M.O.D army issue hydration packs 15quid (my was anyway) on ebay have a black 3L cammel back bladder in them with stop valve, bite valve cover and neoprene tube cover.

the pack itself is ‘ok’ and comes in a range of different camo patterns.

joined a well known NW club (im a wiganer) and found most of the lads sound.

didnt really like the blokes who ran it though.
talked a lot about themselves, very clicky and didnt allow cheekys.

last straw was when one of the leaders told a new lad with a slight disability not to bother coming back as he was holding eveybody else up on a newbie ride, which he wasnt as they all fekt off and left a few of us ‘amateurs’ to look after him.

cheers,

doesnt seem right that this componant should be a ‘loose fit’.

tried it on 2 sets of vanillas and its the same.

looks like its going back to the shop.

+1 for the white spirit old plastic milk bottle method.

allow the WS to settle and all the muck sinks to the bottom and with a bit of care you can reuse the clean stuff on the top (reducing waste).

i mix a bit of WS with washing up liquid in a squirty bottle to do the cassette, cheaper than muc-off.

also, i sometimes use a hair straightning brush thingy that i nicked off oreetwoman. tis like 2 hair brushes hinged at the bottom, pop it over the chain, and it scrubs it allround.

those chain cleaner thingys bug me

i’ll get back to you on that one :roll:

doesnt sound normal to me in my limited experiance,,,, unless your uber-gnarl.
had this problem with an orange five. turns out (in my expert opinion :wink: ) that one of the bearings had collapsed on the drive side. im thinking that this was the cause of the problem, the single pivot not to be working as it should and maybe causing more load on the bushes,,, i havnt had the same prob since.
also check rear triangle for alignment (if that applies to your bike,,, think it does) as this could also cause probs.

i like beavers,,, oops, said that out loud.

scout/cub troop near opposite my house seem to have a great time ( i live in a northern town with typical drug/crime/youth problems,,,, same as every where else if you are honest) and i have just missed out on a volunteer position which im pretty gutted about. i believe that the cubs/scouts made me the man i am today and gave me inspiration and valuable knowledge that i could adapt to other walks of life (MTBing ?)

since the tories have cut funding for youth clubs etc in my local area and ‘the chavs have hit the streets’ it seems that the scouts should be taking up the banner and hopefully will provide the youth of today with something other than this mass produced, american influenced way of life that people call normal. not every kid wants to be trisher trash,,,,,, some of them need to be shown that the country side can be just as exciting as MTV, how do we do that ?.
best alternative i can think of is to get somebody like bear grils in charge of the scouting movement. i realy cant see what the problem is with BG haters, i think he is a great influence on the ‘possibly interested’ youth of today, ex-SAS, the programs he has done on TV (OK some of that stuff was a bit manufactured) the mans a moderned day hero compared to M and M (that rapper,,, what ever frikin his name is)
scouts, bear grils,,,, OK by me,, more of the same please

we’ve all done it, put something up with a ‘fingers crossed’ price.

if somebody actualy paid that price then fair play to him, theirs always somebody out their who ‘doesnt know the score’. me personaly, ive sold plenty of crap BIN that, in my opinion, havnt been worth a fraction of the price but some people still buy it (and seem happy with it,,, feedback etc)

a fool and his money ?

good luck to the lad,,,,,,, although i expect to see it up next week with a starting bid of 0.99p and maybe a max bid of 450 quid :D

send the boys round :evil:

failing that im sure that a chap on here can anodise kit for a very good price so maybe get them to the colour of you choice, sorry dont have details at hand but will find if you cannot.

sorry if im wrong on the plusgas advise, have only tried it when using a reservior of plusgas on a stuck steel bearing/ali frame combo, soaked for 2 weeks (holiday in garda :D ) and didnt make any diff’ engineering pal said it was a waste of time and removed it with a dremel,,,,,, no messing about 8)

still, worth a try.

although,me personaly, i would try ****tting it first in my hamfisted way of approaching problems like this :wink:

engineering pal of mine stated that plus gas is ok for metal but doesnt really work with oxidised ali and i presume that includes carbon+ali as well, worth a go though.

also worth trying freezing i suppose, you can get some stuff that plumbers use to freeze water in pipes that dont have an isolation valve (dont know what its called sorry) AND heating with boiling water might work BUT,,, ultimately,,,, thats not the point, is it.

