Mark Knopfler
Johnny Greenwood
Peter Green
Dan Auerbach
Bert Jansch
David Gilmore
Nile Rogers

oops that’s seven!

The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary

New Order – Blue Monday

Thompson Twins – Doctor, doctor.

The Cure – Fascination Street

U2 – Pride (in the name of love)

Robert Palmer – Addicted to Love

Get one of these bad boys

No, it doesn’t centre the cups so they can still slip to an angle. Its better than no press but can still be a faff. I’ve managed to do three headsets with it but if ever I need to do more i’ll buy one of the presses mentioned above like the Wiggle one.

Haha, I had an Amp Research B3 with the Carbon Amp forks as my ‘Downhill’ bike back in 91/92ish. god knows how I’m still alive tbh!

I’m pretty sure the B3 was 94/95, the Mongoose version being 95. The Mongoose was used for downhill by Brian Lopes and Leigh Donovan in 95 to take many wins, Leigh Donovan took the Worlds DH in 95 but with RS forks on front. The Amp F3 forks would never have stood up to that.

The coilover shock on mine was well shot (probably due to the stresses of the unbraced seat stays as mentioned above, but now sports a Risse air shock which is a vast improvement. The bike doesn’t get used much in anger now to preserve it, but comes out for a pootle every couple of weeks.

Retro bike is a mine of useful information (and strange people)

Haha, no more so than people on here 😉 Retrobike forum was a good resource when researching the build of my Mongoose.

Mine’s an early Mongoose ‘Frank the Welder’ Amplifier 2 version of the Amp Research B3 frame but uses a K2 (Girvin) carbon Crosslink fork which was the first example of electronic damping on a bike fork (not terribly effective I must say but does work). There were two bikes in the 90’s I was fascinated with but could never afford – the Amp Research with F3 fork and the Proflex carbon frame with the Girvin fork. So later I combined them into one bike 🙂

Been having a good drink then? 😉

Thus could get interesting now. 😉

Oem stuff arrives at the seller bulk packed, that’s why its cheaper.

You can always download the instructions.

Do you plan an exposé Brant? Or are you going to respect your contact’s privacy?…

What’s there to expose? Just because names are in a contact list doesn’t necessarily mean they are actual customers. I’ve got several famous guitarists in my contact list – have they actually bought one of my amplifiers, unfortunately not, they are just there because I’ve made contact at some point.

What next? A 330i badge on a 318 Beemer?

Nah, a beemer driver usually orders it de-badged (but you can always tell the model by the size and width of wheels and tyres) 😉

Hi,
I’m not naming companies or products as it would be unfair and unhelpful as I’m still hoping to resolve this in a pleasant manner.

When a thread starts like that, as several have done recently, you just know what is going to happen. 🙄

Go on then you lot, get stuck in!!

Box it in a bike box.
Weigh it.
Note the box dimensions.
Use the interweb to search different couriers.
find the cost.
get back up off the floor 😉

There are 2 massive manufacturers in China that make all Giant, Cervelo, Scott, Trek, Ridley, Colnago and Specialized carbon frames, plus literally hundreds of other brands

Lot of mis-information going on here. There’s not just a handfull of manufacturers making everyones bikes:

Ace Bikes, Acoca, Active Cycles, ADK, Boan, C6, Carbon Age, Carbotec, Deda, Giant, GM Carbon, Ideal, Inda, Kenstone, Kinesis, Martec, Merida, Ming Kao, Orbea, Taioku, UCC, Willing, YMA, You Shun.

There’s 24 Chinese maufacturers for you for a start (from BicycleRetailer.com info) and these supply just US based brands, it is not exhaustive, not all make carbon, does not include any that supplly rest of the world, does not include smaller manufacturers – there are many more.

Giant make Giant
Giant make some Trek, rest at their own plants
Merida make Specialized
Giant Taiwan make a lot of Scott.

Carbon frames made in the same factory are all the same

Does anybody actually think that Mr Specialized rings up Mr Merida and say “I want 50,000 FS frames, sort it out for me please when you’ve got time when you are not making cheap knock-offs”. No, the bikes for Mr Specialised will be designed probably in the US to exactly specified parameters – tolerance, layup, materials quality, build quality. They will be prototyped and tested for function and only then will the first run be comissioned under strict quality control. Will Mr Merida make any cheap knock-offs using Specialized specs and technology? Of course not, he is dependant on the Specialized business and wouldn’t want to incur their wrath and loss on business. It’ll be the smaller manufacturers who will be making these cheaply without the vast knowledge required to make high quality frames.

As for me would I buy cheapy Chinese carbon frames from the big auction site? You bet I wouldn’t, I would buy one warrantied from one of the big world manufacturers (like Giant) or at least one that has had major design and quality control input here in the UK (On-One perhaps) so there is support should something go wrong.

The width of the shell is the same as external bb shell + width of cups so any HTll or Megaexo cranks and spindle will fit. You just need the correct press in bearings.

Don’t think anyones mentioned Galactic Pot Healer yet, comedy and despair in equal amounts.

Blade Runner remains my favourite film of all time.

Octane One and NS Bikes – all on CRC. I had to find one recently, to be honest there’s quite a few out there if you look. I got a black 730mm Octane One Chemical Pro riser. Look in the BMX section too.

There are better for cheaper.

Of course, Avids 🙄
Most who trash hope brakes never actually tried them. I use Evo M4s, they are excellent, I can’t imagine wanting a better brake. If they are wooden, they are not set up right. Provided they are set up as in the video on the Hope site, they can’t be beaten.

This is an unusual subject for a thread here. Good luck with it!

