Few years back I ordered a new washing machine from John Lewis. Went back to shop a week later as they still hadn’t contacted me about a delivery date. The assistant apologised, said they’d made a mistake and the machine I’d bought was no longer in stock. He took me to the display, pointed to the next model up and asked if I’d like that one for the same price. I never even complained and they did that.

That level of customer service means I buy all my appliances from them. I bought a blue tooth speaker from them today; 2 year warranty as standard. I bought my last iMac from there; again a 2 year warranty as opposed to Apple’s one year. Right, I sound like a stuck record, I admit it, I’m a JL fan.

its excellent; based on 2 Elmore Leonard novels & a short story; Fire in the Hole. Leonard liked it enough:

Leonard on Justified: “I think it’s a terrific show. I love all of the writing, and I’m amazed sometimes that they’ve got the characters better than I put them on paper. They are doing a good job, really a good job … Well, they’re pros, to begin? with. They know what they’re doing. Good ?writing. I think, the writing, I can’t believe it ?sometimes. My god, it’s a lot better than what I? would have written in the scene, you know.”

Bonty tubeless pump

aphex_2k – Member
This video is not available.

I stuck a music track on. It maybe blocked on mobile platforms & some countries.

Damn. I was looking forward to a bit of grim industrial building & ground water pollution being introduced to the Sussex/Surrey heartlands. It seems a pity that we up North, hogged all the awesome side effects of the coal/iron/shipbuilding/petro chemical industries.

Disclaimer: being exiled in t’South I now do most of my riding in Surrey/Kent/Sussex. Its also funny that when fracking was suggested in the Surrey Hills, we mtbers became all respectable when asked to support the local anti-fracking campaign.

Here’s a good route (gps) on bikely, starting at Stavely.

Three Passes

A fantastic, epic day out, with some serious hike-a-bike. Make sure you carry some spares (my first attempt on this route totalled rear mech and snapped the hanger).

Yep, another vote for Loco & J-Tech.

Tomorrow meet at LBS for local ride at 7am.

Up at 5:45. Gear all ready night before. Breakfast & ablutions. Put bike rack on car, load bike, bags helmet etc in car. Leave 6:30. 20 mins to LBS (I know, not really my LBS if it’s 20 mins drive away) to ride at 7pm. It’s a PITA but worth it once out. One of the downsides of living in the city.

ajantom – Member
Large sheet of ply or chipboard (painted white if you’re posh), some posi screws, and a black marker pen for outlining.

….,and then leave said tools on work bench in front of now empty tool wall. Works for me…….now where’s the bleeding hammer..

peter1979 – Member
I’ll have a van with me, and will probably end up either sleeping in the van with the bike, with a destroyed tent outside or in a partially erected tent with the bike in the van.

Make sure your van locks are good. Earlier this year 3 of our group lost 3 bikes at BPW, nicked in broad daylight out of their locked ford transit.

I’m camping next week in South Wales & am taking a larger tent: the bikes will be in the tent with us & locked.

there’s a nice rule at Whistler Bike Park; you’re not allowed to overtake on the blues. Beginners/slower riders have right of way. Its very good.

I’ve got a new pair of 26 inch Hope tech enduros. First ride: rear wheel out of true after 15 miles. LBS trued wheel. rode hard in Alps for a week. still true. they’re round, they rotate and the tubeless set up was simple.

HansRey – Member
has anyone tried the Hope Tech Enduro wheels?

I bought the hope tech enduro wheels from 18 bikes. Rear wheel went out of true after 15 miles. Took it to LBS and they trued it. Rode them hard in the Alps for a week and they’re still good. I suppose like any new wheels, they need riding and then truing. I’m happy with them.

I really like the simplicity for changing axle formats on the Evos. A 5 min job to change from 12mm axle to QR, no need for an new axle, just change the end caps.

I replaced a fox RP23 with a monarch plus RC3 2014 on my orange 5. MM tune. For me it’s transformed the bike. Doesn’t bottom out anymore (suppose I could’ve shimmed the RP23), feels a lot more responsive. I’m happy with it & married with new Pikes up front (replaced fox floats) the bike feels reborn.

tonyg2003 – Member
Hi on the way back don’t do M4/M25. Come off at Bracknell and head down to M3 or A3. Saves loads of jams (in-laws live in Abergavenny so do this route all the time).

ssshhh, don’t tell everyone.

Getting around London is the bane of my life; I just need to learn to accept the fact that its going to be a PITA.

We’re off to BPW in a couple of weeks, leaving from SE London; we usually leave at 5:30 – 6:00 am, breakfast at 8:30 aiming to be there for 9:30 am. CyB requires a 5 am departure at the latest for 10 am start, if we’re lucky.

Rickos – Member
torihada – I think Zee has ceramic pistons too.

You’re quire right, but there’s no pretty, shiny gold bits on the Zee.

the purist is spot on.

I was seating new Michelin tubeless tyres on Hope Enduro rims today. UST tyres on UST rims are much easier. I just kept spraying tons of soapy water onto the tyre/rim until the magic bubbles appeared and it inflated. The tyres haven’t seated well (wire bead rather than folding) and they didn’t snap into the rim, even at 60 PSI. So again I’m wishing I’d gone for new MAVIC UST rims and proper UST tyres, but hey ho, whats the worst can happen (insert pretzel gif).

…..and ceramic pistons in the new saints.

I’ve been a Shimano user from day one and was the only rider to do so in my group: everyone else were using Hope. At the time my Shimano XTs (08 brakes) weren’t as good as the Hopes (mainly Tech 4s). Interestingly the majority have now migrated to new Shimano brakes; XT & SLX. I think mainly because of the new designs (much better lever designs), great reliability & remarkable stopping power, but mainly the price. When you can get a full set of SLX brakes (from Germany) for just over £100, you’re unlikely to get better brakes at that price.

