I got these last year through Amazon for £15 and they’ve been great, very warm and still look and feel like new after being through the washing machine a few times

http://www.tenn-outdoors.co.uk/cold-weather-waterproof-windproof-soft-shell-cycling-glove-blackgrey-xl

Fastline in Preston book marked :-)

I wonder if they do black mirrored chrome…

DP

Which Hale?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hale,_Greater_Manchester

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hale,_Halton

£6.82 for the U2 501B torch from Lightmalls is hardly splashing the cash but I’m sure your torches will be fine with a bit of a fiddle, one of mine didn’t work today when I put the battery back in and it was just the brass pill needing screwing back into the reflector (as KCR has already said)…simples

You really don’t need to spend £200…in fact it’s better to have a few cheap torches so you don’t have one point of failure because everything can break even the swish lights.

Sounds like a dodgy connection, try striping and cleaning everything and make sure the battery springs are making good contact.

Otherwise…

http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-501b-cree-xml-u2-1300-lumen-5-mode-led-flashlight-1-18650

http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S009982

…or find a UK seller UK stock on ebay.

That £5 on-one rear light looks like water would get right in just like the ‘basic’ smart ones IMO.

My mate has got both the RSP Astrum and the On One version and said they both seal the same so there should be no problems at all with them as mine is permanently attached the seat post and has been faultless during long wet rides on and off road. A bit of silicone grease is a good idea on the seals although I’m sure my initial application wore off a long time ago and they’ve still been fine.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Servisol-Silicone-Grease-50G/dp/B000L97ZPI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351696608&sr=8-1

I’ve got a couple of RSP Raleigh Astrum 2 x 1/2 watt lights which are great but On One are doing a virtually identical version for £5

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/LIPHBPDRL/phaart_bleep_dual_05_watt_led_rear_light

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/rsp-astrum-twin-item149215.html

EDIT: As above I have one on flash mode and the other on steady mode

http://jameshilling.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/exposure-joystick-battery-replacement.html#!/2012/10/exposure-joystick-battery-replacement.html

worth doing and then you can make sure you’re using a good cell

They look as though they were made in the same factory!!

Indeed, especial when you compare the seatpost hydroformed gusset of the Radon Slide 150 and Canyon Nerve AL 29

http://www3.bike-discount.de/bilder/xxl/71308/slide-150-9-0.jpg

http://cdn3.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2012/09/11/1/canyon_nerve29_link_600.jpg

Other German alternatives from bike-discount.de

http://www.radon-bikes.de/xist4c/web/Slide-125-7-0_id_22291_.htm

http://www.radon-bikes.de/xist4c/web/Slide-140-7-0_id_22296_.htm

more Strava tools here http://www.scarletfire.co.uk/2012/06/turbo-charge-your-strava-data-with-these-third-party-api-tools/

^ Link to the excellent pinkbike guide http://www.pinkbike.com/news/tech-tuesday-bleeding-avid-brakes-2010.html

You know you want to

The below extract from Mastering Mountain Bike Skills made it click for me, you pretty much just push down with your legs on the up ramp, keep your arms loose and stay relaxed.

1. Coast in a neutral position. Center yourself over your pedals, arms and legs
slightly bent. Pedals should be level.
2. Crouch down as you approach the jump. This is all in your legs. Let your arms
follow.
3. Your crouch should be lowest when you reach the bottom of the face. Note
how the front tire is on the face and the rear tire is just reaching it.
4. From your low position, immediately begin to spring upward. Don’t hang out in
a crouch. Bend down and then immediately pop back up like you’re bouncing
on a trampoline. This is the crux move.
5. Push down with your legs as you ride up the face. The harder you cram your
bike into the face of the jump, the more lift you’ll get. Push all the way up the
face. Big jumps require a longer, slower push than tiny jumps. For max lift,
straighten your legs all the way as you reach the lip. This should be almost all
leg power; your arms follow.
6. As you leave the lip, bend your arms and legs to let your bike rise into your
body. This gives you added clearance, and it helps to keep you loose in the
air.

It’s meant to have a much higher percentage of silicone to normal silicone spray but I just use Halfords Silicone spray decanted into an old chain lube bottle so I can drip it on the stanchions which avoids overspray wrecking the brake pads. It’s also pretty handy as a WD40/GT85 substitute.

