Viewing 13 posts - 121 through 133 (of 133 total)
  • Getting back in the saddle; what’s new?!
  • onewheelgood
    Full Member

    I feel like that goes for pretty much everyone

    I think, for most people in the UK, the Spur is the ideal bike – apart from the price, obvs. STW seems to have a disproportionate number of people whose local riding is gnarly, rocky and steep, for whom a Capra or equivalent might make sense. But for the rest of us it really doesn’t.

    joe-m
    Full Member

    I’ve got a Nukeproof Mega and I’m very happy with it but It definitely still leaves room for something like the Spur if I had plenty of cash around, the Mega flies when it’s pointed down hill and peddles well enough when you spin up a fire road (even better on an uplift day) which is 90% of my riding. Where I think a Spur would come in is those long all day rides that which are still rough enough to make a hardtail hard work.

    Plus they just look like beautiful bikes.

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    I think, for most people in the UK, the Spur is the ideal bike

    Cobblers.

    STW seems to have a disproportionate number of people whose local riding is gnarly, rocky and steep, for whom a Capra or equivalent might make sense. But for the rest of us it really doesn’t.

    By this, you mean mtbers that live outside of Anglia and the South East?

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    ayjaydoubleyou
    Full Member

    By this, you mean mtbers that live outside of Anglia and the South East?

    depends whether you think uk mtbers are evenly distributed amoung the population, or if living somewhere where “local riding is gnarly, rocky and steep, for whom a Capra or equivalent might make sense.” is going to increase the chance of you taking it up.

    richmtb
    Full Member

    There is a whole category of bikes in between a Spur and a Capra though, its probably what most people ride

    paul0
    Free Member

    Interesting thread. I’m in a roughly similar position to the OP… not really stopped riding bikes, but 10yr+ hiatus of updating the MTB whilst 2 kids came along plus dabbling with road biking..

    I’m probably more confused now regarding what type of new bike I need / think I need. Feels like there could be scope for a decent article in the mag on the topic… maybe there has been one? (lapsed subscriber too!)

    Lots that I could comment on, but this made me smile..

    I’m not sure if its been mentioned in this thread already, but the general feeling is that gravel is now what 90s and early 2000 mtb used to be

    Tend to agree, and explains the popularity of gravel bikes now, as 90’s MTB was a lot of fun! Although I reckon they were still more capable on steeper / rougher stuff…. doubt I’d be happy tackling high street or black sail pass on a gravel bike?

    bridges
    Free Member

    I’m probably more confused now regarding what type of new bike I need / think I need. Feels like there could be scope for
    a decent article in the mag on the topic… maybe there has been one? (lapsed subscriber too!)

    Having now ridden at least a couple of different bikes, I do now feel a bit more informed. This advice, given on the first page of this thread, remains the best:

    You really should just go ride some bikes and find out.

    So I did. But that’s not quite so easy at the moment, to test different bikes (for the benefit of the poster who just doesn’t get why; it’s because the global pandemic has meant test riding bikes from shops, as well as shops actually getting stock in to be tested, has been at least difficult, if not impossible at times). Not quite as simple as just walking into a bike shop, whacking a deposit down and then going for a test ride. My (not at all scientific) test over the weekend, showed me a few things, and reinforced things I already knew/felt. Basically; it all comes down to which compromise will suit YOU best. I now know that something like a YT Capra isn’t the right bike for me (whereas it may well be perfect for others). So I won’t be buying such a machine. I really do still want to try out a few lighter ‘XC’ type FS bikes though, which might not be the easiest thing. But I do now feel that if I were to buy something like a Specialized Epic Evo, without testing it, it would probably suit me pretty well. Our bodies adapt; I’ve ridden all sorts of different bikes, you generally get used to one. The experience companies like Specialized have, means I probably won’t end up with a dog. I think my initial misgivings about larger wheels were reasonable, but the Scott did handle pretty well and was overall the quickest bike, so that’s experience I have gained.

