I know I’m in the minority, but any likelihood of having a Windows 8 phone version sometime? Pretty please…

I prefer my printers breadcrumbed rather than battered, especially if frying in olive oil, or earwax..

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the XT will not really be an ‘upgrade’ on the SLX. The XT levers use all the same parts as the SLX except have a forged rather than stamped lever blade, and have a ‘free-stroke’ adjustment screw, which most people agree does bu@@er all anyway. In fact, the SLX has a blanking plug where the free-stroke screw is on the XT, and if you remove this and fit a standard bolt you get the free-stroke function – more proof if you needed it that they are the same internals.

Its even worse with the calipers, they are exactly the same units but just painted a different colour – oh and the XT gets a screw-in pad pin instead of a split pin. But again, as they are the same parts the SLX caliper has the thread for the pad pin machined into it and you can fit it aftermarket.

So unless its just the bling factor of having those magic ‘XT’ letters on your levers, I’d save your money for something else that is a worthwhile upgrade – like shifters – where there is a real difference between SLX and XT.

I used to be in the “why bother with the fork manufacturers expensive branded stuff, when you can get it from the local motorcycle shop at a third the price” camp.

However, when I filled my Fox lowers with quality branded motorcycle fork oil of the same weight rather than the Fox green, I got a bad case of weepy seals. Switched back to the proper Fox stuff at the next service and will continue using it from now on, despite the price penalty!

Have had nothing but excellent service from them over the year or so I’ve been using them. They always reply to my emails within 24hrs, and in English. And you know there’s a button on their website to convert it into English – sure it only converts the main headings and not the detailed descriptions, but as you say – that’s where Google Translate comes into its own.

I’ve had similar experiences to you a couple of times when something ordered has been pushed out, due to their suppliers not them, and I’m just thankful they are honest about it and tell me upfront rather than the bull$hit excuses I get from other online retailers when I finally contact them after my stuff hasn’t turned up when promised!

To change that to use google as well,first do all the above then go to your phones settings
-press-language+region
-press-browser&search language,and select”Sakha(russia)

Your search button should now open on google search.

Ha – that’s brilliant, thank you! One of the most ingenious workarounds I’ve seen…

I’m in Australia, and touching the search button now takes me directly to Google.com.au

i would just like to point out that you can set one up to use google search as the default

How d’ya do that then?

The leasing company’s standard answer will be that the car needs to be returned in the same condition it was received, which means if you fit a towbar (or anything else for that matter) you should remove it before handing the car back, and return the car to its original condition.

I fitted a towbar to a company car, and paid for everything. When it came time to give it back I asked if they wanted me to remove it like they said, but was told not to bother as it would leave unsightly holes, exposed wires, etc.

So, as with many things in life, there’s a whole grey area between ‘the policy’ and common sense, and where you fall between the two will depend on who you talk to on the day.

So no part number found, but googled the hub which is FH-RM65 and the freehub body is part number Y-3CT 98040

Ah, Ok. Well as others have said, Shimano freehubs aren’t really interchangeable, so take that part number and try your LBS to see what they’ve got in their parts bin. If they’ve not got anything in stock they can order you one from Madison, but as I and headpotdog have said, might be cheaper to buy a whole new hub, and have other spares for free.

M785/788 takes a 14mm allen key.

The splined mounting for a Shimano Freehub Body, is it a standard fixing? I’ve got a cheapy wheel on my commuter bike and the Freehub is a little gubbed. Being lazy by asking you lot as opposed to taking it off for looking for a part number. Just wanting to know if I can just get the “cheapest” 9sp Shimano Freehub Body and it will fit ok.

I’m interpreting your post a little differently to those above. I’m assuming you’ve got a no-name hub & freehub which you’re fitting a shimano cassette to? In which case – the freehub is specific to the hub – and if it’s a no-name cheapie hub, it won’t take a Shimano freehub.

Best find out who made the hub and try and find someone who stocks an exact replacement.

Also, I had to replace a Shimano XT freehub recently, and found it was cheaper to buy a whole new hub and strip it for parts than buy just the freehub, and I got spare axle, bearings, QR into the bargain.

It’s Ok, I heard you the first time :lol:

Ride faster…

Is that a young Connie Booth I see? The one who went on to marry John Cleese and star with him in Faulty Towers?

I left the UK in my late 20’s, lived in Hong Kong for twenty years, and just a few months ago got Australian residency.

