RSP Astrum 2 x 1/2 watt so very similar to the Smart R2 but with no reliability or waterproof problems. It’s bright as **** with one LED providing flood and the other providing throw.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_219033_langId_-1_categoryId_165705

Take your wheels off first and move them out of the way then put plastic bags over the callipers, you don’t want this stuff getting on any part of your brakes.

EDIT: I wouldn’t spray WD40 all over a bike, it’s a degreaser so will remove the grease from any bearings and pivots it comes into contact with.

The delivery times for the Deal Extreme £30ish bike lights are quite long at the moment (i.e. after Christmas) so it might be better ordering from the Lightmalls or Manafont, see below.

http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/titaninum-fiinish-1200lumen-cree-xml-t6-3mode-memory-bicyclelightheadlight-418650-battery-pack-inlcuded-p-8034

http://www.lightmalls.com/ha-iii-cree-xml-t6-3-mode-1200-lumen-led-bicycle-front-light-kit

http://www.lightmalls.com/upgrade-bicycle-light-lm-cree-xml-t6-1200-lumens-bike-light-kit

Yep, I got mine from the real Torchy on ebay for £12.99 but the deal I’ve linked is approx £8.50 so if you don’t mind waiting you can save a few quid.

While we’re on the subject I’ve also just got a new charger (Xtar WP2 II) to replace the bolx I bought on DX, I got it from China through an ebay seller as Torchy didn’t have it listed but you can also get it at a discounted price through the budgetlightforum thread. Read the reviews for it on Budgetlightforums and you’ll see why it’s worth getting if you’re at all bothered about wrecking your batteries or burning your house down.

Based on the discharge graphs on Torchy’s website (see below) I’ve got and would recommendXtar 2600mAh’s because they maintain a higher voltage during use which is more important than 300ish extra mAh’s over the Senybor’s especially as you need to discharge the battery to a pretty low voltage to use the extra capacity. You can get them for $13.50 by joining in on the group buy described in this thread.

I recommend Rock n Roll Extreme for wet rides and Rock n Roll Gold for dry, easy to use and leaves a very clean and quiet chain if you follow the instructions although I apply it in the middle of the chain with a rag underneath rather than on the cassette as I don’t want the degreaser getting in the free hub or wheel bearings.

That said has anyone used Muc Off C3 Ceramic wet lube?

It’s great fun and fast, you’ll love it but make sure you don’t miss the black sections. I’ve not been since the new trails opened a couple of weeks ago but they sound brilliant and look great on the youtube clips I’ve seen.

Technoline BC900 (same as Lacrosse 700 but higher current) or Maha/Powerex C9000 with Sanyo Eneloop batteries. Well worth the money over the standard rubbish which I found out the hard way.

http://www.batterylogic.co.uk/technoline/technoline-i-charger.asp

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003DIGKOG?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1

I’ve got Superstar organic pads on Elixir R’s and they’re perfect and completely stopped any annoying brake noise. If you’re not sure which type to get they’re cheap enough to buy all three compounds to try out.

Rock n Roll Super Web Grease, awesome stuff but marine grease is a good idea too.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=2611

^ I’ve had three £5 vouchers from CRC recently for issues like that :D

I’ve used Merlin and CRC loads and they’re both great although I’m a bit disappointed Merlin only apply their 10% VIP discount to orders over £50 now.

I’ve got a RSP Astrum (http://www.wittons.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=2499&c=01&i=B002RL1068) which has 2 x half watt LED’s and is the brightest rear light I’ve seen so far, I’m sure the one from Smart will be quite similar.

I’ve also applied this black reflective sticker sheet to various parts of my bike (http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23560)

Read the below links but the best suspension fluid is Red Line and I think you need their medium weight oil, this seemed to be the cheapest place for it http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-60184-red-line-medium-suspension-fluid.aspx

http://www.peterverdone.com/archive/bikesuspension.htm

http://www.peterverdone.com/wiki/index.php?title=Suspension_Fluid

EDIT: Elfin beat me to it!

If you must do it today go to Halfords and buy this http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_168066_langId_-1_categoryId_165507

It’s 42cSt rather than Fox Fluid which is 31.82cSt so is too heavy but’s probably the best you’ll get unless you can find it at a local bike shop.

Sorry mate but that’s just bollocks! Show me some evidence to prove that. Suspension fluid is designed shear stability and consistent viscosity plus low friction. Also how would you know which weight gear or motor oil to get?? As you can see in the chart below even specific suspension fluids supposedly of the same weight can have massively different viscosities.

http://i41.tinypic.com/25qpx81.png

“Just for the air can?”…..!

It’s a pretty important component on the bike and it needs proper suspension fluid. Fox fluid is good but Red Line or Silkolene is better quality, just use the right amount of proper suspension fluid and not whatever oil you’ve got lying around!

