30 November 2017

NECCL RD 7 Gypsies Green, South Shields. Sat 2nd Dec.



NECCL RD 7 Gypsies Green, South Shields. Sat 2nd Dec.
We return to this fantastic venue overlooking the beach and the North sea! The old velo drome has a great mix of terrain and is never muddy as the soil is sand.

12:00 under 12s @ £1.00

12:30 under 16s @ £3.00

13:30 Senior/Vets/Junior/Ladies @ £7 for TLI Members or £13 for Non TLI Members.







26 November 2017

Fresh Goods Sunday - HUNT 4Season Gravel Disc | Road/Bike-Pack/CX 700c Wheelset

When I bough the Mason Bokeh I also ordered a pair of Hunt 650b to go straight on. After riding it for a few months and falling in love with the bike I was wondering what it would ride like on 700c with wide tyres. I had seen these wheels when I called in past Biketreks earlier on in the year so dropped them a line and they reserved me a pair to collect when we were over in the Oct school holiday week. When I went to collect them I asked the mechanic if it was easy to swap the back axle over and he said no probs have you 15 mins spare. I went into the workshop and showed me how to strip it down and grease the freehub etc and put it back together. Also gave me a few tips on the front hub as well. Fantastic service by Biketreks. Once back home I fitted the Panaracer Gravelking tubeless tyres (which I have covered in previous blogs). I then discovered there was still loads of clearance so fitted the biggest 700c Gravelking tyre Panaracer manufacture so there is more comfort on the front. I have had no probs with the 650b & 700c version of wheels to date apart from the freehub clicking/slipping on a few occasions. They are still running smooth and true and had no problems with spokes or nipples. I cannot fault the wheels for the money you pay and get all the spares / accessories as well.
RRP £369.99 and I paid full retail !

The Wheelset That Can Take You Anywhere, Any Time

Thanks to disc brakes the line between road bikes and cross bikes has been well and truly blurred. Many of us now rightly see bikes as our keys to freedom; the freedom to roam and find undiscovered routes and just have a blast. We want to go fast on road, but often the routes we want to ride also lead off-road. The 4Season Gravel Disc wheelset is designed for all of us, high spoke count and large double-sealed cartridge bearings provide excellent durability and the extra-wide rim is ideal for gravel and cross tyres so you can explore, go bike-packing, rip any trails you fancy and go for it!

The great news is that we’ve invested in high-specification spokes, rims and hubsets so you don’t pay a massive weight penalty for that extra off-road durability. Long lasting speed on and off-road. Don’t be restricted, grasp your freedom.
  • Rims | 6061-T6 Heat treated. Tubeless-ready. Disc specific. Asymmetric for balanced spoke tensions and a highly-durable wheel build. ETRTO 622x20. H-lock bead-seat for easy and secure tubeless installation.  
  • Tyres | Extra-wide 20mm rim bed works with 25 & 28 tyres but great with gravel and CX cyclo-cross tyres up to 50c. Not included. 
  • Hubs | QR w/adaptable axles; front and rear thru 9, 10, 12, 15. Large double-sealed main bearings, 7075-T6 axle and freehub. Steel spline insert. SRAM XD Driver available. Centre-lock disc mount, 6 bolt disc adapters included. 
  • Spokes28F/28R PSR reinforced round triple butted J Bend 
  • Nipples12mm corrosion resistant brass 
  • QR | Hunt 4Season Internal Cam for high torque tightening, secure fitting with low dirt ingress. Stainless steel springs
  • Included | QRs, Tubeless tape & valves, spare spokes, spoke key, 12mm font adapter (other adapters sold separately), pair of 6bolt disc adps. 
  • Weight  |  1629g (rims, hubs spokes and nipples)