I don’t want to get into an argument about whether this country or that is a better place to live (it depends), but I will say this…

After you’ve left one country behind its a difficult transition to go back. You’ve changed and your friends and family back ‘home’ haven’t – you will feel like an outsider. Also, you have an unrealistically ‘rose tinted’ memory of what it was like living there which will never be realised.

Life is a one way street – move on is my advice…

And being a stock trader on a winning streak can increase your testosterone levels by ten times 8O

The truth behind testosterone: Why men risk it all

Just a suggestion – but take this opportunity to ‘upgrade’ to one of the newer composite middle rings – quieter shifting, and has the wear characteristics of steel (because it is!) with the weight of ally. Will need to get the file out to make it fit though :(

Here you go, knew there must’ve been a picture somewhere of the first China Airlines one…

We even say a Lufthansa cargo plane go off the end of the run way and watch the army come in and dismantle it – first thing they did was cover up the tailplane to stop any bad press

Bushwacked, there was a Lufthansa cargo plane in 1983 that overshot on landing and ended up in soft ground, but was later returned to service. Then there was the China Airlines 747 that went off the end of the runway into the water in a storm in 1993. They painted out the tail markings, but a few days later the army blew the tail off anyway as it was a hazard for planes taking off! I remember seeing it semi-submerged in the harbour for a couple of months before they managed to lift it out. Wiki has the scoop – here

The last incident at the old airport was an RAF Hercules that was being used to re-patriate Vietnamese boat people before the Chinese took over. Crashed on take-off with loss of all crew.

Of course China Airlines were at it again in 1999 when they had the dubious honour to be the first to crash at the new airport just a year after it opened, when an MD-11 flipped and landed upside down!

Funny, that quote from MTBR was from me!

Others above have done a pretty good job of explaining what will and wont work, but for completeness here’s the official Shimano diagram…

Have you started Pilates to help with the back ? Well worth it

Got a prolapsed disk, so need to take it gently till that heals, but then planning on taking up something – pilates, yoga, tai chi, limbo dancing, anything to try and strengthen the back so it doesn’t happen again…

Thanks! I happened to have an old noodle handy, but you can buy new ones (Shimano or Avid) from the usual online retailers for a couple of quid…

Chief – Yep, could use a fat 700C I guess, but having invested in the whole UST thing, was hoping never to use a tube again!

Thank you Bellefied, that was indeed the problem :D

Solved!

Damn! I’m still getting this…

I’m trying this[/url] address, what are you guys using that works?

Ah, Ok now I know why I can’t get on – you lot are overloading it :lol:

Yes, that should work, as according to this the Shimano BH90 kit fits M985 XTR, M785 XT, M820 Saint and M666/675 SLX. Bought one as a spare to cover both my XT and SLX brakes recently. Comes with all the fittings you’ll need, but don’t forget a bottle of Shimano mineral oil :wink:

I know I say it every time a mobile phone thread comes up but do check out the Nokia Lumia range of Windows Phone devices.

Hmm, hadn’t really thought of that, but now you suggested it I had a look and there is a Nokia Lumia 720 for less that the above two phones. And seeing as I’m just going thru the learning process of Windows 8 with my new touchscreen PC, maybe it’d save overloading my poor luddite brain if I went for a phone with the same operating system… :D

Can you not find a 4S or even a 5 on a decent deal

Unfortunately, here in Oz mobiles are still pretty pricey, blame it on the low population density, or just lack of competition, but its a fact of life living here. :(

Hmm, OK, must be something peculiar to me then. Thanks chaps…

If you’re worried about muck getting into exposed cable ends, just remember not all ferrules are equal. Proper Shimano ferrules that fit their SP41 outer have a small rubber ‘O’ ring inside to stop water and dirt ingress.

Thanks for the advice guys. Checked out the Vodafone 4G coverage here in Perth and you’re right, it’s patchy at best, so I guess a 4G phone is no real advantage.

Aphex, yes Telstra do give much better ‘MTB’ coverage, but I’m not willing to pay the premium for it.

Mike, LOL, you’re right, but I’ve been on the Vodafone network for a while now (since it merged with 3) and its not too bad where I live/work. In fact I’d have been happy to just stay on my original 3 plan where you used the Vodafone network where available, and roamed for free on Telstra when not – but the bu@@ers are closing down 3 at the end of this month so I’m forced to find a new provider!

