The right tool for the job

Just taken my new fork for a day out on the downs – it handled so well, and saved over 600g from my old fork.
No problem with only having 60mm of travel and no damping.

Very happy with how prep for a 20 day bash at the Tour Divide 2016 is going.

I would.

What the hell is going on with the helmet straps?

A solution looking for a problem?
Undamped supension? We had that with elastomers 20 years ago.
Th se things have to be tried I guess, but it’ll be a flash in the pan.

All dressed in black – check
Rear light covered by saddle bag – check

All dressed in black – check
Rear light covered by saddle bag – check

Fast as all hell – check!

Looks like you’re auctioning for the next…

Too much HDR 😯
How are you so clean?!

Riser bars, bar ends, and those weird roadie clip on bar things – check, 😡

what you gonna wear when it gets cold?

Ye gods! there is little right about that pic.
Who got in the dirt to photo you?

Are those clip on tri bars???
Are they attached to a riser thing on top of riser bars???

Hook line and sinker…..
😉

Tbh it’s better than your pic last time 😉

Are those clip on tri bars???
Are they attached to a riser thing on top of riser bars???

It’s the Fred Bar – http://bikepackersmagazine.com/review-fred-bar/

Really fancy one of those, just heard not so good feedback with side loadings and tracking. The small bump sensitivity is supposed to be incredible though, maybe more marathon than for xc racing ? Not seen one on a full sus before and only one on a fat bike in the flesh.

If only all the naysayers were as fast at the OP!.

Indeed. it went a similar way last time tho the pic was way worse lol

Where did that fugly bike thread go now??

Anyone got a link to that fork, never seen one like it before?

Just curious guys!

Lauf I think

The forks are Lauf TrailRacer. I’ve got a set I’m doing a review for at the moment. Granted, they are very light, but they’re pretty awful at anything other than fireroads (in my opinion). No damping, bob like hell out of the saddle, terrifyingly flexy when pushed hard, bottoming them out is an experience I never want to repeat (wrist shattering).
That being said, if you wanted something to take the sting out of slightly rough fireroads or washboarded dirt roads, they’d be great. But you’d get the same benefits with a large volume front tyre.

Ah, thanks for info mate.

Certainly unusual but sounds like they have some traits that might not be to a lot of peoples tastes!

Matt Page agreed wholly with Paddy as above. Indeed his review was just a photo of them in a bin!

If only all the naysayers were as fast at the OP!.

Is he fast, or does he just have pretty epic endurance…? Semi-serious pedantry. Sentiment stands though.

I’m 84% sure that robcolliver only got into ultra-endurance racing so that he could troll people with these high-fashion HDR concept shots.

🙂

This thread needs more Johnclimber.
I like the idea of a light fork that can take out trail buzz and a few small hits,but then I used to be a fan of these 🙂
I am sure they will be fine for a tour divide kinda thang.
The OP will just get on with it regardless,which is what ATB used to be all about 😉

I doff my hat to you, I didn’t think it was possible to better the variety of wrong that you had in the last photo. A lauf fork though, inspired. 😆

nah not on that frame, I’ve got a tallboy, its very very capable, I’ve also got a lauf, its the wrong fork for that frame imho,

have you short shocked the rear?

Is that fork still rideable if those spring bits fail, especially if you’re somewhere remote, with a pack of mountain lions, a grizzly & an amorous hill-billy in pursuit ?

Are you wearing a wetsuit?

The right tool for the job

Agreed

Again, thanks and chuckles for all the above comments.

I agree the straps on my helmet need work.

I have Raynauds, hence all the warm clothes, boots and loads of kit on the bike (and I started early to get to the start of the club ride that morning when the piccie was taken)

The Lauf is designed to eat distances and keep vibration to a minimum – I won’t be riding this on the lakes/Alps/Fernie trails, but it will get me to Mexico hot on the heels of that bloke with the sideburns.

It is all about getting weight off the bike for this particular race, so the lack of sensitivity in handling won’t cause me an issue as its a pretty straightforward course, even if its longer than most rides….

There is a ride on the cards for summer 2017 that is 5000 miles, offroad, self supported and already calling me. Check out the TransAm Trail Race.

My tribars are mounted on a homemade stem-handlebar clamp rather than a Fredbar as I wanted a bit more rise than the Fred offered. The Fred is pretty darn good if you are looking for more real estate on your bars though.

With regard to my speed as a club rider, please come and join us at the http://www.southdownsmtb.co.uk/ and find out for yourselves; we meet on Wednesday and Friday evenings and have a Sunday ride starting from different venues from the Purbecks to Arundel.

Cheers

R

I’ve been thikning about tri-bars for ultra endurance, those do seem rather high though. I’d be interested to see a pic of you on them and if you have any kind of quantitative feedback on how much difference it makes.

What do those forks feel like on fast washboard, any idea? That stuff is awful. Can’t see an undamped fork coping very well? Then again riding rigid over it at speed is tourettes-inducing and proper sus forks won’t make it much better.

Is he fast, or does he just have pretty epic endurance…? Semi-serious pedantry. Sentiment stands though.

Fast is relative isn’t it, not just about 2hr pace. Over 2750 miles 20 days is faster than most will manage.

I hate to admit it but tri bars of sorts are not a bad idea for proper long distance stuff. You need to give your hands a break somehow.

I did my SDWx4 with them and got on them at every chance when its not too uppy or downy or bumpy. Its surprising how much terrain you can pop over. I can open a chewey bar and munch it whilst on the skis, it takes a flat trail for a moment!
I’ve not done the eating thing on terrain with the new Lauf yet, only on lanes.

I think I get at least 1 mph extra when on the skis – I change cog as I drop on. I did ride the Highball with lower tribars and found it tough on shoulders, back and lungs so am happy with this compromise.

As a summing up, for TD, they are a place to hang your tent and a place to eat and a way of moving weight onto your shoulders to give your wrists a breather.

Didn’t Kent Peterson use a pair of sticks as tri-bars when he type it?

Whatever works for you 🙂