My new carbon rims have been dispatched :)

Some crackers up above. Tempest Red Eye Flight and Chipotle porter are great. Mikkeler Texas Ranger is awesome as is the Beer Geek Brunch Weasel.

Cromarty beers are almost all good. Brewed Awakening and the new Ghost Town Porter are great (Rogue Wave is the only one I’m not keen on).

If you want to try dark and smokey I like this one.

Fat Face ones fit my cycling legs.

Here is my Ragley Bigwig.

Ragley say that to run a 140mm fork I should use an internal bottom cup in the 44mm headtube; but since the Fox 34 is only available tapered steerer I had to use an external cup. Rides fine btw.

For a tapered steerer you will need to use an external headset, and for a modern longer fork chances are it will be tapered, bit catch-22 daft really.

For the sake of 10mm run whatever headset fits the forks you want to the frame you want.

Last nights bedtime reading for my two boys.

I was enjoying it too.

Warranty?

I’ve only had brazed failures repaired and I’m not sure if welded joins make for such easy repairs.

I would probably get a welder mate to attempt to fix something like that rather than paying/throwing good money after bad; if it cracks again you’ve not spent big money on it. I’d be loath to spend my money on a profesional repair on a frame like a Blue Pig which is £260. Think £260 with a warranty vs £??? for a welded repair and repaint?

That said I had my Kona Explosif repaired so I can try and break it again, properly :twisted:

IMHO alloy nipples are good for one to two years… sometimes my wheels last that long but other times I trash them in week.

I wouldn’t rebuild with alloy nipples unless the failed wheel was very new.

kimbers

messiah, what rims are they 650b?

It’s a 26″ and 33mm wide. Linky

Warranty replacement fot the 28mm wide one I broke at the Trans-Savoie in August. I’ve not built it up yet as I’ve been 29er-ing recently.

http://blog.artscyclery.com/ask-a-mechanic/ask-a-mechanic-29er-forks-46mm-or-51mm-offset/

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/51mm-offset-pikes

Black is the only acceptable colour for cables and hoses.

or

Now repeat x 100

I will never colour co-ordinate hoses and cables.

Unfortunately Aberdeen is a long way from anywhere. It is supposed to be a happy a place to live, although if you ask a local apparently “It’s a’ a loada shite”

Getting up to the Lairig an Loaigh from Braemar side is tough.

The descent from the saddle into Glen Avon is not all sweetness and light either with a tricky and rocky path that will require walking.

River Avon crossings are good fun, there are two and the first is easy.

Second can be ridden with care if your know where to look and give it a try, you will get cold feet and probably more :twisted:

Optional Ride/Walk/Push up to Loch Avon for the stunning view.

Back on the Lairig an Loaigh past the Barns of Bynack.

Still not over yet, you have another climb to do before its all downhill into Glenmore.

Path from here to Ryvoan Bothy has been rebuilt since I rode it so no point showing my photo’s. This is the path I have heard is a now a horror show of pinch flat friendly water bars; but one riders horror-show is another riders playground so who knows :wink:

The Lairig an Loaigh route is no stroll in the park outing; its proper Scottish mountain pass terrain with big commitment and consequences. The Lairig Ghru is a different kind of tough with more carrying required rather than pushing, either option will be rewarding but they require some serious effort .

How about 35mm?

35mm El Guapo Corto Stem – Linky £39.99

As you can see in direct comparison, the XX1 ‘s spider (left) is much more machined out and has some directional taps to better distribute pedaling forces, while the X01 is pretty much a standard spider. The other difference is that the XX1 has threaded chain rings that can be mounted with only the male part of the chain ring bolts, while X01 goes for a more standard and possibly more elaborate mounting with two piece bolts. Note: The alloy X01 cranks as sometimes seen on complete bikes will not be available as aftermarket products.

http://twentynineinches.com/2013/12/08/sram-x0-1-group-box/

the difference in wide v narrow normal rims is pretty negligible in my book. I would genuinely struggle to discern any noticeable difference between rims a few mm different in width

Mincer :wink:

Wide/strong DH style rims are easier to build/true as your first wheel build as they are more forgiving during the building and trueing process. But I wouldn’t get overly hung-up on it as all modern stuff is much better than old weak super flexy roady kit from the 50/60/70’s when wheel building was a true art form*

*allegedly

Not that nice to drive and not that much room in the back. Audi/BMW/Mondeo/Vectra etc are much better… if the niche fits… ;)

I agree jekkyl; although I have one of these in the fridge at home and its been wildly hollering my name for weeks…

Where.

