£6.5k:

3.4, 27mpg, 125k.

Look, its practical too!

I just found a workaround:

Take seatbelt off, that way the handbrake doesn’t auto release. You need to push the button.

So in those very close, parked on a steep hill situations, I can balance clutch and release handbrake at a moment of my choice. As you would do in a manual handbrake.

On my travels I also tried

11 spd rival “x actuation” shifter
11 spd PG1150 10-42 cassette
10 speed Sram X7 “x actuation” long cage mech (MTB)

This worked in lower cogs, however the mech didn’t have enough “throw” to get into the top cog! The 11spd cassette must be physically wider than 10spd and the X7 couldn’t make it.

I also tried:

11 spd rival “x actuation” shifter
11 spd PG1150 10-42 cassette
11 speed rival ONE “x actuation” 1x rear mech, medium cage (75mm between wheels)

With a standard hanger and the B tension all the way in the top jockey will hit the top 2 cogs, poor shifting and noise.

You can remove the black plastic spacer under the B tension screw and get enough so it plays nice on the work stand.

But the chain wrap on the 10T cog is terrible, 1/4 of the cog.

A Road link may well resolve, but I gave up bodging things and have ordered an Apex One long cage mech thats rated for 42t.

I get flawless shifting from 11 speed Rival 1 shifter, 10-42 cassette and NX rear mech.
Same set up with Rival rear mech on the other bike and I can’t tell the difference in shifting between the two.

Thats odd, I tried this exact setup myself and it didn’t work. 11 spd rival “x actuation” shifter 11spd nx “exact actuation” rear mech PG1150 10-42 cassette. First few cogs index but then chaos.

No surprise as “x actuation” pulls 3.48mm cable per click and “exact actuation” pulls 3.1mm per click. See http://blog.artscyclery.com/science-behind-the-magic/science-behind-the-magic-drivetrain-compatibility/

Your setup shouldn’t work! Is your NX rear a 10 speed?!

Keep it. Your buyers will think you are dick but who cares. They will find another, probably better house for them.

Spend the £3k on redecoration and let it again.

At the very least they should be paying your early redemption charge.

* on steep hills, in reverse, pointing downhill with a parked car in front and parked car at the back.

I think it assumes you are “setting off” not manouvering out of a parking space.

Wzzz the reverse parking issue you are describing is the auto hold, which you can turn off at the push of a button

Even with auto hold off, the car releases the handbrake when you bring the clutch up. And it does this too early on steep hills.

Have a read of Part J and : http://www.stovefittersmanual.co.uk/articles/installing-a-twin-wall-flue-chimney/

You WILL be boxing it in with a minimum airgap to combustibles according to the chimney system instructions.

This is good stuff: http://www.stovesareus.co.uk/chimney-products/twin-wall-chimney-flue-systems.html

Size the flue according to your chosen stove.

Never seen this before!

Wolftooth also do stainless direct mount.

Or get a spier and run a normal chainring.

have a ’13, no probs but the electric handbrake is annoying.

No backing into parking spaces with the door open to see obstacles. Seatbelt on or it wont move.

Once parked downhill with car right in front and it would release the handbrake too early (i.e. before the clutch was balanced). Inched closer and closer to the other car.

Ideally get a sram 1 long cage mech – NX is the cheapest, just put an inline cable adjuster somewhere

I must apologise this is WRONG.

Sram 11 MTB has different pull to Sram 11 road so an 11 MTB mech will not work with 11 Rival shifters.

A Sram 10 MTB rear mech should work with sram 11 road shifters, but sometimes they can’t extend far enough for the extra cog apparently.

Hi thanks for the replies.

pn and on – were yours hydraulic levers? The Rival hydraulic levers I have don’t have the two options, and the only option you have is at a crazy angle as pictured!!!

jamiep – If found this post by pdw:

In general, they’re not necessary, but I had a battle with some SRAM hydraulic shifters that have the cable exit at a stupid angle, and if you tried to route it with normal gear outers you’d get a lot of friction due to the tight bends. I eventually solved it by using a short section of brake outer to get it around the bends.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/direct-me-to-a-place-to-buy-the-bendy-metal-things-that-go-under-bar-tape

Surely there is an “official” solution by Sram as surely they don’t do that on new bikes…

I have some V brake noodles, that might work but just seems like a bodge to me.

No external cable routing on this seat post so that ruled it out for my old giant NRS FS

Drill away…. http://www.peterverdone.com/drilling-holes-in-perfectly-good-bike-frames/

I drilled my Turner.

Keela Saxon!

Small and light enough to stuff away in the camelback so you always have it, waterproof and nicely breathable.

We have one, the thermostat “clicks” it on and off quite loudly, a consideration if its used at night in a bedroom.

Buy on PCP, take the discounts and free servicing and then ring the finance company up the day after delivery, tell them you want to “withdraw” from the agreement and pay it off with no (or £2) penalty.

Just don’t tell the salesman you are planning that, or suddenly he won’t be interesting in selling you anything.

ACI spokes from cycle basket it is then! Thanks.

Its been done a million times, but has anyone got a link to a good wheel building guide for someone who has only ever built one wheel 10 years ago?

Been looking at 1x for my 26″ bike. I ride in the Lake District on triple 22/32/44 and 11-32 9spd.

I regularly drop into my 22 – 32 lowest gear (e.g. nan bield pass)

I also infrequently spin out 44 – 11 on downward road link sections.

The nearest range 1x would be something like 34T with 11-46.

But would I miss the top gear / would the lowest be low enough?!

Great, thanks all for the tips!

Now to build the wheels…..

Use a sram long cage mech.