Also got a pair of these 1994-5 XC’s. Not in the Bomber class, much less travel, but far better than the boingy RS forks of the time. No intention of using them, just keeping them for posterity. Marzocchi really were pioneers of the air forks.

Here’s mine. 1998 Z2’s. Almost as good as when they left Italy. Haven’t got a suitable bike to put them on at the moment. Maybe I’ll have to keep my eye out for an old Kona or Zaskar frame to put them on.

I also agree with ‘buttery smooth’ cliche or not. 🙂

Oh dear, a basket!! 😉

Go for the cheaper Scandal and use the saving to get better and lighter wheels. It’s worth it and weight savings on the wheels and tyres will be more noticeable to you than a slightly lighter frame.

And spare a thought for the thousands of aircrew who did what most of us would be to scared to even contemplate.

Too true!

My father is now 89 and managed to survive numerous sorties in Lancasters during the war. He would love to be able to see this but is ill and can’t travel anymore. So you guys who are going to see this please make sure you post lots of piccies in this thread 😀

A few years ago we were lucky to see the Battle of Britain trio fly low right over our house. That was probably the last time he’ll see one in the flesh. The sound of six Merlin engines was unmistakeable.

I agree with marcus7.

Everyone knows that the oil companies and supermarkets fix the prices and deny it. Fuel prices in our area is up and down like a yoyo, and they all move together. The only constant is the 58p that goes straight into government coffers for our ultimate common good 🙄

Giraffe needs a shorter neck and wider ears.

Dead grass needs cutting.

I’ll see your badger and raise you a Beaver.

Aw go on say it!

Rather difficult to estimate value from a one sentence description. Which model zesty, groupset, fork, shock????

He isn’t going to like the value anyway.

Just a slanging match now 🙄 this thread has no future. Should have stayed closed days ago.

OK here’s mine. Some may call it a gopping munter buy I love owning it and even riding it. The Amp Research/Mongoose Amplifier was one of the first full sus bikes where real technical design work achieved a result thanks to Horst Leitner, as opposed to just slapping on a pivot or two, a rear triangle and a shock somewhere pretty randomly (as can be seen from many of the bikes above). The result was a bike that did not suffer from as much pedal bob or brake-jack. Similar setups are still in use today with a few extras such as an upper shock link. This rear end was good enough to help Leigh Donovan win the downhill world champs in 1995 so I guess it can’t be that badly designed.

On this one the rear shock was shot and has now been replaced by a Risse Racing air shock for a bit more plushness and a little more travel. It’s actually good to ride (within limitations) though I don’t stress it too much these days. The forks are not original as thay are circa 1998.

You shot off with a pile of over-opinionated drivel.

Pretty much the norm on STW

Some mothers like to knit or crochet lovely clothes for their little ones even though the cost of raw materials and time is waaaay more expensive than far eastern sweat shop stuff – its about pride.

Some fathers love to spend thousands on their own bike bling but fob their little ones off with junk.

Some people just don’t see the point of anything.

I’m unlikely at 61 to have another nipper, but if I did and had the money spare I would jump at doing this, say “there you go son, daddy made this”. Then use the skills to try to build my own bike.

Whos gives a monkey’s what you think?

Likewise….

Were you affected btw?

No, and I suspect you weren’t either so why your constant chipping in here. You are not exactly helping matters so leave it to those who were directly affected. Over and out.

Retrobike does have a more ‘modern’ forum from 1998 >

Got to be honest don’t think its worth much except to exactly the right person who is specifically looking for one.

@patriotpro

Burning the witch alone is not enough, the witch’s supporters must burn with them

How about the people flaming those who haven’t received their goods/refund for jumping to conclusions go to Tony’s to collect the money/goods owed as an offer of goodwill.
That or offer to compensate you out of their own pockets…

For chissake grow up – blatant trolling, you were never affected personally by the wrong-doing

This was the action that got some people’s back up

Up until this afternoon I was of the belief that I was being scammed, for the reasons above, and for that reason i placed a winning bid on his shocks advertised on ebay, my rational being that I didn’t want anyone else to get stung. In retrospect, and with the value of hindsite not with me, I appreciate that this was wrong, but again, to me it was a well intentioned action.

This is now between the perpretator and those directly affected no matter how many pages of crap go up here.

I think you will probably be able to notice the difference.

But you won’t die!

Mininum charge for even the smallest packet or jiffy bag is now £2.70. It has been this for a while now as I found out to my dismay when selling a batch of small items on evilbay about 6 or 7 weeks ago. Buyers just have to pay up but it’s really scuppered people who sell lots of small items.

Late sixties, still at school, living on pocket money, I used to buy sampler LPs released by various labels cheaply. It was a good way to get immersed in music as a poor schoolboy! These probably constitute my first five though its a long time ago. 🙂

Picnic – A Breath of Fresh Air, Harvest label (Floyd,Deep Purple, Kevin Ayers, Edgar Broughton Band etc)

Fill Your Head with Rock, CBS (Santana, Chicago, Flock, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter etc)

The World of John Mayall Decca sampler

Nice Enough to Eat, Island label (Free, Nick Drake, Mot the Hoople, Jethro Tull, King Crimson etc)

Gutbucket, Liberty label (Captain Beefheart, Groundhogs, Canned Heat etc)

Not the SL’s but have used the XL’s, next step up, from the German discount place, good price about £160 a set. Good step up from standard heavy wheels (about 1750g I think) good hubs and strong rims and spokes. Can’t say anything bad about them. I’ve now upgraded again but gave them to my son and he’s still bashing them – holding up well. Recommended. 🙂

Sounds more like a connector put on reversed to me 🙁

My point was there was a photograph lifted from the STW classifieds in the current ebay auction that was over 3 years old. Hardly representative but has now been removed from the auction.