The biking thread

[Neal]

My last ride was on 29th May due to a break to let my ankle recover, which it hasn't, and to go on holiday so I'm having serious withdrawals. I'm hoping to get out tonight for a local ride or on another evening this week for a proper ride with the bike club, hopefully my fitness levels won't have fallen off a cliff My bike is still dusty from the last ride but judging by the weather we’ve had recently it’s going to be covered in mud very soon

I've obviously going on a bit too much about my Strava achievements to my wife as she got me this mug for fathers day to go with the knee pads Stava don't do merchandise so she had to source the image herself for the crown and get it printed with KOM (King Of The Mountain) as a one off, bless her I know she got it done as a bit of a joke but I’m still made up with it.

I guess I'll tease you lot with one photo from Fort Bill at the weekend...

Will be putting more up in my photography thread soon when I get a chance to go through all the photos and edit them a bit.

*checks Aldo's photo thread*

I've still to watch any footage from Fort Bill but sounds like Danny Hart put in a good effort. Midges sound hellish!

Well, I survived my first single track mountain bike trail about 10 minutes drive from my house. The first half was pretty nice, steep but manageable. The second half was very technical, steep, rocky, 8" track over ruts, roots, and rocks. The tight hairpin turns that were steep were the hardest for me to navigate but survived.

I used this cool app on my phone that tracked our ride. 4 miles total, with 2 miles up to the top at a 700 foot elevation change.

Detailed stats of the trip are included below:
http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/1733187

What app are you using? If you're not using it already you should switch to Strava although it comes with a warning that you'll become addicted to it resulting in much competitiveness but the bonus is it'll massively improve your fitness. It's also very handy for finding rides in your area that other people have done as can be seen here

[WHORE]

My ride as of today.

My dad finished building up his On-One 456 Carbon frame yesterday, needless to say he's itching to get out on it. I'm pretty jealous too as it's a relative bargain at only £300.

[/WHORE]

Both looking very very nice mate 👍 A couple of guys in the bike club have got carbon 456's and they look mint, I've been very tempted to get one myself to fully turn my bike into Triggers Brush

 

[W3H5]

Liking the mug, Neal. 👍

Off topic, I know, but how was your trip?

 

[Neal]

Liking the mug, Neal. 👍

Off topic, I know, but how was your trip?

Cheers mate, it'll give me even more motivation to get out and win some more KOM's

It was all kinds of awesome although due to it being all inclusive my trousers are a bit tighter now Very very hot and sunny most days and the place had a great pool with surprisingly good entertainment for kids and adults alike...it was very much a family place so I felt sorry for the few couples who were there. Actually there is bike related content from the holiday as we hired a bike/car/pedal cart thingy (see below) and took the kids on a tour of the area for a few hours, hard work uphill when the missus decided the soft pedal

I have much awesome news so am planning a dedictaed thread when I can sit down for a while to pen it

 

[Aldo]

*checks Aldo's photo thread*

I've still to watch any footage from Fort Bill but sounds like Danny Hart put in a good effort. Midges sound hellish!

I've not really had time to go through them all yet... Well, when I've had time I can't be arsed My dad has started going through them for me though so I'll put up the ones he finds. Saves me doing it...

 

[boiltheocean]

Neal that mug is so good! You should seriously consider the 456 too, not sure if the offer is still on but you can get the frame and some FSA AM tubeless wheels for £400. I've had a little go on it and I love it, such a great handling hardtail.

 

[W3H5]

Those things are all the rage in China at the minute. On the road I use for sprinting there isn't much traffic and is about the only place the Chinese cycle in this city. I'm forever dodging people riding/driving them thing!

 

[JohnnyBravo]

Did this trip on an MTB course in my school. Total distance 125 km, minimal height 260m, max height 1411m. We did it with average speed about 21 km/h, most of the time on tarmac roads. took us about 7 hours with a lunch break and photoshoot at the top One of the biggest sport performances of my life, if not the biggest and great experience.
Here's map:
http://goo.gl/maps/zuKo

 

[Neal]

Looking forward to hitting the trails again this weekend. I'm a little nervous about my bike surviving though. The wheels took the bike shop 3 attempts to true in the first place so I'm expecting them to break first (some alarming noises on my first trail ride).

What should I be looking for if I wanted to get some replacement wheels?
I know I would need 26 inch and not 29 inch, but are there other variables I should worry about?

