I'm contemplating this combo with either 160mm floats or talas. Anyone given it a go and how'd you find it?

Do it.

IIRC Flamejob did it with 36s, and I've got coil Lyriks on mine now.

IME, they suit the bike far better then the Pikes, they're better damped and the bike turns into a bit of a downhill monster. I've just done the PPdS on mine, and it was perfik in the Alps.

Be aware it'll make it a bit of a handful on tight, slow, singletrack in the UK though, but on bigger, rockier, steeper stuff it's deffo the way to go I think. Pitches are by no means XC bikes in the first place though… 🙂

36 Vans – bloody amazing but it does definitely make it feel more like a DH bike you can ride up hills. Front end was made a bit more wandery on climbs but who cares about them? 🙂

I did it with Alps riding in mind but also use it as my main bike in the UK. Does feel a bit silly for some rides but great fun on Lakes rocky descents.

Front end was made a bit more wandery on climbs but who cares about them?

Indeed. 😀

Mine looks like this now, and weighs in at 34.5lb…. 😯

Those are the replies I half expected and was hoping for. I tend to run a slightly longer fork anyway (140mm bombers on both Giant VT and summer season ATM) so I'm fine with a bit of wanderyness (if I went Talas this would be less of an issue but i prefer forks that I can't prat around with too much or I spend half the ride doing just that!).

Will give it some serious consideration, thanks chaps.