I got this Anker power bank, could probably power a house from it:

https://www.anker.com/uk/products/a1277?variant=37339392573604&utm_medium=affiliate&gad_source=1&wgu=289655_187205_17095894491891_64bc2e4ffa&wgexpiry=1741125449&source=webgains&siteid=187205&utm_source=webgains

About £35 on offer at the mo.

Same bike, similar weight. Run about 210psi in the X2 and about 100psi in the foks. Have the clickers pretty open (i.e not a lot of compression or rebound) but that’s very much personal preference. HTH

I’ve got XM4s, which have been brilliant. They pack away better than the xm5, which was a big bonus for me (+ cheaper etc).

Thanks: Manc – Leeds is a twice weekly commute for me, so this has saved me loads! £1 a trip may just about be reasonable value for money given the service…

Had this myself, caused by moisture in the cables freezing. Sorted by fresh inner and outer.

“3D traction”

Actual LOL at that one. Particularly given it was prefaced by a moan about fashion and marketing killing a brand.

Can we have a comment about square edged hits as well to get a full house of bike journo bobbins?

@chakaping I have some being delivered tomorrow so will let you know how they fit, I can just about fit in the old mediums, but if they’ve slimmed the cut it will be touch and go

@greenticky thanks that’s really useful, medium it is then!

@greentricky I’m looking at buying the same bike, what is the sizing like? At 178cm I’d normally go for large, but noticed the sizing guide suggests I should go for the medium. How have you found the sizing? Cheers

Nukeproof Mega, large with Fox X2 or a RS coil – Camelbak podium 710ml bottle fits fine with a Lysyne side loading cage. Cage sits about 10mm higher than necessary actually, so might be better options out there.

@whatyadoinsucka thanks that’s useful to know, next time it happens I’ll try warranty.

The expectation by Shimano that you should bin a perfectly good spider to replace the chainring, when there’s already a bolt that can be undone, seems bizarre and unnecessarily wasteful.

I’m generally a Shimano fanboy but this + having to buy a whole new brake caliper (rather than a couple of seals) has put me off a bit. I assume SRAM is just as bad / worse though.

Good idea on looking for a security key, hadn’t thought of that.

Still poor show by Shimano for fitting them, also replacement chainrings don’t seem to be available, only ring + spider?

(I’m still bitter because of having a ride curtailed by not being able to tighten a few bolts on the trail).

Unfortunately the torx bolts that hold the chainring to the spider have a small ‘pip’ in the middle, preventing use of a normal allen key. And replacement bolts don’t seem to be available. Incredibly annoying as they will loosen and fall out after a while.

I had to buy a new ring and spider eventually, even though the chain ring itself was fine. Pretty poor show by Shimano.

Ahem something I have for sale in the classifieds may be of interest:

Latest Classified Ads

👍

Just tried taking out a digital subscription and I get “Sorry, this product cannot be purchased” on the purchase page? Tried mobile and also on my laptop.

Is there an email to contact subs on? cheers.

I wouldn’t bother trying to fit the van out to sleep 3 – it’ll be boiling hot and three up sleeping in a van will be minging. Decathlon pop up tents are the one. Better to be able to keep the bikes fully built in the van overnight (don’t want to be dismantling them every night to fit them in).

I’d not try and over think it, just get a cheap van and get on with it. Getting EU recovery would be worthwhile (we used it a couple of times when road tripping round EU with LDV vans…). Peugeot and Citreon vans tend to be pretty cheap and it might make getting them patched up a bit easier – the French garages we visited were a bit bemused by LDVs.

If the van is going to be a disaster-athon you’ll know within the first few hundred miles of trucking, so a couple of UK trips to settle everything in is probably worthwhile.

I’ve just ordered a Magic Shine Monteer 3500 from Magic Shine UK, £160. Thought it looked like a reasonable balance of not ridiculous money for a good spec. Will see.

I have that combo – MM & BB 2.4 super trail soft 29er.

I rate them highly, very happy with them, particular fan of the MM. Weight doesn’t seem to be a big issue and they seem tough (got a couple of dings in my rims but no punctures or anything).

@1timmy1 Just measured it as having a 60mm wide carcass, a couple of mm bigger if you measure knobble to knobble. That’s on a 30mm wide DT Swiss M502 rim 👍

I was worried they’d be a pig to ride uphills but they don’t seem to roll any worse than anything else. They’re pretty heavy (1.3kg) which I think is a bit heavier than the equivalent Maxxis. I wouldn’t put them on an xc race bike! But for general trail riding they seem fine. I’m not the most fussy / particular rider though so maybe wouldn’t notice.

Been running a 2.4 x 29 Big Betty in super trail casing, soft, the last few weeks. Seems really good, very happy with it. I was out in the slop a couple of days ago and worked well, and it’s had plenty of rock bashing and held up no problem. Pretty similar to a DHR2 DD I’d say.

I’ve just had an Outbound Lighting Hangover delivered. Self contained helmet light, GoPro mount.

Postage and import fees made it a bit pricey.

Haven’t ridden with it yet but initial impression is that it seems pretty bright and has a nice beam pattern compared to my old 2 LED solar storm thing.

I’ve got one of these bikes, before buying I and was really concerned about the weight (started MTB’ing in the 90’s so a trail bike weighing over 30lbs did not compute). It’s honestly not a bother. If I was mainly doing 8hr lake district hike a bikes I might have a different opinion, but for my average 3 hour or so ride, it’s just not an issue.

I’ve got a 2021 Meta TR (essential spec). Frame seems pretty bomb proof to me, certainly no lightweight, can’t imagine it breaking anytime soon. Very happy with it, nice bike.

