Not that it really matters but I know who has the KOM on Mangina, and he races XC. So the ‘Did it 10 times to get the KOM’ might not necessarily be more than him using it as part of his training loop. As I have done as well. Or maybe he just wanted the KOM, who knows.

And his time is beatable I think, so just get out there and pedal harder.

Most of the straight lines are still blocked I think (and some are just slower anyway…). Does need to be dry for a good attempt though. There used to be a few attempts where people had gone along the fireroad and joined the trail at the fire break uphill bit but they seem to have all been flagged now, so think the times left are fairly legit.

Essentially with the new centre at Innerleithen, DMBinS want a bigger office they can share with Edinburgh/Napier Unis, as the cube on the hill isn’t quite glitzy enough.

Sounds like a great use of many million £s.

Mugdock is particularly bad cos everything’s so windy and the trees are dense. What segments are they? In general for anything <1 min I’d take it with a fairly huge grain of salt. 15 second segments are just a lottery really.

Can anyone on here explain who DmBins are? Who MTBCOS are? and if they have any relation to TVTA? and anyone others I’ve missed. I find it quite hard to follow all of the updates as I’ve no idea whose official (whatever that means). Cheers.

And if you’re going Shimano to SRAM you can just file/sand around the end cap until it fits. Works grand.

4 is absolutely class. Will buy even if it never turns up

Lots of Mabie is not clear. It’s on the to do list.

Choosing only 5…

Starting off with a freezing puffer

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Then fleeing to NZ for some winter sun – looking down the Ben Lomond ridgeline at Queenstown

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Spring Beinn a’ Ghlo trip across the tops, stunner.

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An unreal summer spent on evening rides like this

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An 8 munro epic in the cairngorms on my own. Ride of the year.

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Many more to choose from but think they progress through the year nicely!

Got a vehicle aye? Mountain bike I presume – go to Ballo, great selection of trails. See trailforks:

https://www.trailforks.com/region/ballo-wood-17809/

Jesus, that’s some build… and some £££ I imagine as well.

Looks sweet though – put some pics up when it’s done.

This was a good full day out.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1055312329

Big day out yesterday – 8 munros from Glen Isla. Had this in the back of my mind for a while from ideas on here and linking rides i’d done previously.

Route was: Glen Isla, up to Bawhelps then Mayar, over to Driesh, smash it down the Kilbo (bit of work up top, bit more ‘Steppy’ than I remember?), up the glen to Bachnagairn then over to the pony hut, along the ridge taking in Broad Cairn, Cairn Bannoch and Sagairt Mor (fierce headwind!), down the Callater singletrack, up to the landy track to take in Tuirc and Claise then over to Glas Maol before belting down Monega gill to finish.

Almost exactly 9 hrs car to car – could be quicker if the wind was a bit calmer. If you weren’t arsed on taking in summits then you could skip Sagairt Mor and Tuirc and possibly Driesh – the descents aren’t the greatest (Driesh one is good though). The rest are on the way anyway. Grand day out though – pretty hungry today!

Couple pics:

Rear shock i’d have the DPX2 as every RS shock I’ve had has been poorer than the fox it replaced/was replaced with. That said I’ve not tried a Super Deluxe but i’m now not willing to unless it came with a frame.

Fork I would probably have a 36 as they’re great forks. Though not tried the recently released GRIP2 – which is interesting as the GRIP on the lower end forks was great. I do think them putting some gimmicky HSR adjuster on was unnecessary. By all accounts Lyrik’s are decent but all of the Pikes I’ve had haven’t been as robust as the Fox’s – paint flaking, stanchions chipping easily etc.

DVO is interesting – I would be interested in trying them and I like the idea they’re a smaller company but I’ve heard the stories too and wouldn’t risk my money unless I knew someone I trusted who had them or got a decent shot on a set. That goes for front and rear.

Yeah Garmin 810 will do all of that. Uploads to strava automatically via bluetooth so if you have your phone on you and click save ride on the device it’ll be sitting there in a few secs. Saves plugging it into a PC.

Feel bad for Nieve!

If the discount isn’t great I have a brand new in box Prime frame+shock for sale…

(stealthy I know)

@postierich any tips on finding the path off of the end of the heron pike ridge? Last time I was up I had a good look and came up blank so ended up going off the south to Rydal – which was a grand descent but variety is the spice and all that.

I got GX11, it was fantastic, price was good and the longevity was a welcome change. The Range was great too. I’ll be going GX12 Next as I am happy at that price and longevity.

GX12 is worse than GX11 in my experience. 850km over 3months so far and one mech down and two chain links. It also shits itself occasionally and jumps right down the cassette for no reason I can fathom. If you have no real need for the range (i.e you don’t race/sprint around fire roads/have herculean quads so you can’t just put a smaller ring on the front to get you the low end) then i’d probably go GX11 or save for X01 11 (if you want to stick with SRAM).

It’s in the evening rides rotation now i’m back in Glasgow. Lots of fun gaps/alternative lines to be had on the XC course and the new jump line is good when it’s not windy. As per usual if it’s not fun ride it faster etc… bikes are gid… stop moaning.

Snows all gone, let’s get this going for the year!