That’s lucky: I’m off to Desination X with TA a week on Saturday.

I assume it’s pretty good as, if I’m correct, this is area of Trail Addiction’s “Destination X”.

I had to switch it off; knobs on bikes, knobs in cars, knobs in vans. **** em all.

I wear a LEATT neck brace for DH days, with FF and pressure suit. With the pressure suit I hope the forces from impact on the neck brace will dissipate through the sternum guard or spinal protector as well as stopping my head & neck extending beyond its normal working parameters (i.e. snapping). Its what I’m happy with.

As ric2020 said ignore all the BS and try and find some balanced views to make your own personal choice: in the end its inconvenience/discomfort vs risk. That’s un-quantifiable.

Rode mine for first time today; freeridey-trail sort of ride; some small doubles and drops etc. I was testing them before the Alps in 3 weeks. They had a poor review in MBR and I wanted to see if they’d pretzel. Not so far. Lightweight and so far strong. UST tyres seated OK (not as good as Mavic UST rims) with the stans kit (included in price from 18 bikes) and no burping. Taking my EX823s to Alps as insurance but so far I’m enjoying a lighter, wide rim wheel. Aesthetically; the wheels look round with spokes and Hope written on the rims & hubs. I tend not to look at them much when I’m riding.

nwill1 – Member
34″ Med or Lrg?
Cheers

I reckon Medium: I’m 33″ and I have to have the waistband tightened all the way in.

Right then stop asking strangers and get out and ride a lot of bikes, there are some great demo days out there and it will tell you a lot.

Wot he said.

Mine arrived; Medium: I’m a 33 inch waist and they fit perfectly. The inner shorts seem a lightweight, but again are a nice fit. Shorts have sophisticated waist band adjusters and two diagonal zipped pockets on the thighs. They are a nice fit, lightweight and stretchy. Definitely a summer short. A great buy ay at £31 (I also used TRIATHLETE10 code).

thanks for the PSA, just ordered a pair. they’ll go nicely with the set of lurid Scott Superstitious gloves I got from Start Cycles, from another PSA thread, a few months ago.

Ahh Barnard Castle, in the proper north.

I’m from Darlington 16 miles down the Tees valley from BC and I spent my childhood in Swaledale & Teesdale: I spent many a weekend tramping upper Teesdale and the Dales to the South. Fantastic location; Eastern Lake District less than an hour, Scottish Borders about the same, Yorkshire Moors in t’other direction and the Pennines directly north & south of you.

Darlington’s your nearest ‘big’ town & Newcastle’s an hour away. I’d love to be back up north but there aint any work up there in ‘my industry’. Enjoy.

Yep, I agree that POV footage gets boring and 13 mins is too long. But its really a self serving video; the riders I follow get a chance to see their riding. Given the choice of getting static trail side shots and riding the bike, I’ll always ride the bike.

I tend to watch other peoples POV head cams to get an idea of the trails I’m going to ride. If I want ‘quality video’ I’ll watch the pro stuff. Here’s the other side of our POV adventures (some strong language) which you’ll either love or hate:

Brechfa from a week ago. Much improved since my last visit, just after the Raven Trail first opened. Even in the torrential rain it rode well. Rode Penhydd that weekend; never again. Used to be much more fun. Next time I’ll steer clear of Afan and ride the Raven & Gorlech in a figure of eight.

Rode BPW last Dec on a Scott Voltage FR, 180mm front & back. Was there on Sunday on my Orange 5, 150mm front, 140mm back. Shorter bike was fantastic. Hit all the blues, reds & blacks. Superb. Unless you’re hitting the big gaps on the blacks at full pelt intending to clear them, you’ll be overbiked on a DH bike.

Previous thread

+1. I got a pair of 26″ 150mm solo air from there last week; 4 days from order to delivery, £460 (at exchange rate on my cc last week) incl del. No seal kit or pump, just tokens and some pretty stickers.

I just swapped out my 1994 narrow flat bar & 120mm stem combo on my commuter for a set of old 640 riser bars and an 80mm stem. Its so much more comfortable and much more enjoyable.

nbt – Member
Buy it from 18 Bikes and they will give you the tape and fluid

Just a got a set of hope tech wheels from 18 bikes: they’d fitted the tubeless tape, supplied two bottles of wheel milk & 2 tubeless valves. Hopefully the wheels will match 18’s level if service.

very entertaining. 🙂

jedi – Member
My front hub has gone purple. And the rear has a slight knock i rang hope but they want me to send then back for warranty but i need wheels. They roll as well as my old crossmax

A worrying development. I’ll be carrying my old burly mavics as insurance. Hopefully I won’t be stressing my wheels to Jedi level.

I just received a set today (the tech rims – 23mm width). I’ll fit them on Saturday but won’t get to ride them until end of the month due to work. Going to thrash them at BPW, Afan & Brechfa. I’ll report back if they’re fine or pretzeled. They’re replacing a set of EX819s.

Grupper205 – Member
What are the weather conditions like early July in Sainte Foy? We are going with The White Room, and I was wondering what others have experienced temperature wise at that time of year. I’m guessing it’ll be t-shirt weather at all times…….

T shirts at all times in the Alps? In the Alps I’ve had snow in August, torrential summer rainstorms, 34 degrees plus cloudless days, killer hail stone storms, dense cold fog. Expect every type of weather in the Alps & always carry a waterproof.