Just bought some 25c Vittoria Open Corsa cx from Ribble with big reductions. Never used them but they seem to be well thought of. They’re replacing Michelin Pro 3s that while light and fast are not very puncture resistant and both have failed on the sidewall after around 400 miles.

Love those, especially the last 2. Dura-Ace looks spot on through every era.

Sorry to be cheeky and please ignore if it’s of no interest but I’m going to be selling my H Plus Son Archetypes on Miche Primato hubs in a couple of weeks time. Will be complete with tubeless valves and tape and Hutchison Fusion 3 tyres (one of these is has seen some repairs). They’re nice wheels that run true and smooth. They’d definitely be an upgrade but I can’t honestly say that they’d be a lot lighter than Fulcrum 5s though, I think they’re around 1600g.

If you were to go for something other than handbuilt I’d definitely recommend Campag Zondas. Very light, very smooth, very stiff and very good value but I’m not sure if the 2 way fit means you can run tubeless or if it means you could use tubular tyres. Worth looking into though.

Can email pics of the H Plus Sons if you’re interested.

That BMX looks awesome but a being able to see my face in the reflection of components does nothing to help their aesthetics :D

Just looked at the home page of another popular cycling website and saw Chris Froome’s lovely Dura-Ace group ruined by a horrible 54 tooth oval ring. Now there is a definite case of form following function. Obviously it must work well but it looks awful (not that he should care.)

I’m not sure about that carbon. I personally don’t like the look of it but can see its appeal as it does scream lightweight and rigid. There’s something nice about things that look like they’re just built to perform but I think that campag mech looks a bit like it’s been made like papier mache.

Yep that xtr 985 chainset is the version I like. Can’t see how you could improve on that.

For some reason I can appreciate some of the older road stuff but not the mountain bike equivalent.

For me it’s the blend of form and function coming together that makes all of this generation’s shimano road groups look good. Knowing that it performs flawlessly just adds to the appreciation. I think I always preferred the look of campagnolo until this round of shimano but my bias may have been swayed by having swapped from campag to shimano and sworn never to go back.

Yeah it’s the Dura-Ace chainset that does it for me. The brake calipers are rather lovely too.

I have a Charge Scoop which is comfortable, cheap and looks good. It’s also showing no signs of wear after 2 years use.

I think they’ve now changed the brand to Fabric. The saddle is still called a Scoop though and there are various levels of spec to choose from in the range. They also have a model with a groove if that’s your preference so Fabric may well be worth checking out.

Having recently started ‘training’ for a half marathon I decided to run the 10 miles home on country roads that I would normally cycle. It was terrifying compared to being on a bike due to being a slower moving and less visible obstacle in the road so I can see the point of view that pedestrians are equally/more at risk when it comes to being in an accident on the road.

Apart from collisions with vehicles though as a general rule I feel less likely to collide catastrophically with the ground when running or walking than I do on a bike and on a bike it would be at much higher speed. Personally if I feel there’s any chance of hitting my head on the ground/tree/wall I’d rather be wearing a helmet and will continue to do so. I do think people should be able to make up their own minds though.

Whether you like it or not you have to admire the skill. I personally wouldn’t choose to paint a bike like that but it looks like he’s done an awesome job.

I like that Njee. A simple two tone was what I was thinking of (with one of those being raw titanium).

Are those chinese carbon wheels? I’m tempted to go for some but not sure where from?

Yes you can fix a road side puncture with a tube but it doesn’t stop you and the bike from been covered in sealant. Then when you get home you have to fix the tubeless tyre and get covered in it again. I’m sorry but personally I don’t see the point.

However if the Op wants to give it a try with some cheap Hutchison fusion 3s and valves then let me know :wink:

I did run Hutchison Fusion 3s for a while and I’ll never go back to tubeless.

The roads around here are just too rough after a wet winter that has created mammoth pot holes everywhere. I really liked the feel of tubeless but when punctured they don’t seal as well as mountain bike ones in my experience and there is no way to re-inflate them at the roadside unless you have a CO2 canister. The tyres are expensive too so getting a irreparable nick on the sidewall is a far bigger deal than with a decent quality budget clincher.

For a while I did consider putting them back on my ‘good’ bike for summer but decided it would only limit the roads that I was willing to take a risk on so stuck with clinchers.

I’ve ridden tubeless on the mountain bike for about 10 years and just don’t see the benefit of it on the road.

Thanks. A lot of thought went into describing the problem in just the right attention grabbing manner.

The ride to work proved relatively successful the creaking is improved and the brake rub is almost completely eliminated too. Just a bit more tightening all round should do the trick hopefully.

I’m an architect in Dundee and have done everything from garage conversions to master planning and exhibition design in the past 10 years. Changing career in August though and training to be a teacher of design and technology.

Bikes are cannondale caadx, van nicholas chinook and bargain cannondale trigger of course.

Have had a go at tightening everything up. It all seems to have ended up true but we’ll see tomorrow in the ride to work. The one thing I want sure of was how tight it was safe to go?

Thanks for the advice. Sounds like I need to get tweaking.

I tried putting a bit of oil where the spokes cross too and it hasn’t done much unfortunately.

oops

I had one for about a year. It was great as a light downhill bike but felt pretty heavy and a bit of a drag uphill. You could make it lighter than I had it but then that would be missing the point.

It was a lot of fun at Fort William and glencoe but for day to day riding that involves ups as well as downs I prefer the cannondale trigger that replaced it. I got a great deal on the Bolt but I think there are better value alternatives too.

Thanks I enjoyed that.