'The Chase' is in The Details

High-performance technology that will deliver you to the finish every time. A strong and lightweight 6061-T6 heat-treated rim features an asymmetric shape which is inverted from front to rear to provide balanced higher spoke tensions meaning your spokes stay tight for the long term. The rim profile is true disc specific which allows higher-strength to weight as no reinforcement is required for a braking surface, it also looks stunning. The rim dimensions are extra wide at 25mm (20mm internal) which creates a great tyre profile with wider 25-50mm tyres, giving excellent grip and lower rolling resistance.
Spokes were a very important part of the equation and we have gone to town choosing a high spoke count 28 front and rear for durability. The spokes are top-of-the-range Pillar Spoke Re-enforcement (PSR) triple butted models which go from a 2.0-1.6-2.0-2.2 at the bend. Butted spokes are lighter but also provide a greater degree of elasticity and thus maintain spoke tensions longer and are more fatigue resistant. PSR spokes featured the 2.2 width at the spoke head providing more material in this high stress area. J-bend made sense for four season use as replacements are easy to find and we lace them two-cross for strength and brake force handling. To accompany these high-end spokes we selected brass nipples for our Hunt 4Season wheels. Brass is strong and corrosion resistant plus it has self-lubricating properties. As well as the standard square body we chose nipples with a hex head so you can achieve precise tensioning. Combining these components well is key and all Hunt wheels are hand-built and then tension-ed by craftspeople who work in pairs to check and finish each other’s work.
Bearings are the heart of any wheel and investing in them makes huge sense so we went to Japanese bearing experts EZO and invested extra to spec their high-grade precision sealed cartridge bearings in our full range. Durability is a theme for Hunt wheels as time and money you spend fixing is time and money you can’t spend riding or upgrading your bikes. This is especially important for a 4Season bike you use regularly in harsh conditions. As a result all our freehub bodies have Steel Spline Insert re-enforcements to provide excellent durability against cassette sprocket damage often seen on standard alloy freehub bodies.
Things are changing fast in the road and CX disc market so we have adaptability built-in. Hunt Disc wheels are seriously future-proof. The front hub axle is QR as standard but some road disc bikes are now moving to thru axle forks so Hunt Disc Wheels have 12mm adapters included with thru 9 and 15mm available separately. Plus the rear hub can be adapted to 12-135/142. Disc fitment is also a potential head ache for riders. As Shimano hydraulic brakes, with their impressive ice-tech rotors, are appearing on many new bikes, we wanted riders to have the option so we went even more adaptable with centre-lock hubs and 6 bolt adapters included.
At Hunt we enjoy the puncture resistance and grip benefits of tubeless on our every-day rides so we wanted to allow you the same option, but of course all our tubeless-ready wheels are also designed to work perfectly with clincher tyres and inner tubes.
H-Lock tubeless-ready rim bed profile. H-Lock is our tubeless-ready rim bed profile with up-kicks to the shoulders of the tubeless steps which help to create a great rim-well seal for first installation and easy sealing of tubeless tyres. The H-Lock profile also locks the beads in place more securely once seated. This is especially important when running lower pressures off road.
Internal cam quick-release skewers provide a secure fitting ideal for handling the forces from disc braking and they prevent dirt ingress to the cam faces keeping them smooth even in the poorest conditions. And of course, we went the whole hog and upgraded the QR springs to stainless steel so they don’t rust.
The consequence of the fanatic attention to detail is incredible durability and a resulting low 1629g gram wheelset weight. Acceleration and climbing are massively improved over many of the stock wheels supplied on road/gravel/CX disc brake bikes.
Rim
  • Tubeless-ready – designed to work excellently with normal clincher tyres and tubes or tubeless tyres. Tubeless-rim tape and valves included.
  • H-lock bead-seat up-kicks for easy and secure tubeless installation
  • 6061-T6 heat-treated aluminium alloy.
  • Asymmetric to balance spoke tensions
  • Disc-specific tubeless-ready profile
  • 25mm outer and 20mm inner width ideal for 25-50mm tyre widths
  • 24mm depth
  • Matt black anodized finish with laser etched graphics for excellent durability
  • Maximum tyre pressure for this rim is 120psi when used with an inner tube and 100psi when running the wheel set-up tubeless. Please do not exceed the maximum pressure stated on your tyre.
Spokes
  • J-bend cold drawn
  • Made from high grade T302 (18/10) stainless steel wire by Sandvik Sweden
  • Triple butted 2.0-1.6-2.0 (then 2.2 at the head for the patented Pillar Spoke Re-enforcement)
  • 28 spokes laced 2 cross front and rear.
  • Black stainless treatment
Nipples
  • Brass for anti-corrosion resistance
  • Square body for external adjustment and hex head for easy internal adjustment/tensioning. Hex/square spoke key included. 
  • 12mm length
  • 14 gauge
  • Black finish
Hubs
  • Forged and CNC’d 6061-T6 heat treated aluminium alloy body
  • 7075-T6 aluminium alloy axles
  • Centre-lock disc mount. 6 bolt disc adapters included
  • Polished anodized black finish with laser graphics
Front
  • 100mm wide standard spacing.
  • Quick-release fitting, Thru 12 included, 9 and 15mm adapters available separately
Rear
  • 135mm wide standard road, cross and MTB disc spacing
  • Quick-release fitting. 12/135 and 12/142 adapters available separately
  • 7075-T6 heat-treated aluminium alloy freehub body
  • Steel Spline Insert freehub body reinforcement provides excellent durability against cassette sprocket damage to the freehub often seen on standard alloy freehub bodies.
  • 4 pawl, 28 tooth engagement 
  • 9/10/11 speed Shimano/SRAM compatible freehub, Campagnolo and SRAM XD Driver versions also available.
Bearings
  • By EZO Japan
  • Sealed cartridge replaceable units
  • Dual full-contact seals
    Quick-Releases
    • Hunt 4Season Internal cam for high torque tightening, secure fitting with low dirt ingress. Ideal for disc brake wheels.
    • 7075-T6 heat-treated alloy lever and head.
    • Cro-moly spindles 
    • Corrosion resistant stainless steel springs
    • Polished anodized black finish with laser graphics

