Heatsink

I found all my levers in the shed, so I thought I'd take a snap: Moving away from the camera we have 3 different Pre 2005 levers, an RB and a 2005 lever. I think the 3 Pre 2005 levers are in chronological order of manufacure moving away from the camera. The nearest I tore the eyelets out when the bolt connecting it to the lever body came loose enough to put all the lever stress on one side only. The next was the one I was running until the other night when the TPA snapped inside the lever The third is the CNCed version with the nasty sharp edges on the underside, which had the eyelets torn out when it hit a pallet on a sidehop bail at DJ's 2nd ride. They all look longer nearer the camera but it's just the camera shot! Note the increased length of the RB lever. Interestingly the 2005 Magura has a similar leverage increase to the RB compared to the pre 2005 levers. Steve

1. Look to improve the leverage alittle by examining the RB lever geometry (relative position from the pivot point of the finger and the point which pushes the piston) popularily retro-fitted into Magura bodies. 2. Have a think about alternative TPA designs, the pros/cons of the 04 Maggies style, RB style and 05 Maggies style 3. Avoid any shape edges on the rear of the finger of the lever. One pair of CNCed 04 levers I had featured sharps edges which I didn't like 4. Find a good balance between weight and strength/stiffness in the pull direction - Ensure that you can actually make this shape! 5. Make the lever locate more like a pocket around the finger cf. RB levers for Trials specific one finger braking. 6. Try different colours. 7. Try different shapes for the platform that you finger sits on - I wasn't a fan of the completely flat portion on the CNCed lever versus the curved form of the previous one I had. You could try looking at the design from a point of view of common failures, and make the lever more robust, so that inconjunction with running the lever not to rigidly attached to the bars, the lever could spin on the bars under shock rather than break. Example failure: Torn eyelets on lever which could be made more robust by adding more material. Easy to break these too if the pivot bolt works its way free and so the braking forces are all on one side rather than being shared across the two eyelets. This is how my last lever went. The TPA has just broken on the replacement! Steve

Aha! Barhill Tescos! I was there today :) I imagine that people like Pro Footballers on 80k a week would be desperate for the 1st wave of machines and so wouldn't think twice. Also all those rich parents who promised their kids one in time for Xmas. Steve

Spray painting requires alot of patience and skill. From my own experiences I'd say that for the first few jobs you do will almost certainly be dissappointed with the result,.as you learn all the essentials. I've tried spraying a variety of things and each time wished I'd not bothered looking at it from a simple time put in and the final result point of view. My philosophy is now rather a tatty paint job than having to expend lots of time, patience and money on trying my own which will probabily end up worse! Sorry to be so negative! If you have lots of free time and are up for a new experience, then why not? Good luck Steve

Hi there, I'm looking for a laptop so I can keep onto of emails in the living room during the evening, rather than antisocially working on the PC upstairs We've only got a small living room, so a proper PC even with a flat screen would clutter it up. A laptop that can be folded shut and placed on a coffee table would be best. I've been searching for "Refurbished laptops" What would be great is it coming with a Wireless network capabilty, and even better if the card is fitted internally rather than hanging out the side. Spec wise, it doesn't need to be faster than 700Mhz, doesn't need any drives at all really. Swanky looking is nice, as is running an operating system better than Win98 such as Win2000 (as we currently have). Can anyone find a better deal than this one below, which is £264 with the 17.5% VAT added on (264 = 225 x 1.175) http://www.studentcomputers.co.uk/refurbis...-laptops-uk.htm It sounds like the network card would hang out the side for the one above. Is it possible to get them internally fitted since it certainly would be annoying having to unplug the card to store the laptop in a bag. I would always use it plugged into the mains rather than use it out and about. Thanks in advance, Steve