Yes having seen a friend’s Freelander I now see that the actual boot space in 4×4 SUVs is not what I had expected. I’m going to look at an octavia this weekend so will see how that goes. Having looked at a few reviews of the last model of octavias they seem to have a lot in common with my mondeo in the sense that they seem fairly functional and not overly complicated which is definitely something that I’d be looking for.

This is a good one if you’re feeling like a few more miles. Taking in fantastic views on both sides of the Tay if you do the loop or either side if you’re going one way only. https://www.strava.com/routes/4810370

This would also be a good route from St Andrews giving you a get out if the weathers bad and if the weather’s good then you can stop for a bite in Ceres which is a very nice little place to rest tired legs. https://www.strava.com/routes/4810504

Hopefully the links work.

Be aware that the road from St Andrews to Leuchars is pretty miserable to cycle due to it being winding and busy. I’d avoid it. There is a cycle path that goes beside it but personally I’d rather ride on quite roads rather than next to a busy one. I live only a few miles from St Andrews so if you want any other ideas of where might be good just let me know.

Now that I’ve been looking at Octavias I’ve been tempted by their massive rear :-)

What’s worse though is the lack of octavia scouts nearby has led me to look at another petrol option – http://www4.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201604152983132/usedcars?logcode=visc

A typical STW diversion from my original requirements but perhaps it’s worth considering or am I kidding myself?

Didn’t realise that they do a 4wd version of the yeti but it looks quite good. Looks like it might not be as long as an octavia though?

I think the Dacia Duster is probably slightly more basic than I’d like but I will check them out. I hadn’t realised there was a 4WD version and to be honest the fact that it’s basic might be a good thing considering the state that the Mondeo is in now.

Yes I’ve seen that one and it looks great but I’m near St Andrews over 200 miles away. I previously drove up to Nairn to view a car which the dealer described as being in ‘excellent’ condition only to find when I got there that the bonnet looked like it had been pebble dashed there were so many chips in it. I swore to never do that again.

The idea of a petrol octavia scout seems like a good one. I like the look of the boot space and they seem good value. The only problem would be finding one relatively nearby.

Had thought of an Octavia Scout but there don’t seem to be that many around and certainly not in a petrol version from what I can see.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201601200246485/usedcars?logcode=visc

This is the x-trail I’d been considering but I’m put off by the fact that the garage isn’t local and I’m not sure about it being an automatic.

Not looking to do anything too extreme off road, just a few forest and farm tracks as well as being able to park in a verge with it fear of getting grounded.

I was going to go for this bottle cage –

http://www.fatbirds.co.uk/1712383/products/elite-moreo-inox-stainless-steel-bottle-cage.aspx

Not going to put proper road pedals on as I’ve had them before and other than looking nice they were of no benefit and I didn’t enjoy waddling around every time I stopped.

I thought about a carbon post but they’re so expensive. I quite like the look of this miche alloy one –

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Miche-Supertype-Seatpost-27-2_32361.htm?sku=75047&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=AdwordsProductAds&utm_campaign=Adwords&gclid=CIWD6KmsmswCFbYV0wodl40HeA#

Have also been very tempted by some direct from China carbon wheels but not sure whether to go 38 or 50mm?

Thanks but still an hour away from me so a long way to come for the tiniest job. I don’t know why but I thought roofing contractors who’d do this sort of work would be 10 a penny. There seem to be so many small contractors around these days but I’m really struggling to find someone nearby who isn’t too busy dealing with bigger jobs. I’m not keen to do it myself though as I don’t like the idea setting my house on fire with the torch or the constant leaking after I do a shoddy job :D

Will keep looking.

The local authority building control should have inspected the building at various stages of the project as should the architect if he was employed to do so but it is not possible for them to oversee everything that happens on site. A level of competence should be expected of contractors and they have a duty to employ and manage equally competent subcontractors. In my experience it is increasingly difficult to find people with expert knowledge and skills in the construction industry and that’s without adding the fact that they need to be ‘the right price’ too. We completed a job recently with a contractor whom our public body client ended up thinking were a complete disaster but I have no doubt that they’d employ them again in a heartbeat if they returned the lowest tender. :cry:

I used to have the oakley jawbone photochromic glasses. They were excellent in all conditions with unbeatable clarity.

I sold them for a number of reasons, the main one being that I just felt like a bit of a tool riding around with £250 glasses on (I didn’t pay that much but it was more than I ought to have). I found that they still steamed up although they had vented lenses. They were only good for the bike as you look a bit like Heston Blumenthall when the sun goes in. I really didn’t want to leave them somewhere or sit on them by accident as I would never have been able to afford replace them.

I now have some Tifosi Dolomites that cost around 22 pounds. The venting is about the same as the Oakleys and the clarity is not as good but they came with three sets of lenses which all work well for various conditions. Generally I’d say they’re better value than the oakleys but if high end is what you’re after and they’re only for the bike then I’d have to say the oakley photochromics are very good indeed.

I have disc brakes on my cx bike that I use as my commuter and 105 rim brakes on my road bike used for fair weather rides. Having got on the road bike again after about 5 months of winter commuting I couldn’t believe how much better the rim brakes were than the discs in all but the wettest weather. That said though the roads are so covered in grit and rubbish here that discs are definitely the best option for wet weather if only to avoid needing to replace worn rims frequently.

I think if it was going to be my only bike then I’d probably get something with hydraulic discs but they’re not the be all and end all in my experience.

Has anyone replaced the bb bearings in their trigger 4? One of mine is completely seized and I’m not sure what to replace it with?

Right I’ve tried new sintered pads and fettled all I can with these brakes and if anything they’re even worse and squealing too. Pretty much nothing happens when I grab the brakes in the dry so I’d have no chance in the wet. They’re for the bin.

Has anyone had any success with the trp cable to hydraulic calipers?