Used to have my Tripster entirely in off-road mode and it handled the SDW pretty good but comfort-wise it would definitely have been better on the Gryphon or Jones. Can’t imagine the TD is much different ;) Best of luck Hummerlicious, total respect. Always wanted a Travers Rudy 29+…..

Strangely I find the Gryphon a similar ride to the Jones albeit with drops! Echo Gotama comments, Swift is a completely different ride 29er-shod. Definitely trickier on the twisty stuff than the Jones.

Agree with above. Rode really nice, great bike to tour with but a bit too heavy off road for me and that beautiful paint just a bit too fragile. Gryphon on the other hand……….will never sell it!

Well you’re gonna hate me then! Got HD front and NN rear on that Ritchey I bought off you. It is fun! Fast and grippy for round here. I was slicing through the mud long after my mates and come to a halt. No idea what tyres they had though?
Had the HD for over a year 2 rides a week on flint, chalk, mud and everything else the South Downs throws and it has hans down beaten every other tyre I’ve tried.

teadrinker beat me to it, would definitely be hankering after the RLT 9 if I could justify it.

Well very subjectively cause I’ve got a Gryphon which is an awesome bike but it in summary it just feels more responsive.

I really liked the Swift and had it a fair few years in a few incarnations but ultimately it felt very neutral. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just not as much fun.

Ritchey is also lighter which counts for a lot in my book and the other day it carved through some mud that I know would have seen the Swift come unstuck. That was with a 650 plus/29 plus set up which seems a winning combination so far.

My only gripe apart from flaky paint are the drop outs. They work but an EBB would have been a better change IMO.

I like it so much I almost sold my Jones…..

At the risk of not listening to instructions, get a new one with tapered steerer! I got a RWB one on here to replace a Swift and am completely smitten with it. Excellent geared and currently singlespeed with 650 plus rear and 29 plus front. There is something magic in this frame. Only downside is flaky paintwork. Would like to get a Niner fork if a) could find a straight steerer 2nd hand and b) be sure it’s take a 3 inch tyre.

Sorry no use at all!

Yeah that’s what I think when I pass replica kits on Giant, Specialized, Canyon race machines. I’m riding a monstrosity. Almost feel like apologising.

Amen to that martinh, it’s been a endless slog this winter. There must be a few of us round Stanmer area on Thursday nights then…
Really looking forward to getting some truss forks put on today!

Got Spyres on a monstercross and XT on mountain bike and ride them on the same terrain up and down South Downs with no problems. It’s really twisty (with trees!) singletrack where the hyrdos win out.

Got 1 x 10 11-40 on a dropped barred monster cross with praxis works cassette and 1 x 11 11-40 XT on more traditional set up.

Obviously one is STI and the shifting is going to be different but I don’t really notice any difference between the 2 in terms of shifting gaps. Maybe that’s because in reality I tend to shift a few gears at a time so the ratios become slightly irrelevant.

Found the XT easy to set up but it seems clunky to me in comparison to the 10 speed set up and don’t why but I never expect the lowest gear to actually work! (but it does)….

Reilly Cycleworks, Enigma?

11-40 and 32 is ok for me on South Downs so imagine 11-42 is fine.

Interested in mixing tyre plus sizes experiments. Been enjoying a Ritchey P29er singlespeed bought off someone here. So much so that I’m about to try gears, Chronicle on the front and 650+ 2.8 Nobby Nic on the back as soon as the chicken pox dies down……….

One on the front of a tripster and one on the front of an offroad mud-plugger. No problems and less faff setting up than Spyres, pads have lasted well for me.

Looks like a boat?
Frankencross is where it’s at, keeping ahead of roadies just long enough to lose them at a bridleway and the puzzled looks you get from the full sussers. Only thing that would make my Gryphon better is if it was made of ti.

Riding that stretch regularly I understand your feeling. When they swerve into the cycle lane at speed it just seems vindictive especially if there’s no other traffic around. There are speed restrictions (and cameras) all round that area.

However in the same way that every ffing cyclist who goes past me at a red light, with headphones and no helmet riles up the Clarksons of this World I don’t think you’ve advanced the cause of Road Peace.

I’d take a photo of bus and number plate and tweet it to the Argus #attemptedbikemurder. Or something

Must have got lucky with mine cause I’ve had them on the front of 2 bikes for about 18 months in every kind of condition and they’ve been great.

As has been said, for rides that mix bridle way, road and track they’re great. The ability to hold off a pack of roadies and then turn off onto nearest track without loss of speed can be a giggle. I can’t believe I used to ride my Tricross round Stanmer whereas now I mince around on 3 inch tyres. If you don’t know any better cross bikes are very, very capable.

I’ve got a Leaf on lease and get on average 96 miles from it. Dips a bit in winter using heating etc. Depends on your lifestyle, yes you need to journey plan but for general commuting use it costs me the same to lease as a monthly rail ticket, charge it at work free and get business mileage so it actually pays me to drive it. It’s also very nice to drive.