Hi, It's true there were a few backing failures in a handful of Heatsink pads made a few months ago. Everything is back on track and working reliably again now :lol: The problem was highlighted as being linked to a too aggressive backing degrease, and you'll be pleased to know that since then I've been degreasing backings to a different and improved method to remedy this. The Alu backings are my swanky top of the range offering, but I can assure you that the standard backings are also a reliable choice :lol: It's very important to me that riders can opt for the cheaper pads in 100% confidence. This is because my goal at the very beginning of this long process was to give riders like me a more affordable choice bourne out of my own frustations at forking out vast sums of money on pads. It's a fantastic reward if my 2 year mission investing considerable amounts of both my time and money is being appreciated out there by fellow riders! Steve

385mm is the same as the new Koxx Coustellier frame aswell according to the December MBUK - Perfect :lol: More thoughts and opinions on the Triton "Deema" Titanium stock frame in this thread on OTN: http://www.observedtrials.net/vb/showthread.php?t=16980 Steve

Almost 1 year on, and the message I'm getting back loud and clear from riders is that the Heatsink whites are overwhelmingly the pick of the crop out of the various compounds I tried. You'll be pleased to know that because of this, Heatsink Vees once again come with the white pads as standard, and the refills on their own are available too (soon to be added to site) :P :)

Hi there, Thanks to all riders who have put themselves forward. I have enough riders to choose from now, so this thread can be closed :blink: Cheers. Steve

I just might :S That makes me think - Any owners of Aluminium Heatsink Vees or Plaz CRV Vee backings, I would consider sending out compound to you for testing if I could find the right match of reviewer type people. Ideally you'd be able to cut the compound to fit your Vee backings (it certainly saves me time). Thanks for submissions so far in this thread and via PM. Sorry if I don't reply straight away to all PMs or proposals in this thread - I'll be having an indepth first look later on, possibly tomorrow evening when I will have some time. James and Wayne, it sounds like an amazing trip away that you had riding with my Trials heros in Porthcawl :) The compound you've been running James is indeed one of those that I want to keep testing and watching closely! I'll pop you some pairs of refills in the same compound Wayne, fear not :P I'll keep my eye on the submissions over the coming days, and start to pick names at the beginning of next week. Thanks for your interest, and I'll catch up later. Steve

Hi, Despite the outward signs of quietness, the longterm testing (started in July 05!) of a wide array of newly sourced brake compounds is still continuing thoroughly on, with the able assistance of Tartybikes and my Teamriders. After loads of rejected compounds we've hit upon some very promising ones, and would like to extend testing some more and offer hand made test pads to some of the forum regulars for their feedback. To be an ideal match for some free pads, you should be capable of writing thoroughly about your experiences with the pads. Being totally honest and not putting a postive gloss on things just because I'm being nice to you! Also, it helps if you've got experience running some of the established pads on the market, for example Koxx, Plaz, and of course the current Heatsink blue pads. This will help to compare these test compounds against bench mark performance. Being a rider who puts demands on his brake pads is also useful. The sort of riders who are doing an array of moves to a good standard, will naturally be able to assess their performance in the broadest context. We're focussing on the usual brake performance aspects: Grip and Modulation (Crazy grippy pads have little modulation, whilst pads that allow slip easily for modulation will lack the same level of grip for big moves - it's a compromise that you have to make depending on your riding requirements) on the following rim types: a..) Smooth rims b..) Freshly ground rims c..) Dead ground rims Wet/Dry performance flucations Longterm performance flucations (eg. due to dusting of worn away material, glazing of the pads) Wearlife for the harsher pad setups such as ground rims - properly measured versus a log of hours ridden on the bike rather than time out taking a breather! - Measuring could be done with a ruler (since calipers are expensive), provided many tens of hours of genuine intense riding have been put on the pads so that something is there to be measured! Wear pattern uniformity "Brake Feel" Obviously the aim is to continue to raise the performance level of Heatsink pads if it's humanely possible, whilst keeping the price at the same low figure - In this way giving riders better and better value for money. Pads will come glued into brand new Powerpad backings. I'm afraid I can't afford to give away the CNCed Alumiunium reuseable backings to reviewers! Hopefully reviewers will get a nice long period of free and great braking in exchange for writing critical feedback via PM to me every so often. This time of year is especially good for evaluating the typically challenging aspects of pad performance such as wet performance and wear life. For the wear life, with it being so cold I'm sure you guys will be riding more intensively as I am too, desperate to keep warm! I look forward to your replies and justification why I should pick you :( Cheers, Steve

