Sponge

Hey, Can anyone recommend a reliable brand/model of torque wrench that covers larger torques say ~ 30-70 Nm? Numbers are approximate but anything 30 Nm up is what I'm looking for. I'm happy to buy from somewhere like Screwfix, Ebay, or a bike shop that would stock it, but not sure on which are reliable brands/models that can go ages without needing recalibration. I realised they're not as robust or can take a hammering like every other tool in the box so would prefer something that's definitely reliable from the go. Not looking to spend anything more than £50-60 as a guideline but I'm flexible. I figure someone here must know of a good value-for-money big torque wrench that's accurate out of the box and can stay that way for a healthy length of time? Also any tips on how to look after & keep torque wrenches accurate would be appreciated! Feel free to share any dos and do-nots Cheers! Sponge

Awesome video Edd. Really liked this one!

Cool edit. Joel, where do you usually train? I use London Bridge and Troc sometimes, would be cool to jam with you some time!

Hey Ben, I also found that Japanese animations made for a nice change from Western movies and series. I wouldn't consider myself an avid anime watcher (I actually don't watch TV much at all). But I do consider it an art form. The style of storytelling and symbolism that some series/films have are pretty compelling. Princess Mononoke is awesome, actually most of the Studio Ghibli films are well worth watching- see if you like Grave of the Fireflies. As for series- Samurai Champloo to me has struck out as one of the most captivating, because it's so simple- Three strangers from totally different backgrounds who go on a journey together. Based in the Edo Period of Japan's history, it has in my opinion one of the best soundtracks around: Nujabes, Fat Jon, Tsutchie. It doesn't take itself too seriously and is pretty funny in a lot of small ways. If you're interested in Hip-hop culture's original four elements (breaking, DJing, MCing, graffiti) then you may be in for a treat. I'd also recommend Death Note. Though the atmosphere in this one is comparatively darker it really draws the viewer in from early on. A lot of twists and difficult to predict what's going to happen next. Definitely need to pay close attention to the dialogue in this one. One of the more intelligently thought out series. If you're interested in morality, ethics, and the hows and whys of human psychology then this is worth checking out. edit: both series I mentioned are aimed at more mature audiences. The English dub in these are some of the rare few that have managed to match the original intended meaning and depth of the original Japanese dialogue.

Old school, but I always liked the relaxed look of some Leesons (slim curved forks, dual vees, slim bar and stem, and 'Burns). A bit different to nowadays' norm aesthetically and structurally speaking, but they have their own appeal: Sharn Mahmood's 609: narrowbar's 609:

With a better colour scheme and a slimmer seat, they would look decent. But just for putting out something new (or bringing something old back) is refreshing even if it's not everyone's cup of tea!

Really like this. I don't throw that around for the majority of things. Looking over the spec, I'd say the Arcade is the first trials complete build that I wouldn't feel any need to change any of the spec'd parts. Great work by Inspired. If I wasn't on a Leeson, and had money then I'd like one. What geometry stem is being specced on this build?... and are those some new models of Inspired rim I spy? Ever since the Tioga rims ran out of stock at Tarty I've been looking to get some rims of similar shape/quality/reliability in 24" rims. Something of at least 35mm wide, undrilled, modest in appearance, but dependable. I hope they'll be available as aftermarket parts. Do these new cranks use ISIS splines, 48 splines, or something lto what Truvativ have for their external BB spindles and cranks?

One of the nicest things about unis is how versatile they are- you can still comfortably do trials or street on a 24" or 26" just by switching to a more suited tyre and experimenting with the seat height (which is more or less the same as with a set of bars/stem). Though I wouldn't recommend a brake as an early upgrade for your uni unless you're regularly riding uncomfortably steep descents on a mountain! Having the fixed wheel alone is more than enough to slow you down/speed up as and when necessary, I'd say it 'trains' your body to control the uni more naturally and effectively than using a brake. I knew a few muni riders years back who never used brakes and relied purely on leg control. Have you had a browse through some different seat and crank options? They definitely make the biggest difference in feel and are a relatively cheap upgrade. Nimbus do several very affordable cranksets and seats/posts which are pretty damn good value for money. Slimmer seats like Koxx are undoubtedly more comfortable to grab for trials/street but If you're sitting down most of the time then something chunkier like the KH Freeride is a great shout! UDC-Nimbus and KH are great brands that offer some amazing kit, both of their post-sales customer services are admirable, often going out of their way to help out riders. From my experience, Roger and Kris are both prompt in replying to emails and do try hard to give good advice on different styles of riding and what parts would be suitable for what you're demanding out of your uni. It's not the 'coolest' sport in most peoples' eyes but it's hard to find another sport with such a humble, positive and friendly community.

That's an old photo straight from the Leeson page, back when that frame was new I'll give it a go with the mallet again but if it's still not budging I'll give Clive a call. Just to be certain- is there any specific side I should be smacking it from to get it out?

Awesome, that all sounds fairly straightforward. I did some researching around and it seems on (some?) Leesons the BBs are either epoxy'd or loctited into the shell after the machining, which if is the case would I need to use a blowtorch to break the bond? Mine is rather stiff, though not quite sure if it's been loctited in or greased as yours is. So is any 68mm cartridge-type BB compatible? So say I asked for a 68x128 Trialtech ISIS BB to be machined down- it would just take some hammering (with either grease or loctite??) and the circlips and the job is complete? if you manage to dig out some photos that'd be great Joe! Still getting to grips with how this all works but it is such a fun bike to ride!

