Yearly Archives: 2011

Superstar Components Brake Pads

By 4 commentsReviews, , , , ,

Fitting My New Superstar Components Brake Pads

Last week I spent £5.48 on a pair of Superstar Components brake pads.  Now that’s cheap!  Shimano or Ashima were all the wrong side of £10 so I took a chance and ordered one set to see how they were.  If they were rubbish I’d only have wasted £5.48.

They’re not rubbish. They’re bloody marvellous so thank you @Mattmbr !

Fitting The Brake Pads …

… was easier, but took longer, than I expected.  Le me explain.  Extracting the old pads was simple:

– Remove the wheel, squash the split pin on the brake unit and pull it out (easy).
– Push the old brake pads out with a small screwdriver (easy peasy).
– Put the spring clip and new brake pads together and push into the void left by the old pads (pretty easy)
– Re-insert the split pin and bend the end with the small screwdriver (lemon cheesy)

So far, all good. No issues. Hunky dory. Five minutes top end. Smiling.

Then put your wheel back on.  No, hang on, the new pads won’t let the brake disc rotor back in. Oh no, now what?  Drop back wheel, put the small screwdriver between the pads, work them apart, put the back wheel in again.  No?  Repeat several times, with swearing.

Eventually, to be fair, the wheel went on.  Just remember that your brake pistons gradually work their way further out when pads are worn, so when you fit new pads they’ll be too close together unless you force them back in with a little bit of grunt (and of course some care).  Once the wheel’s back on, you should be laughing.  And, more to the point, stopping.

Don’t forget to wear your new pads in with a few long, hard stops to get the rotor and pad heat up so they form to the shape of the rotor.  Then you’ll stop properly.

I’ve ordered the second pair today, so I might let you know if the second fitting is better 🙂

Superstar Components Convert

By 1 commentReviews, Rides, ,

I took some advice via Twitter earlier this week and ordered some new brake pads direct from Superstar Components.

Two days later, less than half the price of Shimano OEM or Ashima and with no postage costs, here they are!

20110804-120645.jpg
I’ll fit them at the weekend and hopefully bed them in with a long descent from Blackstone Edge, but based on my first Superstar purchase, I’m a convert!

I also got a bag of Haribo! Wiggle haven’t sent me any for ages, so Superstar win on that score too.

p.s. I posted this via my phone, so sorry if it looks pooey.

Cycling Photojournalism Awards 2011

By Cycling Challenges, Photography, ,

The Cycling Photojournalism Awards 2011

This is my personal entry for the presently non-existent “Cycling Photojournalism Awards 2011”

They say that a good picture paints a thousand words.  This one is more concise.  This one paints 10.

"We went on a bike ride. There was a pool."

“We went on a bike ride. There was a pool.”

This may not have a potential running theme like Jamie’s excellent “Bike And Gate” series, but I quite like it.

Got any entries? If I get enough links in the comments below, I will publish them and give an actual prize. The rules are as follows:

1. You have to own the picture.
2. It has to tell a story about cycling, in its own right .
3. A caption of up to 20 words is allowed.

Tell your friends. Tell ’em Phill sent you 🙂

What A July! Now What? #Jul100 #Aug100

By 6 commentsCycling Challenges, Rides, , , , ,

A Record-Breaking July (Almost)

OK, we didn’t break any records. Not really.  But, a couple of weeks ago I though we might do more miles in July than we’d done in June.  Bloody Hell!

The sun came out, we got our bikes out and we did some miles.  Boy, did we do some miles?!

As I write this on the first day of the #Aug100 there are 7,330 leisure (and turbo) miles on the spreadsheet, of 8,460 miles in total.  That’s more than any month except April, when the #30daysofbiking was in full swing.

What an awesome effort.  I’m humbled, and proud, and simply chuffed to be known to you all.  Superstars, you are.

New Members, Old Friends

During July, people like Lloyd at @cyclingnirvana and Craig at @fruitmeister have joined the fray, clocking up some serious mileage.  It’s great to have you along, guys! (If you want to say Hi, or if I’ve missed your name off, drop a comment below and make yourself known!)

Once again, Mental John Berry has topped the 1,000 miles for the month, winning whatever award I want to call it this month.  Let’s just call it the “Mental John Berry Award” from now on, shall we?  He’s a nutter.  He denies it, but he’s either lying or simply wrong.

Faithful friends like Matty, Jo Simcock and Chris Byrne have quietly pedalled away, chucking over 1,000 miles in between them.  You’re fantastic.

On a personal note, a modest 132 miles puts me in 26th place, but it’s 132 miles I know I wouldn’t have done without the peer pressure.  Month after month, I owe you all big thanks and probably a bunch of years on my life (but maybe off my knees) 🙂

Below you should see a graph of the current status.  Feel free to copy & paste to your own blogs or wherever you like.  Get some more people to join, why don’t you?  That’d be lovely!

Here’s a link to the spreadsheet, have a look!

Owd Betts For A Cuppa

By 2 commentsCycling Challenges, Photography, Rides, , ,

On Saturday, I had a couple of hours out in the sunshine on the Fat Boy, and a very pleasant couple of hours they were.

Getting across Rochdale was the least fun part, dragging through urban roads before the pull up from Spotland Bridge towards Norden.  Once climbing Owd Betts though, thoughts turned to stamina and gorgeous views.

I did stop for a rest on the way up, though.  It’s a steep old pull!  Nevertheless, I was pleased with myself after 7 miles to be enjoying a cuppa from the Granelli’s burger van opposite Owd Betts pub, gazing over Ashworth Moor Reservoir one way and up towards Knowl Hill the other.  After a brief chat with a bloke who was testing his new 250cc CBR on a nice afternoon run out (he’d got rid of a Ducati for it), I headed back home, but not before the fun and swooping descent of Ashworth Road.

My knees complained a bit afterwards, but I didn’t!

Oh yeah, the ride also pushed me over the 100 miles for the month.  That’s #Jul100 done! Hurrah 🙂

Where is your business growing to?

Find out how Phill Connell Marketing Solutions can accelerate your business growth. Practical, realistic steps to improve your revenue generation.

Contact Us Today

%d bloggers like this: