Thanks chaps.

Still using M755s, yep, like getting my money’s worth. (I wish they’d bring them back).

Oh!  Cheapest so far is £100 for a little Fiat Friday to Sunday and that’s with £1000 damage excess, no windscreen cover etc?!!  I’m not near a city though and that was from the nearest depot at Ashford International Station.

Any 2.0 to 2.5mm spacer from a cassette hub or Hollowtech II BB.

Easiest thing I’ve found is to take it to your local strippers/anodisers/powder coaters and bung them a fiver for them to dip/chemically strip it.  Not sure if it is powder coat of some type but very hard to remove with DIY chemicals.

Not sure on the bike but Ellsworth should go down in history as employing the very worst graphic designers ever know to man – the gothic script they used for years was diabolically cr@p looking and bad enough but they have moved to something even worse.  Looks like the logo on a mid 90’s £69.95 supermarket bike in a box?!?  ;)

16 miles yesterday morning along the seafront – glorious.  Will check Bedgebury tomorrow morning – must be nearly dry after last week’s gloop.

Just message any of the eBay (car) touch up paint sellers and they should make you one up.

As above (Renthal Carbons) have a rough textured area so not needed with those.

20mm on fork = approx 1 deg off HA but you’ll gain a bit back as you lose some of the height difference in sag. Offset will likely be different too.  BB change will be marginal.

Try bleeding the old fashioned (automotive) way. Not with a syringe from caliper to lever. See this weeks topic on upgrade from Deore brakes.

Cheers guys – thanks molgrips – shame they only do the one diameter (not mine!).

Well, I rode (or more accurately slithered and glooped) it this morning (pics below), now as mentioned above I’m a fair weather fairy so to me it was a partial mud bath!  ;)

Anyone? – or presuming there are no longer (UK) options around?

Cheers peteandsoo. :)  Pi$$ing again tonight  – what a surprise!

Anyone ridden the red last few days?

Blimey – just popped on to ask the exact same question!  I’m regular there but not been for some time as a fair weather fairy these days – had a fair bit of rain down here lately and Bedgebury does keep some muddy areas for some time IME so looking forward to any replies.

FWIW the riding there is pretty flat and gentle – I’m a SSer and rode fully rigid for many years – it’s ideal for both.

To those with Shimano issues – how are you bleeding them?  The syringe forcing fluid from the caliper into the master cylinder/funnel or the old traditional way (before funnels etc) and the same way automotive brakes have always been bled?  ie drain tube into bottle on caliper bleed valve, fill master cylinder, open caliper bleed valve, squeeze lever, close valve, release lever, open valve, squeeze lever, close valve, release lever etc/repeat/top up master cylinder during process.  Cable tie round lever overnight.  Remove and ride in morning = hassle free brakes for years.

This has always been my experience with the older models and have not re-bled my 755 for probably two or three years now – do the newer ones just fail in some other way?  Just struggling to see what there is to go wrong?

I think the problem as always with ‘internet’ discussions like this and ‘a mate of a mate said they were crap’ is you can never get an idea of how many riders are perfectly happy as the ones with issues always tend to be far more vocal.  The general reviews, tests and buyer reviews (CRC etc) for SLX and Zee don’t seem to reflect the bad reports on this topic with excellent feedback compared to very few negatives??

The very rare 20% off code was a couple of weeks ago.

Not seen any email for 15%??

Are Zee unreliable in general (ie not just an internet myth or poor bleeding technique)?  Was considering them for a build and most reviews seem fine – what are the issues?

I should add I still have an XT M755 – the old four pot Grimeca one up front and it has been truly faultless for something like 16 years now!  All the power and modulation you could want.

Same seals, hose – only ever changed fluid or bled it about five times!

You’ll always be better off splitting.  Plenty of us still have no wish to leave 26″ and are always looking for parts – personally an EBB medium Chameleon frame, Hope Pro 2 Evo hub rear wheel and Fox 120 RLC Fit Fork!  :D

Had my two week old PK Ripper stolen from Rom Skatepark in ’82.

Guess who’s never left a bike out of sight for  the last 36 years!  :D

Not much help but you learn a lesson the hard way. Buy the very, very best lock you can.

