Any question answered...

Organic anal beads

Not with resin. Tung oil would be your go to finish for that.

I don't have BB86 experience but I had the same issue with BB30.

Then I realised there was a circlip inside to hold the bearings in place.

The removal tool was hitting it instead of the bearings.

I’m sure there’s a-hole in the market for that.

thanks, will check that again. I didn't see any clips in the manuals i checked but who knows.. Will probably buy a Parktool bb90.3, which should do the job..

Does anyone have a recent recommendation for one of those little battery packs for phones?

Ideally one that does super fast charging.

Also if anyone can confirm whether you need a special cable to use fast USB charging (not lighting cable or USB C), that would be awesome.

Cheers.

This one seems sensible as it's 8000mAh.

Aibocn Power Bank 8000mAh, External Battery Charger for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Edge, Nexus, HTC and Tablets, Portable Compact Charger https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075WLSWV8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MOUHAbDG9WG1M

Anker is the go to for these.

Cheers.

This one?

Anker PowerCore 5000 Charger, Ultra-Compact Power Bank with Fast-Charging Technology, External Battery for Samsung Galaxy and more https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CU1EC6Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_2XUHAbX9QC8E1

Portability is key.

99.82 x 32.25 x 30.48 mm
33 x 33 x 108 mm

I like my Xiaomi batteries from Aliexpress. 10000 mAh, fast charging and solid alu construction

Cheers, I'll check them out.

Unfortunately at the moment, I need quick amazon delivery.

Anyone used Revolut? Trying to send GBP to an account in Lithuania with minimal fees. That sound like a good bet? Something else to try?

Out of curiosity, what is wrong with BB86?

what is wrong with BB86?

No room for a 30mm spindle

Portability is key

But it's a charge capacity/size+weight tradeoff. Agree Anker is the brand to look at. I have their smallest 'lipstick' power bank but don't expect to charge phone more than once.

Lidl's getting in some Baufix coloured lacquer sort of stuff next week. Will it work for an ultra-cheap fork respray? It's not worth the effort of having the old paint removed so I was just going to spray it on top.

Haha of course. I always wonder why shimano sticks with 24mm.

I always wonder why shimano sticks with 24mm

They are very conservative. The advantage of 30mm aluminium over 24mm steel is modest, so not a deal breaker on a crankset, but on a frame it is.

The advantage of 30mm aluminium over 24mm steel is modest

I was actually surprised how big of a difference it makes. In feel that is.

What do you think you felt?

Responsiveness of the bike/rear end increased a lot. This was on a Specialized AWOL with huge S-shaped chainstays.

Did you do back to back testing with 24mm and 30mm spindle chainsets then? Struggling at present to see how the spindle diameter could affect anything other than crank stiffness, and even then not any appreciable degree.

30mm spindles are 17.5% more rad

not any appreciable degree.

Since we're comparing 24mm steel with 30mm aluminium, there's about 20% difference in torsional and bending stiffness for the same length spindle with the same ratio of OD to wall thickness. I leave it as an exercise for the reader to decide which is stiffer :)

Surely 30/24 is 25% more radius ?

The key to painting is prep. You can do a perfectly good job with rattle cans.

Don't bother removing the old paint, it will help protect the forks. But you will need to sand it down to smooth and blend in any imperfections or chips.

An important factor this time of year is temperature and the moisture level. Ideally you want to do it in a nice warm dry environment.