Cycling UK Forum

Yes they must be, but the main disadvantage migth be the possibility of movement of the BB unit in the brackethousing and the same annoying sounds as with pressfit.

Yes , it's easy, but you can't buy it anywhere, that's the problem.

StuartBaker wrote:1-Can anyone advise me the expected service life a fork when it must be replaced e.g. so many years or so many miles?
2-How should a fork be inspected to find potential failures before they happen?
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1-Impossible, some forks fail within a couple of years, some never do.
2-Visual and dyecheck every year orso gives a small chance you find any signs of degradation before failure.
Especially alloy steerers are prone to fatigue, but still fairly rare.

BarcodeUK wrote:The riders were telling me they run to 80-100psi so next to solid so why don't they make solid tyres?

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They do.....
IF you want air: Conti GP's

I know about the lube film..
Thought I'd better leave that out.....makes it too complicated.

simonineaston wrote:

Mick F wrote:These days I use Campag 10sp chains and only get 5,000miles or so.

On another recent thread we noted that Mick F is a strong rider who pushes high gears, so I wonder if it is a reasonable assumption to imagine that a less strong rider who "spins" will expect to enjoy higher mileage from the same chain - or doesn't it work like that?

No it's not.
The average power determines wear, wether it is few revs with high power or many revs with less power is of no significance.

http://www.friction-facts.com/test-resu ... rt-package

BTW This year I lube my chains with paraffin wax and in january 2016 I will report my findings about longevity.
Last year only oil.

a-could last forever, seat stays are pressure loaded only.
b-my repair would be: drill a small hole (1 mm) at the end of the crack.
Welding creates other problems you don'want.
c-Pretty certain any manufacturer will deny this, but you can alway try.

Wider rims have advantages , but the aerodynamic story is IMO the least interesting part for the average cyclist.
A couple of years ago I got interested in wider rims while active on German forums.
Decided to try it and built myself a set with Kinlin XC279's (17 mm inside).
Used them first with 24mm Conti GP's because I had some stock of those.
With the usual >7 bar pressure they felt harsher than on older 13 and 15C rims.
After expirimenting with tyre pressure I found 6,0/5,5 bar rolling much smoother and still keeping good stability in fast corners, while rolling resistance is only a tiny bit higher, (not notable but tests are obvious)
After many thousends of km's over a large variation of road surfaces I'm completely convinced of this concept.
A we speak I have 3 wheelsets with 17C/18C rims and use them with 25 mm tyres, sold all the other stuff.
Aerodynamic? Maybe, but smooth riding, good stability and grip in corners are the keypoints for me.
If you pump the same as in the old days there are no advantages, tyre pressure is crucial.

Sweep wrote:
So to the questions:

@1: Will the pins and ramps for a given number of teeth chainring be comptible across manufacturers?

@2: If, as i suspect they won't be, is it best to ensure that the replacement chain ring has NO ramps or pins?

@ 3:Will i have significant shifting problems with chainrings without these mysterious bits.

@4: Answer to any relevant question I should have been intelligent enough to have asked.

The chainrings will be used on bikes that are 8 or 9 speed.

I ignore everything that's supposed to be not compatible or suboptimal and encounter almost no problems.
Including rings without pins and ramps.
Anything that has the right BCD and teeth I want is used.
For 8 and 9 speed even rings from the 6 speed times work.

The shift pitch is determined by shifter AND geometry of the derailleur.
Geometry of 8 speed and 9/10 speed ones is different , so shifting will be a bit sloppy at its best.
On a winterbike I used 9 speed shifters with 8 speed derailleur and Shimnano 9 speed cassette, which was spot-on.
This indicates that a Campa 9 speed Cassette will undershift (with standard cable attachment)

JohnW wrote:I have to say that I don't seem to have those problems that the Ergo lever salesman tell me need solving and that their product solves them. The only genuine problem that I understand from others experience with down-tube levers is the fear of taking their hands off the bars to change gear.

I have to clarify my comments are not made from a racing point of view..

I have raced from 1976-1990 , obvious with downtube shifters.
Never had any problem with gear changes even in complicated race-situations.
Ergo's are convenient but it's not safety related.
People who complaint about downtube shifters (or toeclips) have never raced with them.

ERD of my DT Swiss 460 's was 596 mm.....

The fat commuter wrote:Dead quick question.

If you use white spirit to clean a chain, is it OK to just allow the chain to dry and the solvent evaporate or is it best to wash off the white spirit and then allow the chain to dry? I always used to rinse the chain in boiling water but found that it showed rust as it dried.

Cheers

After white spirit, water is expendable.