a seat post should not stick in a frame. its either the frame that is warped or the seat post is bent (you will be trying a new seat post before ypou start kicking off with LBS wont you ?)

out of interest how many times have you ‘dropped the post’ to the level it is stuck at, has it been an issue before or is this recent ?. it could well be that you have bent your seat post without knowing (is it and uberlight/weak post by any chance ? i know of the issues with SDG i-beams recently)

anyhow, good luck and maybe keep us updated as this is a problem that i havnt heard of before (others might have but not me and im thinking of getting a 456C next year))

if all else fails and to try and avoid specializeds ‘generous’ offer try taking it to a machine shop and ask the to ream the seat tube as their may be a BLOB of loose carbon in the tube causing the problem.

bed time for me. :arrow:

you need a hammock stoner, that way she will never know :-)

blimey, thats one hell of a ‘man cave’, jealous me.

oreetwoman is always complaining about the bikes/tools/mags/muddy clothing in the dinning room saying that i should leave them outside as a dinning room is for guests/eating and the dinning room table is ”NOT A WORK BENCH” ,thought about installing a vice on it recently,, she will never know how lucky she is to have such an understanding mon,,,,,, i ask you.

my dream is for a little pokey house (less furniture/heating/decorating etcetc) semi rural with a big garden so as i can build my own man cave to sit/sleep in, glug my homebrew and,,, well,,, avoid oreetwomen,,,,, ahhh,,,, maybe one day when she gets a better job :D

WHAAAATTTTT frame should be under warrenty, dont take any shoite. down load template letter off citizens advice/consumer rights stating product is not fit for the purpose it was design for and the product should last a reasonable amount of time.

then, watch them jump.

out of interest what bike shop did you buy it off,,,, just so as i can avoid in future :roll:

try the multi tool with the wooden handle and the big metal head (hammer :D )

bit of wd40 around the seat post, leave to drain down the seat tube over night and take the seat off. cover the top of the seat post with a block of wood and Tw#t it. then mole grip/vice the post out.

if that doesnt work, take it back to the shop and let them sort it,,,,,,,,, and make sure thay dont fob you off, if the frame is bent/badly finished then demand a replacemant/refund.

OOPS/EDIT, just re-read post. ive no experiance with carbon frames so take it back to the shop and let them sort it,,,, but,,, as above,,, dont let them fob you off if its not within tolerance demand .refund/replacemnt.

OOPS/EDIT 2, try the molegrip/vice method but dont tw*t it and then take it back to the shop.

im here all week 8O

just got some of the discopads strokertrails off ebay last week for my scruffy HT (10 quid for a full set) semi metallic,,, i think :?:

seem alright but they are quite ‘chunky’ and i had trouble fitting them because of their extra bulk.
because of this i cannot seem to find the sweet spot either as the wheels run with a tiny bit of rubbing (even with true disks and pistons pushed back) but that will soon right itself as they wear down and im thinking as their is a bit more beef on the pads they will last a little bit longer so its all good.

eeerrmmm- the cheap ebay ones i got may be rejects I.E in a to bulky/dont fit kinda way, others may be spot on. :-)

sorry for being normal :?.

just trying to give a view from the other side of the fence, not everybody who rides MTBs is a T-total health freak, some of us like to burn the candle.

strange but true,

didnt notice much of a difference putting qr15s on my FS but when i swapped them over to my hardtail whilst its QR 9s wheir in for a service the difference was VERY noticable.

suppose it depends on the bike as well. :?

EDIT,
spanner int works

must add, i have recntly been getting used to a CCBD on my 2011 after swapping it for the stock rp23XV and ‘squrae edge hit/brake jack’ arguments hold less water now in my opinion.

tried the old rp23 today just for fun and will never go back, made the frame feel dull and sluggish and climbing was a chore ,even though it was ‘lighter’,,, im no suspension expert but thought this a relevent point, a CCBD has totaly changed my opinion of the 5 frame.

UMMM, just to add,

i have owned VPP and 4/faux bar frames and find them better at a lot of things (square edge hits etc) compared to a single pivot but also find them dull and un-involving as they seem to take my input out of the ride

long live the single pivot, lots of fun to ride. :P

37, drink like a fish and ‘smoke 8) ‘ on occasions as do A LOT of people i know and ride with.
we do a local (2hrs) ride about 3 nights a week and a 4/5hr ride in the peaks/lakes or wales twice a month minimum, all year round.

lifes to short, why make it any longer.

