I too rode through Bramhope and into the back of the Chevin on the way home last night. Say hello if you see me – I’m on an off-white Indy Fab with green graphics most days.

looks like a lot of planning went in to this – shame they forgot to advertise it! (speaking as a mountainbiker from Otley who commutes to work at Leeds Uni everyday!). Thanks for the info.

Based on experience as a mechanic at a certain large shop in Manchester, then another mtb shop in Leeds – I’d go for Hope anyday. We used to have no end of problems with CK rear hubs. Ok the odd Hope flange broke – but it was an insignificant number considering the amount we sold. Incidentally, we also had CK flanges break so it’s not a Hope specific problem. Hope are just so easy to service and are a UK company offering the best after-sales/warranty service I’ve ever known!

I prefer that way round. Jacob’s Ladder isn’t a great descent in my opinion. Plus, the whole return leg is more fun from north to south. It’s an age old argument with ardent supporters on either side though!

Lowey – I think you grabbed the wrong end of the stick. The OP was merely pointing out what anyone with a brain, who has been involved in organising rides, has probably already thought – playing devil’s advocate if you like. To go off on a rant at him is a bit off….
He’s right to bring it up – I personally wouldn’t attempt to hold somebody responsible for my own failings on a ride (not enough time in the day!) – but I have no doubt that there are others who would – and regardless of what you or I think of those people – they exist! Like that nutter who took his riding mates to court as they allegedly knocked him off on a training ride… I don’t know the outcome but it’s certainly hassle we could all do without.

Reminds me of my Proflex 854 with Vector forks…. It didn’t like 25/26 mph at all… ok above that though!

So – anyone going to see Mudhoney this year? They’re playing in a social club in Leeds of all places!!! Always a good gig, seen them 5 or 6 times but managed to miss Nirvana altogether unluckily for me.

Sounds good – where are you based?

Oh – and I’d pay £100 if I wanted it powder coating too, what price are you thinking just for the frame work minus powder coating? I’ve got an old frame I’ve been waiting to do this to…

sssimon – did that work ok with wheel adjustments, i.e., did the brake still contact the disc adequately?

Pipeline in Manchester used to let us in on our mountain bikes. A good laugh and certainly improved my jumping skills no end. Not sure if it’s there anymore though…

After a long sunny afternoon of drinking at a country pub I had a tow to my mates house. I was on a schwinn cruiser and the tow was up some seriously steep but relatively quiet country lane. Luckily I wasn’t ‘thinned from the herd’!

My favourite route! My version is identical to SFB’s but I take the bridge over the a59 just to cut it out altogether. Great route.

Rocking horse effect? Thats a new one on me!

Apparently it’s as rare as rocking horse shiv.

I assume he means the very low speed steep drop-off pogo-effect? Either that or his forks are way too soft and have no rebound damping.

1. 17
2. 0
3. 2

I’ve seen quite a lot of accidents involving cyclists in that time – especially on the Leeds to Headingley part of my commute. I don’t think any of them were wearing headphones. This is irrefutable evidence that headphones are the first line of defence in commuting. (I’ve worn them pretty much since day 1 for commuting and think you can still be perfectly aware of your surroundings). Most of the crashes I’ve seen have invoved cycling muppetry, or inexperienced cyclists not knowing where the dangers are…(cars in traffic letting oncoming cars turn into side roads, pedestrians crossing in front of stationary buses etc).

Good question. I tightened mine up to what I considered to be ‘the loose-end of tight’, and the plastic washers deformed. And that really wasn’t tight – it wasn’t far off hand tight to be honest. I don’t know if the washers are just crap. That said, I left it like that and although the bearings are now shot it stayed in place for 6 months.

ssshhh – our little one is due to make an appearance in the world tomorrow and i’m ever so slightly worried…

obviously she will be called mygrandfatherwasawolf.

Before I got a proper job I was mechanic and wheelbuilder for 5 years, although I’d built wheels for a good 5 or before that.
I built wheels for the Cannondale downhill team, track riders, cross riders, roadies, and normal fat mountain bikers. I never used PG spokes – ever – and never had a problem*. My advice would be to get some DT stainless DB spokes and get on with your life.

*Apart from when I used Sapim black spokes for a short period – I had numerous breakages and a couple of wheels literally exploded on the impact of a big stair jump (i wasn’t riding)!

TheLittlestHobo

It’s not old news to me and therefore this thread is useful, what with me having a significant groove in my left-hand XT HTII.

I’ve ignored it for a while – maybe it’s new cranks time afterall!

Never had a problem with any chain as long as it has been fitted correctly! I tend to use Deores with powerlinks these days. I’ve never noticed improved performance/longevity with XT/XTR or SRAM equivalents. I’m sure somebody will be along to dispute that shortly!

