Summer's here

Blink and you'll miss it.

Me, I'll be out on the bike again this evening. Now that it's back up to strength (after a set of dodgy inner tubes) the mach SS tyres are proving that they were worth it. Now I just need a lighter set of wheels, disc-compatible frame and forks, new chainset... most of it really.

Ah well, the sun will make me do funny things... :JOEL:

 

Lighter wheels make a huge difference, the bike feels more sprightly, unsprung weight is the best place to save it.

 

I really REALLY wanted to go out for a ride tonight, but Im shattered after 6+ hours of driving today.

Guess I'll have a beer and a chill instead.

Hopefully the weather will stay nice.

 

I've been using tubeless tyres for the last year..
They save about 250g per wheel, and haven't had a puncture in all that time.
Swear by them, and the Panaracer Fire XC pro tyres.
And I can run lower pressures for extra grip in the mud.

And as for discs - I used to sneer, but having XT ones now makes me see what I was missing. I can do an extra 5mph on the downhill now, and rear wheel steering works much better!

 

Indeed rob... I discovered this with the difference in weight and rolling resistance in going to the panaracer mach SS kevlar from WTB Velociraptor steel. I've also yet to come across a situation where the Mach have any less grip (probably more a reflection on the velociraptors). The weight saving on the wheels means lower rotational kinetic energy so it's much easier to accelerate and particularly climb with them, but the downside is that you don't roll over big bumps quite as easily.

I'm not really looking for an increase in braking power (I currently use Magura HS22s with braided hoses), but rim brakes + mud = not nice.

I'm thinking of building up a complete new bike in stages... new wheels (probably hope XC disc + XM317s), then new frame and forks (probably aluminium hardtail, and not sure on the forks... I like pace but they're serious money), then hope discs, probably M4s.

 

Interested in what you're saying here leonard.

My 'doorstep' ride is covered in hawthorn bushes, and I get about a puncture a month.

I was thinking of investingating the lightest weight method of getting puncture free wheels

Any more info?

Chris

 

great, a bike thread ...

am now doing the canal paths on hybrid Diamondback (front disc break, 24 gears from the handlebar), rather than the analogue Dawes Galaxy - brown model with double-butted 531 and braised forks ...

Might also bring the Lejeune tandem out of retirement - same era as the Celestion Ditton 15s - probably need to replace the bars - Rega??

 

I used to do the canal towpath in Edinburgh. You hardly see anyone when you get far enough out.

Have you been into the Pentlands yet? Its definately the best riding from Edinburgh.

It has hills to make the molehills round here look piddly!

 

me too. i've invested in a bike and have been riding it for the past month or so. nothing special - a really old specialized with dodgy rear gears but it's fun. i try to get out for a ride every day - not quite managing it but did today which was lovely.
i use slime filled inner tubes front and back - they've survived various attacks from thorns, nails and other spiky things that would have been a pita otherwise. maybe not the lightest solution but it works and i'm not sure that saving a few grammes on the weels is the best place to be saving weight with me riding
if i'm still as enthusiastic this time next year then i'll probably dump some serious money into a decent bike but at present what i have does me proud - squeaky brakes aside - although they've gone quiet now so fingers crossed.
cheers


julian

 

yeh, I haven't been ouit on my baike for ages, tho, I've been out walking around weardale everynight this week with my new camera...!

I have to say that I'm impressed with my camera - tho only issue I do have is when I take photos using the auto mode - the sky came be very bland, even just a plain white...and when I took a photo of a river last night, the sky came out white, but the reflection of it on the water was detailed...sigh...

 

Mr cat - that affects film (slides moreso) and digital alike... simple lack of dynamic range. Try taking the normal photo and then take one that is underexposed by 2EV (-2 on the exposure compensation scale). The sky should be ok on the underexposed image, and the two can then be merged together in photoshop.

 

cheers Isaac, I'll bear that in mind...!

