531 is pretty run of the mill and didn't really require special skills, I think it was just convenient for them to carry on there when they bought Carlton. The SBDU at Ilkeston made all the special sauce, latterly wrapped up and moved back to Nottingham and renamed the Special Products Division.
Cycling log - random events in the day of a cyclist
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531 is pretty run of the mill and didn't really require special skills, I think it was just convenient for them to carry on there when they bought Carlton. The SBDU at Ilkeston made all the special sauce, latterly wrapped up and moved back to Nottingham and renamed the Special Products Division.
SteveG
pfm Member
Earlier today I replaced the knackered Hope brakes on my Cotic Soul with some Shimano ones. It's such an old frame that it's got IS disk mounts so needed to locate the correct adaptors. The front had been on an 180mm set-up so needed the disc replaced as I'm going with 160mm this time. The rear I thought already had a 160mm disk but after scratching my head about why the disc was rubbing against the caliper it came back to me that the Hope disk was 165mm not 160mm! Doh. Also indexed the gears as best I could (the rear mech is pretty knackered including a bit of a bend). With the Pike forks on it still ways a ton but it was a lot easier to drag up the hills that when the brakes were rubbing. Dialing the forks out to a longer length and pointing it downhill was more fun though - until that is I heard the sound of a spoke going in the rear wheel. The wheel stayed straight so I rode it gently home, however the bike really does need a proper rebuild before I use it again. I think I'll put it back to it's previous 25lb XC hardtail spec, as it was fun like that and great for the Pentlands as well as trail centres like Glentress.
BTW, and on the subject of steel, the Soul is mostly 853.
BTW, and on the subject of steel, the Soul is mostly 853.
foxwelljsly
Me too, I ate one sour too.
Cool. I have never ridden a steel hardtail. I have boxes of IS adapters, though. They were pretty much standard up until 2007. New chain and some flats going on my hardtail over the next week or so. I've been getting horible hotspots on my feet with SPDs and thought I'd give them a try. 50km/800m ascent XC here in the North Downs on Sunday, I may pop out for the same early tomorrow morning.Earlier today I replaced the knackered Hope brakes on my Cotic Soul with some Shimano ones. It's such an old frame that it's got IS disk mounts so needed to locate the correct adaptors. The front had been on an 180mm set-up so needed the disc replaced as I'm going with 160mm this time. The rear I thought already had a 160mm disk but after scratching my head about why the disc was rubbing against the caliper it came back to me that the Hope disk was 165mm not 160mm! Doh. Also indexed the gears as best I could (the rear mech is pretty knackered including a bit of a bend). With the Pike forks on it still ways a ton but it was a lot easier to drag up the hills that when the brakes were rubbing. Dialing the forks out to a longer length and pointing it downhill was more fun though - until that is I heard the sound of a spoke going in the rear wheel. The wheel stayed straight so I rode it gently home, however the bike really does need a proper rebuild before I use it again. I think I'll put it back to it's previous 25lb XC hardtail spec, as it was fun like that and great for the Pentlands as well as trail centres like Glentress.
BTW, and on the subject of steel, the Soul is mostly 853.
Edit: new kmc chain and hg500 11-42 cassette just gone on the single ring hardtail this evening.
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SteveG
pfm Member
Some of how you cope with singlespeeds comes down to what style of rider you are. I started off as a mountain biker so am used to having low gears available and seem to get better results spinning up hills at cadences of around 100. If I run out of low gears and my cadence drops too low I quickly struggle, which is possibly why I don't get on all that well with singlespeeds.
SteveG
pfm Member
The weather was a bit damp tonight but I decided to give my best mountain bike a spin up in the Pentlands. It did pretty much the same route as I did on the Cotic Soul last night and it was interesting to see just how much faster the Epic is everywhere - given the conditions etc. were pretty similar (in fact they were a bit worse tonight). 7 minutes faster for the same route although with a slightly higher average and max HR on the Epic. How much of that is weight (despite being full-suspension the Epic is probably 7 or 8lbs lighter than the Soul at the moment), tyres (fast 2.1" XC tyres compared to heavier 2.3" trail tyres) or geometry I don't know - however the difference is not slight. The Epic is pretty much specced as a full-on XC race bike (although an old one) though, whole the Soul is more of a "fun" config at the moment.
Despite the conditions not being ideal I did have a go at the Strava segment I'd placed 11th on earlier in the week on my Roadrat and was quite pleased to improve that to 4th overall (currently the only top-10 placing I have in Scotland at the moment although I still have a few elsewhere including a couple of 2nds), although slightly annoyed that I was only 1 second off 2nd overall. 2nd I think is there for the taking but there is a gap between that and first and I think I'm going to struggle to take the KOM on that. Won't stop me having a go of course as it is a segment that suits me and the Epic (flat enough for my legs to have a chance on it, bumpy enough for full-suspension to be worthwhile and fast enough to suit an XC bike).
I did get a bit carried away in one of the longer technical sections I rode and was given a timely reminder that my skills are close to non-existent at the moment when I binned it after clipping a tree root with a pedal. My leg will no doubt be reminding me of that for the next few days, as I most definitely don't bounce as well given my advanced years!
It hurt at the time but feels ok now so hopefully I'll be fine to get back out tomorrow!
Despite the conditions not being ideal I did have a go at the Strava segment I'd placed 11th on earlier in the week on my Roadrat and was quite pleased to improve that to 4th overall (currently the only top-10 placing I have in Scotland at the moment although I still have a few elsewhere including a couple of 2nds), although slightly annoyed that I was only 1 second off 2nd overall. 2nd I think is there for the taking but there is a gap between that and first and I think I'm going to struggle to take the KOM on that. Won't stop me having a go of course as it is a segment that suits me and the Epic (flat enough for my legs to have a chance on it, bumpy enough for full-suspension to be worthwhile and fast enough to suit an XC bike).
