Measure height of rear axle centre (tyre radius) and measure height of crank axle centre, get calculator out then Bob’s your uncle

http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/spokecalc/

^ grease would stop it seizing but the carbon paste is to reduce the clamping force required so you don’t stop the post moving up and down freely

Does galvanic corrosion occur when there is only 1 metal?

Yes, carbon is a conductor

Yes. As it increases grip it reduces how tight you need to torque the bolts but just as importantly it prevents galvanic corrosion between the aluminium and carbon which is what causes them the seize. Motorex carbon grease is meant to better than the gritty paste

Find the part number in the Rockshox parts catalog (e.g.11.4018.026.000), google it and find a shop that has it in stock and ships to the UK

The solo has a quad-ring on the air piston rather than an o-ring which has less friction, the DP has a normal o-ring on the air piston and other extra seals so I’d go for the solo unless you really must have travel adjust.

The method in that video is bolx, you don’t bleed any brakes with the pads still in place! Follow the pdf on shimano tech docs

techdocs.shimano.com/media/techdocs/content/cycle/SI/Deore-XT/SI_0116A/SI-0116A-001-00-Eng_v1_m56577569830746864.pdf

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/calibre-two-two-alloy-hardtail-mountain-bike-p275612

Quite like the look of this and it’s pretty cheap, they do a more expensive version but with SRAM and AVID so would rather have the cheaper Shimano version

When I click the link it is showing £525

yep and free shipping over £200ish but it’s already out of stock.

It’s boss, only done it once so far up and down Llanberris but can’t wait to get back there, that was on a hardtail and made it down in one go in 20 minutes but was completely shagged at the bottom. It’s a proper big hill so try not to fall off but remember speed is your friend…until it kills you :lol:

Definitely best to use someone who regularly does bike/motorbike stuff, http://fastlinecoatings.co.uk/ in Preston are meant to be very good

Quinns are very good, not sure how you can say they are worth the extra travel? care to elaborate?

Had a bit of experience with Quinns and they were good so no hesitation using them but lots of experience with Thattos and they have been great often fixing emergency last minute stuff at very short notice saving weekends away and they sell parts at pretty much online prices. As for extra travel it depends where you live but I’d assume Quinns would be closer if you’re based in Liverpool. They have also done maintenance courses in the past if you get a few of you together.

Quinns +1 for Liverpool but Thatto Cycles in St Helens are even better and worth the extra travel

Mine broke loads of times and eventually fell off completely and was lost, expensive and fragile. Make your own out of a bit of hose and a few zip ties.

3M 8671HS Polyurethane Protective Tape

I got a pair of £5 Aldi gloves this year and they’re better than the Tenn Outdoors gloves I got last year although were still ok. I really like Specialized normal gloves so would try theirs if I was spending a decent amount. The best gloves I’ve ever had were a pair of £70 Hein Gerikke motorbike gloves, used them for snow boarding and would have toasty hand even when the outside were encased in ice.

Search “morris k99 grease” on ebay, it’s waterproof marine grease that comes in a not completely huge 400g tub which will still last until the end of civilisation. It’s thick but not so thick it stops the bearings running freely and I’ve noticed it working much better than Rock n Roll Super Web grease at keeping water and crud out. Pop the seals off the cartridge bearings and completely fill to the brim plus a bit extra then replace the seals. It’s also a good idea to put some grease on the outside of the bearings to trap the crud before it enters the bearings which should be replaced regularly

Nope, the parts list has separate damper internals for all 3 wheel sizes for both RC and RCT3

Yep you just need to change the air shaft

check the parts list for options http://cdn.sram.com/cdn/farfuture/pGcsOiaHJmgYOSW1iwjlTV-5MjKQ20lIrqpasxag-xY/mtime:1379457576/sites/default/files/techdocs/2014_rockshox_spc_rev_a.pdf

For the grease use buzzy’s slick honey, not the readily available but a couple of places have it

61804 is the same as 6804.

My original bearings lasted 6 months before they developed play so replaced them with Katec/Kasee bearings off ebay (branded EZO) but they developed play after a year (I’m not convinced these are genuine as cheaper than I can source elsewhere and didn’t last that long). I’ve now replaced them with genuine FAG INA bearings from AK bearings (who are cheapest and delivered fast) and they’re spot on but you still need to pop the seals off and fill with waterproof grease before fitting them

http://www.akbearings.co.uk/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=0&P_ID=997&strPageHistory=search&numSearchStartRecord=1

Edit – Just did a bit of googling and apparently unlimited on Virgin Mobile means up to 3.5Gb after that you’re capped at 3g speed of 384 kb/s

4.64Mbps down 2.05Mbps up for me but doubt I’ve used 3.5GB this months…that’s a lot of pr0n!

