Ryde Andra 40 Rim - Review

Ryde Andra 40 Rim - Review

I have had trouble with spokes snapping repeatedly on the rear wheel of my bike. It was a persistent problem, as I had completely rebuilt the rear wheel with new spokes, suspecting spoke quality to be the issue. However, even rebuilt with plain gauge stainless J-teck spokes, I had another spoke snap. . . . . it was all the more confusing since I was using a heavy rim (Mavic EX325) which I have 4 of in total on other bikes, and have all been perfect. 

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Ryde Andra 40 Rim - Overview

When looking at the rim, it is a bit wider than most. This is the specific reason for my purchase. I like wide rims. You can buy this rim in a "30" version, which is narrow.

The rim is unusual in that it has a braking surface for rim brakes. This is a bonus as it improves  adaptability.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of this rim is the cross sectional profile, that see the lack of eyelets, and the adoption of a ticker layer on alloy adjacent to spoke holes.

The spoke holes are drilled at an angle, which suite my 3 cross wheel build very well.

The construction is pinned, I would have preferred welded, but  I had a £25 budget and this was the best rim I could find.

Quite a "Tall" Rim when viewed from side. 

 Other things in this picture: Alfine 11 Hub Gear and Super Moto X Tyre

Ryde Andra 40 Rim - Building and Use

The wheel built up very nicely and the angled spoke hole were a nice touch, but are they angle for 2 or 3 cross hweel building? I am not sure, a note there would be useful. 

The lack of spoke eyelets means that you are trying to tighten spoke nipples on to a rough surface, and so tensioning spokes can be a bit jerky. Not too much a problem though. 

A minor problem was that the valve hole was in the wrong place, relevent to the angling and offset of the spoke holes. 

Mounting tires is easy, and you can get them one without leavers. A bonus I think. 

Ryde Andra 40 Rim - Conclusion

A very good rim for the money.

Update 2024: After 5 years I haven't even had to tighten a spoke. Solid as a rock. 

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Origin 8 Drop Bar End Review

Origin 8 Drop Bar End Review

Origin 8 Drop Bar End - Applications

The origin 8 drop bar end enables the owner of a mountain bike or hybrid bike to enjoy the multiple riding positions offered by drop / aero bars without the need for a steering and braking system overhaul.

The clamps on the drop bar end are 22.2mm meaning they will fit on a standard mtb or hybrid bar.

Origin 8 Drop Bar End - Alternatives

The use of "proper" drop bars on an MTB will mean the that controls (brake and gear levers) will have to be swapped or bodged in order to fit. A MTB bar is 22.2mm, whilst a drop bar is 23.8mm, so you will have to file down the interior of the brake levers and gear levers to achieve a good fit.

 As you can see from the above picture it is possible to use MTB levers in the drop position but you will need long fingers to reach them safely.

 Origin 8 Drop Bar End - Costs

These  Origin 8 Drop Bar Ends cost £25 from SJS cycling (and £6 for grip tape). So they are not really a cheap option even if you choose to use you MTB controls as pictured above. By way of comparison a set of proper drop handle bars costs £12, but you will need levers with wider clamps. Tektro RL520 V levers are the cheapest I can find (SJS cycles) at £18.

 

So provided you have a corectly sized stem (31.8mm oversize), and are willing to partially destroy you gear levers (file down interior to enlarge from 22.2 to 23.8mm) then I would go for a proper set of drops. The origin 8 drop bar ends may be convenient, but you will have to buy proper drop levers, so you may as well may a good job of the upgrade. If the origin 8 drop bar ends were a bit cheaper, then maybe this would be different.

 Origin 8 Drop Bar End - Other Considerations

Many associate the use of drop handle bars with racing zoom zoom zoom. But I am building a bike for comfort. The brief period I have used these origin 8 drop bar end for has made me realize that drop bars are really comfy. As you can see I have them mounted rather high up! On Thorn Mt Tura Forks.

So after this experiment I have decide to get some proper drop bars on mtb and associated brake levers, and do the job properly. I would urge you to do the same, it will not costs that much extra. If you revert to straight bars you could always shim your gear levers.

