I usually set it by hand without a cable, push it across until the limit screw stops it going further, check by eye from the rear of the bike that it’s in line with 1st gear, if it’s not aligned adjust the limit screw to suit then attach the cable. Not sure if any of that makes sense, or if its the ‘correct protocol’ but it works for me

Check the upper limit screw (without a cable attached), I recently had a mate with issues getting into 1st gear (it would just shift up but had a LOT of resistance on the lever) on a bike I’d sold him. I’d never had any problems with gears so said I’d have a look at it. Turned out he’d been fiddling with the limit screws with the bike in 1st gear and cable attached, it wasn’t far out but meant the mech was basically being forced into 1st. He was amazed how much ‘lighter’ the shifting was afterwards

If shimano am9 is on the list the me7 is worth a look as well, I’ve recently started using me7’s having used am9’s for years, stiffer sole took a bit of getting used to but I prefer them now. They are a narrower fit around the toes so possibly worth going up a size.
Both have ventilation holes in the toe area tho, the older am9’s didn’t and kept your feet drier

I was up there last Monday, the ticket office said the lower part in the woods was open but there was still a fair bit to finish further up. It looks good and they still plan to open at some point this year but I’d have say it definitely won’t be open by next weekend

I’ve been using a cheap revolution branded track pump for a good few years with an airshot, no issues so far, pointless spending a lot on the pump when the airshot does the hard bit

I’ll start by saying I’ve never actually done the ‘blue route’ as a loop but apart from around 1 mile of singletrack at the start/finish (the same bit in opposite directions which is shared use with walkers etc)the whole thing is fireroad/gravelroad and has nothing challenging for an experienced mtber. Sunday will probably be the busier day of the weekend but most people seem to stay on the red/black loop these days. The climb up to do poltys/k line/transmission isn’t bad and shouldn’t take long as an add on to the blue

‘wonder if the rear derailleur cage is bent’?

I’d say this ^^^^^ from that pic, it could just be the angle the pic was taken from but the cage looks slightly twisted to me

Dhr2 DD Maxterra 2.3? I’d say it’s the best year round rear tyre and I’m told it rolls better than the 2.4WT. I haven’t personally tried the 2.4WT but I have a 2.5WT DHF Maxxgrip on the same type of rim and it works fine

Assuming Blue Steel doesn’t open on time, I’m guessing it’s not worth the gondola ticket for the family for just the Top Chief? I get the impression it’s quite full on…

I was at Nevis Range yesterday and the ticket office said the blue still needs a fair bit of work but a bridge was recently finished so they still plan to get it open this year (I’d have to say it definitely won’t be open nxt weekend). The Top Cheif and World Cup track were both absolutely bone dry, and if I’m honest I found the World Cup track the less tiring of the 2 (on a 150mm 29er) in those conditions (I’d only ever ridden them very wet before yesterday) but the forecast was for heavy rain in the next couple of days

Assuming Blue Steel doesn’t open on time, I’m guessing it’s not worth the gondola ticket for the family for just the Top Chief? I get the impression it’s quite full on…

I was at Nevis Range yesterday and the ticket office said the blue still needs a fair bit of work but a bridge was recently finished so they still plan to get it open this year (I’d have to say it definitely won’t be open nxt weekend). The Top Cheif and World Cup track were both absolutely bone dry, and if I’m honest I found the World Cup track the less tiring of the 2 (on a 150mm 29er) in those conditions (I’d only ever ridden them very wet before yesterday) but the forecast was for heavy rain in the next couple of days

this is extremely uncomfortable.

The flame retardant boilersuit, sleeves, gauntlets and welding hood I’ve had on all day have been pretty uncomfortable, over 30° in the workshop but that’s just part of the job unfortunately. No offence to op but it makes me laugh when people complain of it being too hot to work in an office

Last night I passed a guy riding on an A road, not particularly busy, on what looked like a time trial bike, not in the middle of the road but nowhere near the curb either. Most of the cars in front passed him VERY closely with very few slowing down, then about a mile later on the same road but going in the opposite direction was a young girl on a horse, with around 25 cars behind her and not a single one making any attempts to pass, while going at pretty much walking pace. There is an irrational hatred of cyclists in general in the UK and any legislation to give more protection to us on the roads will be 110% ignored by the people who hold that view, as already pointed out it will make some of them even worse as they know the current rules are not enforced so there are no consequences anyway

England played decent football

We didn’t have a shot on target after the goal in the second minute and Italy had around 65% possession

Putoline HPX R 2.5w in all my Shimano brakes. Seems to have sorted the wandering bite point and I paid less than £10 delivered.

