I think your surveyor knows best!

Really old buildings weren’t built with damp proof courses. It’s modern intervention and lack of proper care that is often the cause of damp; built up soil levels outside, poorly maintained rain water goods, cement pointing/rendering and the use of other non-breathable impervious materials – concrete floors, and plastic windows and blocked chimneys as already mentioned to name a few.

My place is 400-500 years old in parts, with Victorian and modern extensions. The newer builds have some damp, whereas the original part is very dry.

I wouldn’t have damp proofing injected into my place, it’s just masking the problem.

I may be able to help here. If you slaken off the two 15mm spanner size bolts under the BB shell, place a screw driver into one of the holes in the black internal BB shell – rotate the crank until it pushes against said screw driver – BB internal shell will rotate in an oval (egg shaped) way and either tighten or losen the chain tension. Tighten bolts hard-ish when desired tension is reached. Ride and repeat when chain stretches.

You’ll be fine, I did it on V-brakes! Some light weight pads would be useful – stick on your back pack on the ups and pad up for the downs. Tubeless would be useful too but I wouldn’t ‘invest’ just for one weeks holiday.

When are you going?

You won’t be eating on your own with Ciclo. All eve meals are provided and everyone eats around the table together. On the day they eat at the local bar, again everyone goes together. Don’t worry about that. You make your own breakfast, all food inc lovely eggs provided.

Riding is superb! A good climbing full suss would be best, your hardtail or you would get a bit beaten up otherwise.

I’ve been twice, would go again in a heartbeat. It’s real Spain! Learn a few words for some added status amongst the locals. pase un bien tiempo!

I would say you’ve bought a mountain bike that has the capacity for a small rack. I’ve got the original sales literature somewhere, it pretty much says that. I’d ditch the Thudbuster if that is restricting your needs.

It shows how different our requirments are, I removed the rack mounts at the earliest oportunity – held mud close to the tyre and I had no use for them – aesthetics aside! If I were looking for a road touring bike, I’d be much more specific than the Enduro.

I just can’t imagine doing that one way, then deciding to turn around and do it again. I wouldn’t have the arse or the mind power to consider it. I found it mind numbing enough one way. Huge respect to anyone who attempts that, you’re in a different place to me.

Ride it one way, that’s the only way you will know whether you could do it all again – straight away! Keep us updated, and best of luck!

Aye! 😉

Does anyone have any links they’re prepared to put up to the pics they’ve taken on the day. I seem to have been invisible to the ”pro’s”..

Thankyou please 🙂

Swobo is good if you can get it, just go up a size and wash it on ‘wool’ setting. Stif were doing some great deals on old stock, they may have your size.

Argh, thanks for the kind words nomakoman and Guy – maybe not for the gurning pic though 😉

A great atmosphere and friendly race, I wish they did a over 40’s pairs cat, these young fellas are getting harder to stay with! I was the second rider in team Millbank over 18’s(!) pairs. Number 234 on the grey-ish blue bike…..if there are any more pics floating about in cyberspace.

🙂

Had a little recce this eve, and it’s super dry – even the wet bits – sketchy and loose!

Tomorrow is another day…………….

Hampshire Rose is my fave! Proper old skool mans ale, no flowery tones or yanky hops to tempt the lager drinker. 😉

The others are very drinkable having said that! 🙂

Blimey Mark – I did hear about your misfortune. One day you will get on the podium at the ‘dog – you deserve to! 😉

Jim, the cat is out of the bag now – guilty pleasure maybe…..ahem 😯

One thing about the Yellow stripes, at least they aren’t Orange (if you’re reading this) 🙂

Any rain in Brighton today?

Thanks all – very helpful.

Just spoke to Merlin who I bought it from and they are going to send it back to Shimano – that’s good! In the meantime I’m going to go into my least favourite but very convenient bike superstore, and get a 771 conventional! They did say that the Shadow wears a bit quicker than the conventional – their opinion of course.

Pual, yep I did all the cleaning and lubing of pivots too. Oh well onwards and upwards and all that…

🙂

Aha – the top three in the second pic defo Ash as are most of the others. The first pic is some thing else altogether – still burn it though.

Looks good to me and worth getting!

Enjoy 🙂

Hmmm – thanks for the response so far. It’s defo just worn – baffling!

Stick your finger nail in the grain on that split piece, if it sinks into it with a push, not Ash!

I can see where you are coming from with Ash. If you can put up another general pic of the wood you are retrieving, not close ups, may help.

Can still burn Poplar, not the best though.

Leaves – any attached can you see the tree it came from…..