I did get a bit carried away in one of the longer technical sections I rode and was given a timely reminder that my skills are close to non-existent at the moment when I binned it after clipping a tree root with a pedal. My leg will no doubt be reminding me of that for the next few days, as I most definitely don't bounce as well given my advanced years!
It hurt at the time but feels ok now so hopefully I'll be fine to get back out tomorrow!
It's funny how that works, I've noticed there are segments that suit me on some of my rides as well, it doesn't really make much sense when you look at the numbers and that some of the same riders blitzing some segments are way behind on others. When I look through a couple of my rides I'm down in the 1500 out of 3000 on most segments, which is understandable given the level of some of these folk, but then I noticed one of them I was 66th.
Considering it was only about my 3rd ride out in 6 years after digging the bike out, so mega unfit, on a heavy bike and not really giving it full gas I was quite surprised. So I'm going to give it a proper go on that one after a few more rides and get a proper bike.
SteveG
pfm Member
I've got a few segments like that. There is one in particular that we used to do on club rides when I was down south. Just over a mile of rolling tarmac. I was in the 40's overall for it at one point although it's dropped a bit now (over 11,000 people have set a time on it as it's on a couple of Sportive routes) and for several years I was the fastest in the club by a fair margin along it - despite me being a bronze/silver level rider and it being on our racers training route. I even did my best time on it twice - once on my Roubaix and once on the TT bike. At one point I reckoned I could have got the KOM if I'd waited for a day with a decent tail wind and used the TT bike (the KOM at that point was done by a club in a group so I'd have needed the tail wind to make up for being solo)!
I was messing about with a GoPro on the bike for my PB run at that, which is at:
There are a few segments local to my Edinburgh place (some road and some off-road) that suit me and I've been seeing a few where I'm in the 20's recently, without having had a really good try and them. The wind conditions can make a big difference as well. There was an easterly tonight and that meant I improved my PB by 4 seconds on a 2km road section - despite being on a mountain bike on a section where I've ridden my road bike. I'm still not all that well placed on the segment (385th) but I should be able to go way quicker on my road bike - or even my TT bike maybe.
cubastreet
Espresso Fiend
Loving my new /old bike. It just seems to do everything well. If the best bike is the one that makes you want to go out and ride, this is the best bike I've ever owned.
I'm looking out for some wheels to suit it as the rear rim has two dents. I really like the hub though - an old DA one with a freehub that makes a whirrr-whirrr-whirrr sound. I'll probably cut the spokes out and hoard it.
I'm looking out for some wheels to suit it as the rear rim has two dents. I really like the hub though - an old DA one with a freehub that makes a whirrr-whirrr-whirrr sound. I'll probably cut the spokes out and hoard it.
Sod that.
If the dented rim is making the brakes jump, there is a fix. If it's just cosmetic, then just ride it. That's what it's for. Minor dings are part of life.Loving my new /old bike. It just seems to do everything well. If the best bike is the one that makes you want to go out and ride, this is the best bike I've ever owned.
I'm looking out for some wheels to suit it as the rear rim has two dents. I really like the hub though - an old DA one with a freehub that makes a whirrr-whirrr-whirrr sound. I'll probably cut the spokes out and hoard it.
cubastreet
Espresso Fiend
I definitely feel the dents, what's the fix?
I've got my eye on a wheelset that's local on ebay with white industries H2 hubs. I think they'd look great on the bike.
If the rims are kinked having hit a kerb, rock, etc, you can *gently* straighten them with a hammer and dolly. The technique is called planishing. You will get within a gnat's crotchet (thank you ISIHAC) of the original, you then need a block and some medium (say 400 grit) wet and dry. Flatten the rim (they invariably bend outwards, so sanding is easier) with the block and glasspaper until it is smooth. Alternatively, come down an alp in the rain, the grit will scrub the rim smooth at the same time as it trashes a set of brakes. This happened to a MTB of mine years ago, after the fix it lasted another couple of years of wet wintry abuse until the rim wore through and the wheel was replaced.I definitely feel the dents, what's the fix?
I've got my eye on a wheelset that's local on ebay with white industries H2 hubs. I think they'd look great on the bike.
Those Whyte hubs sho' are purty though.
SteveG
pfm Member
I went out on my Roubaix and managed to avoid the rain, although it was pretty windy. That just means taking it easy into the wind, then pushing a bit more when the wind is helping, which meant 4 Strava PR's tonight.
cubastreet
Espresso Fiend
I had a closer look and I think someone already tried that. Maybe not gently enough or the dent was too bad; I spotted a small crack in the middle of the brake surface. I might avoid descending alps for a bit.
cubastreet
Espresso Fiend
Any suggestions? The oe wheels were rolf vector comps but I don't feel comfortable on so few spokes.
The front wheel is 80s suntour but I think the rear may be period (2001)
foxwelljsly
Me too, I ate one sour too.
That was bread and butter to me when I was commuting in that there London. You wouldn't get me out in the rain now. Probably why my gut's got so big.
New headset and dropper post fitted to the full sus today. 44km and 750m of ascent cross country on the lightweight hardtail yesterday.
Tony Lockhart
Avoiding Stress, at Every Opportunity
I’ve just swapped my eBay carbon seatpost and new Charge Spoon saddle from my mtb to the new road bike. I’m not due at work til 12.30 tomorrow, so I’m hoping to get at least 20 miles in, maybe 30 if everything is comfortable, before I go in. Looking forward to it!
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