Personally, I view the CTC as an archaic anti-mass cycling organisation. The CTC has been “campaigning for cycling” for well over a century, and we’ve witnessed instead the cataclysmic collapse of British people cycling, to some of the lowest levels ever. I realise the social, economic and political reasons for this aren’t the CTC’s fault, but they certainly haven’t helped.

The CTC is still resistant to the real measures that would instigate mass cycling (separated Dutch infrastructure). The LCC, BCC and The Cycling Embassy of Great Britain are doing excellent work of truly campaigning for real mass cycling, and the only places I’d be giving my money. I support the slightly nerdy Bristol Cycle Campaign and I love them too. But CyclingUK/CTC? Sustrans? Sops to the status quo, or worse, supporters of a culture where nobody cycles. **** them both.

In “recommend what you run” fashion may I suggest the Brooks Cambium C17? Expensive, heavy, but lovely and comfortable. Like really comfortable.

I think at the ripe old age of 28, I might be turning into a total neck-bearded retrogrouch…

Do we really want to pollute the beautiful mechanical purity of the bicycle with batteries and led displays and wifi?

Philosophically, I don’t feel ok with Di2. I know I don’t have to buy it, and I won’t. But I worry that in 10, 15 years or whatever there won’t be any good quality normal mechanical gear systems. For what it’s worth, I ride a full sus 1×10 “enduro” bike, so it’s not like I’m a single speed whiskey swilling sandal wearer. But still. Sorry for my grouchitude!

I’m desperately hoping Rob’s gonna die, imagine if the bastard gets to bring up the children? Doesn’t bear thinking about.

Also, undertones of Rob’s father also being a controlling husband, v. forceful with his wife as they confronted Helen’s folks….

Thank god she’s got a solicitor! I can’t bear this! Argh!

Oh it’s so horrible I can barely bare to listen! He’s raped her! He’s hit her! He controls her! He turns people against her! It makes me scream at the radio! I also agree with the above that it is an important storyline: these are all too common situations for people to be in, and highlighting them is important.

I shall also stick my neck out. There has been no ratio change gordonb. 10 speed Shimano MTB stuff has always had the same cable pull ratio, which is to say, different from 9 speed. If you were indeed using a 10 speed SLX mech before, then your gears definitely weren’t working properly. You need a 9 speed mech, or your gears will continue to not work properly. Sorry.

I drilled my Liteville 301 for stealth, then bought replacement bolt on cable guides from here[/url] to carry the hose up the downtube. Super neat.

That’s awful news, reallytake care of yourself the next week or so . I hope you are able to successfully claim on their insurance. Claim for lost income also, I have done this in the past. It was a long tiring paperworky nightmare, but it paid off in the long run. Good luck, and I hope you heal up well.

I work for a not-for-profit bike co-op. I’m a mechanic and run the shop that funds our co-op. I love it, I feel very lucky. It’s very hard work sometimes, for not much money and we have loads of meetings (co-ops!) but I think it’s probably the best job in my city. Possibly in any city. 🙂

Are you a Hobbit?

Yes. Sucks sometimes, but people don’t notice me when I’m riding cheeky trails.

I attempted to try SPDs when I got my first road bike. But my feet are really, really wide. I tried on about 6 million* different shoes, and could’t find any that didn’t hurt. I bought the very widest I could find (some Mavic wide fit MTB ones) and took the insoles out to give my feet more room. But they still were too narrow. I’m back on flats and in my 5:10’s now on my road bike. Bloody wide feet.

*This is only just an exaggeration.

As others have said, I would never suggest nobody reads about the holocaust or any other horrors in the world. I merely have the sense that I know enough about some of these horrors, I’ve felt enough, and any more is actually just a way of hurting me, upsetting me. That’s all.

I remember when I first became a support worker, up in Glasgow this was, learning about the institutions that people with learning difficulties were trapped in in the past,!and the inhumane treatment they were forced to endure. It was important to know about these things as I began my training to be a support worker: to learn how to empower individuals, not belittle them. It was very powerful, upsetting stuff. Some time later, I supported a woman who had been taken away from her mother, and installed in an institution for the next 40 years. She was 92 when I met her, and she had developed learning difficulties through neglect and, I would argue, torture.

I mention all this to say that my heart bends in all sorts of ways at the horrors of the world, and I try to be kind to myself now in my spare time and read of less agonising things!

Phew that was long winded, sorry!

I just don’t put myself through reading or watching things like that anymore. I feel like I know enough about the horrors in the world. I’ve studied the Holocaust and many other horrific things growing up, absorbed more in newspapers, seen enough films now, read enough books.

There’s enough grim happening right now, that reading things like that just seems like self-flagellation. It’s important we know, understand what happened. But I need to focus on more joyful things these days.

I’ve been looking at the anti-fatigue matting too. Definitely not imagining a setup like eshershores!

Thanks panzerjager, I’ve got some family Newton Abbot way, that could be handy.

Anyone know what actual fabrication shops might use on their floors? I thought welders could blow big holes in concrete if you catch the floor, so just assumed it would be covered with something else.

Thanks for that esher, thats really helpful. Hardiebacker… That’s interesting. Non combustible…

Given how slick that is, im gonna guess you’ve not done much welding and shonky metalwork in there! Bloody lovey though!

Ooh yes, sorry davosaurausrex!

I love it. Bloody excellent. It’s got all the things I loved about the Wingnut (loads of comfortable, low and stable, not moving AT ALL when really going for it down hill) with the all the good camelbak stuff like fit and material quality. Massive thumbs up from me.

