I love mine. It keeps the suspension much more active through rough stuff. I’ve also seen a big improvement in chain retention and the drivetrain is noticeably quieter.

I have the current Reign Advanced and it’s excellent. I would put it very much in the Enduro race bike category though. Not sure that’s what you’re after? Having said that, it pedals phenomenally well and I don’t find it dull on easier trails. I run mine mullet. Lots of adjustment for running 29 or 27.5 and tweaking the head angle.

I also had the “original” 27.5 Reign and the current version is better in every way. The older Reign wasn’t a particularly nimble bike by comparison, other than the fact we all rode bikes 6 sizes smaller 10 years ago, so they were a little easier to chuck around..

Bonus points for the fact that if I go away for a week I can throw the Rok in the car.

I’ve had a mk. 1 Rok Presso on the go for 8 years now. I love it. I’m surprised by the inconsistency comments as it’s not something I’ve had an issue with. The process of making a shot feels a little more engaging than with a full espresso machine. Think manual vs auto car. I like it so much that when my “proper” espresso machine’s pump died I decided to save the counter space and got rid of it. The only time I miss it is if I have people over and make multiple coffees in quick succession, then it can feel arduous. Other than that it’s wonderful. I’ve been tempted to try a Flair but it’s hard to justify when the Rok just quietly keeps going.

Just been looking on the Hayes site, might be worth getting in touch with them as they say:

Nothing says consistency like a Lifetime Leakproof Warranty and Hayes are proud to offer one as a testament to their confidence in such a well-engineered product.

Thank you. I did try that route but the NZ agent wanted me to send the whole brake to be inspected and they admitted they didn’t actually have the seal kit in stock to replace it. I opted to order the kit from elsewhere rather than be without my brake/bike for weeks. Admittedly this isn’t a great ad for the brakes/brand but I don’t mind much since I’ve done nothing but the occasional bleed in 5 years. I also bought them when seemingly nobody else wanted them so paid £120 for a full set of F+R, so I’ve had my money’s worth and then some!

Got Dominion A4 on a bike and like the brakes but for sure spare pads, hoses and fittings are a little more trouble to find.

Shimano hoses fit.

I have a Grayl bottle. Really simple, full bottle purified in about a minute.

I’ve run the same set of Hayes Dominion for 5 years now. I tried Shimano, Hope V4, TRP Quad, Codes before the Dominion and there’s no contest. I ride week in, week out (chairlift 20minutes ride from my house) and they’ve been faultless. Just in the last month the rear has developed a slight leak in one of the rear pistons but they’re fully serviceable with a kit from Hayes. I consider that pretty great reliability given the abuse they’ve had. Only downside is not many pad options.

They work. I’ve run most combos of SRAM/Shimano 11sp and it works fine. I can’t tell any difference in shift quality. The official answer though is no, since the shifters pull slightly different amounts of cable (about 0.1mm different).

Shimano XT vs SRAM GX mechs is a no-brainer IMO. Low end SRAM derailleurs are such trash and I can’t bring myself to pay the ridiculous prices for their high-end ones.

I’m not well enough informed to give a valid opinion, but the WHO estimates 6.7 million deaths per year from air pollution, mostly caused by burning fossil fuel. Some studies think that number is too conservative. So that’s what we should be comparing nuclear against.

Even if the bikes suspension was set up proportionally the same (ie 50% more spring rate and damping) the system with compatibly less unsprung mass (the heavier rider) would be more active.

You can sometimes see this when big lads ride downhill, they can plow through rock gardens and get bucked much less than small riders

So you’re saying there’s an optimal ratio of sprung to unsprung mass, which means riders of differing masses should be on completely different equipment to achieve that optimal ratio? I agree.

Put another way, say a heavy rider rides off a 10 foot drop. A lighter rider would have to ride off a much larger drop to generate the same amount of force through the suspension. Would you think more suspension travel would be beneficial for riding off larger drops? Ask Josh Bender.

A heavier rider weighs more compared to their bike so the unsprung mass (the wheels) is relatively less compared to the rider leading to a more comfortable ride (the suspension is more active)

The suspension would only be more active for the heavier rider if they both rode the same bike set up the same way.

