@Woodentop: I have the Bliss ARG Minimalist and they’re as comfy as the G-Form pads (which started coming apart at the seams after about a year). Can’t comment on protection as I haven’t tested them in a crash yet :), but Enduro mag did a lab test[/url] (real world conditions may vary) of the protectiveness of the pads (among others) and they seem to like them.

1. Play with tyre pressure. Go as low as you can without while having enough in it to guard against pinch flats/rim strikes. Tubeless+solid sidewalled tyres allow for good experimentation with tyre pressures.

2- I’d say it’s mostly technique and getting used to the new bike. In my experience getting more weight on the front (lower the bars or get a zero rise stem) helps with wrangling a slacker bike around tight and twisty singletrack.

3- Cut them down but not too much. Wide bars are ace.

Edit: I recently went from 750mm Easton Havoc bars to 711mm Easton Havens for less knuckle-tree encounters and I really miss the wider bars. I am going back to wider bars and will just have to work on carefully threading through tree-lined singletrack without bashing my pinkies :D

Have been using Standec Easy Glide for fork and dropper post service and seems to work well.

Failing that, try the KCNC seatpost grip https://fairwheelbikes.com/kcnc-seatpost-grip-p-5098.html

In praise of bib shorts :)

people with star fangled nut tools how often have you actually used them?!

I agree with nedrapier, it’s a cheap tool that’s worth having. I change bikes/forks often enough to get my money’s worth out of one :)

On-One Smorgasbord 2.25. Cheap, tough and grippy.

Amazing effort! Very well done, Rob!

I love mine and I know I’ll regret selling it to make room for a 29er. Great fun off-road, but don’t try to ride it like a mountain bike.

Cheap GPS loggers like this one would be good for that purpose. You can find cheaper if you look on eBay.

Maybe not cheap, but the Titus Fireline matches your requirements.

Both. I carry a Topeak Mountain Morph when I am riding with a pack, and a CO2 canister or two and micro inflator for quick packless rides.

As others said: ream and then try a bearing retaining compound. I successfully fixed a friends ovalised frame linkage this way.

That’s a stunner. Love the stealth x purple look.

You can use pedal adaptors like those[/url]. I think they’re expensive for what they are, but it’s a better solution that those single-sided SPDs.

Someone was selling a pair of Fly pedals adaptors in the classifieds last week. Similar to the one linked above and about the same price.

In praise of bib shorts :D

As others said: give it a few rides. I recently got a CX bike and, coming from years of riding full suspension bikes, the first few rides were very uncomfortable. A few minor tweaks to bar and saddle angles and now all seems fine. This is how I am riding it:

I’ve had a pair of their 3/4 riding shorts (forget the model name now but think it might have been “Transition[/url]“) for about three years. These were my shit weather riding shorts and they seemed to be long wearing if not the best fitting pair I’ve had.

Perhaps time for a skills session?

Sombrio Pinner shorts (or similar models they make) are very well made. Altura Mayhems, on the other hand, are not. The stitching will come undone after 5-6 rides.

Ortlieb micro saddle bag are great. I put two tubes, spare powerlinks and tyre levers in there. Multitool. They do larger sizes as well. Work very well with dropper posts because they don’t use a seatpost strap.

Cheers simondbarnes!

Admittedly, it may be silly
In bibs, untucking your willy
But would you rather torture your taint
For such a minor complaint?

I ride singletrack on my CX bike. 95% of the time I am in the drops. Great fun if a bit of a boneshaker on the rooty sections. 440mm standard (non-flared) bars work well for me.

Inov8 makes packable running trousers that works really nicely for cycling, if a bit on the snug fitting side.

I miss the bouncy bike, but this is a different kind of fun.

Thanks everyone. Sounds like the only way to see if a cassette expander will work is to try it out! It’ll take me a while to hunt down cheap second hand bits, but I’ll report back here on how it works out, including the dropper mod if I ever do it.

@vincienup Yes, this would make sense if I intend to do a lot of road riding, but I don’t, so I have a feeling I won’t be using the big ring much. Most of my riding will be on the local mountain bike trails, and while I am aware that climbing on a CX bike will be easier compared to a full suspension mountain bike despite the different gearing (due to less weight, more efficient power transfer, etc), there are some climbs around that I wouldn’t want to do with anything taller than 1:1 (I ran 34T-36T with an 11-36 on my mountain bike).

Re dropper: It’s been done with Shimano STI LH shifter. Not sure about SRAM double tap shifters though. Edit: That’s actually a SRAM shifter in the video :oops:

@nemesis I see no reason why this wouldn’t work, but I could always get an FSA Gossamer 110 BCD crankset.

I tried it on the rear and it made the bike pretty sluggish.

Five-bolt RF NW 130BCD rings do exist.

@vincienup I’ve been riding 1x for years on my mtb and love the simplicity. CRC has RF NW rings in 130BCD in 40T, 42T and 44T.

Another reason is that I would like to potentially use the LH shifter to actuate a dropper post.

It is my understanding that SRAM 10spd road shifters have the same cable actuation as SRAM 10spd mountain bike shifters, and thus could be paired with SRAM MTB mechs. See link in my post. My question is about the potential of adding the expander, really, as I can’t seem to find info on someone attempting this setup.

Tifosi Dolomites.

Cheers chaps.

@simonbowns thanks for that, I’ll give you a call!

So Raceware does sell a repair kit for the tabs (cheers for that STATO!)

Here is the part http://www.racewaredirect.co/shop/garmin-tab-repair/

You just glue it on top of the old one..

Thanks all for the advice.

@deadkenny: I am using a SRAM quickview mounted over the stem like so. I have a short stem so the mount protrudes slightly behind the stem topcap. I do like to look at the ride stats while riding especially on long rides. Right now I am putting it in the pack. I am keeping an eye out on eBay for faulty units to cannibalise but nothing so far.

@petrieboy & @sajama55: I have considered that, but would be nice to be able to repair it since I have two mounts on two bikes. I don’t want to have to remove the (SRAM quickview) mount everytime I want to use it on a different bike.

@iolo: I was not expecting that to be warrantied, but threads on the Garmin website suggest that it has happened.

@hotter: looks like someone managed to successfully use Sugru. I might just give it a go.

@STATO: I don’t see such a kit on their website, but I’ve emailed them to ask.

It lists compatible diameters but doesn’t say if they are the external or internal diameters of the bearings.

Anyone know if it will fit?

My guess would be that these are internal diameters since this is an expanding collet puller.

Is this a horst link frame? Most frame bearings are easy enough to press out/in with a threaded rod and some appropriately sized nuts, washers and sockets, but the horst link bearing is notoriously tricky to remove. There are some good videos on YouTube for that, though.

I’ve used XT, XTR and Saint HT II BBs and they last 1-2 years with regular service (pop the plastic cover and rubber seals off, clean and regrease). My current bike has had a £13 Aerozine BB and it’s been fine for about a year (also with semi-regular service).