Mountain Bikes

nice weight but I've never ridden on or with other people whos Pace bike didn't make really odd sounds, a kinda creaking sound under pressure.

the flex mentioned earlier is ok on a hard tail as the design of the rear triangle only allowed for a small amount, some/most of the suspended bikes on the market (including ones I've owned) offer way more flex and therefore wasted power transfer. try manhandling the rear wheel on one and see how much lateral movement there is! scary stuff, a few bikes like the GT RTS and original LTS made excellent attempts at eliminating this problem.

ive gone back to an alu hard tail since moving to sweden

 

GT RTS ! I really wanted one of those about ten years ago.

I bet you can pick them up for pennies now.. I'm off to play on ebay..

 

really good bikes, solid tail when under pressure (when pedaling) and then soft when not brilliant compromise, also used Olens shocks from the motorbike industry

 

Looking good, Isaac! Regarding the issue you have with the rear brake booster fouling the frame on compression; would the Magura brake spacers be any use here?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=1187

They lock in place via a small allen bolt and may lift the brakes (and therefore the boosters) away just enough to stop the foul, depending upon how much there is, obviously. Just a thought.

Anyway - let us know how you're getting on with it.

Chris.

 

Chris - nope, they're already installed. The issue is with the height of the booster above the brake bosses, putting it into the range of movement of the seatpost. The solution is a lower booster that doesn't sit so high above the tyre, but I don't know if there's one that's low enough.

Although, you've given me an idea... the problem may be alleviated somewhat if the booster were to sit on the frame side of the brake... Investigation required methinks.

 

why not get one made? sounds like fun. You could get something with no flex at all.

 

While we're on the subject of bikes, here's a piccy of mine. It's a Sunn Notion. Steel frame with alloy rims, elastomer front forks, sprung seat pillar, Shimano DX brakes (bought those off a mate, the original brakes were horrible), rear mech is ESP I think. Not exactly high tech but it's quite light and nippy. Cost me 500 quid in 1998.

 

nice frame, v good base for upgrading the parts on.

 

Nice one chris.... shiny....

My booster idea didn't work.... I'll have a look at what could be done custom (and have jsut the man to make it...). May not be worth it though as the next stage of upgrade is to discs and new wheels.

Now.... Goldtec, Magura or Chris King (yeah, right!!!) wheels?

 

@all,

are you talking about mountain bikes and you are all in England?
:duck:

 

Good point.... everyone round titians, it's his round!

 

It wasn't until I recently attacked it with Autoglym Motorcycle Cleaner

I'd forgotten how shiny it was. Several neighbours who'd seen me scrubbing away at the mud and filth with a paint brush came over for a double-take when I hosed it off :lol:

 

I used to start it from 'the white house' nr gragg vale when I worked nr hebden bridge, theres a half to three quarter mile gnarly downhil next to the pub :slayer: then you singletrack it to a farm on the edge of the m62 folowed by some tough climbing and general roughish stuff to the mast then cross the motorway for another long but untechnical climb then some lovely open moor singletrack, down a roman road to some more single track and to a short technical decent back to the pub :MILD:

I cant be more specific than that its probably 7 years since I used to do it as when I changed jobs it was just as far to Emsay moor which has a great route. I would need to do it from the white house to remember it totaly but could start at the mast in future (although the white house is a good place to end!) If/when I can sort transport I could meet you on the hebden road and you could follow me to the start?

 

isaac - i used to know a couple of routes round saddleworth from my days over in Diggle - if i ever get on the bike again we can mooch over that way - gotta get up mount road first though.......
cant help but wonder if the pub rob mentions is the rams head on the road from denshaw to the m62 - from memory you can drop down from there to the reservoirs at Milnrow, problem it getting back up again!

 

Chris - I think Rob means starting from here

 

Just found this site which looks like it could do with some support:

www.northernroutes.co.uk

 

Isaac, that map looks about right.

 

Well, just took the new beasty out on a short test run having got the rest of the bits... something is up with the front mech, but will probably replace the mech and shifter soon. A few things need tightening and tuning up but...

This thing rides brilliantly. It seems to want to climb more than my hard-tail did, the rear suspension seems unintrusive. The Asgard forks are an absolute revelation compared to my old RSTs... With the RSTs you noticed when they were persuaded to move, whereas the Asgards just get on with the job, leaving you floating over everything. The geometry of the bike is quite sorted (my hardtail was completely out because it was a non-suspension frame with a 75mm fork) and it's a better position. The fork seems stiffer than the RSTs were, so steering is much more precise. Despite the wet roads felt more confident in taking a corner at speed as the bike was much less reluctant to change direction.

Roll on fairer weather!

 

a quick question for anyone in the know... has anyone had any experience with the rohloff speed hub? or the thorn raven enduro bike. the speed hub looks like a great bit of kit that gets on with the job of being a gear box without all that derailleur nonsense and is very low maintainence - good for a lazy bugger like me. i realise that it's not going to be the ultimate in lightness but tbh i doubt bike weight is a big factor for me
found a few things on the interweb and most give it the thumbs up (although they do say it can be noisy and a bit bolshy for a while before it runs in). anyone?
i'm prolly going to spend on a new bike next year sometime and i'm toying with the idea of one of these - or perhaps a full susser but the thorn seems to tick all the boxes at present.
cheers


julian

 

I've heard two things about the speed hub...

1) it is extremely heavy.
2) it makes you long for those maintenance-free days of derailleurs

Seriously, I'd get a decent rear mech (my pref is for SRAM, but the top-end shimano stuff is fine too... any of X.7, X.9, X.0, XT or XTR are fine) with your favoured style of shifter.