so I guess I done good.

You done good! :-)

The hardest is probably differentiating between the wants and needs and having the conviction to give them what they need in spite of them arguing about what they want. And after years of experience the hardest word for a salesman to say is “no”, I won’t sell you that because you only want it and not need it. This I’ll admit is more directed to regular customers than passing trade, but I’m more accustomed to developing new territories than anything.

The difference between want & need is usually cost, so rarely will you EVER sell something to someone they actually ‘want’, the trick is to find out want they need and sell to this need – and in my experience as sales manager for the last 20 years ‘this is the ONLY way to sell’.

I have been keeping an eye on this thread with great interest over the past couple of days, why? Well….

I am considering opening an LBS myself – DON’T I hear you say! You could be right and this could be the best advice ever, but….

I love bikes! And further more I love working with & helping people to make informed decisions and to meet the needs of the customer.

However, there is a fundamental issue with this….not every customer actually knows what their needs are when they actually go into a shop.

So….

This is where the LBS could really add value! Understand your customer and understand their needs – this way you’ll make the right sale, to the right customer, at the right time for them (and you!).

Every point of every customer that has commented on this thread is actually right….because it is what they feel and/or have experienced. Therefore it is down to the LBS to change this for them on the day that person actually does walk into their shop as a customer.

We are all decent customers (in our own way) and we have the choice to make, online or LBS? Its your choice. But if you become a customer of mine I like many other LBS’s (not all I agree) will do our best to help you.

Ah….right….a few have mentioned ‘painful’ rides & ‘numb’ hands….mmmm? I get both from time to time. I am currently using the Sunline lock-on’s – so maybe time to give something different a go? Loads of hands up for the Richy Ergo, so might give them a go!

Cheers all.

RealMan – Member

Well main difference is lock on or slip on.

Then you’ve got various thickness, thicker can be more comfortable but thinner give you more control.

Then you’ve got different colours..

Is that it? I thought that might be the case, but its just one of those things I’ve never considered!

EDIT: Always just gone for the look!

I have the Tech M4’s……

1. VERY easy! (1 min job)
2. VERY easy! (2 min job)
3. Easy – (10 mins each end)
4. Just used mine in California for some pretty hard riding, NO ISSUES!

I hope that helps?

EDIT: I use mine with the floating rotors.

Not sure how much you know about the riding where you are?? But what about ‘Woodbury’? Here’s a link to my GPS map…..

Woodbury Loop

Recently at Mammoth, California = 11,053 feet (3,369 m).

Mulletus Maximus – Member

From CRC?

No…the one on CRC is Post Mount Caliper to IS Fork and the OP wants IS Caliper to Post Mount fork.

bigyinn – Member

£20!
Thats robbery compared to the Shimano equivalent @ £8 IIRC!

Sure is……unless you can’t get one somewhere else….which seems to be the issue? They know when they have you by the short & curlies!

Try this one…..

Front IS to Post Mount Adapter 203mm

It could be the ball bearings under the u-turn turning mechanism right on top of the fork?

I have had this problem….water gets in and the bearings get a bit rusty then don’t turn. Just remove the top cap and the bearing will be underneath (BUT BE VERY CAREFUL not to lose the bearings as you open up the top cap) and I would suggest doing it over a big white blanket or something similar in case they do drop out.

Make sure you also have a magnet handy in case the bearings slip down the bigger holes next to the ones they are sat on top of (you’ll know what I mean when you take the top cap off).

Once open, take out the bearings (make a note of where they were seated as there is not a bearing for every hole), clean the whole thing up, regrease and put back together – its an easy job and it will sort things out for you!

lardman – Member

Hey Itheisinger…

glad you had a great time in Northern Cal, it’s ace eh! I replied to your thread last year, when you were canvassing opinion on your trips and possible destinations. You seemed to have gone to all the places i recommended and looks like you had a blast.

Glad i could help out with a destination or two, and along with Mr Kelly and Co: looks like it was fun.

Ain’t Downeiville great eh!

Hey buddy – Yep we had a fantastic time in California, especially the North! I remember your posts and the pics (the pics you posted just made it VERY difficult to wait!). My three Favorite rides have to be Tamarancho/ Repack with Charlie & Joe, Downieville & Mammoth.

