The Beacon Message Board

The rule of thumb for loaded touring is a minimum 25" inch gear, unless you're off to the lowlands.

BIG difference between 9 and 10 speed. I used to get 5000 km per chain out of my Ultegra 9 speed. Now 2000 km from Dura Ace 10 speed.

As a rule of thumb, I will replace three chains and then on the fourth chain, replace the cassette as well. Like Alan, on my current setup (10 speed 7800 Dura Ace compact) I get 3 or 4 chains of c. 2000 km each per cassette, depending on how well I've maintained it all. I often run the last chain f...

As a rule of thumb, I will replace three chains and then on the fourth chain, replace the cassette as well. Like Alan, on my current setup (10 speed 7800 Dura Ace compact) I get 3 or 4 chains of c. 2000 km each per cassette, depending on how well I've maintained it all. I often run the last chain f...

As well as damaging myself during a 3 day tour a couple of weeks a go (still not fixed), I also damaged my brand new Altura Orkney 34 l panniers :( The front left pannier took most of the impact and friction when I went down at c. 30 kph. One of four of the bottom corner plastic protectors/feet was ...

I'm with Alan. For years I've forked out for Shimano's Dura Ace equivalent BB and they're rubbish. Once again they need replacing (if they so much as sniff water and/or dirt they start to moan) and I'll be looking for a non-Shimano replacement.
Who invented external bearings anyway? Pah!

Sunday 24 July would be better for me. Or is it politically incorrect to suggest a Sunday?

Assuming I can regain some mileage in to my legs, I'd be up for it Phil.

Also worth trying are www.gpsies.com and www.bikemap.net

shishhh... shimano dont do themselves any favours. According to their European website (they dont seem to have a UK-specific site?), the 7850 wheels are the top of the range, whereas everyone else gets the 7900 and they are readily available for sale everywhere in the UK for just a few quid more. Go...

Barry - that wheel is definitely good for the bin and nothing else. At least the rim is anyway - i'd assume the hub is OK and the spokes may even be re-useable so perhaps a rebuild with a new rim is in order? --- cut ----- John, yes presume hub is ok and some spokes may be re-useable and i have a f...

I dont think that is the case, in this instance. If you look at the 100s of comments on the forums, they mostly praise the marshals, signage etc. What is clear is that the organisers bit off more than they can chew (the delayed start) and that there was a clear case of incompetance (failure of timin...

Yes (Ironman) Richard rode a great sportive. Like him, I had fun and was pleased with my time and how I felt on the bike. 110 km of pushing it, often solo, with no back pain :) Thanks to Richard for driving. All this, DESPITE the organisation... I dont have an official time because, like apparently ...

Can anyone recommend or give some top tips on travel bags suitable for a (valuable!) road bike on planes. Not so long a go, there were only a few on the market, but I noticed when I was in Majorca in March that there are now loads of different types/shapes/sizes. I used to carry mine in standard air...

mount is excellent Herbert Richter (see eg www.htcdirect.co.uk/index.php?main_page ... =2_4_68_69 ) with bike mount. never lost the PDA despite rapid touring descents and using bike for MTB. I actualy use the PDA's wrist strap as a safety anchor, but have never needed it.

Are these drawbacks valid where GPSs are concerned? There are many compromises. Each individual function is invariably less powerful/easy to use than a dedicated unit. But there gap is narrowing (mobiles now have 5 mega cameras for example) and it just depends upon what you want. Plus, of course, w...

I was under the impression that most phone-with-GPS devices weren't quite so good at the GPS bit (e.g. relatively undetailed mapping software), and in some cases aren't even waterproof. I take it that that's not the case, then? Some phone+GPS units are not so good, but the HTCs all seem to perform ...

It depends upon what you want from a GPS. Some units are sophisticated bike computers / training data recorders with decent navigation facilities. Others are sophisticated navigation devices with decent bike computer facilities. Mine is the latter type and it doesn't for example provide different r...

From: Events <events> Date: Tue, Apr 27, 2010 at 11:30 AM Subject: from the RGS-IBG re 'The wonderful world of natural navigation' lecture on Wednesday 12 May To: Dear RGS-IBG members, Please find below details of the first in a new lecture series taking place in the Midlands region. Wednesday 12 Ma...

GPSies? Much more mature web-application in my experience. Most of the time I use a free desktop application called TYRE (www.tyre.tk/) which is much faster. Originally designed for motorcyclists and output to TomTom itinerary/POI files, it has been constantly updated/refined by the developer. Does ...

Thanks Paul. After I'd chiseled the gunk off them (the reason I needed to clean/change them as dirt seems to have have got in), I discovered that there is a arrow indicator on the side, confirming what you state....

Right (drive) side, tightens anticlock
Left side, tightens clockwise

Can someone help as I am a bit confused (not hard when it comes to things mechanical!) as to which direction the thread runs on a Shimano external BB 'adapter' (bearing cartridge). Is the right adapter (chainring side), a clockwise or anticlockwise thread? Shimano's tech doc http://techdocs.shimano....

I just e-stumbled across this:

http://www.cyclestreets.net/

Looks to be a great implementation of the Opencycle mapping system. Try it... wonderful

Well, any system that grades routes for 'Quietness' and 'Wiggliness' gets my vote

Ummm...

when i type p u n c t u r e the forum software replaces it with "**flat**"

Bizarre

I ran Marathon Plus (26 x 1.75) on my mtb/touring bike for 4500 km tour of central europe last year. 45 kg (bike+ luggage). On and off road. Not one **flat** and hardly any wear
But, they are heavy and slow and are not great when banked over on a fast descent.