Is it not all part of the fun?

Other than spending money to replace worn and wobbly bits, the tinkering is all part of the experience. Especially when it’s cold, dark and wet and riding doesn’t seem like it’s gonna be fun anyway!

Are we allowed to ride Leigh Woods yet? All the do not ride signs seemed to have been removed so I had a bit of a burn yesterday.

Nearly killed a handfull of walkers walking up the trails.

Mourned the loss of all the brilliant rutted technical trails, including the lovely off camber rooty section near the gorge edge.

Nearly lost my front wheel many times on the gritty surface.

Hopefully some new off road trails will open up as we all loose the will to live!

Blue is a a boring, smooth, souless slog. I really don’t understand all of the hype around it. I was thouroughly bored the whole way down. Even the bermed and rollered downhills aren’t that exciting.

Just head up the hill and ride the downhills. They’re not that difficult.

With a single pivot, dragging the brakes will stiffen up the rear suspension. Also, although you say there’s no brake dive, braking will push you weight froward and extend the rear suspension a little. Perhaps these combined effects; steepening and stiffening, are causing what you describe as wobble.

Lay off the brakes until you need to.

Whilst racing the Mega I had some string and a jubilee clip that limited both extents of my seatpost height. Just likt the thingy above. Meant changing height wasn’t instant but I could jump off and set pedalling height or downhill height whilst running along!

Washers?

I have much more a problem with their new packaging system. A large box for even the smallest thing, for example some disc bolts! What was wrong with padded bags that went through the letterbox.

I came up with a system to put damping into tyres. We spend £££ on expensive shocks, but then have 2″ of undamped travel at the end of the chain and think nothing of it.

My bodged prototypes showed some promise. Several years to get off my arse and get a patent showed that someone had had the same idea in 1922! Then lots of other patents with variations on the theme every subsequent ten years….

I still think it’s a great idea though, but there must be a reason why none of the patents has produced something that has come to market.

Righto,

I’ve tried rotating the mounting plate a bit. There’s two ‘pips’ on this mech, so I’ve tried the other one. This puts the mounting plate in a horizontal rather than vertical position and increases the spring tension considerably. This solves my problem but The top roller is now a long way from the cogs.

I’ll try it like this and see how I get on with the shifting. Like this the b-screw is rendered useless. Adjusting it only moves the top roller further away from the cogs. It won’t go any closer.

Perhaps it’s the angle of my dangle (mech hanger) that’s the problem…

Righto, I’ll try and get some pics out tonight.
Thanks for the help BigYinn!

One thing I don’t understand about gearbox design, is that they always feel the need to have loads of gears. 600% is a massive range on this new design, surely most current set ups range from 1:1 to 3:1 at most.

I’m sure a system with just say 8 gears for a proportionately reduced cost and weight would be perfect for most people’s needs.

Personally, I’d be happy with a system with just 3 gears, up, down and along! If it was cheap, light and reliable it would be amazing.

Exactly, I think perhaps the spring tension is not enough.

And the b-screw does move off to allow removal of the rear wheel.

Nope I’m not being a moron! I’m an aerospace engineer for a living so pretty handy at these things normally.

The purpose of the b-screw is to get the top roller in the right position, i.e. just below the cogs.

The problem is that there needs to be some movement to allow you to remove the rear wheel. But the movement is causing rattling and the b-screw to hit against the stop.

I’m on a bit of a bike ‘silenting’ trip at the moment. Perhaps I’m being too picky, but I’m sure it should be quieter than it is.

I’ve got it mounted right. Took me a while to try the different options, but I’m pretty sure it’s good.

Even though you’re as stiff as a board! it’s a really nicely filmed/edited little video. Makes me want to ride my bike, which is surely the aim of all bike films!

You could perhaps up the tempo of the film a little by reducing the time from when you leave shot until you come back in again. And make sure it’s always consistent.