I am already thinking about the next time I can go and believe me I WILL be going again, but now I know the area a bit better I will plan slightly different, to allow more time in the areas I REALLY enjoyed this time!

Thanks again buddy and cheers for posting on this one too!

If you are only using one chain ring….Yes its fine.

Mmmm? Dunno about the Orange 5 but I run a Heckler with 26/36 combo and it’s great!

Thanks Charlie! The HD version is now on YouTube if you want to take a look at that? Much better quality!

You Tube HD Video

Videos of Downieville, Tahoe, Mammoth, Laguna Niguel & Santa Cruz to follow – but they take flipping ages!

I actually replaced the Freehub? and it bearings etc.?

Try again….

Trying to work out how to put the video on! :? this is the Repack one…. Hopefully??

EDIT: Nope – I’ll keep trying?

Mmmmm? I don’t know if I am thinking of something completely different reading the first few posts? But I recently replaced the freehub on my XT M776’s & have since also done a ‘service check’ on it, where I striped it and checked all was ok and it was quite simple?

So my answer would be yes – just make sure you don’t lose the bearings when you open it up (do it over a bowl or something).

Out of interest how mich did the rv cost to rent ?

All in for 18 days with 1500 miles, personal kits, provision kits, gas, generator, dumping & insurances – £1156

Repack Rider – Member

2retro4u
Marin County, Cali

Late on this because I’m in a different time zone. I was waiting for Leon to introduce the subject. Thanks for the kind words.

Leon and Chris showed up for their ride so late in the day that Joe was the only person I could find who hadn’t already gone out. We took the boys on as much of a ride as they were game for in the time allotted. Total distance might have been fifteen miles, but they were not easily earned.

Joe and I had the “home field advantage” of knowing exactly how far it was to the top of every climb. We took them up Iron Springs Road to the Alchemist Trail, took that to the Goldman Trail, then Serpentine, Wagon Wheel, B-17 and B-17 Extension trails out the other side of Tamarancho.

Along the way we passed “The Rock.” Joe cleaned it, but no one else did. It seems like everyone who ever cleaned The Rock has the video on YouTube.

On Wagon Wheel one of the boys had his first close look at a vulture, a common sight here as they glide on the thermals close to the hills, and shouted, “What is that enormous black bird?”

Then the climb that tested their stamina, to an elevation of just over 1500 feet on a warm afternoon. Did I hear a few complaints on the climbs? Must have been the coyotes. That’s why they put those gears on the bikes.

I hope the boys came away from their ride down Repack with a little insight into why it was such a great test then and still is now. Leon should have video from his helmet camera, and I look forward to the YouTube post.

A familiar ride is more enjoyable when you ride with someone discovering it for the first time. Leon and Chris were great company, so let me thank them here for joining us.

Charlie – thanks very much for the description of our ride – there was no way that I would have remembered all that!

No worries on the kind words – you guys couldn’t have made our ride in Tamarancho and our holiday any more special – we really appreciated that!

The videos need a bit of work (i.e. editing), but plan to do them this weekend, at which point I’ll post the links here!

Cheers again Charlie – you’re a legend!

scaredypants – Member

Aliso Cyn – as in Laguna Niguel ?

Was it a good ride ?

Yes it was Laguna Niguel & yes it was great! We got show up to ‘the top of the World’ by a guy called James who we met in the car park before heading off and then came down ‘Rock it’! Great Ride!

Unfortunately we didn’t get chance to do San Juan, but there always next time!!!! :D I heard so many good things about San Juan, but just ran out of time in LA.

Bunnyhop – Member

Indeed a trip of a life time. Yes I think you should write a piece about the holiday and send it into Single Track Magazine, with some of those fantastic photos.

I always have a little smile on face when reading RepackRider’s posts, as I know who he is and his history.

California is where I met my husband many years ago (at Lake Tahoe), so it holds very special memories for us.

Thank you and I’m glad we could rekindle some of those memories! :-)

cynic-al – Member

I love California

…so do i!