I’ve been making the argument for years that heavier riders would benefit more from longer travel bikes. It’s not so much about “speed”, it’s about decelerating mass. More mass decelerated over the same distance puts greater force through contact points – Tyres, bars, saddle, pedals – which means a harsher ride.

I’m all for athletes getting paid and working in safe conditions, but imo they have not done themselves any favours with this move. Imagine if the situation was reversed, and the organisers turned round a couple of days before the contest and said “Sorry guys, times are tough, I know we signed a deal 6 months ago but we can’t afford to pay you what we agreed. You can have 40% less money or we cancel the event.”

Would anyone support that as a negotiation tactic? It’s disrespectful to all the people who worked really hard to put together a good event, all the fans who paid money to go and watch.

The reality is that freestyle MTB is an incredibly niche sport with very limited commercial appeal. There isn’t automatically a big pot of money waiting for an athlete just because they’re good at their sport.

One of the stranger animal encounters of my life was riding a trail parallel to a drystone wall in NE Scotland. A red squirrel jumped onto the wall and was running along beside me. I found it very charming until the little guy launched himself off the wall directly onto my chest. He scurried around my body until I stopped riding then scampered off. No clue what he thought he was up to.

It seems like there is possibly more going on, but this could be an example of “relative age effect”. Most studies done on children’s age within a school year suggest that being young within a school year is a significant disadvantage, both socially and academically. That effect has been identified for children born in the same year, so if your boy is more than a year younger than his classmates, it’s likely to be even more pronounced.

The effect can be seen in academic performance, mental health and sporting performance. The majority of elite athletes have birthdays late in the year.

Yeah, the shock/seat tube/rear triangle intersection is a horror show. The straight line from head tube to rear axle, on the other hand, is very pleasing.

I have the Edifier R1700BT and they’re unnecessarily good for the money, which is about £120.

Yeah, if Rotorua is an option then do that. Stick to Whakarewarewa forest for biking. There’s a good uplift shuttle  there but you can only access about 20% of the trails from the shuttle, so consider an e-bike. Don’t bother with the Skyline gondola unless you’re doing the luge (which is ace). Check out one of the geothermal parks while you’re there.  Oh, and a soak in the geothermal springs is always nice after a day riding. Waikite Valley is my favourite but it’s a bit out of the way. The Polynesian Spa is bigger and right in town.

I like that my Hope/DT freewheels are usually enough to alert people of my approach. Much more civilised than bells or shouting. If it wasn’t for that I’d buy silent hubs. Oh, and I’m one of those people who dislikes high POE hubs because they make suspension performance worse…

If he’s going to use a bike box in addition to the bag, then isn’t the bag a bit redundant? The only reasons I have a bike bag is to avoid the hassle of sourcing a box every time I fly, and for the wheels on the bag making airport navigation easier. He’ll have neither of those benefits so why not save the money? 

Still comes with a blue cap though, the sexist pigs.

I thought they must have misinterpreted what type of lube was required when I read the name of that stuff.

Edifier R1700 if she doesn’t mind about portability. Really lovely sound quality.

I have a JBL Charge 4 also, which is surprisingly good.

+1 for Anker Soundcore. I had a set of the life P3i, which I got for a lot less than £100. They were awesome until one of them stopped charging, at which point Anker gave me a refund. I replaced them with Sony WMF-100XMF. The Sonys are better, but not by much.

Penhaligon’s Halfeti is a good masculine crowd-pleaser. Halfeti Cedar if you like it a bit more woody.

If you’re looking to go full on masculine, earthy and niche then check out Nasomatto Terroni. Just tread carefully with it. And never tell an Italian that’s what you’re wearing…

@stwhannah You’ve done the right thing by seeing your GP. From what you’ve written you should be seen by a specialist. I’ve no idea what waiting times are like where you are but, unfortunately, it often pays to give healthcare providers a nudge if things aren’t happening very quickly. Maybe go back to your GP if no update within a few weeks. Sooner if your symptoms are getting worse or you notice any new ones. Often these sorts of things fix themselves but you need to be checked out properly.

For using 3 times a day I’d invest in an electric grinder. However, if you definitely want a manual then I’d go with the Rok. It’s a thing of beauty. If you can’t face that price tag then I have a Heihox which is of exceptional quality for 75 pounds. great grind consistency and will grind beans twice as fast as a Porlex.

