The biking thread

[daft biker]

Oh, I heard of those.....

Poor mate who had to undergo that procedure. Never quite walked comfortably for a few days afterwards....

Ouch....best to watch where you put it then

After they hacked off my cancerous 'nad it was 3 weeks before I could get my leg over my bike again They stuck a rubber one in there though so at least if my feet slip off the pedals it's 50/50 whether it'll hurt now. I've got an elastomer bottom out damper built in

PS. Anbody else read It's Not About The Bike?

 

[Neal]

Ouch and there was me feeling sorry for myself having the snip last year

Not read the book but saw him in Dodgeball (no pun intended), does that count?

 

[ExigeEvan]

PS. Anbody else read It's Not About The Bike?

Yeah I read it a few years ago on the way to Limerick. Managed to fit in Every Second Counts as well. Would read again but they belong to an ex-girlfriend's dad.

 

[MadMike'86]

It's funny how bikes and Bo****ks blend together so seemlessly in conversation

 

[daft biker]

Yeah I read it a few years ago on the way to Limerick. Managed to fit in Every Second Counts as well. Would read again but they belong to an ex-girlfriend's dad.

Reading about his fight with cancer was a bit of an eye opener I thought.

The book would have been a whole load shorter if he hadn't been such a numpty and waited until his ball was the size of an orange before going to the doc about it though! Honestly, how heck anybody can tell themselves it's normal whilst letting it get to that size is beyond me. He ended up having loads of treatment that nearly killed him and took years to recover because the cancer was able to develop where I was in and out of hospital in a morning and back on the bike 3 weeks later because I got it seen to straight away.

You'd be lucky if my lump was the size of a cherry before it got removed and was sore enough that you knew about bigtime. The first doc told me it was a bruise, second doc told me he didn't know what it was but didn't like the look of it and then the specialist at the hospital said "see you 9am tomorrow, it needs to come out".

Check yourselves regularly chaps....it might just save your life too

 

[Mike Rotch]

Bike shop #2 recommends new cassette accompanies new chain. Don't want to end up with a half job, so $50, that will be ready Tuesday

 

[W3H5]

PS. Anbody else read It's Not About The Bike?

Yeah, I read it about a year ago. I really enjoyed it and it actually made more keen on interval training as opposed to the average commute I was doing.

I felt like he comes across a bit of a tosser at times, but I guess that's the attitude one needs to do what he has done. I have a lot of respect for the man and what he has done against the odds.

 

[Neal]

daft biker - that's some serious shizzle! Well done for getting seen so quickly, most blokes ignore problems until something falls off then go straight into it's the end of the world mode. I did work experience in a hospital and was shadowing some doctors on their rounds, they were discussing what to do with some guys ball that was the size of a melon (honeydew not water). You should have seen the guys face when they said "let's just stick a needle in it and drain it"

Bike shop #2 recommends new cassette accompanies new chain. Don't want to end up with a half job, so $50, that will be ready Tuesday

If the teeth of the cassette are worn then it would wear out the new chain pretty quick so it probably is a good idea to replace it. It seems that the chain was faulty from new otherwise it wouldn't have damaged the cassette within 300km. I'd say you're pretty unlucky to get a duff chain but if it's any consolation I wouldn't have checked a new chain (in fact I've never checked the chain on my 3 year old bike!) so would be in exactly the same position. Unfortunately as they're wear and tear components no one is obliged to replace them under warranty but if the shop you bought it from were decent they could have offered. $50 seems like a pretty good price for parts and fitting though so I don't think you're getting ripped off.

 

[Mike Rotch]

I'd say you're pretty unlucky to get a duff chain but if it's any consolation I wouldn't have checked a new chain.

I did feel like a chop explaining the bike shop #2 that its all gone pear shaped after such little mileage. Oh well. Apparently this chain was more than "1%" over, which is a lot I gather.

Whilst I was waiting for the guy ahead of me to get finished up, I was looking at their fixies (more out of curiosity as I think they are ridiculous). Turns out, this model only had a front brake, presumably to keep the 'clean' look.