    I am buying the 26″ hardtail though. It’s apparently a custom frame that was bought second hand, but fitted well, and has been resprayed. Reynolds 853 so light for a steel frame. And the price means it would be rude not to buy it! So that will at least provide me with a means to have fun, until whatever time I do buy a new bike.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    The Capra will definitely be shite in Epping, it’s not at all made for that. You would probably have a different view on your test riding if you’d been to some rocky Welsh mountains. As I’m sure you appreciate.

    clipped the (really wide!) bars a few times.

    Yeah I think there’s a fashion thing happening here. My XC bike has 710mm bars, as I really think that arms closer together (and further from my body) helps me get power down on climbs. And I don’t think I am losing out much on the descents given that it’s an XC bike. On a long travel bike of course I’d go wider, but I’d still probably stop at 760 or 780. I’m 180cm tall. However my long travel bike is 26 and I think that bigger wheels want wider bars.

    Re wheel size – 26 is likely to be not much of a disadvantage at Epping – but if you do decide to go to say, the Peak, and you’re fighting your way up some loose rocky climb, 26 is a significant disadvantage in my view.

    ayjaydoubleyou
    Full Member

    I am buying the 26″ hardtail though. It’s apparently a custom frame that was bought second hand, but fitted well, and has been resprayed. Reynolds 853 so light for a steel frame. And the price means it would be rude not to buy it! So that will at least provide me with a means to have fun, until whatever time I do buy a new bike.

    Are you going to keep the hardtail once you have bought the new bike?

    Going right back to the start of this thread, a light hardtail for Epping, local stuff and a bigger bike (but maybe not as big as a Capra) for your further afield trips?

    bridges
    Free Member

    I’m not only going to be riding in Epping Forest…

    Are you going to keep the hardtail once you have bought the new bike?

    Not sure. I may sell it or give it away. I don’t really want multiple bikes (been there, done that, fallen over them too many times).

    The Capra will definitely be shite in Epping, it’s not at all made for that. You would probably have a different view on your test riding if you’d been to some rocky Welsh mountains. As I’m sure you appreciate.

    I think it would be great for the ‘uplift’ type of riding that the owner bought it for. It’s definitely not a great bike for all day riding in varied terrain. Somewhere like the Pyrenees would involve riding perhaps along a dirt track for a while, then following goat tracks etc, before getting into the really chunky stuff. Big, long climbs, in hot weather. Sure, the Capra would probably be more ‘fun’ on the descents, but it’s getting up there in the first place. A 8+lb weight difference is significant in such situations. So I’d be happy to compromise on descending ability for better climbing. Another factor, is weight allowances on airlines; an extra 8lbs could well push things over limits, and involve extra charges (and we all know just how reasonable airlines are when you’re stuck in check-in, with no options…). Not the biggest consideration, but one to think about nonetheless. I do need a new bike bag as well.

    ayjaydoubleyou
    Full Member

    Another factor, is weight allowances on airlines; an extra 8lbs could well push things over limits, and involve extra charges (and we all know just how reasonable airlines are when you’re stuck in check-in, with no options…). Not the biggest consideration, but one to think about nonetheless. I do need a new bike bag as well.

    BA are (or were precovid) reasonable with this – ie didnt upcharge despite being well over. I think we got my gf’s carbon stumpy + bag + bubble wrap to just get under the theoretical limit, mine had no hope to begin with so got all the extra stuff thrown in the bag too. Idea being only paying one excess charge instead of two. Got htrough without any issue.

    intheborders
    Free Member

    If you’d said you just wanted to ride in Epping Forest I’d have recommended my old 456Ti, and with suitable tyres weighs in about 21lbs.

    bridges
    Free Member

    If you’d said you just wanted to ride in Epping Forest

    I didn’t.

Viewing 13 posts - 121 through 133 (of 133 total)

The topic ‘Getting back in the saddle; what’s new?!’ is closed to new replies.