100Tours

I bought the tool and I've used it for 5 years+ now - it's usually in my bag for multiday races. it's been used for about 8 or 10 fixes on Swazi Trail, Sani2c, , but almost every time made the difference between someone being able to ride the next day or not. It still hasn't paid for itself because I've never charged anyone to use it. Then again none of my cycling stuff ever pays me back I'm not sure why the tyre has to be removed, maybe there's a tech reason? GotThatInCarbon2009-08-23 00:22:34

A few tips: 1. This is much easier to get right if you're riding a hardtail. If you're on a softtail, the distance between crankset and cluster will vary as you go over bumps and your singlespeed solution may tighten up, or detach itself as you go. Lock out the rear shock to mitigate against this (it will still happen, but you'll feel better about it). 2. Keep trying different ratios until you get one that fits just right - in my experience most combinations do not work - The chain will be too tight to fit on to your first choice of gear (and your second and third choices too), or if you make it only 1 link longer it will have much too much slack. You will only have 2 or 3 feasible gear choices out of the 27 possible combinations on a 3x9 drivetrain. 3. Once you have found an appropriate combination, make note of where you are going to cut the chain, and break and reassemble the chain "loose" (i.e. not wound onto your chosen gears yet). When the chain is whole then wind it onto your chosen ratio by hooking one or two links onto the gear and turning the pedals to bring the rest of the chain on (This only works with gears that are designed to be shifted - true single-speed gears do not have the required "pickups" to help the chain climb on in the first place). 4. This is an emergency repair only - generally you have to get the chain quite tight to prevent it slipping off, and this may result in damage to the drive side BB bearings (again, more so if you are riding a softtail). Pay attention to any tightening up in your cranks after having ridden your bike using this singlespeed arrangement. Having said that I have used this solution successfully to get me home over 50km riding a GT iDrive. This was a whole lot better than walking, and buying new BB bearings didn't break the bank either.

chances are it is more about seat position than handle bar - she has too much weight on her hands. Go to a bike shop and ask for help with your setup, or look up a bike setup technique (what to measure and how to arrange the various parts on the bike).

Is this a "standard" or a through axle hub? In my experience (which isn't a shade on JB's, but I know a bit about DT Swiss wheels) you're not going to experience looseness unless you've left something out of the hub assembly. Can you mount the wheel in the frame without the skewer? (NNB Don't ride it like this!) If - once the skewer is removed - there are still a pair of lugs on the wheel that fit in to the dropouts on the frame, then do what Johan said. If not, then you need a through axle and I'm not sure of the implications for your frame.

I've had success with patching from the inside using a 'normal' tube puncture repair kit. I use a kitchen blowtorch to cure the rubber cement for a better seal too (OK mostly i just like using the blowtorch, but it really does give a better result) GotThatInCarbon2009-08-11 12:34:42

If the oil leaks means you have to service it REcommended treatment for Fox forks is to invert them before riding to lube the seals anyway (in the service manual)

Steel is denser, but you can go so much thinner (narrow tubes / thinner walls). nd the ride quality is AWESOME. I'd like to take that little guy out for a spin. The handlebar mounted on the fork beneath the 'steerer' tube should be uber-rigid and I'd guess incredibly light GotThatInCarbon2009-06-13 11:52:08

one of these days we need to open up the route along the river - I've been through along the banks once and it was nasty.

DT Swiss is the bomb. I've tried Hope and Shimano - with Hope's the springs / pawls wear out eventually, and with Shimano cleaning and loading the bearings correctly is an issue (just my experience, I'm sure people will disagree). I've had a XR1540 DT Swiss wheelset for 4 years now and I'm sold on them. DT Swiss is serviced without tools - which means I clean them more often, and the star ratchet doesn't lose it's edge. Buy the 240s if you're weight conscious or 340s if you're looking for a more robust build. The local agent is great - I have used them direct when I've had wheels rebuilt after pranging.

