bikerbob

I don't think WD40 is a strong enouogh solvent to actually dissolve the rubber. I have heard a few people being concerned about WD40 corroding your crankcase seals on the moto trials bikes, but I had a look in the hopeless manual for my beta, and it actually reccomended putting a bit of WD on fork seals with no worries, so I reckon it's probaby OK. I use WD40 on my stator and all over my crank case seals with no worries. If in doubt use duck oil or something. The problems arise if you start using a non mineral based (DOT brake fluid for example) in them. Bob

Hi, I am running tensile UCI cranks and I have a problem with my bottom bracket, it seems that on the drive side the bb axle ends further away from the edge of the grank, and so the drive side crank bolt does not have much thread to hold onto (only about 3mm), can the axle be moved off centre slightly on an isis bottom bracket to solve this problem? I'm afraid I don't know what bottom bracket I am using, it is an onza T-mag though. My second problem is that my Tensile freewheel seems to be off centred, either because the cranks threads are off centre or because the freewheel has been made off centre. Are freewheels normally like this? Many Thanks, Bob

In what way do the new maggies suck? Everyone keeps saying this but I never really have problems with mine. Bob

Posting a rim to a specialist bike shop will not take long. You will be able to find the cheapest one for wheel builds and spares. You will be able to read reviews on here to see which bike shops are reliable, in my experience, if they don't have a good selection of spares, then they have poor mechanics aswell and will take ages to build up a wheel and may not do a very good job. Just my thoughts, i can understand you'r problem though. Bob

Have tarties sorted out their thing with HSBC debit cards. I had heard that they were having difficulties taking money from accounts, or was that something i dreamt? Bob

I would try BMX skateparks and see what their setup is, ofcourse advertising would be a big part in its success I suppose, unless you went to a trials club and did questionnaires within the club to see the level of interest. Many people ride mostly street. The one idea which came to mind but it not neccecarily relavent is Scarborough DMC. http://www.scarboroughdmc.co.uk/new/ Scarborough and district motor club own an old army training camp (Low North Park) and when you become a member of the club you can pay extra to purchase a key for the year. To enter you need to be with someone who has a key or have a key yourself, and you must have a pass shown clearly on your bike. Insurance for them is not a problem since all members are members of the ACU and therefore insured. Is there a similar organisation for bike trials which insures you for injury at approved events? Bob

My bike, I've not had it long, but it rides really nicely Spec: Forks: 2005 Onza Smart Guy Frame: 2005 Onza T-Mag Bar: Try-all (black) Stem: Try-all Cranks: Tensile UCI 170mm Freewheel: Tensile ff Front Brake: Hope Mono Trial Rear Brake: 2005 Magura HS33 Front Wheel: Onza Hog Rim (drilled sidewalls and eyelets) onto Onza Sealed Disc Hub Back Wheel: Onza Hog Rim on Onza T-master Sealed Hub) Pads: Zoo!! Booster: Echo Team 2 Bolt Quick release: front hope red. Pedals: Hognesiums Nowt fancy, but thats my bike. Bob

If you measure across the rim to measure the diameter of the wheel which you are wanting to use then you will be able to determine for definite whether or not it is the right sized wheel. If it is then you can simply cut all of the spokes off and put it in the post to tarty bikes where a cheap T-Pro standard hub is 15 quid, a wheel build is 10 quid plus 2 quid for a final true and spokes are about a tenner. So you could have a decent wheel for forty quid. Remember that the strength of a wheel is in its spokes not the rim, so i'd have thought that the rim would be fine. Alternatively you could buy an onza wheel for around sixty quid. I hope I understood your problem properly, I wasn't too sure somehow. Bob

Is this off a drop?? If so then I prefer back wheel, but on the moto it feels really nice with abit of front wheel first. Bob

Absolutely, I am proud of myself. Thanks, The heatsinks were second hand but new thrown in when i bought the bike. I think i'm going to order some onza citrus pads since im on a budget and a couple of the plastic washers. I really think that the piston should slide abit further out though so that the plastic washer isn't completely on the grooved area, but is mostly. Bob

I tried fitting some new pads today to my Tmag but i find that the pads are too thick (Heatsink browns) to fit with the pistons in their current position. Can the piston be moved outwards at all to set the gap. I had a look and I thought that the plastic washers had grooves in, i guess these are from use and not there from new or setup would be hell. Any help would be good. Bob

