DX aw bloody hell. DX don’t do the pads though?

works for me on a light hardtail… i already had 9speed stuff so just a case of not fitting LH shifter. also, it’s nice not having to think about that shift or getting the surprise when you’re not in the front ring you thought you were. downsides.. not quite enough range now i’ve put summer tyres on but i don’t care about speed on roads any more.

i’ll try them and let you know. his feedback is good. what could possibly go wrong? :p

Tartan tape.. this 19mm clear stuff?

http://www1.conrad-uk.com/scripts/wgate/zcop_uk/~flN0YXRlPTM4MjMyNzQ3NzY=?~template=PCAT_AREA_S_BROWSE&glb_user_js=Y&shop=UK&zhmmh_lfo=&zhmmh_area_kz=&product_show_id=545759&gvlon=&p_init_ipc=X&p_page_to_display=fromoutside&~cookies=1&gclid=&cookie_n%5B1%5D=uk_insert&cookie_v%5B1%5D=8V&cookie_d%5B1%5D=&cookie_p%5B1%5D=%2f&cookie_e%5B1%5D=Mon%2c+23-Apr-2012+18%3a01%3a56+GMT&scrwidth=1680

wait so the yellow tape is just tape? can i just use any kind of airtight tape around the right width? i have sealant, i’ll just buy some valves right?

go while you can.. general consensus amoungst my group is that they might not be around much longer. seems never busy enough (last time more staff than guests) and the great vibe/enthusiasm we got from the owner first time seems to have faded (don’t think its just us either!?). fwiw i don’t think it’s their fault, theyre in a difficult position. that’s a topic in itself.

i had the nicest lamb i’ve ever tasted from the mtb-ing chef first time i stayed there and it was not expensive (by SE prices).
sleep well and ride better, i think it’s worth it.

the lodge is great if you can get the family room(s) – also gives you a microwave very handy for a cheap meal – but they don’t seem to do such good deals as when i first went. has the only nice bar/restaurant around afaik.

No. It means “You Just Can’t Do It” in Finnish. Seriously:

http://www.acronymfinder.com/EVO.html

But the Hope Pro2: You Just Can’t Do It doesn’t have the same ring (or fit on the hub) so they went with EVO for short.

For it to be Evolution bikes would have to have sex and that’s a myth.

No idea, but I think I know what comes next:

I have no idea what this band sounds like.

Nor do i want to know really. Clearly very cool though.

Just got an “evo” wheel today dammit. guess i’ll have to add a letter…

Nevegal front/SB8 rear worked well for me in Wales even in the wet. that isn’t so surprising (SB8 is really a nevegal with 2x half size blocks), but i was suprised the Nevegal is a much better front tyre than back… but not as good as…

…Minion DHF, front and rear is very common advice btw, just not the 42a on rear..

well, with Wiggle + Hope i’m not worried about warranty support. depends on your LBS though, mine hates me (not really!) for always trying to price match vs online, i wasn’t going to waste their time asking them to build me one for £160. the rear hubs alone should cost £140 right, can’t see them below £127..

winstanleys – find the site v difficult to use, not sure they even have any now?

Wiggle will do a rear only for £166 + quidco = 161.02 if it pays out. can anyone beat that? please say today before it ships! The superstar option with cheapest spokes (could be Arch Ex though :/) works out at £140 i think, so £21 more for Hope, I think worth it. without a wiggle platinum account, add about £5.

FB=Fat Bastard?? I’m skinny as, but i ride pretty hard and often misjudge take offs and landings, so the Flow is insurance really.

gone with a Hope Hoops Flow (standard spokes), cheers all.

Will consider a Crest for the front later (my front wheel is already Hope, but 717 rim)

I’ve been riding a hardtail with a real heavy old back wheel (one i had spare) and nice light front wheel, and love the handling. recently swapped that back wheel for a 350g lighter one and hardly notice a huge difference there. so for my style, it’s heavy/strong back, light front, and apparently that’s what some enduro riders are doing now? someone mentioned the side to side wiggling you get with a flexy back wheel and that convinced me to go Flow – i hate that feeling. anyway, looking forward to trying the new wheel :)

ok, if its 15mm it’s at least M770? which is ok, if you like cup and cone hubs. i’d call Merlin and check though, QR rear could be anything. M756 was pretty bad, M756A is even worse – it’s even more m525 like (no rubbers seals, simplified axles.. check the tech docs! XT label is very misleading there imho). if its M770+ then sure it’s a good deal, so long as you’re ok with cup and cone maintenance.
i just felt conned (mostly by Shimano) because i got “xt” hubs from merlin and they have wasted my time and money, i’d steer (no pun intended) anyone away from them, probably towards cartridge bearing hubs unless you understand the difference.