Edit: it’s not Hornbeam, the bark of which is smoother than Beech! Good effort on the research though 🙂

Weather is looking ominous, I reserve the right to review my choice of bicycle on the day! 😉

I’ve only used them once (this spring) for a pair of Middleburn crank arms in a less than popular size. I checked their site, phoned to double check that they did indeed have them in stock – baam! – arrived the next day. All at a good price too!

Was I just lucky….

Well – it is a ‘bike’ race but if you have to Alex! 😉

I’m pretty sure the log is on the ‘sting in the tail’ climb and can be ridden round – who’s got the energy to ride over that straight after Badgers! I hear there are some changes to last year, just hope it’s clearly marked this time, every year I’ve taken a turn off the course on my first lap and had to back track. 😕

Hi again all,

Interesting video, if it’s in sequence then the only bit I don’t recognise and is new from last year, is the ‘big log’ – hmmm – some where before Badgers………. [sctratches head]

‘Gastro Pub Grey, Battle Ship Grey’ – it’s ‘Steel Blue’ don’t you know! 😉 Grey is good though, was almost going to go for Concrete Grey as on the Soulcraft website, and those Kona grips have all but become standard issue on my bikes, one item I didn’t give much thought. 🙂

I’ll look out for those big wheels Jim..

See you all on the day then, best of luck everybody!

Wasn’t great when I went some years back. I did have one interesting meal though, in the restaurant that the mayor owned – freshwater Perch!

WCA – if I had the power I would do that for you! 😉

thomthumb – I’ve not been to pride so can’t comment on your fate, just to say if a wrist watch appears in your toilet bowl the next morning – you need to really worry!

🙂

I can’t see anything wrong in what Bullheart has posted. So what if it’s publicising a local event which is only a week away, that’s a good thing surely! I was going to post up a similar Big Dog thread but can’t be ar$ed now..

bullheart, keep doing what you’re doing and don’t get low about this place!!

Respect to you

Big Dog next year then 🙂

Of course! 🙂

Agree with you ericemel, could be a bit of a mid-life crisis thing or just knowing what you want. My Thorn is now six years old – I did buy that for my 40th though! 🙂

I like the fact that it’s quite easy, and not too costly to find a frame builder to put in a new tube on a steel frame, should you break it. It worked well for me when my Thorn busted, got my bike back again!

Oh, and I like the look of skinny tubes!

Imagine a musicians steel tuning fork, how twangy that becomes when bumped against a hard surface – that’s how I would describe steel frames, without the buzzing noise of course! 😉 Probably a pretty cr@p analagy but hope you get the drift……

How left field is that!

If! Just had a look at the forecast for the next two weeks – tadge iffy!

The two big climbs (Badgers and Coldean) were waxy this eve, span out on the roots twice in two laps. Pack some mud tyres!

Yep you’re right on the 17” frames in the catalogue, just never ever seen one – yet! I’d love a 94/95 hei hei…..

If you get one come along to the Retrobike National Series ride end of Oct. I’m leading the Surrey Hills ride (event not race). I’ll be on an 18” Cindercone!

Enjoy – both of you! 🙂

Don’t agree, I really enjoy riding mine! No wonder you have negative comments look what you’ve done to it man. 😉

It did develop a crack after five ”well ridden” years. I liked it so much I had a new tube fillet brazed in at Thorn’s expense!

I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending.

Give Simnon at Nirvana Cycles a ring, he rides a Kona Smoke so assume he can get you what you want. No idea about shop stock though.

No no no don’t get a 16”. Kona’s have a protruding seat tube of about 70mm above the top tube which is about 2″ more than modern steel frames, it would equate to more like a 14/15” in modern sizes (seat tube is measured centre bb to top of seat tube). An 18 will be spot on certainly not a shade too big. 5′ 8” here and an 18 Cindercone ’95 is spot on. BTW my gf is 5′ 2″ and she rides a 16”!

They don’t do 17”!

Might be better to go over to Retrobike forum and get some solid advice. 🙂

What Mikey said

No hanger, and I could be interested in the frame if it does get split. Agree with the seller that it would be best to sell as a complete unit if poss.

Same size as mine!

I’ve got one of those! What size is it and if you let me know a price I’ll mention it to my riding groups – you never know….

I’ve got one of the newley available disc Royce hubs. Feels really nice and as everyone has mentioned looks great.

I’ve only had it a couple of months so can’t comment on the longevity yet, only to say I have been putting in up to 150 off road miles a week on it – hasn’t missed a beat. I’d be surprised if it is anything like the hubs of ten years ago mentioned above but, not taking anything away from the posters, I guess time will tell.

So far I wouldn’t hesitate recommending them.

I’ve got one of the BB’s as well, so so smooth I can’t describe how much smoother it is than a Shimano. You would only believe it if you rode it! A bit of a faff setting that up and the torque bedding in process too, so I would only recommend the BB if you were really into techy tinkering.