I love the way the two graphs are quoted as proof that this thing works and that everyone agrees. Can anyone of those people who agree explain to me what is going on with the graph!

I dislocated my should last year. I had a suspected torn ligament but the MRI proved inconclusive due to metalwork in my shoulder from previous injury! In the end I had to wait six months, anticipating an operation, all to be told in the end that all was good! All feels good now after six months back riding.

Every injury is individual and even the doctors struggle to understand what may have happened. The only real way to see inside you is to cut you open, not something thye do likely. The replies on here will cover the full range from I was back riding the next day to I was off the bike for three years. So pick whichever one keeps your spirits up but let the doctors do their job and listen to their advice over some numpty like me!

Sorted a single ply 2.1 rear tyre and sucessfuly bodged a tubeless setup. Managed to run it fine at 32psi. I risked 28psi in the front and hoped that I didn’t get a flat. Provided just the right compormise of grip and speed I was after. Just gotta hope the tubless hold up!

One thing that hadn’t occured to me is that a smaller tyre needs a higher pressure in it. So even though I could run a large 2.5″ tyre way down at low 20psi. This wouldn’t be possible with a narrow tyre, I’d be riding on the rim at such low pressures. Obvious really, but not until you try these things do you understand.

Cheers for the advice.

Yup, I reckon I might try a normal sidewall 2.1″ tyre on the rear with ghetto.

They’re high enough pressure that I get bugger all grip!

I’ve tried other tyes but always find High Rollers the best. I think it’s the predictable grip/slide that I like the best and the fact they work in all conditions.

Call it a positive typo!

Little blue flags are to knock out with your back wheel as you go past…5 pints each.

Back to the original post, I’ve found that it actually quicker to go slower and straighter through the very twiddly bits.

I’m not sure about everyone saying it will improve their bike skills. The old “Wall” track had some amazing lines over tree roots and rocks that required a real level of skill to keep carrying good speed. There were multiple lines and reading these took real skill. Now you just need to be good at berms and rollers.

I’m bored of it all already!

I used to play a lot of golf. In golf, it’s pretty common to have regular coaching from the local pro. If you don’t do this it’s very easy to practise bad habits. Usually in golf it’s your grip/posture/balance slowly over time getting away from the optimal and you correcting for this. It’s very difficult to observe your bad habits yourself. A good pro can identifiy these for you. Often this is enought to bring you back on track.

Exactly the same can be said of riding. Even the bad habits are pretty similar posture and balance.

So training can be good. I did a DH course with Mr Sorrel and it definately identified a few things I was doing wrong. I can go round right hand bends much better than left. Without his observation I would never had knowmn this and be able to try and reslolve it!

So play is practice, but not necessarily good practice!

Training is a good thing!

I think I mention my solution at the bottom of the post…

At the same time as building tracks of berms and rollers, build some technically challenging tracks with rocks and roots and line chices and bigger jumps and off camber corners and a flowing downhill gradient.

I know the hills aren’t that big, but there’s no reason we couldn’t build section like some of the better section ot Coed y Brenin or similar.

You say doing nothing isn’t an answer. But if we overpopulate the trails, we may end up in a situation worse than if we did nothing?

Olly, see my Patriot posted up buy Xiphon on the previous page. I’ve had several DH bikes running singlespeed; Patriot, a Turner DHR, a SWD 216 and a Morewood Izimu. See my Pinkbike page (sesrch for my name) for some piccies.

Brilliant fun and not too slow. I’ve done a couple of races singlespeed and it doesn’t slow you down. In my opinion, in some cases, it actually akes you quicker, less to think about.

Got some designs for a frame like you as well. I just need to buy that new house where I have space for a big shed!

Why not a shock through a pierced downtube like the new 332 though. It still look slike it’s got a slightly falling rate, this would solve that.

However, I loved my Patriot. Perhaps this is the next DH bike for me! When they start appearing second hand!

Nothing working for me, any other ideas?

