Helpmytrap

Go and eat a cupcake.

Fair point cpt. Putting it that way, I don't like them because they feel different.

I don't like the modulation on them and they don't stop as good as the XT's either. Other than that they aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them.

I'm sure they have corrected it, I just seem to have been the unlucky recipient of 3 of those levers.

Your brakes may be safe, it is only a few with issues. They are fantastic brakes, and like I said, I only bleed them when necessary. It was necessary when the rear brake was replaced (same hose, new lever and calliper), the LBS didn't allow the calliper to hang which left air in the calliper. The other bleed was when the front brake wouldn't release due to the master cylinder not returning to its original position (like the pic in the OP), bleeding it sorted it out for 2 weeks before it malfunctioned again. I spoke to a mate this morning who has the same XT M785s, he has never had a days hassle with them.

Yebo. If in doubt, consult the manual. XT Bleeding Manual.pdf

Its a grain... Also high in phytic acid which is an anti-nutrient, ie it prevents the proper absorption of nutrients.

Out of interest, how long would shipping take from the UK at that price?

This would be the clamp I need to attach my shifters. http://www.mountainbikebitz.com/images/products/hope_mtb_lever_clamp_for_race_evo_brake_levers_w_shimano_xtr_shifters.jpg

Are these the Race or Tech X2's? And what is the difference between the two? Edit: I see it is the Tech X2's with braided hoses. And the only difference is weight with the Race being about 120-130g lighter for the set.

In all honesty, I want to steer clear of Shimano.

The cases that I know of were all with the M785 brakes. I'm not sure how true the LBS's story is about a fault on the production line but it cannot be a coincidence that four people that I know of have had this exact issue.

I've done about 12000km on them, the front is still on its first set of pads and I'm only 63kg. I'm a little heavier on rear pads as a result of wheelying. I bought the bike last year June and most of those miles are on open roads. I'm not heavy on braking and I bleed the brakes when the need arises.

Will it be a matter of browsing the classifieds or doing some proper skilled in depth shopping? Does your shifters have this little "arm" on it? http://www.bicyclestore.com.au/product_images/c/063/shimano-deore-xt-sl-m780-ispec-lever-left__38657_zoom.jpg

R3780 I cold probably stomach, barely though. So the secondhand set seems way more realistic on a student budget, hopefully something I could offset with selling the replaced XTs. My other issue is that I've got the 24hr and Namib Desert Dash in December, so I've got a bit of a deadline... Oh, do you know where one can get XT shifter clamps? Since my shifters attach to the brake levers.

International Trade, are they the distributors?

I need a full set though. On CRC the Race X2 is R1903 excl for the front and R1950 excl for a SLX set. Evo are out of stock but R2095 for the SLX set.

It's left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth which is why I'm looking elsewhere for a brake set.

I currently have a set of Shimano 2012 XTs (M785) I have already had the rear brake lever and calliper replaced under warranty, and now I'm sitting in a position where both the front and rear need to go in for replacement because on both units the master cylinder gets stuck and as a result the brakes don't release. The same reason why the first brake was replaced. My LBS told me that there (apparently) was a fault on the production line which is why the XT brakes are malfunctioning over time. I know of about 3 people who had the same issue. They then told me that Shimano will only have stock of the necessary parts mid December, another mate confirmed this at another LBS while looking for Ice-Tech rotors. I have already "replaced" the front brake in the mean time with an Avid XX, which is a revolting crock of... It is now 2 weeks after having made that temporary arrangement that the rear brake has now given up the ghost as well. I'm in no mood to put the matching XX rubbish on my bike. My question is, what is a good alternative (which already excludes any Avid) to the XT brake with a similar price tag, ie max 3k rahnds?

Sunlight soap bar, daai groen koekie seep werk! edit: you rub the bar of soap on all the stained areas and give it a little hand wash tlc before popping it in the washing machine.

One thing that I realised now with reading this is that when most people go onto LCHF, they are coming from a lifestyle full of refined carbs. I'm not trying to retract from LCHF but what if majority of the weight loss experienced on LCHF can be contributed to all the junk and grains that have been removed? In my case, already coming from a diet extremely low on grains and refined/processed foods, my weight barely even budged. So maybe credit isn't given where it is due because "In their conclusions, they could very well be confusing cause and correlation."

Well aware of their uses, most of my fruit consumption is on the bike and directly after. Now that I can consume dairy again, my recovery meals have gone over to milk, fruit and Greek style yoghurt with half a teaspoon raw honey as well as leftover veggies. I suppose now that I'm steering away from oats, I'll probably start having my "primal coffee" again. How I have missed that. (I haven't had it because I threw all those ingredients into the oats.)

Worth posting as these should be some of your goals when improving your health. You got it - spot on - just replace "low hba1c" with "low normal hba1c" - assuming by higher you don't mean more than about 20% higher than normal cholesterol levels... EXCEPT - if you are a diabetic - then low Hba1c numbers are potentially lethal - any diabetic with an hba1c number below 6 is most likely having glucose low's that are even worse than having an hba1c number slightly over normal - collapsing because you are low can be fatal... I can't post patient pics without their permission (and I am not planning to ask) but a fractured skull is definitely a possibility - had one of those earlier this year - Fit, healthy diabetic, with an hba1c of 5.5 (so according to a lot of people, well controlled) - collapsed at the gym.. clipped his head on something... small fracture and some bleeding... NOT GOOD - 4 days in ICU, 4 more in high care... And of course - the reminder that smoking is a MUCH bigger risk factor than slightly elevated cholesterol numbers - anyone who smokes is fooling themselves about several things.

High GI fruit? I assume these fall on that list; pineapple, melon, papaya, mango and bananas and I suppose all dried fruit?

I've done both and IMO you cant compare the two at all. The jock might be 151km, but you aren't even on the bike for more than 2h30 (worst case scenario for stage 3) at a time, so there is a lot of rest in between which compensates for any amount of climbing. The real tough part of the DC is the wind, we were luck to have the wind up our bum last year all the way from Robertson to Swellendam but if you have a head wind on that section like most other years, it is hell.