    In the Box

    • Front wheel and Rear Wheel with 2 layers Bronze Shield tubeless tape fitted 
    • Pair quick-releases
    • Tubeless valves
    • Cassette spacer for 8/9/10 speed
    • Front hub 12mm adapter (QR adapter fitted to hub)
    • Pair 6 bolt disc adapters
    • Pillar spoke key for hex and square fitment
    • Spare of each spoke plus nipples
    • Quality control card signed by your wheel builder

    Warranty, HUNT Rolling Road Tests & Weight Limits

    A full 2 years from purchase date warranty is offered to the original purchaser only on all Hunt bike wheels against material or workmanship defects, please click here to read full details.
    All HUNT wheels models have to pass our harsh cobbled-rolling-road tests for rider weight limits, please see here for more details115kgs is the upper recommended rider weight limit for these wheels. Please include the weight of any luggage in your total rider weight when choosing the correct wheels. If a rider is over 95Kgs then an experienced bike mechanic should check the wheel regularly and it is advisable to use tyres at max 100psi as this will reduce the fatigue on the wheelset. We are cyclists ourselves and do of course go above and beyond to offer excellent service if you ever do experience any issues. We carry full spares at very reasonable prices and offer complete support.
    60 Day Ride & Return Period. We are certain you'll be impressed by the acceleration, low-weight, speed and durability of our wheels. We are cyclists and as such strive to offer class leading service and support. Buy with confidence, if for any reason you wish to return the wheels for a full refund of your order you can do so up to a full 60 days after you receive them whether they have been ridden or not. Please note we cannot offer refunds on wheels that have suffered from crash damage but do offer a crash replacement discount.



     








     
     
     

    650b vs 700c bike talk + catch up


    This link was sent to me as part of an email from Raleigh a few weeks ago and was a very interesting read. Here is a LINK to the web page, its not too long.

    Another interesting article that was part of an email from Biketreks a month or so ago that I forgot about but is in topic with the Raleigh guide is the custom built Open Upper. Have a read and drool HERE


    On the note of Raleigh see that they sent me through the post -



    Now that does bring back memories! regret not buying one now.

    Also this week it was stick making duties and leaf sucking duties after that -



    and the only new goodie was a cheapo copy ass saver guard from Decathlon £2.99




    25 November 2017

    NECCL RD 6 Hardwick Park, Sedgefield - Photos

    It was a sunny but chilly start to the event based on the grounds in Hardwick Park, Sedgefield. The sun was shinning and not to windy for the U12's at midday as they raced on a new course compared to previous years. Once it got around the he main race at 1.30pm it had started to cloud over and the wind had picked up making it real nippy. The frost has lifted out of the ground and made the top inch or so real slick in places which caught a few riders out.
    Here is a link to some MBE photo galleries from the vent - U12's and Sens Part 1 and Sens Part 2




     
    and some adult ones
     





     
    Many thanks to Ian Dunn and all the helpers for putting the event on

    21 November 2017

    Trip down to York & catch up

    Just back from a short break down in York. Its been many years since I have visited the area so was looking forward to it. The Christmas market and the lights were switched on was last Thursday so the town centre was very busy we shoppers inc ourselves. We did not do much sight signing as we were busy with Christmas and general shopping duties. The weather was dry and cold on the first day. We stopped at the Travelodge 6 miles out of the city for around £23 per night compared to £135-£155 in the centre per night. There was plenty free car parking, quiet and no hassle. We also had a look around two out of town chopping centres - Monks Cross and Mc Arthur Glen, first time we have been to both and was very impressed. That day was wet but warm but mainly indoors. Again it was more shopping! We also called in past Sam Turner at Northalerton for a look around and treat myself to a new Stihl early crimbo present to myself! This place is massive and could have spent many hours looking around the man gear / tools! Café is canny upstairs as well. Then we also called in Morrisons at Darlo further up the A167 for a boot full of food / drink/shopping and a tank full of fuel!





    Some new reading literature for the coming weeks / months -






    and last but not least my Christmas present to myself that I have been wanting to purchase for many years.

    12 November 2017

    Fresh Goods Sunday - Halfords Presta Inner Tube 700 x 38-45c

    I have used Halfords own branded inner tubes a few times in different sizes and they have been very good value / quality so far. When I bought the Hunt 4 Season 700c wheels I bough these at the same time as I was not sure if I was going to run the wheels / tyres tubeless or not. In the end I run them tubeless but always carry two of these inner tubes as spares, just in case. Like last week I had a rear blow out just outside Leadgate where the Stans did not seal the hole so whipped in one of these tubes and I was on my way. They might not be as light as a branded tube but the quality is there and so is the value for money.
    RRP £3 each or 5no for £10 (any size mix & match), I paid £7.50 for 5no
    Spec - Halfords Presta Bike Inner Tube
    A must have cycling essential the Halfords Presta Bike Inner Tube is for 700c bike wheels and is the perfect replacement for bike inner tubes which have become worn and damaged and beyond simple puncture repair.

     Halfords Presta Bike Inner Tube - Extra Info

    • Presta type valve
    • Valve length: 60mm