Jez

OK, so here's the story: A few weeks ago I was on my way home from work. Did the world's smallest pedalhop onto a kerb (slightly harsh landing to be fair, but not exactly world-ending), and there's an almighty bang. Upon inspection, two spokes have snapped at the hub end. Fair enough, I though, musta been too harsh a landing and possibly some dodgy spokes. Replaced said spokes and moved on. Then on Saturday, same thing again, but this time FIVE spokes all broke at the same time, all at the hub end. Thus, I have a Sun Rhyno Lite in the shape of a Walkers Cheese & Onion. Some more info: They were all leading spokes on the drive side of the rear wheel When I built said wheel (according to Sheldon Brown's site), I was a bit worried that the drive side seemed immensely tighter than the non-drive side. And I mean a LOT tighter, more than is normal (yes, I know the drive side is always somewhat tighter). Hub is a second-hand Hope XC (ebay) Rim & Spokes were from CRC less than a few months ago. 'Twas laced 32 hole 3-cross Spokes were a little bit short - there was about 1mm ish of thread showing on all the non-drive side spokes. The dead spokes seem to have a slightly flattened edge just by the where bend is. I have a feeling there's summat up with my frame (old Base TA26) - if I true a wheel to look normal at the seatstays, it looks closer to the non-drive side at the chain stays. Only by a gnat's bollock, but still... So the question is: is the spoke death due to overtightening the drive side? Or could it be a faulty batch of spokes? Could I have laced it wrong (it all looked OK, and I checked it against SB's site's instructions)? Could the spokes have stretched (thus making them weaker) at the hub end? Anyone ever had this happen before and know what the problem was? I could do with figuring out what it is before I go lacing the damned thing up again. Cheers.

You could be amazed by the difference a stem makes. I was. Seriously, the wrong length/rise can make the difference between rideable and unrideable. Trust me, I went from stupidly long & high to stupidly short & low, and ended up somewhere back in the middle, where it's a LOT better. Even the bar angle makes a massive difference. Break out the Allen Keys. Fiddle. A lot. If it still ain't right, flog the stem and get something different. I don't think there's really an easy way around it.

I think what a lot of people are failing to mention is that you sort of preload the pedals with a brake (for me it's usually front) on, then pull up and kick at the same time, when yer pedals get level (or what feels like level, anyway) then you hop. Same goes when you're already on the back wheel, except it's back brake obviously. Not entirely sure what I do with my weight to be honest, it's automatic now. I *think* I lean back a little bit (but not a lot really, just enough to get the front off the floor), then quickly push into the bike to make the back wheel move to where the front was. After a while you'll stop needing the brake and just be able to kick from a slow roll or from a no-brake trackstand or whatever. Or even from a fakie, without touching the brakes at all - in which instance you sort of get used to using your pedals as a brake. Hard to explain. I'm sure everyone does it slightly differently. I've seen videos of guys on high BB bikes who pull up more than back or forward to get onto the back wheel, and similarly I've seen videos of people who lean right off the back and pretty much stay there, using the weight shift more than the pedal kick to get the front wheel up. Whatever's easiest for you i think... (the disclaimer in my sig applies here)

Ditto, craig. Admittedly I sleep like a log, but I eat crap (my diet would kill a normal person) and drink shedloads more water/Irn-Bru than anyone else I know. F*cking great excuse for being poo at trials, cheers man

Steve's a sound bloke with a good product. And like most of us, short on time. So even when he ain't the world's quickest at getting yer pads out (but he usually is pretty rapid), I'd stick with it. I have no complaints whatsoever. Here's to some more reds when (if) mine ever die

You should be able to feel which way is tighter and which is untighten. I always remember that it always seems to be the opposite to what logic would dictate Either way, don't just tighten/loosen one side. Do the opposite on the other side as well, this will ensure (hah, yeah right) that the wheel's up/down trueness will not be affected when you fix the side-side trueness. In theory. And for the record, truing a thoroughly fubar'd rim is an artform. I broke to spokes the other night and had a right game getting the damned thing true again (without any replacement spokes). Pretty sure it's done my rim no good, but hey...

