Just looking at the specs on Pauls’ site it says they are Performance Line Nobby Nics (even though Evolution Line are clearly pictured on the bike on their page), which means a harder compound if they are. I can’t really see clearly in your pics, but doesn’t look like there’s an “Addix stripe” of any colour around the tyres, and looks like there might be a “P” (for performance line) on the sidewall of the tyre too… My experience of the Performance Line NN is it’s fine as a rear for firmer trails and trail centres, I do prefer something softer and grippier on the front though. The Evolution Line NN in Addix Soft compound (orange stripe) is actually a very good tyre I find, a lot grippier than the harder compound versions without sacrificing any rolling speed. But up front something like a Magic Mary would make more sense for most people most of the time here in the UK.
Could also look at Big Betty, Tacky Chan or Hans Dampf on the rear too with a Mary up front… Depending on your preferences, but all of those are good combos.
FWIW, I’ve come close to buying one of these discounted Instincts many times over the last year or so, but keep having to remind myself that I just would never ride it. I’ve got analogue bikes sat doing nothing as it is right now, given I really only ride an eBike these days… ? But the Instinct really is lovely… Worth noting that the 52.5 stroke rear shock can easily be extended to 55mm stroke for an extra 6mm of rear wheel travel. Also given that the mainframe is the same as on the Altitude, it can easily take more travel both front and rear… A popular mod seems to be to up the stroke to 55mm on the shock, fit a -1 angleset (easy to do as the RM has a very common headset type) and a 160mm airshaft to the fork… Results in around a 64.5deg head angle in the mid setting apparently whilst not compromising the BB height or climbing manners. Also lengthens the wheelbase and front centre usefully too, and means experimenting with the longer chainstay setting starts to make sense too… Makes it much more of a short travel Enduro bike than the longer travel trail bike it ships as, if that’s your kind of thing…
As it is, I’ve still got my 2019 Element A50 (bought from Pauls’ cheaply at the start of COVID ironically) that I love to bits, that punches way above its travel. Recently purchased a -2deg angleset to take the 69HA down to around 67, and a 44mm offset fork. Did look at the newer Element but would only swap it to go Carbon I think, and the deals were only left on the alloy ones… That said, £2k for the A50 model is bloody cheap (and can do it on C2W too if I paid for the 10% charge) and the carbon frame is only around 500-600g lighter than the alloy apparently, and in an area it doesn’t really matter… ?
Nope… I still don’t need it! ?
Posted 1 month ago