Red Line Medium Suspension Fluid is the best stuff

http://forums.mtbr.com/shocks-suspension/redline-suspension-fluid-good-fox-shox-507815.html

I’m using this one, tis good.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/universal-bicycle-mount-22mm-32-8mm-15342

Upon further investigation I’ve changed my recommendation on the best batteries and charger. The Senybor 2800mAh are good and have a high capacity but both the below batteries maintain a higher voltage and therefore more power for the majority of their capacity, I’ll personally be ordering some Yezl 2400mAh batteries as they’re a couple of quid cheaper.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Sanyo-2600mAh-Li-ion-18650-3-7v-protective-case-/300610075488?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item45fdc1bb60

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Yezl-2400mAh-top-quality-18650-3-7v-protected-case-/290617660234?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item43aa29934a

The charger I linked earlier is decent but again it seems that there is better to be had for the same money, just google “Xtar WP2 charger” and check out the reviews by others and you’ll see this charger looks very good. I’ll be getting one I think when/if my current one packs in.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xtar-WP2-charger-18650-18700-14650-14500-/290622863374?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item43aa78f80e

Storing them at partial charge is correct but storing them in the fridge seems to be a common misconception, quite a few people mention this on the forum and it is frequently poo pooed by the battery experts like smudge.
Storing them in a cool dry place is more important than the fridge, if you look at the graphs in your How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries link you will see that at 0 degrees they lose 2% and up to 25 degrees they lose 4%, a fridge is normally at 4-6 degrees and a cool spot in a UK home will normally be below 25 degrees so you are not really doing any more harm to the battery storing out with a fridge.
Your fridge is generally quite a damp environment which will lead to more problems than a dry storage environment.

Good point, if storing in the fridge make sure they’re in an air tight bag/container. The fridge recommendation is to avoid them unwittingly being stored at high temps during summer although as you say most houses in the UK don’t often get hotter than 25 degrees.

I too saw that the asucell batteries arent great on torchythebatteryboy’s chart – and he’s the one selling them on eBay

ah, good call.
So there’s an impersonator of torchythebatteryboy called torchythetorchyboy.
Its tricky torchy world out there
Need to check those Sennybor dimensions for my charger though.

The cheeky git, I bought my charger from that impersonator and assumed the batteries would be decent based on the fact he’s selling the,…I’ve been duped!

And how long have the batteries been sitting on a shelf in storage?

Personally, mine improved after a few cycles. It has to be worth a punt..

It doesn’t state a time so I don’t know but the chemistry of lithium batteries is different to nickel based batteries and they don’t have a memory effect. Who knows how long ago the batteries were made before they are delivered to us, if it’s ages then a few cycles may help but theoretically it shouldn’t make a difference.

The important thing is not to overcharge them, not to over discharge them and to store them at 40% charge in the fridge if you won’t be using them for a long period.

so.. recommendation for a decent battery and charger? i got a torch off ebay which is very impressive for light but the batteries are awful and i’m scared to use the charger!

Batteries http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Asucell-3000mAh-18650-Li-Ion-Protected-Torch-Battery-/150519935002?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item230baff01a#ht_1708wt_922

Charger http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18650-Lithium-Ion-Dual-Battery-Cell-Rapid-UK-Charger-/160549848417?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item2561844561#ht_2277wt_922

Li-ion batteries do not need priming/cycling to increase their capacity from new.

“Rechargeable batteries may not deliver their full rated capacity when new and will require formatting. While this applies to most battery systems, manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries disagree. They say that Li-ion is ready at birth and does not need priming. Although this may be true, users have reported some capacity gains by cycling these batteries after long storage.“

Read the below links on how to use your Li-ion batteries…

Charging Lithium Batteries

How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries

A Neoguard and a set of CycraGuard mudguards

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24478

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=23088

We went there today and started a very wet and muddy ride at 9ish leaving a fairly empty car park behind us, it was much busier when we ended up back there. Even in driving rain everyone we saw was having a laugh and was very friendly whether they were 15 or 50. The trail is bucket loads of fun and just keeps getting better the faster you go, also I saw a few sections of new trail and twisty bearmed northshore that is being linked to the existing trails although isn’t open yet.

Special mention should go out to the truly awesome burgers and the staff who keep the cafe looking nice even though every chair looked like the occupant had had an accident on it after they left (see muddy)

I second Quinns on Edge Lane

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/t6-waterproof-xml-t6-3-mode-1200-lumen-white-led-bike-light-with-battery-pack-set-82510

2 of these mounted on the bars (or 1 on your lid) for £60 will give you all the lighting you could ever want…until a new LED comes out ;)

The battery packs aren’t fully waterproof though so you will need to wrap them in electrical/duct tape and squirt some silicone sealant where the wire comes out the pack.

