Cheers 🙂

I notice they're not using the tyres Orange generally ship with their bikes, swapped for something decent 😉

Oh dear, now he's getting the hump and calling me irate and impatient. Apparently, no-one else has ever complained so much or been so impatient. I only said I was disapointed by the lack of an order acknowledgment, dispatch confirmation or response to my emails. I am totally prepared for a long wait, but some communication initiated by him would be nice.

Doh!

And you'll only have to fix punctures on the trail rather than faff at home in your spare time, er no thanks: tubeless for me.

Four trail side tyre faffs in three years = convinced. Last ride out my group had six punctures IN ONE RIDE, not me.

I find it much easier to keep topped up without stopping/remembering to eat. If you pick the right ones they have electrolytes too, so "better" than water. Plus they don't have the fat of pork pies! Gradual fuelling over the whole ride. I watch my buddies (who are naysayers) fade fast after around 2 hrs and that convinces me. The non-electrolyte consumers always get cramp too, but not me, anymore!

Around an hour and you don't need extra fuel, but after that, perfect. 5 hour rides would need a lot of food stops to keep properly fuelled with the carbo to body weight info Matt Hart suggested.

disco brakes on ebay

Previously superstar but always found them too thick (Hayes HFX) so looked around and will be sticking with these now – thinner and bedded in much quicker too.

The screwdriver type X-Tools one looks good – anyone know if it fits middleburn XTR rings?

Yeah, and if there's a rock handy I'll use that to install the chainset too. Screwdriver on one side of a tiny alu slot? No thanks: false economy when it slips/chamfers the edge away. Especially as (hopefully) I'll have the tool for the rest of my cycling days.

Here's the X-Tools chainring peg spanner

I sometimes get a slightly patronised feeling from some work colleagues, as though they think I'm a big kid, playing in the woods on my bike. Quite annoying really, especially as there's some truth in it! If only they could see the places we go, distances involved and the skills, strength and fitness required, they'd have a lot more respect. But that would mean leaving the sofa; it's dark and cold out there you know, it might even rain!

I agree, at this end of the market it's Shimano, end of discussion. SLX or XT they're both good. There may be minor improvement in the shifting but you start from bloody good anyway. So it's mainly the 40g (ish) weight saving that separates the two. The XT has an aluminium inner sprocket verses SLX steel, so there will be a significant difference in the longevity of this ring. My inner XT ring had noticable wear after 6 months, steel ones go on and on, IME. Up to you to decide which is more important, wear, weight or the logo on the side. You can of course replace rings individually, so no-one would know you had a steel inner on the XT when the time comes to replace it.

I think I've seen XT on Ebay for £120, they're £130 at Merlin Cycles online

SLX – around £90 online

SLX – 315g
XT (11-32) – 256g

Worth the extra £10, for me. Also, I have an alu free hub which needs all the help it can get re sprockets digging in.

Keep 'em coming

Deore with holes drilled through to look like XTR (ish), nice anyway and the exact cranks I have on my SS, hmmmmm I know a powdercoater as well

Wow! What cranks are they?

Go for it is my first piece of advice! After a very brief start on a hardtail, I was FS only for years before I was encouraged to get a SS. For me, all the cliches about hardtails and a SS one at that, were true. It really did make me a better rider. The single speed has improved my technique (carrying speed/not braking, picking lines etc) and strength hugely. I remember my first spring ride after a winter on the SS, the White's Level first ascent was a pleasure. I now ride my Inbred more than my Orange 5.

On-one Inbred (26") or the Scandal 29er are all you need, great riding frames and the price is just the icing on the cake. Steel frame are more forgiving on your rearend.

But they may involve some building yourself, handy if you have a load of spares in your garage. And there are many ghetto and expensive solutions to convert existing non SS specific bikes to run with one gear too. If you're looking for a complete new bike though, some common 26" ones are:

Genesis IO
Orange P7
Cotic Simple
Charge Duster

I'll leave it to others to suggest 29ers.

I-fly and aluminium micro adjust post here. 6 months and no problems, completely forgotten about it which is a good sign. Very secure clamp can't understand why anyone would overtighten it (hope you don't have carbon bars!). So secure you need to twist the saddle to get the clamp to release after loosening the screw or it doesn't move. Some people have reported the clamp separating form the post in cold weather (press fit) this will be the first winter so can't really comment but hoping they are just a vocal minority.

Nike gillet & jacket in one

The sleeves pack in to the rear pocket with room to spare. Running jacket with drop tail but not the short front of cycling jackets. Not found that a problem = good coverage and looks good off the bike. Very windproof material, one for colder days and looks like it will be decently showerproof too.

