Thursday Evening

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 09:52

I am planning a ride from my house a 6.30 tomorrow night back at dusk.

Adrian

Neroli · Post by **Neroli** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 12:56

We are hoping to join you

I do not have any front lights so am relying on your comment, "back at dusk"... no pressure on you then

Paul McCormack · Post by **Paul McCormack** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 13:07

So thats Pewsey out then

I should be able to come but like Neroli I havn't any proper front lights (Yet ) maybe a trip to Juan's bike shop on Saturday is called for

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Wed Apr 11, 2007 13:39

Trust me

Not planning on needing lights but if you have something to be seen by that would be sensible as gives us the option of a short road bit on the way back, if not we can stay off road

Adrian

Viv Powell · Post by **Viv Powell** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:19

Bother! Wish I'd seen this last night

Sunday's wobbly back wheel turned out to be a bit more serious than expected

- several bits of metal missing completely and/or grinding away inside the bearings - oops

(but I don't break things - what's going on????)

Bike in pieces at the mo, but I could have substituted hard tail rear wheel last night if I'd realised ...... poo!

Sadly, it needs to be found (no mean feat in our toy cupboard - sorry garage!) and tyre and brake disk fitted. So I won't have enough time to get there for 18:30. Hopefully I'll have something together for the weekend.

In the mean time can anyone recommend a good hub, rim etc. combination? My head is spinning from all the choice on Chain Reaction's custom wheel building webpages.

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 13:48

Viv,

Sorry - posted as soon as i thought about it. I use Crosmax Enduro's which have a good reputation for being tough/reasonable weight however I have had a freewheel failure. and would try something else next time. Chris King looks the best but very expensive. Suspuct the extra cost is recovered over time by less replacement costs.

Adrian

Paul McCormack · Post by **Paul McCormack** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 14:00

Viv

Badass bikes did a really good job on my rear wheel with a hope hub custom spokes and using my old mavic rim . It wasnt cheap but so far I havnt managed to break it ( from one who does break things

) and works really well. It sounds like a fishing reel when freewheeling though !

Paul

spinout · Post by **spinout** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 14:17

I got Johns Bikes to rebuild my front wheel with a Hope Pro II hub. Good job but took a couple of weeks and not cheap.

I would suggest you either get the wheel rebuilt with a new hub locally or get a mavic XC717 disc rim with hope (or XT if you don't mind cup/cone bearings) hub and double butted stainless spokes. In my experience Merlin cycles do a better job than Chain reaction.

HTH

Post by **MartinF** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 21:33

Give Chain Reaction a call. They're very happy to talk over the options with you.

I've had 2 complete wheelsets now from Chain Reaction - both have been really good. My current set - DT Swiss rims with Hope ProII hubs - are pretty much plug and play. Very happy with them. They tend to deliver within 2 days of ordering.

Hope Hubs - rear hubs have very noisy ratchet/pawl(s). A well-known feature. They are also serviceable, rather than throwaway.

HTH.

Ian Long · Post by **Ian Long** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 06:43

Viv - I think Neroli and I have a "spare" rear wheel in the garage if you have problems getting one together. The wheel is still round but has been retired from active service after a glourious career on my hardtail. I have been pleased with the wheel building from both Chain Reaction & Bad Ass Bikes.

Thanks for the ride last night Adrian - despite what Nigel may think, beer is far more welcome at the end of the ride than cream teas

. The steps in the dark were interesting

.

Highlights of the trip were probably the large tree across the bridleway that we had to climb over & under with the bikes, Paul lying down on the side of the trail next to the ruts to catch up on sleep? and losing count of how many final, final hills we climbed.

Legs felt tired on the road bike this morning....

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 08:43

I promised we would be back at dusk and it certainly was

The stats for an easy evening ride of exactly 2 hours are 16.9 miles and 1056 ft of climbing, just 1.3 miles and one small (

) climb more than planned

Thanks for the company as it was a pretty hot pace with no breaks other than the tree climb and Paul in full body relax mode

Adrian

Paul McCormack · Post by **Paul McCormack** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 09:10

Great ride

Took me a short while to shake of the traumas of work but the first climb certainly cleared my mind ,possibly became too relaxed managing another FBD on an innocuous section of trail

Tree climbing was fun as was the descent of the steps in the back garden towards the plate glass window

NigelP · Post by **NigelP** » Fri Apr 13, 2007 17:11

Ian wrote "despite what Nigel may think, beer is far more welcome at the end of the ride than cream teas"

I am sorry to hear that the Johnson Cream Tea Emporium is no longer in business, especially when there were so many customers cruising the area.

However, I am greatly concerned to hear that you were so easily led astray. When I rode the Ridgeway with the Nomads Temperance Group I do recall Adrian suggesting a short diversion to a cosy little pub. "Oh No!" was the chorus, "that would be far too comfortable. What we want is pain and suffering so we will be truly worthy of a cream tea".

Vicky and Rob have an altogether more relaxed approach. Just 16 miles on the Quantocks and we set off for Stella's. I had suggested going straight there when we arrived, but moderation prevailed and we completed the ride first.

You weren't suffering from CTWS (cream tea withdrawal syndrome) were you? I appreciate it was a full six days since your last fix.

Viv Powell · Post by **Viv Powell** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 20:54

Adrian wrote:I promised we would be back at dusk and it certainly was

Perhaps it was just as well I didn't make it - it would certainly have been duskier! Either that or you would have been saved that last climb

Perhaps I should offer my services as a ride shortener for an appropriate fee

Thanks to everyone for the hub/rim advice - I finally went for a Hope Pro2, Mavic 717 combination, so will be joining the "knights who say nic" ....... should that be the "nomads who go tic .. tic .. tic"?

Sorry - showing my age again

I also went for silver spokes - thinking that was what I already had ..... nope ..... scrape the mud off and they are definitely black. So I will have one wheel with black and one with silver ...... please no-one tell Angela she'd never forgive me. I will just have to make sure they are always covered in mud or dust - shouldn't be too difficult