Heatsink

Some ideas that can be adpted. The roller can be bought from CRC, 6mm Alu sheet arm (or thicker). CAD print out stuck onto the sheet to allow cutting out to shape with a hand saw. Maybe make a sort of mech hanger from sheet alu to provide the additional mounting hole for holding the arm securely. Steve

Hi, I'm really sorry about the lack of communication to everyone. We lost internet half way through December, and then the enormity of moving house and having a baby hit us harder than anticipated. I hope all those still waiting for parts ordered in December will understand this rather unusual double whammy of events. I want to get all the outstanding orders sent out as soon as possible, and we're gradually getting moving. Got some cool new stuff coming out in 2007 too, starting with a new Middeburns bashguard. More communication soon, Steve

Hi guys Tracy here (Steves wife) Just to let you know that I went in to labour on Tuesday 9th January (daddys birthday) and after a very traumatic labour involving ambulances, theatres, a great number of staff, fear and a great deal of bravery of my part. Ryan James was born sharing his dads birthday and great looks , weighing in at 8lb 12oz, he is healthy and gorgeous. I self discharged against medical advice and we are all at home now. Steve apologises for being away for so long but today is the first time we have had internet access since mid december. We are now in our new home and with that and a new family addition life has been a little crazy. I had to have a c section so Steve is now looking after me, Callum (big brother) and baby Ryan - so wish him luck

If you mount the tensioner on without any of the mech hanger bolt spacers, how far out is it compared to the chainline from the front? To put a figure on the chainline position, calculate the distance from the centreline running through the frame, centre of BB, centre of hub. A few measurements will give you a meaningful answer. Assuming the rear sprocket position will be dictated by the limit of the (unmodified) tensioner, there is the option of using 2.5mm spacers between the driveside BB flange and the BB shell (available from Supercycles). I'm using some on my bike to sort out the chainline. Maybe only 5mm max offset would be wise. In addition, work out what length BB axle you've got. At least with it being square taper you could possibly gain the extra front offset you need for £12 or whatever it is for a Shimano 127.5mm BB. Conversely, if the chainline needs to come in at the front, then a shorter axle BB could be used if you're sure there will be no rubbage. In my experience it's worth taking the time to take those measurements and explore the possible solutions because once set-up (and it took me many days to get mine right, including locating some additional spacers for the rear, moving the rear sprocket around multiple times, and purchasing BB spacers) the Rohloff offers a longterm tensioning solution maintainance free. I did find that mine won't take a chain as wide as a KMC chain though, so it's back to the SACHs one for now. Steve

Hi, A new video from the Russian continguent of HeatsinkBikes.com. Here's Миша Колотушкин's (Jeff to his friends!) new video. http://www.heatsinkbikes.com/?p=team More info on Jeff and the video playing in real time ^ I'll get all the vids on that Team page in download versions too in the new year. We've just moved house so don't have internet access there at present! Have a great Xmas and new year Steve

Your wish is my command ^ Jon Fisher's prototype 24UK with longer WB. Still going strong! This frame will be 1 year old very soon.

Hi, Check out Dan's latest video here: http://www.heatsinkbikes.com/ There's a choice of real time play or a downloadable version in higher quality. I hope you like it! Steve

Hello Steve's wife here Tracy, I am sorry for replying but feel I owe people an apology as it is my circumstances and that that are causing the delays to some of your pads. I have browsed this topic today so sorry that was me on here earlier, Steve is hard at work and is in every free moment he has to catch up on any back orders and prepare stock for you guys in the future. I don't want to make excuses because at the end of the day they are our problems and not yours but I hoped by posting I could just explain and hopefully you would understand that Steve is working very hard for you and is very concerned about any inconvenience he causes to you. He tries where possible to offer fair compensation and respond but of course his time would be most wisely spent catching up on orders rather than emailing and posting which of course delays the making process and therefore dispatch dates. I am very near to my due date and due to our attempted house sale and purchase I have been struggling with my health, trying to organise paperwork, full time care of our 1st son and the physical strain of being pregnant. Steve is an amazing father and husband and has been doing everything to support me which has unavoidably taken some of his time away from HSB. Our immediate plan is to pause the pad orders on the website and catch up on any back orders. We will also create a stock and then only recommence selling when we can promise to meet delivery dates specified. Again please accept my sincere apologies Tracy

Fantastic news! I'm still getting up at 5:30am, 2 years on since Callum was born, but it's definately worth the work I can remember how hard it was at the beginning with such regular crying for feeding every few hours night or day. Hang on in there, because it gets better all the time You'll soon be an expert on planning your days out around regular trips to baby changing facilities and be immune to the smell of dirty nappies! All the best with it all, Steve

Here's my short list: Trek 6000 - Dismantled in shed Saracen X-tort built by Shaun Roster at X-street - Dismantled and sold Base TA26 2004 - Frame loaned out HeatsinkBikes 24UK blue - Sold HeatsinkBikes 24UK silver Steve