Another tip on Lev installation (not mine, I copied it from someone else) is to use a V-brake noodle to get a nice tight bend on the cable as it comes out of the remote. Otherwise, with the stiff outer KS supply, you tend to get a big loop of cable there. Here’s what it looks like…

Not wanting to scare you or anything, but I had that for the last couple of years, especially after particularly long races or multi-day events. Six weeks ago my back gave out completely with a prolapsed disc and I’m now off MTB for at least six months while it recovers.

Not saying yours is the same, hopefully not, but it may be worth having it checked out by a doc anyways…

Wow – that’s a thread from the past!

But I never did find out how to do the damper so have replaced the lowers oil a couple of times but not the damper.

Will certainly try your method at the next service – thanks :D

No I guessing he wasn’t too

My post was in reply to the comment “but the jungle soon grew back”

Ernie, I’m well aware of the effects Agent Orange, or more accurately one of its main constituents 2-4-5T, had on the people of Vietnam (not to mention American troops who applied it, and others around the world like in Australia who were involved in ‘testing’ it). In fact my father’s job while I was a teenager was to promote and sell a weedkiller in the UK that contained 2-4-5T, and he used it liberally on our own garden. I don’t think many people realise 2-4-5T was still legal in the UK decades after its devastating effects in Vietnam had been well documented? In fact, it was the catalyst for many an argument between me and my father, and the first awakening of my environmental conscience that eventually resulted in me becoming an Environmental Consultant.

My post above was supposed to be the supreme irony – suggesting that the attitude of the OP that he just wants “the most powerful weedkiller available” and that will “contaminate the land for a long time” without any consideration for the possible consequences was where the Americans started with Agent Orange, and look where that went…

I’m prepared to admit that it was probably far too subtle for most people to draw that convoluted link, but hopefully its clearer where I stand now I’ve spelled it out in excruciating detail :wink:

OP, You’re not the first to be in this situation, and won’t be the last. I was in a similar position many years ago, but I’ve got no nuggets of wisdom to offer, and I’m not even going to tell you which way I chose or what the long term outcome was, as there’s no right or wrong answer and every situation is different.

What I will say is that you need to realise that at the moment you’re being controlled by primeval chemical reactions your conscious brain has very little control over – unfortunately we’re still a slave to our biology! However, the good news is that evolution is impatient, and stalling for time is your best defence as time will give you a much better perspective – one way or the other. But you seem to be a pretty sensible chap, and have probably worked that out for yourself already.

My only other suggestion is to get a bottle of your favourite tipple and a take-away curry and sit down alone and watch Martin Scorsese’s “The Age Of Innocence” where Daniel Day Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Wynona Ryder make a much better job of illustrating the excruciating agony of a love triangle than I ever could! It won’t give you the answer either, but you will recognise a lot of what you’re going through at the moment, and it just might help you to see another perspective on it…

Good luck…

Agent Orange and Napalm had some short term success for the Americans during the Vietnam war, but the jungle soon grew back… :wink:

Get a Shimano clutch mech and you won’t need one. Took my chainstay protectors off both bikes since converting to clutches…

Just started a new job and they presented me with a Sony Ultrabook with solid state disk, touch screen, and Windows 8.

Was dreading it as I’d heard so many bad things about Win 8 and I’m not exactly an early adopter these days as I don’t even have a smart phone.

Have to admit though that I was pleasantly surprised – the thing starts in an instant when you open the lid, dare I say Mac-like, rather than taking minutes to boot up like I’m used to with all previous versions of Windows. And against my expectations I’ve found myself just naturally reaching for the screen to open aps, swipe across spreadsheets, and click on websites. The keyboard and mouse still get used, but I like having the option of touchscreen as well, and it makes for a better communal experience when there’s two of you pouring over data or web sites to just reach out and swipe rather than awkwardly sharing a mouse or keyboard.

However, I can see how if you didn’t have a touchscreen, Win 8 would be a real pain, as its big ‘buttons’ and hidden panels don’t work well with mouse and keyboard.

So, a fan here, and I think its the future – making the PC interface more smartphone/tablet like, but definitely go with a touch screen to make the most of it.

The only ‘safe’ option is a road bike.

Don’t know if its just round these parts, but although my MTB buddies are always suffering from a graze/bruise/gash here and there, the incidence of really serious injury is much more among my road biking friends – usually from a pile-up in the peloton, or an argument with a two ton lump of steel and glass!