RodTi

Thanks Steve, will drop them a line!

Riverdance Academy of Dance huh? Yep - 'dem lads and lasses sure know how to spin...

Thanks Mojo - the spacer idea is appealing, but will go that route when I have more time... I presume that fitting a ring inside or outside will be determined by what type or size of SS-specific blade I purchase? Think I'll have a look on CRC, and then pop up a few options that I'm looking at, before placing the order...

Whistler - that's it! This will make the most sense - and be the simplest! It never occurred to me that I could simply replace the big blade, and lose the rest... What ring is that?

Many thanks Whistler - will really appreciate that! Good to know - will mention it to the LBS should I need to!

Hey Nick - for now I'll just remove the inner and outer blades - and run with the LX. I can understand the benefits of going SS specific on the ring - and since I'm a big boy - will no doubt be doing this sooner rather than later... Should also allow me to run a thicker (BMX?) chain, no?

Oooohhh. And how did you do this? Any chance of some pics?

I know, I know - you'd be forgiven for thinking I was building a friggin' gauno-powered Enterprise or something, instead of a SS, with the amount of time I've been faffing around! [in my defence - with the arrival of the little one a month ago - time has been rather scarce!] I will pop up pics of the frame in the week - she's going to see some TLC first! Back to the question: Will keep the bashgaurd option in mind - get what you mean now with regards to it 'replacing' the big blade... Will see what else I the Hub can come up with - appears to be some good options so far!

Thanks Steve! Yes - I'm relieved to see all is not lost with me - I was thinking about that as an option... Did you simply take a hacksaw (etc.) to it? Am I correct in that the black parts on the tips is what simply remains of the big blade - and the middle blade still locks in from behind?

Hey Drongo... Thanks! So the recess remains (where the big blade used to connect) - and then simply leave the middle blade as is (and remove the inner)? The middle will still sit fine in the absence of the big blade? And why the bashgaurd? For aesthetic purposes only (in light of my particular crankset), or for the protection etc? The Raceface will fit the Shimano, yes?

Hey Grebel - RaceFace is closing up shop, no? Nah - didn't want to invest in a SS-specific chainset until I was sure the bug had bitten properly, which is why I bought the LX set in the pic above - for only slightly more than 300 Souf Efrican ronts... Figured it could remain a back-up to my other crankset if the SS didn't grab me. Now I'm wondering whether it would be at all possible to convert it to one blade, and still have it look half-decent?

Thanks for all the info Hubbers! But thought I'd revive this now, since the build is imminent! The LX cranks I bought, have been lying in a box, unopened until the past weekend. On taking them out - I had one of those "hmmmm" moments... Read through all of the above again - but cannot get my head around this - can the crank be successfully converted to a SS setup? In the pic below - I've only noticed now how the 'spindle-arms' [what would the correct term be?] - unlike in the XTR range, don't continue up to the outer blade... The big blade bolts into the recess on top, and the middle blade bolts in from the back - but all of it being 'next to' the spindle arm, if that makes sense... Surely if the big blade is removed from the picture, it will leave a very-visible recess where it was clamping in to... More importantly, I'm wondering whether removing the big blade won't reduce the structural integrity of where the middle blade clamps in to...? Wait - I've just looked at the pic closely again - I actually cannot see how this could be done? I will have to go and look properly tonight again... Your thoughts will obviously be appreciated...

Btw - why you running your chain so long?

Unadulterated porn! Love the saddle - what bar you got on?

When removing anything involving bearings, work over an old towel - or expect to spend several hours on your hands and knees looking for them...

The size of the QR skewer/thru-axle, I think...

Mr. Bornman is a great advocate of the foreign (aluminium) beer can shim... He's popped up a few posts on how best to do it... Will remain an option should I choose to drop down to the 27,0mm - and then shim it - but as mentioned, hopefully my problem has now disappeared! Ps - will keep a look out the next time I pass a CC store - thanks for the tip!

