Cycling UK Forum

Thanks for the E-Bay link there Mike, unfortunately they're a little short. Unless I go for some big flange track hubs...!

I reckon Rose have got it cracked as far as spokes are concerned,

All the best, Simon

I am by no means an expert wheelbuilder but have managed to knock a couple together which are still rolling good.

Another project is on the horizon and I'm checking spoke prices from the bigger online retailers.

How can Rosebikes Deutschland sell, for example DT Swiss competition (2/1.8/2) at 33 pence each (OK, no nipple included but a bag of 40 nipples is only £1.73). The cheapest I can see from UK retailers is almost double that.......??

Postage from Rosebikes is in the region of £8 & despatch times from previous experience are very swift so for a complete wheelset build this cost is fairly negligible.

I have no personal allegiance with Rosebikes but for some reason their spokes retail at vastly lower prices than we can obtain in the UK. Any idea why??

Best Regards

Simon

Bad luck Dave W, should have bought a 'Viking' - cheap & cheerful & just keeps on going.

It was originally fitted with some cheap Shimano groupset - perfectly functional but I 'upgraded' to a Stronglight triple. Still very good & shifts seamlessly. However, I would like to have seen you 'kicking the tandem to near death'. I get that way occasionally.

Hope all's good now, Simon

you do not need to be Sherlock, (or Shakespeare)....

see viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70632

That link does not look right so just see; 'Bikes & Bits', 'Supercommuter' thread. Scroll down to the bottom of page 1, nice picture, all is crystal,

Terrible monsieur

Perhaps I'm the last one to suss this?

All the best, Simon

The best 400 quid I've ever spent....

Another crisp day in the Scottish hills.

Daughter no.1 & the wife walking. I was the ferryman.

Roll on summer,

Simon

OK, thanks for that Reohn2, sounds feasible,

all the best, Simon

Hello & thanks for all the informative replies; I had actually looked at a few tandem specific retailers but obviously not quite in enough depth.

A couple of other hopefully not too ignorant question: is there any practical disadvantage in buying a disc compatible rear hub with no intention of utilizing disc brakes? A wheel is a wheel. Apologies if that is a stupid question.

Cutting down a 145mm axle to make a 135mm one.....sounds a bit savage, I assume there must be a few 'redundant' spacers involved. From memory, if I cut 10mm from my 135mm hub I think it would be totally goosed!! i.e it wouldn't fit in a 125mm spaced rear as such, & there would be no thread left for the locknuts...

Anyhow, some good things to ponder to while away the last few days of the trip,

Thanks again, Simon

Thanks for that IRC,

I feel I will have to go that route...shame, I like the look of the 48 spoke wheel,

The original Quando hub is 135mm with 48 holes so they must be available somewhere....or is it just BMX??

Cheers, Simon

Hello All, I haven't posted for a fair while, job & family sometimes get in the way. I should be home from Sea soon & would be grateful if anyone could advise on subject. Although I can access the internet whilst at sea the process is rather slow & attempting to google research can take forever.

I am looking to renew my 700C tandem wheels when I get home & have the time & inclination to build them up myself. They are fitted to a cheap but cheerful Viking Tarantino & have given over 3000 miles good service. The nipples were starting to rust last time home & the rims have taken a fair scoring. As I haven't really upgraded this well used machine since purchase I thought it time to treat her.

I use the tandem with the wife for occasional day trips but primarily for running the kids around. My weight is around 80kg (smoke free - 74kg as a smoker but think after 9 months I've kicked it). My wife say around 60kg & the 2 kids combined about the same. Thus the machine is not carrying an excessive weight.

It is currently fitted with Quando hubs on unbranded rims front & rear. 48 spokes per wheel if I recall.

I realise I could quite easily get away with a good quality 36 hole hub/spoke/rim combo which is easy to source in 135mm OLN. However, to be future proofed I would prefer to build up some good 'n' strong tandem wheels just in case I fancy a bit of fully laden touring.

I intend continuing with the rim brake set up & would prefer the built in shimano compatible freehub as opposed to the screw on job. I have had a pretty good look around the web but all I can find tandem rear hub wise are in bigger sizes ie 140mm, 145mm etc......

Has anyone seen anything in the more standard MTB 135mm size??, or is there a practical way of fitting a longer hub into a smaller frame without recourse to bending stuff (the frame is a fairly standard aluminium alloy but fit for purpose).

