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Dead
Head Single Speed Kit
LX_Rear_Mech
LX_Chainset_and_cranks
Shimano_XT_Chain
Shimano
XT Hollowtech II cranks and bottom bracket
SRAM_PC_69_chain
XT_bottom_bracket
XT_Rear_Mech
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out the latest videos we have uploaded
XT
Rear Mech
Price Paid: £35-00
Purchased from: Chain_Reaction_Cycles
Length of use: Continuous since June_2003
Overall Score: 
Comments:
No noticeable improvement over the LX changing but a good saving in
weight (50 grams). I had a bad experience with one XT mech when it gave
up on me after less than a month however I purchased another
one in June which has proved much more reliable
and I have upgraded the rating accordingly
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out the latest videos we have uploaded
LX
Rear Mech
Price
Paid: Supplied with bike
Length of use: Continuously since April 2001
Overall Score:
Comments:
A good quality mech that won’t let you down. This has given me 24 months
of hard use so far (April 2003) and is still going strong. The only
maintenance completed is replacing the jockey wheels every 12 months.
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out the latest videos we have uploaded
LX chainset - octalink splined
Price Paid: £44-00
Purchased from: Chain_Reaction_Cycles
Length
of use: 10 months (as at December 2003)
Overall Score:
Comments:
Very reasonable price for a quality set of cranks plus chainset. I
made a considerable weightsaving over the previous chainset (at least
150 grams). I'm not a good enough rider that I could notice any difference
in terms of stiffness - I was happy with the previous Specialized Strongarm
cranks and only replaced because the chainrings were badly worn causing
incessant chainsuck.
XT bottom bracket - splined
Price Paid: £21-00
Purchased
from: Chain_Reaction_Cycles
Length of use: 2 months (as at April 2003)
Overall Score:
Comments: Changed this at the same time as the chainset and cranks.
Throwaway cartridge style bottom bracket that gave me a considerable
weightsaving over the LX BB (75 grams) with the same solid and reliable
performance. Care needs to be taken on axle width when swapping from
tapered to splined.
LX bottom bracket - tapered (square)
Price Paid: Fitted with bike
Length of use: 2 years
Overall Score:
Comments: An excellent, maintenance free performance for 2 years. Throwaway
cartridge style bottom bracket that is still going strong and I only
replaced when I switched to a splined chainset.
Shimano XT chain
Price Paid: £15
Purchased from: Chain_Reaction_Cycles
Length of use: 1 month
Overall Score:
Comments: Continuously broke – not good enough!
Sachs PC 69 chain
Price Paid: £15-00
Purchased from: Cycle Surgery, Spitalfields
Length of use: 8 months use is very good
Overall Score:
Comments: Reliable chain with SRAM powerlink that makes removing and cleaning
the chain simple. This chain is much more hard wearing and reliable
than the shimano chains that I have used and that includes regulalry
messing around with a chain-tool to add or remove links.
Shimano XT Hollowtech II cranks and bottom bracket
Price Paid: £109-00
Purchased
from: Chain_Reaction_Cycles
Length of use: 6 months (as at October 2005)
Overall Score:
Comments: The LX cranks which I bought in 2002 have seen better days
and so I decided to buy some new ones. The new Shimano XT Hollowtech
II cranks and bottom bracket look challenging for those like me used
to the normal design, but spend a few minutes studying the instructions
and with the special park tool it's straightforward.
The bottom
bracket is part of the drive side crank set eliminating any play there
and with the bigger bearings contained outside of the bottom bracket
shell, they are really smooth once fitted. They even passed the 'Huey'
car park test.
The cranks
in place and ater taking them to the Alps (see chewed up teeth in the
close up) - not recommended but necessary when I had a crank failure
on the specialized crankset 2 days before boarding the plane.
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out the latest videos we have uploaded
Dead Head Single Speed Kit
Price Paid: £9-99
Purchased
from: Woolly Hat Shop
Length of use: purchased October 2005
Overall Score:
This kit
converts your existing 7/8/9 Speed hub to single speed. It includes
two rings - 16 tooth and 18 tooth plus all spacers required to sit on
you rear hub. I bought this to go on the 1992 Kona Lava Dome (18 inch
frame) that Sam uses to ride to school.
We decided
to single speed it, to keep it simple and also to keep it cheap (I don't
think I have any more gear shifters, or rear mech's in the spares box).
I went
for the classic 32:16 or 2:1 ratio. For the uninitiated, that's 32 teeth
on the front chainring and 16 teeth on the rear.
Dead
Head single speed kit fitted
an
old LX rear mech put to use as a chain tensioner
the
full chainset
Check
out the latest videos we have uploaded
Untitled Document
all
photos and content copyright of Richard Sear 1999 to 2010
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