I wouldn’t bother. I did once and all It did was engrain the small beads into the carbon which won’t now come off. Looks rubbish if I want to run my levers in any other position.

Ah, now that’s a good approach – appealing to my vanity instead of any of this engineering poppycock :lol:

But the tart I am, I’m going straight over to wipe the stuff off…

I’m no expert but I would think that using the paste will mean you can get the same level of grip on the bars at a lower torque than without using the paste?
Therefore you wouldn’t need to torque up the clamps as much to get the same effect…

Yes, that seems to be the gist of the MTBR thread – can achieve the same ‘release’ effect with a lower torque if use carbon paste. I’d just be afraid they wouldn’t release at all!

Meanwhile, my research has led me to the manufacturers website (Easton, and yes I know – maybe should have started there :oops: ) where they mention carbon paste for the stem interface, but not for the brake clamps – and by that I mean literally no mention of it, one way or ‘tother, so that doesn’t really settle anything!

Hmmm! Just doing some Googling on this, and came across this thread on MTBR where they’re saying to use it on brake & shifter clamps because it means they don’t move at the very low torque values used to protect the bars, but still ‘break free’ if there’s a crash.

Now I’m really confused :|

W2K is nice but the Waihaha trail is better, you’ll need to book a boat to pick you up, or do what we did and ride it back to the start

On the Waihaha trail last month…

On the boat shuttle, looking back to the beach where we finished the ride, had a swim, and were picked up from…

Just do it! :D

In the UK Paracetamol is the most common agent of intentional self harm. Between 2000-2008 there were 90-155 deaths from paracetamol poisoning every year. In addition, there are deaths resulting from paracetamol compounds. It is the most common cause of acute liver failure (ALF).

To reduce the incidence of paracetamol overdose, legislation was passed in the UK in 1998 to limit the number of tablets that could be bought in one purchase: 16 tablets at present (up to 32 tablets in pharmacies). Furthermore, paracetamol was supplied in blister packs making obtaining the actual tablets take longer.

Limiting pack size has reduced sizes of overdoses and numbers of deaths and liver transplantations in England and Wales, but not Scotland, although some authors have disputed the decline.

Paracetamol overdose may occur intentionally and accidentally – the latter due to the high number of combination products available over-the-counter. There are also frequent cases of accidental poisoning in children.

Source

Well I guess it’s because of idiots like me! Couple of months back I was taking max dose of paracetamol for backache, and developed a cold too. Asked chemist for some Lemsip and she asked if I was taking any paracetamol 8O

I swear I didn’t know Lemsip was basically paracetamol until that moment, so I’m very glad she asked :oops:

My answer is – depends.

If the company concerned has market dominance, the new product would cannibalise their current product range, and there’s no wiff of the competition coming out with something similar, then its a viable (but risky – see example below) strategy.

If however, the new product could potentially grow their market share, and if they don’t launch it fast someone else will, then they’ll want to get it out there as fast as possible.

Example of the former was IBM in the eighties. They dominated the computer market with their mainframes, but their developers invented this weird new thing called a mini-computer. Not wanting to jeopardise their highly lucrative mainframe business and all the proprietary software and peripherals business that went along with it, they sat on the invention for a number of years. Unfortunately that allowed DEC to gain a foothold and steal the title of inventor of the mini-computer, and the mainframe market was never the same again anyway. That’s the risk – if you sit on a new development, others may launch it instead. A decade or so later IBM were determined not to make the same mistake with the microcomputer (PC to the rest of us) – and the rest is history…

I know that’s a bit of an old example, but I worked for IBM back then so have personal experience of it.

Seen it happen twice – for the same reason both times. Loose locknut on a Shimano axle, cone screwed itself down tight onto the bearings with the rotation of the wheel, and this loosened the wheel enough for it to just drop out with the QR still clamped shut.

Of course if yours are cartridge bearings rather than cup & cone it won’t be that.

I’ve been using Bike-Components.de[/url] for a couple of years now and find them excellent.

Not only do they have good prices and a wide variety of stock, but they’re happy to order in obscure spare parts for me that aren’t in their catalog. And, they’re exceedingly patient with me when I change bits of my order after pressing ‘buy’ button – unlike most who will just tell you its too late to change anything :D

Is this problem due to chain growth on full-sus frames stressing the mechanism?