Just put screws in a sheet of wood? That’s what we have in my bike shop. Sheet is painted with blackboard paint to hide the greasy fingerprints, and tools can be outlined with blackboard pens if required. Looks badass.

Yeah, Emily Chappell’s new book will certainly be worth a read: she’s a great all round human.

Also, Just Ride by Grant Peterson. Lovely little book about keeping things simple.

I’ve been using my Wildcat seat pack the last few days, and it’s brilliant. It’s simple, stable, it’s made in the UK by some proper mountain bikers, it’s great. I like that I can put my own dry bags in it, so I know my stuff will stay dry, and can replace them if the dry bag wears out. I like being able to keep the harness on the bike and just bring the dry bag in. It’s ace balls.

Well, my last Camelbak lasted 8 years. I loved the design and the materials of the Wingnut bags. I much prefer supporting small companies, so it’s a shame to buy a Camelbak in some ways.

I just got one of these. Main compartment is smaller than I thought it would be. Main compartment measures 260mm-ish wide, 340mm-ish high, 140mm-ish deep. Hope that helps? I’ve just got, so I’ll be using it for the first time this weekend. I’m looking forward to it, as I had a Wingnut bag, which I loved, but the zips on them died repeatedly, and quickly. Hoping the Camelbak ripoff is a wee bit sturdier!

I think they are decidedly cliquey and unwelcoming though. I got aggressively heckled by a bunch of them a while back as I rode in the opposite direction with my friends for not wearing a helmet. I thought that was a poor show, regardless of their view on helmets.

I have literally just this evening fitted some hylex brakes to my bike this evening. I shall get back to you on how they go shortly… The hose trimming and bleeding was super easy. The lever body is really long. That’s as much as I can say for now!

As long as the standover is ok, you’ll probably be fine. I’ve just moved up to a ‘large’ frame. I am not a large human, I’m actually quite wee! But the numbers all worked out. The top tube was 20mm longer than my last bike. I went from a 50mm stem to a 30mm stem. The wheelbase is ever so slightly longer, the chain stays are the same length. The bike fits really well. It’s about the numbers really, not the silly manufacturer size.

I often think people ride bikes that are too small, across all of cycling: from commuters on hybrids to roadies to mtbers. Good luck with the new bike hunt, have fun!

I suppose for me this just highlights the dangers of allowing our sport to be controlled by corporate interests, rather than by riders. BMX has dealt with this very effectively. The contests/events are run by riders. The companies are owned by riders. They are not part of multi-million dollar investment groups. The BMX media is far more small scale, localised, run by riders. There are of course exceptions to this (X games, GT BMX etc) but largely, BMX culture is led by riders themselves, people who are actively and personally involved in riding BMX. Riders have created the Jam format to make things more mellow and relaxed. Contests are very much secondary to video parts (which come with their own pressures of course).

Everyone in BMX, I’m sure, is making less money, but maybe that’s ok.

We support this corporate situation when we buy stuff from non rider owned companies (of which admittedly there are relatively few!)

I was just about to post about Grant! It fits neatly in with my personal cycling philosophy.

Clips are for kooks!

It’s just riding bikes. The more we try and complicate it, the more likely joy is to disappear, and the further we get from the original, primal freedom bikes gave us as kids.

I work full time as a mechanic for a not-for-profit bike shop. We aim mostly for people without much money. Any money we make goes towards working with people with NO money at all, like refugees and homeless people. Consequently, we don’t make a huge amount of money! But we employ quite a few folk, at good wages (more than the living wage) and we run co-operativly so we have no bosses. We probably define the high-value, low cost bike shop employee stereotype! But I get more than when I was a care worker (which is so wrong) and I have low stress and high job satisfaction. I feel safer now than when I was a care worker, as my job is in my hands. I no longer fear redundancy, or any of the awful things that can happen to the low wage worker.

I don’t care about the bike industry. I’m sure some buggers are making loads of money, but I know that in my little corner of it, there is a way to get on in life and have a wholesome, safe job, that means I don’t fear being able to pay my rent. I’ll never be rich. But that’s ok for me.

Me too Frosty!

Having lived in Scotland, I just ignore piffling English access wrangling. It’s all open access as far as I’m concerned…!

anc, that’s great news, cheers. I’ve emailed them now. How did you drift the bearings out?

Hanrey, I’d be happy to sell them, email is in my profile.

Thanks welshfarmer! At least it looks like they can be replaced… Above are the bearings that I need to change, image from that German forum. I’m really surprised theres not more info out there.

Mine look like this:

Thanks Accu. It’s a Mk10. I saw those, I thought those were the needle bearings for the shock mounts, not the main pivot built into the top tube?

Someone surly, I know there’s a few of you on here…

I get a huge amount of enjoyment from reading the threads here (I should get the premier doo dah really!) and it’s great for opinions on technical stuff, of which I can geek out on all day. It’s funny that even as a full time bike mechanic, a qualified mtb guide, and all my riding history, I still feel a little intimidated posting on here sometimes, so I don’t much. I’m quite a shy person I suppose. That’s silly really!

Well, consensus seems to be stealth posts. I’d love to hear any thoughts on rattling hoses if anyone has them.

It is possible that I’m entirely overthinking this. I ****ing love getting new bikes! Going riding on my current bike right now I’m so excited!

Welshfarmer, does the hose make any noise in the sesttube, that’s my main concern with internally routing things, though I love the neatness.

Thanks guys. It’s a Mk10 I’ll be getting. I can’t imagine selling the bike for a good long time tbh, and don’t/won’t have any other bikes to swap the post onto so I suppose I may as well get the right sized one. Good to hear about reliability, that’s always a concern with these droppers.

Anyone else here drilled their frame?