Any question answered...

HisHighness'SlaveBoy

Technically - wheels knew.

Shame no one saved that article (that I know of)

Only BMX frames and strange peugout's are 25.4.

?
1 inch is one of the most common seat post sizes for steel frames (pre oversized tubes)...

the carbolite peugeots are less than that i think.

i like that slow and slwo said out loud with a boiled sweet in my mouth sounds the same.

mdcc testy will have the answer.

Back in 1990, Spoks were about as aero as you easily get hold of; Specialized trispokes were hard to come by and Zipp were in their infancy. Even then, though, they were heavy and flexy, but also strong. They have beefed them up to make them a bit less flexy, and I'm guessing a bit less aero*, and everybody else has moved on; Zipp got really good at aero, Hed took over the Specialized wheel and you can now buy them at Wiggle. Spoks keep rolling on because they are still strong (hence the police and wheelchair versions) and relatively cheap, as well as maintenance free. You can't blame the company for the arbitrary tastes of hipster fixie skidders, and I guess they'll keep making them for what were their original markets if the hipsters get tired of them and move on.

*Relative to the leading edge designs, like Zipp 808, Spoks are still only 5W @ 50km/h behind, and sit alongside Campag Boras. Zicral spoked Ksyriums are another 10W behind Spoks.

1 inch is one of the most common seat post sizes for steel frames

Not for lightweight frames. The "most common" would be either 27.2 (Reynolds 531 etc.) or 26.8 (lots of Japanese tubesets with double butted seat tubes)

A guy in 14 bike co. said: "they are made by a company that makes wheelchair wheels, need I say more?!?! snort"

Ask the guy in 14 whether he likes Corima. They make wheelchair wheels and Sulky (chariot) wheels, so they must be shit at bicycle wheels, innit? Zipp 900 discs are also available in a wheelchair version, so cyclists should presumably avoid them too.

Back in 1990, Spoks were about as aero as you easily get hold of; Specialized trispokes were hard to come by and Zipp were in their infancy. Even then, though, they were heavy and flexy, but also strong. They have beefed them up to make them a bit less flexy, and I'm guessing a bit less aero*, and everybody else has moved on; Zipp got really good at aero, Hed took over the Specialized wheel and you can now buy them at Wiggle. Spoks keep rolling on because they are still strong (hence the police and wheelchair versions) and relatively cheap, as well as maintenance free. You can't blame the company for the arbitrary tastes of hipster fixie skidders, and I guess they'll keep making them for what were their original markets if the hipsters get tired of them and move on.

*Relative to the leading edge designs, like Zipp 808, Spoks are still only 5W @ 50km/h behind, and sit alongside Campag Boras. Zicral spoked Ksyriums are another 10W behind Spoks.

A clear answer, thanks once again (again again again). The spok I had a play with today span buttery smooth despite being an old beaten up one. I can see what you mean about zero maint.

The bottom line is I wouldn't really mind one on one of my bikes in some circumstances but I couldn't bare to ride a wheel like that in the city. Nothing to do with the snide comments either.

Should you or should you not grease chainring bolts?

Thank you please.

only grease them when there's an 'R' in the month

Grease the faces and either grease or loctite the threads, depending on what kind of bike it is. If you're not planning to touch them until the rings wear out, loctite. If it's a track bike that's going to suffer frequent gear changes, grease them.

^^^I've actually been giving them a second look. I initially didn't consider them because of bad experiences Easton. My first road wheels (Easton Aero supplied with my Van Nicholas- I think some OEM mashup of EA50 and 70) kept pulling out of the dropouts. Easton said it was an issue with their hub and gave me some EA70s. That solved that problem, but the rear felt flexy to me and would rub the rear brake under big efforts. Then I know a few people with higher end models that are constantly complaining about bearing adjustment.

I thought it may be worth going back though since my only real personal experience has been with the cheaper wheels and that better ones may be...well, better.

Love mine, but got 'em slightly used for < £200 which helps. Only adjusted the bearings once in approx 3k miles. Lovely and light too, whenever I take the front off it always amazes me how light it is. I'm not a powerful rider, but they've gone up Ventoux and plenty of alpine passes without a hint of brake rub or flex. Meant to be good on cobbles too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooe_g89ht4A

thanks!

Anyone followed this training regime?

http://www.flammerouge.je/content/3_factsheets/constant/functhresh.htm

what options are there train wise to go from london euston to holyhead, bringing a bike with me?

sorry, cross-posted from the bikes on trains thread:

I think, according to these restrictions, that I can take a bike on a morning peak train (say, 7.15 or 7.45) from Kings Cross to Cambridge. even though it arrives into Cambridge before 9. (Ely is north of Cambridge, so the Kings Cross train does go between Cambridge and Ely, but it stops at Cambridge first).
http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/plan-your-journey/cyclists/cycle-restrictions/
I find the wording a little tricky, is that what it says?
also, has anyone done this?

I need to get to an appointment across town in the morning, will be forking out for a cab if I can't bring the bike, or leave super extra early and bus it.. .

shakes head

and Will'll never know if repped Paul for this post

^I enjoyed typing "Will'll" by the way.

What's the cheapest I could get a man with a van to transport a sofa in a flat from near Victoria to the Royal College of Art in South Kensington?

And, same question but Ealing to South Ken?

I'm looking at you wvm!

Spoks are flexy as fuck... I've ridden one at Herne Hill*, scary...

• BITD, natch...
  

First hand experience...nice one Joe. Always good to hear straight from the horses mouth as it were.

As I said earlier, I'll stick to my second hand Hed3 I think.

As long as its a chrome vandium spanner you'll be fine. Had mine five years now.

I'll stick to my second hand Hed3

Some people have suggested that even the Hed3 is marginal for sprinting, but it's much stiffer than 1st Gen Spoks. Current Spoks (~30N/mm), though, are only slightly flexier than Hed3s (~35N/mm) Wire spokes are the way to go for axial stiffness - even something as lightly built as a Shimano RS80 achieves over 40N/mm.

^in my HED3s limited outings at HH I found it to be noticeably flexier than my Ellipses. But it sounds more awesome and takes your mind off the pain each time you have to catch it when you turn against the wind.

It does sound cool, in my very limited experience it sounds cooler the higher the tyre pressure.

Jim said that he could always tell if it was me coming up behind him due to the rumble from my 50mm wheels- something common to plastic rims I guess- I cannot hear them over the wind.