JXV

Agree with this approach. A sporting federation can only ban future participation of cheaters. The ban should be proportional to the severity of the offense. However, these offenses need to also be seen as fraudulent activity, especially when unfair acquisition of winnings and sponsorships is involved. I agree also that the offender should pay back all benefits and costs. But when the ban, reparations and any criminal sentence is served....he/she can come back and race....and should expect to be monitored very closely....and some cold shoulder....and maybe some sledging..... Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

If they are pre-assembled and the hoses not too long then it is a simple bolt on job. But if you need to shorten hoses or route internally through the frame then you'll need to disconnect hose and bleed after. Not sure what you're expecting. M615 to M675 is not going to give a significant performance upgrade unless the old brakes are poked. M615 are good reliable brakes but the SLX brakes will be lighter and a bit more adjustable. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Dunno. Maybe it got kinked on installation..... Just stating the obvious. OP kept putting fluid in and never saw any coming out but part of the system is hidden from view and has not been inspected....giving room for a cause other than master cylinder or joint. If no oil in the frame then obviously the cause is elsewhere. These XT brakes are renowned as one of the most reliable. Then braided hoses were fitted.........and to internally route brake hoses you have to dismantle the factory bled and tested system and remake the joints without factory QC procedures. Lots of opportunities between leaving the factory and now for these brakes to have developed issues. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

You mentioned routinely filling and rebleeding your brakes over a period of time with no visible leakage....then you tell us your cables are internally routed.....so you can't eyeball them entirely. Suggest you remove your BB and see how much brake oil comes out the frame.. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Those checkers tend to overestimate the chain wear. If it indicates wear by dropping in then remove chain and measure by hand for an accurate result. The chain checkers are only good for a quick screening test. I have one too. Mine reads 0.5% when the actual wear is 0.25% Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

You don't have the other half of that spline part by any chance? I'd like to make one too. I quite like my DT 350 hubs and they use the same circular sawtooth ratchet mechanism. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Last Thursday morning in Hilton.... Taken by a friend and the skinny oke in the pic is not me either. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Yes when it is bright you may need an ND to slow the shutter but there are workarounds. Definitely try the small aperture first and in a pinch, a polarising filter works as a weak ND and you can adjust it to polarise or not as you wish. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Actually, coveting your neighbour's camera while on a shoot is quite OK. And getting them to say 'sex' instead of 'cheese' works a lot better. Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

If you must you can leave one of them on the rear. Get something more grippy up front. Lots of options 'cos almost anything is more grippy Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Top and bottom RD pulleys are often different on modern RDs and may even be directional ( e.g. Shimano top pulleys). If installed incorrectly or the bearings worn they may not wrap the chain correctly around the cassette leading to noises and derailment. B screw adjustmemt can also play a role. These are things to check if you recently adjusted or reassembled the RD

Play in those pivots mean the RD is on its way out. The duk duk duk could be from the RD not shifting to exactly the position it should ( because of play) and this causing interference between chain and shift ramps. It can also be worn RD pulleys. If the pulleys are getting derailed then this also a sign of worn teeth and pulley bearings

He he he.... it's a bike shop. They sell chains. Guaranteed they will say its worn even if not. But in this case it was probably way past 0.75. Don't re-use a chain pin. Once pushed out they are finished, especially on the narrow chains. Re-use in emergency only. Rather use a new pin or a powerlink. Powerlinks can be re-used but rather fit a new one with each new chain so they wear in with the chain. Some types need a tool to loosen them ( or some clever tricks).

How are you measuring 0.75? If via the typical chain checkers that stretch the chain between fixed points then be aware these tend to overestimate wear. My Parktools 10spd model (cc-3?) Reads 0.75% when actual wear measured with an accurate 1000mm steel rule is 0.25 In this case however you clearly have worn the chainrings as well as cassette and chain beyound re-use. My chainrings usually last quite a bit longer than my cassettes and I usually get at least two chains through a cassette before replacing it. To extend life of your new drivetrain, buy 2 or 3 chains and change them monthly in sequence. This way they all wear in together and you dont get the big difference in spacing that is causing slippage for you now with a new chain on worn chainring. wash, dry and lube each chain when you take it off to store it. I prefer to wash them in a mild solvent like paraffin because this does not prevent lube from seeping into the rollers after cleaning. If you use water based detergents, Any water remaining in the links will take days to dry out and may repel fresh lube unless the chain is totally dried out beforehand.

Innovative. Can't help feeling that whole frame would be miles stiffer if they just extended the divot in the seat tube to brace against the down tube....and mount the bottle holder on top.