Update: One thing to consider is that drop bars are a lot narrower than MTB bars. So with these you get to keep the width, and still get the drop "experience".

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Origin 8 Drop Bar End
Reviewed by Kermit Green on Oct 12 2012
Rating: 5.0

Clarks CMD-8 Mechanical Disc Brake Review

Clarks CMD-8 Mechanical Disc Brake Review - Why?

I wore through a rear rim a few months back, and had a rim blow out  when tire pops out from cracked rim where the beading becomes disengaged.

Now when I apply the brakes and hear the grinding noises, I cycle on country lanes mostly and can not avoid getting muddy rims, I wonder how long before it happens again.

By using a disk brake I am transferring  the wear to the disk, rather than the rim. £10 replacement vs £60 replacement.

So why, long term costs. It does not stop the bike any quicker.

Clarks CMD-8 Mechanical Disc Brake Review - Fitting

I have a lot going on on the rear stay of my bike. Mudguards, Pannier Rack and now a disk brake caliper. As you can see from the above picture I have bent the mudguard stay to fit around the caliper. A trickier problem was fitting the pannier rack. . . . .

I used a piece of builders banding strap doubled over, any piece of bent metal would surface so long as it has holes in the right place. Obviously this is not as secure as a direct attachment to the rear stays, but it not too bad. I carried 10 kg in the pannier on the bracketed side since fitting with no dramas.

The disk brakes are fairly easy to set up. I have never fitted a disk brake before it took me 3 goes, loosening a readjusting until they were just right.

Clarks CMD-8 Mechanical Disc Brake Review - Money Money Money

Prices range from around £15 to £25. I bought mine off eBay with no packaging for £10. I have read good reviews of this product.

 Clarks CMD-8 Mechanical Disc Brake Review - Performance

 The performance of these disk brakes is about the same as a v brake. They are no better, but they a so silent. No rubbing noises even when braking. So if you are thinking of changing for the sake of performance then don't bother.

 Clarks CMD-8 Mechanical Disc Brake Review - Conclusion

I want to prolong the life of my rims, and I didn't want to have to buy new levers. These Clarks CMD-8 Mechanical Disc Brakes have proved to meet these requirement at low cost. I will update in a few months or when the pads wear out.

Update: 22/12/12

Be VERY careful when lubricating you chain, and rear mech etc. If you have used spray lubes in the past I would recommneded switching to bottled lubs, to avoid getting lube on the disk rotor or pads. Otherwise your disk brakes will lose power when braking.

Note to Clarks: The return spring on the brake arm could do with being a bit stronger.


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Clarks CMD-8 Mechanical Disc Brake
Reviewed by Kermit Green on Nov 27 2012
Rating: 2.5

Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Review

Fujifilm FinePix XP10 - Overview

We have owned a Olympus Tough / Droppable / Water Proof Camera for a few years, and it has been very good. So I bought this Fujifilm FinePix XP10. It is water proof and drop proof, and is a horrible colour. But that's my fault I chose the color.



Fujifilm FinePix XP10 - Photos

The camera takes good pictures, although the colors are not as vivid as the Olympus camera we have of the same style. These pictures were taken with Fuji -  Optical Hardware Elinor OSTARA 12 x50mm Review

Fujifilm FinePix XP10 -Video

This Fujifilm FinePix XP10 takes extremely good video. I would say the best I have seen, HD quality, with the bonus you can shoot under water . . . some of our kids first jumps in the pool caught from beneath the surface to catch all of the funny faces. Priceless.

 Fujifilm FinePix XP10 - Price

I think I paid about £70 for this off of amazon, and it has done well for the price. Olympus variants are twice the price but then . . . . they tend to take better pictures and last longer and are more water proof.

Fujifilm FinePix XP10 - Reliability

2 Years in and the flash has stopped working, our olympus is 4 - 5 years old and still going strong and takes better pictures. I don't know why the flash has stopped working but it may be due to ingress of water, the battery / SD card compartment slides shut which I would consider a very unusual setup for a water proof seal.

We will be reverting to olympus for our next camera, the video is excellent quality on this fuji camera but I suspect a newer olympus camera would be of similar quality.

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