levett

I would 'guess' that a Medium is the right size for you - but a 'medium' is not a 'medium' is not a 'medium' the geometry of all makes is different, and you will feel more comfortable on some than others. It also depends on your 'relative' dimensions not just overall height - i.e. do you have 'shorter than average' or 'longer than average' arms and legs - therefore a 'long body' or 'short body' (doesn't help I know!, but I would go and get 'measured' and then 'try' the different bikes - some will feel right, some will feel 'wrong', even if all are Medium). p.s. I'm slightly shorter than you 5'10" (just under 1.78m) and have a 'long body' (therefore short arms and legs) - I ride a Giant Trance in Medium, but with a 130mm Stem.levett2009-06-02 02:22:28

Mine (a Scandal Medium) stands at 11.84kg - I'm hoping to knock a bit off that with some component changes, but will still be up above 11kg (so 9.8kg is very good) - The main items that lead to the weight seem to be the wheels any tyres (the lightest tyres seem to be around 500g each, and the heaviest approach 1kg each!). I'm impressed with the 29er experience, and also think 'it's the way to go'!

There's obvously some 'patent' or 'royalty' issue no doubt - though are the splines that Novatec use not the same as the Shimano 'cassette' pattern? I would have thought that that had the same sort of issues (though SRAM use that, so maybe not!) - anyway, problem, solved, and very easy when you know! Cheers, Dave.

Thanks Wayne, As per our P.M.'s I admit to the occasional bout of stupidity! Good job I didn't think 'don't need them' and threw them away then! Just a question - why didn't Novatec just put the 'Shimano splines' on the Hub? Having different splines seems a bit pointless to me. Cheers, Dave.

Does anyone know what the Disc Centrelock fitting is on the Planet-X 29er Wheels? (it is not 'current Shimano) This Planet-X Hub/Adaptor: http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.za/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=CENTRE%20LOCK%20TO%206%20BOLT%20DISC%20HUB%20ADAPTOR Does not fit with: http://cycle.shimano-eu.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/nl/index/products/mountain/deore_xt/product.-code-HB-M776.-type-.html

But they also don't pay US$535 for them - what do you reckon - US$320 wholesale? That makes a whole lot of difference!

Daemon - mine currently weighs in at 11.84 kg complete. I'm hoping to get that weight down a bit with a few component changes (XTR Shadow Rear Derailleur and XTR Cassette), but I think it will still be around 11.5 kg. I'm sure I could get lighter tyres (currently Bontrager Jones Tubeless, but with tubes), but won't be going that route until the tyres are worn. A further 1 kg is a lot to loose - I could gain 100 to 200g going for a 'knife-edge' saddle, but I won't be compromising in that area!!! So I think, at the moment, 11.5 kg is the limit for mine. Cheers, Dave.

I'll give it a try please - PM Sent

Confusion reigns supreme! I have one bike with the newest trigger shifters, and a M772 RD - if I remember correctly, you push with the thumb to move down the gears (bigger rear sprocket) and pull with the finger to move up the gears (smaller rear sprocket). Then I have another bike with slightly older shifters and an M960 RD - This works the other way around - thumb push, up the gears (smaller sprocket) - finger pull, down the gears (larger sprocket). I'm not too bothered which waym I just wish that I had both bikes the same!!!

CayEye magnets come in 'blade specific' or 'universal' that will fit round and bladed spokes - I'm sure they all work with any computer - as long as you can get the 'distance' correct - usually specified as 5mm (but they work at more in my experience). Cheers, Dave.

Daemon, I'm building a very similar setup! I haven't weighed everything, but the bare On-One front wheel (no disc, tube, trye or skewer) weighs in at 1,010g (as a comparison the Bontrager Rhythm Comp weighs in at 926g) I'm not sure what are the lightest 29er wheels (Bontrager XXX Lite are advertised at 1,660g) but I suspect you're not going to get much change out of 2kg for a set - add to that that 29er tyres are, generally, heavy (Bontrager Jones ACX 2.2 Tyre = 668g) - you're not going to get a featherweight 29er. I'll let you know what mine weighs in at, once it's finished. Cheers, Dave.levett2009-05-18 09:59:36

Handbags at 30 paces Mr Mulebar! I guess you make mayn assumptions - is it a Shimano chain? is it packaged or loose? Can I read instructions? (Sheldon Brown has nice pictures!) Chill out and be happy!

