You're not using Kaesae's bearings are you?

Please mods, do the right thing!

Kaesae, apparently the only true bearing test is to shove them up your arse and fu(k off while you're doing it.

I have ridden SS for 2 years now as I had to sell my geared one. You might be surprised what climbs are possible using a 2:1 ratio. Just built up my new geared bike and am without a doubt a much better rider after SS. Smoother pedalling, less gear changing and now cleaning climbs that I haven't managed to do after years of trying. I've gone from fully rigid Ti SS with cantis to carbon full suss with discs and love riding both just as much. Give it a go if you can.

Cheers everyone. Will look into those. General riding really – wants to see if he really gets into it.

I'm a big fan of cheese, Cheshire or otherwise.

I'd love to follow this thread some more but I have to go and push a rusty old frayed gear cable through my scrotum.

My cat is not magic. It is lazy and sleeps in a Timbuk2 bag.

I honestly have no idea what bearings I use. They all seem to be hidden in the bike somewhere. Everything runs smoothly with no problems, so I guess they're quite happy. Threads like this make me worry about some people.

If you do use celery I found Waitrose organic was well worth the extra 69p.

Mountain bikes cause more erosion than horses you know. My reply? 'At least they don't 5hit all over the road'

Just for the bikes. They're always locked in there, but that didn't help my neighbour the other night. Was thinking up to 100 quid.

Any more?

Any more?

Up to my arse in debt, but I was up to my neck last year and just got a £7k payrise. I've got a funny feeling I won't notice it though somehow.

That 160 rotors don't give you enough stopping power,

You don't need a fancy carbon bike – On-One make all there bikes from steel and titanium . . . . . oh, hang on ….

The saddle will get comfier once it's been worn in.

Gluless patches don't work,

You need to replace your helmet every 3 years as the UV rays weaken it,

'No darling, that's the same bike I've always had. Ive just cleaned it'

DT Swiss 240's (Hugi)

Spds, Camelbak, Helmet.

I showed a non-biking friend The Collective. He went out the same week and got a decent bike and all the gear. He's been riding for 2 years now and wishes he'd done it years ago.

Seeing as I've just gone from singlespeed to a 3 x 9 I reckon my extra 26 gears are probably enough.

When I was a roadie I thought mountain bikers were rude. Pointless discussion.

Do we honestly need another one of these threads? Flogging a dead horse springs to mind.

The Orange 5 doesn't look right at all. I would try anything first if that's the other option.

I'm no tandem expert but fear this may not end well.

Small cushion under the rear mech. Never had a problem.

Cheap spds. Tension set low to start and don't assume you will have both pedals set on the same setting. Also remember to adjust both sides of the pedal!

They won't rust, they look shiny and will save little in weight. They will cost a fortune. My bike's covered in them because I'm a tart. No other reason. You will probably save more weight by carrying a lightweight spare tube rather than a standard one – that will cost about a fiver.

You must now go and thrash yourself with a bike chain until you bleed.

I'd forgotten how much better a bike looks with a thin film of dust on it. Happy days.

'Sram are inferior in every way' ? What a ridiculous sweeping statement.

In my old flat. 4 floors. Neighbours not as happy as I was.

Thread Closed

1/10. Must try harder.

Heels down, wrists down and try a slightly lower tyre pressure. Could be that your riding position isn't too bad, but too high pressure will not be very forgiving and will make it quite skittish.

How the hell am I supposed to keep up with the 2×10 crowd now with my slower front shifting? Jesus – shut up and ride!

Good idea to pass around the ranger's number. If he knows people are on his side and on the lookout, this will be a great help.

Totally agree with many of these comments. Ride anything fast and it will challenge even the best riders. I love that whole area – Leith, Pitch, Peaslake, Holmbury etc. Still think it's great that these sanctioned trails exist. It's a 25 min drive from my place, so is perfect. I can even get there pretty much all off road if I want to. For me I like riding with a handful of mates wheel to wheel, having tea and cakes at Peaslake or the tower and chatting with other riders and finding new routes that I haven't done before. This is why I ride and every time I do I feel lucky all this is virtually on my doorstep. To lose any aspect of the above would be a massive shame. There will always be the minority who think they own the place, but they are the minority, so let's keep it in context. As for the guys at Nirvana, I've not ridden with them, but they sorted out my bike this week within 24 hours when nobody else could, and they clearly know there stuff. Restored my faith in bike shops – helpful, quick, great service, great attitude and a top mechanic. Thanks to these guys I will be riding tomorrow and that means a lot to me.

Used one several times. Bloody good job it did too. Highly recommended.

Thanks Valleydaddy. Great work. PP – totally agree. It was Evans in Kingston. Need I say more!

Tried that and was told they can't order them.