The site allows you to log on, but the web email doesn't allow you to read messages, only see them sat in your inbox! Also the filemanager thingy isn't uploading, although I've just been told it's working now. DC Support have actually been replying to my emails which is much appreciated (Y) Thanks for all your help guys - I'm hoping to get this prog working shortly! Steve

Hi. At present Digital Crocus have lots of problems with their accounts, and it's a good excuse for me to finally start using an external email prog which surely can only be better than their "Squirrel Mail"! I actually received an email from Keiron at Digi croc pointing me in the direction of Thunderbird. It looks good, but I can't find all the setup details I need to download my emails from the HeatsinkBikes account, and at this time there's a very slim chance of getting any help from DC. I'm sure that others have already sorted this out for their DC accounts or others - I'd love some info on the DC email info I need to use, or anything else I need to know. I've already had a go but it doesn't connect successfully which could either be my info is wrong (I've guessed the SMTP address! Plus I haven't had to enter my password anywhere) or the DC mail thingy is not working for this, just as it's not working for normal messages in Squirrel mail. Steve

Those Digital Crocus chaps are working hard I hope. Lots of problems with accounts at the moment: 1. Security attacks 2. Email not working properly (can't read or reply to messages) 3. Unable to upload files 4. Recent web page changes lost during the server move 5. Have never received a reply to any support emails I've sent 6. Website borne viruses Rather frustrating. We'll see if they can pull things back together in the next couple of days..... Steve

The springs in my Hope are from Biros, cut to size. I'd don't know how Wing (who sold me the hub) worked out the right length , but I have no complaints about the performance. It is rather subjective though to get this spring cutting sorted, and god knows what the spring rate is compared to the Hope official spec ones. I would buy some proper ones if these didn't work so satisfactorily. Positive and loud engagement, with rare skipping. A nice touch with the properly sized ones is that they would have nice flat ends (ground) rather than a coil which stops mid turn. Have a try with the biro springs maybe, and have a play around on the bike to see whether you feel it's ok. Steve

If you're keen to use a thin oil that won't harm the internals then Baby oil is worth a try - It's pure mineral oil, 1/10 the price per litre of buying Magura rebranded stuff and with the advantage of being purchasable in any highstreet shop such as Boots. Has a pleasant smell too, unlike the Magura stuff. In my keenness to avoid being ripped off on a Magura bleed kit I've just bulk bought some syringes, tube and fittings. If anyone wants a cool little bleed kit at a cheap price - I should be able to help :lol: Steve

