Nuffy

Oh yes, and I also have a set of old Magura Louise brakes. The seals seem to have gone, and I'm fed up with trying to sort them out. I'll consider any offers. The front has a new hose and fittings and pads, and there's one set of unused pads to go with them. Apart from the seal problem, they seem to be pretty decent, if that counts for anything.

I did consider it, but I don't think it's physically possible to get the caliper into the right place. I'm sure the adapters would be available off the shelf if it was, and I've held my caliper up against the fork and it doesn't look possible. I'm thinking about R1000 for my Hope brake. I bought the rotor (203mm) for R500, the hose and fittings for R400, and new pads for about R250, so I'd be reluctant to take less. It's in great condition, and the rotor, hose & fittings, and the pads are fairly new. I've got a spare, unused Goodridge hose the same length that can go with it, plus the old pads (still some use left in them). I'd be sorry to see it go, but I won't be using it on my current fork. As I said, I'd also consider a swap. I've got to get what I can to cover a new set of brakes, so if I manage to find a killer deal I will be willing to negotiate the price of the Hope.

I contacted the guys at Cycles Africa, and it seems even the Magura 3 adaptor requires the bigger rotor: Our Magura #3 Adapter will not work for you. This adapter also pushes out the caliper by 20mm. It is designed to work with a Magura IS2000 front caliper for 160 rotor, which once you add the adapter requires a 180 rotor. To go from PM to IS2000 will pretty much always involve an increase in rotor size of 20mm. The fact that you are running a rear caliper on the front is also complicating your problem as your already running pretty much the biggest rotor you can get. Our recommendation for scenarios like this is to purchase the correct front caliper and use as few adapters or non at all. So this means I'm on the lookout for new brakes (a full set), and will sell my Hope M4 (or swap). Anyone interested? Thanks for all the help.

Hey! I think we're on to something. Now, where might I find one of those? I'm scared of ordering one without being able to try it first, as there are so many variables and very few people actually know enough to trust completely with it. I suppose it's not the sort of thing any shop here is likely to have in stock. Thanks for your help, Mampara. At least I know now that they do exist. I'm off now to enjoy the sunshine and do some investigating. Cheers.

Mampara: Yeah, I suppose it is overkill. A friend had it lying around, so I didn't pay for it. I certainly wasn't about to turn it away. I do race downhill now and then. The fork is your regular QR job. The Hope Mini would be more appropriate, but I took what I could get. Big H: It is an old model, so chances are yours is newer and shinier. I don't know what the "8" means. I did try Chain Reaction, but the only one I could find required a 20mm increase in the rotor size. Thanks for the help, guys.

My fork is a 2008 Marzocchi Dirt Jumper 3. I've just bought it new, so would be reluctant to swap it. I did quite a bit of looking around before I bought it, and it looked like the best value for money. I didn't want to get a second hand one, as I break parts pretty regularly and want to know that what I am getting is going to last. I would be willing to swap brakes, though. Here is what my calliper looks like: (picture found online) Thanks Big H, but as you'll see from this picture that adaptor won't help me.

Thanks for the help, but that's the wrong way around. The calliper is an IS one (it's an old model) and the fork has the post-mount. To complicate matters further (perhaps), the calliper is actually a rear one that I was using on the front. Before I got my new forks, it fitted straight on (IS mount) and used a 203mm rotor. I have since broken the forks and got new ones, but these have post-mounts.

Does anyone know if it's possible to get an adapter to fit an IS disc calliper to a fork with post-mounts? In my research it seems the only ones available require a 20mm increase in rotor size, but since I am already using a 203mm rotor I don't think that would work for me. Otherwise, does anyone have a front hydraulic disc (or set) to sell (for a post-mount fork, obviously), or swap for my Hope M4? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

I've taken a visit to Cross Town Cycles and the guy there said that there was no way to fix the frame. The break is in an awkward place - starting on the weld and going round the tube away from the weld. This seems to be the problem. Welding the crack will weaken that section of the tube, and it's a vital area. While it may be possible to do the weld, it's unlikely to be strong enough to take more of the same riding. So, next question: any idea where I may be able to get another steel jump frame? Action Cycling has an Azonic Steelhead for R2000. This looks pretty good, but I was hoping for another DMR or similar. From Chain Reaction Cycles (mail order) I could get one for about R3000, but I think that's pushing the budget a bit far. I've phoned around, and none of the shops seem to be able to help me.

Thanks for the advice. I'll see what I can do. It would be great to be able to save it.

