100Tours

You've described me ???? Admittedly I did buy a dropper and rode with it for a while. After a year or so (probably more) and I hadn't used it other than to make my bike fit better on a bike rack I took it off. And I had ridden Swazi Frontier, Mankele, van Gaalens pofadder descents, etc. without finding the spot where I actually liked the feel of a lower seat. Middle aged dogs can't learn new tricks either.

Always interesting to see that other people have the same issues as I do A surprising recent addition to my list of cycling non-compatibilities is that road and MTB handlebars use slightly different 'pipe' diameters. In my case I was just trying to fit mtb brakes so I could test drive my new build, but hey presto here's a mtb diametered road bar. Probably saves you R10k on your build.

I'm quite a fan of tubolito's - pretty durable, light, and low rolling resistance. Cheaper than upgrading to tubeless rims on my older wheelsets, and you don't have to pump them up daily like you would with latex. Admittedly the patch kits are hopeless, so when they do go then that's it. I've never tried to patch latex. Quick comparison Tubeless GP 5000 - costs R1250 a tyre; weighs 300g (+ sealant); rolling resistance 8.9W @ 100psi Vittoria latex + GP 5000 - costs R1000+R300 = R1300; weighs 215+80 = 295g; RR 8.8W @ 100 psi tubolito s-tubo + GP 5000 costs R1000+R550 = R1550; weighs 215+22 = 237g; RR 9.6W @ 100 psi What would be the price difference between 2 similar wheelsets with a 65g weight difference.

try get in touch with the track guys at Hector Norris - they generally train on Wednesday afternoons at the track. They have junior competitions, they'll offer him some coaching, he'll learn some great skills on track, it's a safe environment, and they can probably put you in touch with groups out on the road.

he's doing 5000km's in Crocs?

Just for fun I've tried to estimate fork trail on this bike - it looks really short, so perhaps a little twitchy? I'm no expert, but I've done a bit of reading. On a 36 spoke wheel the spoke holes are 55mm apart, so trail is maybe 25/30mm? Trail is the length of tyre at the road surface between the blue lines below. You'd like to have 45-55mm on a bike like this. If you used a straight(er) fork - i.e. less fork rake - with a steep head tube such as this you would get a longer trail, and something a lot more like road/gravel bike handling. A straighter fork would pull the hub backward in the photo, and voila.

Amazon.com : Juin Tech GT-P Road CX MTB Bicycle Bike Disc Brake Calipers Light 4-Piston (Red)… : Sports & Outdoors The Juin 4-pot option is available on Amazon (above). delivery takes about 10 days. They're not all that cheap though - new Shimano calipers are between R1k and R1.5k a piece, which is about half of this price.

If it has cantilever brake mounts I'd go with those? I can even send you a straight steerer tube canti-brakes only fork to match.

Those don't seem to be so easy to find any more

Net conversion cost - R13 000 Spend - R21 500 Hunt 4 season gravel wheelset, valves, tyres, disks - R6 000 Fixation straight steerer fork - R3 500 Shimano 105 hydraulic STIs and flat mount caliper - R7 500 (new) 2x chainrings, front and rear deraileurs - R2 000 (new rings and f/d) Drop bars, bar tape, saddle - R2 500 Re-used from previous MTB build (almost nothing) Headset and stem Crankset and BB Seatpost Rear caliper Bottle cage and rear skewer From my spares cupboard 11s chain and cluster Gear cables, housing, and frame mounts for cables Road pedals Sold (on the Hub) - R8 500 650b wheelset 26er fork Formula brake set MTB Shifter/deraileur Riser bar

First up I borrowed a set of 700c wheels off another bike to check on clearances. This was a big plus on this frame, and it looks like I can fit tyre widths up to 700cx50mm. I'm currently running 700cx40, and this is running very well on the local gravel. I've ended up with a 2nd hand pair of Hunt 4 season wheels off the hub with 40mm Kenda gravel tyres, both of which I rate highly (Hunt hub adapter options are cheap and arrive in about a week off the UK website). Next step was to look for a rigid fork with a 1 1/4" steerer - keeping the existing headset. I tried to work out the geometry of what I wanted to choose between a rigid mtb fork or a gravel-sized option. The issue being whether you go for a taller axle-crown length or not. I ended up going for a shorter gravel fork (off ebay) on the basis that it would give me approximately the fork trail I was looking for, and going along with the advice on a number of online forums. I've ended up with a rather steep seat tube angle - which is partly compensated by a laid back seatpost - very little BB drop, and a short stem. This was a bit of a gamble, but the bike handles really well and I'm pleased with the result. Other than the 700c wheelset, my other non negotiable on the build was to move over to a drop handlebar and Shimano hydraulic STIs/Brifters. By far this was the most expensive change - I'm not usually brand specific, but I'm really enjoying the Shimano STI mineral oil hydraulics and I ended up buying these new. Calipers were a new flat mount caliper on the front, and a repurposed XT post mount caliper on the rear. Bar is aluminium (carbon bars and gravel..) and second hand. Finally the drive train. I surprised myself again when I tried to install a road crankset - the frame cannot accept anything more than a 46t outer ring, and a 36t on the inside. So back to the original MTB cranks and 2 new chainrings. I'm now running a 34-46 front setup. Then needed to replace the previous XT rear deraileur because Shimano uses different pull rations for road and MTB these days.. So off to the hub for a new 105 deraileur too. The front deraileur is a 10s, top pull XT version rather than going for an 11s 105 f/d with a pulley. Time will tell whether this is a good move, but so far so good here.