The sram rival 1 medium cage won’t handle 10-42, you need long. I tried it.

Ideally get a sram 1 long cage mech – NX is the cheapest, just put an inline cable adjuster somewhere.

SLX are a worthy upgrade from deore – SLX are lighter, almost as light as XT.

Bargain at that price!

€31.50 120BCD ring, only 36-40t though.
http://www.amber-bikes.com/120_BCD_Chainrings_SRAM/p3835754_15660277.aspx

Use a triple, this will give you the “standard mtb” chainlink of 49mm that is fine. For extra perfect chainline space the ring in a tad if you have the frame clearance. standard mtb 49mm chainline was set in the dark ages of triples and wide chain stays.

Or use a shimano double crank and space in chainring 2 mm for 49mm chainlink – oneup supply spacers with their rings or get spacers off eBay. Some people swap the BB spacer to the non drive side for the same effect.

If you already have a sram gxp crank – is it one with removable spider? If so get a direct mount n/w ring from race face one up wolf tooth etc.

Don’t get ripped off on the chimney:

Size the chimney to the stove requirement, prices here:

http://www.stovesareus.co.uk/chimney-products/twin-wall-chimney-flue-systems.html

Have a good read of this:
http://www.stovefittersmanual.co.uk/

Its not rocket science, just be sure to read Building regs part J

Lovely bikes, but sean I think you missed this bit….

The more competitively priced and mass production the better.

Mango Point AR designed for 45mm tyres, From £520 or £250 frameset

I have a charge plug 5 titanium, this will take 45mm tyres maybe the other in the range will.

Loaded touring requirement conflicts with springy, flickable enjoyable bike. Usually bikes designed to take a load feel dead unloaded.

Ford part lasted 12 years….. if you aren’t going to keep it that long don’t bother!

Even if you have to fit 2 cheapies in the next couple of years you are still quids in.

Is it otherwise a good car? How much was it – £500 or £5000?

I’d take the free clutch and have it fitted.

Worth a try to get them to pay up or pay halves but not worth losing too much sleep over and then having to start the car search again. Chalk it up.

Next time when test driving try out the clutch…..

I used a fiver one.

Does it work flawlessly? Do you use a shimano brand BB? Thanks.

I’ve considered putting on a 1x narrowide setup, but not sure I want to lose the range the 42/29 gives me.

Chainset: Middleburn RS7 42/29
Cassette: Sram 10spd 11/28

I run Sram 1×11 on my do it all bike:
42 chainring
10-42 cassette

That gives me more range – a slightly lower climbing gear and higher “top gear” than you get.

You could run a sunrace 11-42 cassette and get more range than you do with a double on that setup. But you will need to bodge the rear mech. A 9spd MTB mech with a road link might work (and operates on the same cable pull as your shifters). Or 10spd mtb mech with tanpan / rad cage. Or you could just get a sram mech and shifter.

Or just leave it as it is and it looks great!

Do share the address of this website!

Would have thought shipping would be pricey.

I ditched mine for a mudhugger, much better for an FS bike.

Just ring a local glass place, every town has one.

Mudhuggers with extenders here. I hate having a wet arse.

You can drill a hole in the actuating arm, or make a cable clamp spacer for a 10spd mtb mech to make it work with 10spd road shifter or 7/8/9spd mtb shifters.

Drilled mech he will do for you for 15 euro:
http://bikemarkt.mtb-news.de/article/790888-umbau-shadow-plus-xt-und-saint-auf-9-fach-kettengluck-2-0

Clamp spacer dimensions / to buy for 15 euro:
http://bikemarkt.mtb-news.de/article/814276-nachrustblech-shadow-plus-auf-9-fach-kettengluck-3-0

Drilled mech looks neater, but is obviously permanent.

I ride 170 on my road and TT bike. Do you translate this directly to the mountain bike? I would assume so as the saddle height for optimal peddling I the same?

no the gearing is different. the bike is different, the activity is different, in fact all the levers are different.

Might make a good starting point though ;) if you feel comfortable, carry on.

If you are chasing 10ths then experiment with longer and shorter arms.

Maybe we all should have a set of these fitted for the first few rides of a new bike:

Its just personal preference. This may be different on different bikes (different activities).

The crank arm is part of a SYSTEM of levers (gearing, wheel size, position of seat and handlebars, limb length etc), so cannot be separated alone as lots of people are doing in the comments above with their pseudo-science.

Various people have tried to calculate an optimum but failed. Even statistical evaluation of Pro riders choices revealed nothing.

The range is usually 160-180mm this was historically found by trlal and error and the best way to choose is those that feel most comfortable.

I’m 6ft 34″ inside leg and ride 175 as thats what i’m used to and so it is my preference. I don’t have extended time on any other length.

Always make sure you choose “no returns accepted for this item” when listing

You are not a business and don’t have to refund if the buyer changes their mind.

If they do want to return as “not as described” or “damaged / missing” then make sure you pre-pay through the eBay system for their return postage.

If you don’t pre pay their return postage then the buyer doesn’t have to return the item and so they keep it and eBay will force a refund from you.

Not great but thats how it works.

I went through this.

40ft leylandii in neighbours garden blocking light.

I was dreading the conversation but it turns out neighbour didn’t particularly like it either as it took up half their garden, they just didn’t know what to do with it and was a afraid of the pro’s as they though it would be expensive.

I offered to pay and organise a tree surgeon to cut it down completely, which they did (£300 including 2 others and took 2 of them all day). Afterwards the neighbour was so pleased they gave me half the money.

In the end it was his tree but I had the bigger problem with it. For the sake of a few quid it has gone and everyone is happy.

Talk to them, good fences make good neighbours.