The Surly is bit on the hefty agricultural side of things though?

Another BruKit here. Can see these being popular!

Yes, been rigid all year and much prefer it on the whole. The only time I’ve wanted some suspension is when doing multiple fast laps chasing mates on full sussers around degla or coedy which can get a little draining towards the end, and I do wonder if the achey fingers for a few days after are leading to any permanent damage!

97% of the time I love it and even think I am faster most of the time.

Can any other T-130S owners do me a favour?

My forks went back as they were constantly showing 10% of sag & not the full amount of travel, they’ve come back & at the weekend I noticed the sag once again sitting at about 5%, measured the amount of stanchion showing & it’s 125mm…

Phoned up the shop I bought them from & they’ve got one in stock, the fork is at 5% & the stanchion is at 126mm…

Can you please have a measure & let me know how long your fork stanchions are?

Rockshox Solo Air forks can do this when the negative pressure becomes greater then the positive pressure (through playing with the setup) sucking them down in the travel. You need to either extend the forks manually to rebalance the chambers (if you can’t just pull them apart try maxing out the pressure then pulling again). If that fails, unscrew the bolt in the bottom of the air spring leg (with the forks horizontal) and this will reveal a valve for the negative air chamber (basically like dual air forks had). Let some pressure out and you will get full travel back. It is a 2 min job.

The positive and negative chambers can only self equalise when the fork is topped out, so remember this when adjusting pressure and let it out slowly and a bit at a time, and keep pulling apart if they get sucked down.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170797722965

I use a tool like that for my El Mar.

If you think its hard now, just wait another month when you have to spend an extra 20 mins layering up before each ride! I have a 6 month old baby and still commute every day, although only half the distance and I keep it steady enough to not need a shower (I have that in the gym at lunch instead).

But… The Medium G150 is the same in top tube length to the Large T130.

To be honest, the only difference between M and L is 1cm in top tube length and wheelbase (unless you run the stem completely slammed on the medium, in which case the large will have higher bars as the head tube is longer). Also watch out on the large that you can run the Reverb at the right height, having sat on a medium today and set up the seatpost, I figure that I’ll only have 1cm to the reverb collar on the large frame. And thats with the seat in a nice high XC race type position when fully extended.

Hanchurch/Trentham/Barlaston Downs keep you entertained for midweek rides, while Cannock is down the road and Llandegla or the Peak District are just over an hours drive. You can’t go wrong!

I can’t compare the two but I just went from an SLX shifter and XT mech, to an XT shifter and Zee mech, and shifting feels much snappier. The shifter makes much more difference than the mech in my opinion.

Given that the T130 top tube is 20mm shorter than the G150 and the one I rode had silly wide bars on it (which will make it feel even longer I guess) I would put me firmly on a large at that height.

I had a quick go on a new G150 works last night, large felt good in the frame for me at 5’10” (and a half!), I was amazed how well it pedalled uphill when seated – the guy behind thought it was locked out as it wasn’t bobbing (it was fully open). I couldn’t feel any frame flex mashing a big gear either. Didn’t get to test it on any decent downhills though.

I’m very keen to get a go on a T130 SCR… (G150 is too much bike for my riding!)

Another vote here for re-using the hubs and getting some LB carbon rims. If you are not too heavy you could use the 23mm inner width ones and they should be the same weight as your current wheels, but less dent prone.

If you are getting a lot of rim to rock contact from running low psi or you are heavy then hookless ones should be a bit stronger and less likely to crack if you do bottom them out.

I’m liking the look of the 4 a lot, and a great, sensible spec for an all rounder too. It would be tough to choose between that on looks or a lower spec but potentially better frame (and through axles) with the Giant TCX 2 or Focus AX 2.0

I’m also interested in the Arkose 4 – I especially like the sound of matt cyan. Unfortunately my cyclescheme voucher has to be issue before end of September, otherwise it is 6 months before I can get another so it sounds like a no go for me.

Another tempting option for C2W/CX bikes from Focus:

£999 with alloy frame, full carbon fork, through axles front and rear. Its a shame it has Tiagra shifters, but I guess they could be bumped off for a Shimano hydraulic disc upgrade later on.

There is also a £1200 model with 105 and Tektro HYRDs and a £1500 model with SRAM Hydraulics.

It seemed like most of the way up when I did it a month ago, but my memory may be hazy. It was certainly difficult to ride up on the 1×10 rigid bike – just steep enough to be tiring the legs, easy on a good surface, but the size of pebbles on the new surface would randomly deposit you at 90 degrees to the direction of travel. Every. Few. Meters.

Salsa Chromotos here (tapered steerer/15mm maxle version). I tend to ride them with a 2.35 Hans Dampf on the front for trail centre stuff which seems nice and bouncy and a 2.25 Ralph for XC use.

They are surprisingly quick DH, just ride with the front end light so that bumps don’t suck up all your momentum, I only start to lose out to full sussers when my arms get tired. Purely as a reference point (nothing to show off about as I am by no means skilled or talented on a bike) after a ride round Degla the other week, Strava somehow put me at 28/6400 down the b-line ‘enduro’ black run, so they aren’t particularly slow on the right type of trail.

Check the TT length on the Canyon against bikes you have ridden. The one I tried briefly felt a touch too short for my liking – it would need a lengthy stem for me, but the guy whose bike it is seems happy.

TurnerGuy – Member
Smart Lunar R2 aren’t sealed very well…

I’ve had one for years for commuting and MTB use. I even rinse the mud off under the kitchen tap after MTB rides and have never had a problem!

Here is my El Mar, half way down Jacob’s ladder with its summer gears on. It also did 2 laps of Coedy yesterday!

