You have a conditional cash offer which sounds like an admission of guilt and scarring from injuries sustained.

Tell them to pay up now (stipulate a number of days) or you are going to an Injuries Lawyer.

That will cost them plenty on top of what you get, so should be very keen to settle it now.

PaulD

The non-Black-Chilli often outlive the rider.

Your skid starts here…………

Fine for road and hardpack, but unimpressed elsewhere.

PaulD

One of these new jobs?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=57323

PaulD

You look correct so far.

This means that at 90rpm cranking you are doing 21.5mph

More than enough for flat tarmac.

PaulD

As Mark says…forget any self-adhesive patches….the devil’s spawn.

PaulD

Isn’t comparing cycling and rugby like a hillclimb and a destruction derby?
Not surprised the injuries and excessive effort have taken their toll after 30 years.
Lucky you have not needed replacement hips, knees and developed severe arthritis.

PaulD

Importing to NZ will require the item to be sterile…and I do not just mean pressure-washed.
My brother in law had to wash everything in Jeyes Fluid before loading his container.
If not, you will get a frightening bill from NZ Customs to clean it before assessment.

He drew the line at his MTB and all the garden ‘tools’…he just left them here.

I would buy locally and forget shipping one.

PaulD

Make sure you clean and degrease the inside of the tyre before patching. I prefer to use vulcanizing solution and old-school patches for my tubes, with 100% success if rigorously applied.

Not tried the sticky worms on a bike tyre, but one was excellent on a car tyre a few years back. Bought the kit in Walmart for U$4.

PaulD

Have you considered one of those steel roo-bars for a rear mech that comes on kid’s bikes?
I have one on a roady that looks awful, but it has totally protected the mech in several washouts, particularly on the ice.
It would work to fend off the competition….

PaulD

8-speed XTR or XT cassette with lots of cut-outs to clear the mud.
XT or better rear mech with cartridge bearing jockeys full of grease.
9-sp chain with slots in plates such as KMC X9SL.
Conventional front mech…top-swing act as a very good mud trap.
Never back-pedal.
Do not go for full-power shifts, always back off a little like you had to 25 years ago.
Lots of wet lube on the chain and mechs.

Lots of little things all add up.

PaulD

I have a GXP that came with 3 spacers and instructions same as Shimano…so you need 1 on the DS with a 73mm shell unless you have a BB mounted chain device or front mech.

PaulD

Get some BBB jockeys from Dotbike for £12.82.
Better than XT as they use a cartridge bearing for both.

http://www.dotbike.com/p/3992

PaulD

Middleburn, Blackspire or TA-Specialites spring to mind….look on ebay before the traditional online retailers.

PaulD

+1 for the above comments.

Use chainchecker when new and see how much ‘wear’ is built in.

Keep using chainchecker as well as a steel ruler is good engineering sense.

Pauld

somafunk is correct…the RS type are still available for ‘industrial use’.

Try a motor factors for lead-light bulbs.

I think Robert Dyas sell halogen bulbs hidden inside 240v bayonet bulbs…they are bright, fast-starting and reasonably efficient.

Or a carboot sale when they restart in the spring.

PaulD

B2B is business to business.

DPD certainly deliver to domestic residences, just not sure they will collect from one.

PaulD

Not Parcelfarce, but regular RM.
Lost a parcel and accepted it had gone astray.
Because I had no proof of value (receipt) for the Retro unused item, no compensation for value.
Limited to £3.60 worth of RM stamps, so not even a cash refund.

I will be choosy next time I have any options, and RM will get as little of my money as possible.

PaulD

Washing up brush for most of the frame and a toothbrush for the hard2reach bits.

Toothbrushes are 2 for 30p in the supermarket.
Plain nylon bristles are fine, shaped rubber bits not necessary.

Rag (old pillowcases and sheets/duvet cover) for the cassette after the washing up brush.

Diesel/petrol to clean the chain and synthetic oil to lube it.

Can’t imagine this list will be popular with the bike shops tho’.

PaulD

I’ve got a pair of Xpedo all titanium 2-sided SPD on my TCR 0.
They weigh 212g.
I can walk in my disco-slippers with MTB SPD cleats.

SPD-R/SL will come up heavier and the shoes are dangerous walking to the cave let alone an emergency walk home.

PaulD

Try the black PTFE coated stainless XTR or Dura Ace cables as well as new SP41 outer and sealed ferrules from shifter to downtube.
Check the mech is free to swing….there are 4 pins in the parallelogram as well as the lever pivot.

PaulD

It was -4*C this morning here, so I wore my Army Arctic Mitts Mark III inners and it worked out fine.
Army surplus, sold with the goretex outers (not today) for beans.
Inners are fibre pile with woven nylon palms and woven DPM cotton backs, so not quite windproof at 20mph.

Similar to these:

http://www.factsurplus.co.uk/product/786

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/British-Army-Issue-Woodland-DPM-MkIII-Arctic-Mittens-Gloves-/251169869291?var=#vi-content

Very warm, and I too have Reynauds.

OK for a singlespeed and large brake levers, but far from ideal.

PaulD

ned,

The north and west corner is a waterlogged mudfest, corkscrew excepted.

Aim for Seagull, Stickler and the Labyrinth.

PaulD

I tried some with AA batteries and they lasted no time at all. Rechargeables are possible but with only 1.2v and reduced A.Hrs they are next to useless.

Just do the physics and work out the batteries need to be 2x D-cells or a Li-Polymer rechargeable 3.7v 4AHr in each glove….so where can you hide them?

