Palaeodom

Man that sucks. I spent most of last year off the bike with a torn intercostal so i'm doing my best to ignore any niggles at the moment, just loving being back on the bike. I will go by a physio though if a couple of saddle adjustments don't do it. It doesn't hurt at all when i'm riding but i suppose its when it all cools down and nerves and things become enflamed that the pain starts...

Depends on how much maintenance you want to get into. the XT hubs require some fairly regular servicing and some special love. JB (guy who runs maintenance courses and wheel building and everything to do with bikes), says they are great if you're prepared to look after them. Also when the bearings go you throw away the hub. For a less intense experience try and find sealed bearing hubs, that way you can replace them and service them easily and usually cheaply. I've spoken to a few guys who are looking for XT replacements that are really tough to find at the moment. What about the Mavic Crossride? They seem to be a popular entry level choice.

I am tempted to do the bike setup but i'm changing quite a few things on the bike at the moment looking for the best combination so ti buy a new bike setup everytime is quite expensive. I'd rather get it right myself and then be able to diagnose issues and solutions on my future bikes. If it continues and i can't get the combination right then i'll go and get some help from some pros. I figure there's quite a bit of experience floating around the hub to give me some ideas of things to tweek.

How do you check your cleat position? I recently changed a bunch of bits on the bike, including pedals and seat post, so getting these right is taking a bit of time.

yep the tight ITB may be it too, I'm going to focus the saddle position on the left leg as the femur is slightly shorter and the saddle could come forward a couple of cm's to get the plumb bob right down the center of the pedal. The left will have to be a couple of cm's to far forward till i get it right. just done some ITB research, when i press down on the ITB there's a definate ache right where my knee hurts after rides. interesting. Thanks for the tips.

Thanks, i've been told my left leg is a little shorter than my right so maybe thats it. Should I set up my saddle for the shorter leg and let the longer compensate, or the other way around? The difference certainly isn't enough to warrant two different crank arm lengths that for sure.

I get a dull to slightly sharp aching pain at the top of my knee cap on my left leg which starts a few hours after i've finished a longish ride. I can't feel it when i ride but my knee also 'clicks' a lot more than it used to for some reason. Any ideas on what this may be before i go to the physio? Saddle position springs to mind instantly but i've checked and re-checked it. Would you put it forwarda a bit or backwards a bit as i'll have to do some trial (or lots of trails) and error.

Are you a roadie or mountain man? I would recommend NZ for both. The roads are small but you can literally pack a little tent and just camp on the side of the road, or on some oak's field. For mountain biking too, rotorua right in the middle of the north island is insane with more single track and DH than you could ride in weeks. I spent a 6 weeks in mountain bike parks on the north island and it was great...if you're used to tokai then its very similar just mover a much bigger area...and for those people who don't like to pedal too much there is a really cheap shuttle with an enormous bike trailer that goes straight to the top through the day.

+1 As a light and short rider, my advantage comes in acceleration and climbs. At the moment i'd much rather be able to put my toe down and really feel the acceleration of a light 26HT. My machine still suprises me when i decide to go, it gets up to speed seriously quickly. To me its much more fun getting up to speed and developing the skils to hold it through tighter technical stuff than the ability to sustain a greater average speed over greater distances. Obviously this won't win many races...but i don't really care.

Nice, thanks for the advice, I'd better start training just for the climbs! Can't wait.

Thanks for the heads up. I am looking forwards to it already. The prices are really good too considering its R60 for a nights camping and that includes the entry to the mountain bike park...maybe i should move closer.

I'm looking to get away for some lone single-track exploration and hear Mankele is a great place for it. I'm going in June so it will be chilly, but is there anything I should look out for whilst there? I'll be on my own so any recommended trails would be great. I'm also camping there whilst riding, are the facilities decent?

I reckon, but if you're not sure buy it and get it fitted at you local bike store as they will then definately give you the correct one. I do think it take a bottom pull.

Enjoy your new frame...its really comfy.

Got one of those. All new FD come with spacers so will fit onto the meteore frame. The seat tube is pretty narrow so you won't buy one that is too small. Just make sure you get the correct mechanism, my bike isn't here now but i think the right one is the bottom pull, not the top pull. For some reason the position of the cable routing only allows for one of the mechanisms. Most LBS should stock both types though...just check before you decide to buy online and get the wrong one, which is what i did.

The more you pay the better your ticket back to wherever the humans are from...man i would love to see tom's face as he passes away and figures out there's nothing... its like Eugenes Merais' mother said...there's nothing, just nothing.

That Sh** is MEST up....I was going to leave this thread alone but i'm amazed people are depserate to fill their lives with rubbish that they'll give money and belief to a 'church' based on a concept a sci-fi writer thought up. its remarkably sad.

Yep i'd aggree go for a better specced second hand bike than a new entry level. I've no doubt if you but entry level and spend time on here you'll be spending loads more than 12k on upgrades. Most of the guys selling here have looked after their rides. Just try and actually see the thing before buying it to make sure frame size is right...wheels aren't oval and stuff. If you buy second hand the oaks on here will generally help out with setup tips.

For weight saving and reduction in trail buzz. I was thinking some thin tape just to blunt the edges of the clamps. if it would compromise the performance then obviously I won't bother.

Just got myself a fancy new carbon handlebar for the mountain bike. The last carbon handlebars i had were hectically scratched by the shifter and brake clamps. Is there anything recommended to protect your handlebars from this?

Don't know how to do that yet...how did you find out and what tools did you need to get?

Right so the idea is to leave them alone unless they obviously need some attention. clean them and service them regularly and they'll be sweet as a nut. Thats good news...there's enough stuff to think about maintaining without the wheels on top.

Just running in my new wheelset, a set of American Classic MTB26. and was thinking i should probably learn a little about how to maintain them. So I thought i'd ask you lot what i should know and tools i should buy to keep them running fast. for instance... Spokes? do i need a tesnioner jobbie and what kind of tension should they be at? Do you only adjust the red one?

One of the greats is that there a rea number of excellent online stores that will post for free and next day delivery (evanscycles,CRC)...perfect for that cold snap when you thought that SA winter jacket may have done the trick but you realise its not even close...

Loads and loads of trails and mountain bike clubs... depends on what type of riding you do, there's lots of AM and FR stuff in wales and the peak district and scotland has some incredible AM and FR. If you're an XC person then look at xcracer.com. There are plenty of websites out there. Join a club and get the hell out of london as soon or as often as possible that place sucks souls.