They are Trickstuff Direttissima and Hope Tech4 V4 territory. Above all SRAM, Shimano, Formula, Magura, and TRP.

I haven’t tried Formula or Magura but have owned all the rest, plus Hope tech3 V4, and agree Hayes are another level.

In Scandinavian countries people used to (maybe still do..) feed these Amanita mushrooms to reindeer. The reindeer metabolise the poisonous compounds no problem and the sedative compounds pass through them unchanged and are excreted in the urine. Those crafty vikings then drank the non-poisonous reindeer piss and got high.

Yeah, here in NZ we like our ionising radiation delivered slowly, hence our world-leading skin cancer rates.

That Stowa is a beauty. Nice choice.

The other possibility is that the issue lies with your board/binding setup rather than the boots themselves. The fact that you get more pain when riding harder/bumpier snow might suggest this. What board/binding do you use currently? Generally, lighter, more freestyle orientated boards will have less inherent damping properties than heavier, freeride boards. You can think of it like riding a short-travel bike on a DH track. Similarly, bindings vary a lot in stiffness and padding. Personally, I’m not a big fan of metal-based bindings because they offer little natural flex.

Yes, you’ve got the right freehub there. Pull off the old freehub and push the new one on. The Ekar cassette just slides on like a Shimano one. Genuine 5 minute job assuming you have the tools and nothing is seized.

Great info, thanks all, especially Daffy. I’m all set with adaptors already and it sounds like I might not even have to buy hoses. Winner.

I hadn’t considered the Hope calipers but, thankfully, I’m in NZ and nobody stocks them here so that decision is made for me.

I’m buying just the calipers. I’m pairing GRX calipers with Dura Ace levers, so buying the components separately.

Fire Maple x2 is another option which can be had for £60 and, IMO, is potentially better due to the excellent foldable handle design. I love mine.

Honestly, I wouldn’t bother with the Kennett bros books. They’re most useful for the bigger, classic rides, a lot of which probably won’t be an option while you’re here. In places like Nelson, Rotorua, Alexandra etc. the trails evolve too quickly for the publishing cycle to keep up. If you want more specific advice on trails and, to a lesser extent, waves I’m happy for you to send me a message.

I’d echo others’ sentiments and advise you come to NZ sometime other than winter. Dark by 5pm and lots of rain can be pretty miserable in a camper van. Add to that it will be ducking cold on the South Island and most campers are not well insulated.

If your travel window is fixed on winter maybe consider renting a car and airbnb rather than camper. It will probably work out cheaper (decent size camper is about $250/day + nightly fees at campsites) and you’ll be much more comfortable, especially since you’re not planning to be on the move regularly.

For surfing in winter I’d suggest Northland. Hundreds of spots to choose from, it won’t be too cold and the area is stunning. BUT, expect quite a bit of rain. Shipwreck bay in Ahipara is a world-class break and never busy (made sort of famous by the classic movie Endless Summer). As others have suggested Raglan is also great, if a bit busier. Gisborne also has a pretty good reputation for surf but I’ve never been.

I agree with Rotorua for biking. Nelson would be the other top pick – It’s one of the driest, sunniest parts of NZ and the trails are outrageously good. Further south, I think most of the trails in Alexandra stay open in winter and they’re excellent. You’ll need a guide though as they don’t do maps due to land ownership politics. Again though, you’ll miss out on lots of what the country has to offer. Most of the multi-day rides (Old Ghost Road, Paparoa etc) are off-limits for much of the winter. The other issue is that, although us Brits ride in all weathers the trails here will often be closed when it’s wet to protect them from damage.

I’d be getting hayes dominion A4 brakes if I was getting new ones. Currently running saints.

This.

Hope V4 have a very heavy lever pull and lack power. I got arm pump when I used them which had never been an issue for me before. I’m a 90kg guy who’s, hopefully, stronger than your, I’m assuming, juvenile son.

I’ve not tried Curas but everyone seems to love them and they’re cheaper, so they could be a good option too. If they’re good enough for Bruni to win world cups with they’re probably decent..

I really wanted to like the Hopes and bought them thinking I’d never buy another set of brakes. I think I stuck with them for 6 months before admitting defeat. Dominions are amazing. Everything they promise to be.