To all you 29er's out there!

Yeah that's the shop I bought mine from, right next to Epping Forest too!

The Diamondback Mojito look like a pretty good bargain.

Well, as I'm still in the process of building my 29er, I definitely can't speak from experience, however, I've been doing a little research and these http://twentynineinches.com/2007/12/10/schwalbe-racing-ralph-29er-first-impressions/ seem to get rave reviews, especially for winter conditions. I'm also curious as to what others think of these... should I go the 2.4 or 2.25 if I'll be keeping them on after winter?

p.s. I've gone with the Kona unit 2-9 frame and Exotic forks + the Avid BB7's (thanks Smallfurry, Object & Tilover for the suggestions)

Sounds nice!

The ralphs are well respected for xc style use. Tyres are pretty personnal, but alot of people like to run a fatter front for steering control, and a faster rolling thinner rear to cut through mud and grip the harder ground beneath.

I have two WTB weirwolf 2.55's currently. I picked them up less than half price so put them on front and rear. The idea being to get max grip from the rear for single speeding up big hills, and as much comfort as possible fo riding fully rigid. My original plan was to get a Geax Saguaro 2.2 for the rear, and run a weirwolf on the front.

A nice set-up may be Rap 2.4 front, Saguaro 2.2 rear, but it depends on where your riding really.

(NB: I hear the Ralph 2.4's come up bigger than the weirwolf 2.55's)

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/119945.html
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=33335

Well... I've succumbed to the fatness and purchased myself two 2.4 Ralphs, that should keep me upright in this snow. If I'm having any trouble with grip when the better weather appears, I'll give that Saguaro 2.2 a go.

Well... I've succumbed to the fatness and purchased myself two 2.4 Ralphs, that should keep me upright in this snow. If I'm having any trouble with grip when the better weather appears, I'll give that Saguaro 2.2 a go.

The 2.4 should grip OK on the rear. Its more a question of rolling speed.

I'm sold on the 2.55s front and back at the moment. My excuses for running a fat rear tyre are the rocky climbs were I live, and the fact that I spend more time in the saddle riding single speed.

I have two bontrager front wheel tubeless kits on their way. To convert my non-tubeless velocity blunts, together with the non-tubeless weirwolfs. Cant say I'm 100% sure it'll work TBH.

good deal http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/Sale/26/Kona_Unit_2-9_2009/5360039415/#more

I have two bontrager front wheel tubeless kits on their way......

I've been reading a little on other sites about going tubeless, usually using Stan's juice (or something). What's the benefit over a standard tubed setup?

Smallfury, I see by your love of Tyrkisk pepper & some other posts you're from Norway (I'm more of a Salt & Blandt type myself)? My girlfriends Swedish and we're thinking of moving to Göteborg in the not so distant future, seems like there would be some great trails in that neck of the woods?

http://www.gotubeless.com/

I've been reading a little on other sites about going tubeless, usually using Stan's juice (or something). What's the benefit over a standard tubed setup?

Smallfury, I see by your love of Tyrkisk pepper & some other posts you're from Norway (I'm more of a Salt & Blandt type myself)? My girlfriends Swedish and we're thinking of moving to Göteborg in the not so distant future, seems like there would be some great trails in that neck of the woods?

From the westcountry UK, live in Norway. Swedens a great place, with lots of woodland and cheaper beer and meat than Norway :(

Tubeless set-ups can be run at lower pressures, for more comfort and traction. They also weigh less, and pu_c*ure less as the fluid sealant in the tyre seals small holes.

Norway are undeniably expensive! I assumed the average income of a norweigan are higher?

http://www.worldsalaries.org/norway.shtml

http://www.worldsalaries.org/uk.shtml

Average salaries mean jack shit.

Earnings vary less in Norway than in the UK.

When I was working as a cleaner. I earnt over £10 an hour, and had a work mobile and mini van. As alot of jobs were carried out outside of normal hours I was often paid double time.

I'm now working within my degree subject area as a research chemist (polymer science based) and dont really earnt much more.

The high cost of living removes any real difference in earnings. Its all about the housing prices.