Good to hear as I’ve just bought a litre of this, haven’t actually tried it yet but a few people have recommended it recently

Kinetic bearings should have what you will need and they’re usually better quality than those originally in the frame

Warner said it was a large puddle on a flatter section before the 1st split that caused the later riders to lose time, most were at least 4 seconds down on Daprela by that point and had no chance of catching up. The weather did sort of spoil the race as it got steadily wetter and less grippy, but as already pointed out Brosnan was outside the top 40 despite being down quite early when it wasn’t that wet. Personally I thought the track was everything a dh world cup should be, multiple lines the whole way down and loads of opportunities to lose/make up time. Tracks with one obviously faster line (Leogang original or Pietermaritzburg for example) mean fractions of a second can make all the difference, so riders hit higher speeds with bigger consequences if it goes wrong. I’ve heard several say it seems like tracks were being designed to suit TV broadcasting rather than challenging the best riders and the risks involved weren’t worth it

I’ve found a 2.3 MaxxTerra Double Down to be fine on the rear, haven’t tried the 2.4 but I’ve read more than once the 2.3 rolls noticably better. Tredz had them in stock last time I looked (29). I usually run either DHF or Shorty on the front, exo Maxxgrip

I dunno I think it’s maybe just because it’s so fresh it looks a bit unbuilt. The run in to that gap is just a horribly muddy wide featureless slope.

Most of the riders are saying its EXACTLY the type of track they’ve been asking for as there is no obvious line on most of the track, time can be made up and lost on almost every corner and its changing every run. I think they were cutting some of the biggest roots away on the run into the gap out of the woods last night after practice, should be a good race on Saturday and the track should suit the British riders

USWE get good reviews, apparently really stable on your back, haven’t used one personally but a mate swears by his. Personally prefer Evoc to Osprey although both are decent enough

Schwalbe Rock Razor, I can’t say I’ve ever thought of using it on the front but I’ve found the supergravity soft to be a good rear option, surprisingly grippy for a semi slick. Not sure if they do it in the lighter casing but it’s defo worth looking into

+1 for Shimano me7, having used am9’s for years the stiffer sole took some getting used to but I prefer them now although I do use Crank Brothers mallet dh and haven’t tried on pedals without a cage. They cost more than £100 tho

Yes, but I doubt its worth the hassle of doing it by 1 mile. I know a lad who had around 40000 miles clocked off a ford transit connect a few years ago, he had no problem boasting about it in the local bar and had already sold it

, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to keep the rear wheel controlled under braking

As already suggested, if this ^^^^^ is the main draw of full suss there are better options than a single pivot frame as the rear brake prevents the suspension from working to its full potential. On the upside if the bike is to be ridden all year round there is far less maintenance required. I have a 27.5 hardtail and a 29er full suss and there’s very little that I’d do on the full suss that I wouldn’t do on the hardtail, slightly slower on the hardtail and definitely more tired the next day. As far as justification goes, you only live once, if you want it and can afford it then go for it, just don’t expect to suddenly become a better rider because of the bike

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-06-21/amazon-destroying-millions-of-items-of-unsold-stock-in-one-of-its-uk-warehouses-every-year-itv-news-investigation-finds

After reading this ^^^^^^^ they should just send the correct item and tell everyone in future to donate it to a charity of their choice (or just keep it) in these situations

Internal cables?

When I realised the YT Jeffsy I’d just bought had internal guide tubes I thought it would be a doddle fitting new cables, wrong!!!
The exit points at the rear of front triangle face upwards, so any muddy water runs down into the guide tubes and can end up blocking them enough to make refitting a f****n nightmare if it dries, similar design to a u bend in a toilet. It was easier on my old Mondraker without guide tubes

Availability of bikes in that price range is probably going to be something to consider at the moment. I’d definitely be looking at used hardtails if I was buying these days as there’s been a load of bikes bought through the lockdowns that will probably not be used much now the shops/pubs/gyms are opening up again

Their point is to make money for the owner of the site from adverts / commission from the insurers.