It looks like you've already spent some time on thinking it out :- The concept works well as time proven by the original Rennen designs tensioner, not so common in the UK, but becoming the robust tensioner of choice in the USA and Canada. If you haven't already, I'd suggest printing the design out 1:1 and cutting it out when double sided sticky taped mounted on some card to double check the mounting positions for the axle hole & mech bolt slot, make sure the arm is a good length, the post the right length etc. One design suggestion: Should the underside of the frame take a knock, it may make sense to protect the chain from being damaged. You could extend the underside form of the arm to form a large enough semi-circle concentric with the roller, or you could ensure that the roller has high enough sides. In terms of making the tensioner as robust as possible It would make sense to go for the first option, because landing on the cantilevered roller would cause more damage to the tensioner than if you designed it so the underside of the arm got hit instead. The floating roller idea works fine. I notice you've not shown the mounting bolt for the lower mech (the one that runs in the slot) If you don't have one from a previous tensioner then you'll have to work out how you'll tackle this. If you wanted a pukka job, then ideally it would be a custom bolt with a M10x1mm pitch thread, flange and 5mm allen key head. This may or may not be straight forward using the equipment available to you, and you may have to go for a hex head instead for simplicity. Alternatively, and less attractively you could use an M8 and nut, fiddlier to set up and which would run the risk of ripping up the mech hanger threads if the slot was incorrectly placed allowing interference. If this is intended for your own bike, then this simple design is efficient and all you need. If it was a commercial product however there are some additional issues to be aware of to potentially tweak the design. Firstly, incompatibility across some frames since it's come to my attention that the positioning of the hole and slot will require some riders to have to bodge to allow fitment. Also, looking at the context of trials riding, where realignment following regular knocks should be made as straight forward as possible, I'd argue that this would be easier if you split the arm into 2 parts so that one is permanently attached to the axle, and the other can be moved relative to this part. This is the way the rigid DMR tensioner is designed, argueably let down by a weak sacrificial Alu mech bolt. When I'm setting up the rigid tensioner I made myself, I find it awkward to simultaneously get the wheel sat right (the drop outs allow the wheel to be at an angle unless you put your weight on the frame), and simultaneously get the tensioner spot on. I just don't have enough hands, and also I need to be in two different positions at once to get each sorted properly. I find that I'm pushing down on the seat as I tighten the QR, above the frame rather than side on and close up to check the tension is spot on. As a result, it takes me a few goes to get it all set-up satisfactorily, even though I've got more slack than I'd like in the chain since it's hard to fine tune juggling both things. The thought of having to repeat this awkward and iterative procedure if the tensioner gets knocked, isn't very attractive. If I had King Fun Bolts, then it would carry the added inconvenience of requiring me to carry a cumbersome 8mm allen key with me when out riding. I like the DMR rigid concept where all I need is a 5mm allen key with me, and no need to loosen and tighten the axle at all. Simple to get the tension spot on, and with the addition of a replacement steel bolt, the tensioner is spot on in my opinion. Good luck! Steve

Only £1 each - Info in FAQ Steve

Stonger bearings aren't available I'm afraid, unless you could use ones with larger geometry somehow, which would involve redesigning the hub. As Dan suggests in the FAQ, order replacements from SMB Bearings. I’d ring them up on 01993 842555 and order bearing number 6802- 2RS, with the standard chrome steel balls, Chinese made, however many you need. Below is some more info on the options and why I’d recommend this version. Product Code: 6802-2RS - Specs in the Thin Section Bearing category on SMB’s online catalog Dimensions: ID = 15mm OD = 24mm t = 5mm Material Choice for Balls: 1. Chrome Steel: Standard choice 2. Stainless Steel: If Damp won’t rust, but this comes at a double cost; compared to the chrome they are 3x more expensive and also crucially are weaker - will break at 15% lower radial load. So definitely Chrome balls (the standard option) Now you know you want the 6802-2RS with standard Chrome steel balls, you just need to know which country of origin you want them from. Please note that both of the following are equally strong. Country of Origin 1. Chinese (Standard Quality) 2. Japanese (High Quality): Machined to higher tolerances, so run smoother and quieter (you may not notice this in a trials bike!), roughly 2 times the price of the Chinese made version. Worth mentioning again that these are both equally strong. Since strength is the most important attribute, and I’d argue that the relative smoothness and noise is not going to be noticeable, my suggestion is buy the Chinese version and for the same money stock up with spare bearings: Cost summary including VAT Chinese 6802-2RS Order quantity 1-10 = £ 1.63 (Japanese are £3.56 each) Order quantity 10+ = £1.02 (Japanese are £2.60 each) If you order the Chinese version, for around only a tenner (postage not included) you could get hold of 10 bearings, plenty of spares for the inevitable moment when they break again. Steve