Fixies. 👎.

 

[W3H5]

Me niether, buying a new bike I'd only check the size and componants. The chain would not even come into my mind.

 

[boiltheocean]

Whilst I was waiting for the guy ahead of me to get finished up, I was looking at their fixies (more out of curiosity as I think they are ridiculous). Turns out, this model only had a front brake, presumably to keep the 'clean' look.

Fixies. 👎.

More for safety while commuting on it, however commuting on a fixie is for hipsters. Proper fixed gear bikes never touch tarmac.

Thinking of stripping all the paint off my P1 then having it clear-coated. I reckon it would look pretty damn sexy raw, plus people wouldn't be able to identify it as a lead weight so easily I've just ordered a Pro 2 10mm bolt-up conversion too, should make the rear end finally stay in place.

 

[W3H5]

I don't understand having a brake on a fixie, or having a fixie all together. Surely if it's a fix gear then a brake is unecessary? One just stops pedling, right?

Damn hipsters and their coolness.

 

[Omnis]

So I refilled my tires. They were at 20psi. Filled it up to 50, or as close as I could get (my gauge only goes to 50). 5 minutes later... 40psi. Time to get those tubes.

 

[daft biker]

I felt like he comes across a bit of a tosser at times, but I guess that's the attitude one needs to do what he has done. I have a lot of respect for the man and what he has done against the odds.

Oh aye, he didn't half fight back Still, if he had of dealt with the cancer quicker who knows what else he could have done!

On a different note I went out to play in the snow again today...this time down at Glentress

Bike having a lie down in the car.....

I started out going up in drizzle but about halfway up the hill the drizzle turned to snow, seemingly in just a few steps!

Larger

X marks the spot....

....where I shot the panoramic above. The corner in the road bends the other way than how it looks in the wide shot!

This one will possibly upset those that were stuck at work today the most though....

Larger
...it really was nice up there

And since I wasn't planning on stopping I set the apps running to record the way down. Strava wouldn't work and said it couldn't find a reliable GPS signal. Maybe it was the thick snow coud overhead? Endomondo did work though and even managed to plot a pretty accurate looking map of twists, turns and switchbacks on the trail.

Not much of a comparison test since I only got one set of results but here they are from endomondo anyway:

Distance - 3.38 miles
Duration - 15m:40s
Avg Speed - 12.9 mph
Max Speed - 29.0 mph
Calories - 265 kcal
Altitude - 814 ft / 1988 ft
Elevation - 75 ft ↑ / 961 ft ↓

Wonder if the jumps counted in the elevation calculation

 

[Neal]

Tom - The DJ bike is looking damn nice but from what I've seen of rawed bikes I'd say go for it...it's the new black Where would you get it done and how much is it...possibly tempted myself. What 10mm axle are you using, just the Hope one? I've just changed my front to 9mm bolt thru QR which surprisingly has made a noticeable difference and will probably get the 10mm hub adaptors for the rear hub soon.

Daft Biker - Awesome photos as usual 👍 I'm sure it goes without saying that I'm beyond jealous having been stuck in work all day I have just been on a local road ride though in an effort to get back on form for The Marin Trail at Betws-y-Coed a week tomorrow which seems to be working as I'm back up to speed on the hill round here. I only used Strava which tracked most of the ride fine but had a couple of inaccurate route deviations so maybe the satellites are drunk or summat


Also I'm pleased to report the service on my forks (oil change, O-ring replacement and increasing the travel by a huge 15mm!) has made a massive improvement to them. There was pretty much no lubrication oil in them before so they're now really plush and the extra height has brought the bar position back to where I like it after buying a fork with a shorter steerer than was ideal.

 

[boiltheocean]

Tom - The DJ bike is looking damn nice but from what I've seen of rawed bikes I'd say go for it...it's the new black Where would you get it done and how much is it...possibly tempted myself. What 10mm axle are you using, just the Hope one? I've just changed my front to 9mm bolt thru QR which surprisingly has made a noticeable difference and will probably get the 10mm hub adaptors for the rear hub soon.