I've been meaning to do this post for a while, mostly on the basis that there are probably a handful of other stubborn hubbers with old 26 frames that they're still not ready to get rid of. 2 health warnings up front, 1. this worked out more expensive than I thought and 2. if you do this anyway, your gearing is going to be limited more than you would have on a purpose-built gravel frame - check this first. In this case I think it's been worth it because this is such a good frame, but still perhaps risky and marginal. During the last few weeks before the bike industry invented the 29er I fatefully splashed out on a Titanium Ragley 26" hardtail frame. I switched it over to 650B wheels at one stage, which made a great little bike, but it struggled with mud, or wet leaves for example which hardly cleared the stays or BB. This is the frame (stock photo) This is the bike as a 26er (stock photo) This is the bike as a 650b (flipped L-R to show the geo) I've also been looking for a gravel build with some decent tyre clearance, and having ridden a few different candidates I'm convinced that Ti (or steel) is pretty ideally suited for gravel. Carbon is hard on corrugations.

This might be the build-a-bike equivalent to shaving your legs. i.e. it doesn't matter if there's an advantage, but you'll feel really left out if you don't. Internal routing through the headset is still a bridge too far for me though. I'd be concerned about the cable tension/resistance interfering with the neutral position on my steering. What would be the standard operating procedure when you're descending some hill and the red light goes on for your wireless brakes

You have (maybe) 2 options. You can most likely get a 650b wheel to fit with a 2.1" tyre width. I managed to squeeze a 650b 2.4" tyre into my Ragley 26er frame, and I know another chap who has done this with a Cotic. The ride quality was awesone on both these bikes, but there is absolutely zero mud clearance if you're riding in muddy places. No guarantee it will work, but the end product is very rideable if it does - and I'd say a step up on riding the frame as a 26er. You can probably get a 29er or 700c wheel in there (they are the same) if you go with gravel tyres (even more likely to work - this will end up being smaller than a 650b wheel). Then you can think about going for a monstercross type bike. Be warned though, if you're going to do anything more than just change the wheelset you will run into compatibility issues, and this might get expensive. Edit - Looks like it has been done before too.. This looks like a 26 frame with 27.5 wheels. Merida Matts TFS 100 MTB | Bike Hub

From my experience upper back pain between your shoulder blades is just as likely to be reach (i.e. stem) as it is bar width, although I'd also say that 40cm bars are quite narrow and that may obviously be contributing. 44cm is basically 2 sizes larger on your bars (i.e. if 40cm is 'small', then 42cm is medium and 44cm is large). That may also be too much of a change. I managed to fix shoulder issues on one bike by going from a 44cm bar to 42cm, and from a 100mm stem to a 70, and then some saddle adjustments too.

take the valve core out of the valve the first time you inflate. this allows the air to rush in and do the seating for you. then use your finger tip to block the air coming out and get the valve core back in. you'll figure it out I usually do not use tape between the tyre and the rim - the naked mount tyre-to-rim is usually fine.

Agree with Jewbacca - carbon hoops will be a lot more responsive, you'll accelerate faster. Good Alu wheels can also make a difference, and sometimes new hubs can help. But if you're struggling with climbing speed then I wonder if there's not something else going on - you might want to look at your geometry too? So see if you can borrow a pair of wheels to taste the difference, and then ask about position on the bike. My heavy f/s trail bike climbs very well, and it's pushing 15kgs.

HOW TO FIT A MOUNTAIN BIKE TO YOUR BODY | Free Fit Kit - YouTube

I have discovered that if you want to use someone else's pictures on Facebook or Instagram that this does not violate their terms of service. I have reported his profiles - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram have all come back to say he is allowed to do it. Would be different if he was using my name.

This guy was using my picture on his Hub profile as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Looks like he farmed them off my wife's facebook account. Thankfully the hub deletes these profiles. Facebook etc. can see no suspicious activity on his account and they're refusing to take action. I've got his phone number too, but that is clearly no help. Any suggestions?

Why did he feel the need to look back though. If he'd lost it I would have thought the bookies had been involved ????

For what it is worth - Deraileur shift or actuation ratio is the amount the deraileur moves per the amount of cable movement. e.g. older shimano deraileurs are 1.7x - the deraileur moves 1.7x as far as the cable does. So if you have 2 deraileurs with the same shift ratio they are then interchangeable. the 11s shifter used with the deraileur will give you 11s gears and the 12s shifter will give you 12s. (I haven't checked that the shift ratios are the same here, that was someone else's claim). Back in the mists of the past when we had 10s and 11s groupsets the cog pitch was the same for both arrangements, the 11s cassette was just 1 cog taller (but the shift ratio was different). In this case you could install a 10s groupset (shifter + deraileur) to give you access to the first 10 cogs on an 11s cassette (or vice versa).

time to join ICG? I am gutted to hear about the incident - I ride this segment frequently. Glad you are unharmed and I'm going to have to rethink my local routes again.

Sportsman's warehouse? R40 gets you tape R120 for valves R80 for the slime. This is not rocket science

see if you can salvage the italian threaded BB "cups". A number of those BB's could be either English or Italian thread depending on the cups you installed. Also the way that stuff lasts you may still have a few years to find something..