slarge wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 4:55 pm https://photos.app.goo.gl/wVfG2AQC1V5HrjFXA

not sure if that will work though...

That looks lovely and the paint job immaculate and intricate (yes, I did google it to ensure I'm using it right). Well done Slarge and seems like the bikes right at home there

slarge wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 4:55 pm https://photos.app.goo.gl/wVfG2AQC1V5HrjFXA

not sure if that will work though...

I really like down tube shifters - nice and neat, no cables to worry about round the bars and really make you think about gear shifts in advance of hills (or to grind up in whatever gear you are in). At one point I had them on the gravel bike - taking a hand off the bars to knock the shifter up a gear in rough descents was highly amusing.

Today, in between gardening and motorcycle engine rebuilding, I've been lacing up my first radial spoked wheel - very different to a normal one with spoke tensions all over the place. Oddly the rim is almost perfectly true before I've properly tensioned everything.

New BB as the old one had been grumbling for about 3000 miles, new chain and reversed the rear sprocket ( Rohloff), and changed the the almost knackered WTB Bridgers for a pair of Maxxis Chronicles. Was a bit dubious about fitting them as they're not EXO - TR but the sidewalls don't seem any thinner than the Fast-Tough WTB's I've been using. Excited to see if they're still holding air in the morning. So the old donkey is ready for another few thousand miles of abuse and neglect. Good times.

slarge wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:49 am Ouch Boab.

I have an airshot- I'd say partially effective at seating tubeless tyres. I also have a diy plastic bottle that's better at seating tyres, but I max it out at 100psi....

I made one out of a heavy duty plant sprayer .
7 litres at 6o psi get tyre to 45+psi. I think a old fire extinguisher is the way to go ...

Currently thinking of buying a compressor to take the hard work out.

In other news, I finally finished my 1963 Falcon San Remo Road bike and took it for a ride in the sunshine. ....... My only problem is that it really is too big for me.

That and downtube shifters - I can see why the industry moved away from them as quickly as possible.

I could only use the down tube shifters with my right hand..I changed the front ring by reaching through... It have been fun on a mountain bike with down tube shifters
..

Washed the Jones ....

Took the newer Chronicle 3" 650b off and replaced with a Maxxis Ikon in 2.8 width instead. Actual width is now down to 2.6 and I'm hoping for some better grip on some of the trails I'll be visiting some time soon... Topped up the sealant aswell

Yesterday really but,,,
Finally put the 2.35 Mezcal on the back of the Silk Road and topped up the sealant. Seems to be staying inflated for now...though think I had room for a 2.6.
Then swapped the 40t chain ring for a 42t on the Arkose singlespeed. After an hour and half test ride yesterday, reckon the sweet spot might be a 19t sprocket rather than the AB 20t I recently put on it!

Shout out to @Jameso: recently put the Arkose back to the original SS config. With the EBB and some 38mm tubeless Gravel Kings it's great fun! Fair play to Pinnacle and Evans deciding to offer such a niche model at the time

I pumped up the flat tubeless rear tyre...

Well yesterday I actually RODE the singlespeed Jones First couple of miles were 'entertaining' but I soon got back into the SS flow ...

Today I changed the front brake pads on it.

Fitted Vittoria Terreno 29 x 2.25" tyres this am, went for a few hrs xc. Fast as

Genuinely surprised by how quick they are. Used Race Kings before, I'd say these are a bit faster and carry speed better as they have a really predictable edge. Got to be careful where + how you brake, still very impressed. Kept picking up more speed than I was used to on local singletracks and having shtfkshtfk moments, great fun. Bonus is how good they feel on road sections.

Of course it's going to rain all next week, now l've committed to pure summer hardback tyres.

jameso wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 5:00 pm Fitted Vittoria Terreno 29 x 2.25" tyres this am, went for a few hrs xc. Fast as

Genuinely surprised by how quick they are. Used Race Kings before, I'd say these are a bit faster and carry speed better as they have a really predictable edge. Got to be careful where + how you brake, still very impressed. Kept picking up more speed than I was used to on local singletracks and having shtfkshtfk moments, great fun. Bonus is how good they feel on road sections.

Of course it's going to rain all next week, now l've committed to pure summer hardback tyres.

I used them on my Mason ISO when I had it. Soo fast. I found them to lose out in a battle with Welsh slate. But for mixed riding in the summer they're great

Shout out to @Jameso: recently put the Arkose back to the original SS config. With the EBB and some 38mm tubeless Gravel Kings it's great fun! Fair play to Pinnacle and Evans deciding to offer such a niche model at the time

Loved that bike.. wanted to keep one of the white + blue & black splatter version but limited garage space made me dither and then they were all gone. Fair play to Evans indeed, the commercial team were quite happy to give us free rein to have the odd niche bike in there.

FLV wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:33 pm I used them on my Mason ISO when I had it. Soo fast. I found them to lose out in a battle with Welsh slate. But for mixed riding in the summer they're great

They did make me rethink drop bar 29er ideas. The 2.25 on 30mm rims doesn't feel like too little a tyre for the Jones on xc stuff, so the 2.1 on a lighter rim could be very good for a monstercrosser.

