I ran 1×10 a regular 11-36 with a 32t ring initially last summer and had some moments when I ran out of steam on the climbs (Isle of Man,very hilly) but since I went down to a Wolftooth 30t I’ve never regretted it, wouldn’t go back

Quite why I decided to pass a razor sharp blade through the top of my index finger I’ll never know…!

I’d argue that was more like the bottom of your finger. The top infers towards the nail. Depends which you hold it up I suppose.

Good effort nonetheless

Troy Lee 5400 or the Scott ones which are pricey but very good

I can’t even go back and look at that foot it is hideous. Wtf happened?

Nasty infection got in a cut under a toe and killed all the tissue in my foot. That photo was taken after they’d operated to remove all the dead stuff. The maggots went in next!

Heavens, that foot is the worst l have seen. I would imagine that is as close to losing it as you could get.

Did the foot work properly after it healed up?

Yes, apparently I was pretty close to losing it, although they didn’t tell me that at the time, I was smacked off my tits on Tramadol so I wouldn’t have paid attention in any case :)

This is what it looks like now, bit of a wonky second toe, but otherwise perfect

Are we really going to turn this in to a contest?

My foot after something nasty got in to a cut under one of my toes during a ski season? Prompted two months in hospital, five ops and a MASSIVE scar now it’s all recovered.

That’s me bottom left after I sent it to Nuts magazine to try and get a grand for my troubles! They gave me **** all

Park up at Heysham or Liverpool and come on the boat with your bike. The event starts and finishes in Douglas and the boat docks there.

If you’re staying in Douglas too then it’s not much of a hindrance at all

Sounds mega gaVgAs, see you on 6th May

And this one will shortly be closed….

The new lever and master cylinder comes filled with mineral oil and sealed with a sticky thing with a tab. The hose should be virtually full to the end of the barb if you’re careful so all being well it shouldn’t need a bleed.

It isn’t simple to just ‘top up’ the New shape Shinano systems as you need the bleed funnel ideally

A dry and hot summer in 2013 went to shit five days before last years event and made it very wet and muddy.

I’ve done it 9 times and live 5 minutes from the finish. It’s about 40 miles in total over varied terrain. Nothing overly technical these days as tight stuff wouldn’t accommodate the 1750 entries as the organisers found to their cost in 2012.

It still generates good camaraderie though and the whole of one side of the island virtually stops for a day. Under 4 hours will generally get you in the top 100 or thereabouts.

Certainly a must do event

Got a row of 7 along my shed wall using these at alternating heights. Pretty cheap and easy to put up. Just needed to nip a section off the hook for chunkier tyres.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/x-tools-wallmount-bike-storage-hanger/rp-prod10230

Good piece of kit but I couldn’t fit either of my mtbs through the hook: 2.35 Hans Dampf on flow rim or 2.5 DH tyre. That’s despite cutting a fair bit off the hook.

Road bike sits well on it though, I imagine a 2.2 or below tyre will go through fine. Very well made and secure

What about tax, duty etc?
I want a Wolf tooth narrow wide as they are the only place that do the 88mm BCD for XTR race chain sets
Ordering both together would be good

I’ve ordered two N/W rings from Wolftooth in the past twelve months and not paid a penny on duty. Not sure whether I’ve been lucky or if they are too insignificant for the customs chaps to bother with

I don’t think we’ve quite got to the stage of paying biking royalty to ride including their travel expenses but if the series takes off I’ll give you a shout :D

There’s a big skutch of Manxies coming over for it John, the skinny type who ride on Tarmac too much.

The rest of us proper mountain bikers are busy organising our first Gravity Enduro at the end of next month, you should come over for it instead of the e2e :)

I worked for BV in the Les Arcs/La Plagne valley. The area and sorrounding valleys is just so vast it would entertain you for a whole two month season without fail. From Bourg St Maurice base you’ve got LA/LP, La Ros & La Thuile, St Foy, Tignes/Val D, Cormet de Roseland, Côte D’Aime, Beaufortain, even over the back of La Plagne towards Courchevel.

It’s massive and the local IGN maps are surprisingly accurate even showing the sneakiness of trails.

The beauty of it is that if you stay in BSM, everything in the sorrounding valleys drops back in to it and if you finish off down in Moutiers or Albertville you just get the train back.

I may be biased as I lived there but it gets my vote

And this month’s “picture of a Pro 2 freehub that the cassette has eaten in to” award goes to Renton!

This has been happening to my Pro 2 hubs since my first set in 2006. I’ve replaced the pawl springs every so often and filed off the worst of the gouges. I’ve continued to use them and the universe is yet to implode so I think you’ll be fine :D

if the police had grounds to suspect then he would be guilty of failing to provide
I may be wrong on this, but that’s not a crime in and of itself, is it? My understanding was that you could freely refuse a breath test without penalty and opt to provide a urine sample back at the station instead. Most people don’t choose this for fairly obvious reasons, but they’re allowed to. I think.