They look like a pretty decent improvement over last years AM as they have 142×12 bolt thru rear, more hydroforming to get rid of some gussets and a slacker head angle. Very similar spec and price to last year but moved from DT Swiss to Mavic wheels which is good IMO. I’m after the AL+ 9.0 as it ticks most of my boxes but they all look good.

Where is your hire fleet based? I’d imaging you’d get a lot of business from people wanting to try them for size and how they ride before they buy.

EDIT: I see you’re based in Spain.

Imax is amazing, normal screens retrofitted with Digital Imax and brilliant but real 70mm Imax is out of this world…fortunately the director of Skyfall ignored the pressure from the execs to do it in 3D which is a huge stinking pile of sh!te

http://www.slashfilm.com/qa-imax-theatre-real-imax-liemax/

Here’s a list of screens, you want to be going to the ones noted as 15/70 mm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_IMAX_venues#U.

Click
You want the rs (rubber sheild)ones

Good price!

AK Bearings are also good.

http://www.akbearings.co.uk/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=509&strPageHistory=search&numSearchStartRecord=7

http://www.akbearings.co.uk/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=924&strPageHistory=search&numSearchStartRecord=1

A different calliper isn’t the answer but a stack of flat washer would work, tempted to do it with mine as I hate the tri align washers

Silicone spray or Everbuild P19 silicone & PTFE spray which is a bit “greasier”

Changing the damper oil will have zero affect on the spring, if you can’t achieve the desiired sag using the preload adjuster then you need a light spring.

Disappointed the Nerve AL 9.9SL is SRAM not Shimano,

Nowt wrong with SRAM X0/X9 but it you get it with proper size wheels it’s lighter and comes with XTR/XT.

The new Nerve AL+ frame looks like a decent improvement over the AM, the AL+ 9.0 is what I’ve got my eye on and is half a kg lighter than last years AM 9.0.

RSP Astrum or for a huge bargain that is an identical light a Phaart Bleep Dual 0.5 Watt for half price using code UKPHAART50

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/LIPHBPDRL/phaart_bleep_dual_05_watt_led_rear_light

http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=40fa628f0fbe316d0497b3c31&id=6ce2ec016b&e=8bb35b4d30

I’ve got the same set up and it’s fine, in fact it’s better than new because the original chainset was rubbish

Well that was hard….

My Strava app crashed so I haven’t been able to log the ride but according to other Strava users it was about 63km and 1,800m climbing but it felt like more. To be honest I felt like Sisyphus for a lot of it especially the last loop in and around the Tarw which was sadistic in the extreme. I’m yet to get the official times but according to our watches I did it in 6 hours 50 minutes and my brother did it in 6:20 which I’m pretty proud about as he did the Evan’s Coniston 48km ride in 4 hours and is far from slow. I really can’t begin to describe how hard I found this, I was cramping badly 2 hours in and really considered sacking it off but I’m glad I stuck at it not least for the finishers mug :) Also the weather was great but there was still lots and lots and lots of mud and very boggy rooty woodland. Amazing experience but I doubt I’ll be doing it again.

The route….

On One/Planet X overshoes are only a tenner and seem to work ok(ish) at keeping the worst off the shoes then go in the washing machine with the rest of my kit. They’re far from indestructible but they’re cheap so not too painful to replace when they fall apart

http://www.on-one.co.uk/i/q/CLPXOSH/planet_x_neoprene_overshoes

or an electric boot dryer

or split this between a couple of cotton bags to shove in each shoe then “recharge” on a radiator to reuse it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolson-Tools-60702-Magnetic-Lamp/dp/B001B4PINI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348751551&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sanyo-Eneloop-Pack-Batteries-HR-4UTGA/dp/B004JUZGCE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1348751558&sr=8-4

Buy as many of these LED lamps as you think you’ll need and use Sanyo Eneloop AAA’s as they’re low self discharge and work the best in low temperatures.

I’m doing the 60km with my brother and my mate is doing the 30km route. I’m expecting to take at least 5 hours but hopefully under 6, been having cramps recently on long rides so I’m prepared for a lot of pain. I think taking it easy at the start, pacing yourself and keeping the calorie intake up is good advice.