This ^^^^^^^

Getting you a better deal on insurance is way down on their list of priorities

And they’re 29ers.

Orange Alpine is not a 29er, older enduro had the option of either wheel size. I had a 2011 enduro and was advised/convinced to buy the medium when I was unsure on sizing. I’m around 5’8 and after a few rides I knew it was too small and wished I’d ignored the shops advice and bought the large, a mate had similar issues with a Cube but frames have got longer every year since then. No chance I’d buy a 2nd hand full suss Orange tho

The only reason not to, in my eyes anyway, would be the fact that the lower will more than likely need to be replaced in the near future and I’d personally do them both at the same time (I’d actually get a shop/mechanic to do it to be honest) to save the hassle of stripping the bike down again. Bearings I can manage myself, getting cups out of a carbon frame I doubt I’d trust myself to not damage something

Acros headset bearings are bonded or pressed into the cups and can’t be replaced, the whole headset has to be replaced. Jeffsy owner, the headset is still usable ( just )but the bearings would’ve been replaced if it was a simple case of swapping them for new, like EVERY other bike I’ve ever owned

Yer average Joe or Joanne will struggle to give “good reason” to possess one.

A mate of mines next door neighbour was given a license for a 44 magnum a couple of years ago, reason given was his hunting rifle was too cumbersome to dispatch a deer at close range (after it had been first shot with said rifle). As far as I know he’s still trying to find a way of getting his hands on the magnum and I’m pretty sure whoever gave him the license knew fine well he’d have just as much luck finding hens teeth in the UK these days. Most people he went shooting with apparently couldn’t believe he got the license

If iIlived in the US, I think I’d be looking to

Emigrate to Canada

anyone can conceal carry without permit, license or training.

But it’s good to know they still require permits if you were to buy a fishing rod instead of a firearm. I personally think, while in most of the world its normal to not own a gun, trying to ban them in America now is like shutting the stable door when the horse is already 5 miles down the road. Can’t see why assault rifles were ever deemed suitable for public sale in the first place but when they have already had over 230 mass shootings this year I can’t see anyone that owns one giving it up voluntarily, especially when a lot of people see fellow Americans as the enemy because of who they voted for last year

I’ve recently bought a pair having used am9’s for years, they are a fair bit narrower than the am9’s and I would agree with this

the “lace” system under the flap is best left relatively loose

Personally, while the tread on the soles ‘should’ make them better that the am9’s for hike a bike/push up riding, I find that unless the ankle ratchet is uncomfortably tight my heels lift when off the bike, probably because most of the soles don’t bend when the arch of your foot does. They also let water in far more easily than the old am9 due to the ventilation holes on the toe

Using Sam Hill signature model Seven iDP pads at the minute and can’t fault them in any way ( possibly on price), the actual pad moulds to the shape of your knee when it warms up when riding so after 10 mins u can’t tell they’re there. They also do a lightweight version with less padding

I recently changed headset bearings on a mates Reign advanced, he bought the whole headset (fsa branded)for around £35 but not sure where from, although I only swapped the actual bearings. If you can’t find one have a look at kinetic bearings website, I’d be surprised if they don’t have the right bearings. If numbers aren’t visible I’d measure them with a vernier gauge

I’m fed up of having to constantly true and re-tension

I’m no expert but I thought one of the main selling points of a carbon rim is that it will always stay true? Mt E Thirteen trsr have never buckled in the slightest in 2 years. Sorry but no experience of recent Mavic wheels

They do exist, bought an m7000 shifter and cassette for a mate yesterday and there’s a blanking plate in the box with it. SJS Cycles are usually good for Shimano spares (I think it’s SJS), could be wrong on that but they definitely exist. I also have one on my winter hardtail with a bit of gorilla tape instead of the blanking plate which has worked perfectly well for the last 3 years or so

GT RTS1, my dad started laughing when I pointed it out and said his car cost less

keep the shorty on the front and have a DHR on the rear

This^^^^^^, 2.5 maxxterra Shorty up front and 2.3 maxxterra dd DHR2 on the rear, unless riding a lot of hardpack/rocky/trail centre stuff where I would generally swap the shorty for a 2.5 maxxgrip dhf. Schwalbe rock razor is a good option on the rear and is surprisingly grippy for a semi slick, I’d only run a shorty on the rear if I was doing uplifts