GLASS HALF FULL

bought in 09 tis half way through 2011.

call it an 18 month-ish old bike, used twice a week for a 2 hour ride during spring/summer/autumn not winter, guestimated 300/350 hours use.

used by somebody who, due to the crap photos not showing the best bits and desciption not giving specs to those ITK (could possibly be a qr15 fork) and the ‘asda’ brake lever position it doesnt strike me as being owned by a knarly free rider, just somebody who fancies a go at MTBing but has give up.

800quid for the a bike with hardly used fox bounce front and back is a no brainer for me, not looked at the rest of the bike spec BUT cant see it being budget kit. if i had the cash i would buy it, strip it, sell the bits i dont need and keep the ‘free’ forks,,,,, maybe even the ‘free’ frame and forks.

im an ebay ‘delboy’ me 8O

EDIT, just had another look at it, im thinking this is a gem thats slipped through the net, ( I.E sold by a complete amatuer)
go in with a cheecky 650 and work your way up. ask for receipt of purchase before you exchange cash though,,,, OBV’S NEVER BUY A STOLEN BIKE

i will take that as a positive then. sorry for my mistake :(

des, give it 6 to 12 months before asking this Q.

tis a ‘cheap’ frame,
only (as far as i know) MBR has creamed over this frame so far. if your keen for a cheap do it all (think, orange 5) frame get one now before the prices go silly when the magazine articles are jizzing over their free bikes and it gets ‘budget bike’ of the year. the second hand price will be almost equal to the new frame price by then.

TONGUE (thrust firmly) IN CHEEK smiley face thingy

mine did, bike was 18mnths old before i thought to check the pivot bearings and found one side had collapsed but the other was ok. noticed that the bolts had bent slightly they also felt a bit thinner in the middle (no digi caplipers to confirm though)

so yes they do wear/bend etc but if this maybe caused by something else,, as above.

bought 1 last year, spent a week nailing it.

stripped it to build a carbon456, rides ace.

epicon is a really good fork so far, shame they dont do a 140mm

sold the frame for 70quid, rest of the kit is bargain for the price i paid

nuff said.

nice-1 for the input chaps, still playing with mine, although have nearly got it reet for my locals/frame. the instructions i got in the box are ok but im no sus’ expert and im im thinking the recommended settings are generic (sp ?) and not really specific to each frame/local terrain and of course what i think is the best setting for ME.
think ive nearly got it reet, the pedal bob is wound down to about as much as i have experianced with my rp23 but the climbing traction is dialled in and its unreal how much better it is even with the extra weight of a ‘heavier’ shock 8)

not there yet but,,,, B-JEZUS im glad i sold all that shoite on ebay :D :D to fund this mutha.

own a 5 and a 456 at the mo’ and both frames with similar spec handle very similar (without the obvious rear difference) had a pitch for a couple of months,,,, didnt like.

got my ‘LS logo replacment sleeves’ off ebay 18mnths ago for a tenner,that is all the info i can give, hope it helps

just to add,

one day i dream of doing a retro build myself (money/space/misses permitting)

me, myself wouldnt see it as i ‘nightmare’ finding parts for it i would see it as a project,,, something that,,,, when finally completed, would make you smile and give you that little warm feeling when ever you look at it. if you go for the full ‘hunt down the correct parts/year/spec’ it could prove to be as expensive as a entry level new bike and you will probably never make any money back on it but if you manage to hang a load of top end 2nd hand bargain bits on it then it might be a really good ride.

give it a go pal and let us know how you get on. :wink:

go on then, i’ll have a go at this,

first things first the seat tube isnt a modern mtb standard so ask for the original seat post in the deal. apart from that every thing else ‘should’ fit, research max fork length compatibilty though.

looks in good nick for its age, a lad brought one in to an enginners work shop next to where i work last summer and it looked battered but right for itsage (wear and tear and whatnot),, think he paid a bit more for his than you have yours and thats without the shock.

give it a go it could be a blinder if not list it on retro bike,,, you never know your luck.

wobbly in the back :D

agree on the DU issues though, go through a set every 6mnths on average :?