If it took the shop 3 attempts to true the wheels I would question their workmanship although a badly built wheel could be difficult to put right without relacing them. As Daftbiker recommended Merlin have a good reputation and the wheel build is more important then the hubs, spokes and rims so that is important. I've got Superstar AM wheels which are great and they offer a free truing service if you do damage them. The Switch Evo hubs have fairly cheap bearings so will need replacing within a year but they're £40ish for a full set from ebay (PM me for links) and are easy to replace plus all cartridge bearings will need replacing after a while. How much are you looking to spend? They have sets from £130 upwards with most axle types covered with various hub adapters.

I've not really had time to go through them all yet... Well, when I've had time I can't be arsed My dad has started going through them for me though so I'll put up the ones he finds. Saves me doing it...

I've given up of messing about with photos after I've taken them, I'm not skilled enough to make proper adjustments anyway. Looking forward to seeing the pics 👍

Neal that mug is so good! You should seriously consider the 456 too, not sure if the offer is still on but you can get the frame and some FSA AM tubeless wheels for £400. I've had a little go on it and I love it, such a great handling hardtail.

Cheers

I've already got about £400 on my bike buying wish list as it is and with an imminent house move a new frame would not earn me many brownie points with the missus, I'm on the On One mailing list though so I get nearly daily temptation emails from them! Also I'm trying my best to save up for a long travel bouncer in the shape of a Canyon Strive....I really don't think the missus would be happy with UPS getting her to sign for that

Those things are all the rage in China at the minute. On the road I use for sprinting there isn't much traffic and is about the only place the Chinese cycle in this city. I'm forever dodging people riding/driving them thing!

Bizarre, they're a bit of a laugh for an hour or so but they're pretty horrible to use and very unstable as I found out when i very very nearly toppled it over in a 5 degree slope, wife unimpressed It didn't stop bombing it past anyone else on one of them...it's all about the winning

Did this trip on an MTB course in my school. Total distance 125 km, minimal height 260m, max height 1411m. We did it with average speed about 21 km/h, most of the time on tarmac roads. took us about 7 hours with a lunch break and photoshoot at the top One of the biggest sport performances of my life, if not the biggest and great experience.
Here's map:
http://goo.gl/maps/zuKo

Big big ride mate, very impressed 👍

 

[JohnnyBravo]

Big big ride mate, very impressed 👍

Thanks Neal. Here are some pictures from the top. (I'm the guy in black in the middle with bike with white fork). BTW there are only very few places in Czech rep. where you can find snow in june

Shot at 2012-06-26

Shot at 2012-06-26

 

[Yrkshrpudding]

If it took the shop 3 attempts to true the wheels I would question their workmanship although a badly built wheel could be difficult to put right without relacing them. As Daftbiker recommended Merlin have a good reputation and the wheel build is more important then the hubs, spokes and rims so that is important. I've got Superstar AM wheels which are great and they offer a free truing service if you do damage them. The Switch Evo hubs have fairly cheap bearings so will need replacing within a year but they're £40ish for a full set from ebay (PM me for links) and are easy to replace plus all cartridge bearings will need replacing after a while. How much are you looking to spend?

It was part of the free adjustments so I'm sure they were hoping not to spend any time on my bike and get on with the paying customers but still.
I've been using the adjustment screws to keep the brake pads from rubbing. The front wheel isn't too bad but the rear has gotten to the point where I've removed the caliper arms and re-attached them in their widest position because the adjustment screws couldn't back the pads away far enough on their own. Rear brakes now feel very mushy

I also discovered that while I had the chain off for cleaning, the rear wheel sounds like it has a bucket of gravel in the hub. Pretty sure it shouldn't sound so clunky.

The bike was supposed to be $400 but I got it a year old for $250 so I'm trying not to spend much on it at all really. I'd rather batter it for a year and then buy a better bike.

I'm planning on a gentle test ride and if everything feels awful I'll try a different bike shop and just pay them to true the wheels. If that still doesn't work I'll look at new wheels or new bike.

 

[Neal]

I'd assumed by the regional food user name you were in the UK, the wheels I linked wont have been very useful then I take it you've got rim brakes instead of disc brakes then? Buckled wheels aren't great with them really. If you don't want to spend on this bike then it's probably worth the effort getting them trued and have the bearings regreased if that's what the noise is. TBH you need to regrease bearings a couple of times a year anyway if you don't want to destroy them so it's worth doing it yourself.