XC riding…then why not just the standard inbred? Could save you some weight and with a smaller top tube is it more compliant and therefore more comfy than the 456? It's fine for 5" forks too, I love mine with my 130mm Rockshox. I went for the 16" even though I'm nearly 5'10 and glad I did. Loads of standover and with the top tube down at knee level when I'm in the saddle I can really throw it around. Just a thought. Plus they are in stock and 456 is sold out.

Chat forum………

When you say "no one" you mean of course no one you know or no one who has posted on here, so far. My buddy received his this morning so I'm off to check it out. Caio.

The descriptions of the reflectors are different for the two bike specific DX light options. I'd be interested to know what difference this makes in practice.

29489 – textured reflector
25149 – smooth reflector

I'm looking to helmet mount the bike light as I have a P7 torch on my bars already. I'm happy with the torch for close to medium distance so the helmet would ideally have more throw. Which option should I go for? I don't want to base my decision on the one that has the helmet mount included if the other has better throw. I'm sure I can sort a helmet mount myself.

Chat forum next time maybe…..

OP: Why did you post this in the bike forum?

What does this have to do with bikes?

Wrong……forum that is

Interesting reading

Made me smile anyway

Take one very experienced rider, riding without pads and add:

a flat, easy trail and a slow bend
some fly tipped laminated chipboard sheets

Then cover chipboard sheets in slippery mud

Result:
3 inch gash just above the patella revealing it for all to see
much blood & howling from a normally butch guy
abrupt end to the ride waiting for an ambulance
wasted day in A&E
return visit to A&E due to severe pain two days later
12 days in hospital
blood clot on the lung
6 operations
losing 3 stone of body weight
still bandaged up and unable to walk properly let alone ride, from a ride 7 weeks ago – not good when you're a self employed mechanic

He's now vowed to use pads….when he finally gets back on a bike.

My Nevegals are 2.1 DTC SWS with a folding bead

Stan's Arch with a Stan's rim strip at the back and 717 with an Eclipse rim strip at the front.

I use the indicator so that I know when I'm in fifth and should be changing to the big ring – rather than crossing too much or finding that big jump in ratio that ruins cadence when you shift into the big ring too late.

I do seem to use the big ring much more since I built a singlespeed as my second bike – the SS has improved my pedalling style (round & round rather than up & down) and strength alot.

X7 with the indicator in the band. Inside, outside, run 'em where you like. I have one for the rear and X9 for the front – I know which ring I'm in mostly and you can always feel if there is another one with the paddle rather than look anyway.

Brakes on the inside for maximum leverage (with my middle finger) and the shifter paddles in the sweet spot.

The SWS (Side Wall Shield) on my Nevegals seems to be effective so far, no sliced sidewalls since I swapped to them after slicing both High Rollers at the same time in Afan. That was a hairy and messy descent!

I'm also using Stan's in them without problems so far…..hoping that I'll wear them out before Stan's has a chance, ride more I say!

So, what exactly was i supposed to do apart from ride my bike?

get it fixed maybe, or take it back to where you bought it…if my car started playing up I'd get that sorted not just put the engine in a different one and say…look, works now.

scardypants is right of course, mud & grit can cause issues. If things are so caked on the drivetrain it doesn't work that counts as something wrong in my book. Happens to me too but not enough to want to tell everyone and I definitely wouldn't describe it as "dreadful" or "major chain suck" and want to start looking for someone, anyone to blame

scardypants:
You may not be a fettler but I bet you have a decent drivetrain that's correctly installed – go on tell me you don't! That's why you hardly ever see chainsuck and you hardly ever damage your frame too. Chainline is dictated by the drive-chain and if the stays are so close you can't fit the chain between them and the rings, wouldn't that lessen the damage?

Had brand new chain, chainrings, cassette, cables – with PACE – major chain suck.

But I still rode it around without getting it sorted and it damaged the frame so it's the frame builders fault ❓

Chainsuck is not inevitable – there's something wrong with the drive-train

Or they just thought FFS sort your drive-train out so you don't get chainsuck in the first place you muppets, then you won't damage the frame.

😉

Have I got this right Hora, you are looking for a frame that is light, strong and cheap, with a bit of compliance thrown in while we're at it? Hmmm.

You could always run tubless ready tyres rather than full-on UST, if weight is an issue. Bontrager and Specialized do them, amongst others. UST bead without the thick sidewall. You have to use sealant but that should mean less punctures. I've been running a Spesh Fastrack LK over the summer with Stan sealant on an 819 rim. Easy to seat and nothing that's needed more than a pause to let the sealant set before riding on.

Your family included, even if they aren't in the car with you at the time.

Heres an interesting thing: the all-knowing wife reckons the main reason for no thongs while driving in Oz is protecting your feet from spiders etc.