Hi there I have broken my DMR Trailstar frame where the downtube meets the headtube, just back from the weld. There is a crack almost the whole way around the tube. It is a 4130 cro-moly frame. Any ideas if it could be fixed? I don't know that I'll be able to afford a new one, but any ideas where I might find something similar? Any help would be appreciated.

Hi there Does anyone know if slightly warped disc rotors can be straightened, and if so, how? I have quite a thick Magura one at the back, and I've had to put the pads really close to get a good lever motion. It's slightly squiff though, so rubs a bit. It's impossible to see by eye, so just bending it by hand or something wouldn't work. Cheers

I ride a steel mountain bike (DMR) and love it. I don't know much about road bikes though. As long as it's well made, I think it'd be great. It's also a nice way of doing something a bit different.

Cool, thanks guys. I have put my spacers back in and things are much better, but still a little squishy (the emry paper is slightly compressable). I'll see if I can find something more suitable. Big H, since they are just acting as spacers and there is no back and forth movement, I don't see the emry paper causing any damage, but I will try to get some proper steel or something if I don't sort it out any other way. I have put two pieces facing each other between the pads on one side and the pistons, so there's no contact with the rough side and any brake parts. That sounds like a pretty cool bleed kit - I think I would bleed my brakes daily with that! Thanks for the contacts and link. I don't have money to spend on spares, and don't think I need anything specific yet. #Pete#, I have tried your number 2 suggestion with no luck, so will try number 1 when I get back home. If that doesn't work, I think I'll get some nice spacers laser cut from steel. If it's done properly it should be good. So it would seem that the thin rotor (1,52mm min, it says, not 1,25mm as I said earlier) may be the problem. At any rate, the spacers seem to do the trick. Thanks for all the help. Nuffy2007-11-05 14:53:30

Zaskar - Yep, that's it. Thanks for the offer, but apart from the lever movement it seems to be working perfectly, so I'm not looking to replace it. And as for your idea of more fluid - I've bled it several times and filled it up good and proper. Maybe I should see if I can move the pistons inwards and then add more fluid; but the owners manual says the pistons should be fully retracted when bleeding. MintSauce - thanks, if I don't get it sorted I may pay them a visit. I'm wondering if perhaps the spluttering is just a temporary thing while it settles in after bleeding and gets rid of excess fluid, but I'm not sure. I've been bleeding exactly as the manual describes - attach a hose to the bleed nipple, open up the reservoir, open the bleed nozzle, pull the lever in, close the nozzle, let the lever out and top up the reservoir as the fluid goes down. I put some tyre leavers between the piston to keep them apart, as described in the manual. I'm pretty confident that there are no leaks in the system (the hose and fittings are brand new, and I have watched them closely). And since the hole from whence the spluttering is happening is on the reservoir, surely it wouldn't affect the lever movement (as the master piston has moved past the feeder from the reservoir a short way into its travel)? It may have something to do with the rotor I am using. It is a Hayes one, and is a good deal thinner than my Magura one at the back (1,25mm, I think). Could it be that the pistons are not designed to move in that much? I would have thought that the automatic pad wear adjustment would have compensated for this, but perhaps not. Any idea how thick the Hope discs are? Anyhow, thanks for all the help. It's not a major breakdown, just an annoyance. I'll go and tinker some more.

SwissVan - yeah, having just upgraded from V-brakes myself I would have thought so too, but it seems that bite point adjustment is a relatively new thing on closed system hydraulic discs. The only adjustment on the lever is for the lever reach, which changes the position of the lever relative to the bars, but has no effect on the amount of movement or bite point. I have another question as well: There is a tiny hole in the side of the reservoir at the top. I assume this is to allow expanding/overheating fluid to escape. Am I correct? Should it be spluttering when I pump the lever? The membrane seems undamaged, and having taken it apart and bled it several times I'm confident that it's not just sitting squif or something.

Well, you gave me a good laugh if nothing else, MuXmAn, so thanks! The M4 is a hydraulic disc brake made by Hope, a UK company. The problem with my particular one is that I have to pull the brake lever a long way before the brake "bites" and slows me down. I'm just trying to work out how I can remedy this. A look at the owner's manual, (http://www.hopetech.com/database/userguide_printed_2002.pdf) shows that the "open" system used on this brake (I won't go into the details of that now) should automatically ensure a constant bite point, and it cannot be adjusted. Some fiddling on my part (with spacers, as mentioned above) has shown that some adjustment can be made, but it may be temporary and has proven unsatisfactory so far. I'm just trying to figure out if the brake will adjust itself if I leave it be, or if there is something wrong that I can fix. A new Hope M4 Brake will cost well above R1000, I suspect, and so is out of my price range for now. Besides, I think it's much better to fix what I have if I can. Anyhow, I hope that clears up any confusion. If you're a roadie and have never encountered a hydraulic brake before, don't confuse yourself too much. There's a lot more to it than meets the eye. Joe Low - thanks, I'll try that. It is a bit fiddly, and with any luck I'll have figured it all out by then. Nuffy2007-11-03 11:17:22