Thanks anyhow, why say 10 words when you can say 100!!

Cheers, Simon

Hello Tropikanne,

Ahhh, Noumea, New Caledonia; Honiara, Solomon Islands; Lae, Papua New Guinea. Brings back fond memories of some old gas oil boats I used to work on trading around the Pacific when beer was allowed in gallons, HSSE non existant, Risk management unheard of & satellite communications reserved only for the moon landings.

Anyhow, May is a great time (usually) in the Highlands. Caledonian Canal is a fairly easy cycle route & you really do not need to plan anything. Just wing it!! Good time of year for camping as well, too early for the midges.

Set yourself up in Inverness first & then head out on the back roads South of Loch Ness to Fort Augustus. I wouldn't recommend the Great Glen cycleroute for this part of the journey as you are just stuck in trees & cannot see a damn thing. From Fort Augustus to Fort William is an easy & pretty good loch side track - nothing special but pretty scenic. If you have time try the Glen Affric/Glen Strathfarrar region as well, wonderfully remote & isolated.

Sorry this is a bit basic & non specific however you have chosen a beautiful place for cycle touring so just turn up & see where the road takes you. We have just left Tangguh, West Papua bound for China & I hope to be off this ship & home with the family in the next couple of weeks. Being based in Inverness then feel free to drop me a message if you want any local information which can't be sourced from Googling.

Enjoy your trip, wish I could be home in May, all the best, Simon

Hello Cibie,

like yourself, I had a good 20 years away from cycling. I remember paying about 100 pound of my own hard earned paper round dosh on a Puch Toledo back in the late seventies. This did not at the time seem a huge sum of money, however at fifteen I do not recall having kids, house, laptops, Nintendo Wii's, pending loft conversions.......

Fast forward to three years ago. I paid about 300 pound for a brand new Specialized Mountain bike, I think it was a 'Hard Rock'. At the time I was rather reluctant to part with this much cash - just for a bike! However, it was a brilliant machine until some pratt nicked it from right outside my front door. I subsequently bought another Specialized, a 'Crosstrail'. Pig ugly, same price, but a bit lighter. I love that bike also. I have done a few daily 100 mile rides on her around the Highlands & never encountered any great problems.

I also purchased a new Viking Tarantino tandem for circa 400 pound. Great for taking the kids to school when I'm home, & the wife (who cannot cycle solo) loves it also. Again, it has never given any major problems & takes a good thrashing regularly.

OK, so what's the point. Basically, yes, I would love an eye catching, lightweight, Reynolds tubed stallion, & I probably will acquire one once the parental duties are over.....if they ever are. However, at this instant in life I would feel vaguely guilty telling the wife, 'some tossers nicked my 2 grand bike from the town whilst I was shopping'.

Thus, I think you will get some good deals for 300 pounds; have a look at the Specialized brand, they have a reputable name I believe for alloy frames. I would recommend becoming proficient at adjusting the rear derailleur & expect to change the probable cheap chain at far more frequent intervals than I recall doing when I was a kid.

Apart from that, good luck on your searches & buy a good one, all the best, Simon

I must also admit to 'upgrading' various components on the above mentioned machines when home on leave, probably totally unnecessary, although what's the point in a hobby if you can't splash a little cash at times!!

Thankyou Meic, enlightened I am.

From a brief perusal of your proffered thread it would seem that navigating an oil tanker along an ASL (Archipelagic Sea Lane) is far less stressful than riding my bike upto a stop light. Our only problem is the pirates. Easy lives.

Simon

I got 'DSLR' ....

Wot is ASL??

In my job it means Archipelagic Sea Lane, of which there are numerous around the Indonesian Archipelago, not many traffic lights (or cars) though.

Just for some self enlightenment.

Simon

Thanks for all your replies.

I think he is going to plump for the Cooper T100 spa which is a nice looking bike if you like that sort of thing. Bit of a hefty price tag but I suppose it's best to buy something you like.

Thanks, Simon

Thanks for the replies,

regarding self build I fully concur, however he lives in a flat with his missus & thus finding space to tinker without getting crap everywhere is probably why he doesn't go down that route. I think he's getting a little disheartened cycling into headwinds on a 15kg bike & maybe a swift new purchase will keep him in the saddle longer & away from the motorbike.

Regarding rain, on the local radio station there is an advert which starts ''you know it's summer cos the rains warmer'', & hence up here a wet buttock is no unusual hardship!!

Simon