We sorta built one, we put a wheel in forks out to one side making like a side car type thing, it was very fun to cruise around on and you could take passengers. Bob

It's well worth taking your cables off then taking them to your local bike shop and getting them to cut you some cables and sleeves to the right length. They will chuck in the ferrules and little caps and things for the cables. Put some thin lube down the inside of the sleeve before you put it on your bike for a smoother brake. Replacing the cables and setting up your brake properly and then lubeing it regularly (not the pads) should keep it feeling consistent and nice. I guess that you are running V brakes. I used to run V's and found that if you back off the adjuster screws then it made the brake feel much much nicer and it didn't wear out your fingers as quickly since you're not putting as much effort into twisting the spring. You might need abit more advice with that if you're struggling with cables. Bob

They aren't springy, they are clip on pedals. You need special shoes with cleats on them. The idea is that your feet are attctched to the pedals so you can get power on both the pushand pull bit with each leg. Bob

Right, thanks alot. It had a really thin shim in there before, but it had an ACS claws on so it wasn't a problem, i just got a bit of mild steel pipe, chopped a thin section out in the lathe then i was away, then i thought oh no! what have i done. I reckon i jumped to a conclusion though anyway, since i now realise after a couple of hours considering it on the mower that most of the bit which is not on the threads will be the splined bit on the freewheel. Cheers again. Bob

Hiya, I fitted a new tensile freewheel to my tensile cranks today. When it first screwed it on it went on so far that it made getting the bb tool which would be used to remove it impossible. I made a spacer which fits well to go between the bash plate and the freewheel so that i can get the tool on (ie there are splines sticking out) However this means that I have missed about 2 mm of threads. What have you done to overcome this problem, do you think that missing 2 mm of threads will be a problem. Thanks, Bob

Surely if you're trashing rims that quickly you maybe ought to put just a little mroe wind in your tyres. It doesn't take alot to make a difference. Bob

I've bought an 05 model which should be slightly stronger. The components were mainly what attracted me to it, it is a spec 2 but with try-all bars and stem and its got echo team brake boosters and decent enough wheels and hope trial disk brake. I can put up with upgrading a frame if it brakes, but having to replace components because they brake really pisses me off somehow. It's just the way i am, i can't explain it. Bob

I once had a DCD (Dave's Chain Device), the biggest waste of money ever, just take a few links out of your chain, but not too many. The roller needs to be perfectly horizontal or the chain rubs on one side of the frame, the rubber roller wears away quickly and tears. You know its going to be crap when the first step of the fitting instructions says use an adjustable spanner to bend the metal tabs to fit your frame. I've seen other types which have a proper wheel with teeth rather than a roller, but they look pretty gangly and would probably break quite easily. Bob

I've just bought a second hand T-mag, have i done the wrong thing, I'm not heavy (just under 9 stone and I'm 17) I'm also a right short ass. I'm probably an advanced beginner. how easily do the frames snap and where abouts? If it snaps then it snaps, and s**t happens, so I'm not too fussed i suppose. But when i read things like that i get concerned. Bob

I ride 20 inch because i used to ride cross country mtb and just kept breaking bits, since then i've been 20 inch for everything. Although thats not a very useful post, 24 inch bikes look sooo nice (well i think so anyway) and they do feel slightly more flickable than a 26 inch but feel more like a 26 inch, so you get the best of both mod and stock. I think i might even have to get one once i can afford one (10 years maybe after UNI) Bob

Trials has changed a lot. There are loads of people riding street, and because of that many of people are trying BMX style streety techniques and going fast sometimes. However I don't think that thats a bad thing, just because you are going fast doesn't mean you are using less skill, and people are generally incorporating these moves into their normal riding as onzatprodude said. The main thing to me is that trials should be fun, and if people enjoy doing these fast moves and manuals and things then why not let them do it. Bob

Yeah Maxxis creepy crawlers are good tyres, they are cheap (compared with others) but good quality rubber, grippy and will last ages if you're riding natural stuff, and quite a long time if you are riding street. However althought there is a pic of a mod in your avatar, your profile says that you ride stock so im not sure what you're riding, but the creepy crawlers are for mods. Bob

Make sure that if you do get the fluid out that way that you do give the bath a good rinse out afterwards, brake fluid is nasty stuff. It won't matter much if it is washed down with alot of water, but brake fluid will soften paint, and it might mark the sides of your bath. Bob

Only three months!!! Well there must be something special about the bike then because i'm only just getting confident enough to ride like that after a year. Bob