Here's an interesting 24UK build that I've not put on my site yet. It belongs to Mr Fukuyama in Japan and I'm pleased to say that he bought a seat shortly after the photo was taken! [attachmentid=8567] The spec as he sent it to me: Frame: Heatsink 24UK White Fork: Tak21 BAZOOKA Aluminium(400mm crown to axle) Headset: CHRIS KING OS Stem: KORE Elite 90mmx17degree, silver Bars: Funn Blue dragon 710mm Cranks: ECHO CNC cranks + Tak21 Guard Chain: Shimano Rear Tensioner: dabomb Pedals: VP + MW works Front Wheel: ECHO CNC Blue hub, Alex DX32 rim, USA Union Titanium spokes, Blue Aluminium nipples, ARROW RACEING Bite-LT (24x2.5), Tioga tube Rear Wheel: CHRIS KING Singlespeed Hub, 12t steel and 18t aluminium cogs, Alex DX32 rim, USA Union Titanium spokes, Blue Aluminium nipples. ARROW RACEING Prime Bite-R(24x2.75), Tioga tube Front Brake: MAGURA MARTA, goodrigh blue tube, Hays 160mm Rotor. Rear Brake: MAGURA MARTA, goodrigh blue tube, Hays 160mm Rotor. Seat/post: Selle ITALIA SLR + THOMSON Elite psot 30.9mm dia Seat clamp: HOPE 34.9mm dia. BB: FSA Platinium ISIS 68mmx128mm Grips: SOYO LONG Grips(white) Steve

Isn't how you drive going to have the biggest effect? An IC engine is typically it's most economic around 50 mph, or was it 60mph? If you're motorway driving at a reasonable speed then you'll get the most out of your tank. Loads of short journies around town, and high speed driving will use up that expensive fuel the quickest. Steve

Oh no! This is awful news The bike was going great and looking fantastic as you'd built it! It is quite individual and it's a good thing you have lots of photos, so that will make it easier to track down. I trust the police have all the photos and info on how to recognise the various components. I hope it turns up. Keep us posted! ^ Some confusion here though! I haven't entered the employ of the admirable TartyBikes to my knowledge! Steve

I have to order one of those Cliff photos Seriously though, the site is looking great Joe! If you keep that up then hopefully it'll work great for you! Steve

I picked up the cheapest Dell laptop for less than £400, the Inspiron 1300 (specs vary). I notice there is a wide choice now with all the supermarkets (and Woolworths) offering similar specced ones for the money, so you could pick up one wherever convenient. The mother-in-law bought one from Asda, which I've yet to see. The important features were having the WiFi built in (my mate's got an expensive laptop without it and the WiFi card sticks out vulnerabily), and the DVD/CD rewriter. The biggest screen possible was good too - some had smaller screens. Didn't go crazy on HD or memory upgrades or anything. Laptop runs great for everything I want including using 3D Cad packages for design bike components RobWalkers recommended one has a great sized screen. You're getting more for £400 that ever now Steve

Baby oil *** It's a mineral oil just like Magura oils, so immediately it's looking promising as you won't have any issues with seal damage/swelling, it won't degrade like vegetable oils, and has a lubricating effect better than water. I was meaning to measure the viscosity of a variety of similar oils, but didn't have time. If Baby oil is thinner (less viscous) than the mineral oil magura use (and have dyed a colour), then a careful bleed should give you that quicker feeling at the lever. Why not give it a try? It's dirt cheap, possibily thinner than magura oil (same basic mineral oil stuff), and bypasses the occasional issues associated with water bleeds (rare reports of longterm seal damage/corrosion, winter freezing). Since there are a variety of factors that can lead to a poor feeling brake lever aside from the fluid, I think a bigger sample of riders is needed to start to come to a definative judgement on it! Strangely, I've never used the baby oil for my wee baby Callum since it's too greasy! BTW, if you fancy finding out definitively if Baby oil (or any other fluid) is less viscous that Magura oil, the way to do it is to find a clear plastic tube and a ball bearing which is just a little bit smaller. Fill the column (plug the bottom) with each oil in turn and time the drop of the ball bearing from top to bottom. Do a few runs to find an average time. The quicker descent indicates the thinner fluid, and if you have a search around on the internet you can find the formulas to put real numbers on this rather than just compare two fluids. Steve

Get practising the track-stand! Not only is it really useful as a foundation for your balance, but you are more likely to make real progress with it quicker than other moves. Getting good at that in a variety of situations will serve as a confidence boost as you work on other moves which take more perserverence like the back hop and pedal hop. Took me alot of time to manage pedal hopping, but I kept telling myself that I'd got the backhops dialled and the trackstand too so it was only a matter of sticking at it. Types of trackstands to practise: Front wheel up slope (balancing back and forth using bike weight - pedal pressure)Front wheel down slope (balancing back and forth using front brake to compress front tyre - pull back of bars)Then you can extend the front wheel up a slope to resting the wheel on an obstacle!Also, the Front wheel down a slope (using the tyre compression to boost you backwards) is the starting point for rolling backwards type moves To keep things interesting why not try a whole mix of moves as well like bunny hopping, endoing (leading to rockwalking). There are plenty of moves to keep you from getting bored Steve

