I had the same problem the other week and i am dead fussy on setup.

I always start at getting the saddle right first, using this principal. (opinions vary on this but I like it)

http://www.bottombracket.co.uk/saddle-position.html

That gives me a start point, then as I run 2 bikes I try and match the cockpits up for a similar stretch and try to get the bars a similar height to the saddle (I like mine about level with the saddle).. All that and I still found my Hardtail a little less comfy sitting position to my full suss, then I had a revelation last week, I just rotated my risers forward slightly (maybe 15mm) and voila I stopped getting numb hand and everything now feels just right.

The Tom Simpson school of re-hydration…

62 miles, with lots and lots of climbimg, the first day of a 2 days ride of the South downs Way..

9000ft climbing over the 2 days not sure how much on the first day.

rocketdog, you got to be riding it for that to matter, not lying by the side of it.. :-)

It wont hurt to have a bit of lube on it all, the post is also less liable to pick up on the inside of the frame and get scratched up too.. Without a shaddow of doubt the clamps can do their thing so much easier with a bit of grease on the cam, you will be supprised how much easier it is to click into the locked position. Let us know how you get on.

Sib, sounds like you have it, BUT, I was having a similar problem, I use a quick release seatclamp, and weird as it sounds a bit of grease A, on the seatpost and B, lube up the cam on the quick release, it stopped mine slipping, I think the clamps work better and can clamp harder when they are lubed up…

Overfork a scandal? Do Merlin still have the team tig sls on offer? Loads of XC frames would run the 5 size of forks out of the 4(5)6 bit..

bigbikebash, there are BB’s listed for Shimano in the £22 pound mark but not the XT, its listed at £44… It does make me wonder if any of the other Shimano BB’s are compatible though.

Because I am nice.

http://www.mountainbikerides.co.uk/fettling/hollowtech2bb.htm

thee are other sites showing you how to do it, but this is the first I could find.

google replacing just the bearings and not the cups etc save your self a £30 in the process for just a little more effort.

I heard the captains roll well, I really like speialized tyres and run the fastracks & adrenalines, fast trak kind of like a small block 8 but half the price. You can get a pair for about £28

You really have to know what clearance you have if your going over the 2.0 size though, theyre huge, I took all the paint off the inside of stays on a Stumjumper fsr trying to run 2.1’s in wet conditions.

Are the jocky wheels ok? Has the hanger taken a knock? Is that a new chain on the old cassette? (that can make em slip but it should still select the largest cog)
Gavinski has it right for checking by pushing it into place.

oldfart, I have been suffering getting the cockpit setup on my hartail and last night I rotated the bars forward half an inch or so, all of a sudden it just felt right, and the numb hand I was getting all the time went away (old injury).

If you have risers its a free thing to have a play with.

I am not 100% convinced on the shorter stem is good rule of thumb that seems the norm these days, not sugesting going back to massive stems but, maybe its not always right.

If you want harpack tyres that can cut it when its a bit softer, and your on a budget check out specialized fast traks, theyre kinda like a small block 8 but half the price, light, big volume and do supprisingly well out of their designed enviroment… (mud tyres they are not though) Dont bother with over a 2.0 they come up huge compared to other makes.

edit… was it you talking about the setup between hartail and full suss the other day? Have you measured the difference between the two?

I wont meet too many on my offroad excursion at the other end of my journey tonight, and the wether is ace, looking forward to that bit, I will leave the serious commuter race to you..

Ha ha, yeah the one bloke that passed me today was on the same train into town as I was, and he quite obviously had a mission, I dropped him in the heat of the worst traffic but he passed me pushing hard on a massive gear while I was spinning out, I only run 9 speed, he didnt get far past before he looked like he was flagging, I will have him next time…

I got some Kona ones I dont use anymore, what does your girlfriend look like though?

My experince of shifters is a bit limited, only had XTR rear mech, the old style, its been faultless now for years, when I bought my bike it came with deore shifters, LX front mech and the XTR rear, it didnt take long for the front mech to develop a lot of play and the RH deore shifter pod fell to bits, replaced those with XTR ones then and I have never had any trouble since, the only thing I ever have to change is cables and since swapping to full length cables thats a rarity, and I only buy the cheap cable now rather then the expensive 3 piece cables I used to buy.

