Yeah I like mine. It’s a good bit livelier than I expected after a few internet opinions I read. Works -1 headset and 160mm Pike has slackened it to about 65.5 degrees. Shock could do with a tune to get the most out of it but I’m not complaining too much.

Standard Rema patches. I used to use normal vulanising solution with no problems. Now Rema “Special Cement” which works fine too. Urethane glue over the top of the patch (Evo Stik Serious Glue) or more vulcanising solution. Urethane glue on the outside of the tire or flexible super glue (Gorilla brand).

I do 2 or 3 repairs per year like this and have never had one fail. Second ride on a new Nobby Nic recently I got a nail clean through the tyre somehow, in one side and out the other. Fixed that night, no problems since.

Yep. Thought I’d only get £150 at first, then checked recent prices on eBay/Singletrack/Pinkbike and chanced it with an original asking price of £200 (wheels, old tyres, old rotors, spare spokes, tubeless). Sold via Pinkbike in the end for £175 including postage; not bad considering I bought the wheels nearly-new for £200 two years ago! http://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/1770499/

Reach adjustment will make no difference to your bleed; it’s just the position the lever sits in but it changes nothing inside the lever cylinder. “Free stroke” on the other hand does change the piston position inside the cylinder, only a little but still worth thinking about. Bleed with the free stroke screw all the way out, do the Epic Bleed 5 minute bubble trick, give them a test, tighten the free stroke back up and recheck. For Zees or SLX, get hold of the tiny two-pronged screwdriver for cheap on eBay.

Failing that, pump once with the wheel removed and recheck, but I end up with the pads constantly rubbing on the rotors when I try that.

I sold my Pro 2 Evo SPs & old Flows for £175 recently, pretty scratched, two small dents (fixed but visible), including partly-worn tyres I had no use for any more and some old spare rotors.

Try to sell them for a decent price and if you don’t get it then you’re no worse off than you are right now. And true them first, a very good opportunity to learn!

Don’t scrape out the old sealant residue next time.

Does anyone regularly use Google+ ?

G+ will soon be an integral part of Google’s ranking algorithms. So major brands will shortly diving into it fully, followed by smaller brands and then (if the plan pans out) consumers will follow.

Now I just find out to see who holds the copyright on photos you upload…

Same as most services like this; you retain copyright but also grant Google the right to do whatever they want with your images. It’s a free service and this is the price you pay if you choose to use it.

My pub bike for the past 5 years has been a singlespeed rigid hardtail MTB with the middle chainring from a triple chainset, cheap single cog adapter kit, no chain tensioner and a variety of BMX, 8 speed and 9 speed chains. It’s fine. Try it like that first before trying to fix problems that probably won’t exist.

Switched off and in your backpack.

Air B&B can be hit & miss. My parents weren’t at all impressed with their accommodation last year for the amount they paid.

This year they stayed in Hotel Le Louvre in the centre of town, even though they thought the prices were too good to be true when booking (I gave them a list of hotels and they checked prices for all of them, and thought Le Louvre’s price was per-person at first, not for 3 including my sister). Perfectly adequate room, fair breakfast, nice staff. Ask about bike storage before booking though.

Stay in Chamonix centre if you care at all about nightlife. Everywhere worth riding is a ride/drive/bus/train to access anyway but if staying in town at least you get an OK off-road route most of the way back to town from the top end of the valley and you’re central between Le Tour and Les Houches.

If it’s a Hydrapak bladder (Dakine ones are I believe) and it’s not that old, you might be able to get a replacement bite valve under warranty.

Great tip, thanks. A free replacement valve is on its way to me for my 2011 Dakine system, a couple of hours after sending the warranty form :D .

The new style 2.3 Minion DHF looks MAHOOOOSSSIVE on the from of my LB 35mm hookless rims.

You mean it looks wide at the carcass/sidewalls.

Wide rims + narrow tyres mean the height of the tyre is effectively reduced (meaning easier rim dents at a given pressure compared to narrower rims) and the tyre carcass is wider than the shoulder knobs (meaning the sidewalls are more vulnerable).

2.25 Schwalbe on my current 24.5mm internal rims give both of these effects to some extent and Maxxis 2.3/2.35 are slightly narrower than those. For 30mm rims definitely go for 2.4/2.5 Maxxis, 2.35 Schwalbe, 2.3 Specialized, etc.