DarrenH – Member

Excellent pics, we can only dream…
Itheisinger, are you riding a heckler btw?
You’ll have to forgive me, I’m on a santa cruz love fest at the moment!

Yes mate – the last 3 bikes have all been SC, but the black Heckler in the pics is mine. Love it!

peteimpreza – Member

Well i have just gone green from head to tail.

Chapeau mon amis, chapeau!!

Yes mate – Your Pikes are on the White SC Heckler (my mates bike!) that is in shown in a couple of the pics! Took me a few minutes there to catch on what you were on about! They performed excellent buddy!

CaptainFlashheart – Member

Charlie and Joe are legends, and really nice guys to boot! Thanks for sharing that and making me very jealous indeed!

EVERYTHING you say is true! They are legends and FANTASTIC GUYS!

It’s RepackRider who post’s on here isn’t it? IMO his posts don’t quite get the appreciation i feel they deserve

It is the very same RepackRider and I am sure if people really knew who he was and his involvement along with Joe Breeze & Gary Fisher in what we know as mountain biking today, then I think it would be VERY different!

No problem sharing….the problem is it just makes me want to go back myself! Mmmmm….maybe I will!

Waking up in the Mojave Desert & arriving in LA later on, ready to ride Aliso Cayon tomorrow…..SWEET! :D

I thought I would just check STW out whilst sat in the RV with a beer waiting to ride Mammoth Mountain tomorrow!

A BIG thanks to Charlie & Joe for showing us the singletrack & of course the 'REPACK'!!! We had an awesome day with two legends of MTB and will never forget the ride and the hospitality shown by Charlie & Joe!

Since meeting up with Charlie & Joe we have indeed ridden both Downieville (Monday) & the Flume Trail (Today)….

More to look at after Mammoth tomorrow – in fact another tens days to go before we finish our riding around California!

I will post up some pics as soon as we get home – but here's a couple to keep you going….

Me, Charlie & Joe at the top of the Repack.

Me Charlie & Joe at the beginning of our ride (note the sign…CLASS!)

Thanks again guys – it was a ride to remember!

jonny m – Member

nice,nice. how are the xt wheels on the black un?

I really like the the XT wheels, smooth freehub, they roll well on the XT Hubs & although not really light they do stand up to quite a bashing!

HoratioHufnagel – Member

was it easy to get used to the wide swingarm?? i demoed one but kept bashing my legs on it!

I got to say I didn't really notice? Yeah my foot did hit it a couple of times when I first rode it, but I put that down to the geometry after riding the previous model (i.e. the newer one feels slightly tighter than the older one and I did need to jump up from Medium to large)

Absolutely LOVE mine! It handles the downhills and completely planted all the time, like others have said…it took a few rides to get used to it (even though I had the older one (2006) before?) – not sure why? It just did!

The uphills were easier when I had the 2.1 tyres, now on 2.35 Minion Super Tacky (ready for the California trip in 10 days time! :D ) but it not that much of a problem now to be honest, I have the RP23 and just set it to the stiffest option on 'Pro Pedal' when on the up's (I also sometimes to remember to wind down the Pikes to 110mm and that helps more).

I'm not a weight weenie but the bike still only weighs in at about 30lbs and is the perfect 'All Mountain' bike.

Here's the pics of current bike….

Here's pics of my old one…

Here's the both together (my mate has it now)…

If its on the rear then you'll need a Minion DHR and put it on the right way – works for me! :-)

Minion without doubt and I have used both.

Simon – Member

For the stiff u-turn try this. Under the adjuster there are three ball bearings which can rust, undo the adjuster by unscrewing the screw on the top, clean the ball bearings, then grease them and put it all back together.

For the travel problem I'd try letting all the air out and setting the forks up again, and see if full travel returns before doing anything else.

Thank YOU VERY MUCH!!!! Just tried the grease and it now works a treat!!!! Phew……thanks all for the replies!

TroutWrestler – Member

I agree with the above posts. Look out for escaping ballbearings/springs when removing the U-turn.

YEP! They did escape, but a magnet sorted it!!!

If they did make you redundant I very much doubt they would ask for the money or the bike back (it would be a bloody insult if they did! 8O ) – but if they did you could ask for it as part of the redundancy package??