The TI FLY only looks as well padded as my I-Beam Bel Air anyway. I found I soon toughened up, even on my hardtail. Have had them on both bikes for a couple of years now: happy.

Ah! Too much cable tension, that’s exactly it! Thanks to everyone and especially pdw. It’s scary what sleep deprevation does to me. Time to head to the man cave for a fettle.

So if I read you correctly: it can’t be too small, as he’s having so much fun.

Jeffus: that sounds perfect for me, wanna sell? 😉

Edit: 240mm of seat post showing not 340mm!
Other thing I should have said is I have about 20mm layback on the seat post (it’s an I-beam). This may mean I’m compensating for the frame being too short and have my weight too far back? What do others think? Would mean I could move the saddle in line on a 17″ and still have the same reach with my 70mm stem. Hmmm maybe my ramblings are no use at all.

5’9” on a 16″ with 70mm stem here. Can’t imagine riding something ~20mm longer on my local trails, but I’d like to try in case I’m wrong! It’s a 2005 model, so has a straight top tube and about the right crotch clearance when stood over it. But you’d be looking at ones with the bent TT, I’d guess, so might be Ok with the 18″. However, I’d need to try an 18″ with a 50mm stem to be convinced about using the stem, on a do it all bike, to correct the fact it’s too long for me (if that is in fact the case). I tried a 50mm on mine: great going down, shocking going up. Ok I could put the saddle forward on an 18″ which would help, but there is a point at which stems get too short for all round riding. I like a lot of body English and the trails I ride are very technical so sitting in between the wheels and spinning doesn’t work for me. 70mm stem keeps the weight over the front when I want it there, but I’m nicely position, i.e. not too stretched, to get my weight back when I need to, which is pretty often around here. I have about 340mm of seat post showing in the raised position, too much? Enough of my needy rambling.

I’m chuffed to bits my Inbred is versatile and has rack mounts. They do no harm afterall and now i can add some gears and a seat for the lad until he’s old enough to ride his own bike. Perfect. No quality complaints either.

Great answers, thanks everyone. 🙂

Folded over a couple of times so the top is open: works for me in Oz. Guess it depends how hot you get (how fit you are 😉 ). Extra padding between head and helmet is nice too.

Seriously Ton, are you too special to use the chat forum?

Beards…have nothing to do with bikes

Hey Ton, are you special or something? Why is this in the bike forum?

But the seat tube is (presumably) 2″ shorter on the 16″ than the 18″; the “press release” says 1″ drop from a standard 18″?

Really? Lot of effort / risk for a £25 item. Stop being tight and buy a new one!
🙂

Baffling is right! Best thing is to look up the ETRTO sizes on their website. Crossmark 2.1’s and 2.35 High Rollers are listed as the same size! So not unlikely your 2.25 is bigger than a 2.35 HR.

I’m running 2.35 High roller on Crest with no issues.

Which is a 2.1 in reality.

Convert is spot on.
If it helps, my Crests have a “recommended pressures” sticker on them which only goes up to 2.2. Saying that, I’ve used a true 2.35 and didn’t notice any ill effects.

Brand-X elbows have served / saved me over the last few years. The knee & shins slip down though (so I swapped to RaceFace). Much better vented than a neoprene sleeve. Cheap as chips.

Not yet….
🙂

Edit: found them: spam folder.

Note: I use standard Maxxis tyres; may be different for other brands or UST / tubeless ready.

1. Fit the Stan’s tape
2. If it’s a new tyre: fit with an inner tube, inflate and leave for as many days as you can.
3. Without putting the tyre on the ground: swap the inner tube for the separate valve, be careful to only remove the bead on one side; remove the core, but only if your using a track pump (I can’t pump hard enough / fast enough with the valve core in); pop the tyre bead back on.
4. Inflate the tyre to 40 psi to make sure it’s seated fully.

Tips if you’re using a track pump:
a) keep the wheel off the floor
b) squash the tyre with one hand around the valve so it seals somewhat whilst pumping with the other hand
c) once the tyre is seated, refit the core by using you finger to stop too much air leaking while you swap the pump for the valve core – then make sure it is up to 40psi and thus fully seated

5. Make a brew. Then fill tyre with sealant by removing the core and filling through the hole. The 60ml Stan’s bottles make this easy with their pointed cap. Again: keep the wheel off the ground, in the frame or something.

Tip
d) spin the wheel so that valve is at 9 o’clock, put the sealant bottle to the valve and rotate wheel to 6 o’clock whilst filling. Reverse to take the bottle off = less sealant everywhere!

6. Inflate tyre, then spin and shake to coat the inside with sealant. Flick the wheel to get sealant down to any leaking areas. Lying the wheel on one side can help.

7. Go for a spin, to make sure there’s a good coating of sealant inside and keep an eye out the tyre doesn’t go down over the next couple of days. Once it’s ‘bedded-in’ should be worry free.