I won some Michelin tyres from Bikemagic a long time ago. They’re pretty worn out now but to be honest they seem fine – I think there’s a lot of crap talked about tyres. Does that help?

John H – YGM via the Wickeffect contact email.

MFWAW

Eddy that is pure class. ignore them. Of course, I compare everything to Gary’s famous Christmas Tree K2 Razorback so my eyes may be permanently damaged.

1979 Fender Precision Bass and a Big Muff ‘ere. Currently big-amp-less (well, it lives in Chapel-en-le-frith).

I always wanted a Sepultura style ‘even-bigger-muffer’. Genius.

Veteran of several legendarily crap punk bands (think Black Flag, the Misfits, DRI and Sonic Youth, with the melodic edge of Extreme Noise Terror).

And for what it’s worth John I live in Otley.

I chucked in the bad spelling of bridleway to continue the theme of the thread 😀

All the time. Best times to ride (I find) are before 10 or after 5 at the weekend, when everyone else seems to be in bed, travelling to the hills, or going home for tea. long rides at the weekend around the north Leeds -Grassington – Harrogate area I usually encounter nobody, except for the bunch riding round in circles at Stainburn. All those bridelways to myself – that’s what it’s all about!

During the week I rarely see anyone at all offroad… twas the same when I lived near the mountain biking honeypot of Hayfield.

Tyre logos not aligned with egg stand. Get to the back of the class.

Does it have a rubber o-ring in there? I’m sure mine does, but that’s about 8 years old. It was a very tight fit, I just smeared a little grease inside.

There was a period in time, about 10 years ago, when my mate and I wore tweed jackets on our jaunts around the pubs of the Hazel Grove to Chapel area.

My mate saw me riding down the A6 in High Lane:

‘I saw you the other day, going hell for tweed down High Lane!’

A classic quote of my youth.

What video are you looking at?! **** me there’s no wonder you think its hard if any of that looks vertical!

Er, the video you posted the link to – you know, the one with the rock outcrop in the middle of the trail. That rock looks to be pretty steep to me, although I bow down to your superior gradient calculating abilities, especially from such a quality video.

Well, the ‘overtaking line’ straight down the middle looks to be raised on the up-slope side, doesn’t have a smooth run-up, the drop is about 1 metre, and looks nearly vertical. Rather you than me!

In general, top level xc riders are technically brilliant – they don’t get to that level without the skills to match. As nearly everybody else has mentioned, watchng it on the screen is far removed from the reality.

Nearly always ride alone – it’s what it’s all about for me.

That said, I am more cautious when out in the wilds and don’t take risks I probably would when in a group. All my disasters so far have been mechanical, including a snapped steerer tube which was a little bit of a pain!

Probably the worst was ripping a tyre and breaking my pump = 9 mile walk.

Rent for the shop?
Tax?
Purchasing tools?
etc

In my experience even good mechanics get paid peanuts – and it’s because of this attitude. You’d think nothing of paying that for a car mechanic/plumber/electrician blah blah blah

Should be fine. I wouldn’t go to Houston and run a presentation off a laptop without turning Skype off though, unless you want the mrs in a dressing gown suddenly appearing on screen…..

r.e. the answers suggesting buying a hub to use for spares – ok in theory but it is very difficult to get a freehub off a hub that isn’t built into a wheel (usually involves partly crushing it in a vice!).

My personal favourite paragraph. REad it and then think about that last line.

While researchers often come up with overall estimates of the likelihood of intelligent life in the universe, it is a process fraught with guesswork; recent guesses put the number anywhere between a million and less than one.

The reporters are talking about recent studies/guesses, not this particular study. This study has used computational modelling to come up with an estimate of the likelihood of life existing – based on a number of known variables and a bunch of assumptions (known unknowns!). I agree it’s bollocks, but they have quantified the bollocks, based upon their model inputs.

The Fox (Mellor?) at the top of the rocky BW from Strines. Classic Robbies decor (beaten copper tables, farm tools, horse brasses), great location, and beer. That said, i ain’t beeen for years as I don’t live round there anymore.
The Navigation at the end of the canal in Buxworth. Home to many a post ride piss up – plus Timothy Taylors Landlord. Nuff said!

Nirvana? In Utero is a masterpiece – better than Bleach by a long way. Although I love Bleach and it has some amazing tracks. It’s all subjective anyway….

>Is that rust showing through the crack (indicating that its been like it for a while)

It’s an aluminium shell so it won’t be rust (not on the hub shell anyway) what you can see is probably part of the ratchet/pawl mechanism

I’ve buzzed a michelin 2.2 on the crown of my float r 130s… crap landing off a fast drop… still didn’t catapult me over the bars. I wouldn’t imagine you’d be doing anything mental with a daft wheel like that on your bike anyway!