Well, certainly many people have been running them for years without problems – like you. Conversely a few people keep on having them break – like me!

So, it must be something we’re doing to stress them out! I think the difference between FS and hardtail could be part of it, as the clutch will be ‘working’ every time the chain grows due to suspension movement on a FS, which theoretically has to be 50% of the time.

I also think it has to do with riding style and ‘roughness’ of trail. Not wanting to suggest I’m a gnarlier rider than those who don’t break their clutches (I’m not!) but it is telling to me that both times my clutch broke was in the middle of MTB holidays where I was riding more, and more rocky/bumpy trails than normal.

Finally, I think maintenance has a part to play also, because I’ve noticed that the lube on the clutch band can dry/wear out over time and this increases the tension. If you don’t re-adjust the tension and/or re-lube then this can lead to extra stress on the clutch.

Fact is that whatever causes the extra stress, the cam bracket was the weakest link and was the part to fail. Hopefully now Shimano have strengthened that part, even if your riding style/type of bike/trails are more stressful for the clutch, it shouldn’t result in failure anymore.

I’ve had two warranty replacements by crc…both times they sent a new mech without wanting the old one back

Me too – I had an SLX that broke, and CRC send me a complete new mech – outstanding service!

However, that one also broke, and they’re gonna keep on breaking until you get one with the new part! Not CRCs fault, Shimano have been churning out that same old part for the last two years or so. It’s only in the last few months that the re-designed part has been coming fitted as standard in new mechs, or when you buy the cam unit separately.

Perthmtb – where can you get those replacement cams from?

As they’re a standard Shimano part should be able to order them through any LBS – part number Y5Y198120, but I’ve had more luck buying them online from Germany myself…

Bike-Components.de[/url]

Bicikli.de

Confusingly Shimano kept the same part number for the revised part so it’s difficult to know whether you’re getting the new one or not – nice one Shimano :roll: However, they’ve been around for a few months now so anyone with reasonable turnover of stock should be supplying the new design, and reports on other forums suggest that new RDs are also coming through with them already fitted. I can vouch for the first link above supplying the new design, even though the photo on their website still shows the old one!

The easiest way to tell if you’ve got the old or new design is that cutout on the rear of the bracket. The old one is rectangular and the new one trapezoid…

Assuming you’re talking about the cam bracket breaking…

Then it’s the same part in Deore/SLX/Zee/XT/Saint, only XTR is different so buying a Saint won’t help.

However, it’s a known weakness, and Shimano have recently redesigned that bracket with smaller cutouts and more curved corners to make it stronger.

If you warranty the RD you’ll get it back with the new bracket, or you can buy the new cam unit for about two quid and replace yourself…

Try riding your bike to the top of the trail. Then you’ve less chance of scratching it.

Oh so very true! It seems 99% of the damage to my bike comes from transporting it on shuttles/airplanes/racks of cars – oh and a speciality of mine (much to the constant amusement of my riding buddies) comedy slow motion fall-overs when leant against objects in the car park* :roll:

*the bike, not me!

Frame scratches are a bit of a raw nerve at the moment after I had someone’s brake lever rubbing against my seat tube for a one and a half hour shuttle the other day. So I’m not amused :evil:

Oh OK thanks Stevelol, maybe it softens a bit in use? Feels awful scratchy to me, especially the hard strip down the middle where the two halves are glued together. Maybe will give it a try on a ‘test patch’ (wife’s bike :wink: ).

Ok, I should have seen that coming :D In my defence I did change the original question from “What should I do with this?” as I thought that’d just be too much temptation…

Anyway, checked on the Park website (yes I know, maybe should have done that first) and they describe it as “Frame cleaning sponge/bristle brush”.

There’s no way I’m letting that scratchy nylon scouring pad near my lovely frame paint – what were they thinking!

Fatter tyres, lower pressures…

Agree that makes a difference, and I do run 2.35 tyres @ 25psi on my trail bike. But these will be going on my XC race bike where I run narrower tyres and higher pressures for performance reasons.

If you want to try a pair for less money, I no longer need mine. They have a slight scuff one end, but apart from that are in good nick. I’d sell them for £25 posted.