Most sugars are potentially explosive if they are allowed to form dust clouds. Same goes for flour in mills and bakeries. This requires explosion proofed lighting and electrical equipment as well as other precautions. For home use on small scale you are not likely to be doing mass pouring, grinding or pneumatic conveying of dry solids so don't worry. Work slowly and in small quantities and avoid forming dust clouds containing the substance near electrical equipment or non-conductive surfaces (plastics) where static could build up and cause sparks..... Post pics if you lose ur eyebrows... [emoji95] [emoji102]

To test rear wheel and hub bearings.... - Remove chain but leave wheel clamped in the dropouts. - Spin wheel. Should be completely smooth and silent. A rumbling sound means wheel bearings are worn. - hold wheel and spin cassette in reverse. Rough or rumbling sound other than clicking of pawls indicates worn freehub bearings. Any free-play or side to side play in the cassette also indicates possible bearing issue.

Usually not worth very much but can be nice if you clean them up and put them in a glass display cabinet....if you go for that type of thing.

Looks like northern Drakensberg to me. The prominent peak is the Eastern Buttress of the Amphitheatre....so I'm guessing its somewhere on the All-Out Adventures trails above The Cavern. Home territory for a TBLT. Mine's been there too. Also running 34t NW edit....Aaargh...Dean answered while I was typing...

That new fork cost half of what you paid for the whole bike....unless it was a warranty replacement with pay in for the upgrade.

Very happy eith my PCS 10. Not cheap but as long as bikes can be held by a clamp it will never need to be replaced .

None of the tests should take longer than 2 or 3 days for a result but in fairness to riders it should be done in an accredited laboratory and these are not portable or cheap. Proper chain of custody needs to be preserved for both samples and results but this should not add more than a few days. I don't think we are ever likely to see on-site same-day testing for such a long and complex list of substances. Quite complicated instrumentation is required together with complex preparation and quality control procedures. You would also find that multiple lab techs are required for such a range of analyses.....rare to find all that expertise in one person. The months/years of delay that we are seeing are not attributable solely to laboratory issues though.

Somewhere in the process there are long delays that do not serve the cyclists whose racing and registration fees ultimately fund these organisations. From sample collection on race day to SAIDS to UCI to CSA or whatever, substantial delays are occurring. These delays prejudice both the guilty parties and the compliant cyclists that should be earning the podiums and all that goes with that. Even if you will never step on a podium these delays even ultimately affect your seeding at your next race because the authorities are not timeously removing cyclists who should not be competing. I understand that hearings are involved and that the accused have the right to respond and explain but why not suspend a cyclist's competition license as soon as an adverse result occurs so that the rest of us can compete fairly while they sort their issues out. If the investigation results in no sanction, the cyclist's license is re-instated - he/she ony loses out on a few events that occurred while the investigation was underway.

The explanation leaves me reasonably certain that there was no attempt to cheat here. But rules are rules and a rider competing at high level should make an effort to get to know them. But there are other guilty parties here.......guilty perhaps of an uncaring attitude and not nurturing our sport as we would expect them to. CSA could have included in its public statement that no evidence of an intent to cheat was found, simply that the penalty was administrative for failing to follow the rules....instead they made a very minimal statement that hid their own ( and SAIDS) shortcomings and allowed her reputation to be trashed in public. The reason I say there were shortcomings are multiple: 1) the athlete disclosed the use of prescription medicine when tested....multiple times.... but wasn't ever advised of the correct procedure or assisted with it? 2) so much time went by between testing and discilinary action that the athlete continued to compete in good faith, racking up podiums and prize money to the extent that she is now much more embarrassed by events than was necessary. This administrative negligence was also detrimental to other cyclists that followed all the rules. Why culdn't they have suspended her after the first declaration of using a listed substance without a TUE and helped her to get it sorted. 3) announcing the ban after its period has already elapsed shows that serious administrative deficiencies exist and yet no acknowledgment of this in a statement, nor any public commitment to improve the administrative rules that allowed this to happen. These authorities are mandated by their members to govern the sport on our behalf and we pay fees for this service. As such they are answerable to their members (us) when they fail. Hiding does not cut it with me. I think cyclists deserve better treatment.

Even as a chemical engineer some of the names on that list make no sense or are unpronounceable to me...... How a person not educated in the sciences or backed up by a team physician is supposed to make practical use of that list I don't know. Even a simple common over-the-counter flu-cold remedy like Corenza that my GP advised me to buy yesterday has a few of those substances in it. So technically I'm a doper today but don't worry, I'm not entered for any races in the near future...... I would agree that the list should be supplemented by trade nemes and a stamp or approval mark on the packaging of medication saying 'safe-for-sportspeople' or the like would be very helpful.