I second the RSP Astrum, two very very bright LEDs which are more visible than one source of light. They are meant to be pretty waterproof but if you are using any lights in the rain you should really put some silicone grease on the joints/threads.

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

Don’t buy a Nokia, my wife had her E52 replaced 4 times and was eventually given an E5 which is also crap. The OS on them is useless, very slow and eventually ties up all the memory in conflicts so that it freezes permanently.

Probably best getting an Android phone (HTC or Samsung) as there are plenty of apps although I’ve got an iPhone and use the Kinetic GPS app for tracking. Personally I wouldn’strapap an expensive and fragile phone to my handlebars so keep it in my pack. If you want GPS navigation get a dedicated GPS unit (Garmin etc)

For the front…

Torch (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/ultrafire-wf-501b-xm-lt6-5-mode-510-lumen-memory-white-led-flashlight-with-strap-1-18650-55241)

Batteries (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/trustfire-protected-18650-3-7v-true-2400mah-rechargeable-lithium-batteries-2-pack-20392)

Charger (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18650-Lithium-Ion-Dual-Battery-Cell-Rapid-UK-Charger-/160549848417?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_SM&hash=item2561844561)

Handlebar mount (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/universal-bicycle-mount-22mm-32-8mm-15342)

Add more torches as required.

For the back…

RSP Astrum (http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/rsp-astrum-twin-item149215.html)

Here you go > http://www.peterverdonedesigns.com/bikesuspension.htm

Fox recommends using Fox High Performance Synthetic Suspension Fluid or any 7wt. synthetic suspension fluid for their forks. If you have read my motorcycle page, you can understand how moronic this suggestion is. One companies 7 is another’s 5 and yet another’s 10. The actual viscosity numbers of this oil are 31.82 cSt@40C/9.57 cSt@100C/VI 300. Torco RSF Medium is what Fox is reselling, so using Torco should provide exact results. I have found that Red Line Synthetic Oils are about the finest oils to use in suspension systems (as well as Silkolene). Red Line oils will mix very well with each other to provide you with precise oil tuning. The wide range of viscosities provide for almost any mix that could ever be needed. Other similar oils to the stock Fox oil are:

Red Line Synthetic Oil , 95% Medium (10wt) / 5% Heavy (15wt) (ISO 32)
Silkolene 50% Pro RSF (5wt) / 50% Pro RSF (7.5wt)

I gave my old crappy charger away so I’ll have stick with the paperclip ;)

Also using the refresh function will restore most batteries to a useable state but don’t do it too regularly as you’ll age the batteries.

To OP – I’ve got the BL900 which is basically the same as yours and use the same fix as Dibbs to raise the voltage of an over discharged battery so the charger recognises it. Put a charged battery in the charger slot next to the “nul” battery, unplug the charger and connect the two positive terminals using a paper clip for 10-20 seconds. Remove the paper clip, turn on the charger and it should recognise the battery.

You will be damaging the batteries by over discharging them so try to avoid this. Also Sanyo Eneloop and other low self discharge batteries (GP Recyko are a good alternative) will probably give better results even though the quote capacity may be lower.

I’m fairly certain proper cable cutters like the ones posted are the right tool for the job but I’ve had good results with my Leatherman for the inners and a hacksaw and file for the outers.

The torches from DX are cheaper because they don’t come with batteries, charger and bike mount but you can get bike specific lights from DX for much less than £80. T6 Water Resistant XML-T6 3-Mode 1200-Lumen White LED Bike Light with Battery Pack Set is £32 from DX and uses the same XM-L LED as the torch I’ve ordered but driven harder at 1200 lumen although it’s likely to be closer to 800 in reality. I was going to order this bike light but went for torches as you can make sure you’re getting decent batteries and can charge them independently. The 4 x 18650 battery packs that come with the bike specific lights need waterproofing and will eventually become unbalanced which causes problems.

Also a couple of very useful articles

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries

This is what I ordered from Dealextreme on 14th September and it should be with me by 30th September. They’re “only” 510 lumen but that means they draw 1.4A which is the most efficient current for the LED. Also they are the newest and most efficient XM-L LED and judging by the video on the torch page they are plenty bright enough.

UltraFire WF-501B XM-LT6 5-Mode 510-Lumen £12

TrustFire Protected 18650 3.7V TRUE 2400mAh Rechargeable Lithium Batteries (2-Pack) £7

18650 Li-ion charger with UK plug £12

The charger is a bit more expensive than the one off dealextreme but it’s meant to be better/safer. Although all the bits are £31 in total it’s only £12 to add extra torches and you’re getting a better charger and batteries than the specific bike lights with a separate battery pack plus as you add more torches you don’t have a single point of failure.

trout linked to a very good source but for anyone who can’t be bothered reading it you should store Li-ion batteries at 40% charge between 0C and room temperature.

also…

How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries

Charging Lithium-ion