A local small business strips and powder-coats frames for about £15, I'm going to enquire about clear-coats too. Hopefully they also do that. As for the axle it's the 10mm bolt-up version from Hope, I'm glad I coughed up the cash for Hope hubs because it's so easy to convert them for what you need. Ideally I'd like a fork with a 20mm front end or at least some Fox QR15 lowers just to stiffen things up a bit but that will have to wait until the end of the year.

 

[Slick Rick]

Those are some great shots daft biker id love to ride somewhere like that 👍

 

[Neal]

A local small business strips and powder-coats frames for about £15, I'm going to enquire about clear-coats too. Hopefully they also do that. As for the axle it's the 10mm bolt-up version from Hope, I'm glad I coughed up the cash for Hope hubs because it's so easy to convert them for what you need. Ideally I'd like a fork with a 20mm front end or at least some Fox QR15 lowers just to stiffen things up a bit but that will have to wait until the end of the year.

That's cheap! I'd seriously consider that with mine to hide its identity although picking it up would give it away

Ditto with the Superstar hubs, different axle adapters are a tenner and then either use their bolt thru 9mm or 10mm QR's for standard dropouts or a 15mm type etc. I'm happy with 9mm QR on the front but I'd like a proper bolt axle on the back but I can't find any on tinternet, I think DT Swiss do them but they're very expensive! The Hope wouldn't work as it has to be straight and the one I've found in American is out of stock http://www.balleracing.com/Hadley/Hadley10mmAxle.htm

Any ideas?

 

[boiltheocean]

I'm not really sure on the axles, in theory they should all fit as long as it's a 10 x 135. This might work but I'm not 100%. The Hope system doesn't require a through-axle so I've not really looked into them much.

 

[Gdog96]

This is me and a couple friends, I have a kona shred 09, my friend had a kona stuff 2010, and my other friend has a specialized of some sort. This is definately not at our best, because the recent ones are in reall wet conditions, and the dry ones are from ages ago, but either way, take a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7xV0dGwAAg

 

[Slick Rick]

Is anyone farmiliar with hope mini brakes? Basically my friend's front caliper seizes when he presses the brake, it came to a point where we had to take it off completely just to continue riding.
I took it home and took the pads out and pressed the brake so the pistons came out a bit then I cleaned it with brake cleaner but then I couldnt push the pistons back! It was like break the screwdriver tight! Anyway I managed to reset them by unscrewing the nipple so I could push them back. I rang specialized and they said the pistons were corroded and I should buy a new caliper! The brakes were pretty expensive so I was thinking we just take them apart completey and clean them up??
Has anyone overhauled a hydraulic brake?

 

[robert1]

my newist bike

(this is an oldish pic taken on a mobile after a picked it up after leaving hospital after a huge accident on it...the bike was fine, but ill get a better picture tomorrow)

sadly dont have many decent routes near me, but this is one i take alot

alot of long country roads

few small hills

and alot of private fields haha

have been around the beach (folkestone and dover) but always try to find different places to go, can spend hours getting lost

EDIT
new bike

old bike

 

[daft biker]

Is anyone farmiliar with hope mini brakes? Basically my friend's front caliper seizes when he presses the brake, it came to a point where we had to take it off completely just to continue riding.
I took it home and took the pads out and pressed the brake so the pistons came out a bit then I cleaned it with brake cleaner but then I couldnt push the pistons back! It was like break the screwdriver tight! Anyway I managed to reset them by unscrewing the nipple so I could push them back. I rang specialized and they said the pistons were corroded and I should buy a new caliper! The brakes were pretty expensive so I was thinking we just take them apart completey and clean them up??
Has anyone overhauled a hydraulic brake?

Worst case new pistons and seals....the caliper should be fine, I would have thought.

