I could be wrong, but i’m pretty sure mine pulls out to adjust? It was dead easy either way.

It is bleeding barmy though – we could pay her eff all and not have to worry, but by being a fair employer, we get additional stress and concern!

Not really, there isn’t really any such thing as an intern in the UK. If they’ve graduated and are entering work, then assuming that you are actually a company and they are doing something for you then they are entitled to minimum wage, and all the benefits of a worker. You can probably escape sick pay and maternity if they aren’t doing regular work but that’s about it.

The only way around this would be if they were purely watching what you were doing, not actually doing anything themselves, (I’m assuming this isn’t the case as it would be a bit barmy to pay someone a salary for 3 months to get nothing out of it yourselves) or if you were a charity or similar.

Yes if you’re paying her then you need to make sure it’s above minimum wage and give her the statutory rights to holiday etc. 8hr day is £50.48 per day, don’t scrimp on the 50p as it’s not worth the aggro risk.

Travel costs to a place of work and contribution to living expenses etc that would fall as salary in HMRC’s eyes, you’d struggle to argue it was expenses. They’d see her as a paid employee.

You can’t really cover against any pitfalls the risk is there anyway – just make sure she’s not pregnant and hire her after the bank holiay to minimise the holiday allowance ;-)

There’s several threads on here about it… have a search.

Here’s a couple to start you off!
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/rock-shox-pike-160mm-knocking
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/pikes-knocking-noise

That is interesting. Problem is the wife may object to spending ‘our’ points on ‘my’ bike

Ah, but not the case… it’s double the value, or put another way half the clubcard cost.
So technically, you’re not spending shared clubcard points, your spending your half of them!

On one do a nice mesh backed full finger.
I use fox dirtpaw’s, getting a little bit warm for them now though, but i like the amount of protection.

I used one on the weekend to check my position on an OS map.. does that count? :lol:

They’ll work it on bottom book price in Glass’s guide, which is probably around 800-1000 at a guess, and want to pay you that.

Go on autotrader, find a few examples of the same car in similar condition, try and find 3 close as possible to your car, and in your area and ask for an average price showing the 3 you can get.

Shouldn’t have much trouble doing that, i’ve done it this way a couple of times. You’ll lose your excess though.

Lovely…
I’ll just leave this here ;-)

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-rockshox-sids-29er-in-funky-blue

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/reba-poploc-sticking

Tapered or straight? A bloke emailed me a while ago I was after a tapered steerer, they were SID 80/100 and I wanted 120 so no use to me.

I could pass it on if you need tapered?

Code worked for me Mark, thanks & page liked.

Cool thanks, job done. Canyon here too but a couple of google links had problems with different threads so wanted to make sure.

Oh – and i’ve only ever done it in estates with dark privacy glass rear – i’d feel a lot less comfortable if it was clear glass.

Do it all the time – never chuck a tent up these days unless it’s a few days stop. I have a small roll mat which is always in the car and a sleeping bag, bosh the larger back seat down, headrest out, turned round and back in again as a pillow job done. takes about 10 mins either end. I specifically will only buy a car with fold flat rear seats for this reason!

Only minor issue is when it’s raining – then water gets through the open window but i normally just open the back window where the bikes are a bit so it’s not a massive issue. I keep meaning to get wind deflectors cos that means you can crack the windows without worrying about it.

The only thing i’d say is try not to do anything to avoid condensation towels etc, wiping – just give it 10 minutes to air out the next morning if you do get any. Obviously crack a window and lock the car from the inside and don’t alarm it. My new car is a bit of a pain, as when you have finished with music etc and turn the ignition off to go to sleep, you have to open the drivers door and close it to kill the car, and then every light on the bloody thing turns on and illuminates everything around you… can be awkward on a campsite!

As above not quite sure what you mean but it sounds like you have the aluminium gutter a bit far back on the rails. You can undo the arm mount and move the gutter forward a bit, it will just slide on the back mounting plate. One of my bikes does the same – on one of the racks i’ve got the arm turned round so it’s a bit further forward to get 2 bikes on the same side of the roof, on this one the front wheel holder is only 1/2 on the gutter, but once ratcheted down and locked on it’s fine. It’s not an issue on any other bike, just the angles of one of them mean it’s a bit far forwards.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-xt-m780-i-spec-direct-attach-cover/rp-prod67257?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_name=UnitedKingdom&gclid=CN6q7drg0b0CFUoJwwodU5MAzQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or your lbs might have the bits kicking about?

If you’ve definitely got ispec b shifters you should have both types of connector with the shifter. Not sure what superficial is getting at – op has ispec shifters by sounds of it?

I’ve just installed an i spec shifter to ispec a brake on mine, I’m looking now what parts do you actually need? All three in the middle, nut and 2 bolts? I’ve used the larger bolt on mine, I’ve found the smaller bolt but can’t find the nut. If I can find it I’ll stick it in the post to you. I’ve only got a single though, 1×10.

Take the top cap off, gunk etc gets under and causes it to stick. Give it a good cleanout and it’ll be right as rain.

http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=650

One of these?

Mods tell me off if this breaks the rules here but i’ve got a 19″ Large 07 stump jumper FSR sat around waiting for me to stick it up on classifieds – Birmingham & I was thinking £175 would let it go considering it’s just had a full bearing rebuild and shock service costing best parts of that.

Drop me a mail in my profile if interested.

You need EC44 – Hope do the lower, not sure why that wouldn’t work as an upper as you’ll just have an upside down logo and you’ll need the top headset gubbins. Should be doable though – maybe call hope or your local dealer?

