I ran this arrangement for a year or three, until dicky knees forced me back to gears. If your rides involve a long flattish section to get to/from the hills (my rides generally feature 8-10km of canal towpath at each end) then it’s a good solution.

Changing ratios is a slight faff, but not much more than refitting a thrown chain.

Chain line is easy; just use two cassette spacers between the sprockets to match the spacing of the chainrings. Ratios are also easy. I ran unfashionably large chain rings, and used ratios of 44:18 and 40:22. But as long as the total tooth count is the same for each ratio, the change in chain tension is small enough for it to function in both ratios without adjustment – there’ll be slightly more slack in the lower ratio, but not enough to cause any trouble. Your suggested ratios, being only 2 teeth different in ring size, should work even better. Although I’d question whether there’s any point in having gears so close together. Depends on your riding – the above ratios worked for me in and around the South Wales valleys and Brecon Beacons.

Don’t consider the Sturmey two speed. Kickback gear change is a PITA on a road bike, and would be a nightmare off road (I had one on my Moulton, and replaced it with an Sram Automatix). They also have (literally!) zero sealing.

I’ve used HD201s for blocking out noise ever since my employer decided what we really need to work effectively is more distractions… :evil:

I find them very effective in the Hell that is an open plan office. My ears are fairly average size, though.

Thanks all.

The bike-discount.de offer was what prompted me to ask the question. Sounds promising. :-)

*wanders off to check bank balance*

Stealth isn’t an option, unfortunately (which is a shame, as I already have one fitted to this frame’s predecessor).

That Vecnum looks interesting, albeit a bit spendy for a pin-in-the-hole design. It also looks like it needs a shim, which would need to be 140mm long to match my insertion limit.

Thanks all. Looks like they might be worth a try, then.

There’s a seller on Ebay that has red ones at a similar price:

Clicky

Looks like an error, because their English language listing has them for £45. :D

I run short cranks to relieve knee pain (osteo-arthritis). I’ve tried 155, 160, 165, 170 and 175, and I’m 6′ tall, normal lush leg length…

In my experience, the following things are true:

1) While a short crank theoretically gives less leverage, in practice the leg being (on average) straighter during the power stroke seems to compensate for this. I find I can push a higher gear with short cranks than with long ones (when seated).
2) spinning is easier.
3) Out the saddle honking can be less efficient (you lose the straight-leg advantage mentioned above).
4) The saddle will be higher for a given leg length. So you may lose some fore-aft stability when climbing, and there’ll be marginally more times when a dropper post earns it keep. Both extremely marginal effects, though.

For me, short cranks work really well, and I think I’ll be sticking with 160/165 for the foreseeable future. Your physiology will be different, so it may or may not work for you. Give it a try… :D

CRC list them, but are out of stock at the moment, unfortunately: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/nukeproof-conversion-kit-15mm-to-qr/rp-prod80192

I’m not sure about those, but I have been running bar ends in the centre of the bars for a while, now. They give a much more relaxed hand position when cruising on easy ground, and have been instrumental in eliminating a source of elbow paint…

I have no photos, but they are visible on this video:

ETA: Yes, I realise that I’m a complete mincer! :oops:

Looks like an over-priced copy of a UVA Fugitive…

I like! :D

^this

In the past I’ve had 170 on one side and 175 on the other without even realising it after an emergency crank transplant. But I can tell the difference between 160 and 165.

In my case it’s pain in my arthritic knees with longer cranks, though… Currently running 165s on the good bike as that’s the shortest I could get quality parts. The nasty heavy 160s on the hack bike are more comfortable, though, and counter-intuitively seem to allow me to put more torque into the system. I have 155 cranks on my recumbent…

I’m 6ft tall, incidentally.

Overall, my preference is the Twrch, but as others have said it really is down to what type of riding you like. I find the Cafall’s climb to be an interminable slog, while the Twrch is more interesting. Others obviously take the opposite view… The flat and downhill sections have less to choose between them, really, but they have completely different characters. Which can only be a good thing. :D

The last couple of times I’ve been up there, we’ve done the Twrch climb, then used the fire road to link from Giant’s Cwrt on the Twrch to Hideout on the Cafall, which I think makes the most of the two trails.

I’ve fitted a 28.6mm seat post clamp (with the lip filed off) in place of one of the stem spacers on a couple of bikes. That allows me to loosen and turn the stem without losing the headset bearing adjustment. Still too much of a faff for short term storage, but it’s handy if/when I’m trying to fit lots of bikes on the roof of the car…

I pondered getting one of the devices Ben mentions (or more likely a forerunner) a few years ago when I had the bike in the front room of a terrace house. In the end, I decided taking the front wheel out was cheaper… :-)

I’d recommend leaving it until Spring as I’ll potentially take a disproportionate amount of artificial heat to get it dry in a sensible time.

This is looking likely… Measured the surface temperature last night at 9C. :? On the plus side, I suppose that means not much heat is leaching out of the house into the adjoining garage!

So we have votes for Crown Epimac and Ronseal, and a vote against Screwfix? Thanks all! Any more?

Ear bagsare quite effective, and don’t look nearly so cretinous when worn with a helmet. :oops:

Double post

I’d serious consider talking to Team Hybrid about their Falco motors: http://www.teamhybridebikes.com

I had a go on a folder fitted with one back in April, and was even more impressed than with the bion-x system. They should also be able to advise more generally on mobility, as I believe their main business is hand cycles and wheelchair conversions.