XT is always a good mix of performance and price, but I think the XTR stuff is worth it, if you can afford it, just because it does what its supposed to, time and time again, and in my case in a virtually maintenance free enviroment!.

Not tried Sram so cant comment on that.

These are good, its classed as a spinning shoe but its light, well ventilated, comfy and stiff, I use them offroad myself but they might fit the bill. (yes they dry fast)

Adidas Cyclone

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=25524

theflatboy, your right but just wasnt sure enough of the route so dropped down onto the embankment I kind of went the same way as the tube does just overground.

But yes, your right, that would be the more direct route.

Red lights, one ways, and pedestrian areas all got abused today I need a better route, trouble is I just dont know the street route yet, have been told TFL have a bike route finder thing am going to have a look at that because I felt too guilty riding the way I did.

What on earth are you on about? any chance of some of your video skills to show what the ferk a 540 tap is?

Yes I am really old..

I fancy a set of these jocky wheels, are they worth the money chaps?

flick to the classifieds now someone just listed a carbon riser at half list price.

Any geared bike you like (your P7 maybe) and just run a tesnioner for the SS, run a SS kit on a normal rear wheel so the disk and pads etc all just mate up…

I agree the EBB is a nice solution but also very restrictive to your choices.

OR

If you dont mind having an extra wheel hanging about how about an White Ind eccentric hub?

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/16643-220_WISDH7-3-Parts-64-Hubs/White-Industries-ENO-Eccentric-Disc-Hub.htm

Do it.

Tinsy now gets back to designing the garden building of his dreams with inspiration from PP garage….

I just got workshop envy… the bike alright, but my oh my I covet your workshop…

Is this a shiny bike photo opertunity? It would look like this but without the gears and pikey gold shiny bits..

Incidentally, have you got tug nuts on your SS? you might find the wheel slips a lot more on the chrome dropouts.

The frame would have to be meticulously prepped to get the finish you’re after.

doof is right there, it all in finding someone who will take the time to get it right, the chrome is only microns thick so all the polishing is done on the frame first before chroming, its finding someone that will take that time and effort to get the right result. I had some wheel rims (chopper) done once and though the chrome was lovely and shiny the guy didnt take the time on the parts to get the right finish, and the pitting and poor 2nd handness of the rims is still visible..

Used to get the forks chromed on my Cycle speedway bikes some 28 years ago. And they did take effort to stop rusting, but the shale track had lots of salt in it..

I already knew that, it was her name I couldnt remember!! :-)

Dirty Jo or Brand X.. both pretty much the same frame… Is your sisters name Jo? They got a triple butted at under £100 and the slightly heavier at £80

about the same price as CRC.. The Merlin is a nice frame too though..

http://www.dirtyjobikes.co.uk/Frames/Dirty_Jo_Triple_Butted_Frame

I feel like a pimp for Dirty Jo, think ive posted this quite a bit recently. Still a nice frame for not much money though…

If your not breaking it, pretty strong!!

I gave my mate a lovely free frame and he did this to it.

ADH, the folding bike is a Strida, ride quite nice, but very short.

Here you go…. Cost me a fiver to release it from the dump.

Allan Kellys guide has gone missing, this is one I found to show a pal yesterday, do your own search for part2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRM7gq1fcoQ

I did mean those screws, it sounds like it was option two, the mech hangar was suspect and gave up…

Its all a bit hypothetical now, only help I can ofer was a I spotted an SLX shaddow mech on ebay from merlin yesterday brand new with cosmetic damage looked cheap.

Why bother swapping they will be as good as the saints or better anyhow wont they?

Are they old style or the new ones?

OR, the problems you had were due to the mech hanger being damaged, ie bent toward the wheel, the mech cought the spoke and that broke the weakened mech hanger…

2nd XC_PK, you must have not re set the stop screw after playing about, can you remember if you was in the biggest ring at the back?

Hi vis is definately still styling, note the one finger brake technique, and sus forks on a shopper?