Thanks, but I think you’ll find the postage alone to be more than that as I’m over the other side of the world – think Perth Oz rather than Perth Och Aye! :wink:

OK – ordered! Birthday present on its way…. :D

Just make sure you have a torque wrench as 3nm is hard to judge by fingers.

Yes, got a torque wrench and carbon assembly paste. Didn’t know the torque for carbon bars was as low as 3nm tho. Glad you mentioned that as I’d have wound them up to 6nm like I do for the alloy ones :oops:

that’s going to be reasonble, they are really good bars, i have them on my trail bike and are really good at taking out the buzz the suspension misses

Thanks, that’s good info. We’ve got some real rocky trails round here and the constant jarring is what I think creates the numbness.

Have you tried foam grips like ESIs or similar? I find them far comfier them normal lock-ons, and are cheaper than new bars!

Good point, but yes I already run Ergon grips on all my bikes, which reduce, but don’t eliminate the numbness.

Of course if you just want new bars…

I have to admit it’s been a while since I treated my bikes (and me) to something shiny and new, so there’s definitely that aspect to it :D Still, its an expensive purchase for me, so I don’t want to get them if there’s not going to be a benefit.

I’d get one of them and give it a go at 710mm for XC, especially if yr on a 29er.

Good suggestion, I might try them at that length first, as it is an Anthem 29er.

I now live in Oz, and before that I spent countless holidays and a gap year exploring it – and I still haven’t seen half the places I want to! The distances between places are just vast – so you’d spend an inordinate amount of time travelling, even by plane. Adults can rationalise this and even “enjoy the journey”, but kids just get bored to tears and fractious which ruins it for everyone.

Here’s a couple of pictures which put the scale of Australia into the context of America and Europe. Ask yourself, would you try and criss-cross the whole US or Europe in three weeks?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to put you off coming to Oz as there’s some amazing holiday experiences to be had here, but just take it a bit at a time rather than spoil it by trying to be too ambitious.

Three weeks would give you a good relaxing time in one of the following, or if you wanted to up the pace a bit to avoid the kids getting bored combine two, or add a side trip to Tassie or Uluru (Ayers Rock) :-

WA – Broome, Ningaloo Reef, Shark Bay, Perth, Margaret River, the Southern Forests.

NT – Darwin, Kakadu (of Crocodile Dundee fame), Katherine Gorge, Litchfield park.

South East – Sydney, Blue Mountains, Great Ocean Road, Melbourne.

Queensland – Gold Coast attractions, Cairns & Barrier Reef, Northern Rainforests.

As others have said, the kids can do the rest on their own time when they’re older as a backpacker!

SLX, Zee, Deore shifters use nylon bushings inside. XT, Saint, & XTR use ball bearing races.
Most people can notice the difference this makes to shifting smoothness from the outset, and it gets more pronounced as the bushings in the cheaper models wear over time, especially with the extra tension the clutch mechs put on the shift.

@JohnJohn – some great ideas there, and I tried to get one of those chain bottle openers after they were reviewed by MTBR in their Xmas gift ideas edition, but the US company that makes them didn’t even answer my emails :( However, too late for anything that I can’t pick up locally now as I’m heading out there on Tuesday.

@belugabob – :D The experience of sitting in a natural hot pool after a day’s MTB is one of life’s sublime pleasures!

Espresso paraphernalia for tamping down your coffee grounds

Ahh! :oops: at lack of sophistication.

By the way – what are the Chris King ‘things’ – salt & pepper shakers??

@mikewsmith – liking the Park tool stuff, and can probably pick it up from the LBS before I go!

@markshires – yeah, I got myself a pair as well and they were really cool – could even choose which trye tread you wanted! Were from a company in California and I heard about them on MTBR here but unfortunately their website seems to be out of action so I wonder if they’re still around?

Keep the suggestions coming…

Yeah I already try and pay for all the shuttles, fuel for his Ute, meals out etc., which I think is the least I can do as he acts as my hotelier, driver, and MTB guide for the week! But I like to bring something with me as well that’s outside all that…

thanks both. I guess i’m off shopping then… sloppy work from the service centre though…

Agree it’s a bit ham fisted to screw it in too far, the valve core only needs to be gently seated in, but shock pumps differ on how far the release pin sticks out, so it might have worked fine with the one they used but not with yours.