 

[Yrkshrpudding]

I'd assumed by the regional food user name you were in the UK, the wheels I linked wont have been very useful then I take it you've got rim brakes instead of disc brakes then? Buckled wheels aren't great with them really. If you don't want to spend on this bike then it's probably worth the effort getting them trued and have the bearings regreased if that's what the noise is. TBH you need to regrease bearings a couple of times a year anyway if you don't want to destroy them so it's worth doing it yourself.

No problem, displaced Yorkshireman so all the links make perfect sense to me though I might look at somewhere more local for shipping purposes

Rim brakes are correct. I'll be looking up how to grease my bearings shortly (not a euphemism!)

 

[Neal]

Gotcha. If you do end up buying new wheels make sure they are rim brake specific as disc only rims can't be used with them. I'd put money on your wheels bearings being cup and cone rather than cartridge so you'll need a couple of cone spanners to service them but it's not difficult, here are a couple of guides to help.

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Tech-Tuesday-Cup-and-Cone-Hub-Rebuild-2011.html

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/workshop-servicing-your-bearings-18623/

On the topic of bearings, and as I need to make the essential monthly pay day bike purchase, I'm ordering a full set of cartridge bearings for both wheels today. They're both a bit rough and the front has some play in it so they definitely need doing but the replacements are much better quality so should last significantly longer than the 1,000km the originals did and £40 for the set isn't bad.

In other biking news the damaged tendon in my ankle didn't magically fix itself during my month off although it is a bit better and doesn't seem any worse after the ride on Monday so I'll start with the regular rides again but just try to avoid pushing too hard. I've got a docs appointment next week so will get it checked out and hopefully get some physio to sort it out properly [/getting old]

 

[W3H5]

should last significantly longer than the 1,000km the originals

Ah, the compulsory pay day purchase. I do that, but usually I just buy little nick-nacks that I never use.

About these bearings; how does one know when they need changing? Does performance drop of dramatically?

I ask because my bike is now on ~1500km and has yet to have a full service other then the bits of tinkering I do in the week, I've been getting a slight wobble in the rear at speed and wonder what that could be down to. The possibilities I've considered are: spokes need straitening/wheel needs truing or the bearings are worn.

 

[Neal]

Ah, the compulsory pay day purchase. I do that, but usually I just buy little nick-nacks that I never use.

About these bearings; how does one know when they need changing? Does performance drop of dramatically?

I ask because my bike is now on ~1500km and has yet to have a full service other then the bits of tinkering I do in the week, I've been getting a slight wobble in the rear at speed and wonder what that could be down to. The possibilities I've considered are: spokes need straitening/wheel needs truing or the bearings are worn.

I try to keep the purchases in check too but I'm sure if I added up the "want stuff" from the beginning of the month with the "need stuff" throughout the month it'd make me cringe.

The most simple way to know if bearings need attention is by feel and noise. Take the wheel off and spin it while holding the axle, if it feels smooth and is quiet then it's fine but if it feels rough and sounds grumbly then they need sorting out the sooner the better. To check your bottom bracket move the chain off the rings and spin the cranks watching for the same clues. You can carefully remove the seals on cartridge bearings to flush them out and regrease but often it's easier to just replace them. Cup and cone bearings are easier to service but much more difficult to replace which is why I ended up needing new wheels as I used mine for too long with when they where full of much and grit which wrecked the bearing races. I've not noticed a huge drop in performance since my wheel bearings have been a bit rough while riding but they definitely don't spin as freely, I'll let you know if it feels different once I've replaced them.

For the wobble check if the rim is true and also that the tyre is on straight when you spin the wheels and use the distance from the seat stay/fork to gauge it. I have to partially inflate mine then adjust the tyre on the rim by hand before fully inflating. With the wheels in the frame try moving the rim side to side to see if there is any play, a bit of flex is normal and you should be able to tell the difference between it and bearing play. Also make sure all the spoke are of roughly equally tension by squeezing pairs of spokes together with finger and thumb.

 

[W3H5]

I've spun the wheel during cleaning, that was last week and I also greased the axle (quick release) and it's as smooth as a baby's rump.

I made sure the wheel was lined up when I put it on and checked for a buckle but everything was fine.

I guess I'll buy a cheap spoke tool and try that out to see if it's the spokes causing the wobble.

Saying all this I could just be down to under-inflation of the tyre.

 

[Neal]

Tour de France starts today, aparently the Brits have got a good chance this year. Are all the roadies glued to the TV or joining the fat middle aged men in team colours Lycra cycling round the park? Actually I might go out in a bit to overtake a few of them in my baggies

Also the Windham downhill world cup race is this weekend.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Tour de France starts today, aparently the Brits have got a good chance this year. Are all the roadies glued to the TV or joining the fat middle aged men in team colours Lycra cycling round the park? Actually I might go out in a bit to overtake a few of them in my baggies

Also the Windham downhill world cup race is this weekend.

