back to those hubs...

 I noticed Jon, that you helped me out last time I sereviced my freehub on these Bonty wheels (in 2006!!)

 Bontrager race light freehub slipping (DT Comp hub)

and not a hint of sarcasm all thread!!

 Well, they are slipping again and tho I have one of those tools:

but I still cant get the 2nd axle bolt undone.  Any advice?

do the other DT hubs (240's) also require use of this tool, itsa pain!!

he's only going to the Alps, not Jamaica, why does he need to pack a gun?

Those Ibex's are nasty pieces of work. 

Steve W - Hope Ann is recovering well.

Are you around Bank Hol Sunday?

Me, Kate, Ryan and Wayne might be down your way.

Steevo, I might be going to Leeds to see Liz's grandparents on Sunday but if I don't end up going I could be up for a ride somewhere. On the SS, I think, as its the only working MTB.

Well, when I say working, I mean in my own unique way of having a bike that moves in a forwards fashion when I pedal..... sort of.... or at least it did last time i dragged it out of the shed.... 

Dave - Are you out tonight?

Is anyone else coming?

I think Ros and I are going to head out locally, as we're both home and will be able to head out around 5-ish.

Jon - if you're around and want to join us then that'd be cool. (or anyone else)

Oh, and sneaking back to the 'forks for Derek' debate - interesting that the coils were lighter than the airs, once you add in the shock pump.  I never really thought of that!  I guess I've just got mine dialled the way I like em, and leave them alone, whereas I often hear of folk getting totally confused by positive and negative pressures on the RockShox forks.

I'll check back before 1700 to see if anyone if going to be at Hope tonight.

If there are no definite responses I'll go out on my own somewhere.

I was out, just hadnt checked back here.  Sorry for that.  Had a nice ride with a friend tho.

anyone used a sports injury clinic before? 

My knee's fecked - really sore when I bend it, ok to put weight on it.  I came off last monday over the bars and landed knee-cap to rock quite hard.....one 24hr race later after a fair amount of running with my bike and my knee cap is quite pointy still but not swollen...any ideas? ta

Rest it, young lady. Not that I can talk as I'll be riding in the Alps with my sore knee. But then I know whats wrong with mine.

As a guess, you've probably got some fluid and some inflamation behind the knee cap. Which is similar to what I have. Keeping it bent hurts. Bending it a few times hurts but then it goes away. Straightening it after it's been bent for a while is so releiving. Sound similar

If it is like that, I have lots of hot baths, try as much as possible not to bend the knee. Put one of those support bandages on it and take plenty of Ibuprofen. And rest it!

You'll be back to a podium rider in no time at all.... 

Oh, my old friend the knee injury....

If it's had a direct impact you could have a hairline fracture of the patella which would be consistent with the lack of swelling - a detailed X-Ray would pick that up so get to A&E or a drop in clinic so they can rule it out.

If it's not broken, but there's no swelling then as Wayne says it could be soft tissue damage behind the patella, so that the swelling is contained and not visible.

The good news is that it's probably not serious ligament or tendon damage.  You usually get those associated with twisting injuries raher than impact and you would have some serious swelling if it was either - in my experience anyway.

Rest + Ibuprofen is always a good idea, but support bandages aren't.  Recent studies have shown that they restrict blood flow and delay healing.

Right, off to finish packing!!!! 

right that' it! I'm giving HT2 BBs one last chance to prove to me that they aint a bad design. I've got pissed off with the Superstar one so just bought a new Shimano one off ebay then if that doesnt work i will probably start a 'what bb/crank set up for the mechanically inept/lazy person?' thread.

Sorry to hear about your knee Julie. I dont know much about knees and joints but i would suggest its not what i had (cartiledge tear) but i would probably agree with Ade that it might be a slight crack to the knee cap, sorry, patella so would get yourself to the quack's or your local NHS Drop in centre something like that.  Hope it gets better soon.

Oh and ADe/Wayne, I hope you have a thoroughly miserable time in the alps and yours car/van breaks down 17 times on the way there!

Not really, have a great time!

Julie - it sounds like you have the same sort of injury as I had when I fell off in the Lakes in Jan. As you know, I did get mine x rayed and it wasn't broken. They just suggested rest and ice. I am guessing the small issue of a 24 hour race less than 7 days after the injury won't have helped but I would have done the same! Actually I kind of did do the same as I went skiing 6 days later (with my knee strapped up). I think it will just take a bit of time - mine took 2-3 weeks to start to feel better but months to be able to kneel down without hurting! It is still a slightly different shape from my other knee! As the guys have said it is probably a good idea to get it x rayed if possible just to rule that out.

Anyone out on Sunday? It looks like Sunday will be better weather wise than Sat so I was thinking of a ride from Hope on Sunday. Don't really mind where. May have a couple of girls with me. Will prob just stay local tomorrow.

Macs wrote (see)

right that' it! I'm giving HT2 BBs one last chance to prove to me that they aint a bad design. I've got pissed off with the Superstar one so just bought a new Shimano one off ebay then if that doesnt work i will probably start a 'what bb/crank set up for the mechanically inept/lazy person?' thread.

I don't think HT2 is a good design, at least in Peak conditions anyway. The ony options I'd now consider are the Phil Wood bearings that Sideways can retrofit into existing BB cups or possibly the Hope replacements.

After your Shimano ones fail - yes, they will - I'd suggest an SKF Isis bottom bracket with some sort of knock down price Isis crank-set. I've got 'em on two of my bikes - the Wanga and the Rockyvento - and the bearings are still going strong. Other Isis BBs, on the other hand, tend to be total crap due to the miniscule bearing size