Show me pics of your XC race bikes and give me your suggestions

you could put em on wtb laser light hubs from crc ( same as american classic)
i got a pair for 75 quid but i see that they are now 90 ish.
still cheap though.

I'm racing on ZTR Archs and find them fine :æ)

They're not quite the same as AMC, they're heavier, 145/265 vs 130/225. I'd rather have AMCs on Olympics and have the tougher rim.

i had spotted that but at 75 shecklles i had to bite. 😉

The Lactic acid inducing racing machine

a mars bar short of 30lb

Spock, is that a mahoosive 'ding' in your downtube? 😮

Spock, is that a mahoosive 'ding' in your downtube?

Yes, i hadn't really thought about that before.

The Freds are 295g-300g on our scales. They're awesome as long as you use Stans – I wouldn't like to run them with tubes. I also have some Maxxlites, which are very narrow in comparison. In terms of useability, the Freds are a lot better – especially if you go with the UST version (400g) as it has tougher sidewalls.

Very nice bike Giles. Very light 🙂 TBH the only dodgy bit is your choice of pedals… Or have you found a way of stopping them falling to bits?

GB

I had a second hand pair last year and I wasn't really impressed with the pedals from a durability POV. I bought new ones this year and they feel much better but who knows how long they will last.

Are you on a new bike this year?

I'm sure I've seen a cheaper alternative to Schwalbes FFs, also made by Schwalbe just can't think what they're called 😳

Scrub that, I'm thinking of Sammy Slicks. I must have had my cx head on. I'll go now.

They do Fast Freds, but they're a fair bit heavier and now only available with the heavier carcass (if at all).

Nothing wrong with Egg Beaters, just need to save them for dry conditions, think of them as Furious Freds for your cranks!

Duc – Member
Incidentally, are those Carnegies on there at the moment ?

Yes, really comfy as well.

Giles – we have some A La Carte Ti bikes on the way when they get round to welding the damn tubes together… Some nice build stuff too it would seem. Won't have it at Sherwood though – April at the earliest 🙁

Chili Con Crossos for Sherwood surely!?

As I've got the right audience here, anyone know who makes the carbon flats with the moulded pistol style grip in the centre?

Similar to the 2008 bike I have, but it's not been ridden for over 18 months as I'm enjoying my 29er!
XTR everything, Ti bolts all-round.
What size are you as it'll be on eBay when the weather improves.

Why change to ti bolts on a bike you never really liked riding? Wasted expense that. Or put them on the 29er, no one will pay more for a bike with a ti bolt kit!

I know the ones you mean oldgit, but don't know who does them, I was thinking it was Token or Trigon or someone, but a Google search was fruitless.

Begining to think they might have been 'Hong Kong Specials'

Can you ride a CX bike at the BMBS? I have no intention of doing so…but just wondered?

My Chili Con Crosso is currently doing winter training bike duties anyway…24c tyres not cx ones.

Njee/Old Git – I'm intrigued now…I can't think what these flats looklike. Pistol style grip in the middle?

Like Oval road/Ergo bars if that helps. the centre section is flattened and sculptured for your hands.
I ride that position quite a bit so it's nice to copy that to the MTB. I'm only interested though not gagging for them.

Can you ride a CX bike at the BMBS? I have no intention of doing so…but just wondered?

Nah! Would probably be advantageous at Sherwood though. Bit sketchy in the singletrack flat out maybe!

Gutted dude, I hate that!

I've got the same issue with waiting on team kit because ordering it's been left so late!

Oldgit – OK I see now. For that hands almost together look. My Easton EC90s are so bloody narrow (560mm) by the time you but grip shifts and brake levers on them I don't reckon there would be enough space.

Njee – still got that slightly used 30.9 NU seatpost?

Sam, do you think it's the fact they're carbon that makes them feel better, or the tubs, or the weight?

All of the above really, the carbon makes them very stiff – they just feel supremely precise with no noticeable deflection under acceleration or cornering. The tyres are also just very fast rolling and amazingly grippy for their size. In mud they're incredible. Of course they are also very light overall. I will soon find out how much of it is the tyres as I should have some clinchers coming as well.

?

Why change to ti bolts

Who said anything about changing anything?

Nothing has been changed, it came with the Ti bolts and XTR kit.

no one will pay more for a bike with a ti bolt kit!

No one said they would!

The bars you're talking about were made by Trigon a couple of years ago. Pointless. Can't adjust the angle of the bar sweep, can't play with stem length, expensive when you crash and damage the bars….

Nah I'm sure I've seen some that weren't with an integrated stem. Agree that they're pretty pointless though, just restricts setting up your controls.

Who said anything about changing anything?

So it's got a few ti bolts in the stem? Shimano don't use them anywhere. "Ti bolts everywhere" implied you'd fitted a full set and were using that as a sales point, was just saying if that's the case it'd make more sense to stick them on the bike you use!

Sorry James, sold the 30.9 post!

Not like those above, aless extreme version of these

For a limited budget, i put together the following. BMC Elite alu frame (£250 ebay), rebas, xt/slx, juicy 3s, my old crossmaxs, tubeless, ritchey carbon bars, syncros carbon post. 25lb with heavy breaks and slx bits, not too shabby and not that harsh either.

@rusty trowel
Mine was just 'put together' I'm not a contender, though I'd be happy with top tens in the over fifties. But you reach a point of deminishing returns, and I think I'm just about there with mine. Though I could do with replacing the Alu post and stem with carbon jobbies.

this picture has been on many times before but i havnt got any new ones yet. this is my XC, race, all mountain, freeride, jump, downhill, tourer, road, bmx and whatever others you can think of.

I wish i had more money 🙄

my new weapon of choice for this season

implied you'd fitted a full set

As previously stated, I've not changed anything.
The bike was collected from the Merida show room in Long Eaton. Nothing has been changed nor been modified from the original spec' and that's one selling point as opposed to telling someone I've since down-graded any of the kit on the bike.

Now that makes better sense!

Hej njee, can you get those ebay carbon frames as a 29er?

Not to my knowledge no. It's the same frame that goes to lots of the small manufacturers, like Massi and Full Dynamix, none of whom tend to do 29ers.

Shame as I quite fancied building up a cheapish lightish 29er to spend some time on before commiting big bucks for a superfly 100 etc to replace the advanced later in the year.

oldgit, do you mean these ones:

Available from Aspire Velotech at a reasonable $87.50