This review of a more unusual conversion is worth a read: https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=77833.0

Disclaimer: I have no connection with the company, other than a passing acquaintance with an employee.

If you lower the saddle, does the bottom bracket get closer to the ground?

You could use small adjustments in BB height to adjust belt tension, I suppose. :D

…why not put the fork on the rh side for neatness ?

Where would you mount the brake caliper? Admittedly, they seem to have got around that at the rear by mounting it on the bottom of the stay…

Soak in alcohol, put somewhere well clear of combustibles, apply match.

Allow to cool.

Repeat.

Quote:

“Interesting that there are so many who veer towards introversion. I’d always thought of MTBing as a pretty social sport.”

Introvert = antisocial is a common misconception. Introverts tend to not like crowds, preferring socialising with a small group over a large one, but getting to know the people they do socialise with better, on average, than the extrovert who talks briefly to lots of people.

Precisely the kind of social contact which is the norm in MTBing, in other words…

As mentioned above, “Quiet; the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking” is well worth reading. Particularly if you’re an extrovert, I would suggest!

Introvert(100%) iNtuitive(38%) Thinking(38%) Judging(1%)

Who said nobody’s 100% Introvert? ;-)

This might explain my extreme loathing of my employer’s recent move to open plan office space, though…

As above.

In addition, you could try pouring boiling water over the hub shell before you start. The aluminium will expand more than the steel of the bearing rings and loosen the grip slightly. If there’s any trace of corrosion between the steel and Al, the thermal shock may also break this away, making removal easier.

Presumed liability should definately be introduced:

Linky

It won’t, though. Too much of a war on the poor downtrodden motorist… :-(

And agree 100% that SMIDSY is usually code for SMIDSYBIDGAF (“sorry mate, I did see you but I didn’t give a f***”)

I *think* so.

But there’s usually space in the visitor centre car park if you’re there late.

If all else fails, you can park further up near where the Cafall crosses the road.

Another approach is to use a tandem with child seats. Eg:

Clicky

It just so happens that I need to move this bike on to make space in the garage, if anybody’s interested… :-)

Ditto. Excellent setup. The stand light can run out of juice on long ascents ( or maybe that’s just my rubbish speed!), so a helmet lamp comes in handy as an adjunct. :D

can’t comment on 5 fitment, but I’ve got a mudhugger and it’s excellent

+1

The low swing arm of a 5 will make either design stick almost straight up, so I suspect it may well be less effective than on other frame designs. I’d suggest using the 29r version, as it’s a little longer. This works well on my Nicolai.

Keen are the only manufacturer I’ve found whose wares get close to the shape of my feet. Unfortunately, they stopped making SPD shoes just before I made that discovery… I think I got the last pair of size 42.5 in Europe!

I’ve had some ok experience with Spesh, but they seem to have switched to a narrower pointy last recently.

Presumably, this was registered delivery?

If so, tales of postmen handing over parcels in the street aren’t really relevant. Delivering to neighbours leaves a record of the person and location of receipt, but if collected they have no record of where the parcel has gone, only who collected it.

I reckon 9 times out of 10 you’d be able to collect on behalf of your partner, but I certainly wouldn’t be surprised or upset if I was told ‘no’. There are enough messy separations for there to be a realistic possibility of handing a parcel to an estranged spouse, for instance, and it’s the postal staff who’ll get hauled over the coals if that happens.

Irritating, but understandable, I’d say.

If that chain sits high on the old ring, too, then it suggests that it’s a chain issue. “Narrow” doesn’t really chime with 6 spd… If it was me, I’d start by getting the cheapest 3/32″ chain I could lay my hands on to test it.

If you have callipers, you could also easily measure the thickness of the chainring.

I’d expect a bog basic 3/32″ chain to be right for that, but the way that sits on the chainring suggests that might be a 1/8″ ring. Has the chainring been changed?

Ratchet strap between fork arch and stem, compress fork, hang up? :?

Thanks lads.

“I thought Hormann and Garadoor were effectively the same thing ?” I had wondered that – some of the components look very similar, and it would explain the similar pricing.

Good point wrt the warranty!

I’ve just noticed that link is for the ST, but the LT model is also listed (extra EU5).

Not sure that the bushings are serviceable. Be interested to see if the are.

They are. By the power of Google:

Rebuild kit

:wink:

I’ve not done it, but looking at the included tool, I’d expect it to be easy…

Angle grinder + cutting disc. Cut through crack to 1/2 the thickness of the dropout. Fill slot with weld. Repeat on other side. Grind as flat as necessary for everything to work (you could make it completely invisible if you’re really fussy!).

middleburn cable pulses

Gah! That should have been “cable oilers”‘ obviously. Damned auto-correct! :?

Rohloff. ;-)

On derailleur gears, I found middleburn cable pulses + full length outerw to be the big thing. Replacing worn jockey wheels can also improve things a lot.

How about tyre liners?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/panaracer-flataway-tyre-liner/?lang=en&curr=GBP&dest=1&utm_source=pla&utm_medium=base&utm_campaign=uk&kpid=5300024244?

I was more thinking of the loop of slack cable that’ll form when the fork compresses, and the possibility of it snagging the tyre tread.