 

Also, you can check on the exposure. Press the play button and view your image, and then press the info button until the histogram appears. This shows the distribution of information in the image (ie how much light and dark there is in the image). If the histogram is spilling over the right hand end then you've lost information (and in this view you might see some parts of your image flashing, indicating that they've blown out).

 

I run an (almost totally) stock Specialized Hardrock (only got road tires/uprated brakepads) as my work commute and, while not the lightest bike, it kicks ass now the rear gears are sorted (Julian - get yours serviced - it'll be cheap!). I'd like a lighter bike, but this one's been up to 39.5 mph on the main road and I get over 30mph on most days (admittedly downhill!) so it's all good.

Are these tubeless/slimed tires really "all that"? I've only had one puncture (front tire, was flat after a night locked up) in 900 miles, and it was a slow one, but I'm paranoid, as I've never had to (touch wood) change a rear wheel yet!

BTW - how much better are disc brakes? Oh - and Julian - my front brake makes Kate Bush sound smooth! Not sure what causes it - the rear ones are silent!).

 

Brake squeal can be sorted by appropriate toe-in of the brake pads (so the front part of the pad hits the rim first).

V-brakes are the work of satan. They flex so much that it's like pulling on a sponge. A decent set of boosted cantilevers were better. Hydraulic rim brakes (ie magura) and hydraulic disc brakes are a world apart... firm lever feel and always huge brake power (more than your tyres will offer) on demand.

 

yeah, I'll give this a try tonight - I was aware of the histogram, but wasn't aware about the fact you could view this when you only 1/2 click the play button, I thought you could only view the general stats like shutter etc...!

cheers

also, do you know of any good filters that would maybe solve this, and fit my camera..?

 

The traditional way to do it was to use a graduated neutral density filter. It's easier and quicker to take two shots and blend in ps (you'll need a tripod, but then you would for the grad ND anyway).

 

I have hope hubs and mavic rims with double butted spokes, handbuilt at stiff and they are phenominal wheels and pretty resistant to buckling even with hard downhill riding. My bike is a few years old now and has full XT but only 24 speed brake and gears all in one, so there is no easy/cheap way of getting disk brakes which I would like for the same reasons as Isaac.

I had a hardtale (Orange P7 + Rockshock judy) which was nice and light but never got any use after buying a full suspension bike (santacruz heckler + marsocchi z1) which although heavier feels lighter because it holds the terane better, I can climb hills on it that I couldnt on the orange.

I would avoid an aluninium hardtale as the metal isnt very forgiving (except the pace ones) and can be a hard ride unless you only do canal paths/none technical terrane.

Havent ridden for a while, I lost my rythem after disslocating a couple of fingers but very tempted with this weather.

 

Cool - will look at this (my front wheel's not quite true at the mo either which won't help - doesn't seem to be buckled or twisted, but there's a definite "knocking" when brakes are applied).

They work OK for me, but I never take the bike offroad. I stopped from that 39.5 mph to nil in around 10 metres with no skid (the lights had changed - oops!).

The last time *I* rode a bike with brakes like that, I landed with my nuts on the crossbar and couldn't walk for 3 hours. I was black and blue down there for 2 weeks. I was 11 then, and I can still feel that pain - probably worse than matey's on that GLC track about getting your nads tattoed!

 

My current rig is an alu hardtail so I'm used to the ride...

'95 Marin Nail Trail frame
RST Mozo Pro W (the full Easton one)
Goldtech/mavic D521 front wheel
Truvativ/mavic 121 rear
SRAM ESP900 + 9.0
Magura Raceline HS22 t-dial

I used to jump, hence the obscenely strong wheels (plain gauge 14g spokes... HEAVY). I priced up a set of hope XC disc + XM317 + DT 15g DB wheels, and they're about £170. They'll go with the maguras until I get frame, fork and discs... It's an upgrade path at least.

I've been thinking about full sus... I'd like a Kona kikapu frame, but they seem to go for silly money s/h. The flexier nature of steel or ti is all very well for softer riding than an alu ht frame, but nice side of alu frames is that because they are so stiff you have millimetric control of them.