If it’s muddy, they stop you spending hours picking little lumps of mud from the hairs on you legs and mean you can put your jeans straight on without spreading mud all around the house/car

shave your legs then, that helps……….. alot

Which is the greater madness:

-Wearing trousers OR
-Shaving your legs?

Just like the ETS on Marzocchis years ago. Although they did stop working after a while. But great idea.

I love my Troy Lee trousers. I’m knocking on a bit now (for DH not this site) but I’m still cool and down with the kids with my pyjamas bottoms on.

In fact there bloody brilliant. Give lots of protection. Stops you knee pads splipping down when you crash. Stop you geting eaten alive by all the horse flies that seem to live in the woods now. If it’s muddy, they stop you spending hours picking little lumps of mud from the hairs on you legs and mean you can put your jeans straight on without spreading mud all around the house/car. They’re not even that hot.

The only negative is that they stop you tanning the six inches of your leg between the bottom of your pads and the top of your socks.

They’re no worse than anything worn by roadies.

I’ve ridden a Morewood Ndiza (4″ travel 4X frame) as my trail bike for a couple of years now.

I’m just a tad under 6′ but have long legs, but with a long post it was great to pedal. I had adjustable forks to tighten it up for climbing.

A 4X bike is so much more fun than a trail bike. Especially for having a play in your local woods. It’s so much snappier and quicker reacting.

However, I’ve just sold it to my mate to get some readies together. Thinking about it makes me sad…why have I sold it!

I have a Cannondale reducer headset that I ahve just pulled from my Prophet frame. It has a low stack upper cup and a high 20mm lower cup.

If you’re concerned and want to usethe genuine Cannondale component, give me a shout, jjmcewan AT btinternet DOT COM, and perhaps we can do a deal.

Cheers, Joe.

Surely we all sit on a scale going from pedalling/fitness/endorphins one end and skills/adrenaline the other. Road/Track riding and race XC being at one end, DH/BMX at the other.

I suppose, what is you drug of choice should be the question; Endorphins or Adrenaline?

Personally I like to mix my drugs!

Nope, the reducer headset I have is an E13 type. It uses 1.5″ aluminium cups that hold normal 1.125″ bearings.

Doh! Scrub my idea. Gonna be tricky to get the bit you need to do a simple swap!

5lab, your idea would be correct if I had a 1.5 headset and wanted to fit tapered forks. A different lower crown race can’t fit a 1.5″ tube into a 1.125″ hole!

Looks like Suiperstar win out again. And in spangly colours.

Depending on whether I get hold of some forks, I might be in the same situation as you. 1.5″ bike, tapered forks.

However, I have an e13 reducer headset. Perhaps you could get hold of a 1.5″ headset. Then we could swap half each?

Email me at jjmcewan <@> btinternet {DOT} COM and perhaps we can sort something?

3k and 12k are the numbers of individual carbon fibres in a ‘tow’. A tow is a bundle of fibres.

T700, T800 and High Modulus are different fibre types.

Different tows and fibre types can be used in different types of composite. The most usual types are unidirectional lay-ups, woven or NCF (Non Crimped Fabric, a halfway house between UD and woven).

What is most important in composite frames, other than the manufacturing technique and tolerances, is the design. In particular what the direction percentages of the fibres are, how the interfaces are designed.

No amount of marketing spiel can give you any indication about the quality of a composite design. I would say that real world experience is the only good way too assess a composite frame. I.e. only buy from a company with a good record.

And a link to the company I work for: Aerocomp[/url]. Excuse a few typos and other errors, it’s a spangly new website.

http://www.dutycalculator.com/

That worries me. Although I’m an engineer, I’ve never got on with adjutable shocks.

In the past I’ve replaced a DHX5 with an old Vanilla RC as I could never set up the DHX. Although the DHX was a bugger with all of the various adjustment linked ion some way. As I understand it all of the CCDB adjustments are independent of each other?

I’m after a 200×50.