I’m pretty sure Works Components do an EC44 upper too. Give them a call, they’re just showing angle sets online but I reckon they might be able to help with a standard.

1×10 yes better off with a 3×10 as you can’t get smaller than 34t (I think, could be 32) on a 2×10 due to clearance. Middle on a 3x gives perfect chainline, although the 2x tabs look a bit nicer.

Ribble probably cheapest ATM having a quick look – plus you can sell the rings to recover a bit.

The difference between 170 and 175 for me is the difference between knee pain limiting my rides to 10k and not, so massive. I switched to 170 and the pain cleared up. Could easily have been something else, but I’m putting it down to crank length as it was the only difference on the same bike.

I’ve ridden my carbon HT around the lakes, peaks, scotland and had plenty of rocks flung at it without an issue.

Crashed it on the weekend, not a massive impact at all but it caught a rock and split the drive side chain stay. Make of that what you will!

If you want cheapness i’ve carted around bikes before strapped to a set of kayak uprights. £20 and job done, never had a problem.

I’d quite happily invert them on the roof like you say if I could get the handlebars in front of the roof bars and the stem on top, a bit of pipe lagging on the roof bars would help.

I have now seen the light though – it’s a lot easier with a pair of thule 591’s on the roof…

Picture.. not great but about 1″ split vertically up the frame and cracks all around it that appeared after riding it some more!

X01 cranks £159.99
Chainring £53.99
Hope BB £71.99

Total £285 – less than £300.

My other bike has XT triple with a works narrow wide ring and hope BB and you’ll do that for about £185. Not as blingy but I can’t tell the difference…

Not exactly what you’re after but I have a 2.5 DHF Maxxis Minion tyre on a pike with a mucky nutz guard with room, so I reckon you should be OK.

Gets a bit claggy in the worst of the gloop though.

In true STW recommend what you’ve got fashion – Canyon Strive.
No stock of the decent specced ones though.

Apart from knocking Pikes.

The only knocking I hear on my bike is my knees…. ;-) The pikes are flawless!

I’m not sure how many of the top end bikes from the bargain brands OP is looking at actually get made. Focus, Canyon, Cube etc all not got the brand power of the big boys, specialized, santa cruz etc but charge a lot less.

I’m guessing that they do a limited run for their teams and people who want to buy decent spec bikes, but I think to make a decent profit they’ve got to charge more money, by which point people won’t want to buy them. So they do a few to sell through but don’t invest massively as there’s not much return. Looking at some of the canyon range you can build up some of the lower spec models for less than they charge, but I couldn’t build my strive for the same money just for the components, and that’s not even taking the frame into account. Same spec in a Heckler or Enduro is 5K+, and that’s twice what I paid and there’s no corners cut on the kit. I really don’t see how that can turn them a profit.

It only opens Thurs-Sun as far as I know – I think if there’s enough people they open extra days but you need a decent sized group.

Retail Reba’s are pretty much all adjustable, you just drop the spacers in to/out of the air side. Some OEM one’s can’t be increased, so if it’s come off a bike or from an OEM supplier cheap then you could be stuck. There’s no definite answer until you get it open and check either way.

I’ve had the T2 superstar headset in mine for 18 months, one bearing change. Just checked my account and it’s def the T2 option that fits and it comes with crown race for both steerer types.

Where do you need to be/want to stay? What kind of budget?

Wharney Guangdong is my usual on the island, it’s in the middle of it all and probably the cheapest you’ll get that’s in the centre but not a dump. (Don’t expect much for the £50 a night it’ll cost you though!) Kowloon side the Guangdong in TST is the same. Little bit out from the action on the island you’ll find stuff like the harbour plaza, cosmo and cosmopolitan all decent for not huge money. That’s assuming your on business travel, or only doing a short trip and want to be in the hub of it.

If you want to be a bit further out then north of Kowloon you’ll find decent stuff for less money, but I wouldn’t know where to go up there. I tend to find British Airways are giving the best rates at the moment, i’ve booked the last few trips through them.

If you drive – drivers licence.
The fine for being caught with it out of date is NOT cheap!

You do at least with canyon have the 30 days return policy – I didn’t really factor it in as it’s basically as new condition which means you can’t take it on the trails. You’d know if it was really wrong though after 1/2 an hour on the car park.

And ignore their sizing tool – it’s rubbish. Told me I needed small and i’ve got a large…

I’d say the Canyon was best VFM of those, i’ve got a Strive and it’s a fantastic bit of kit for not a lot of money given what the equivalent mainstream brands would charge.

For a first FS bike though i’d be hard pushed to drop that much unless I was cock on sure it was right. I was happy enough taking a punt on mine given that after having 6/7 bikes before it I knew what geometry/measurements I needed, and even so it needed a bit of tweaking o get perfect.

I’d suggest going and trying the usual first bike suspects, giant trance/anthem, trek/specialized etc as you’ll get easy demos on them and then you can probably find last years model at a sizeable discount.

Edit: On the brakes – I bought mine and was going to order a set of XT’s to change them too. I never bothered, braking performance is just as good on the Avid’s, modulation & feel is better. They are noisy if they as much as look at water though. Biggest perk is the cockpit – the 1 shared mount system is fantastic with the shifter right and reverb left.

Bought a bit of stuff in the price drop so can’t complain too much.

I spoke too soon… Anybody else get their orders cancelled due to no stock?

Get your LBS to take a look and tap it out if they can. It’s likely to be fixable.

My on one came like that… ;-)

Bugger.. I’d have gone for that too!
Bought a bit of stuff in the price drop so can’t complain too much.