Used to run DH casing rear tyre with a thick tube a few years back (~5 years ago) on my XC bike. Was pretty standard with the people I rode with – all fairly ‘aggressive’ (ish) peak district rocky smash smash type riding. At the time I was riding pretty regularly, and didn’t have any issue with the weight or drag. Much preferred not having punctures. However even then, the sidewalls would get worn out eventually and the tread worn out, all you were really doing was stopping pinch flats.

Nowadays my riding has more loamy / muddy twiddling in the woods type riding which definitely trashes tyres way less – a double down seems fine (probably get away with an Exo). I’ve tried inserts and I found these were more about stopping pinches, and didn’t help with sidewalls getting knackered from rocks etc.

Sounds like you ride a fair bit and have already tried all the options (inserts, double down casing etc) so next time you need a new tyre, i’d say try a DH casing and see how you go. If you don’t like it the tyre will be knackered soon enough and you can try something else.

@oikeith

Normally have a Maxxis Double Down DHR on the rear and the ‘non super gravity’ casing (snakeskin?) MM on the front (with a Rimpact insert).

I’d say the new super trail casing is similar to the DD. It’s definitely a big step up from the Snakeskin / whatever the previous casing was MM. Don’t plan on using inserts with the new tyres, should be more than sturdy enough.

Haven’t got the tyres mounted yet but the tread is definitely bigger on the new 2.4 Mary compared to the old 2.35.

Big Betty looks a little bit like a DHR, very chunky, should be good in the mud (hopefully).

@devash yep the new range seems much more burley. I thought the ‘super trail’ would be roughly comparable to exo+ but at that weight it’s more like DH casing! Should never of weighed them, but the 90’s weight weenie in me never goes away.

Not Nobby Nic, but vaguely related – just got a Magic Mary and Big Betty in the new ‘super trail’ casing and they’re heavier than I expected – just shy of 1.3kg each (29 x 2.4). Going to need to get stronger legs / an e bike.

Just had it set up in the back garden. Pretty gusty and windy day – no probs so far! It’s not massive but fits over a picnic bench well.

Easy to set up and packs away small so can store it easily. Would definitely like to give it a go next time I go car camping. For £40 I’m happy enough.

Just picked one of these up. Looks good for the money. Will want to add some guidelines for high winds (the cover has loops for this) but good for back garden and maybe for pitching in field at the back of a car etc. Worth a punt.

First car I got to drive was a racy two door Escort estate – loved it!

Something like this:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Ford_Escort_MkIV_Estate_arriving_Schaffen-Diest_2018.jpg

Decathlon do cheap and good pannier bags:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-755627-pannier-bags-and-saddle-bags

This one is pretty small:

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/100-rear-pannier-bike-bag-15l-id_8388005.html

Not Cambridge, so less relevant, but I lived in Bedford for a number of years a while back (about ten years ago now). It was great for dirt jumping – went to Chicksands and Woburn about 4 times a week. Also a good BMX track in Milton Keynes – I think Cambridge has a decent BMX track too.

The only ‘XC’ trails I found were little bits around the edges of Chicksands & Woburn – not inspiring at all. Had a tentative look for trails around Cambridge and couldn’t find anything of interest. I had no interest in road riding so just didn’t bother XC riding and focused on jumps instead.

So my recommendation is get a jump bike!

I’ve got one – it’s good fun! Haven’t ridden a hardtail for ages so no real point of reference as regards how ‘stiff’ it is compared to others. But it rides well, geometry is nice.

My school run is about 5 miles on a mix of road and segregated bike path, then about 5 miles into work. Offspring is a reasonably tall 5 year old.

In the summer I use a Wee Ride Co Pilot tag along. For the winter I use a Hamax Avenida buggy. Both work really well.

The Hamax buggy was the largest I could find, should be ok for another year or two, once he’s too big for it he’ll be on the tag along all winter – he will just have to get over the Manchester winter weather!

I like being able to leave the buggy / tag along at school and do the ride to work on a normal bike (Pinnacle Arkose).

My nearly 5 year old has just started school. 5 mile commute, mainly on a Sustrans path (Fallowfield loop) but a mile or so on roads. Takes about half an hour.

I use a wee ride co pilot: https://www.weerideuk.co.uk/Weeride_copilot.asp

So far pretty impressed. He enjoys riding it and you can chat to each other really easily as you ride. If he’s knackered he just sits and cruises along on it. Managed to fit it over my existing rack and panniers so school bags etc. go in there. Feel pretty safe on the roads, been quite surprised as to how courteous car driver shave been so far (fingers crossed this continues), guess the flag, high viz etc helps.

Only problem so far is if it is properly raining then I tend to use the car, so he doesn’t turn up drenched – I can see the advantage of a proper trailer in those conditions. However i’m planning a trip to Decathlon and the purchase of lots of waterproofs to help on this.

I’ve been running a KCNC BB in my Zesty for the last year, been quite impressed:

http://clee-cycles.co.uk/esite/P1073/product

They’re designed so that it’s easy to just replace the the bearings (though haven’t had to do that yet).

I use this guy:

http://www.jeronholy.co.uk/Bushings/Site/bushings.htm

Cheap and good quality

Unbelievable effort by Mike, averaging over 180 miles every day for the last 3 months, unsupported! Nuts.

Thanks for all the replies everyone, much appreciated.

Yes Dirt reviewed the 44 rc3 Ti’s which are ‘proper’ coil forks, not the micro Tis which are air sprung. Wish Marzocchi would make their nomenclature a bit easier to understand!