It’s not a massive cost/change if you were buying a whole brand new bike anyway. I’m getting my first full suss in a month or so which will have 27.5″ wheels and it’s costing me the same as it would have to buy the previous year’s version with 26″ wheels.

I’ve had a test ride of a very blingy carbon Santa Cruz Solo on 27.5″ wheels and it felt great compared to my bike, which is hardly surprising considering the difference in frame and spec, but I couldn’t notice any specific difference due to the very slightly larger wheels.

The wheel size thing isn’t worth getting your knickers in a twist, wheels are still round and bikes are still bikes.

Virginmedia VIP sim. £15 a month rolling and unlimited everything, uses the EE network so you are pretty much covered everywhere.

this…

Have a look at 3, their plans automatically include 4G when it rolls out in your area for no extra. Plus their data really is unlimited, they also allow tethering

…or this is you’ll be using a 4G phone

I was on 3 but wasn’t happy with their coverage, it’s all or nothing whereas other networks are more likely to have a weak signal for the vast majority of where I go. Went to GiffGaff (O2) and their coverage wasn’t great for me although is pretty much the same as the other main operators. Now on Virgin (EE/Orange/T-Mobile) and happy with coverage plus unlimited everything for £15 is the best I can see.

When 3 rollout their 4G network it will be on better frequencies than their 3G network so should provide much better coverage plus they won’t charge extra or limit the data. http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/three-can-win-the-4g-race-despite-starting-late

Use ammonia if you can find some http://www.sheldonbrown.com/stuck-seatposts.html

I get bad chainsuck on my C456 as soon as the chainrings wear even slightly, new chainrings fix it. Also new chain on worn chainrings is the worst combo for chain suck

Uberbike BBs are good, mine went in at the end of March last year and has done 2,750km and is still running smooth. I’ve had the top hat seals off a few times to clean out and replace the grease and the seals off the bearings once to clean out and regrease both of which were easy to do which isn’t the case on Shimano BBs. Also it will be very easy to replace the bearings in the cups when they do wear out with decent quality bearings

I’ve had my X7 LH shifter apart a couple of times for this problem, it’s a very time consuming job and took multiple attempts to get the cover back on with all the efin springs in the right place. If you’d rather just spend the money on a new one rather than a couple of hours frustration then get a new one.

I got some Woly Astro Therm insoles (http://www.woly.com/en/products/insoles/winter/Produkt/astro_therm_astro_therm_kids/details/?tx_mvproducts_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=Product&cHash=66bf2fdc54bd15987e1cdf33464e6243) last year and paired them with Planet X overshoes with my summer shoes and they worked great until the water eventually got in. I’ve now got the insoles in my northwave celsius boots which make them even warmer and my feet stay dry :-)

I used aquarium air hose and had the same problem and zip ties didn’t help but got some 3mm clear PVC hose/pipe from ebay which is a very good fit and a 1m length was very cheap

Uberbike, their Race Matrix compound do what they say on the tin. Wouldn’t use anything else now http://www.uberbikecomponents.com/view-product/Uberbike-Formula-Mega-The-One-R1-RX-RO-T1-Race-Matrix-Brake-Pads

Mine kept breaking due to very very little tyre clearance so made my own from 1mm polycarbonate bought off ebay and zip tied it tight to the fork brace. It’s got a few scratches but is virtually indestructible even when bent completely in half with the front wheel off.

They’re great, much better than neoguard IMO

http://www.amazon.co.uk/RockShox-Discrete-Puck-Spacer-Remotes/dp/B00CZD7IXW

Just get a Topeak Mountain Morph

Schwalbe do them and make good tubes http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k2023/schlaeuche.html

Continental tubes are also good and their 29 tube is branded 28″ so that would work http://www.wiggle.co.uk/continental-quality-mtb-inner-tube/

I’d still use up my 26 tubes first as they’ll still fit and they’ll last for ages as it’s pretty rare to get a tubeless failure.

Rock n Roll extreme 16oz (480ml) is £17ish so works out at £4.25 per normal size bottle making it cheaper.

I’m using much less of it now after rides since doing the hot wax thing with my chains which I’m pretty impressed with (£25 putoline chain wax tin was too expensive so made my own for £7ish with 500g paraffin wax pellets and 30% graphite powder from ebay)

loctite 222, it’s lower strength and all that’s needed for a bike

Watching the London news programme on bike theft was pretty unnerving. Some real thefts and some staged but the speed the thieves cut through locks (and frames!) and ride off all on busy streets with passers by ignoring it was eye opening.

As well as the decent anchor, lock and chain long enough to thread through frame and wheels it’s important stop them getting into your shed or garage. Most garage doors are only secured at the top and can be peeled open at the bottom so door bolts are a good idea http://www.lockshop-warehouse.co.uk/acatalog/garage-door-bolts.html They also peel back metal roof sheets to get in etc. Great innit!

Make sure they’re insured!