Capricorn, Both comments make sense to me - I might start with Large-Large + 2 links (eisier to take another one out, than add one!) Fortunately, in this case, I don't have the rear suspension issue to worry about (HardTail) and can just copy the chain length on my SoftTail (assuming Giant got it right!). Cheers, Dave.

Thanks very much Dirtbreath. From SheldonBrown: The best technique for setting chain length is to thread the chain onto the large/large combination, without running it through the rear derailer. Mesh the two ends on to the large chainwheel so that they could be connected (outer link meets inner link), then make the chain one complete link (one inch) longer than that. In almost all cases, this will give the optimum length. Seems very easy when you know how!

Is there a 'secret' to determining the correct chain length i.e. with the chain in this place on the front derailleur, and that place on the rear derailleur, the chain is the correct length when the rear derailleur looks like this I'm not talking about chain 'stretch', I'm talking about fitting a brand new chain. When I've replaced chains before, it's been a simple matter of 'counting the links' on the old chain and making the new chain the same number. Now I'm building a 29er, I don't have a 'starting point. Advice much appreciated. Cheers, Dave.levett2009-05-18 03:29:36

I'm building a 29er and will get a set of 'Road Tyres' on a spare set of wheels for it (700 x 37C or something like that), and had a set of 700C wheels built for my wife's 26" MTB (SLX Centre Lock Hubs and 700C Rims) If you want a set of road wheels for your MTB, 700C (or 29" - they're the same) usually fit on a 29" MTB

I'll start: - I'm building an On-One 29er HardTail, and the frame is 1.6kg - 29er Fox Forks or RST are in the range of 1.75kg to 2kg For a HardTail, my view is that, at a resonable price, you can expect to get in the range of 10.5kg to 11.5kg. for the complete bike - possibly 12.5kg for a SoftTail. Low Weight = High Price!

Not sure if it's related (since this seems to be a Training Centre issue), but there is a firmware update for the 705 - I downloaded the update at the end of last week. I didn't look at what it 'fixes' though

I have to agree - my wife only has a mountain bike (and 2 sets of wheels - the road ones with the 700C's on) - I have a MTB with 2 sets of wheels (though both 26") and a road bike and, to be honest, I don't ride the road bike much now! I rode my road bike in the Argus (though, with the weather, may have been better on the MTB), and have ridden it once since. When we go out on the road together, I take my MTB (with the wheels with the slicks on) and, have to say, I appreciate the comfort. I'm now building a 29er MTB, and am going to put something like a 700 x 37C slick on one set of wheels, and am unsure how much I'll ride either of the other bikes then!

Tarpon - my experience is that it isn't much (not sure whether 0.2mm, but enough for the disc to 'rub', rather than 'lock' or distort the disc) So shimming is probably the answer - you just need to get hold of some 'shim' material - If you know someone tho works in an engineering manufacturing/maintenance environment, you could probably get some (professionally you can buy it in sheets of varying thiskness - usually a 'brass' type material)

We have 2 sets of wheels for our MTB's - mine both have DT Swiss hubs, and nothin n eeds adjusting, the wife's are a combination of Centre Lock and 6-bolt, and the calipers need adjusting between the 2 (I haven't bothered to 'shim' yet, but it's a real pain! On another note, my bike has Juicy brakes, and hers has XT - I find the juicy's easier to get set up right than the XT's

Ah - I forgot to say, I'm of the new fashon for discs! As Big H says, running rim brakes would be a problem - I'm sure you could bake the 700C Rims work with rim brakes, but then 'interchanging' knobblies and road tyres would be a real pain - with discs, it's simply a matter of undoing the quick-releases, slipping the knobbly wheels out, and slipping the 700C road wheels in - it takes less than 2 minutes

Johan at YellowSaddle built the wheels for me - If you ever want this type of work done (or any wheel build, I believe he also does MTB forks, and lots of other things) I can 110% recommend Johan. 'The boss' has used the wheels a few times (including the Tour Durban) and she thinks they're fantastic - some may think it's wrong to have this type of wheel on a MTB, but the increase in gearing, combined with the massive reduction in rolling resistance, transforms the bike on the road. Overall, totally happy with the wheels (and Johan at YellowSaddle).