However first I'd try checking the fluid levels - if you had to release the bleed nipple to get the pistons back in the caliper it suggests there might be too much fluid in there.

After releasing some brake fluid did the problem go away or lessen any?

Thanks for the comments on the last pics

Went riding with some mates today....some pics of them warming up at the freeride area in Glentress. Hopefully get some better light and better pics another day...there wasn't much I could do about the featureless white sky and it was a bit dull.


stevie-1 by Andrew Robertson, on Flickr


Kev by Andrew Robertson, on Flickr


Matty by Andrew Robertson, on Flickr


Doc by Andrew Robertson, on Flickr


Greg by Andrew Robertson, on Flickr


Stevie-2 by Andrew Robertson, on Flickr


Matty-2 by Andrew Robertson, on Flickr


Oz by Andrew Robertson, on Flickr

Was shooting using manual mode on my compact....ISO 100, f/2.4 and 1/320th mostly.

 

[Neal]

I'm not really sure on the axles, in theory they should all fit as long as it's a 10 x 135. This might work but I'm not 100%.

Thanks 👍 I think that would work although having to carry a couple of ring spanners in my pack would bug me. Searching through the rest of the hub spares on CRC it looks like the Hope Pro 2 Saint axle bolt might work, I'll check it when I'm thinking of converting my hub.

After all the talk about worn chains I thought I best check mine and I'm pretty sure it's knackered. The big ring and a few of the smaller cassette cogs show slight signs of wear too, new chainsets aren't cheap I've ordered a new KMC chain and I'll swap the cassette from my wife's bike (she doesn't use it much and wouldn't notice anyway) and hope for the best with the chain ring.

Daftbiker - so did they all land them, a few were impressively crossed up!

Slickrick- I have serviced and put new seals in motorbike callipers and it was reasonably easy but first I'd try freeing them up. With the pads out pump the lever to push the pistons out (but not too much so they fall out), clean thouroughly then put some brake fluid on the side of the piston before pushing them back in. Keep doing this until the pistons move more freely although you probably only need to clean them the once.

 

[daft biker]

Daftbiker - so did they all land them, a few were impressively crossed up!

Aye, no crashes today Got a bruise on my knee from making contact with the stem at one point and then managed to jar my ankle a bit when I dabbed out on the trails....nothing major but enough to know you've been trying

Save chains.....push up the hill:tup: Can't remember changing the chain on my Subzero ever and I think it's over 5 years old now!

 

[mp10]

Hi, i have just got back on the bike after quite a while. My friend has persuaded me to get one, however i'm not sure what to look for? He has a Boss Stealth Mountain Bike and it seemed nice when i road it around.

Here's a link of the Boss Stealth Mountain Bike: http://www.very.co.uk/boss-stealth-26-inch-dual-suspension-mens-bike/370640452.prd

Now i'm going to be riding on both road and dirt tracks, so i've been told that a Mountain bike is the way to go. I have also heard that "Hybrid" bikes might be more suitable for me, but they seem to be quite pricey.

I have a budget of £150, so can you please give me any pointers.

Thank you

 

[hellnback]

Finally bit the bullet and brought a MTB...

Specialized Stumpjumper Comp HT 29er latest model Red/Black/White, with a Topeak Panoram V16 computer thrown in...

http://www.specialized.com/nz/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=62049&scid=1100&scname=Mountain

Did two rides over the weekend, Friday night a 17.5km, probably the first time I've done anywhere near that distance in 15 years when I was doing 3km run, 30km bike, 3km run biathalons on my (now) used tri-bike. Some 7-8 years before that I was racing early MTB's in the mid-80's (before lycra took over...)

Then Sun I did another 23.5km in 75mins at around a 19km/h average... mostly on gravel/dirt trails, but not single trail techy stuff, as I want to get some conditioning first.