Thanks! It sounds like the North Bar and their temporary bar by the start line are worth a look. Any others?

I like the scenery and for a bit of escapism. Occasionally the racing is worth a watch too.

The best I’ve found so far is Viro-sol, even diluted with water about 1:1 seems to work better than proper chain cleaner stuff and a hell of a lot cheaper. Plus being a citrus degreaser I assume it is more environmentally friendly.

Depending on the frame, the chain length will grow as the rear suspension compresses. I unbolt one end of the shock and pull the rear wheel up to find the longest chain point on my bike.

This one gets a thumbs up from me, thanks Graham!

I bought an El Mar SS (the nice white one) last winter and haven’t used my full sus since. The reason I chose the El Mar was adaptability – geared, singlespeed, QR or 142×12 rear, 15mm rigid steel fork, tapered head tube and big rear tyre clearance. This all meant I could swap bits between my bikes easily. At the time the only comparable frame was the Niner Sir 9, and my demo ride didn’t amaze me as much as the Salsa.

I have ridden it rigid SS all winter, rigid geared and geared with front suspension. At the moment I have settled on rigid geared (1×10) for the summer. I much prefer the handling with the rigid forks to my Rebas (not sure if they are stiffer or just a different offset but the front tracks way better) and it hasn’t got tiresome yet – even on longer rides like Dyfi.

I can’t compare it to the Inbred though!

Mine are still going extremely well, despite doing the last 3k (all descending as well) of the Dyfi enduro with a completely flat rear on a rigid bike. I half expected to see some damage to the rim sidewall, so happy to have gotten away with that one!

They will come in a bit under your budget but have a look at Autosleeper Ramblers/Autohomes Avalon or the other Talbot express/fiat ducato based conversions. You get everything that a motorhome has but in the footprint if a normal campervan. They are very handy biking vans!

Was that a white one with the blue red yellow panels that I saw go past? I do like those. Reminds me of 1970s racing cars

Yep!

My first Dyfi, and it was great! I used my rigid Salsa El Mar and personally thought it was the perfect tool for the job. Powered up the fire roads and even bounced past a few people carrying their full sus bikes down the technical bits (?!).

Great atmosphere and small touches by the organisers with the beer handouts, DJs, brass band, clowns etc. Also very nice friendly and helpful people riding the event (a nice change from the usual XC race circuit!). Massive thanks to the stranger (Stuart?) who offered me a front wheel before I could even ask when I realised the end cap from my hub was on the drive at home. Saved a 200 mile wasted journey and wouldn’t even take any beer money in return!

As it is close to heart right now, Salsa 142×12 alternator dropouts. £170 for these:

My Light bicycle carbon rims (wider AM 29er new process – not the new hookless ones) cost well under your budget built up by BETD with some nice Goldtec hubs. They are light, and a huge improvement over the similar weight alloy XC race wheels I ran before them. I’m not sure if this is due to increased stiffness or the wider profile offering more tyre support.

I’ve even been using the front on my singlespeed all winter with a huge 2.35 Hans Dampf and it has been faultless.

Tubeless 2.35 hans dampf on an LB wide rim at about 20psi or less helps. Some of the FoD sections were long and rattly on my salsa chromotos but still fast for as long as your arms hold out! Try and relax, stay off the brakes and keep wrists down.

After years of faffing with my mtb magicshines on the commuter, I now use a Lezyne Superdrive XL. It is much easier as all in one unit, so no wires to wrap around etc. Quick release mount works a treat and you can charge it by USB while at work!

Last time I had a horizontal dropout frame (Azonic DS-1) was back in the days of v brakes. My memory is a bit hazy but I remember brake alignment seemed a pain when refitting/if the wheel slipped on a big hit/slipped from a big pedal stroke. I imagine with discs it would multiply the problem. I guess you’d always try and make it as short as possible to ease the relocation, but it will still give a few headaches not getting the discs to rub each time. You also have to consider how to slide the wheel out backwards if you have mudguards fitted.

Any chance of a pic or two of the rear tyre clearance around the bottom bracket junction?

I use Pearl Izumi Amfib bib tights – they are water resistant (like a softshell) and have a built in gaiter that goes over the top cuff of your winter boots (and stays there) so water runs over the outside. No daft walking gaiters required.

I am also struggling with this at the moment (have been since Christmas). My research and NHS physio suggest muscle imbalance causing patellafemoral pain syndrome (and it came on about a month after taking up single speeding funnily enough!)

I think I am finally on the mend now (managed to be pain free after a ride on Tuesday night!). Things I have been doing are:

1. Complete rest from the bike until I have been pain free for a week to let the inflammation go down a bit (this is the hardest part)
2. Stretches – especially quad, hamstring, IT band, glutes, hips, calf, hip flexors
3. VMO – plenty to try but my favourite has been the leg extensions in the gym using the machine. Just doing the top 20 degrees and feeling that I am pulling the weight up just by contracting my VMO.
4. Hip abductor – (weak VMO is likely from an alignment issue triggered from the hips or the ankles) – side leg lifts, side knee lifts and dropping/raising one side of pelvis while on a step
5. Leg/knee stability – This brings all the above together. Single leg squats with a real focus on knee tracking (at first mine would point inwards very easily despite being able to do the squats without issue)
6. Foam roller/sports massage on IT band and outer quad to loosen off any pressure pulling the knee cap over.

While riding I have been avoiding winter bibs as they put pressure on the knee cap and can affect its tracking slightly, focussing on my knee tracking while pedalling (especially out of the saddle) and then doing a full compliment of stretches, foam roller and ice pack on the knee after.

I think it could be the first on-one frame that I’ve actually liked the look of! Much prefer the new seat stays.