Stonger bearings aren't available I'm afraid, unless you could use ones with larger geometry somehow, which would involve redesigning the hub. As Dan suggests in the FAQ, order replacements from SMB Bearings. I’d ring them up on 01993 842555 and order bearing number 6802- 2RS, with the standard chrome steel balls, Chinese made, however many you need. Below is some more info on the options and why I’d recommend this version. Product Code: 6802-2RS - Specs in the Thin Section Bearing category on SMB’s online catalog Dimensions: ID = 15mm OD = 24mm t = 5mm Material Choice for Balls: 1. Chrome Steel: Standard choice 2. Stainless Steel: If Damp won’t rust, but this comes at a double cost; compared to the chrome they are 3x more expensive and also crucially are weaker - will break at 15% lower radial load. So definitely Chrome balls (the standard option) Now you know you want the 6802-2RS with standard Chrome steel balls, you just need to know which country of origin you want them from. Please note that both of the following are equally strong. Country of Origin 1. Chinese (Standard Quality) 2. Japanese (High Quality): Machined to higher tolerances, so run smoother and quieter (you may not notice this in a trials bike!), roughly 2 times the price of the Chinese made version. Worth mentioning again that these are both equally strong. Since strength is the most important attribute, and I’d argue that the relative smoothness and noise is not going to be noticeable, my suggestion is buy the Chinese version and for the same money stock up with spare bearings: Cost summary including VAT Chinese 6802-2RS Order quantity 1-10 = £ 1.63 (Japanese are £3.56 each) Order quantity 10+ = £1.02 (Japanese are £2.60 each) If you order the Chinese version, for around only a tenner (postage not included) you could get hold of 10 bearings, plenty of spares for the inevitable moment when they break again. Steve

These sound like the same bearings Olly C was replacing - Info: FAQ: SMB bearings.com Here's the product page: http://www.smbbearings.com/Framesets/Thin_Section_Frame.htm Apparently you want: 6802-2RS (Look for 15mm as the bore on the left hand side of the table) All the info on the types of seals (ZZ / 2RS / 2RU types) with simple diagramshttp://www.smbbearings.com/SMBtechdata.htm Steve

Cheers for the PM - Sorry for the delay getting back to you! For the bearings, do you mean 6800 - 2RS? This would be a radial ball bearing with 10mm Inner diameter, 19mm outer diameter and 5mm thick? The 6800 is a universal code fir this the size and the 2RS refers to the type of seals/or not There are loads of places to buy bearings and the specs and costs vary by alot! Once you can confirm the dimensions for the bearing, then it's possible to have a look at the tech specs and prices for a few alternatives. Steve

What's the number on the side of the bearings? Also rough dimensions: Inner diameter, outer diameter and thickness? Steve

Cheers for your thoughts. Criticism is very useful to continually improve products (Y) The vastly overwhelming feedback I'm reading on forums about the blue pads is very positive, with people's expectations exceeded in terms of their performance, value for money, and wear rate. There have been a few negative posts about them, but which of the well established brake pads hasn't also had such posts? Also, the negative posts should be looked at more closely - There is some information missing in those I've seen which would somewhat take the edge off each story! I don't want to get into a too and fro about the details of some of these, life's too short! I really believe that the standard of Heatsink testing has come along way since the previous versions of these pads before the blues. Every day's a school day, and experience showed from these pads that we could make improvements to the thoroughness of testing before release. The release of the blues was only from the result of testing lasting weeks, across a range of riders, many of whom were selected because of their proven honesty with the short comings of previous pads. Cheers, Steve

Have a look in Yell.co.uk for "powder coaters" near your way. Many will be used to doing bicycles/motorcycles etc and may charge around £40 or less to sandblast the original paint off, will have the right size bungs to stick into the BB and Heattube to stop the threads getting coated, and then will be able to do a cracking job quality wise in one spray to one of the many colours they currently use, or can get hold of the small sample of the desired colour required for the one bike. Powder coating puts down a layer which is the equivalent of several coats of paint. If you have something spray painted or have done this yourself before, you'll understant that the time involved with all these thin coats causes the professional spray painting cost to be much more expensive. I'd definately get my frame powder coated rather than try and hand spray it (expensive and alot of hassle combined with the likelihood of a poor finish due to lack of experience), or getting it sprayed professionally (expensive due to the time involved). Get a few quotes, and go with Dad etc to visit them in person and talk about it. Best to go for a place that sound like they do it alot and cost £5 more than a place that sound like they don't know what they're talking about! Steve