Boy how the bikes have changed since I last did some off-road stuff, lighter, more responsive, although the seats aren't more comfortable... Another point of note how many are now going to 'only' two chainrings for just 20 gears, apparently for 'weight saving' measures, but it means you run out of the top gears rather quickly on only midly downhill sections... maybe at a later stage I'll look for another ringset with different to the 38/24. So in essence more mid-range, although you don't really get into the 24 until you start climbing at a great rate of knots

Next ride tomorrow. Loving it, adore the bike, glad I spent so much... wonders what more would've got... nah... not really.

 

[Neal]

Aye, no crashes today Got a bruise on my knee from making contact with the stem at one point and then managed to jar my ankle a bit when I dabbed out on the trails....nothing major but enough to know you've been trying

Save chains.....push up the hill:tup: Can't remember changing the chain on my Subzero ever and I think it's over 5 years old now!

Sounds like a good day out 👍

The hills are too big close to me, if I pushed up them the pensioners on the shopper bikes would laugh at me!

Hi, i have just got back on the bike after quite a while. My friend has persuaded me to get one, however i'm not sure what to look for? He has a Boss Stealth Mountain Bike and it seemed nice when i road it around.

Here's a link of the Boss Stealth Mountain Bike: http://www.very.co.uk/boss-stealth-26-inch-dual-suspension-mens-bike/370640452.prd

Now i'm going to be riding on both road and dirt tracks, so i've been told that a Mountain bike is the way to go. I have also heard that "Hybrid" bikes might be more suitable for me, but they seem to be quite pricey.

I have a budget of £150, so can you please give me any pointers.

Thank you

Personally I'd go for a mountain bike as it'll be tougher...and looks cooler

I wouldn't class that Boss Stealth as a bike, it's more of a bike shaped object really (don't tell your mate this). Any bike you get from a catalogue or supermarket is going to be very poor quality and it would be a mistake to buy a bike with rear suspension at anything under £800 as it will be heavy, weak and ineffective. Best to stick with a hardtail as you'll have a significantly better bike for your money. I can't find anything brand new that I would confidently recommend for £150 I'm afraid but if you can find another hundred quid there are a couple of options I've seen.

The Carrera Valour (£249) is plenty good enough for messing about on and would easily cope with some fairly rough off road riding plus the components are good enough to last a decent length of time . http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_810685_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

This GT Avalanche 3.0 Disc (£249) is a significantly better bike than the Carrera although is only available in small and x-small so it depends how tall you are and if you're happy buying mail order but as you've linked to a catalogue I'll assume you are > http://paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s2p3345

If you are absolutely limited to £150 then Decathlon sell very good value bikes and they have the Rockrider 5.1 C1 2011 (£149) which is infinitely better than that Boss or anything else you'd get in a catalogue or supermarket > http://www.decathlon.co.uk/rockrider-51-c1-2011-id_8167116.html

Hopefully this gives you some ideas 👍

Finally bit the bullet and brought a MTB...

Specialized Stumpjumper Comp HT 29er latest model Red/Black/White, with a Topeak Panoram V16 computer thrown in...

http://www.specialized.com/nz/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=62049&scid=1100&scname=Mountain

Nice bike 👍 (even if it does have the wrong size wheels ) You can get chainsets with biggers rings although the max for 2x10 seems to be 42T which is still a bit smaller than a triple chainset but it'll be fine for most riding especially off road. Also a double chainset allows you to fit a chain tensoiner device

Just the tyres alone have changed how bikes perform compared to 20 years ago. Get yourself up to speed and go and find some proper trails, living in NZ I assume you've got some amazing stuff right out of your back door :jealous:

If you fancy having a read of a decent skills book that'll give you some good pointers on how to tackle the new man made trail features check out Mastering Mountain Bike Skills.

 

[robert1]

just wondering if anyone knows the problem here .. and how to fix it?
never really played around with hydrolic dics before
i no its kinda hard to see in this pic

but one of the pads doesnt move, its just stuck on the dics while the other side is fine..

any ideas?

 

[Neal]

You probably just need to align your brake calliper, have a look at this http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/video-workshop-how-to-align-your-disc-brake-calipers-32591