has a Hammerhead ever broken loose for anyone?

[chainsaw]

has anyone ever had their Hammerhead rear disc adapter ever break loose while doing some heavy downhill breaking?

did anyone use epoxy before they screwed on the Hammerhead?

just seems like those two little screws/holes... in that narrow aluminum drop out.... often times have to put up with a lot of forces when you apply your brakes.

anyone experience a failure? I am tempted to take it off and put some epoxy in there.

[rapiddescent]

to be honest - we've had one failure and one screw up since 1998 when I sold the first one and we'll see on friday whether Mikes other project works or not (the A3XX engine coulings)



[smiley=redface.gif] The failure was a batch of 10 FS-IS (Marzocchi front fork adapters) that I had on the test bike that we made 2mm too thin and it bent when used with a 4pot disk brake.  None of them were sold and they are being used as various paperweights in the office.  My own bike has two wedged together!



[smiley=redface.gif] the screw up was my fault when I sent someone the wrong size drill bit.  



The secret of the success of the HammerHead is that it doesn't just use the wee holes for support.  It actually uses the skewer.  We tested the adapters on carbon frames for a year before selling any and used some heat measuring strips to see if we could build up the temperature above the point which could melt the epoxy.  Never managed it, even with Hope Mini's and Formula B4's (which are well known to generate a lot of heat because of the 140mm rear rotor).  



We use a carefully thought out  [smiley=nod.gif] blend of stainless steel to prevent heat transfer and maintain stength.  I've always been concerned that the Aluminium home-made HH copies out there will transmit heat to the frame but at the end of the day I've not heard any reports of failure. so maybe I was being a little over cautious!



callum

[Sprucey]

I have the HH on my Oz and have had no problems. I am the ideal test bench - used to weigh 120kg plus and push my bikes hard.

As I sit here at lunchtime eating my salad (yuk) I am now only 111kg and fading fast - my target is 100kg.

Sheer grit and determination, lots of riding and an Atkinesque style diet (no potatoes, pasta, rice, carbo etc) but lots of fruit, fresh vegetables and salads) - it works for me and I feel great on it. It does however, leave your legs feeling very tired on the rides.

I will re-intruduce carbo when I hit 100kg to maintain the weight for a while before targetting 95Kgs.

Oh yes, nearly forgot the hardest bit - no booze - none of my beloved red wine!

Sprucey

[rapiddescent]

'luddy 'ell

if you are at this years singlespeed UKs  then say hi because I won't recognise you!  I think they're in wales this year.  I'm taking a car load of stirling bike club folks.

callum

[Sprucey]

Hi Callum,

where and when? (SS)

I need to lose weight for the crew weigh in at a sailing chamionships but felt it was time to get fit and healthy for good.

Still a big guy though - might be two months or so before I hit the 100kg mark.

Sprucey

[chainsaw]

Rapiddescent.... thanks for the reassuring reply.

I tried to buy one from you, but you have been on hiatus during a move or something, right? are you open for business again?

when I finally got around to buidling up my bike, I was in a panic for a Hammerhead and Simon was kind enough to sell me an extra Hammerhead that he had.

[rapiddescent]

ahhhh!  I was wondering where you got that from.  



I moved from central London to the highlands of scotland - Scotland has recently passed a law in its new parliment that allows mountain bikers access to all land (except peoples gardens and stuff) and also the government here have ploughed millions of pounds into creating trails and singletrack.  The result is that we now have loads of trails that are free for anyone to use when they want!







We have some slight technical problems in that small businesses in the UK are notoriously swamped with bureacracy (unlike in the USA) so we're a bit behind



I hope to be back in business soon.  

callum rd / scotland]

[ianc]

Callum - see you at the UK SS's, we're doing the Bristol 12 on the Saturday then driving up so we might be a bit tired and miss most of the party :-( Did you get my email re the 955 and 97 animal hammerheads? If I can get them before the SS champs I'll be on the 955 :-)

Ian

[chainsaw]

Scotland has recently passed a law in its new parliment that allows mountain bikers access to all land (except peoples gardens and stuff) and also the government here have ploughed millions of pounds into creating trails and singletrack.  The result is that we now have loads of trails that are free for anyone to use when they want!

callum rd / scotland]

wow, sounds like mountain biking heaven! some of my family originally came from Inverness. and I once hitchhiked from London to Edinburgh many years ago. beautiful country, Scotland, very very beautiful. we have Scottish games, music and dancing every year, right here in Dallas Texas!!!!!!

[rapiddescent]

yeah - we are very lucky that the government is so pro-mountain biking.  At weekends it seems like every third car has bikes on the roof off up into the highlands.

If anyone wants more information on Scotland then please email me and I'd be happy to point you in the right direction for having a fabulous holiday/mtb trip.  Inverness is a great city - they are pretty wild up there!

My local mountain biking club is building a 16km trail in the local government owned forest - and those hills in the picture are about 3300 feet vertical ascent and have load of good trails.  

callum rds

[chainsaw]

are you able to ride all year? or is it too cold and snowy in the winter?

[rapiddescent]

yes - can ride all year but I have to admit that I don't get out much in the winter - largely because it just feels cold (it only gets to about -5'C) because of the wetness.  Also, it gets dark at 3.15pm which doesn't help.

I went to the top of those hills (in picture above) in february with the stirling bike club and it was cold and everything was frozen.  I waqs out last night in the sunshine from about 6.30pm to 8pm and it was lovely.  about 12'C.  This weekend it is likely to get to 17'C !!!!

callum rd s

[kiwi]

heavy downhill breaking

try a little braking instead,and you wont have issues!!!! ,sure looks anice spot callum!And Sprucey,a mere shadow of your former self.....