I returned a seatpost to them yesterday, I posted it at about 3pm, after having it sat on my couch for a month. They emailed me at 10am this morning to let me know they'd processed it and the money would be returned in 3 working days.

Thumbs up!

Right there with you. Just had a box of Syncros goodies dropped off, including carbon bars. Have a carbon seatpost that I'm live-tracking from the States and a 456 Carbon on pre-order. It's causing much excitement at the moment. I've also just found the forks and brakes in the right colour for it, so juggling next month's budget now too. Anyone know how long a tax refund usually takes to process?

On-One Carbons are all sold out, so you probably can't get the discounted price now. But what's wrong with the Maxlight that you already own?

The main benefit is that hardly anyone does a headset for for 1.5 to 1.1/8th tapered headsets for non-tapered forks. I would have thought most companies would have knocked out a second headset crown race to allow the option for non-tapered forks, there's quite a few tapered frames available now, and I can't be the only one that doesn't want tapered forks because they won't go on my other bikes!

Anyway, cheers for the advise, I'll see what On-One come up with and see if I can find this Specialized thing too.

Jesus! Just MTFU and drill it. Worst you can do is scratch the paint, unlee you're some sort of ham-fisted Gorilla with the reactions of a sloth?

On the M520 SPDs, I just picked up two pairs on Ebay, in beautiful white, for £13 a pop. EPIC.

Also, the problem with reducer headsets is that the top bearings are also 1.5", I need a 1.1/8th top bearing. Don't want to shell out for two Headsets if it can be avoided! I do want some new forks for this frame, but I don't have the budget for them at the moment I don't think and I'm not sure I want a tapered steerer as it limits resale market and moving forks to other bikes etc.

Thanks, I do know what options there are though. None of them are exactly what I want.

George; imagine you have a 1.1/8th steerer and a 1.5" headset for a tapered steerer. Put the crown race over the forks and there's a gap. I can't see a reason why you couldn't use a spacer here to let you use a tapered headset with a non-tapered fork. And, given that there aren't many headset options that allow this, I'm surprised no one seems to have knocked one up.

They're not dust caps, the end of the axle screws into them, allowing the spd to support the cage at that side. Mine have the cage just waggling about loose at the moment.

A friend has used cable ties, some neoprene for padding and a sandwich box. Awesome.

No, I mean M545, sorry! They're the same as the 424s above though, in terms of my question at least.

Any ideas – it's the yellow shimano logo'd bits that are missing.

Cable rub must be worse if not protected though!

How do you remove the top cap? I was trying to do that the other day but couldn't work it out. The FCR dial has a bit of play in it, compared with the Albert Select knob and I wanted to have a look at sorting that out as the dial doesn't snap back the way the Albert Select one does. Think it just needs a good clean.

Anyway, there seems to be a nut over the air valve that might release it, but I can't get a socket over it as there isn't any room.

Any ideas?

Somone on there complaining about warranty on a Trek 9800 that broke, yet the frame is over 10 years old?

Yes, they are FCRs. I'll try what you suggest and see what happens. Not sure how to prop the valve open though, I don't have a cable attached, but will work something out.

Bump bump!

Park Tools think they have copyrighted the colour blue.

SLX <> Saint!

I normally get 380 miles out of a tank of fuel, I managed 483 this week by driving slowly. I made sure I wasn't holding anyone up though!

Is it pronounced 'breath' or 'breath'?

Those DT Swiss ones seem light at 330g! Not too bothered about saving weight though, strong please!

I've seen Syncros ones, but can't find any anywhere?

The benefit I can see is that, subject to not shattering the rim, they won't bend ever, unlike your aluminium rim. So no truing.

Also look cool. Not sure about the death by carbon shard thing, but I'm a pretty light rider, so might chance it!

:-)

Awful, awful bike! Seriously.

No lay-back seatposts!

do it!!

Still 10% over-priced though!

Yes, I could do that, but I'd prefer to know before I start whether the 100km is 100km or 80km, it's a pretty big difference. Was also looking for some advice on how hilly it is, in a way I can put in context. I've done Mary Townely recently, so advice along those lines would be useful. Or a GPX of the route, but I can't find one.

Would this work on an Edge, or is it just the Oregons?

Bump bump!

Man needs 5 bikes:

DH
Trail FS
Hardtail
Road Bike
A.N. Other – Street/29er/SS, your choice.

Man needs to ride each every week.

Vodafone are such utter ****!

Their network is rubbish, I get dropped calls all the time and when I can talk to someone the line is completely silent until anyone speaks, then you get a load of static in the background. Which means if there's silence for more than a second you think the line has gone dead again.

Their customer service is appalling, they don't reply to messages, don't call you back, and make it impossible to cancel a contract in a timelly manor.

Their website is utter rubbish, until yesterday I've never been able to get the bill payment section to work, it always just says that it isn't available. Then when you ring their automated payment system it switches from key pad input to voice command halfway through. Voice command doesn't work, so it takes 30mins of repeat calls to pay a bill.

They've just (finally) cancelled a contract of mine, it was supposed to go pay as you go, but it is now dead. Thanks for that.

Now they want to properly cancel my 'unlimited' data plan and cap me at 500mb. I don't know what I use, but it will be more than that each month.

Due tot he above and their general attitude to their customers, if I can extricate myself from this shower of shite, on the grounds of them removing the cap, I will.

Yes Olly, it could. Ever is a long time!

So steel that will last for ever or for another 100 quid plastic that may do a year or two.

Yeah, that's how it works. I have a 1998 Trek OCLV 9900 light XC frame that I have THRASHED, still in one piece. Do you think Carbon frames have progressed at all in 12 years?

thebikechain – Member
Few of us went to the Peak Dist once and couldnt fathom why we had to link trails with roads when there looked to be trails available. It was then that i realised how lucky we are to be able to wander anywhere (within reason) that we like. Ahh, freedom.

ah, but i'm lucky not to feel restricted by such things!!

can't wait to get up to skye next week though…surely they have some of this singletrack stuff up there?!?!

when one has such a quandary, one must be living outside of one's means.

steve_b77 – Member
Personally I think you're crazy to even contemplate using an iPod when commuting, they may be quiet lanes butyou never know what might come up behind you.

tosser^^

get yourself some over the head jobbies, that fit under your helmet. otherwise you'll be forever fiddling, no matter how much you spend. you can find ones with a thin band specifically for sports applications. mine were a fiver from morrisons(JVC or something)…it's not like you need superior sound quality when you've got tons of wind blowing in your ear as well.

hope your mate recovers from that massive leg gash.

looks awesome. off up to glenco/skye/torridon/gairloch etc next friday. can't frickin wait!!

bit more cash, but brand new. awesome!

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/11415/Norco_Six_1_Bike_2007

Yeah, I agree, but has anyone actually had ply in the rear shock, or a failed rear shock that is likely to have been caused by mud etc? I'm not being my usual sceptical self, I've just never heard of anyone with a rear shock issue like that ever.

My housemate spent a fair while wondering why bleeding his front brake wasn't working. It was because he was squeezing the rear brake lever and pissing fluid all over the carpet!