I use cheap cables for full runs and generally get about two year out of them before the outer splits and the metal reinforcement bits stick out.
I'm tempted to try Goodridge but I've not heard how they fair for the long term… anyone care to comment?

flexibility of IS mounts

IS 6 bolt rotors… the Hope Pro3 SP AM4 wheels have a funky Hope only system.

I have year old Pro2 Hoops with Flows which I love to bits. Under 1kg for each wheel and pretty damn strong without being flexy. The front rim is a bit bent from a biggish "off" but it trued up okay and is holding after 9 months. I've bent and broken a couple of rear 12mm axles from using a Maxle Lite bolt thru… beware this option! Allegedly the Pro3 hub on the AM4 has a different axle which is stronger?????

I wanted the flexibility of IS mounts… a flexibility which I have not used and probably never will… I kind of wish I had gone for the AM4's.

FWIW – I run the stans rim strips and they have been brilliant… I am currently running non UST Schwalbe Big Bettie tyres tubeless at 20psi front and 25 psi rear with outstanding results… probably because it's dry as I've heard these are not so good in the wet!

Note – if you do go for the stans strips bung a wrap of electrical tape underneath in case you have to bung a tube in out on the trail.

I have a compressor now but used to manage with a track pump and a lot of swearing :lol:

I've got the stock bike… the 120mm Reba's feel a little out of their depth. I'd like a stiffer fork with better damping, but not sure more travel would be a good thing… interested to hear how you get on.

Looks great. What travel are the forks?

I weighed my Hope hoops with Flow rims, 20mm front was 950g and qr rear 975g. Flow rim strips were about 100g and the massive schwalbe non ust big betties are 750g. These are the lightest big tyres and wheels I have tried and they are ace. The bb tyres are not the best when wet but for the current dry conditions I am happy.

Looks almost rideable.

Agreed, it looks to me like the size of the bearings is dictating the amount of material available… which is a problems for the 12mm thru axle version where there simply is not enough material for the axle to be aluminium in the current configuration.

The axle is shockingly skinny… hence the bendage and snappage.

My replacement from Hope looked the same, and bent where the older one broke… right at the step between the hub bearing and the freehub bearing.

Mine was with a maxle lite, breaking the axle took three rides. It took one ride to bend the replacement.

Bloke in a shop I spoke too has been running DT 440 hub with maxle lite for six months… good start.

I don't see how Hope Pro3 will be any different to Pro2? There is so little material between the bearings and the 12mm hole required for the bolt thru or maxle.

DT an interesting option but I prefer a quicker pick up… the older ones I tried were a bit slow. Are newer ones better?

Burgtec?

Which Sun Ringle? There are so many?

Aaaargh! I replaced the axle with the new one from Hope and thought I'd be okay for a couple of hours of scooting in the local forest.

Result = one bent Hope axle. Oh well, I'm awaiting another Maxle and I guess until it arrives I'd better not go out on this bike again… which is a shame since it's the best bike I have ever ridden and the weather is ace.

So… what hubs are not breaking with the Maxle and Maxle Lite?

Is the Nukeproof or DT worth a shot?

What about King or Hadley?

Some of us break normal qr's and axles. I thought going to 12mm maxle lite on a bike like my AM made perfect sense. I also like the thought of the extra stiffness, and It's good to know that your wheel cannot slip out of the dropouts.

What I didn't realise is that I was to be a paying guinea pig.

Nicolaisam – no, just the maxle lite.

acjim – perhaps looking for another hub would be a good idea then? I've been using Hope hubs for 10+ years so I'm loath to change.

I'd better get another spare axle for when the new one breaks then… and start looking for what hub to replace the Pro2 with.

I agree Dan… it doesn't look like being a long term solution but Hope did mention they are looking to improve the design.

Excellent customer service from Hope as usual. A quick call at 8.30am and a new axle will be in the post today. It's a known issue with Maxle-Lite and the suggestion is I replace this with a non "Lite" or something similar to prevent re-occurance.

Google found me this so it's looks like we are not alone.

http://www.mbr.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/63757/Main/63694/

Mine is a Maxle Lite on a two week old Nicolai Helius AM.

I'll be speaking to Hope today. When I was having problems freewheeling on the hill the Maxle was loose, but I suspect that happened after the axle sheared. Had the Maxle been loose I can see the forces on the axle being very large, but I don't think my maxle was loose. I hate rattles on my bike, I hadn't felt anything wrong until the freewheel stopped spinning and threw my chain into the tyre jamming everything solid – the freewheel in my HammerSchmit probably saved me from from a completely trollied drivetrain – it certainly allowed me limp off the hill with a seized rear hub.

This does not sound clever, all I can do is replace and keep my fingers crossed then?

Three rides after fitting the axle to a one year old pro2.

Whyte 19 Trail Steel should be pretty high up the list.

Light enough for all round duties (including ripping the gears off and a few laps at the SingleSpeed Euro Champs), yet capable enough to keep up the fool-suss boys and chase stormtroopers down the local DH tracks.

Stealth weapon… looks like an XC machine and yet so much more.

.243racing SL

http://www.balfa.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=6_43&products_id=41

Based on the old Balfa Minuteman design and therefore freakin awesome.

Or find a SH Balfa Minuteman…

SouthernDownHill clasifieds are always a good place to look for things like this.

