monkeyseemonkeydo

Unlikely but a vague possibility considering the design.

Forks themselves don't look massively bent but the head angle looks super slack. Bent downtube/monocoque?

Are there no options to move sideways into a more fulfilling role in the company and potentially more permanent? If you explain your situation to the boss he may be able to help you out, especially if he's happy with what you're doing and wants you to continue. If there's no other options there for you I'd still say you'd be silly to leave without already having something lined up (in this climate anyway). If you accept the extension you could always get an awesome job next week and just work out a months notice or whatever surely?

When did it become cool to look like a homeless bum? Sponsored by Nike but if I saw any of them walking down the street I'd assume they'd just robbed some poor kid of his trainers.

So, in your professional opinion, Ads, what the hell do we actually need?! Is the Hope site wrong then- the HUB236 kit is definitely not what we'd need? Think I'll just stick with my tube bodge!

Reply from Hope: Sorry but there seems to have been a mis-understanding at this end. As we have not received any interest in converting a trials hub back into the bolted style we have not put together a conversion kit for it. The best way to get the parts you need would be to have a dealer ring our sales team and tell them what you are wanting to do. They will then be able to put the parts you need together for you.

It's true, when I've been given a stack of 50 CV's the first thing you do is get them down to a 'short-list' of maybe 10 so you have to be pretty severe about getting rid of a good number and spelling/grammar is an easy option. I've had people write 'I am very hard working and pride myself in atention to detail'. Face palm.

It looks suspiciously like Vasek was 'having fun'... I bet they didn't like that!! Very nice vid ad some awesome riding.

Luke, out of interest, were you in long enough to see the effects of the £9k fees? Has it put people off doing certain degrees/going to uni at all? I think there's been a bit of a hit to certain faculty's at Soton but not a huge problem so far. It certainly wouldn't surprise me though if there was a sudden increase in the number of people going straight from school (or 'college' as you weirdo Sassenachs call they're final year) into companies on specialist training/apprenticeships rather than go to uni.

What you're saying in a very roundabout Jardo kinda way is correct. There are (possibly 'were' now after recent changes) a lot of people who go to uni for the sake of it, do a pointless degree that there's very little chance of them ever needing/using in the future and spend 3 or 4 years having a laugh at the taxpayers expense. If you go to Uni with the right idea and a plan of what you want to do at the end then it's very powerful but if you go and do a sociology/history of art/other random degree then yes chances are you'll end up jobless or at best working at the checkouts at Asda.

I think you probably do.

And a brilliant job you're making of it too... I did a degree in Aerospace Engineering at Southampton followed by an Engineering Doctorate developing the aero package of the Ford Focus WRC06 and Ford Fiesta RS WRC rally cars. When I finished that there was a job available at the Uni's wind tunnels as a Research Engineer which I applied for and got and I'm now the 'director' of the wind tunnels at Southampton. basically look after all things related to the tunnels from the instrumentation and arranging general maintenance to helping students and researchers get the most from their wind tunnel time, supervise projects and act as consultant engineer for customers. It's pretty much what I've wanted to do since I was about 12 so can't complain!

Hmm. Tartybikes' site shows the standard 10mm bolt in axle as part HUB236 which they state as being incompatible with the EVO hubs... IRconfused.

Haha, lies!!

I'll probably find out how much the proper part is and maybe get a set of bearings so in the future I can do the kit in one go but for now the home made one seems to be doing the job fine.

Good point, well made! It was hope themselves who told me what the part number was- lying bastards!

Skye frame kit is sitting in my garage at the moment and will most likely be sold at some point. In other news, to anyone wanting to convert a Skye rear hub back to standard bolt in apparently it's a Hope HUB240 kit (http://www.hopetech.com/page.aspx?itemID=SPG280) which will be a special order item.

Yeah it's a poncy habit learnt from Adam at Tarty Bikes! Can't help myself now.

It actually has been removed. G you really are a weird f**ker.

To be honest I still haven't really had a chance to have a proper ride on it yet. First impressions are good though and it definitely feels a bit less cramped than the Skye.

Looks like 90mm x 10 degrees.

Few pics from yesterday on Portland:

I've literally only bounced around in the garden for a few minutes because the weather's been so pants Yeah that's the problem- The Skye hub (Evo with 12mm through' axle) doesn't seem immediately transferable although I'm sure an email to Hope would clear that up. My bodge seems to be working for now but would be nice to go for a factory axle at some point. Having said that I could probably make a complete ali axle at work if I took the Skye hub apart...

Rear axle is one I knocked up at work- basically just a bit of thick walled stainless tube just shy of 135mm long turned down to 12mm OD with an M10 thread inside. Using standard M10 bolts and it seems to be working fine so far. Was going to swap the axle out but, as you say, it's not entirely clear how easy that is and this was definitely cheaper! Regarding the bb I've now got a 1mm spacer to replace the extra 2.5mm one and have added a 1mm shim between the drive side crank and the bb which seems to be working ok for now. Have now got the shimano rotors on to which look loverly .

Not at all yet unfortunately! I got the Skye on a whim and because it was available but hadn't really sussed out the geometry being suited more to a small person... I still love the touches like through rear axle etc. but dislike having to run a tensioner.The other side of it is that the Arcade has fairly BMXy geometry which I like idea of as well as the shorter chainstays compared to the Skye. If no one jumps on the Skye frame and forks I'll probably keep them for a while just to be sure I'm making the right choice but fingers crossed.