But well done on everyone it getting things this far - let's rather celebrate the practical steps that are being taken to apprehend this scum! Big Up to those Hubbers and the Community Safety people/SAPS!

But just to bring this whole thread back on track - good advice offered here - service times depends on the type of riding you do, and the terrain you do it in... 50hrs for dry weather appears to be standard - but that will fall quickly if you're into muddy conditions. Of course - regardless of the prescribed time, give the fork the once over after every ride - you will soon get to know what it usually looks like, and when something out-of-the-ordinary starts happening, which will require attention... Lastly - if it's a high-end fork - then it stands to reason you would be kind of silly not to maintain it... Do that regularly and properly, and you would be able to resell it in 7 years time with a good conscience... Don't do it regularly, well then - after 7 years, it might still be working - but pity the soul who eventually buys it and opens it up for the first time...

Fortunately, this has been covered by your fellow Hubbers... Just know this - Windhoek Lager and Louis Gosset Jnr got their whole "he is watching you - always", from Johan Bornman... As for time in the saddle vs time cycling - my wife is always having a go at me that I spend more time 'tuning my bike' ["howzit bike" than what I do riding it... She might have a point there... Which I will deny to my dying day, of course... Now, just need to find a pair of bricks to replace my workstand...

Oh wait... With this being said... Now to my present dilemma... What's that Afrikaans saying about "met genoug geweld kan jy jou eie vinger in..."? Well - clearly, I'm not using enough force... Took it in to the LBS this morning... Techie looked at me like I was slightly mad... He simply said - if it's a 27,2mm tube, then a 27,2 post will fit. He took another standard 27,2mm - and slid it in... It did appear to go in easier than the Thomson - I'm beginning to be convinced that not all Thomsons are equal He made me put the saddle back on - one doesn't appreciate how much difference using the saddle for leverage on the seatpost actually makes... Would also explain why trying to force the plain seatpost (sans saddle) in, was so difficult... He greased it up - but it still took a fair amount of elbow grease.... But it's in... He's convinced I'll be able to get it back out, albeit with a bit more effort than my previous one... I won't necessarily be making adjustments on the fly initially, but maybe it will improve over time, possibly as the tube takes up the new flex?... Will see how this pans out. It's in like a glove - and quite clearly is meant to go in, since you don't get a 27,195mm seatpost... But will report back here when the bike is assembled - and give you an indication of how tight it is in comparison to my other bike... Guess the bottom line is, it really depends?

Difficult to convey in words what constitutes 'relatively easy'... But allow me to go roundabout in an attempt to formulate an answer... In my 27,0mm seatpost frame, given the difficulty in sourcing that size, I was running a 26,8mm post... I was young ( ), and didn't think much of it... had quite a lot of slippage on the post though, during the course of a ride... LBS put things into perspective upon inspecting the seat clamp, when he pointed out how flexed the lips on the sides of the seatpost slot were, as the clamp was in effect forcig the lips to close around the post... He maintained that were mine an Alu frame, it might have cracked already... Which saw me order a 27,0mm through CRC... It would not go in. Rather, with much cursing, it went it - but then no amount of cursing saw it come out again... Picture a plank, some bolts, a bike with everything removed save the cranks, an insane amount of twisting, pulling and swearing - and a badly scratched Thomson post back in the hand... Plenty of sanding later - and it now fits. It might have something to do with me having had something too small on there before, which result in the opening of the tube being mishapen? I don't know... It now still requires twisting and a bit of elbow grease - but nothing serious. There is no slippage - but it moves freely enough that that when I am mid-ride, I can hop off, undo the clamp - and quickly drop the height for those tricky ST sections... Once through, hop off and raise again - no problems. I also use plenty of Q20 - but to give you an idea, if I undid the clamp, and turned the bike over - I don't think the weight of the saddle would pull the post out - I'd probably need to give a light twist - and then it would probably drop... Hope this helps!

There's a warranty period?