Had the same thing on a Fox rear shock from new. LBS insisted it had to be returned to Fox to be fixed as they are “very special valves – not just an ordinary ones, because of the high pressure and oils etc”. Meanwhile I emailed Fox and they said someone had screwed the valve core in too far, and the solution was to fit a new Schrader valve core – any would do, such as from a spare inner tube or Halfords as there’s nothing special about them. Can be removed with a tiny pair of pliers (after releasing all the pressure obviously), or for a couple of quid you can buy a valve core removal tool from Halfords.

@ Philby & Mostly Balanced – thanks both of you for the advice, what you say makes a lot of sense. I’m hoping my attendance at my older daughter’s graduation later this year will provide the impetus for her to ‘accept’ her half sister, and that in turn will pave the way for me discussing the subject with my younger one. I sense she’s getting mature enough about relationships (at the tender age of 10!!) to make sense of it all, but like Mostly Balanced my biggest worry is that it’ll make her feel insecure about our current family situation. Still, like Philby I’d rather she hear it from me and gets a chance to ask questions. Thanks.

I thought I knew my Dad, but a few years after he died my Mum told me that he had a child by an earlier marriage – in the 38 years I knew him he gave absolutely no clue to me that he had either been married before or had another child. She apparently lived in the same city where I grew up, and apparently all my relatives seemed to know about this apart from me, and according to my cousin he still had contact with her.

@Philby, I have a 21 y/o daughter by a previous relationship. I see her rarely as we’ve lived in different countries since she was three, but I call her on birthdays and Christmas, and will be going to her Uni graduation in a couple of month’s time. I haven’t mentioned her existence to my other daughter, now 10, although most of family & friends are well aware of it. I haven’t consciously kept it secret from others, I just don’t deliberately talk about it as it’s a painful part of my life. People can be so judgemental, so I’ve only really felt comfortable sharing it with people who have been through similar, and can understand the complexities (and a bunch of perfect strangers on a bike forum!!).

I don’t like having secrets from my daughter, and this is probably the only one, but have told myself (rightly or wrongly) that there hasn’t yet been the right time to burst that bubble that she’s my one and only child, and let her in on the messiness of adult relationships. It doesn’t help that she’s always wanted an older sister, but my other daughter doesn’t want to see her – as some kind of punishment to me for ‘abandoning’ her but doting on her sister. I know it’d break her heart to know she has an older sister and then be shunned by her.

So, don’t be too hard on your Dad, and I’m sure you did ‘know’ him in all other respects, and he had his reasons for keeping this one part of his life from you, and probably struggled with it constantly like I do. I have no idea whether I’m doing the right thing ‘protecting’ my daughter from this, and when would be the right time to tell her, which I definitely intend to at some point.

As someone who’s been on the other end of this, and if it’s not too awkward for you to share it on a public forum, I’d be interested in your advice. Would you rather your Dad told you? At what age do you think you’d have been able to handle it? Have you since got in touch with your sibling and has it worked out? Thanks.

Ok, me again – just had one thought…
If you’re worried that companies that offer ‘placements’ are just out to exploit, but an ‘unstructured’ gap year might be a waste, then here’s another option…

The Uni in Western Australia where I studied recently had a very active exchange program with Oz students going to U.S./Europe for a year of their course, and their students coming over here.

So she could enrol straight into Uni, but also have a year abroad, and experience another country, way of life, learning environment – and it all counts towards her degree!

Here’s a link to the program where I studied, but I’m sure other Unis in Oz will have similar – Murdoch Exchange Program[/url]

I know if you intend to study maths at university then they don’t like you taking a year out due to the ‘getting back up to speed’

Wow! I didn’t realise maths was such a fast moving field that you’d be out of date in a year. Sure it wasn’t because they realised that after a gap year most youngsters would realise there were more interesting things to do with their life :wink:

Coming from someone who has taken three gap years – one each decade – during my long and varied career, I’d say it’s well worth it in the long run, especially the first one to get a bit of a broader view on life before the conveyor belt of school-university-career-kids takes over.