You’ll need:
-Stan’s yellow self adhesive tape (to seal the spoke holes)
-A valve – with a removable core: so you can top up the sealant easily (not strictly essential but highly recommended)
-Sealant
-Standard tyre – no need for tubeless ready or UST
-an inner tube (if it’s a new tyre)
-a track pump / compressor / co2 cartridge

Cheers people.

Leaning towards Dirt 3. Is FIFA 11 any good?

On one

I know it’s Friday but come on try harder!

Depending on what 36t ring you have, shifting up from a 22t granny may not be as smooth as with a 36t SLX ring, for example. Your 36t may have ramps designed to pick up from say a 26t or 24t inner, whereas SLX 36t is designed to work with a 22t inner ring. How much difference it makes in the real world I don’t know, but if you like the 36/22 combo you might go for an SLX 36t or equivalent come replacement time.

Have you tried shaking the wheel and lying it down, alternating sides, so that some sealant leaks through the rim/bead area and seals any gaps?

I know! Hence my question; that kind of money is a lot to find out I’ve bought a dud!

Frame weights should be the comparison surely? What’s a “stock FIVE”?

Found it!

Look’s complicated, but if read carefully actually quite simple and well explained.

Never had an issue with medium cage X9 and an 11-34 or 11-32 cassette. The length of a long cage SRAM is only required for granny and smallest few on the cassette combinations. But there’s no point and good reasons not to cross the gears that far, so non-issue IMO.

There’s a great thread on this somewhere. I’ll link if I can find it.

20 psi front
30 psi rear
Stan’s crest rim with yellow sealing tape
A local version of Stan’s sealant (genuine stuff is $$ over here)
Standard bead Nevegal SWS
Full susser
13 stones of me

Been spot-on for 12 months, no burping, no punctures

whats wrong with 3×9 anyway

Ground clearance.
That’s the only reason I’m 2×9. Fed up getting left behind on the 500m of road on the way home though!

Endura Hummvee Lite:
Very thin lightweight material at the front
Tough Cordura seat at the back (like regular Hummvees)
Lightweight clickfast liner (if that’s you sort of thing, I use roadie bibs under my baggies: so much better)

Think there’s a Bike Radar review

2005 16″ with 150mm Revs

Exactly!! LOL

No need for a (relatively heavy) UST tyre, that’s kinda the point of Stan’s rims! Standard tyre plus sealant plus the yellow Stans rim tape plus a valve is all you need. You don’t need the whole Stan’s kit, ie you don’t need the black rubber strip with a valve in it.

Easton Monkeylite carbon bars have been flawless for me over a couple of years, so maybe the Haven (711mm) or EC70 XC in oversize 685mm.

Carbon seat posts: last time I considered them they seemed a lot of £’s for very little or no weight saving. Plus, as someone who likes to drop the saddle often they damage easily. I’ve also seen them damaged by over enthusiastic clamping, something I could easily do when the bloods pumping or I’m tired.

I went for an SDG Bell Air and post but I-beam – £55 for the pair, a 185g railed saddle would be more than that alone, and the post is 220g, which is lighter than a Thompson? The carbon version of the post saves 20g IIRC, so not worth considering for me. No issues in 3 years. Don’t be tempted by the even lighter I-Fly I-beam saddle though, weight trimmed down to the point of being uncomfortable, even on a FS (I-beam has less give than rails) and no real nose to sit on for climbing. I mostly ride a hardtail, which has toughened my behind up noticeably, but still didn’t get in with the I-Fly I-Beam. My buddy uses the railed version so must be a different feel.

With Bolt-on, you whip the bolts out and the wheel comes straight out, no faff, job done.

That’s a good point. Would work with my bolt through Pro II as well though. Except I’d only need to undo one side to pull the bolt through and release the wheel. Plus, when reassembling, the bolt through would hold everything in place while I got the nut on the other side. Does bolt-in hold better than bolt through? Do you use chain tugs as well?

Edit: the axel (a Hadley) is snug, but doesn’t need to be drifted. I can remove it by hand, admittedly after some minor fettling when new.

I tried the extentricker before getting the Forwards BB. The extentricker kept slipping and harder to adjust. The forwards BB doesn’t look like it will hold, but it does and works well.

I’d agree with all of that.

Not sure what you mean Reggie: the bore diameter of the Hope bearing and the bore of the Shimano top hat is nominal the same…..seeing as the same (Shimano size) axle will work inside both.

But I agree it doesn’t sound like the best idea to have an axle inside a converter, inside a top hat, inside a bearing. Would probably work to get you out of a fix, but long term? Can’t help, sorry.

Let’s not forget that 2.35 Minions & High Rollers are 52-559, so about 2.1 in reality. Other Maxxis tyres are more accurate:

Crossmark 2.1 (52-559)
Advantage 2.1 (52-559)