To get an idea of the mad cost of living..... Sweden has the highest costs for things like meat in the EU. In Norway there are actually people in prison for meat smuggling from Sweden WTF!? I saw a news report regarding customs inforcement. On the video a guy was being arrested and fined for having a boot full of cheese.

...anyway 29ers.
Put the belt drive together on my Spot last night. The drive runs totally silent, untill you stop turning the cranks and the Hope II starts clicking like feck. Its a weird but satisfying contrast :)

I was looking at the belt drive stuff for my Mather. Trying to use the calculators for what bits to buy is doing my head in... I think I need to build a web page to figure all the shit out for me. Gates have a Excel spreadsheet you can download but it's not entirely helpful, it gives you a good idea but it's hard to feel willing to drop £150+ on something that you're not even sure will fit and you'll have no chance of re-selling.

My problem is that I want it to work with both single-speed and the geared Rohloff. The single-speed comes with a 20t > 32t rear, and the Rohloff only comes with a 19t rear. The difference is enough to make tensioning not work so it seems I'd have to have different fronts too... 60t and 55t. And the result is different lengthed belts, and finally different gear inches (65 vs 77).

All seems to be quite complex, there was my thinking that if I'd geared my Rohloff direct drive to be the same as my single-speed gear inches this would be easy. If only I'd known 6 months ago that the Rohloff rear sprocket would be a unique size!

You should be able to pull off the 1 tooth difference at the back. So long as your happy to have the same beltring up front. You would need to be careful with chainbeltline though, I guess basing it on the Rohloff.

I bought my set-up off the guy I got my frame off, on EBay. Its been quite painful keeping my thingers crossed so long. But it fits well and puts my fat rear tyres exactly were I want them. I have been looking into putting a Alfine hubed rear wheel together, to extend the range of the bike. As luck may have it. The set-up I have is 46:24, and the Alfine sprocket comes in 24 only :) .This will give me lots of spinny gears, but that might not be such a bad thing.

One important thing to check before parting with the cash. Is your chainstay clearance. Those beltrings are seriously wide. My frame has a crimp specifically for this purpose.

If you want any measurements from my 46T beltring, let me know.

BTW I took some pics of my frame opening mechanism last night. I was planning on posting them in the beltdrive thread when I get the chance.

Just remembered which chainset you're rocking. A gates drive on that would be sooooo light.

http://www.gotubeless.com/

Tubeless set-ups can be run at lower pressures...

Thanks guys, you ask a direct question, you get a direct answer. Some more food for though I've heard of quite a few people running ralph's tubeless so I may end up the same way.

Lower pressures, and
Nicer rolling (bit vague that one)
But the real bonus with with tubless is the slime in the tyre seals alot of trail punctures.

If you do puncture you can still through in a spare inner.

Sounds like road tubeless is coming along nicely too now. Latest Shimano rims are tubeless compatible. Apparently you run them at slightly lower pressure than tubed road wheels giving softer ride but they are still have lower rolling resistance than normal wheels and are faster.

Sounds like road tubeless is coming along nicely too now. Latest Shimano rims are tubeless compatible. Apparently you run them at slightly lower pressure than tubed road wheels giving softer ride but they are still have lower rolling resistance than normal wheels and are faster.

I would say there is a lot more to gain by going tubeless offroad. But then I run latex inners on the road to get the best possible ride (probably very small difference), so going inner-less has its appeal.

Can anyone point me in the right direction for a good all-rounder 1.8 rear 29er tyre?

Bonty do some nice allrounders at about that size.

http://www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk/Bontrager-Jones-Xr-29er-29-X-1-8-Rear-Folding-Sv.aspx
http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/119511.html

Looks perfect, can't beleive I didn't find that myself. Thanks Smallfurry.

Not much around in 29 x 1.8 to be honest, I ordered my tubeless kit from swinnerton, and had a look at their tyers at the same time. They seem to stock alot of Bonty gear.

In a similar vain to the bonty XR.....
...The kenda karma comes in 1.9 http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/112755.html

Just came across this little bargin!

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/13792/Kona-Unit-29-Frame-2006.html

Sweden...cheaper beer than Norway

when I went Sweden was about £6 a pint!