First time in 5 years I'm not able to while away a summer lying on a sofa watching the TdF. Lammmeee.

 

[Greycap]

I had to sell my 2012 model Rockhopper today after owning it for only two months.




But it was replaced by a brand new 2012 model Rockhopper Expert less than two hours later.

 

[ExigeEvan]

How much value did it lose in 2 months?

 

[Greycap]

I bought it for 600€, sold it for 450€, but in return it left this house with hubs that had done 600 km in those two months on my other bike and tyres that had done perhaps 200 km of trail riding while I kept the brand new ones that had come with it. Not bad.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Sneeky!

 

[Mike Rotch]

I had to sell my 2012 model Rockhopper today after owning it for only two months.




But it was replaced by a brand new 2012 model Rockhopper Expert less than two hours later.

Pics.

Or it didnt happen .

 

[Aldo]

Tour de France starts today, aparently the Brits have got a good chance this year. Are all the roadies glued to the TV or joining the fat middle aged men in team colours Lycra cycling round the park? Actually I might go out in a bit to overtake a few of them in my baggies

Also the Windham downhill world cup race is this weekend.

Saw some lycra clad gay meetup outside the leisure centre at 9am when I started work this morning... 2 of them had matching hats and jerseys... Lollllllllllll

 

[W3H5]

Tour de France starts today, aparently the Brits have got a good chance this year. Are all the roadies glued to the TV or joining the fat middle aged men in team colours Lycra cycling round the park?

I wasn't even aware it was on.

I don't own any team colours and I certainly don't have access to a park! For that matter I don't even own a TV.

 

[SPhilli911]

Did some downhilling today at Killington Resort in VT. Rented a Kona Operator (I used to have my own downhill bike, but I rarely used it since I live 3 hours from the nearest downhill park) and man it was awesome. I've been going for years, but the Operator was the best bike I've ever used. Besides getting a flat and having to walk off the mountain it was serious fun.

 

[Greycap]

Pics.

Or it didnt happen .

The collection as of now, Camber Comp '12 and Rockhopper Expert '12. The fun fact is that despite the Rockhopper being of a much higher "trim level" the Camber still has equal or better parts all round as the entire line-up is positioned far higher in the model range.

The Camber has had its original white grips swapped for black ones, the original white saddle faced the same fate, and it's at the moment wearing the wheels and tyres that came with the Rockhopper. On the other hand the Rockhopper has immediately inherited the said white saddle (because the experience with my first Rockhopper showed that the original sucks) and has the wheels from the Camber equipped with road tyres as I want to put some mileage on them in time for the first year service. Eventually I'll swap the tyres around as the Camber's DT Swiss wheels are a lot better for trail work than the Rockhopper's Alexrims.

 

[mp10]

The collection as of now, Camber Comp '12 and Rockhopper Expert '12. The fun fact is that despite the Rockhopper being of a much higher "trim level" the Camber still has equal or better parts all round as the entire line-up is positioned far higher in the model range.

The Camber has had its original white grips swapped for black ones, the original white saddle faced the same fate, and it's at the moment wearing the wheels and tyres that came with the Rockhopper. On the other hand the Rockhopper has immediately inherited the said white saddle (because the experience with my first Rockhopper showed that the original sucks) and has the wheels from the Camber equipped with road tyres as I want to put some mileage on them in time for the first year service. Eventually I'll swap the tyres around as the Camber's DT Swiss wheels are a lot better for trail work than the Rockhopper's Alexrims.

Nice swap, new bike looking good ::👍

As i've just got into mountain biking, and been to a few trails lately; i would highly recommend this video

Its good for any newbies to mountain biking, various techniques and tips.

 

[W3H5]

The sun is out today, temperature is el scorchio and the mountains look fine for a ride. 👍

Problem I have is that I live half way up the bloody mountain so I can't have a nice relaxing ride because one way or another I have to climb half a mountain!

 

[Yrkshrpudding]

Took a ride yesterday with my recently trued wheels.

We got some rain the day before so the trail was a little slick. Changed the feel of the place significantly. Uphills were harder with way more resistance. Downhills were scarier with less traction for braking. Corners were very exciting as you wonder what the bike is going to find first, some grip or some tree!