Shaved a load of plastic off the back of my short nosed saddle. I can now fit the chunky fasteners of my Restrap saddle holster, through the cut outs in the saddle. Time to load up the bike for a (damp) mid-week bivy.

jameso wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 9:03 pm

FLV wrote: ↑Sun Aug 14, 2022 6:33 pm I used them on my Mason ISO when I had it. Soo fast. I found them to lose out in a battle with Welsh slate. But for mixed riding in the summer they're great

They did make me rethink drop bar 29er ideas. The 2.25 on 30mm rims doesn't feel like too little a tyre for the Jones on xc stuff, so the 2.1 on a lighter rim could be very good for a monstercrosser.

I once had the Mezcal on the front and Terreno on the rear in 29 x 2.25" on the 140/120 mm full susser to gain some speed on my regular offroad commute along rivers which basically is grandad mtb'ing (mostly easy single tracks).
Such fun, bit sketchy as I was constantly over cooking everything. Not much tread to slow you down efficiently, easy to go very fast, not much to hold corners. Held up well otherwise. Just used it first on a bike I'm used to ride with chunkier tyres. Been on an old mtb frame since, which I trying to relive. Rough gravel, smooth, softish double tracks, easy & rolling single tracks, flow trails and BMX tracks, grandad mtb'ing and similar stuff is where this combination really shines in my experience.
For the speed it offers, the casing and tread are really, really good. Well worth giving it a try. The fastest tyre combo I ever rode besides the gravel bike range of things.
No back to back comparison, but I'm quite certain for dry grandad biking it's the faster combo than Conti X-King/Raceking BCC.
Vittorias makes some good tyres.
For years been (still am) a big fan of their 2.6" Mezcals and was never let down.

Oh... what did I do to my bike..?
Wanted to go up a mountain and ride down a steep, rough path. Worked longer instead. Had a short and flat & rooted single track ride home on a bile that feels at home on 30 ° scree slopes above 2500 m. Still loads of fun. BB is so low, every corner is a hoot on this bike.
So I did a couple of front wheel drifting to the Moxie today.
I really want to stab a mountain with it soon again.

Alpinum wrote: ↑Thu Aug 25, 2022 6:09 pm So I did a couple of front wheel drifting to the Moxie today.

Err.. I think I discovered that when it all went pear shaped...
Take a hotel basic Hire bike- baldish tyre down a Slovenian limestone 'sand' descent track. Make sure the rider is unskilled enough , so Brake lever mix up on euro Vs Brit bikes. Lock front wheel.
a Perfect misadventure combo
Front Washed out=bloody elbows knees & hips
...but no holes in clothing.
Well thats expensive innit

Discovered that I need an adapter to fit these crazy bars to my stem. Bodged it with inner tube, just to I could fit everything into roughly the right place. Then gave the bike a bit of a wash...

Shock bush replacement due to very loud creaking
Fitted an oval chainring - lets see what all the fuss is about could tell a little bit on the flat
Changed out a SRAM 12 speed power link* which sheared at the first minor incline and banged my knee doing this

* it stayed attached at one end and splayed at the other end where it somehow fully disconnected without shearing pins - brand new and first ride on a new chain - did have a spare but knee injury sufficient to end ride within 200m of my own house

Well I made a new one!
I had Covid last week which was a bit rubbish but in the days when I felt less bad but still didnt want to go back to work I set about sorting my garage which is very tidy anyway but has things everywhere and I discovered I had everything to make a bike apart from a frame and a set of cranks.
I asked some bike hoarders I know and one had an Orange Clockwork 2019 and wanted £200, Deore cranks from ebay second hand but as new £50.
As its always something I have wondered about I decided on single speed so bought a Gusset Components xd converter and an On One doofer chain tensioner.
All in its £361 for a whole bike







I needed A headset bearing for it yesterday so went to my local bike shop in Redditch ( The Cycle Studio ) who are nothing but helpful and they said the steerer was too long on the Prong forks which it was but I said im not cutting it as it would be too short for another bike I use it on so they had a look in there parts dept and found the carbon forks in the bottom picture that where perfect and to make it even better they gave them me as a customer had just left them there and asked them to get rid of them! So use your bike shops it always pays of, I now buy all the bits from them I used to get from the internet before and with the discount they give me its pretty much the same price. I am not sponsored by them just a happy customer.

It such fun to ride, I am totally sold on ss now, I spent almost all day on it yesterday, I only came home as my Mom said its teatime, well thats what it feels like if you know what I mean

Always good to see another convert

fatbikephil wrote: ↑Sun Sep 11, 2022 8:31 pm
Always good to see another convert

I expect in the coming weeks I will say things like " I feel much more connected to the bike" and other such nonsense

Seems to be par for the course
Mind you, once you've done a few climbs that leave you with your eyeballs resting on the handlebars such nonsense pales a bit...

Bled the rear brake (again) - finally decided the seals are leaking but it will have to do for the weekend. Fitted new pads at both ends as the ones in it were down to the rivets fitted new tyres (Rangers after much deliberation, god help me if I need to put a tube in, in the wilds) went for a ride to make sure I hadn't fouled anything up doing all of this, kicked new tyres, put a spanner on all the bolts (crank bolts went an 1/8th of a turn which is mildy concerning) and discovered the dropper post is set 12mm above it's max height mark, which may be a bit much but hey ho, all ready for the BB