But, sorry OP that’s a bit off topic, and even though I’m currently an environmental consultant in Australia I have to admit I’ve no idea how to go about a gap year placement in my field :(

Your body is trying to tell you something is wrong – listen to it!
It could be as simple as bad posture, weak core, etc, but then it could also be something more serious. Worth getting it checked out IMHO. A visit to a Physio who deals with cyclists and does bike fittings would be a good place to start.
I had back pain building up over a period of months and chose to ignore it. Woke up one day and couldn’t get out of bed – I’d slipped a disc :(

People are more important than places. If you have friends, stay here.
It’s not easy to meet new people & interate after a certain age, so think carefully about what you are losing, as well as precisely what you want to gain.

That’s sound advice, and applies to anywhere, not just France. There’s plenty of people who’ve emigrated to Oz (where I am) and not settled in because they didn’t realise how important family & friends back home were to them until they didn’t see them anymore. Me, I’m an antisocial b@stard – so it wasn’t a problem :wink:

I’d probably ride them, and mention it at the re-tension

I’d probably mention it to them now, and ask if they’d like you to bring them back in before riding or if they’d prefer to sort it at the re-tension. That way there’s no chance they can blame you for causing the problem. Not saying they would mind, perish the thought a bike shop would try and pass the blame to a customer, but better not to chance it :wink: .

@ sandwich & iainc – I get the ‘finger’ about every 18 months these days just as a precaution, but you’re right I’m about due for another one so maybe I’ll request the GP does a PSA this time. Thanks for your concern and the suggestion.

Finally a thread I can contribute to!
Will be 53 in March. All the usual issues mentioned above as my body starts to run down – need glasses for just about anything now whereas I was always the one with exceptional eyesight, can’t hear what people are saying if there’s the slightest background noise, have to get up and pee three times a night, tiredness overwhelms me most afternoons and I need a nap, taking months to recover fully from colds – just colds, not anything really serious for pete’s sake! Worst was a slipped disc 18 months ago that had me limping around and bent over like a proper comedy old man stereotype for about six months – that really made me feel old.
But on a more positive side, here’s my recipie for beating the slow and inevitable decline of age:-
1. Physically ‘use it or lose it’ really is the mantra, but be realistic, you need to slow down a bit as injuries will take a lot longer to recover from, and you may never get back the pre-injury level of fitness.
2. Slow down a bit career wise. We can’t all retire early (and I’m not sure I’d want to) but if you haven’t made it to the rarefied ranks of top management by now, sorry to tell you this but you’re unlikely to ever. So, take it easy, laugh off the office politics, try and go part time or move to a less stressful job, and spend more time on the things you enjoy.
3. Surround yourself with people younger than you – no, not cynical 40 year olds, but really young and enthusiastic people. I have a ten y/o daughter, and her energy and enthusiasm for everything is just infectious. I also went back to Uni five years ago and made a lot of 20 somethings friends, and their passion (and yes naivety) about everything couldn’t help but rub off on me.
4. Learn something new – keep challenging the brain – rediscover that delight in gaining knowledge. As above, I enrolled back at Uni at the age of 45 on a totally new (to me) subject and got an MSc. But more important, unencumbered with the need to drink myself to oblivion and/or shag everything that moved like when I first went there in my twenties, the experience was really fulfilling.
5. If all the above sounds like too much trouble – then just start taking Testosterone supplements! I’m only half joking – why should hormone replacement therapy only be for menopausal women? There’s growing evidence that the sharp decline in Testosterone levels in the late forties and fifties has a lot to do with the overall decline of the body and mind – not just sex. Most doctors will dismiss this as ‘natural’, but when we chemically/surgically enhance so many other areas of our life these days, why shouldn’t we get a bit of help hanging onto our youthful energy?

Have you thought about a Thule Clip-on? These mount to the rear door and are a cinch to fit & remove, but very solidly attached.
Can’t help thinking that’d be a cheaper and easier solution all round rather than fitting a tow bar just for a bike rack.
I have a little hatchback (Corolla) and despite it having a tow bar already, I prefer to use the clip-on style rack to a tow bar mounted one – four points of attachment rather than one!

It also means I can use the towbar for a trailer and have the bikes on the back when I do a camping trip with the family.

From the Thule website it seems both their 9103 and 9105 clip-on models will fit the Jazz.