these “xt” hubs are probably M756 which are awful. really Deore level. at least that’s what Merlin gave me when i got my wheels from them years ago. i’m about to buy some Hope to get away from them, constant adjustment needed on shimano and freehub problems. never had to touch my hope wheel..

how do people find the quality of build on Hope Hoops (Hope built)? i’m guessing not as great as a really good builder, but consistently good? anyone compared Hope builds to Moonglu or Merlin? I hear ZTR rims need lower tensions, not sure whether that’s good or bad though, as normally lower tensions = weaker wheels, up to a point.

I saw some Flows today (on superstar hubs, think he was a bit annoyed when i said he could have got Hope for £40 more the pair) and they are pretty massive, and deep, almost look like a vbrake rim. so not sure now, it may be overkill indeed.

yeah that’s the thing.. Crest in theory is what i need, but i want a wheel i’m confident will survive without denting or needing lots of truing. there was a wheel builder around saying he’s got 20% of Crest coming back with flat spots from hitting the rim. i ride a lot and i’m the guy who’ll hit the rim. think i’ll have to suck up the extra weight. it’s only 60g more for flow than the 717 i’m used to! i just don’t want to have to think about it. i realise you can break any wheel if you smash into logs/rocks of course.. i always seem to be harder on back wheels than front, which is where the Flow-R,Crest-F idea came from..

no one destroyed a Crest on rear then (355 is basically Crest no?)? what about bashing them from low pressure tubeless bad landings? looking at the cross section, i don’t have much faith in Crest. might end up with flow at both ends then. not like i’m racing anyway. i’m 63kg and ride sort-of AM (some welsh trail centres etc).

ok, but best deal on ArchEX is £340 at Moonglu? i’m having trouble justifying the £80 more when they “should” cost the same as the others (if/when Hope build them).

i think i’d destroy a Crest on rear, they’re single wall and softer alloy (compared to 717). and.. Flow is erm 120g heavier than Crest is that right?

How flexy is a Crest on front really? i’m light btw and don’t DH. i’m looking at Flow rear more as insurance against bad riding and low pressure pinches, i “should” be getting Crest both ends.

pssst guys: currently these are £261.36 at Wiggle if you have platinum account + 10% code EXTRA10 + possible quidco on top.
if you don’t have an account, then it’s still £267.30 + quidco
which AFAIK is best current deal around, can anyone do better??
thinking of going with flow rear + crest front, as the alternative is waiting for merlin to do ArchEx+Crest for about £30 more and probably not any better built.

Anyone else used Flow rear Crest front, i know Flow is wider, but is this ridiculous? i want strength at back and lightness at front basically.

Someone mentioned Arch Ex. the problem with Arch Ex is they’re not available on Hope factory wheels (nor is the old Arch), so you end up paying approx £50 more per wheel for them. which is ridiculous. Merlin should start building wheels with them from mid-March (spoke to them today) which should help a bit as they’re cheaper than most builders.. real PITA i’d be all over the Arch Ex now if I could.

this site up and down a lot eh? anyway

open any issue of Dirt magazine from the last year.. notice how all the bikes have Elixirs on them.

I suppose this is because they are 1) good and 2) cheap to OEMs.
unfortunately not such a good deal retail. i still buy them though, because of 1)

now glad i didn’t buy the XXs thanks for the info (not taking sintered pads? useless in the UK!).

are Elixirs perfect? no. not enough pad clearance. even the tiniest imperfection on rotor = annoying noises. going through mud also a problem ‘cos of this. and at least pre 2012, tend to not work after the bike is upside down, but a few pumps usually sorts them out.

sorry if i raised a dead thread.

thanks for one above, i’ll try to post here when i have one too. seems they don’t always include them, i got one with a small order but not a bigger order, weird.