EVs should be a major share of the car market in the next 10 years if they can sort out the charging infrastructure. It’s a bit like mobile phone chargers were a few years ago.
Fossil fuels should be left in the ground where they belong as far as I’m concerned.

Love the idea of dynamo hubs but I never know which bike I’m going to tour on so the cost would be exorbitant for me.

How much does it cost for hub and lights? Plus the cost of a front wheel rebuild I suppose.

My touring power consists of various flexible pv cells and usb lithium ion packs. Would have thought pedal power would be effective if there was some on board storage?

Had an Airnimal Joey for years and it’s fantastic.
It’s been tourer, cyclo crosser, commuter and mile munching road bike. Endlessly versatile, it’s now got a disc brake on the front and Exotic carbon forks. The Chameleon is faster but nowhere near as versatile. With 24 inch wheels it also climbs really well.

Got old 10 speed Ultegra shifters, old 9 speed XTR medium cage and an 11- 40 Praxis Works Cassette. Works great but could do with better barrel adjustment. The inline one I’ve got is a bit crap. Hoping by the time everything fails I’ll be able to match 11 speed clutch mech and big cassette with 11 speed STIs without the need of an aftermarket modification.

Kind of fallen out of love a little bit with my Diamond frame and unicrown over the Winter but I suspect it’s got a lot to with poor tyre choice and the sheer quantity of mud making most rides a slog!

1 x 11 has helped and desperate to get some truss forks, think it would bring the love back and would make it the Jones for me.

Plus has never particularly appealed to me but I can see why it would for some. Don’t know if it’s height thing, I’m 5ft 11 but it just feels like too much bike for me.

I’ve just used a Porlex Mini at my desk. First time and last time I do that. Might as well have used a vibrator for all the attention it attracted. Liking coffee makes me look like a tosser sometimes. It’s a good grinder though and handy for bike touring/packing

Thanks. Priceless. Reading this was like getting drunk really fast.

Was having this conversation last night. Straight steerers and 135mm. The speed at which these have become less available. Faster than 26 in the wake of 650, 29er, 650B+, whatever+*

Great just when I’ve stuck a Praxis on! Would rather have gone 11 speed with 11 speed XT 11-40 but nice to have this option now for when the shifters and rear mech give up. (probably never!)

Yes you could probably find some models closer to carbon or greenhouse gas neutral but it’s part of a wider context, as in how sustainable you are. Done some eco footprinting work with individuals who forget that one flight can wipe out all the other ‘green’ behaviours.

Crankrider I depressingly agree with much of what you say. Some of it is about addiction, I wonder how many people are constantly ‘upgrading’ their bikes and hardly riding the last incarnation. I know I’ve been guilty of this. Don’t think the LBS is necessarily doomed though. We’ve seen two open in our town recently and doing well. Still think the majority of causal cyclists are likely to want to buy ‘standard’ bikes in person.

If this merger means no more shit haribo then at least one good thing will have come out of it.

Ah Tripster thread my old friend.
Just about to head out on mine. 2 years later and 3 different builds it’s still making fun…

Might not work for the dog but would be ideal for a cat? (Cue Tim and his many ways of cat slaying)

Going down Kingston Ridge just gets funnier and funnier every year. It’s not going to end well.

Jones Truss forks but only cause I can’t afford them and this makes me want them more!

tripster Ti….

It looks like someone just stuck a slacker head angle and some tire clearance on a 90s road bike.

Yeah that’s what I like about it troll_rat. :wink:

This is the bit I like from the website

How to place?
Before purchasing please consult a professional first for a pre biomechanical study. Therefore, it is a seat that it is not sold; it is prescribed.

Had my Airnimal for about 5 years now. Been built up with original hub gears, single speed, off-road with 1.50 Landcruisers, 1 x 9 and more recently 1 x 10. Commuted every day with it, toured fully laden all over France with it and it’s nearly as fast as my road bike. And it can fold when it needs to!

I suspect there’s a good reason but can you reply to the 3 emails I’ve sent you about delivery please? Thanks Matthew

I had a rabbit hole and knard combination on the front of my Gryphon but it felt quite heavy and slow to get up to speed. It’s a much faster bike on some old Crests and a Hans Damph 2.35 at the front but I’m getting a blunt 35 built. That with a Chronicle has been fantastic on the Jones. Will probably stick with the Damph cause the Blunt makes it’s footprint look not that far off the Chronicle anyway and it’s slightly more speedy. Main thing for me anyway is mud clearance at this time of year. I wonder how some of the clearances shown cope with clag?

Bumbag groupie too and a mud-encrusted, cheap one at that. Have had a Deuter one for years and it just keeps going. Forget it’s there and then a random rummage on a ride will reveal something I forgot I put in there, like a backgammon set or coal. Without doubt the most useful riding accessory I own.