Box arrived 9 minutes early, I’d unpacked an assembled in 20 mins!  It looks stunning!

Can you guess what it is yet…    😉

Oops,sorry I meant this..

Sonder Transmitter?

Can you guess what it is yet…

Something you’ll have doubts about for the next 5 months?

Did you order it from the Wish site ?

it’s got to be an on one or planet x.

Something you’ll have doubts about for the next 5 months?

Fnar.   No.   I’ve been deliberating for 5 months and waiting for Race season to be over to validate my decision…

There is only one true race bike.

Vitus Sentier, as a temporary solution until you want this

I’d unpacked an assembled in 20 mins!

Some kind of slackerer hardtail to compliment the Spark I reckon!

No idea what though 🙂

Well, here it is:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2hwf74G]20191017_121536[/url]

I originally had my head set on the Vitus Sentier SRAM SX, but spotted an older Clockwork Evo on Ebay.  That didn’t work out but during that process I’d moved from head to heart, and like Cars & Alfa’s, I reckon any proper MTBer should have owened an Orange at some point in their life.

Target marketing then threw this new, discounted Evo from Sunset MTB at me.   I have to thank Andrew at Sunset for doing a great deal on a swap to a (**** enormous!) Magic Mary on the front and moving the Trail Boss to the rear, plus a rapid delivery.   I need to shorten the cables after work, but I’m very please.   Feels solid and awesome around the garden!

I haven’t ridden my race hardtail all year so that’s up for sale, and this takes its place as a capable and fun bike for winter and South East trails that’ll help me develop my skill set, plus has the right level of consumables to not make me question taking it out into the mud & slop, leaving my racy and much more expensive Spark to be reliable when I most need it.

First ride on Saturday before which I hope some tubeless valves arrive on time, can’t wait!

Shotgun when you sell it!*

*it’s nice i mean

You bought a bike from a shop yet you have to shorten the cables?!

Only the dropper cable.  But I get your point, although its a 2 minute job I’m not bothered about it.

What happened to your Ti hardtail,do you not ride that anymore ?

Nice bike

good looking bike. Bit of a beast.

Love the look of that – would have liked one of those instead of my Sentier but cost won out for me as I’d not that long bought an expensive fs bike.

Is that a 2.6” Mary then? Please update how you find that on hardpack and berms should you end up on any. I’m curious whether it would be better than the 2.35” version I have.

It is a 2.6, the pic belies its size!

It was on discount AND it should be half funded by the sale of another bike.    Not a lot of dry hardback around my local currently, and my only point of reference will be a 2.2. Barzo which is a very different tyre, but I will feed back.  I’ll be riding it at Swinley and Hadleigh over winter so should get an idea of grip, but looking at the size of the knobs its hard to imagine it slipping on anything!

Mismatching tyres, mismatching tyres, mismatching tyres. Say it 3 times and they disappear.

The Mrs had the same bike, she likes it and it’s very easy on the eye 😁 The dropper remote is bobbins though, we replaced with a Bonty which is much better.

Nice one Kryters, love the colour.

Mismatching tyres, mismatching tyres, mismatching tyres.

This.

Other than that looks bags of fun 😀

Thanks MH.

The dropper remote is bobbins though, we replaced with a Bonty which is much better.

Yes it smacks of simplicity, yes the fiddliness of shortening the cable meant I accidently pulled into the frame and, 90 mins and some sore thumbs from threading and pulling cable – the post seems to need a lot of tension to move – has left me not wanting to do it again for a while!

It will be interesting to see what you think of the front tyre.My experience is that they are magic for trail centre man made stuff,but bloody awful in mud regardless of tyre pressure.
Congrats on a lovely bike.

Looks great, the yellow is loud but I like it.

but bloody awful in mud

Well, most of the reviews I read were spouting about awesome grip in mud and on roots, which will be precisely my application.   I’ll feed back on Saturday, and if no good I’ll swap it to a Viglante or similar.

Spent lunchtime going tubeless with a track pump on both ends, frame protection under the cables is on and the weigh in was at 30.1 lbs. I suspect the Mary contributes to a lot of that!

And I thought my patio was greasy and green…

Nice bike though. I like.

Yep, lovely that.
If my 456C ever dies, quite fancy one of those.

Jeez.  Well I promised a report so, after a ride out with Jnr today:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2hxfSEn]20191019_145736[/url]

So this is the first of a few “modern standards” for me – LLS, tyres over 2.25 in size, 780mm ‘bars, THAT 35mm Revelation, Debonair and 27.5.

I rode wet forest single track and roots, some big drop offs and general mush with bit of slosh.   So, I’m amazed at how sturdy and balanced that bike feels.   The tyres aren’t as slow as you’d think by looking at them, the fork sublime and the grip from the 2.6 Mary – before even I’d learned to trust and lean it onto the edges – was phenomenal.  Its a really solid, confident and surprisingly comfortable ride.

I had more fun on an MTB even at 10yo speed today than I have done for a couple of years now, I’m quite emotional about the fact I chose the right bike for the right use.  Awesome machine.   This proves its not all about light & carbon.

I’m trying to sit here and not say “we told you so” but we did. MTB is amazing when it’s fun. Amazing