Jamie_Neal

Glad to hear there is some support. As for the riding, round Swansea - Castle Square, down the marina on the sea front not to mention the uni when the security gaurds aren't paying attention. Mumbles is good for street and natural (well, it's harder than Porthcawl) and there's loads of natural out on the Gower. E-mail me and send me your phone number and I'll let you know when we're out. There's about 6 of us who ride at the weekends and a couple who ride in the nights during the week. cheers, Jamie

Currently there is a group set up in Swansea called 'Street Sports Swansea' and we are aiming to get a permanent concrete skate park built in Swansea. Hopefully if we get enough support we should get enough funding to not only buy the area of land and create a concrete skate park but a bmx track and an area for trials. Details on www.streetsportsswansea.co.uk. We are aiming for as much funding as possible so the more people who write in the better - letter template at(http://www.streetsportsswansea.co.uk/downloads.html). E-mail me the letters of support at Jamie_Neal@hotmail.com and include some contact details. Apologies for there not being an online petition, we're not that high tech. Also, we held a one day event in Singleton Park in Swansea last September where we had a skate park set up, some dirt jumps and a trials demo. As of yet, we're not sure when the one this year will be but hopefully it'll be bigger. Cheers, Jamie

The way they used to do it in the bike shop I worked in was by using the sockets out of a socket set to knock them out and then go to a local bearing supplier - try the phone book. They can usually sort you out and they are usually a load cheaper. Cheers, Jamie

Funnily enough I was thinking about this yesterday and how I managed on a Planet X Zebdi. From what I remember of having a quick measure yesterday, my control (1080/85) came out at 810mm from the centre of the BB to the bars compared to 800mm on a jack flash (virtually the same as a zebdi) which only has a wheelbase of 1040mm. It's all in the head angle. Having said that the control does seem to fit me much better as I'm about 6'4".

I use a BB5 (as it was only £25 so I couldn't really say no) and it works great. Either get the 180mm or 203mm disc. 160mm can be ok but much more power from the others.

You paid for a service you didn't get. They shouldn't have charged you at all IMO

Azonic Double Walls crack before they snap so you get a chance to send them back and use the 5 year warrenty. I think they do 2.5" rise.

It would be good for people who want to ride stock when they're older as you'd be able to learn on a smaller, lighter bike (20"/24") that feels the same as a standard stock. Also good for vertically challenged people that don't like the feel of mods. Surely more options can only be a good thing but it could get confusing when buying one (I want a 20" stock).

I used the Abbah SOS and it lasted 10 months compared to a BULB which only lasted me 6 months. I've got one if you want it - PM me if you're interested. Has been fully repaired by the Ringle importers and hasn't been used since as the BULB is back up and running. Cheers, Jamie

When v-brakes came out

Ali's technique works. Either that or you'll just get so fed up with it you'll fully commit and do it. Just get really hyped up, it works.

I borrowed a friends wheel as my Hope was being repaired - it was a deore with 121 ceramic (lovely rim) and I managed to fold the wheel in half and snap the axle in the hub. He was gutted and so was I - That rim was a classic. I think I managed to crack my friends level boss (borrowed for a while) but he returned the favour by borrowing and snapping my zebdi. All good

Thank - it is a good site (www.physioroom.com). I've found out I sprained my Acromio Clavicular joint and it sounds like it was a Type 3. I was told this at the time but it's handy to know the exercises - I wasn't given any advise at the time. Cheers

It's been done. Anyone remember the Marzocchi Bomber Z1s with the dual disc mounts. Someone brought out a hub and hose kit to allow it to be run - they must have done calipers as well. To be fair you could also run a v-brake and a cable disc off the same lever - it would have a lot of pull though before anything happened unless you set them very close to the rim and disc. Also there was a tandem years ago with two v-brakes on a set of Pace forks (front and rearward facing mounts) - how long they lasted, I don't know.