Business lunch louche

louche
adjective

disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way.

P.S. Superconductor is lovely. Tokyo was pudding .

I found the Hope V2 more powerful than the 6Ti; and if you have the Hope V2 and want more surface area to cool the disc’s you could go for these vented discs…

Also available for the V4.

If I hadn’t bought a Bigwig…

Early ones had Ti pistons hence the Mono 6 Ti name. I believe later ones were Phenolic to deal with heat better as the Ti piston transmitted the heat to the oil rather well. They were good brakes back in the day but absolutely outclassed by many modern brakes (Like the Formula Th1 I use now).

I can imagine that a tandem would see plenty of brake dragging action so big rotors to dissipate heat would be a good idea… but as to which brake would work best I have no idea. I use Formula brakes because I love how the lever fits my braking finger – that is the only reason.

Some great advice above.

Make use of bunkhouses to travel light; having ridden the Capel Mounth with a tent and sleeping bag in a pack many years I would never again take such kit onto the high fun trails… it removed all the fun.

Jocks Road into Callater beyond the shelter is push/carry in either direction – not a route I would choose to do, especially carrying anything more than a rucksack!

Here is my suggestion

1. Clova to Braemar via Bachnagairn, Broad Cairn, drop to Callater – stay in bunkhouse

2. Braemar to Aviemore via Lairig an Laogh. As Sanny suggests take in the summit of Bynack Mor, or take a walk/carry/ride from the Ford of Avon up to Loch Avon simply because its stunning and it is incredibly hard to get to any other way. Stay in Glenmore Lodge

3. Back to Braemar over Ben Macdui – As Sanny suggests descend via Loch Etchachan – stay in Braemar (cycle onto Ballater would make for a long day and mess up the next bit)

4. Braemar to Glen Clova – I would go up onto the Lochnagar/Stuic Platou by going up between Carn Sugart mor/Beag, then go to Lochnagar top and take in Glas-Allt-Sheill, but this really is not for the feint hearted. Could involve a lot of down walking for the less technically able.

Then over the Capel Mounth to end up on the grassy switchbacks and ex-forest into Glen Clova. Not as much fun as when forrested but its still a good track.

Quite a mission.

No longer mine but it was 29lbs

Not mine but it was 29lbs

My XX1 groupset is awaiting it’s new home…

This is slack up front and unfashionably long out back.

I think it looks quite good.

Early testing is positive.

Buy what suits where and how you ride.

No modifications required on my M970 XTR crank to run the 30t RaceFace ring; bolt up and ride off.

Works perfectly.

Great piece of advise from a local shop… if your not racing and chasing every second then buy something that makes you happy and makes you want to ride. For some people that will be the latest carbon/aero/TT wonderbike and for others it’s a niche built Ti/steel/beardy mile munching cafe cruiser. Many cyclists like to ride a bike a little different to what other riders have… we tend to be individualists by the very fact that we like riding bikes.

As always; if you can get a shottie of the bikes/materials in question and in all likelyhood you will find out for yourself what you like.

It has wheels, it’s a bike, it will be fun.

http://dirtmag.co.uk/video-clips/five-29.html

Enjoy!

For £300 I’ll shortly be selling some Light-Bicycle wide carbon rimmed Hope hubs which weigh around 1500g…

Latest Nukeproof headsets are much better than the older ones. I’ve just removed one from a frame after 6 months and the grease was still pink.

Mine just needed the air topped up.

I see BETD do a roller bearing as well.

http://www.mountainbikecomponents.co.uk/items.asp?CategoryID=231&Name=Fox+Needle+Roller+Bearing

Not sure I fancy a roller bearing in that application.

You might feel the reduced friction with the bike in the workstand, but I reckon 13 stone of human and rough trails will make it all move nicely anyway.

My thoughts are the Rubber Seals on the Heavy-Duty ones stop crap getting in and causing wear which is why I found them to last so long.

I’m thinking the Heavy-Duty are the ones to go for again.

“It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.”

? Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker

I don’t want to click a link… I want instant gratification…

La petite mort 8O

Ace.