Perhaps I should have put a warning on that?

For the first time ever I am running air shocks – 36 Float RP2 on the front and a simple Float R on the back. So far I'm actually impressed with both of them which is a surprise – there is a vague flat back tyre feeling at certain times but it doesn't blow through all the travel which is what people report that these shocks tend to do.
Note – I deliberatly went with the simple Float R rather than RP23 etc because I didn't want any of that pro-pedal-pish(tm) interfering with the shock doing what it's meant to do. The research I did on the DHX-Air points to them being a dog of a shock.
I'd like to try a Manitou Evolver ISX-6 Air shock.

The following is based on experience. It is clearly not suitable for any one allergic to stinging nettles. Arm yourself with a pair of thick gloves. Cut down a good quantity of fresh nettles. The best ones are young with pliable stems. A shopping bag full is about fine. Take a nettle and brush it against the head of your penis. If you haven't got an erection so far, this should bring one on. It doesn't hurt much, the sensation is rather good in fact. Brush some more nettles against your penis, the shaft as well. Gradually a rash will appear and little bumps. Keep going. The more you do, the greater the numbing effect so the next bit will be easier. Take a handful of nettles and crush them hard onto your penis. This may hurt, but rub them in well.
You can also take a nettle stalk (which is also covered in stingers) and wrap it around the shaft or behind the head. This is a good way of getting the poison in. Keep going with more nettles. As the poison gets in, the small bumps will join up. This is the desired effect.
As you keep on, the bumps turn into a large all over swelling. The more you do, the greater the swelling until your penis will be stretched real tight, bursting against its skin. I find an increase of about 50% in girth over a normal erection. The sensation is now between pain and pleasure. The nettles hurt, but the penis becomes super sensitive. As you go on the sensitivity will increase. Eventually you will reach the point where the sensitivity takes over from the pain.
Now your penis will start throbbing, but each throb will bring you closer and closer to orgasm. You can try to resist it, but it can be hard because chances are you will come without even touching your penis, the throbbing doing the job for you. The orgasm is intense – as much pain as pleasure. After orgasm you may remain quite erect, and a second spontaneous orgasm is possible within a very short time.
When finally flaccid, the penis will retain its girth but shorten, creating a massive, heavy weight swinging between your legs. The sensation will have gone, leaving your penis very numb to the touch.
A really weird feeling. Gradually – very gradually, the swelling will go down, but a huge lump may hang below the frenum for some time – a day or more. Now the skin has been so stretched it is very sore, and the sensation may make sleep difficult. Over the next few days the skin may start to peel off in a thin layer, leaving a new layer of soft skin underneath. Whether there is any permanent increase in size I couldn't say, but I guess the effect should be the same as a pump, if from the inside rather than the out.
Rubbing the stinging nettles into the scrotum and the anus can produce a good feel, but there is no swelling in the same way as the penis. You can also try filling your pants with nettles and taking a train ride. To do this, wear two pairs of pants, slip penis and scrotum through the fly of the first, and wrap over them a plastic bag full of nettles tied on loose with a rubber band. Try keeping a straight face as you walk, jog, cycle or ride a bumpy train.

Congrats, that is awesome. Building a frame is on my wish list and I've started researching. I hope mine will be as lush. 8)

Dakine fall apart, my older Thor's seem indestructible and much better. I used to like Answer vu have not seen any for a while.

The usual I have this and it is the best response… I have two pro2 rubbed wheels and I wish the freewheel was a bit free-er so my chain would dangle and slap less. My flow rims are ok but the front is a bit bent, not as strong as mavic I think. I had crossmax years ago and would never buy anything as limiting again… getting spares took months. I'd like to different hubs but hope have been great when I have had problems, and therefore they keep my business despite not being as good as I would like.

The alloy Whyte 19 is cheaper than the steel and does not have the bb30 bottom bracket.

I think they are Truvativ only – which possible explains why they are crap.

Not sure if it's worth taking them to a bearing shop who can measure them and see if they are available from elsewhere.

Sorry to not have been of more use.

CRC etc are simply too confusing. justridingalong.co.uk is a great one stop shop for all that stuff. Their valves are good as is their wheel milk… I put an order in yesterday and have already recieved the email saying it's been processed.

All this talk of dogs is making me hungry.

No point making it heavier than necessary. Five years ago bombproof meant heavy… the game has moved on. :P

Lightest option is to get a tapered steered and headset so you can use a normal stem. Most 1.5 stems are pretty chunk… but lovely and cheap when they appear on eBay. I paid £17 for the gravity light on my nicolai.
I have 1.5" 36 floats and Manitou Travis tpc+ which are very good. I paid £120 for the 180mm Travis which is bit muys. I had Shermans before but they were a bit pants. Totem and lyrik are good but if I was to buy new I would probably go for the new fox and go tapered.

Two pairs of bargain Royal shorts. Arrived in two days and perfect = one happy customer.

Interesting comment about adjustable travel forks. When you have them you tend to use them and think they are good, but going back to normal forks has been ace… just ride. Having the correct tool for the job is better than bodgeing and ruining what I liked in the first place. Too long a fork ruins the handling imho. I'm begining to think the same about lockouts, nothing but a crutch for a poorly performing damper.