It’s not a no no but bad form IMHO. Either sell it on eBay and pay the fees/risk the hassle or offer it to the community on here.

Thanks Kelvin. Messaged yesterday.

Perhaps ‘rant’ was the wrong word, ‘complaint’ maybe.  :)

But however you word it you will always get a mixture of support/abuse/downright hostility and name calling.  Best just to keep it to yourself IME!

FWIW you sound like a thoroughly mellow and reasonable chap and have taken the ‘abuse’ parts in a very commendable way.  :D

One thing this topic should teach anyone is never start a ‘rant’ topic on the interweb.

But have to agree with P….jazz – amazed a late 80’s Cannondale with a 6′ rider is not cracked anyway.  BITD most of them my riding friends owned did (in the seat tube area) but if it isn’t I certainly wouldn’t be going anywhere near the seat tube with anything more involved than an Allen key. ;)

Agree with others – some people carry silly amounts of gear.  I bought a Camelback – used it once, hated it – still have it from 2001 somewhere.

So, water bottle on bike, tube strapped under seat, multi tool, mini pump, few coins/c-card, keys, phone, snack bar etc in rear jersey/gilet/jacket pockets.  On the Brompton I sometimes use a small rucksack but the smallest Deuter 10L jobbie – weighs nothing.

Thanks – not seen a Hope front one but I thought the rear bolt was discontinued.  Any news on your conversion parts and how likely you might have them available before I buy new?  Please PM if possible.  :)

I’ve found nothing else!  Have Spoons on all bikes bar the road fixed – that has an original Flite on it which is OK for an hour or two.  These two are the only saddles since the legendary WTB SST ’98 that I have ever got on with.

Spoons really are awesome just wish they would make a lighter version in the exact same shape.

Thanks, wonder if it’s the same on the plastic ones?

Important thing with these is that the hub serrations themselves bite in so the hub is held more than the QR though, seem to remember some QR’s (old Ringle?) and bolt throughs do not have serrations anyway.

I did find a bolt that I was describing – seems to be the Hadley one:

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/hadley-100-x-9mm-thru-bolt-hope-pro-2-hub-9mm-adapters/

https://www.balleracing.com/hadley-front-hub-thru-bolts/hadley-thru-bolt-9mm-x-100mm

Just been checking these out and various reviews – lots of reported issues with the plastic ones but still maybe worth a punt at the low price.  BUT has anyone who’s had both comment – does the alloy version (during the rotational tightening) keep the serrated washer still or does it rotate with the handle effectively grinding away at the frame?  This was another thing noted with the plastic model.

Obviously with a cam action QR this never happens.

Judging by the lack of replies and Google reviews I don’t think they have sold any of this stuff!  :D

I’ve still never tried it – but still tempted.  I’m maybe lucky but had two, maybe three punctures in about five years.  Run pretty low pressures anyway on 2.3/2,4 tyres on narrow old school 20mm or so rims.  Bike rolls and handles great.

Apart from the weight saving maybe, 100g a wheel, I’m not sure why I’d benefit and although many (most) riders seem to go tubeless with zero hassle there is the other 10/20/30% who seem to have so many faffy/burpy/farty/splodgy/messy/expensive hassles that I never take the plunge…

Anyone used their tubeless kits or sealant?

https://www.uberbikecomponents.com/view-product/Uberbike-Tyre-Matrix-Tubeless-Conversion-Kit-300ml

This is going back *years* but Armourtex in Hackney used to be the go to for the London fixed lot etc-  did a frame for me and it was an excellent job.  Not sure of their current trading position though.

http://armourtexcycles.tumblr.com/

Encounter with ****.

Blocked the path.

Hollered ‘silly man’.

That’s an expensive experiment for someone who (IMHO like me or any other SSer) is 99% likely to go through all the faff of putting gears on, doing one ride and thinking FFS why did I do this?!?

And go straight back to SS.

If he *really*  wants to try gears pick up a cheap used wheel, 8 speed shifter mech and cassette for probably sub £50 and get the itch scratched*

*And put away again for another ten years…

Anyone else bought one?

What is the actual height both un-sagged and with rider on board?