From the begginning of time (well as far back as I can remember) Some Raleigh thing - sold Muddy Fox Streetcred - Illuminous yellow!! Carrera Optima (21") - used for dirt jumping Kona Cindercone (17") - used for everything Coyote Dual Slalom (14") - Everything Merlin 14" thing - Trials - not sure what happened to this. Handsome Dog Rock hound - Trials - Stolen Handsome Dog Rock Hound - Trials - I know I should have learnt how bad they were - sold Planet-X Zebdi - Trials - Stolen Planet-X Zebdi - Trials - Snapped Planet-X Jack Flash - Dirt (Zebdi replacement) Koxx Level Boss - Trials - Borrowed Echo Control MK1 - Trials - Current bike and love it to bits Specialized Rockhopper - XC - sold Orange Patriot - XC/play Think thats it.

I say it's a good idea. We did an event in Swansea at the beginning of September to raise the profile of skating, bmx, dirt jumping and trials in comjunction with the council. It turned out to be really good as the skate bit cost loads in flooring and ramps, the dirt bit cost a bit for some soil (landings - the parks people didn't want us digging holes) and the trials bit was basically free. We ended up with about 30-40 donated pallets (bear in mind there were only 6 riders) a few oil drums and a couple of planks. We nearly got a car as well only the council wouldn't let us as it was from the reclaimed vehicles unit as wasn't meant to be moved let alone ridden on. If you could get a large haulage firm interested (good publicity) I'm sure they'd donate an artics load of pallets and probably the trailer to ride on. The hardest part is finding the land to do it on as insurance and stuff then becomes a problem - you'd have to know who was riding. But then a council may see it as a good idea. Definatly worth a try - also, the one we did in Swansea should be happening again next year, hopefully when it's a bit dryer.

Surely there should be bonus points for putting it together yourself - extra points for building the wheels (definatly adds character and a bit of fear first time you ride them). Extra points for every bodge (back to the magura made of different bits and the chain with different links).

Right then. Forget flys and planes, watch this - (sorry not a link, I'm not that clever) go to 'www.dcshoes.com' then 'videos' then 'bmx' then under footage is one titled 'Colin Winkelmann - Go-kart backflip'. Watch it! Plane takes off and the fly would die so I doubt it'd be bothered about the train any more.

I know it's off topic - which is probably a good thing - but did anyone see the video, I think it was an ad for DC shoes, with a BMXer trackstanding in a carpark and someone drove at him in a go kart with a ramp over the top of it. The bmxer does a backflip without moving forwards. Soooo cool to watch - up there with Ryan Leech manualing down the moving ramp.

Personally, I prefer to build one side then the other - but I won't explain that as it'll probably just confuse matters but it does make it easier on some MTB wheels where the hub flanges are different sizes.

I stripped the thread on my driveside Middleburn (and yes I was using a Park crank extractor correctly - it was just too tight) so I had to resort to a fly wheel puller (as suggested by 'Don't you just hate it when') and it works like a dream. I would recommend it to anyone stuck in the same situation - especially as it meant I didn't have to saw my Middleburn. However, I'm not sure how it'd work on non-driveside cranks - may require extra bodging.

I don'r know for definate if it's 3/32 but I'm guessing it is designed for MTB chains being Middleburn. I'd say it's worth getting a 3/32 chain as the teeth should last longer as the 1/8 will cause it to wear faster. You can get away with a 1/8 chain on a 3/32 set up but I'd go for an 8spd Kool chain. The pitch does make a difference if you run a 1/8 chain then try to run a 3/32 chain as everything will have worn to suit the 1/8 chain. Hope this helps.

So, what's the difference as surely that little weight difference can't make much strength difference. I know the Urbans were better in the past - but what about these new ones?

For a little bit more than the v12s, I recommend Club Roost, The Push pedals. Best pedals I've ever used. 1 stet for over a year and I've only lost 1 pin! And that's with learing hooks.

Ok, fair point. But how many times have you rolled your ankle in the same manner - how about some general exercises for that sort of thing. I know that I would benefit - the amount of times i've done my ankles and I know that it being stronger won't stop the injury but it will lessen the chance as it will be able to support itself better. As for other exercises - I tore the ligaments in my shoulder and was give virtually no after care by the NHS so just restrengthened it as best I could and it seems to be doing the job so far but just some simple day to day exercises would be handy to know.