I have an old Hope M4 brake that I'm using on the front of my bike. It's quite a monster, but I'm not happy with the lever movement. I have to pull the lever a long way before it bites (which it does quite nicely). I tried making some spacers to put between the pads and the pistons, and this seemed to help (although the material I used was not ideal, so made it a bit mushy). After a while it was back to it's original state, so I put in some bigger spacers, thinking it was just pad wear. Again, the material I was using (emery paper or something) made it mushy. I haven't managed to get some thin enough steel or something to use instead. Having looked at the website and owner's manual, however, I have established that the open system should automatically compensate for pad wear. So is this why it returned to its original state? I have removed all the spacers now in the hope that it will readjust itself, but nothing yet (i.e. still way too much lever movement). I have bled it several times, so I'm confident that it's not due to air in the system. Do I just need to use the brake a bit more for it to come right? Apart from the spacer method, is there any way of adjusting the bite point? It would seem not. Any help would be appreciated.

Yeah, just checked, there's a short little bit in the August/September issue of Bicycling, page 35, of the guys unicycling on Table Mountain.

Craziness. I can't imagine it's nearly as much fun, without pump and flow. Maybe he pumps and flows in different ways. I heard that there are some guys who do this on Table Mountain, below the cable station. I think I saw it in a magazine, so will see if I can find it.

Exactly. That's what I'm talkin' about. I don't think I've ever taken my bike to a shop to be serviced, and as a result I know all about every little part and make shift fix on my bike, and know how to fix it and where to find the causes of problems. Riding a custom setup like mine (singlespeed, etc.), there are often things that the bike shops simply can't help with, so it pays to be creative. Thanks for the info.

Howzit Bush Wacker I've just joined up and am a dirt jumper/downhiller/freerider too. I'm from Zimbabwe, but am studying in Cape Town. I also ride a hardtail (singlespeed DMR Trailstar). I've visited a friend who lives in Howick, and it looks like you guys have some awesome riding in that area. I can't wait to come back with my bike. Here it is (I have since upgraded to hydraulic discs - what a difference!): And these are some of my jumps from back home: It's great to see other riders doing DH on hardtails. I did the Action Cycling Urban Assault recently, and there weren't very many of us. Still, it was great to be able to beat some full sus guys and do jumps and lines that many of them weren't. So good luck, and enjoy yourself!

Thanks very much for your help, Mauritzvw. I did spend a while on the Magura forum when I first got the brakes, but as you said, they discourage taking the lever apart at all. It seemed that my only option then would be to get a new lever, and at R850 I decided against that. Having taken them apart, they look simple enough, and I'll see if I can do as you suggest and try one of those places. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this 'non serviceable' thing is a bit silly. I'd far rather fix it myself (or at least learn about it in the process) for next to nothing than pay someone a load of money that I don't have to replace something with a small simple problem. Thanks again. I'll let you know when I've had a chance to try one of these places, but it might not be for a while.

Awesome. Do you know if there are any wallrides like this in the Western Cape? I'm keen to learn, but there seems to be a general lack of this sort of thing around here. Hopefully that'll change, though, with this new bike park in Paarl: http://www.mountainbike-lifestyle.com/ Speaking of which, what are the other bike parks in SA like? The only other one I know of is the Giba Gorge one in KZN (http://www.gibagorge.co.za/). And does anyone know of any dual/BMX/4X tracks in the Western Cape? And it's Friday now, so where are your pictures, Bush Wacker?! I was looking forward to seeing them. Nuffy2007-10-12 11:48:00

Hello! I have a pair of old Magura Louise hydraulic discs. They both seem to be leaking - the front one enough to make it useless. I took the lever of the back one apart (apparently it's non-serviceable, but I had nothing to lose), checked out the seals etc., and it's working fine now, with a small leak. I'd like to replace the seals of the master cylinder, as I think this is where the problem is (and a new lever would cost R850). Any ideas of where I may be able to find the seals I need (in Cape Town)? They are not simple O-rings. I have another front disc now, so if anyone would like to buy the Magura one I'll consider any offers. I got a new Alligator hose and fittings for it which came to R380, so I'd like to recover as much of that cost as possible. Any advice would be appreciated. Or, if anyone has a properly working back disc they're willing to sell... Nuffy2007-10-12 11:27:13