Brass-Pie

Well I've decided to bite the bullet and go 18-13 I was having a look at a few parts and thanks to the guys that pm'd me, but after a while I started thinking If i'm strugeling to find the parts now whats it going to be like a year or so down the line when i need to repalce parts so shiny new try-all cranks bash gaurd and sprokets turn up today from Tarty bike. Should have the bike together by the weekend when I get a day off from fixing other peoples bikes

Ok bad one to quote I was more commenting on the state of things to come in the next year. If Rockman are developing a more economical frame then all the best to them. I think the same price wise for a street, DJ, or trails frame £250, I've started to calm down on my off road riding because of the cost involved to replace half my drive chain every year is getting silly, but now I've started riding trials again so I'm not financially better off if I end up replacing my frame every 12-18 months. Ok lets put it this way this is the way things are and gonig to be for the next year. Ok the begining of 2009 saw an exchange rate of about $2 to £1, then the arse fell out of the £ at the end of the 2009 session, So bikes were 27% more expensive to make/import. Distributors absorbed alot of this increase which saw only about a 15% increase in retail price, give or take Mr, Browns 2.5% reduction in tax which was a waste of time. 2010 now on the other hand compainies are already predicting that prices could increase between 20-40% on top of the price of 2009 which on average are 20% more expencive than 2008. Now these are all predictions if the pound suddenly turns around and goes back up everyones happy and its not going to be all doom and gloom. To a certain extent we as trails riders dont very often buy fully built bikes and for the most part its all specialist gear coming from small compainies. So our bikes arent going to get more expensive because of another thrid party company increasing there prices like if you a perchased moutain bike and its kitted out with shimano parts the price of the bike increased because shimano put there prices up. Sorry if I've waffeled on but the one thing is clear that bikes and cycling in general is gonig to be more expensive next year, but I'll guess will find out for definate when the new 2010 stuff gets released from Augest onwards.

Unfortunately I personal think it is going to be short lived. I’ve worked in the Cycle industry on and off for 11 years and I’ve also worked in Far Eastern Manufacturing, and seen this happen in other industries. The cycle industry on average saw a 15%-25% increase this year across the board on bikes and components the biggest one being Shimano. A number of manufactures put their prices up 3 times in the last year. 2010 is set to have another price increase. The smaller companies are going to struggle with price because of their lack of buying power against the larger companies and the increased cost of manufacturing and raw materials not to mention the week dollar. Personal! Cycling is going to get more expensive, and for specialist companies to keep their prices reasonable they are going to have to decrease their profit margins which then has a knock on affect to the company and the quality of the product, then onto the distributors and retailers.

I've been riding BMX and Downhill for the last few years, and I work in a bike shop and Im fed up with all these micro-drive drive-chains they only increase stress on the chain make your parts wear out quicker and generaly make you pedal like a granny. I've thought about running a 18:12 because I like harder gearing, What I realy want to do is run a 22 up front and three surly cogs on the rear 18-15-12 with a cheep sora on the back. Then at least I can ride across town with out getting peed off with the bike and throwing it at the nearest chav. Earl I will be pming you. Krisboats thank you for upgrading me to the realm of coolness!!!!!!

Im gonna be lacing up my rear wheel this week a Halo 36 hole on to a Hope XC rear hub. I've always used DT swiss spokes double butted for all my other bikes in the past, plus DTswiss now doing there double butted spokes in super sexy wheel build white. I've had a look on tartybikes and they advertise Sapim race spoke which are reasonably priced seeing that DT swiss Spokes now cost 85p each now, which is £30 a wheel build. Just woundering if anyone has used these and if they build into a good wheel. Cheers.

I'm building up a Planet X Zebdi out of some spare/donated parts. I'm gonna have to buy a new pair of cranks but I'm really struggling to find any one who stocks a crank or bash ring that can take and 22 tooth chainring. I was hoping to keep the cost of the cranks around a ton with a pair of try-all cranks a tensile bashring and a 5 bolt 22t chainring. But everyone seams to be struggling to get tensile stuff at the moment, and checking out most shops websites everything else only goes upto 18 tooth . I've even looked at Middleburn cranks but again no-one has 175mm isis in any colour in stock. I've been out of the trials game for a while, it seams like bmx everyone is going over to micro-drive drive chains. Can anyone give me some suggestions?