forteh

Freeze the pipe, change valve, thaw, bleed, profit

Entered the west midlands cyclocross league this year, today's race got cancelled and as it was the last event the final league positions have been released. I came 12th overall in the veterans 40-49 category, which I'm rather chuffed with🙂 Persephone came 3rd in the girls u10s and it's currently leading the u12s category in the Notts and Derby CX league. Looking forward to the coming year of xc racing now I've finally moved up to a modernish 29er intense.

We've got a whyte 303 looking for a home

Didn't I read in the last week or so that Hope are doing a pro5 SS/trials?

Happy new bike day for friday Finally retired my intense 5.5 after 12 years of riding, it's done me proud but it was time to move forwards. 2017 intense primer, a bit of a bargain for 750 quid on ebay, 30 quid for some shorter cranks and 60 quid for the lighter xc rubber. Absolutely flies along, wheelbase and reach is three inches longer than the 5.5, about the same headangle and obviously not 26" wheels! Came with a bikeyoke revive which is hands down THE best dropper I've ever witnessed, the action is so smooth and light and a full service and rebuild takes about 20 minutes with no special tools or faff! Had to shorten it from 160 to 135 because I've got stumpy legs, designed and printed some clip on spacers that worked perfectly. Not massively light (a hair over 13.25kg/29lbs) but it's a kilo lighter than the 5.5 as is and only about 500g heavier than the wifes 29" vitus hartail that I've been using for xc racing; will be racing it for the xc next year. The wheels are heavy (2kg) so some lighter hoops are in order when I find a bargain, as it is with the rear shock lockout enabled it pedals like a hardtail but without the sting, fully open it's still damn efficient

Akshurly.... Have they ever been seen in the same room together? I think not! 🤫

Couldn't be further from the truth, fine wines have nothing on that fresh face young guy in this day and age!

RS reba dual air will shorten down without any problems, I shortened a set for my daughters 24" whyte last year. Pretty sure they're currently 80mm, I can measure the axle to crown for you later if wanted?

Steel frame maquette with a stuffed textile covering, allow you to play with different body positions? Screws up your spine design though, perhaps you could have a rolling chassis mounted forwards of the spine on a spar to give uninterrupted airflow over the bodywork/rider? edit: you could 3D print the rider in limb sections and then incorporate that into the maquette

Then you have to factor in countersteering whilst backing it in?

Does the steering angle not need to be taken into account?

Further updates, he's now training with Lichfield CCC, looking to do his first xc race at the summer classic at cannock chase next month (if he doesn't decide he can't be bothered to race on the morning!) and just accidentally a whole 20" early rider for 45 quid He's still 3" too short to ride it yet

Mrs wife took the daughter up to Wrexham to watch the tour of Britain women's race and this happened 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/share/r/9Z713xDYfsLVxmnX/ She's getting good at stalking world champions, also got Pidcock and Ferrand-Prevot to sign her jersey back in the summer at the MTB worlds at Glentress.

My thoughts are to give it to me A set of MT7 or hopes would do nicely, I'll let you make the decision.

I wonder if I can corroborate our empirical fluid head loss testing from the 60s with an openfoam simulation based upon our current solid models?🤔 Obviously far more important things to do with my time at work though

Talk nicely to our resident wind tunnel manager? I'm not sure that such software is free (via legal means) and my experience of FEA/CFD is that the information coming out is very reliant on the information going in being good.

Other things, following my introduction to cycling through 12" deep clay mud during this CX season I have discovered that my frame clogs up really easily in certain situations. That was after 2.5 laps, I had a DNF because I tore my tricep. Trying to remove such mud by hand during a race simply makes a mess everywhere and takes forever around the BB because the combination of mud, gravel and grass makes a fine analog for reinforced concrete A muc off claw makes such a task a few seconds job though, they're a pig to carry in a jersey pocket though... https://photos.app.goo.gl/zUnpjurPB67uHcqm7 Need to cut a row of bristles off but it works awesome, can scrape the front tyre on the move or completely clear the bottom bracket in about 15 seconds

My cyclic trimmer transmogrified a few times, it's now an electromagnetic driven mechanism with linear bearings, linkages, bell cranks and gubbins™ https://photos.app.goo.gl/MXFNdrngtVby56GY9 https://photos.app.goo.gl/QwihCYJ2a3Y6hBFv8 Stick is sprung to a centre point on both axis, pull the lever and it disengages the magnet enabling the spring units to slide on the linear bearing. Release the lever to engage the magnet and set a new centre point from which it will spring again. Works really well

I think you can get a sealer to paint over them, not used it myself though🙂

Built Persephone a hup.cc enduro for Christmas, shakedown lap of the chase and it's all good, a hair under 11kg all in🙂

I recently built wheels for Persephone's new hup enduro build using DT swiss prolock nipples without any issues, using the torx socket driver is super nice for building wheels with them. I was using DT swiss spokes though so it might have a bearing, never had any issues with compatibility before.

Have a look at bearlock, we have the gearbox lock so it can only be driven in reverse. Doesn't stop them breaking in but then sprinter doors are so bloody heavy I'm not sure it's all that quick and easy to do**. Being a visible campervan rather than a trades van hopefully makes it less targetable for the hit and run tool thieves. Bearlock also do cargo space deadlocks that are all actuated internally from inside the cabin. Even if they punch the lock/snip the wires it's still mechanically held from the inside. **edit: that said I locked the keys in once and the locksmith picked the drivers door in less than 15 seconds....

We use transit customs at work, took delivery of new vans, within 10 days 5 grands worth of hilti tools nicked from the back. Transits are stupidly easy to break into

So, 20+ months later and he's been refusing to have the pedals on the belter and insisting on using it as a giant balance bike. So much so that if we put the pedals on, he would get the allen key to take them off and refuse to get on the bike! This happened yesterday Finally! Just got on an pedalled off, not a worry. Seat has now been moved up and he may be racing next year

I appear to have accidentally started racing cyclocross