If you fail to provide at the roadside and the copper thinks you’re over the limit, then you get locked up. Then if you fail to give any evidential sample at the nick you get charged with failing to provide which in many cases is a sterner sentence than being, for example one and a half the limit.

If you fail to provide at the roadside and the copper doesn’t think you’re over the limit then you get reported for summons and sent on your way.

In the example of this copper and this protestor (or whatever he calls himself) then only the copper who initially a) accused him of stinking of intoxicants b) said he knew he’d driven that morning is in the wrong. The other lads are only acting on the information passed by the first guy, a Sergeant

It’s a road side breathalyzer test.
He must be stopped whilst in control of a vehicle.
He cannot have been drinking after exiting the vehicle.

That’s completely incorrect. Under the road traffic act a uniformed officer has the power to enter a property and require a person they suspect to have been driving whilst over the limit to take a roadside breath test. If they refuse, or fail it, they get locked up to give an evidential sample at a police station. They then have the power to search the vehicle and the premises and interview the person (when sober) to investigate any post consumption claims. A civilian expert then considers the results of the evidential sample and what the suspect claims to have post consumed to give a verdict as to whether they were over the limit at the time of driving.

The claim that they have to be caught behind the wheel is poppycock

All UST are tubeless but all tubeless aren’t UST. Many non UST rims are convertible to tubeless these days with the correct rim tape/strip. It’s a different system to UST though which was pioneered by Mavic.

Stans rims are excellent, easily convertible and shallow making inflating simple

I’d recommend leaving a note attached to it stating the expected time of return so the local mountain rescue don’t get turned out :D

I’d be going for the Cube Stereo if you’ve got another £99 spare

http://www.ubyk.co.uk/cube-stereo-super-hpc-160-race-650b-2014/14857

Touché esteemed former colleague

Speaking from experience, I presume, Neil?

Bump for the evening crowd

My last road lid was a Prevail and my Radars fitted perfectly in the front so it sounds like size is THE main factor.

…and you’re right, it didn’t really help but thanks for the post nonetheless :D

It’s the cable guide. LBS should be able to order you one from the Fishers b to b site if they are listed

I worked at a Trek dealer and paid about £1200 for the complete bike in its original guise, sold everything apart from the frame and suspension units then fitted all my own bits on it. It was a calculated risk :)

Voilà

I had the same issues with a General Lee adaptor last year. It drove me so insane in the end I sold it on here and now put up with a regular 11-36 cassette and just pedal harder.

The thing that I worked out in the end is that unfortunately regular 10 speed mechs just aren’t meant to cater for a 42t gear. The original design of the mech is such that when the b-tension is so far in that it clears the 42t cog, it is picking up so ‘late’ on the cog that the chain struggles to catch on the next gear up. If you decrease the b-tension the top jockey wheel just catches the biggest cog and the whole thing is at risk of tying itself in a knot.

The SRAM 11 speed mechs move in a different manner to older mechs which thrusts the top jockey wheel forward at the top end of the cassette, this allows it to clear the cog and pick up the next gear.

Unfortunately 10 speed mechs aren’t made for the job. I’ll not be messing about with a botched set up again but waiting until the 11 speed wide range cassettes and mechs become more affordable

Is that the underside of down tube down to the BB? The top pic?

I would say so, looking from the headset end with the bike upside down…chainring visible in RHS of photo.

I’ve drilled my seat tube just above where the front mech band would sit (if a ran one) on my Rumblefish. My old man then made me an aluminium top hat shaped insert with a hole drilled at 45 degrees through the centre so that the cable runs in to the frame at a nice acute angle and doesn’t risk getting sawn on the sharp edges of the hole. This is then held in with Loctite.

Works a treat and love the clean lines

I had mine done in 2010 aged 28. Cost a fair bit (£2k+) it’s the best money I’ve ever spent. Well, that my parents have ever spent :)

It’s a cliché but it’s really changed my life. I forget these days how reliant I was once on specs and how my contacts used to rule my life. Painful for about four hours and uncomfortable for another week or so. Since them I’ve never looked back…pun very much intended :)

SPD pedals

29er versions available before end of Jan according to their FB feed

…sorry I’m late, so what did I miss. Pass over those Hob Nobs would you nobeerinthefridge

Easyjet rules changed. Post now redundant

Mudgugger 29er version available at end of Jan, I’ve got the front one which is excellent

I’m running Hans Dampfs now for regular conditions and would say they’re pretty poor in mud. They clog quickly and don’t offer very much grip, hence the search for something more mud dedicated

Select front and rear from the menu…still only £288. Bargain tastic

If it’s within warranty then send it back, that’s what it’s there for. A much better solution than spending £75 on a service

shhhh, some of us have been waiting ages, and don’t need johnny-come-lately to rush in and buy all the stock!

Ha ha. I bore that in mind. You will no doubt notice that I didn’t say where it was available on that date :D