Education We Like to Ride Bicycles

Rainy bike ride around Swansea seafront planned for tomorrow.
I've got mudguards now, so I'm sorted!

 

Mike Bike by SuperHans123 posted 22 Sep 2024 at 15:53

Mike Bike 2 by SuperHans123 posted 22 Sep 2024 at 15:53

Garmin by SuperHans123 posted 22 Sep 2024 at 15:53

 

I should have gone out today, really wish I did as the coming weather just isn’t looking to be at all nice..

 

Been a while since anyone has posted in here! Bikes be dead!!


Anyway, just purchased a set of used but “true” 4 month old Roval Wheels in MX as a spare set with an XD driver 9/50t cassette that’s new and some valves.

Justt over £250, not cheap BUT significantly less than new. Going to put a different set of tyres on them and also get a second set of rotors. The weather is constantly on the turn and tyre choice is ruining my day. I can’t be bothered with swapping tyres and messing about with sealant at the back of the car when I’m out so this way I at least get to swap between a few sets of tyres without coming off and breaking my neck as I’ve “made do” with something completely wrong.

Cannibals are coming off, Hanns Dampf and Magic Marys are going on. Changing out to a softer side wall (more enduro than DH case) and the ability to shed the mud as well as stepping up from a 2.4 to a 2.6 should allow me to make some moves because as it stands, the cannibals will get my killed if I’m not careful.

Now I just need to play the waiting game for the delivery man. Looking like it’ll be around the 20th apparently.. last I checked that wasn’t a “48 hour”
Service..

 

Nah it's just that time of year dude. I only ride in the warmer months now, same goes for working on them. Spent too many winters sat in a freezing loft lol. Too old for that now !

 

I have kids and a missus. If I don’t go out in the wet on my bikes then I have to stay home, paint walls, fit carpets, build up custom shelving in an under at airs closet.. you know the deal.. anyway, I don’t want to do manual labour, I don’t want to paint and I don’t want to spend time with the monsters so risking my life in the bitter cold is a preference that I will hold on to deeply.

 

Do I winterise the Specialized or the Nukeproof ?

IMG_4511 by andrew8200m posted 15 Oct 2024 at 16:23

IMG_4512 by andrew8200m posted 15 Oct 2024 at 16:23

Carbon traverse with 2.4 Cannibals DH case to Alloy traverse with 2.6 Magic Mary/Hanns Dampf enduro case ?

Roval (standards) with 2.3 Butchers Trail case to alloy traverse with 2.6 Magic Mary/Hanns Dampf enduro case ?

I’m tempted to keep the Status as it is and change the Scout as it’ll be easier to clean and less of a faff.. I also have a spare cassette the same range as what is on both bikes as well as soare 200mm rotors where as I don’t have spare 220mms which will make life easier for a quick change going done the Scout route.

Decision time…

 

I've just ordered a pair of Hope Pro 5 29" wheels for my Giant Trance build.

 

I've not used the hope hubs before, only the older 4s, what rims and spokes are adding to those hubs or is that a full wheel set based on the hope 5 hub? I was thinking about building up a new set of wheels on some industry nines or something and then after having a reality check ended up with the DT 350s with a bearing upgrade earlier this year, I just need to swap the bearings in the winter Rovals as I was naughty and didn't service or clean them when I took them off.

Idiot.

 

I'm just getting their stock Pro 5 (6 bolt), Fortus 26mm wide internal rim, with Sapim Race spokes. Microspline.

These are 29", I've the same pair on my Nukeproof in 27.5.

Next year I'll get some Pro 5 hubs and build them onto my carbon gravel rims. 3 bikes, all the same hubs, so I only need a front and rear rebuild kit.

 

That's quite sensible to be fair, I have rebuild kits for the Roval stock hub (Shimano I think it is), the Roval on the alu (dt swiss 370 internals I think it is? but specialized branded is the one I am in need of and struggling to find info on so will be off to Infinity Cycles with the wheels to get it confirmed and bought) and then a dt 350 set of bearings.

Swapped out the HG for a XD hub on all wheel sets now and gone GX 10/50 on the Status but rocking some SunRace cassettes on the others because I'm cheap.

 

I used to work with lanky Tom in there. He left us to go be their bike fitter.

 

Tom eh, I think it was a Tom I spoke to in the workshop yesterday, booked in for Friday morning so he can work out what I need and get the job done.

 

IMG_4528 by andrew8200m posted 16 Oct 2024 at 13:39

Majestic bike carrying electric weapon of win!

 

Well my wheels have refurbed, it turns out they are indeed DT Swiss internals but are DT 350s. Bearings all done, a 9-50t cassette has gone on as I’ve moved to XD from HG keeping the older cassettes for spare on the OEM Specialized wheels leaving the rovals with xD.

in the mean time I put my Burgtec Cloud saddle on the Specialized and swapped out the charge saddle for a Nukeproof Vector DH Ti for the Scout. The flatter thinner saddles at a slight upward angle seem to work out better so fingers crossed I don’t give myself a numb bum over the colder months.

I’ve also stripped down the full squish, serviced all bearings and greased all points that need it and now I’m going to tuck it away for the winter (or at least until I decide to have a roam out).

 

Cleaned up after a battering last week.

Added a bit of personality with some DMR death Grips and an DMR OiOi saddle to bring on the pedals and keep it on brand (sort of)..

The saddle fits me ar*e better than the Nukeproof one I had and the charger before that. It’s very similar to the Burgtec saddle that’s been fitted to the Status.

Finally content (he says).. Emtb in bound soon

IMG_5679 by andrew8200m posted 14 Dec 2024 at 20:18

 

A fine ride out on Boxing Day came to a sudden end when the Codes on my Scout decided that they had had enough and faded into oblivion sending me on my merry way to towards the bike park in the sky. Thankfully a combination of blind luck and my face protection saw to oppose that and here we are today…

IMG_5945 by andrew8200m posted 28 Dec 2024 at 00:27

After the incredible success of the MT7 Pro HC3 on the full squish I figured it was time to ditch the SRAM centreline discs and to fit the bike with the same 2 piece MDR-P rotors that have kept their cool time and time again on the other bike and to also fit a pair of MT5 Pro HC. These are for all intent and purpose the same brake but with a slightly smaller front piston and a 2 piece pad rather than a 4 piece found in their more powerful and significantly more expensive big brother.

These rotors are happily on however a small issue surrounding the connection of the shifter and a lack of cable ties has denied the completion until tomorrow when the postman arrives with a couple of goodies.

I’ll update as and when but this upgrade was long over due and could have ended less favourably.

Moral of the story? Don’t skimp on brakes, SRAM codes are crap.

 

And she’s done. I don’t have the most recent before shot with the new grips and seat but you get the idea.

All wheels and cassettes are cross compatible with both bikes so any bike can run any wheel/tyre set up.

Before (with the winter wheels)

IMG_5228 by andrew8200m posted 22 Nov 2024 at 00:32

After (with the spring wheels)

IMG_5956 by andrew8200m posted 28 Dec 2024 at 15:33

 

Todays job…

Remove the SLX 175mm cranks and BB and replace with the new “Evosid” 160mm cranks and BB. That should stop some pedal smashes and also put my legs in a better overall position when riding.

IMG_6289 by andrew8200m posted 19 Jan 2025 at 01:32

 

Those look nice!