PaulD

Guys,

Check out this week’s Cannondale Wheel Test….filmed at Swinley Forest…see the Corkscrew and Session areas.

PaulD

Where Shimano state the difference on a front mech, that is a minimum difference or the inner cage catches the middle ring when set at the right height for the larger ring.
I had this issue with a 20-32-42 triple and an M761 front mech.
It did not shift well.
Solved it with a Deore that was correct for the 10T difference.

PaulD

Some very cheap puncture fixing kits still have a piece of ‘tarred’ canvas which is intended as a tyre patch. Use the (flammable) glue on both tyre and patch, leave to dry, glue again and leave to dry, then attach. Dust around it with chalk and the job is a good one.

Inside of tyre wall must be clean and dry before you glue it.
I have had poor results with non-flammable glue.

PaulD

Drill the frame…plenty of metal so you are not going to have a premature failure.
4mm Allen bolts should do it.

PaulD

I have a Rab Vapour Rise jersey that is pertex with the micro-fleece lining.
On its own it is good for MTB down to +5C and is wind proof but not water resistant. However, it dries very quickly whilst wearing it.

I have Buffalo tops in several weights for different lower temps and they are windproof but not waterproof…they too dry whilst wearing them.

Both are brilliant products that excel when chosen to match the temperature and energy output.

PaulD

Thanks for the nice comments about the route guys. I deliberately missed the singletrack after Seagull up to the session area as I know it is a mudfest…I checked on Thursday.

Hopefully we can do it again in better weather and much faster trails…Stickler in the summer on an 8kg hardtail with Furious Freds was electric fast and fun. Jump gully did not quite live up to its name…more like velcro alley.

tinas, thanks for organising it and Peter+Kirsty thanks for the cakes.

PaulD

Avoid Shimano because of the rivet joint….not field or cleaning friendly but very strong. You can use KMC or SRAM links but it is an extra item to buy.

I would get a KMC as they are very strong and have a re-usable quicklink, including 10-sp.

SRAM are OK these days but their 10-sp is a once-only quicklink.

PaulD

Read up on chain checkers….some measure external rivet-rivet (like a ruler along the outside only), others measure the internal wear including the rollers…and that is always a much greater value.

Recently measured a CN 7800 at .75% internally, but under .25% externally.

It is also interesting to measure internally when new….I have had single speed KMCs showing 0% and 9-sp showing ~0.4%.

PaulD

I bought 2 KMC 10SL Golds on ebay a few weeks ago at £23 each.

Quick delivery and perfect.

PaulD

Normally you have 2 on the drive side and one on the NDS with a 68mm shell and no BB chain device.

Check with a straight edge to see which sprocket the larger ring lines up against. It should be the 5th (middle) on a 9-sp cassette.

I set mine up as above or slightly further IN as the torque on lower gears is higher and I want to avoid chain wear or dropping.

PaulD

Yes it will be fine.

10-sp chains are the same internal size as 9-sp, so both chains and sprockets/chainrings are interchangeable.

Spacing on cassettes is different to squeeze 10 onto a hub.

PaulD

Happy to lead a fast group and will see what I can piece together so the best bits get done twice…and the full Stickler both ways.

Probable route will be firetrack south from start and up into the trees to the ‘new’ trail, across to jump gulley, up to reservoir, Alpine route, left at the view of the Wall and skirt to exit of Labyrinth, up Wall 2 and down the whole Labyrinth, round to the reservoir via the Harry Potter Film Set, down the mini-DH to the Gully, over to Tank Traps and the Stickler entrance, Stickler both ways, Lower Star Post, Seagull to the Bench, Session area and Corkscrew, back to the cafe. Not my usual 90 minutes….sprint and gasp and some windbagging.

PaulD

SLX rear mech has a steel cage and uses bushes for jockey bearings, versus alloy and sealed ceramic and cartridge bearings.
Minor weight difference of approx 40g.

SLX use steel chainring bolts, XT use alloy TX30.

Cassettes very similar weight, but XT has more on the spider to prevent digging in an alloy freehub.

XT or better every time.

PaulD

Fast for me…and happy to lead or sweep it.

See my notes above for Recce yesterday.

PaulD

Recce done in freezing conditions at daybreak today.

Some work on Stickler, but all the trail is usable.

New section of works going well and rideable.

Some closure/trail trashed near the Gully.

Very little water/sheet ice so not a mudfest.

The frost has expanded the surface so it is like riding on a massive crunchie bar….noisy and much harder work than in the autumn.

I will bring a hardtail with Rocket Ron front and SB8 rear.

PaulD

This is only to pre-tension the bearings before you tighten the 2 allen bolts.
Nothing to stop you using a QR and some spacers to nip the cranks in position without this elusive cap.
You can certainly ride the bike after tightening the 2 allens.

Bit like a headset top-cap…..useful but not essential.

I know this does not work with the road cranks as they have a sealed drive-side.

PaulD

Get one of these and use the QR to hold it in place…slower but more secure and longer-living than the one with a central rod.
I bought an original Shimano TL74 in 1998 and it has worked perfectly since.
Does cassettes, screw-on freehubs and centre-lock rotors….bargain.

The ebay reference to UG hubs is a double chainwhip tool as the smallest cog is screwed on like a fixie.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spanner-Shimano-Bike-Freehub-Cassette-Removal-Tool-9715A-/160896108447?pt=UK_Spots_Leisure_Cycling_Tools_RepairKits&hash=item257627c79f

PaulD