I really like the Maxxis ignitors, but I really really like the Maxxis Monorails if you want my 2c worth. standard tyres, tubeless conversions -I may be completely out of touch but I'd expect you'll come in around R600 a piece.

I use non-UST, kevlar bead tyres without tubes (thats what is recommended for tyre conversions I think). Works great, super light too. Maxxis Monorails. best tyres I've ever found

in my experience almost no two hubs are quite the same. You always have to adjust. ..or put the spacers behind the IS mounts on the disc (0.2mm shouldn't change anything..)

My experience - Use CRC Parcelforce option - they're very reliable, have online tracking and door-to-door delivery. Delivery takes 5 days (sometimes longer if customs is slow) Ask questions of CRC by email. They're very helpful and quite quick to respond. If you have a warrantee issue, ASK. I've had warrantee replacements and refunds from suppliers in the US and UK on the strength of an email or a phone call. Just be honest, be polite, and ask them for help. Most other stuff (not complete bike) you'll just pay VAT + 1% for custome clearance. I feel sorry for the South African bike shops - they are squeezed between a few distributors who have a monopoly on the local market and a buying public that is learning that international sourcing is a real + viable option but I also think where you spend your money is a personal choice.

Careful Johan - The religion industry has ways of dealing with people like you

This is an invitation to be sold something built entirely of unobtanium.

Never seen that before. I ride standard Maxxis tyres with a tubeless conversion and they last until the last knob falls off or I run the sidewall up against a cheesegrater. Do you have a history of sleepwalking? and biting stuff?

Based on no science at all except for my own riding, here's my 2c worth: Have used XT and SRAM clusters over the years. There was no difference in shifting performance, both were very nice and lasted a long time. I like the ones with the aluminium carrier because you don't risk damaging your freewheel hub (I have observed that the chainrings on the LX-style clusters protrude on the inside, and may bite into/scar lightweight aluminium freewheel bodies). The XTR clusters do feature a number of titanium chainrings (I think). I've always considered them too expensive and never tried them. Different story on chains however. I find the SRAM chains perform better - don't know why, for me they just do. I have broken shimano chains, but not yet broken an SRAM chain (and I did use the correct shimano pins). I prefer the SRAM cross riveted chain (which has a 250kg rated breaking strain as opposed to Shimano and other SRAM chains with 200kg breaking strain), but the normal SRAM also does a great job. I have used perhaps 10 or 12 chains whether SRAM or Shimano over the last 5 years. GotThatInCarbon2009-05-03 10:07:49

Inspiration - an old Rossin catalogue, complete with Italian models http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/rossin/

yup that's the one. should work fine. I used to ride SRAM Rocket trigger shifters with a Shimano XT rapid rise deraileur and they do a great job. Anything in the SRAM X-series requires an SRAM deraileur however (it uses a 1:2 actuation ratio - which basically means it moves the cable twice as far for each shift while Shimano equipment uses 1:1 actuation).

Is the derailleur straight? get someone with a hanger alignment guage to check it for you. Skew hangers are hard to see and very hard to diagnose. google Park Tool DAG-1 if you want to know what it looks like.

A for Chemistry, E for Physics..

Just swap out the UST tyres for the regular folding bead version. You can run these with rim strips no problem, and you'll save 100g per tyre.

A friend of mine rides past a group of schoolkid spectators on day 6 of the epic, says the one girl of perhaps 9 to her younger sister as they go past: "Typical, die vettes gooi nooit sweets nie."

Shimano have introduced their 'wave' technology (adapted from their cable brakes) to their disks. The disc will not / isn't designed to have the same on/off behaviour as other brands, so the first part of the movement will feel soft, however when you do tighten up they will hold you very nicely. Advantages are less drag on the disc, better modulation, finer control, etc. The displacement of the pads accelerates as you move through the stroke of the lever so that braking forces go up as you reach the white knuckle stage.