Any question answered...

forgetting about other potential frames tho ed, does what im saying make any sense?

I've been wondering about covering the top of the desk I use for my computer (1.5 x 0.75m). It's currently white and I'd prefer something less reflective. Something like this looks pretty close to the mark, if a little over the top (and pricey). Other problems are that it's not available in anything darker than light grey, or outside the US.

Any suggestions?

Sansa Clip+ looks better. More storage, more formats and it's not that big. Ta aggi!

zen stone

The dart by standard has steep angles 75 st and 74 ht, with a road fork ~365mm axle-crown, cross forks have ~395mm axle-crown, after some googling a 30mm increase in axle-crown would push my angles to 73.5 and 72.5 or thereabouts, which would result in a more offroad/travel geo?

Can't fault that as the geo seemed normal, don't forget to account for the bottom bracket height which will be even higher if it's not high end already.

40mm rake fork should give it a nice road bike handling if you can find it, but then 45mm rake will be enough if you're looking at the Kinesis DC37.

bottom bracket height, dam, the height would be quite large.

time to play with bikecad

60mm drop on the Dart, compare to the Dream Machine's 70mm drop (standard road bike drop), a typical CX bicycle* have about 65mm drop.

You can get away with it TBH, as most track bicycle* generally go as high as 54mm drop (Genesis Madison), the highest BB I know of so far is the Fuji Track 1.1 at 44mm (295mm).

The question is whether you don't mind this or not.

*bearing in mind the tyres size difference.

Anyone remember what Hauska's band was called?

Any reason not to get the DMR single speed conversion kit? Anything similar/better for around the £15 which I should consider instead, and which I could get by the weekend?

What size do you think my pannier mounting lugs will take. Not M5 methinks, as this is an old 1950s british frame and they would not have had metric then. Would they?

Could be 2BA (4.70mm × 0.810mm) , but M5 (5.00mm × 0.800mm) screws go into worn 2BA threads well enough that you won't really be able to tell without precision measurement. There is also a similar size (but not shape) BSC (C=Cycle) thread 3/16"×32tpi (4.76mm × 0.794mm) which again is close enough to M5 that a 60 year old mudguard eye is unlikely to resist the entry of a modern screw.

Derailleur adjusting 1 - is it possible to get a 2 x 8 to work through all the rear cogs without having to trim the front?

Unlikely, although it depends on many factors you haven't described. Not worth chasing after it though, chain rub is God's way of telling you to stop cross chaining

Derailleur adjusting 2 - again, wondering how long to spend on this. Should I be able to rotate pedals backwards without the chain snagging in every front/rear chainring/cog combination.

No. Never pedal backwards on a dérailleur equipped bike, it's asking for trouble

I want to put the freewheel which is transmitting the most torque onto the most thread... and the least the least. My thinking is that would be the largest freewheel (most teeth, 21), transmitting the most torque on the freewheel side, and the smallest freewheel, (16t) on the track side. Am I wrong?

You're right for the wrong reason. It's not that the 21 has more teeth than the 16, it's that the (unstated) transmission ratio is lower (unless you're doing something very odd)

Any reason not to get the DMR single speed conversion kit? Anything similar/better for around the £15 which I should consider instead, and which I could get by the weekend?

If this includes one of those shonky chain tensioners then you could do better.

get it tapped to M6

This is the right answer as long as the frame isn't valuable.

I've been wondering about covering the top of the desk I use for my computer (1.5 x 0.75m). It's currently white and I'd prefer something less reflective. Something like this looks pretty close to the mark, if a little over the top (and pricey). Other problems are that it's not available in anything darker than light grey, or outside the US.

Any suggestions?

Black rubber
They do other sizes and thicknesses, including 'ribbed for her pleasure'. Will make your study/office stink like Rob of Amsterdam for a few days while the excess solvent boils off, which may or may not be a selling point.

If this includes one of those shonky chain tensioners then you could do better.

Don't need a chain tensioner, shonky or otherwise. Just cogs and spacers.

Then indeed its fine but £15 is pretty expensive for a cog and spacers.

It's expensive for that cog and spacers.

Black rubber
They do other sizes and thicknesses, including 'ribbed for her pleasure'. Will make your study/office stink like Rob of Amsterdam for a few days while the excess solvent boils off, which may or may not be a selling point.

Kinky. Heads-up about the potential stink is very useful considering said desk is in bedroom. Otherwise looks the business, maybe I could air it somewhere.

Much appreciated, as always.

^ Hardboard/Masonite

Marmite.

Hammerite

Hammerite

Any reason not to get the DMR single speed conversion kit? Anything similar/better for around the £15 which I should consider instead, and which I could get by the weekend?

There you go. It'll arrive by Friday if you order tomorrow morning

the highest BB I know of so far is the Fuji Track 1.1 at 44mm

Then prepare to learn something new: BT Stealth BB drop options are 68mm, 45mm and 30mm. If you ride it fast round the bottom at Calshot, your head is actually stationary mid-corner.

There you go. It'll arrive by Friday if you order tomorrow morning

I need 18t, and it's bank holiday on Friday so it might not be till next week.

That's another question actually, is there post this Saturday?

I may also have remembered the price wrong, but the DMR kit comes with a 16t so it included the cost of one of their 18t cogs as well.

There's also a set by Gusset but I think there's less adjustability for chainline.

Then prepare to learn something new: BT Stealth BB drop options are 68mm, 45mm and 30mm. If you ride it fast round the bottom at Calshot, your head is actually stationary mid-corner.

Knowledge refreshed, 30mm is amazingly high.

Knowledge refreshed, 30mm is amazingly high.

Does that mean you've forgotten all that stuff you didn't know already?