half crank over anything ‘rough’ or coast and keep them level.
if thats not easily done,,,, get a new frame as you current is not good enough for you and your locals.

agree with mac, not stictly what th OP is on about but its got to be **** (im sure you can work it out) it can be put before/after anything,, good, bad, mad, ace, mental, silly, weird, cheap, expensive, american etcetcetcetcetc.

i really dont like using the F word as its ignorant, hints at you being unintelligent and their are so many better descript words but i do and i will as im common :D

easy (ahem),

the steps in the valley, back of darwen tower on the the way to tockholmes are where its at. only ever cleaned them once, tried plenty times over the years as well.

sanmarino was nuts today, fierce cross wind making every drop sketchy , seen a crazy 1 foot square sink hole on the way down too,,,, glad i missed it, proper wheel folder if you hit it at pace.
the other steep decent towards great hill, off the back of the mast was dry n fast though, pity my newly bled brakes gave up halfway down

did the ICR for the first time in a while as well and it was rough as ken BABIES YEDs all the way down,,,,,thank fk for bash guards,,,, woohoo :twisted:.

GGGGGGRRRRRR, must add,

the way i look at it, the 5 was designed and made etcetc 30 miles away from my house and so for my local terrain (the reason i bought my first 5).

the way i see it, it has been designed with my local english northern terrain with the option for a bit of alpine holiday (or is that what the alpine is designedetc for ?), NOT bone dry american terrain (spits on floor) and although not strictly a european alpine frame it can easily be built for so.

cheers orange for ticking all my boxes.

FWIW, i take an annual lake gada bike holiday with a local/guide i met who owns a hotel (mates rates :wink: ),,,, cracking bloke who has made comment recently on the FACT that a lot more fives have been seen in the area (think german, spanish and italian riders) since the patriot has bit the dust.

my ‘expert’ opinion on the five is,,,,

i havnt been lucky enough to own a nicholi, santa cruise, intense etcetcetc BUT,,,,

have owned a number of FS bikes over the years since 2004, i change my frame every 2 years (unless they are shoite) try to buy frame only as i spec my bikes the way i feel is best for my locals and how i ride (heavy and plough like,,,,,FWIW i have a minor disability)

BUT, through choice, i keep coming back to the five as its just so versatile.

im lucky/stupid enough to own several different sets of forks/shocks/componants etc (proper fettler me :D ) and can honestly say that the 5 frame can cover most of my terrain with out issues and with the right spec i have entered xc races (never won but thats not the point is it) and have tackled fort bill DH with a set of 36s and a coil on and i did ‘OK’ time wise (not 100% but think rowen sorrel did the mega on a five and did really well)

i love the 5 frame as its just so easy to clean, service and seems to have an auto pilot button when you point it DH,,,, dont really care about uphill speed as if its to steep im not to posh to push. thing i like about the five frame is it seems to let me get away with silly mistakes when choosing lines as it does seems to have that auto pilot function. the brake jack (yes it does jack) has never been an issue for me as i brake before hitting anything that may disrupt my line (isnt that what your supposed to do :?)

feel i must add that have i have just taken my new 2011 out today (2nd ride but bigger terrain, first one was down to a quick ‘just built’ XC exuberance) and found it climbed better than my 2008 (might be down to first ride excitment/adrenalin but it did) i also have been lucky enough to bang a CCBD on it and,,, even though it did, i havnt really found P-BOB an issue,,,,, infact i beat a pals commencal (sp?) 6 inch thingy and another pals marin wolfridge to the top and it also seemed to climb better than my winter bike 2009 456, this may not be a claim to fame but i found it a bonus.

i love my new five frame, the maxle has made a big difference on the ice cream run (for those ITK) and the slacker HA is always something i wanted when i had a 140mm fork plugged in to my 2008.

over priced, over hyped and everybodys got one,,,,, BUT,who cares,,,,, it suits my locals better than any other frame ive tried.

ONLY issue i have with them is they seem to loose the chain more than other frames ive had BUT a stinger soon sorts that out.

jealous unbelievers say it looks ugly, i think its simplisity is handsome.

MADE IN ENGLAND.

D.I.Y ? :wink:

plusgas has no affect on aluminium according to toolmaker/engineer i work with, he advised me to use boiling water.

soaked a problem aluminium calliper bolt for a week in blutac reservior and it didnt work,,,, boiling water worked better for me.

try both.