psycholist

Given that it's a cartridge and should hold the bearings on each side of the axle correctly aligned with the axle facing the BB shouldn't make a difference. Misalignment of BB threads and/or poor facing is the likely reason that Hollowtech II style BB's tend to last very poorly in a lot of frames.

I run my tyres rock hard by trials standards as far as I can gather with 30 psi front and back... I'm trying to see how low I can go with the pressure before the tyre starts squirming on side slopes on the back wheel... Given the scales at home puts me somewhere around 15.5 stone and I do a lot of street stuff involving square edges, I'm a big fan of running a DH tube inside a 2 ply tyre in the back. Haven't pinch flatted in a long time .

Those predictions have no validity unless you cross his palm with silver first...

I thing higher BB's tend to be better if you like techy hopping based moves. If you like to carry momentum through things (More street style stuff) it's not as desirable. Certainly the higher BB frame feels much better on the back wheel (And I thought my last bike was completely sorted on the back wheel already) and more controlled over rocks and natural stuff...

Found exactly the same thing going from a 2005 ish Echo Pure to a 2007/08 Control. The change in geometry (Lower handlebars and a higher BB) combined with a much grabbier front brake made a huge difference...

Gü

Bontrager made some MTB rims with the spoke holes offset to reduce dish back in the 90's. All the spoke holes were to the same side of the rim so the angle between the spokes fro each side of the hub and the plane of the wheel was closer to equal (So the rim was as strong laterally in loading from either side). Most rims have every second spoke offset slightly off the rim's centreline to reduce binding between the spoke nipples and the rim (You lace spokes from the LH flange to the spoke holes offset to the left). To make wheels stronger in side loading a rim with no spoke hole offset will be better because the spokes make a bigger angle relative to the plane of the wheel. There is a wheel building technique known as crossover lacing where the spoke angle is increased by lacing from the LH hub flange to the RH offset spoke holes. This only works in some rim/hub combinations without the spoke nipples binding in the spoke holes (Hubs with the flanges quite close together are best for this - these will be most prone to building wheels that are weak in side loading too, so worth trying if you want a particular hub rim combination but keep turning it into a pringle on sideways landings.

Murphy was an optimist...

Sounds really cheap - do they insure the bike while it's in transit so if they lose it or break it you can get it fixed? Looking at the site they say they're insured... The list of items they refuse to carry is class: ... You're also not allowed to send human or animal remains (Though you're allowed to send meat however that works)... Some of the stuff they're willing to carry is weirder though:

Here's one for under £30 - sold rebranded as Echo for £45 in a lot of places too... http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_inf...;products_id=31

Have a look for Maxxis Hookworm tyres if you want a purpose designed slick tyre in 2.5" width...

I've been trying to manual for over a decade and I still can't hold one for any length of time (It took me over 2 years to learn wheelies)... Record for front hops is about 5 - always hopping backwards too, so not making it to the balance point. Strangely I'm perfectly happy backhopping, stalling or pivoting on the back or front wheel on the edge of stuff etc. I'm guessing part of the reason I'm no good at those moves is that they're good for style, but not useful for actually getting a bike over stuff so I don't really practice them while I'm riding...

A quick search of the forum will answer your questions.

Same nipples, sometimes you'll need slightly longer spokes, but spoke length varies from rim to rim anyway. Eyeletting allows the rim to be thinner around the spoke holes thanks to the eyelet spreading the load from the spoke over a bigger area, so an uneyeletted version will need to have a thicker wall around the spoke holes to match the spoke pullout force of the eyeletted version. Eyeletting is pretty much the standard for XC and DH because it gives better strength to weight, so I find it unusual that trials rims usually don't get eyeletted - it's probably due to trials rim manufacturers not having the machinery more than anything else though...

And to finish - a Vulvo describes a variety of overbuilt female genitalia that would comfortably withstand an offset frontal impact at 30mph, possibly without even setting the airbags off... http://www.viz.co.uk/?domain=viz&page=...rofan_index.php

Is that two tartybikes TShirts there? Good advertising ... Best of luck with the trials park too!

I also keep a large chunk of Rogers Profanisaurus in my head for filth purposes... Can anyone guess what a vulvo is? ...

Measure the bolt circle diameter (BCD) of the cranks if you have them or of the chainring. This can be done by measuring from centre to centre between the first and third bolt holes on the chainring (Longer measurement reduces error over measuring between adjacent holes) and multiply by 1.0515 to get the BCD. If you're measuring adjacent bolt holes multiply that distance by 1.7013 to get the BCD... Rather than guessing where the centre of the holes is while measuring it's easiest to measure from a tangent at the top edge of the first bolt hole to a parallel tangent at the top edge of the bottom hole. If you get 58mm for the BCD you're sorted - all the chainrings I've posted should fit. If not see does it match one of the other standards given here - if it's a 74mm then 24T is as small as you can go: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/chainrings.html

Not easy to get 5 bolt 20T inner chainrings . Here are a few options though: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=3321 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=30 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=3322 - Last 2 are in stock... Compare prices with 22T chainrings and you'll see they're not cheap - Run these with an 18T freewheel and the gear should be about right (Though my preference is for a 17T with a 22T chainring): http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=9402 http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=371

I have gold Echo rims - they've stayed straight since I got the 6 months ago (Tartybikes wheel build) and they take and hold a grind well, with plenty of sidewall to give a few years grinding life too... Photos of the bike they're on here: http://www.trials-forum.co.uk/forum/index....howtopic=111205

The 06 Maggies are the ones with the dial integrated into the lever rather than on the front of the lever? I found these a pain to bleed compared to the previous models. You have to pump the lever while running oil through them to get all the air bubbles out (This worked first time for me, while bleeding them like I used to for older models was unsuccessful). You can check the brake has been filled while the bleed syringe is attached and the bleed port at the lever closed by pulling the lever while looking for either movement in the brake blocks or syringe or serious leaking from the brake - this saves a bit of time as you don't have to opening and closing all the bleed ports to test the brake for correct filling.

As far as I know a 20T is the smallest you'll fit onto that style of crank (I'm assuming the mounting bolts are spaced at the standard diameter for 5 bolt cranks). Unless you fit a smaller bashguard as well you'll get no increase in ground clearance either. If you stay with the 24T front ring around a 20T rear freewheel should do the job depending what ratio you like... If you go for a 20T chainring something around a 16T freewheel should be about right...

That sounds like it might be my level - I love difficult lines, but don't like dangerous ones (Dangerous being where one slip means a long fall) ... I'd have to travel a long way (From west of Ireland) to find competitions though...

I ran 22:17 for years on 170 or 175mm cranks and currently run 18:14. This is towards the upper limit of what people use though...

A lot of the reason DH tyres are made with a steel bead is that they're less likely to come off the rim when they do puncture, so you have a better chance of finishing the DH run. Revlar is stronger in tension than steel, so strength is not the issue.