Best of luck to you both!!

I am doing the off road route in September and I would be keen to hear all about both of you guys rides and experience. The big problem we are having is getting to Whitehaven to start as most trains will only allow two bikes at a time and the ticket prices are crazy.

Yep Still riding a rigid Surly 1×1 and to be honest it hasn't affected my riding one bit.

Udderly Smooth all the way

Don't get hung up on what you ride just get out and ride. Been a bike snob, but now enjoy my 3 year old Surly 1×1 more than any bike

I had the same issue a few years ago. Since then have stayed clear and stuck to Endura.

Collar bone – 1
Arm – 0
Leg – 3
Jaw – 1
Rib – 4
Finger – 2
Skull – 0
Ass – 0

Lots from me. Including 6 times breaking my nose…

Three carbon things to avoid would be seat post, bars and steerer tube, any of those three snap and you'll know about it. A Thompson Master piece would be a good choice.

Octolink or even square taper all the way. I am on my 5th year with my current Octolink Bb and still runs as smooth as butter. The HT2 that I had was f'ed after two months. I have a square taper BB that has seen almost 6 years use for commuting and road duties and is till going strong. HT2 is a fashion driven fad, I would choose durability over weight any day so its Octalink all the way.

Caustic soda, takes about 25 seconds. I did it with some chainrings and cranks and then polished to a mirror shine.
Drop me an email if you want me to talk you through it and send you the pics.

I have culled from 9 to two. And you know what? I don't miss them I have two bikes that I ride and enjoy. One is a rigid SS. So there is never a question over what bike what travel etc.
The other is a Surly Cross Check for Road CX and touring duties does the trick nicely, a quick tyre change and I am sorted. I am just building up a beater for use around town etc and I have a shopper at work for jaunts in to town at lunch, but otherwise I do not miss the deliberation or the waste of bikes just sitting unused and unloved.

That is one horrific story. Stay safe out there people and always carry that large adjustable spanner for such occasions.

104 Sqn ATC here, best days of my life, good mates, flying planes and gliders, guns and bivvying. Every boys dream..

They are called alley cats, been going for about 20+ years and london, Leeds, Liverpool and maanyother Uk cities have regular ones. Check out the DVD's Pedal or Red Light go for more info.

Lets be honest the Singletrack is far better than most of the Cycling magazines out there (especially those pumped out by Future Publications (Cycling plus excluded)). Also we cannot complain about the mag as we can write an article and send it in and stand a chance of getting it published, then you can tell your friends and women that you meet that you are a published Author, you can even put it on your CV and look clever.
The one thing I always like(d) about Singletrack over the other mags was the lack of interviews and the fact that there were no pro riders (Ohh look how cool Rob Warner is and how exciting his life is (Joke)). Sadly in the past year there has been a growing number of interviews and pro riders…
Also to echo the comments above without the mag we will all be stuck with BikeMagic or BikeRadar…

Sorry to hear that mate,
I am Downham market way so i will keep an eye out around here and around Thetford and Cambridge.
Anything distinguishing about it?

Very warming and a drinkable spirit for those like me who cannot stand whiskey.

Shouldnt the sports personality of the year have an actual personality? Ryan Giggs does not!

Shiz. Sorry to hear that matey. Lets hope all goes well and you are not off of the bike to long.

Best of luck and lets us know.

I work in publishing and I can take a look if its not to long.

tmiddleton AT cambridge DOT org

Having worked in a bike shop for many years and never having seen a cross threaded BB, I would say this is sloppy workmanship on the part of your LBS. You would have known about the problem mush sooner if it had always been the case. You can buy a square taper BB for damaged frames if the threads are shot. They cost about £15 on ebay.

I had a set(Only sold them as the steerer was to short). For the money they were fantastic. Smooth travel, easy to get all the travel. Stiff as you like and I weight in at about 16 stone. On the whole fantastic.

I have a USe XCR Carbon job, that I picked up off here for a bargain price. A change to the firm spring and it is ace. I ride XC on an SS and it really helps with all the sitting and spinning. I used to get lots of lower back ache from to long in the saddle. No longer a major issue.
Heavy, but worth it for the long rides.

Do it Tom. One nice bike to rule them all. Or should I say one nice Singlespeed.

My ankle is almost better now so next time your back home let me know and we can go for a ride.

Tom

Cheers so far, but a few more questions.. Cool so Caustic looks like it will be the only way. How? Whats the process? Did you rub it on or did you make a bath of caustic and lower them in? Then rinse with water? Or I have heard maybe with Vinegar???

A set of old XTR M952's and a Jericho esque single ring (that I am having made potentially and will be cheaper if we have multiple buyers).

Just stripping the anodize off the cranks to give them a polish…

Is it just because its early that this thread makes no sense to me at all or am I missing something amazing.
I think if you want her back you should tell her not us. Or just grow a pair and realise that if you split up one it probably won't work a second time. I often find sleeping with their mum helps me get over them (This advice may come in useful)..

Surly hubs on a good quality rim. I have a set that I have been running for about 3 years and I have given them very little in the way of love in that time. They are still superb to this day. I run a set of Salsa Semi rims, which I think are no longer available, but are amazing especially seeing I am on the larger side and tend to wreck things with my weight and clumbsy riding style.

Anyone whos done the chop and polish want to show me some pictures????
Cheers

Tom

Huh? Really? What odd sizes.. Whats the chance of getting rings in those BCD's? Handg on is the inner 104 not 102? That would make sense…

I was bought a Ti one by my GF, At first I didn't want to use it as I loved my Flite, but as she had bought it for me I put it on my bike. Wider than I normaly like, but actually a really great saddle. Good comfort on long rides and not to wide to stop you from getting off the saddle.

I laughed…

What is with the hate leveled at other cyclists? Juct because they are different? Just get on with what your riding and doing and foprget about what others choose to ride. NickC and CaptainFlashHeart you seem to be attacking something you don't understand its pathetic, grow up.

I picked up a Craft one for £7 in TK, instead of £27.99

rob email me at tommid79 AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk with your address and I will dig them out and get them in the post to you.

Tom

I have some roxs stickers if anyone wants them….
Free that is…

Messiah,
On your Explosif, are they a set of XTR cranks circa 98 with a middleburn single ring…

If anything this must be the most retarded STW thread ever…
Really? Just go cycling, don't worry your tiny minds about what other cyclists are up to or riding, or wearing just get on with your own riding.

Heres my experiences of square taper BB's
Shimano- heavy cheap and industructable= the best
Royce- Gorgeous rebuilable wil cost you twice as much as each time you remove it you will break the special royce tool.
Phil Wood- Shiny shiny beautiful V expensive.

Just stick a Shimano in and then in ten years time replace it with another Shimano.

I've got one and I love it.
Its the do it all bike. I have mine set up as SS/fixed and I just swap the tyres for road or cx. Just about to get a set of racks for it so that I can start some longer touring on it. So its a CX, Fixed gear, Road and touring bike all in one.

Yes the TT is a little long. I have a 58 with a 90mm Salsa 10 dgree rise stem and and a set of Bell laps. Lovely and comfy for most riding.

Only complaint would be that the frame is heavy, but I am fat so if anything needs to lose weight its me…