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Removing Plus wheels and tyres and refitting 29er. Lighter, tougher, grippier, more controlled, better in mud, it'll be the next big thing.
And this is sort of cumulative but my 36s for the Remedy. 2 reasons- partly just that I didn't really like the Pikes that much. And also because the longer steerer meant I can fit an angleset which is definitely worth it. Probably not worth all the spend mind but still bloody good.
A new bike.
Over the last few years I've spent a fair amount of time and money getting my old bike 'right'. The new bike felt 'perfect' off the shelf, well, handlebars have been swapped.
Mightymowgli wins the thread.
Left my job of 20 years and cycled 2900 miles along the GDMBR from Canada to Mexico 😀
T2 to a T5 fully converted 🙂
That or a switch from Maxxis to a Spesh Butcher/Purgatory combo.
Well it ain't this, so must be the former.
😉
Revelations to Ohlins RXF34s I think these saved my arse at the mega this year.
Then three hours with A-line at Farmer Johns was a really great upgrade to prepare me for the mega next year...
But best upgrade to come on the 25th, first proper mtb for my son, and lightweight bike for my oldest daughter. Grow your own riding buddies!
2 x dynamos & my Swift Industries Ozette randonneur bag.
Winning an Exposure Strada 1200 🙂 I can now see properly and be more seen when riding in the dark 🙂
Also getting my Kona Hei Hei DL Trail. It's awesome having a fast, fun full sus 29er that didn't cost the earth. I might be over the feeling of need for a boutique branded bike #priceless
Finally getting a dropper post and understanding why people like them so much. Converting to 1x10 has also been a revelation.
Plastic shoulder ligament, no question! 😀 [img] 
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Upgraded North Wales for Lake District. 🙂
My Whyte T-130s.
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Made me remember how much I love mountain biking.
Got a new bike with dropper and love it! Upgraded to a Scott Spark 720 with XTR and tubular wheels. So quick and fun to ride.
I upgraded to part time or 'semi retirement' as it's also called, which gives me more time to do more sea fishing & biking.
Solaris.
Magic Mary on the front.
Removing suspension and gears.
Benefiting from roaddies wanting discs and got a barely ridden mavic cosmic wheelset for the road bike for less than a half new price.
Switched my Alpine for a Rocket.
Bought a road bike, currently upgrading fitness and stamina
Fat tyres (and the bike that came with then).
Swapped my suspension fully over to X-FUSION, after years on Fox and RS the build quality has been superb, reliability is second to none and the price isn't bad either.
Me.
Sacked off a heap of weight, got faster fitter and motivated.
Switched to a shiny green Stanton Sherpa. There may be something in all this long, low, slack, short-chainstay malarkey after all.
And finally given up on Shimano brakes and gone to Hope. Why did no-one say anything?
Changed from being a roadie for the last 2 years back to a mountain biker! Also upgraded my local trails from Berkshire to Exmoor.
My Mavic bib shorts! 🙂
Switched to a shiny green Stanton Sherpa. There may be something in all this long, low, slack, short-chainstay malarkey after all.
Sherpa is slack I'll grant you, but it's neither long nor low and the chainstay length is middling (though better for it as too short is counter productive IMO), but then it's not really designed to be.
Magic Mary on the front.
Amen to that! Took this seasoned Maxxis user a lot of persuading to even try one out, especially as I've had so many bad experiences with other Schwalbe MTB tyres, but the Mary really is awesome!
Anyway... My best cycling upgrade for 2016 was a van! Specifially, an ex British Gas VW Caddy Maxi. I'd denied that I'd be better off with a van for years, but I finally succumbed and... Bikes go in (several of them if needs be) with the wheels intact, dirty, and it doesn't matter! It's a mobile changing room too (albeit one I can't stand upright in), and now I've had it remapped it isn't even that slow any more (dyno proven 140bhp now!).
In a year where I've had various new dream bikes, eTap on the carbon road bike, Eagle on the full sus, who'd have thought it would be a van that made the biggest difference to my riding!
Bought a fatty! 🙂
therevokid - Member
getting my angina fixed
I skim-read that, inappropriately.
Garmin 520
I'm now pretty obsessive about recording all my mileage and it looks like I'm gonna exceed my 8000km 2016 target very soon - so more riding's good, init?
Sherpa is slack I'll grant you, but it's neither long nor low and the chainstay length is middling (though better for it as too short is counter productive IMO), but then it's not really designed to be
It's not even [i]that[/i] slack... 67.5 vs 68 on a Solaris. I was surprised to find the TT feeling shorter than anticipated (coming from a medium Solaris to a large Sherpa) albeit with an inline pin vs a layback. Chain stays any tighter then you'd have chuff all clearance (esp with 3").
Don't know if it's (mostly) the 3" tyres but I definitely ride more 'aggressively' on the B+ Sherpa than the 29er Solaris. Can't see 0.5 deg making that much of a difference?
My best upgrade this year would be a close call.
Bought a Solaris frame earlier in the year then just added Pikes.
So a combination of the two have given the best upgrade this year.
Upgraded from a 2009 Orange 5 to a 2016 Orange Four. So everything is new to me. Geometry, wheel size, stem size, handlebar.....freaking huge handlebar, 1x10 gearing and dropper post. Loving every minute I get on her, (she's called Thelma), but five months on and I'm still struggling with under steering...that what you call it when turning into things too sharply?...and trying to fit between trees!
Best bike I've had ever, and a double treat as I scared the utter shite out of myself at the start of the year with a bad snowboarding accident injuring my spine. Now, I really do feel that every minute on that new bike is a winner!
C. xx
For me new house slightly closer to the local trails and more importantly has a massive garage. Next year's project is kitting it out properly (and having kiddy#2)
metalheart - MemberDon't know if it's (mostly) the 3" tyres but I definitely ride more 'aggressively' on the B+ Sherpa than the 29er Solaris. Can't see 0.5 deg making that much of a difference?
Lower BB from the plus tyres probably a factor
Lost two stone and have ridden an additional thousand miles over last years total (so far). Amazing the difference being just [i]that[/i] bit fitter can do for your riding.
XT 1x11 groupset.
Shifts really well and having that bail-out 42T for the end of long days and those annoying short, sharp hills means I walk less and pedal more 😀
Four new bikes this year.
Biggest disappointment was Ultegra Di2 on my synapse.
Biggest surprise was XTR Di2 on my Habit.
An 11spd XT rear mech to work with my 10spd sunrace 11-42 cassette. Much better shifting.
Umm, just actually starting riding was enough for me - this time last year I was sat on the couch, depressed.
Since then I've lost a stone, done lots of trips to places like Gisburn & Llandegla, finished both the Peak District Pioneer & Lakeland Monster Miles adventurecross rides and put myself in hospital when an OTB resulted in a tree puncturing my calf. So lots of new experiences then ... 😆
Built a steel hardtail.
Upgraded from a basic grinder (still a burr though) to this
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Having rejected the idea for years, I bought a road bike. And then used it to improve basic fitness. My mates have noticed the change in confidence this has brought off road. Being less tired at the top of a climb means a better attitude downhill.
I'm the opposite of jwt ^^^^
Put 2 stone back on and ridden less than last year due to work and operation on elbow. That extra bit of weight makes things much worse. That 2 stone, plus some more is going.