Has anyone tried an M8000 11sp shifter and cassette with a 10 speed mech? It uses a 10 speed chain still so I guess it might work?

If 150mm ones are cheaper its only a £20 air spring change to convert to 160mm, then you have both options. http://www.gabelprofi.de/en/RockShox/Spare-Parts/Air-Shaft-PIKE-Solo-Air-160mm-travel-26-150mm-travel-27-5-can-be-used-to-change-travel-to-160mm-on-26-150mm-on-27-5-A1.html

Thanks for the measurements. Looks like it is 2cm too wide across to top of the wheels :(

Took mine for a test ride last night before it’s first commute today. Singletrack, roots, steep climbs and some small drops, handled it all very well. The mudguards get a bit rattly though!

Arkose 4 by philsherwin[/url], on Flickr

Arkose 4 (2) by philsherwin[/url], on Flickr

The first commute went very well, managed to half the amount of on-road miles which is always good news. The length seems fine despite my concerns but I think the bars are still a bit too high even with no spacers, and i’m not 100% convinced by the bar shape on the drops, but I have some spares that I might put on. Otherwise, very good and great value!

Trek do a domane disk. Not sure on the spec off the top of my head but it looks a great frame.

Awesome, thanks Ben!

Quick bump for the evening :D

SportPursuit ones are silver as well.

I use them in 26″ format. Building seemed fine (although I have only built a few wheels so I don’t have much to compare against). They are pinned instead of welded though, and the join wasn’t perfect but not an issue with disc brakes!

Have gave them a good hammering over the last few months and only needed a minor tweak or two on the rear, which is probably more due to my build than the rim. Stiffness seems good, not quite as stiff as chinese carbons, but again could be due to my building skills.

If only they made the PDWs in black! Just ordered more SKS despite my last ones breaking in several places…

You may be right.
All I want is an 18″ seat tube, 24″ top tube, 67 head angle, 72 seat angle, 26″ wheels, 44mm head tube, threaded BB, 5″ rear travel, dropper post compatible full sus frame that can handle xc rides in the lakes, jump trails, 20ft + gap jumps, 8 ft + drops and weigh under 30lbs fully built.

Is that a lot to ask?…

You are describing a medium Yeti SB66(c) then. 66.7HA, 71.7SA, 24.2″TT, 18″ST, threaded BB, 44mm head tube. Extra inch of rear travel for free. Seems strong too, here is a friend testing the strength of his:

Didn’t get time for a demo, so ordered a Large 4. Here’s hoping it fits!

Well, I also run 770mm saddle-top to BB centre, so that’s a start!

It’s 57cm effective / level, so with a 74 seat angle that’s a fairly roomy front end hence the 90mm stock stem.

James – that’s what has me torn between the two, and wanting a more relaxed position than my road bike, as you also mention. The TT on the medium would be spot on, but having a 34″ inside leg would mean a lot of seatpost!

I rode down it last year on my rigid :D It is more fun with suspension though!

Thanks for that m1kea.

I’m going to try and get (yet another) demo on a large this weekend, but family time might get in the way… I could get the length the same as my race bike on a large with an 80mm stem (maybe even then standard 90mm due to the slightly steeper seat angle) but with a 40mm higher bar height. The only doubt I have is whether I’d want this bike a bit shorter to go with the more upright position. A 70mm stem would be pretty short for this type of bike!

I’ve used Calypso for the last year or so, think I got it from Tesco and not had any problems with it!

I think I would probably be better on a large with a shorter stem, than a medium with a longer stem. Maybe.

James, can you provide the correct measurements for the medium too? Thanks!

I did the Cheshire Cobble Classic on 23mm Conti GP4000s recently and didn’t puncture. Surviving that mix of cobbles, broken road, pot holed gravel tracks and even some stoney bridleways gives them 10/10 for durability in my book.

I’m 5′ 10″ with a slightly short torso and I got a L / 54cm Arkose 4 at the weekend.

The large is 55cm seat tube, 57cm top tube according to the site?

