There's a definite difference between the mmmbop and the blue pig. The sizes of steel we use build a more compliant frame with more twist and splay to it which feels softer going through stuff. The alloy frame is more precise but is harsher.

A bigger seatpost feels stiffer than a narrower one.

John you have sold your soul 🙁

Ton – How can someone who has never spent more than 5mins on any one bike ever hope to pass comment on how a bike handles?

theyEye – Why not pass a bit more comment on what you expect the new frame to achieve. Tell us if you are wanting to progress to long distance xc riding or had 'gnarly' freeride type riding. With your current background i would have expected you to have lots of miles in your legs so surely a more xc orientated rig would suit. Are you expecting the suggestiongs of Soul/456/etc etc to fold under you or something? I am sure i have seen pictures and mention from Cy that the soul is an amazingly strong frame. Bearing in mind its made of higher spec tubing, the fact it is lighter doesnt asume that it is weeker. Unless i have missed something you have jumped from road riding to heavy duty frames, designed primarily for heavy hitting dh with the ability to climb rather than considering what you actually want from the frame. Should we start discussing what full face you want to wear around glentress etc now or should we just jump straight to spine protectors? Brant & co will spin their current line of what suits you without actually considering that one of their older designs will suit you better. Its what feeds their marketing hype.

TheLittelestHobo: Yeah, my background is road distance, but that's kind of the point — want to do something diametrically opposite. So 'gnarly' is definitely the direction, on a full-on frame straight away 'cause I tend to buy a bike and keep it forever. I'm aiming for it to be right now, and right in 5 year's time as well. Hopefully I'll know a thing or two by then. Knowing nothing about this type of biking now may mean that I'm wrong in my choice, but so be it, just trying to take the best shot I can.

And might as well get to know the end-goal bike from the beginning. The price advantage of going with a more 'normal' frame isn't all that much anyway… The Soul, for example, is more expensive then either the Pig or the BFe.

So that's the story.

Brant: Thanks. Asking you may have been like asking the wolf to watch the sheep, but throughout my research I've come to pretty much that conclusion.

So I'm done. Blue Pig, here I come!

Me thinks you should try before you buy.

I like the steeper head angle on the BFe.
More direct steering, better through singletrack.
It's also a relatively light frame for a burly HT.

There's a definite difference between the mmmbop and the blue pig.

Which one was more braaaaaaap?

old thread resurection!

Looking at the thread doing some research for what might be a blue pig purchase and wondering if theeye bought the pig.
and if it was the orange one i saw up at Sestola in the summer?

Really cant believe there would be 2 in the same area out there.

That WAS me! Madness!!!
Really happy with the pig, even if the italians all think i have a screw loose.
Wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Wild guess ivan- grey five?
Do you live around here?

White 5 this year but a grey one for the previous 3 years.

I semi-live in Italy, 2 weeks there and 1 weekend back. Although that has changed this year since the baby has come and at a year still only sleeps about 4hours a night, makes it difficult to be away for more than 3 nights as the missus is back working full time.

I am working up near Carpi designing tractors, will hopefully be out there still this time next year but things are getting tighter so as the last english engineer I may get the chop at some point.

I seem to remember being on the lift from Sestola and you nearly lost it big time as you were passing underneath it, I remember thinking that taking the 5 and not the hardtail this summer was the best idea although it was about 30 days on the road to 1 day in the hills.

How long have you been out there for? I met another english guy 2 weeks ago who had been there for 27years, he owned the whitedog brewery which makes some proper beer in the hills above Modena. Have a look at the website, mega.

Have you found the cracking descent from Cimoncino down to Fanano which was part of the old percorso 1 route? (those were the only tracks when I first started going up there)

I have just added a BP to my stable of bikes so there may actually be 2 out there next year. Although nothing is better than mullering the DH guys on the more pedally routes (skinny shark etc) on the 5, quite often they like to stop for a chat to pretend they were taking it easy. Having said that the level of skill is growing every time I go up, mine is decreasing due to too much baby and flying!

Do you know of other riding out there?, I used to go upto Garda a bit and got over to Febbio a few times. Have also seen another bike park is now open in Abetone but never gone.