Hey, I'm currently riding a Leeson (thanks again Matt!) and need to replace the BB to use some new cranks. After removing the old cranks it seems the BB is a modified cartridge with an ubertight press-fit and a large circlip covering both ends. -How does one go about properly removing this kind of BB? -Is it normal for the axle to be more exposed on the driveside and the non-driveside to be half-covered by the shell? (driveside of axle sticks out 6mm more than NDS, unsure if this is a standard for Leesons?) -The frame's shell is 88mm wide but the cartridge hidden inside is considerably narrower- if I want to fit a new BB inside will I need to get a 68 or 73mm? Any help or insight from other Leeson owners or anyone who's familiar with these frames would be much appreciated! Thanks! Sponge edit: photo for clarity:

Ben's hit it right on the head. I'm on the exact same setup except on different pads. I can vouch for the Finish Line Wet lube though, definitely a difference maker. I also used to run Odyssey Linear Slick cables + FLW lube on my flatland bike a few years ago- made a world of difference to the feel of the brake there as well. Avid SD7 levers are really good too though if you're having trouble finding an XTR lever.

Get rid of the stickers, black or silver cranks. Cleean. Cool to see you're still on that same frame!

Thanks for all the advice guys. I thought it might be possible transplanting pieces from other Hope hubs but guess I was wrong! No worries, the Mono's a classic and the 21ep should be more than enough to have a blast on 24" for now. Just need to settle with a sensible ratio next!

Hey, this is aimed more at the older riders who would be familiar with this hub.. I've got a Hope Mono rear hub on the back of a 24". Is it possible to mod this hub to have more engagement points? Mainly to save money for now (Pro 2 in future) but really would like to see how far I can experiment with this hub whilst I'm using it. I seem to remember a while back someone did something with the freehub body/springs/pawls of an XC rear hub (same internals as a Mono IIRC?) so it'd give twice the amount of EP, albeit with a long term gamble. Anyone know how it's done? It's an old hub but a quality piece of old kit so I'm just seeing if it can be improved in any way. Willing to take risks. For clarification: Thanks!

But why was the disc bonded to the shell's driveside?

Looks awesome! What's the geometry and gear ratio on that?

For stationary backhopping in circles both directions are extremely useful for obvious reasons, I don't think it's that much easier one direction or the other. But for 180 hops for some reason I've found that when doing stationary pedal kick 180s (traditional trials style) it's easier to go the direction of the front pedal. I think that kick leans the bike that direction. However, for rolling 180 bunnyhops (ala BMX) the norm is to rotate in the direction of the back pedal. No pedal kicking involved. So left foot forward BMXers/street riders usually go clockwise and vice versa for right foot forward. That being said it's very possible to learn both directions for all types of spinning hops and a practical skill at that! I need to practise more.

Just a neutral question curious for an objective answer: in practice did any 2009 SL cranks actually end up snapping? (despite the same arguments against like with these 2013 versions). As far as I'm aware, I've heard of none breaking. That being said aluminium trials cranks breaking in two pieces isn't something you really ever hear of. Usually they get thread-stripped to death before they're weakened enough over the years.

Those hubs are the '09 SL hubs. Pretty hard to find these days since he stopped making them a while back. Lately there's only been the TR screw-on hubs but seems for 2013 there's at least one TR hub that goes back to using splined cog: 2013 SL cranks: 160, 170, 175mm

This is the first time I've seen the 20" version of the new GU, I like that they've finally decided to put a gusset under the downtube bash mount. The anodized electric blue is probably one of my favourite finishes for frames in general! Provided those street forks are along the lines of 400mm/35mm geo I think they'd be ok, but from seeing the Czar 2013 builds they look extremely tall. Maybe someone else might know the actual geo of these? Could be an interesting alternative for some riders.

Not 100% on how well this'd work, but you could try and get those cups machined down to Spanish outer diameter so it'd fit the frame. Overall cost shouldn't be too much I don't think. Better call: just let go of the 'burns and switch to ISIS

Just spotted these and haven't seen them anywhere else yet, thought I'd share, enjoy!: GU 20" 2013 (1000wb, 72ha, +85bb, 350cs, 589reach, 105mm headtube) weight- light? CNC backed pads! 20t TR freewheel (72ep) Street stem (50mm) Street forks Those eagle eyed of you should spot an updated Echo TR rear hub with disc mounts and splined cog/lockring!

The 2011-13 Echo Lite frames are a good shout. Decent geo, light, affordable and a great BB & tensioning system compared to most!

When tightening the front clampings bolts for the bar/stem, if you're using a 4-bolt clamp stem like Trialtech I seriously recommend doing it cross/diagonally. So say you do up the top left bolt first, give a gentle turn, then move onto the bottom right bolt. Then top right, then bottom left. All in small increments to get the clamp on as evenly as possible on all 4 bolts. You should end up doing 3-5 rounds of each bolt but stick to that diagonal method consistently throughout. Just don't go mental on one bolt and do it up all the way and then the same for the opposite (loose) bolt! That usually is the remedy for uneven positioning of the front clamp and creaking from my experience. Don't forget to grease up all the threads on the stem and bolts. Repeat: do all the tightening in small but even increments.