The biggest weight to be saved is in the forks and tyres, but as people have said, it's more likely the positioning of your handlebars which is causing the difficulty. The higher the handlebars are, (within limits!) the easier it is to do the bunnyhops. I certainly notice this when going from a 26 bike with flat bars, no head spacers to a 24" bike with risers (+2.5 inchs), headset spacers (+1.5 inches). The 4 extra inches (10cm) seems to make all the difference! Steve

It does take time, all the lining up, undoing the clamp completely so you can move the plastic collar around the slave to a better position, tightening one side then the other, the pads move as you tighten requiring another shot etc. Best advice from me with the process is to take the tyre off. It makes it so much easier to see where your brake pads are sitting from the same position that you're doing them up, so that you get them straight to the rim and get the gaps how you want them. Without taking the tyre off it's a game of having to look from the bottom of the frame and then tighten up from above, awkward and more likely to take more goes to get an acceptable set-up (if you ever do). The time you take removing the tyre will definately mean it's quicker in the long run. Also, ditch the quick release (if you are using the "evo" clamps for Vee mounts) and just bolt through both sides (It's an M6 soc cap for a 5mm hex allen key, obtainable from a decent hardware shop) You'll have to get used to deflating/inflating you tyre to get the wheel in and out, but your brake set-up will stay exactly where it should meaning you don't have to touch it for months. Not needing to touch your brake set-up for the longest period of time possible is always the aim! Plus, before getting started make sure the TPA (the adjuster wheel) is dialed out(although not too much because it goes a bit loose - enough to connect the lever to the sprung moving piston) so you will have plenty of adjustment as the pads wear and so won't need to set-up the brake again. Another one for the long term: Replace the Magura Vee bolts Overtime you may find that the shallow heads of the custom flanged socket caps Magura use will get rounded off. To avoid issues with rounded bolts, it may be a good idea to replace these bolts in advance with standard M6 ones (deeper heads so won't round as readily) and washers. Steve

It's clear why opinions are so polarised one way or the other. Some people loving Maggies and others loving Vees, but not many people liking both! It's got to be because it takes time to learn how to set up each system to get the best out of it for trials use. What parts work? How to set them up well? This experience is hard won and once we've got the set-up that it top notch, the thought of having to go through the learning curve again afresh, and having dodgy braking for a while is daunting not to say seemingly impossible! Definately both systems work great for trials with the set-up experience and decent parts. Here in the UK, Magura systems are quite plentiful on the 2nd hand market so equipping your bike with them for little money is easy. As a result the majority of use Maggies, which definately tick all the boxes in perception as a trials specific product. One thing I've realised is just how different other scenes are around the world where Maguras aren't available so cheaply. Vees are hugely popular in Japan, Australia and the US/Canada. My next bike is going to be set-up 100% Vee so I can perfect my set-up skills Steve

Cue us all recommending our own cars I've come to the conclusion that if you get "into" cars then it is one of the ways to waste alot of money. I'd put £9000 in the bank for a time when you'd really need it, and spend only £1000 or less. What are you wanting the car for? I want a car for driving in comfort (including decent space in the rear for adult passengers), having acres of room for bikes, having cheap replacement parts, having a bit of poke for safe overtaking, and not standing out in the crowd so I don't need to worry about where I park it. If you can get a few years out of a car that cost you less than £1000 then you're laughing all the way to the bank, and probabily later on life will be more complicated so saving up £9000 will be impossible and you'll wish (like I did) that I had hung onto the money for the time I hadn't anticipated I'd need it! A great value car doesn't have to be a banger or boring! If I'd had more time to choose I could have picked out some great fun cars, but needs must and I picked up a bargain because of how dented the body work on my car is Steve

It's a top notch DVD Loads of great riding, jammed with extras, excellent filmatography (sp) and really shows off the great UK scene we have here. I can imagine this will be running non-stop in many riders' DVD players during the winter months as inspiration for summer 07! A must have DVD! Steve P.S. You can quote me on the above if you're wanting some testimonials for your website

Fred has very kindly put together a vid showing just a little example (1min 23sec) of the fun he's been having on his HeatsinkBikes 24UK bike. I've popped it up on my website so you can view it in realtime, I hope you like it! Fred Judd's 24UK Vid (see news article) Fred and I look forward to your comments Steve

Here are some photos Fred Judd (derf) kindly sent me of him riding his HeatsinkBikes 24UK These were taken by Dan Campbell - Thanks dudes! Steve

There's no need to worry about that. I used all my 26" trials parts on my 24". There are a few choices from UK sources that are designed around the 26" fork, so all you need to complete the build is a pair of 24" rims and spokes of which there is an abundance of proven choices. I find the 24" frame easier to spin around on the back wheel than my 26" which has injected variety into my riding, opening up the range of moves that I'm doing. A good time too because I was getting bored of just practising the usual up and down moves, gaining a inch here and there. Just as easy to do all the usual trials moves too. An International level rider echoed my experiences and said that he could do all the same moves as on his stock and to the same size, and was enjoying the new spinnier moves that he was finding easier to perform on the 24". Steve