I replaced my avids for xt 785s earlier this year. soooooo impressed. easier to bleed and maintain, easy to set up. I went for 203 \ 180 but unless you plan to really hammer it on a big bike I think 180 \ 160 would be fine, there is plenty of power.

edit – and I just went for normal discs, saved a few quid over ice tech

“Isn’t hanging up not one of those things that’s either done or not done”

fair point, but the person who answered the phone

– sighed audibly with frustration
– said ‘ well I guess I could phone specialized’
– needed prompting to take my number so that they could get back to me (he never did)

hanging up would have been more honest, and quicker

+ 1 for JE James being a bad shop.

I bought a bike there and just a couple of months later they totally weren’t interested in helping me. They didn’t quite hang up on me, but practically did.

bumping this as I have the same pass coming up.

I’ve done whinlatter, its not bad, I wouldn’t travel a long way for it though.

grizedale any good?

to be fair a compressor isn’t essential. saves some hassle though

think of it like this…..you only have to inflate your car tyres 375 times and it pays for itself

this brings back memories ! I grew up in Syston, I used to take the muddy fox to swith….

you need the 25mm tape for flows, no idea why they dont say what ships with that kit though.

one thing you missed off the list:

+ 1 for launch pads, very good

just fitted SLX with 203mm up front and 180mm at the back. They are strong enough to tear up tarmac. If you fit big rotors and still dont have enough power they may just need a bleed

lack of pinch punctures is the main benefit for me. If you get a lot of those it’s a no brainer to move over. I was getting ~ 1 a week before I went tubeless. I think over 4 years I’ve actually saved money despite having to buy a new set of wheels and a compressor

its an ally marin frame, should last for years barring any accidents. you could buy a second hand bike but end up spending money sorting out basic problems. unless you know exactly what you want, have a box of spares and are handy with the spanners you are probably beter off with something brand new

looks quality. I have my session booked for March. Can’t wait

nice to hear. my work has an office nearby, thinking of taking the bike down next time I have a meeting

looks good. did you actually ride it ? how it fits etc will be more important than the spec

buy the tools! seriously, much easier when you have them

evo and non evo rear need a different size though so watch out for that

thats a good un! I had some sort of big metal staple in mine this week. the sort you hold bits of fencing together with. I had to pull it out as the wheel wouldn’t go round. Sealed straight away, hope you have similar luck.

pull it out though, obviously. it will do your head in thinking about it otherwise

I got some of these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=32171&gclid=CJ2tu5f1-bICFUJd3god_F0AHg

and put them into a wall with a 10mm rawl plug. I set them at a height so the back wheel is on the ground to take some of the weight

seems fine to me

the kevlar ones dont seem to get very good reviews for some reason (not that I have ever tried them)

it kind of depends on how you get through brake pads. Organic bed in quicker, squeal less and have more power. if you find that (like me) your weight, riding style, riding conditions etc mean that you shred a set over about 3 rides you might have to admit that you cant use organic and need either semi or fully sintered

what about on-one? only up the road in Rotherham.

specialized……yes, hadn’t thought of those, thanks

orange diva frame. its only just touching but I dont want to wear through the paint. I dont want to put something too narrow on otherwise I wont want to borrow the wheels!

xt is definitely the cheapest way of getting the most rings onto an ally carrier (more than SRAM 980 I think and more than SLX). it also has handy lugs on the back to catch the chain in case it drops off the back of the cassette

the alternative of course is to run a cheap cassette, gouge the freehub, and then replace the freehub with a nice shiny stainless steel one when it is finally wrecked.

definitely a vice and a work bench, its the cheapest \ bestest thing I did to my garage.

and hooks for the wall to hang bikes from. it saves less room than you think but it looks cool.

and no washing machines. I hate that the washing machine is in my garage. It always seems to be on a spin cycle when i am trying to work on stuff. try aligning a brake while listening to clothes going around at 1400 rpm

I think the frame is about £450 new now, you can get them about £350 in a sale, maybe £200 second hand in good cond.

Toras go for about £80 second hand if they are in OK nick.

so……£250 – maybe £275 with a front mech and headset

anything from about £20 if it is 7 years old, knackered and dented to about £700 if it is 1 year old, mint, with some upgrades.

a little more detail needed is what I am saying

Re: the rim choice I would definitely recommend Flow if you plan to give them some hammer. I am 90kg and as talenteless as I am enthusiastic, my flow rims have barely a mark on them after a year

thanks coatesy

thanks both. I think when they wear out I will try and find a set with a proper threaded pin just so it is easier to replace out on the trail, and then use cheapo superstar ones after that.

I also see A2Z make a gold alu threaded pin but Im not paying £5 for 2 microscopic bits of metal

I have some SLX brakes that I just fitted, and knowing that I go through pads a bit quick I already got some superstar S5 brake pads ready.

the superstar ones dont come with the split pin though, and I dont fancy trying to bend back the ones that came with the original pads.

I can see some split pins for shimano on ebay but I am wondering if the caliper will accept any of the proper threaded pins instead, anyone tried this yet?

ive been doing a lot of 45 min to 1 hour loops recently due to other commitments, and just gone out riding, with nothing. it is liberating

do you mean the monkey or the dog? If you are riding the monkey trail then you can ride degla no problem. The black bits at degla are less technically severe than a lot of black sections (including some at cannock) but they are often fast and things can get messy if you get out of shape over the jumps.

give it a go though, it’s all a giggle

just a thought, but are you sure it isn’t just the chain slipping around a worn cassette?

replace them when they go crunchy, not before

the cyclist didn’t need to be in that lane. I sometimes wonder if people put a camera on their heads and then go out deliberately seeking a confrontration. Probably didn’t deserve having someone swerve towards him in a range rover for it though

seriously?! we still have coppers driving around without badges, refusing to provide their number to a member of the public? It is like nothing has changed since the miners strike. right or wrong that guy should have his numbers on

having a small compressor in the garage is handy if you want to avoid faff

I so want to do that. I just need the fitness. and the skill. and the time. and the money

doh

stuck in a meeting and starving. you lot aren’t helping

pukka pies, that brings back memories, I worked there for a while!