Any sizing tips on these? At 5’11” I am dead on the line between medium and large. My normal road bike is a 56 which would suggest to go large, but the TT is longer on these.

I did demo both sizes a few months back and seemed to think the medium felt a touch short, but the large felt quite tall. I’m struggling to remember my exact thoughts though!

Pretty sure SRAM pulled it not long after launch. A few are/were floating round in the US.

Yep, Lyn Colwyd with Tom on one of the free guiding days :)

I waited for 26″ bikes to die, then bought the best of the breed at a knocked down price:

I’ll definitely pay more attention to seat tube angle next time, my SB66c on paper looked bang on, if not slightly long compared to my other bikes. When riding however I found the seat post angle to be very slack, so I had to slide the seat forward on the rails to get my normal position (otherwise I got a lot of hamstring pressure on long steep climbs) which then makes it feel perhaps a touch short.

You can still get 2015 SIDs in those specs.

Thanks for the pics Graham, some good ones of our team!

I found the topeak ones (with straps) to last OK, the zip went after a couple of years on one, and the second one ripped after a bit less time.

Ortlieb micro was great at first but the plastic clip under the saddle soon wears with use (just bounding around while riding, not from taking it on and off the bike). After about 6 months it gets verry rattly then starts falling off when you hit bumps. Happened to both mine and a friends so I assume its a common problem.

I bought one of the Bellelli trailers from Halfords and thought it looked fine. Then I went into another shop and saw a Croozer. Amazing difference. The Halfords trailer went back for a refund and I got a Croozer off eBay.

Another tip that worked great for me was to get a camper van/motorhome. We managed to get away for a good few events like the Scott Marathon series and Bristol Bikefest etc, and they turned into a family weekend away where I got to disappear for a few hours on the bike.

generally anything with Gore Active Shell would fit your bill. My pick is the Sportful Survival jacket (I don’t get on with Gore’s own brand fit at all).

Pretty much all my riding is commuting now, plus occasional weekend rides planned weeks in advance. Contrary to other people, I now ride the week night club ride less in bad weather now, as I’d prefer to stay in and save the pass for when it is dry.

Also, contrary to others, my road riding has decreased to almost zero. If I can get half a day out I’d rather take the MTB somewhere nice than ride around dodging cars.

The lack of sleep plays a part too, we haven’t had a full nights sleep in over a year now, and doing the Dyfi after 3 very bad nights in a row left me ill for the next week!

Used to be a Michelin fan but my Pro 4s cut up and wore in next to no time. Went to Conti GP4000s and am happy with the grip, rolling resistance and durability. They were £25 at Ribble at the time. I did switch to latex tubes at the same time, as reviews said the Conti’s were a bit wooden feeling so the latex tubes seem to have negated that.

I went for the same (32) and it feels about right.

I’m with JL and spoke to them on the phone before committing. £5k max per bike, but covered in the garage without any bike locks required, and covered away from home so long as they are locked to an immovable object. I checked and they said no specific standard of lock was required to be covered away from home.

Aldi flavoured couscous sachets every time for me. Put in a mug/bow, add some hot water and wait about 5 mins.

They are also really good nutritionally with about 1:4 protein to complex carbs and dirt cheap.

I would say pedalling characteristics would be more important than weight for an xc race frame. I haven’t tested a huge number of frames but i’d be looking for something with a DW-link type setup as they seem to really favour hard pedalling efforts. All my 4-bar frames have felt ok if you are smoothly spinning a decent cadence, but as soon as you get out of the saddle for a steep climb you have to reach for the lockout which is a pain when racing.

The opposite, i’d forgotten to close the lid and it all leaked out :lol:

You come to a carpark which is at the bottom of the airstream parts, we rode through and up a fire road full of aggregate until you take a right and rejoin the trail. We thought that was the proper route!

Both trails at Cwmcarn were open. There was one diversion on Twrch but I think we actually recovered a lot of it by getting lost and doing the airstream sections anyway.

It was easy to get on the single ride runs at BPW, although the climb was quite good fun and only took 20 mins on my sb66. Your experience may vary on a DH bike!

All the trails were great fun, been eating cake all week to recover!