Can you re-use brass nipples? If so, for how many builds?

I have a 2018 909. I also have a 2014 Inbred. The former isn’t any less compliant. The latter just has a different feel. Neither are more or less uncomfortable. So I’ve reached the conclusion that a hardcore hardtail doesn’t need to be steel if it has nice soft chunky tyres and a decent fork. I only do mile munching on the Inbred, which is rigid so the (ever so) slightly springier feel is more warranted. You won’t regret a 905 if you love riding hard and fast.

Can a sugar habit be ok if you’re not putting weight on and staying fit? I mean, you’re burning it all regularly so apart from teeth, what else can be bad?

Gutted RIP. Great memories of my dad taking me to Dyfi forest and hearing guys like Mikkola thunder through in their Group B cars.

Hang them up in your shed, go inside and order Shimano or Hope if you’re a tart

Had more trouble with Shimano than I ever have with Sram. Swap the pistons for their top of the range aluminium ones if you don’t have top the range versions and they’re a lot easier to live with than Shimano.

despite being on low profile 19s

How comfortable did you find the Cupra on 19s?

For hard trail riding you really want to be spending upwards of £450 for wheels. Bontager’s old adage rings true by the sounds of it with the Hunts. They need to be careful or they’ll kill their business pretty quickly by putting out cheap inferior goods.

Thanks all. I won’t be selling it for a while, just wanted to get an understanding of options nowadays. It’s a 64 plate Octavia estate, basic 1.6 diesel. Sounds like ebay is the best option. Looking at total fees, should be about £70 to sell it. Private asking prices are so much higher than trade-in, so I think it’s still worth the hassle.

I am apprehensive about trying a rear wheel as I am worried about getting dishing/cassette alignment right

I don’t think there’s much difference in building a front or rear. On a modern wheel build with disc hubs, both are dished on one side more than the other. By my calcs my next build will have 63% left tension rear and 76% right tension front, so not a million miles away from each other.

From the Sheldon Brown guide:

Thicker spokes for the right side of a dished rear wheel (a wheel used with a multi-sprocket cluster) than the left side are a good idea, because the left-side spokes are under lower tension. The thinner spokes on the left side will be working more nearly at the tension for which they are designed, and so they will be stretched more and less likely to go slack.

My take on this is it’s a good idea to use a thicker spoke in the right to offset the difference in tension.

So it’s fair to say D-Lights are strong enough for front and rear but would it be best to build the right rear side with a stronger spoke, to offset the unbalanced tension?

you could use a bolt ‘QR’ like this as well.

Tried that and snapped the bolt over-tightening it on a very cold day this week. Yes, user error, but I challenge anyone not to give it a bit too much torque, given the whole point of switching to a bolt-through is to have a tighter clamped wheel.

I’ve fitted my new On One Doofer and it works a treat. I’m going to say something, which might cause great controversy here. In my simple partisan head (I’ve just forked out £15 on this Doofer after all), is it not the case that a mech hangered frame with a spring-loaded tensioner is the best option over a dedicated horizontal drop-out or EBB singlespeed frame? With both the latter, chain tension cannot be spring-loaded. Or am I missing something / about to be thrown off STWF?

Because its sprung like a micro derailleur, it constantly corrected for wear and I was able to just focus on the ride.

I figure this is the simplest option. Simple, after all, is what singlespeeding is about. I’ve ordered an One One Doofer. Anyone want a Blackspire Stinger in good nick?

Does the Exzentriker creak much? Bearings easy to source?

I know many purists lamented the original Sailor Jerry recipe but I never tasted it, so perhaps I’m fortunate for not knowing the difference between the original and the current version. But I am a big fan of the current version. I find it very balanced and easy to drink neat. Obviously I’m not a purist or rum snob, it just tastes good to me. Cheers! 🥃

I got a pair of Exotic carbon with bolt through and disc mount for £100 off the bay. Good quality if you can put off with the front brake judder (very flexy)!

Yup, another recommendation to singlespeed it. I did this with an old Inbred frame I wasn’t sure what to do with. Now – especially now – I’m riding it as my main bike. An old-geometry but comfy frame with spare parts makes an ideal go ride from your door bike. The only sophistication mine has is tubeless and hydraulic brakes. Simple to look after. You won’t regret it.

I’m a newbie to wheel building, but wouldn’t you have three separate spoke lengths for a full geared wheel build – one for both disc sides, one each for the non disc sides?

I’m not sure on lengths yet, but the build will be on Hope Pro4 boost hubs with WTB KOM i35 rims.

I just figured I could save a bit of weight on the front, but I like to give the bike some stick, so probably better off with Race, given the weight saving will be negligible.

I splash the cash on the ones around £15

Which would you recommend didnthurt?

Weldtite has been a game changer for me lately. Very cheap, very clean and really handles the worst conditions. I’ve just bought a litre bulk bottle for £17.

Omg, this hobby looks like another money pit!

If you’ve got ISCG mounts, something like a Blackspire Stinger is a neat solution. I run one and it’s easy to make tension adjustments. Although as I’m learning, provided you’ve got a decent SS-specific chain, ring and sprocket, you’re better off running the chain on the slack side. It won’t drop.

Work much better than Sealskinz for me. They should only let water in if you don’t cover the tops with another clothing layer. All waterproof socks will let water in unless you do this! They last much longer from repeated washing, compared with SS (my last pair of SS’s came apart after a couple of months and the waterproof liner detached itself from the sock in the washing machine).

@burko73, remember Lakota? I used to go when I was a student at Bristol in 93-94.

Sasha at Mixmag festival Weston Park, when Age Of Love had just come out. Progressive house nights at Wobble Birmingham, Golden at The Academy, Stoke. Just dig out Renaissance: The Mix Collection. Tunes!

Loving the All Weather variety, been applying it just after washing and leaving it until a final wipe before riding. It’s coped with all weather conditions so far. Been so impressed I’ve ordered a litre bulk bottle.

Along with savings companies will make from not owning/renting offices, I think wage inflation will start to flatten out as more of the working population won’t need to spend thousands on commuting. If they can find a way to take it off us, they will :-)

Thanks Northwind, I’d appreciate those if you don’t mind. My email is in my profile.

Bit clickbait this one. Mechs rarely cause problems and offer a wide ratio with low weight. Such a good solution it’s kept being improved for the best part of a century, rather than made obsolete. SS is a conscious choice for various reasons, but not an alternative.

Converted my geared Inbred a couple of months ago. Using a Blackspire Stinger I invested in a steel Surly chainring and On One Groove Armada cog. I’d been using it as a hack gravel bike with carbon rigid forks and skinny tyres. But decided to put some old 2.3 Spesh rubber back on it and it’s become a great little go-to, go-anywhere bike when I haven’t got the time or inclination to go full mtb. If I had to give up my worldly possessions but keep one item, I think it would be this bike.

Thanks but tried Handbrake and it doesn’t allow protection removal. I’ve downloaded the four protected files from Amazon and merged into one album folder. Cost me another 4 quid but worth it to finally realise I can break free from Apple. Needless to say, I’ll use Amazon to purchase digital music from here on.

Why 150mm? I find it makes more sense to have less travel on a hardtail to avoid it steepening up too much. A 29er frame is a good option because you have the choice of running 275+ or 29.

Almost 60% of mutual fund assets will be ESG by 2025, so you’ll soon be spoilt for choice.

Sounds like too much cable tension. Try slackening it off with the lever’s barrel adjuster.

I went straight from kits to BIAB

What’s BIAB?

It’s probably been covered further up the thread, but as a newbie going from kits to malt extract before full mash, what extracts deliver the best results?