Any question answered...

As you know, you should suggest to her to spend more money, or she'll just regret it. Buy cheap, buy twice. £300 is the lower minimum to get something half-decent, although it's probably more now. £400? I've seen Unipack-style bikes for £300, actually.

Decathlon

Ooh perfect excuse for me to visit my favourite sports shop :)

As you know, you should suggest to her to spend more money, or she'll just regret it. Buy cheap, buy twice. £300 is the lower minimum to get something half-decent, although it's probably more now. £400? I've seen Unipack-style bikes for £300, actually.

I know, I know. I did suggest spending more to her but it's not an option - she doesn't have £300, and she's self employed so there's no chance of a cyclescheme or similar. I was thinking maybe something second hand?

Singletrack classifieds. You've got to be quick though.

Another option is auction where you can buy a nearly new hybrid for £50 if you're careful.

Managed to get two hybrid, a trek step-thru and a ridgeback for £130 altogether, involved I giving it some elbow grease, spend a bit more on new chain, brake block etc. and still end up with a decent bike for around £200*

(spend £70 on top putting it back into working order).

And Oliver is right, £300 is the min for a decent hybrid, even super cheap Ridgeback make good hybrid at less than that;

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/ridgeback/motion-2013-womens-hybrid-bike-ec043395

It is never going to set the world on fire, but this is £170, and if she just wants it to get her three miles then it'll do the job I reckon:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/kona/dew-city-2012-hybrid-bike-ec034477?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle

nowt wrong with this for £250

£130 and AWESOME: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Circus-Clowns-swing-bicycle-/200858454737?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item2ec418cad1

My housemate is looking to replace her really crap old mountain bike ..

Hats, I may have access to something suitable, it belongs to an old neighbour, and she wants shot of it. It's a bit of a girlie mtb, but it hasn't had any use at all, and will resurrect cheaply. I'll pm you.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49485312@N08/8015429207/in/photostream/

Can anyone recommend some carbon, disc specific forks with mudguard eyelets?

Thought there would be more choice! Thanks

Would a coarser pitch be better suited you think?

ftfy
Coarser would be better, but some engineers still get a fit of vapours if you transmit torque through a threaded coupling. Rohloff, who know something about engineering, use a 6-start thread on their sprockets, which seems like an improvement on a simple single-start thread

Or are you saying other methods (bolt ons?) are a better solution.

Bolt on is good, although it would need very big chainrings for TT gearing since 15t is as small as you can go (and even then only by using special bolts) on the ISO disc bolt pcd, and smaller pcd would need smaller bearings, which is unattractive. If you don't need small sprockets, ISO bolt on is probably the best system currently in mass production.

Splines plus cassette style lockring.

Splines yes, Halo splines maybe not. I don't think the Shimano HG spline on which it is based is well designed for reversing loads, and backlash not only wears the splines but also tends to unwind the lock ring.

What size bolts do I need to fit calipers attached to these adaptors to my Pompetamine?

I've had a look at mounting bolts, but there seem to be a variety of washers, conical spacers etc that come with some.

The bolts to fit the caliper to the adapter should come with the caliper, including the spherical washers. The bolts to attach the adapter to the fork are M6x16 socket cap

I have a question in 'current projects' regarding headsets and the mystery sizing details thereof; I'm cross-posting here since it seems the wisdom is here rather than there tonight.

On another note, is it possible to get track nuts (front hub, formula) with a smaller-diameter captive washer than 'normal'? If so, where from - since I don't know what phrase to search for so I'm not having much luck yet.

ftfy

Splines yes, Halo splines maybe not. I don't think the Shimano HG spline on which it is based is well designed for reversing loads, and backlash not only wears the splines but also tends to unwind the lock ring.

The obvious solution seems to a trapezoidal spline retained with a threaded lockring; any system with square splines is never going handle reversing loads, no matter how carefully designed or manufactured. Anything is better than crumbly threads in aluminum though.

Cheers Tester. Off to order now.

Just saw a Tommy Simpson Peugeot sixties before world champ ten speed team bike. I had a ten speed Peugeot which I bought early to mid seventies. Any ideas where I might get some info which specs that would have come with?

http://www.peugeotshow.com/

Here?

Interesting stuff mdcc, thanks for the response. I like the idea of bolt on cog systems. I would quite like it if that caught on and manufacturers made hubs for that purpose.

I would quite like it if that caught on and manufacturers made hubs for that purpose.

They do
http://www.philwood.com/products/hubspgs/ISOtrackhubs.php

how much clearance do i need between a mudguard and tyre?

am currently running bontrager racelite hardcase 32c tyres on the commuto x bike. lynskey suggest this is the largest tyre that can be fitted with a mudguard, though at present the tyres are barely in the well of the mudguards at all, and there is further room to move the guards outwards

might i be able to get away installing the schwalbe marathon dureme tyres (a 35c semi slick)?

Try it and see?

You got a huge amount of room compared to my Genesis.

Usually I wouldn't be able to see through the gap between the mudguard and tyres.

Bear in mind that schwalbe may come up slightly bigger than their claim sized, the 32c barely fit on my old bike whether a Bontrager 32c fit nicely.

the tyres are £45 a pop, so a bit too much to buy just on a gamble

Found some photos that show the clearance of my Genesis, hope that help (back is exactly the same);

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