Any question answered...

Is the length of recessed brake nut dependent on the frame/forks or the brake caliper?

The combination of the two. Retail packed Shimano calipers come with three lengths, so there will be plenty floating about in people's parts bins. You need to use the depth measuring function of your Vernier /digital caliper to work out which size you need, allowing for a minimum of 6mm thread engagement

Thought that might be the case, cheers. I'll get measuring.

What's worse for the environment: driving 20 miles on the South Circular (low speed, lots of stopping), or 50 miles on the M25 to reach the same destination?

M25 better just to keep the fumes out of the city?

Assuming you're not foot to the floor on the motorway, I would presume the stop/start is worse.

Oh, except you said M25, which is a fucking carpark and will be stop/start anyway :)

The simple answer is whichever one uses more petrol. Probably the 50 miles in my experience.

Edit: found some random ballpark numbers. Assuming idling consumes 0.6l/hr and your efficiency is 0.1l/km (~28 mpg) on the short route, and 0.05l/km (~56 mpg) on the long route, and you're idling 50% of the time on the short route, you're consuming 3.2l + 0.6l per 1 hour journey on the short route and 4l on the long route. So that's about the same in each case. I don't know how efficient your car is though.

If you've got a little computer in the car you could do both journeys at typical traffic conditions and try to record the fuel use in each case and report back.

That's not true though. Using more petrol isn't necessarily worse.
If you use less petrol but produce more emissions because the engine isn't run as efficiently at it's optimum rev range or whatever then you could create more pollution with city driving. You also wear car parts out faster, ie. brakes so there's more brake residue in town, you're contributing to the traffic so you're probably helping slow everyone else down (although as I said this probably applies to the M25 carpark too).

Anyone actually done the numbers on this?

Will depend on type of car and time you can leave too.

If you can get either option to be clearer then you'll spend less time idling. Also if you're driving a motorway saloon vs. a massive transit your aerodynamics are better and the engine maybe tuned for motorways vs. congestion?

Hmm, I'm not sure, I'm coming at this from an schoolboy chemistry perspective not a car-person perspective so you might know more about it than me. I assume that x litres of fuel is made of y grams of carbon all of which is converted directly into CO2 at 12:44 ratio by weight. In that case nothing else matters except the amount of carbon burned.

But yes, I am ignoring brake residue, PM2.5, NOx, incomplete combustion, whatever. Happy to accept that it's more complicated than what I said.

No, I almost failed basic chemistry and I either drive like a nan or like Kubica there's no middle ground so I have no idea other than the (probable) shit that's in my head.

Sounds like we need to get one of those filthy experts up in here.

Is this the sort of thing @Oliver Schick knows about?

Bring out the 'spurts!

Thanks @hippy @frankenbike
Since we know that we've all had enough of experts and their 'expert opinions', sounds like fuel consumption is a much of a muchness and I'd rather blow out all those sweet particulates into the countryside.

Personally, driving in the UK sucks a dick except when it comes to a flowing motorway, then I can just cruise and make judgements about all the people who don't know how to merge, the centre lane wankers, etc so I would just take the motorway. Save wear and tear on my clutch leg too :)

Can someone either answer the below question or direct me to the most appropriate thread for it?

Can anyone identity these hubs, more so give some feedback on them in general terms regarding quality/durability (I'm not after something all singing/dancing/conquering).
They're DT Swiss Axis hubs I believe, came on a wheelset I quickly saw as an eBay listing was ending and nabbed as needed a set and with tyres and cassette looked a bargain. Rims are R-460, tyres S-Works plus had 11sp 105 cassette bit wasn't clear on hubs. Suspect they came off a decent spec Spesh - Allez sprint or similar albeit they usually come with lesser tyres.
TIA for any help

2 Attachments

https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/954880-dt-swiss-axis-wheels-actually-formula.html

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/specialized/dt-axis-wheelset-261310.html

Hi - thanks for that, interesting and amusing to hear others opinions.
I get they're stock wheels albeit the rims are not OEM, it was more specifically about the hub. Going back a few years They have axis 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 etc which I guess are different in some way (technology, performance, value?), I was more keen to find out what I should expect from these specific hubs given they're not one of those mentioned.

Thanks again

No idea. I ride shit until it breaks and replace it.
If it breaks in what I think is too short a time I whinge about it.
If I sell it on without breaking it, it either didn't suit in the first place or it's probably never going to break.

Also:

https://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13082833

https://thebikefactory.co.uk/product/93227/specialized-freehub-axis-2-0-11-speed/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Ok5I-De6E

I was thinking the same; brand new and with a decent pair of hoops and pretty decent all rounder rooms there going to be a significant improvement on my current wheels but I won't know until I start rolling around on them
Cheers again

Fitted new bars (Easton) and torqued them correctly, but when I put a fair bit of weight on the hoods the bars rotate slightly. Using a Thomson X2 stem, which was fine with old bars.

Don't want to go much beyond proper torque settings. What to do?

Crabonz gripz pastez.

Using a Thomson X2 stem

Are you using assembly paste?

But the best solution is to bin the stem.

On alloyz???

I has, but...

Go for it.

You mad bastard.

OK...

Can anyone suggest a decent bike box for putting my fixeh in, then flying with? Looking at the £200 mark.