Got home from work and CRC had kindly delivered a large box with a silver and red bouncy thing in it 😀 Ordered Tuesday, was with Parcelforce on Saturday morning but wasn't able to collect.
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/872/41654029881_1934e12462_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/872/41654029881_1934e12462_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/26sPMSZ ]IMG_20180423_194953[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/tallpaul_s/ ]Paul Sims[/url], on Flickr
Mid way through setting it up, it's now (after several hours) ready ride to work tomorrow. Gears checked, bars/controls adjusted, tyre pressures checked, sag set, brakes bedded in, calipers adjusted, cable runs checked. Phew!
Need to apply the bike shield kit, and the rubber mastic tape, oh and go tubeless at some point (give it a few weeks probably, the rear minion SS will be coming off, the front DHF going in it's place and a WT 2.5 DHF will go up front.
It's about a foot bloody longer than the L size hybrid bike I've been using the last few weeks!
And a moody shot in the dark to finish.
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/858/26787127317_056c03147b_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/858/26787127317_056c03147b_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/GP62GH ]2018-04-23_09-21-07[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/tallpaul_s/ ]Paul Sims[/url], on Flickr
Got it for £1650 with the £200 off offer that was running - SLX, revelation RC's, Deluxe RT, AR27 rims, brand X XL 150mm dropper, size XL. I'll weigh it this week, doesn't feel overly lardy though - it's not 'light' but it's not a fat git either!
I'll get some more pics in the next few days, I've not seen many of these on forums etc so if anyone has any Q's let me know.
Looks nice
Nice looking bike mate, just the time of year to buy it too!👍
You sure you want an all that weight on the dropper though? 😯
(I'm sure it'll be fine, is it a Brand X? They are great btw.)
Yeah you can blame me for the crap weather from tomorrow onwards!
It wasn't up there for long, and the front wheel was on the ground so no big deal, demo bikes are hung like that for days.
And yep - Brand X XL, 150mm - post seems good - the lever is a little 'loose' but nothing to worry about really.
Also need to tidy the cables and alter their lengths a bit.
Beautiful looks and amazing value for money buddy good choice. 👍🏻😊
Looks good. Virus are bringing some good bikes at decent prices.
Yeah, the standard lever works ok but it's a little "budget".
If you want a cheapish but better one, the Bonty one for around £17 is a great upgrade.
Good choice. I had a go on an escarpe at a crc demo day a couple of years back. It put the biggest smile of the day on my face. Really enjoyed it and nearly bought one myself.
Good choice. I had a go on an escarpe at a crc demo day a couple of years back. It put the biggest smile of the day on my face. Really enjoyed it and nearly bought one myself.
I didn't get to demo it but I'd ridden a few bikes prior to ordering and so I knew the geometry etc would be good. On the 2 mile ride to work this morning everything was working ok, definitely need to sort the hoses though as that's the only bit that's making a noise. Currently the dropper cable is much longer than the rear brake hose, I might have too much excess by the BB though.
Nice looking bike!
I've been looking at the 29er version for a while now.
Will you be posting a user review? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the bike as I'm not sure if I need 140mm travel, but I see you're commuting to work on yours... speaking of which, my girlfriend and I are discussing where you work. I said you probably have a 'normal' job, she thinks maybe you work in a quarry, or maybe a forest? Please put us out of our misery.
Ha, yeah I'll be doing a review - might be a few weeks mind. 140/150mm travel seems like the perfect travel for me.
I was between the 29 and 27.5 models, overall though I prefer 27.5 wheeled bikes.
I have a normal job, in IT!! Nothing even remotely similar to forestry or quarry work haha! My commute is 2 miles so it's not worth getting a seperate commuter bike.
Wow that's a looker!
I was going to go for a quick ride after work tonight but the drizzle and wind saw to that. Instead, I shortened the dropper cable and tidied up the cables/hoses at the front, put the 5mm spacer under the stem too as I'm 6ft 3in and with a 150mm dropper, size XL frame and about 20mm of seatpost out the frame, the bars down't half feel low! 🙂
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/943/27807571238_ca3a63c785_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/943/27807571238_ca3a63c785_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Jng58q ]IMG_20180424_194628[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/tallpaul_s/ ]Paul Sims[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/952/27807572468_e51ea577a5_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/952/27807572468_e51ea577a5_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/Jng5uC ]IMG_20180424_194656[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/tallpaul_s/ ]Paul Sims[/url], on Flickr
Looks good!
Looks good indeed.
Mine is an older one so is black but that looks good on silver and red.
I don't commute every day, but when I do it's 11 miles each way, but thankfully has some Off road in it.
Enjoy, I find it a pleasure to ride. I upgraded my brand x with a Wolftooth Remote.
Looks great. Enjoy.
Bollocks. CRC have just reduced it by 20% to £1480, with the BC 10% on top that makes it £1332. I paid £1650. 🙁
Is it worth speaking to CRC chat to see if they'll honour the lower price? Sods law!!!!
On another note, this is now BY FAR the best value FS out there. Even without BC discount, £1480 for this is a steal.
Yeah, I saw the price drop too. I feel for you.
It might be worth contacting CRC, maybe say you haven't ridden it and want to return it unless they cough some cash or even a voucher?? Worth a try.
Yeah I've been in touch with chat, awaiting their response, the guy had to speak to his team leader. TBH I'd be happy with anything extra off/as a voucher.
