mattpage wrote: ↑Thu Oct 15, 2020 9:21 am But genuinely... I think you have a thing about steep road climbs. Maybe you like the sounds of the tyres dragging and ripping up 25%+ gradients?

Ah, but think of the delights that follow: tarmac climb towards Hay Bluff >> off-road climb up Hay Bluff; tarmac climb past Patrishaw Church >> bridleway straight up through the woods towards Crug Mawr; and so it goes on. Those steep road climbs are just the warm up for the brutal off-road climbs they lead to ...

psling wrote: ↑Thu Oct 15, 2020 10:20 am

mattpage wrote: ↑Thu Oct 15, 2020 9:21 am But genuinely... I think you have a thing about steep road climbs. Maybe you like the sounds of the tyres dragging and ripping up 25%+ gradients?

Ah, but think of the delights that follow: tarmac climb towards Hay Bluff >> off-road climb up Hay Bluff; tarmac climb past Patrishaw Church >> bridleway straight up through the woods towards Crug Mawr; and so it goes on. Those steep road climbs are just the warm up for the brutal off-road climbs they lead to ...

Oh you mean that steep road climb almost to the top of Gospel Pass before turning left to WALK up Hay Bluff... then get to the top and think, oh a nice downhill ahead... to then WALK the down the first section.

Alexinthepeaks wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 7:49 pm Just counting my tally...

1.) GRX 812 rear mech £85
2.) GRX 1 x RH Shifter, shift mecanism shot to bits £186
3.) Chain £15
4.) Brake Pads front and rear (brand new on)£30
5.) Cables £10
6.) Exposure 8.7amp Support Cell £80
7.) Bar Tape £30

Total - £436!
I am hoping to get the items in Bold covered by warranty though!

Apparantley looks like there is now a:
8.) New Caliper £100 (going for Hope RX4
9.) New Disc £40

I put these organic (yes im an idiot) pads in just before the ride, thinking that a brand new pair of pads would be fine!


20201014_122948 by alexberry1, on Flickr

New caliper? Why? (or did you eat the piston as well?)

Hope all the way - all the spares are available!!!

I was a bit worried about my brakes, but they lasted well in all the wet, mud and gloop - not even half worn by the (end).

Think of the positives - BB events keep places in business!!

Yeah turns out the squeeling was my disc eating the pistons!

I think the hope RX4 caliper offers a bit more clearance too which will help clear the grinding paste out of the pads better? Plus the ultimate bonus is they come in purple!

Do Hope calipers fit Shimano's GRX stuff? I thought they (well, at least the MTB brakes) were incompatible due to one being DOT and the other being mineral oil based systems.

Not sure if you'll get more clearance, (I have X2 calipers), but you can buy pistons for about £3 each for when this happens.

On a wet Kielder 100 quite a few years ago the grit ate a set of pads by 40 miles, then the spare set by 80 miles, and by 95 miles the pistons had popped out of the calipers as they'd been eaten too. Absolutely no brakes for the last 5 miles was amusing/terrifying!

(And the Hope calipers and Shimano levers are not compatible due to the different fluid types (as you say) - the seals won't live very long.)

Should have looked before asking, found my own answer:

Description
RX4-SH Caliper - Designed to work with Shimano and Campagnolo dropbar brake systems
(Mineral Oil, Shimano recommended for Shimano application, Campagnolo/Magura recommended for Campagnolo)

Compatible - yay!

THen again I'm still on cable brakes.

Race Face Next SL crank arm. Doh!
Noticed yesterday as I headed out that the axle thread has become un-bonded. Fairly well known and I was expecting it at some point. Luckily it held up during the last few days ride of ~100km but better get it changed.