OK, people are gonna love me for this one: Name of shoe: Steel toecapped boots Make: HD Do they make a difference: Yes Are they comfortable for riding: Yes What is the bottom made out of and how thick(estimate): Rubber & 3cm-ish Comfy as it gets (unlike most steel toeys), but you can barely feel what your pedals are doing. Especially if they're new. And they weigh a ton. Not reccomended for riding unless you've had them for yonks and don't really care (like me!). On the upside, no pedal will ever eat it's way through these (seriously, these are what I ride in)

pretty much brand spanking from CRC. 'twas a new 32h Sun Rhyno Lite on Hope XC. My first wheel, built as per Sheldon Brown's site. They snapped at the hub end. Ideas, anyone? I'm pretty convinced that it wasn't a hard enough impact to break two of them simultaneously like that. I've landed way harder than that before now on said wheel.

Spokes too long and pointing through into the tube? Lack of/movement of rim tape? Or just one of the world's great mysteries? Nessie, pyramids, the bermuda triangle, random blowouts... Blame it on the aliens.

Sounds a lot more like an axle/hub/dropout area problem than a spoke problem to me. While we're on the subject, how the hell does one know when spokes are too tight? I just destroyed two of the heftiest DT spokes money can buy (bad-but-not-world-ending landing, both were drive side and at right angles to each other), and I'm wondering if I'd done them up too tight. But then of course I'd have to have the non-drive side even looser, and it's too loose for my liking already (muy spokes are a bit short and there's not a lot of thread in the nipples on that side).

When (if) it happens, I'll be straight down the bank. That's effectively what my first few stocks were. 32T ring and trials/jump components all round EDIT: And I'm happy in my Deng-free world of Saracen/Base. But then again, I was never anal about all of that. As long as it feels right, I don't care. If Apollo made a trials bike that felt right and didn't fall apart, I'd ride it.

One cheap leatherman copy (motorway services, fiver with a multi-head screwdriver set) One cheap multi-allen key type jobby (fiver, LBS) One half-decent spoke key (can't remember, but not a lot, LBS) One draper Puncture kit (LBS again, probably more expensive than most kits, but the only tyre levers that I ain't broken yet) This lot has lasted me years. Apart from the 4 leatherman's that I've lost at work, anyway. Plus it's all pocket stuff, none of this massive toolkit to hump around. OK, so once in a blue moon you might need some of the other stuff, but that's what mates are for (although I do have a reasonable quality full toolkit at home) And it's been about 7 or 8 years since I rounded/stripped a bolt/thread on my bike (and that was a really shit plastic (!) nut on my Monty's BB. Then again, said BB was made by a company called 'FAG', so I probably should have known better). OK, so I have one dodgy spoke nipple right now, but that's my own fault for using the wrong slot on t' spoke key (which is now taped over to prevent that happening again). Common sense is a far better tool than some expensive Park bollocks when fixing a bike

I did a search and didn't see this anywhere. Came across this randomly on Youtube, and decided it'd give everyone a laugh if I posted this. Check out the bike and the great music... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BgV2xIPreg

Bikes will just become one bit of ali scaff bar with a magura at each end, a pair of cranks in the middle, and a pair of bars at one end. I'm waiting for someone to invent the next type of brake, nobody's done that since V's came around. It's about time we had something new. I'm placing bets on it being cable operated, whatever it is. And I bet it's a rim brake. Oh and pre-ground rims made out of some silly material that don't lose their grind. I think a more noticeable change will be in the way people ride. It's changed a helluva lot in the last 10 years, so it's scary to think about what we'll all be up to in 2016. Backflip taps, anyone?

My ass finally got around to riding at midnight...which then resulted in a pinch flat 4 miles from home with no repair kit glue and a missed last train home. Life sucks. There's nothing quite like pushing a bike through the middle of Aston at 12:30 AM on a sat night/sun morning. (somehow I didn't get stabbed)

If there's no word from the elusive git known as my drummer, I'll be out tomorrow aft'noon.