I’ve not done it, or anything like it, before so I’m bricking it a bit but I resigned myself to slowness and pain so I’ll just do my best to enjoy it and not take it too seriously.

I’ve had a Tech2 EVO AM/Enduro 135 Switch wheelset since January and done 1,751.3km on them (thanks Strava). They were great from new until I had a big off in April buckling the front wheel and sending the chain into the rear drive side spokes. Sent them back to SSC care of Parcelfarce for £14 and they fixed and returned them for free which is pretty good IMO. The bearings aren’t great and felt rough plus the front had some play but they’re easy and cheap to replace (http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/superstar-hubswhat-tools#post-4141196) and all bearings need replacing eventually. I’m happy with them and so is everyone else I know who has them.

:D

Nealy, thanks, that was really useful explanation.

No probs, I’ve just done it myself for both hubs including freehub and although it was easy I did scratch my head for a bit working out how to do the front hub. Links below to bearing list and service guide if you want them but not hugely useful to be honest.

http://db.tt/D3vUOJEb

http://db.tt/2vZUIP8s

Pull the end cap adapters off which will leave the bearings and the inner half of the end caps still in place. Using a drift/screwdriver/socket extension etc and hammer knock out a bearing and end cap still in the hub by pushing the spacer between the bearings down to compress the o-ring so you can get the drift on the edge of the bearing then do the same for the other bearing. It’s best to press the bearings in place but I used an old bearing on top of the new bearing and carefully knocked it in with a hammer, even if you do use a press make sure you push on the outer race of the bearing as applying too much force to the inner race will damage them. Make sure all the spacers and end caps go in with the o-rings seated correctly which can be a bit tricky if the o-rings have magically grown like mine had.

Can’t believe you’re doing that with a 1/3 sheet sander, that’s made my day :lol:

I hired a proper floor sander and did an entire 3 bed house with a mate which took a weeks holiday and probably years from my life. We got a someone in to do it when we got our hall done in our last house and they did a cracking job with very little mess. The guy is based in Blackpool I think but travelled to Liverpool to do it http://jhsanding.co.uk/

Couldn’t care less whether my “rig” looks sufficiently “rad” – if it’s wet and muddy (which it usually is) the crudcatchers (front and rear) are on.

But then, I ride with three chainrings and flat pedals so I don’t suppose I count as a “proper” mountain biker…

I thought only proper mountain bikers rode flats?!

Cycraguards front and back plus a Mucky Nuts Fender Bender for me but then my drivetrain is 3×8 so people on folding bikes laugh at me.

I’ve told you a billion time don’t exagerate

Pot kettle ;)

In your experience what would you expect the cheapo 3xT6 to put out and run for? Appreciate you may not give a toss as it’s as far removed from your stuff as can be.

3600 lumens out of 4x18650s, what sort of run time would we be looking at on full burn? can’t see any details on the linky.

Certainly got me excited, any reason I shouldn’t purchase??

A T6 LED max output is about 1,000 lumens at 5amps although you would hope they would be driven at 2.8amps which gives about 850 lumens so this light would probably total 2,500 lumen, still a hell of a lot! I’ve found somewhere else listing it but there’s no more info. I’d estimate it would run at full for about an hour.

Lightmalls are good so no problem ordering from them but it still comes from China so expect a few weeks for delivery and don’t use your paypal password for setting up an account on their website. The light itself looks like usual Magicshine copy quality so may need some tweaking and waterproofing but that won’t be putting me off getting one.

The Gloworm looks properly nice!

The cheap as chips chinese units are starting to appear too
http://www.lightmalls.com/ultrafire-uf-22b-2-cree-xm-l-t6-1500-lumen-3-mode-led-bicyclelight-headlight-with-4-18650-battery-pack-and-charger

They’ve just listed a new 3xT6 light for £41! This price got you a single T6 last year.

http://www.lightmalls.com/3600-lumen-3t6-led-high-power-bicycle-light-for-3-cree-xm-l-t6-4-mode-led-bike-light-kit

Nealy earlier?

:D

Don’t open the door Nealy

:lol:

Funnily enough I do describe it as my Taliban watch ;)

It could be worse…