Having worked in CS for years the best way to get a result is to be really nice and be really grateful if they can do something - being a git and demanding stuff won't get you far! 🙂
I'm not sure when the price dropped though as it seems to be part of their week long deals which end today, but I swear I was on the bike pages a day or 2 ago and it was full price?
So I know weight isn't everything, but I was curious... Vitus give the weight as 14.5kg/32lbs. Mine is an XL however...
Completely stock, with tubes it weighs in at a few grams over 15kg, or 33lbs. The front wheel with tube and a 2.3 Maxxis Minion DHF weights 2.17kg - the DHF weights 825g according to the Maxxis website so that makes the front wheel around 1kg - 1.35kg minus tube (200g) minus rotor (150g) - rough figures.
Probably looking at 2.1kg for the wheelset, roughly, which is line with others around the price.
I totally agree about being nice regarding customer services. If you're a dick to start with you're much less likely to get what you want.
As for the weight of the bike, any reviews I've seen have mentioned that the bike is not the lightest around. Apparently the tubes of the frame were made thicker this time around compared to the 2017 model. Threre is also quite a lot of weight in those tyres (I believe the rear tyre is the double down casing (?), but I'm getting a bit out of my depth there).
There's definitely some weight to be lost in places if you wanted - 500g off the wheels for instance - but as you say I think most of the weight is in the frame as nothing else is overly heavy, just not amazingly light!
The rear tyre is the DD version so I'll lose the weight there when I change it, unfortunately I'll get it back when I put on a WT 2.5 DHF on the front!
So some good news, CRC have agreed to give me £85 back in gift vouchers (half the difference in price on the website - £1650 minus £1480) which is a very decent offer, and I wasn't expecting anything back, so that's a bonus.
Shocker CRC good customer service news! 🙂 TBH in my few orders and contact I've had zero issues, everything has been delivered on time and accurately, cannot fault them.
Now, question is - can you use a gift voucher balance alongside a BC discount code? Got my eye on a Wahoo Bolt 🙂
Good result mate.
As for using the code, worth a shot? 😃
That's really good news. They had your money so really they didn't have to do anything.
Looking forward to your review of the bike.
So you can use a BC discount and apply gift vouchers at the same time 🙂 One wahoo bolt on it's way.
And I realised that my weight of the bike included my 400g Time ATAC pedals, so it's actually 32lbs, the weight Vitus give is accurate.
Ordered a new WT 2.5 DHF for the front and some bits to go tubeless, I'll swap the 2.3 DHF to the rear. Should be able to get out for a proper ride this weekend up to the North downs, I can't see the Minion SS being much good even if we have no rain between now and the weekend given the ocean that's been dumped on Kent today!
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/869/40934073345_c16ab121d3_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/869/40934073345_c16ab121d3_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/25ncPTg ]2018-05-01_08-23-13[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/tallpaul_s/ ]Paul Sims[/url], on Flickr
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Got out for an hour to explore my nearest bridleway.
Week in Impressions: Despite the weight it pedals pretty well on the flat, the shock and forks also seem to be set up about right, I haven't hit anything big yet but I seem to be using around 60% travel front and rear, that's on some fast, choppy stuff, no gnar as yet.
The brakes - they're not as powerful as XT's, nowhere near as grabby - although that could be because it only has 180mm discs, they need a decent pull to full power, but that allows for some decent modulation. I can see why Guy Kesteven rates these as his favourite shimano brakes - with 200/180mm discs they would be nice and powerful yet with decent modulation.
The rear tyre needs to go, and will be very soon - anything that's not dry hardpacked mud and I can feel the rear slipping about.It'd be fine for the few weeks of proper summer but otherwise not much use in the UK.
Now the cables have been tidied it's dead quiet, the freewheel does make a bit of buzz though which is good for signalling to dog walkers etc that's you're coming!
Other than that, it just gets on and does the job! Hopefully I'll do a longer ride at the weekend, something a bit more interesting.
So over a month and 225 miles in, everything is working as it should, I played around with the bottomless tokens and currently have no tokens in the forks. I will say the Revelation RC's aren't the most plush of forks, I've felt far better small bump compliance and compared to the rear end which is super plush I think a 2019 Debonair spring upgrade will definitely be on the cards soon.
Did a 20 mile ride today exploring some local singletrack (which is OK, nothing amazing but it's nice it's there) and some fast, bumpy descents, one of which on Strava is called 'Flying Squirrel' if anyone rides near to Bluebell hill, Kent. This thing is a mixture of dirt and flint/limestone with a narrow and fast top section into a balls out no brakes wide doubletrack with arm pounding rocks and shingle (not big bumps, just constant chatter), into a couple of fast corners with sort of natural berms then crossing a bridleway into another steep section. I found myself today, according to Strava, entering this crossing at 32mph and as I'd been controlling my speed through the top section due to the overgrown brambles and nettles my brakes were lacking a little in bite at this point!! 🙂 Haven't switched to a 203mm rotor on the front yet but that's another upgrade I want to do.
Overall it's been great, no complaints at all. If I was buying again I might have gone for the L size as it's bloody long and something a bit shorter would suit my riding style more. It is mighty stable at full pelt down rough descents though!
[url= https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1758/40711031410_2d9550150f_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1758/40711031410_2d9550150f_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/252uFhE ]2018-06-02_07-03-35[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/tallpaul_s/ ]Paul Sims[/url], on Flickr
I wish I had some better trails closer to home though, having no transport of my own at the moment limit's the rides I can do quite a lot.