How's this (all on one shirt, like a tour shirt as someone suggested): 1. You can have a go on my bike if I can have a go on your mum. 2. It cost less than your designer trainers. 3. I don't do tricks to order. Speak to Paul Daniels. 4. I'll bunnyhop/wheelie as and when I feel like it. 5. From a shop. You know, kinda like that place you got caught stealing in? 6. It weighs about the same as my cock. 7. Lots of practice, Innit. 8. Yes I can "do that" somewhere else, but I'll be back here as soon as you're gone. 9. 'Sick' or 'Wicked' I am not. Skilled, I am. 10. If it was a BMX it would weigh more than my cock. I'm sure there's more. And for stuff more aimed at other riders: "Maguras: Announcing the presence of trials riders since 1987. *SQUAWK*" "It's pissing blood everywhere!" "Hnnn!!!" (accompanied by a picture of someone gurning while doing a large up of some description) "tapgapsidehoptapgapsidehoptapgapsidehoptapgapsidehoptapgapsidehop" "I'm all natural" "Street to de point." (sorry, that sucked) "Ot who?" "Human Pogo Stick" "Mine's wider than yours"/"Mine's longer than yours." "Tools for deciding on a new bike: Ruler, Protractor, copy of 'What Deng?'" "Ask your GF which she prefers: 20" or 26". 'Nuff said." "Sod off with the forklift! Can't you see I'm trying to do a drop here?!?" "I'm splitting up with you. I've decided I prefer Koxx." "I need rubber that's 2.5" wide" "I'd have Martyn's babies." "Shit." (+ a close up of a snapped chain dangling from a sprocket and a large drop below) "Having an engine is cheating" "Team Kerb" "Ah, but can Osama tap a 4' wall?" "My rim is really wide" "There's a lot of strain on your ring" "Trials riders do it without touching the floor" "Bouncing up and down on a bit of rubber gets me excited" "Stop bashing my ring!" "Long Low And Silver: Your Grandad's Pubes." There's more but I think I'll quit while I'm ahead (or behind). Jeez, just looked back on that. I'll apologise now.

Received: - I cant hear it til around thurs/fri this week so get everyone elses opinion and go w.That - I trust your judgement mate, shove it on the website and myspace and post a big ass glorifying bulletin with it! I will try and get on net tonight to listen - Blowtorch? U tryin 2 say i got an ear wax problem! Fairplay kid, thought i'd ask. C u mon me old china. Sent: - There's a dude sat in front of the stage with a hearing aid. Hehehe - Tell T to pick up his f**king radio - Earwax? You? After yesterday? Surely not...

Yeah it will be less knackering because your legs are having to do less work = you can put some more oomph into it. It might eek out another gnat's nipple of speed, you never know. Either way, speed and mods don't mix.

Mods do not go fast. Simple as I'm afraid. Stocks can be made to go fastER by messing with your gearing. The only thing one can do to a mod is perhaps buy some shorter cranks.

I always reckon it sounds like a flock of pissed off and exceedingly vocal geese, especially if there's a load of you. Unless you've got Monty milk pads in which case it sounds like somebody rubbing two massive bits of polystyrene together. And IMO I think the single most deciding factor on how noisy your brakes are is the state of the rim (how much cack is on it). Bolt tightness and booster choice/setup comes in a close second.

Agreed. I had that (but without the grind and spray) on my Monty X-lite a few years back, and by god it was deafening. Those pads were just silly loud, and they weren't the usual 'bark' of trials brakes, more like a SCREEEEEEEEECH that was equivalent to fingernails on a chalk board. Ouch. And those pads never wore, that's what confused me. No wear at all. I bought it with used pads, rode it for a couple of years, sold it with the same pads and there was still no visible wear. Thoroughly weird. Having said that, Heatsink reds at the end of a long ride on a hot day (that have been muc-off'd in the morning) with a smooth rim come pretty close. Pulled my rear brake in a subway the other day and regretted it. I think everyone within a mile of Spaghetti Junction ducked. Of course you can cheat by loosening off every bolt on the bike and finding a frame that resonates wildly...

Working, man. Make it a weekend and I'm there.

Not if it was kept lubed? Interesting idea, though. Shame I'm too lazy to try it.

By the time enough power has been applied to the pad to bring the pad fully into contact with the rim, any 'inefficency' becomes negligible (unless the play in the pad is along the axis of the pad's thread). The power is still being transmitted through the pad just as well - better, in fact because instead of your pad being a gnat's bollock out of alignment (because everything in the brake is tight as fook), it's hitting squarely, hence more pad material in contact with the rim = faster deceleration. Yes, you will lose some energy through the sound that it makes, but that's the whole point of braking - to lose kinetic energy. The more ways you can get rid of that energy (i.e. convert it into other forms, as you remember from Physics class, you can't DESTROY energy, only convert it), the better for braking. The brake might not *feel* as solid - there will be a tiny bit of backwards/forwards play (the canti arms wobbling in the case of V's, but probably nothing noticeable on Maggies), but the actual stopping power of the brake will be higher. My brakes certainly improved since I loosened the canti bolts a lil' bit. Not massively, but noticeably. I'd like to hear the theory behind why a noisy brake is inefficient...please enlighten me.