First three down on Saturday, the three Beinn A’ Ghlo tops. Along glen Tilt to the bridge over the Allt Fheannach where there is a stalkers path up onto Meall a’ Mhuirich – a bit indistinct at first but gets better. An efficient (steep) way up. Good couple hours in a cloud here wondering what we were doing… up and down Gabhar, up Bhalgain and the cloud lifted. Happy days! All descents are rideable and hike-a-bikes aren’t too bad. The final descent down Carn Liath is pretty intense – all rideable but loose and steep. Rewards commitment.

Forgot my camera, but here’s a couple of phone pics. Lots more planned for this year.

This is class, as always. You’re always a good source of route inspiration!

Those reach figures can’t be right, surely?

It’s a trail bike. Not everything has to have 900mm of reach.

I had that with my rear brake on my Rallon. Bleeding does nothing – the seals in the lever were shot. The front also shat itself and stuck on. I’ve been told there are some bad batches that cause things like this – maybe Orbea have a bad batch they’re fitting.

Either way I got rid and got a set of TRP Quadiems as something different – early indications are good but time will tell.

I would check there isn’t a crack in the axle if I were you. I had a halo hub, it made noise,  greased many things and then one day the cassette fell off when I took the wheel out – the axle had snapped. The noise had been coming from a crack.

Worth checking – halo replaced it with a new improved stronger one.

If I was going to do two of the blencathra descents and go up the third which are the best descents?

So for instance, up from Blease Fell, down Doddick then back up either the Scales fell or the one past Scales tarn then down whichever one I didn’t go up. Which out of the last two is the better descent? Scales Tarn one looks steeper at the top.

So i’ve ridden mine a few times now and I think we’re starting to understand each other. It feel’s so snappy compared to other big 29ers I’ve ridden and that’s taken a bit of getting used to but I think it’s going to be an absolute rocket. Feels mint surfing into muddy ruts.

Some pictures because that’s what everyone wants to see:

<span style=”color: #444444; font-size: 12px; background-color: #eeeeee;”>If you want to run tubeless, than your tyre will need to be more robust than if you run with tubes.</span>

Eh?

Went last year or the year before, going again this year. Ran a Magic Mary snakeskin and I think  DHRII EXO, no puctures, no issues and I destroy tyres/wheels like they are going out of fashion.

As others have said – normal tyres will be fine with a bit of protection (EXO, GRID etc) so just find something that’s decent value – do go tubeless though as it’s the thorny things that cause annoying slow punctures which can be eliminated with tubeless.

I’ve been looking around also, they all seem pricey. I used the crc pro on an earlier trip and liked it so will likely end up with that if I can’t find anything cheaper and as good.

EVOC you will definitely be paying something extra because it says EVOC on the side of it.

@dblspeed

The one I demoed had the GRIP damper and it is very good indeed. I’d say it would be more than fine for the majority. See here for an overview from someone who knows what they’re talking about… https://www.pinkbike.com/news/the-tuesday-tune-ep-13-foxs-budget-fit-grip-damper.html

I’ve heard it’s rebadged marzocchi tech, which is pretty good. I liked it.

Disclaimer: I have the full factory one on my Rallon. Pics when I get some nice ones.

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/building-the-worlds-lightest-29ers.html

It’s the keeping out of the way of faster riders that costs me most time. Generally a Puffer lap takes me about 50% longer than when I have a clear run. That’s why I look forward to the small hours.

This is massively appreciated though. Although I obviously don’t think anyone should move out of the way if it’s narrow and they don’t want to it is appreciated when you’re in a quad and people do. As you say:

That was the biggest problem – the narrowness of the rideable line. I found that when I tried to move off it to let riders past it would catch my front wheel and a lot of the time I’d be off (got bruises to prove it ).

Was also the inverse biggest problem I thought. When folk (very nicely) stop to let you past but stopped on the rideable line and meant I had to go off into the snow and usually crash 😆

Good year this year, sitting around waiting in the cold was the worst bit. Descent was proper good fun and I imagine a lot of people have a few bruises to show for it. I kept thinking it was gonna end in tears for me but only one big off on a straight bit and I slid for about 20m. A giggle at 5am.

For example if I was to take a Hope pro11 and cut 3mm off the end of the end cap, but then include that when putting it all on the axle, how would the hub perform compared to if it had been attached.

It will perform exactly the same.

Buy my BNIB large prime frame and build that?

/cheeky ad

Salsa pony rustler? Not 150 front though. Evil following? Again not the travel specified but travel isn’t everything. They are quite specific conditions though. Why are you set on not having equal travel front and back?

The prime is a great bike though.I had one for two years and loved it. Almost had another but plans change.

I get mine this afternoon, yippeee

Transition Vanquish is what i’d get if I had a whack of money to spend on a hardtail.

I tried one for a weekend and would happily race it in an enduro.

A nice one from the other day…Skinwall goodness…

Mentioned rallon might be better with 160 rear travel…..

😆
Did they hit a rock that was 10mm too big for the back wheel to get over?

Pedals in Edinburgh have a large demo in.

They also have mine which I’ll pick up next week 😀

I borrowed one for a weekend and it was an absolute riot. Light enough for general XC duties but was happy flying down steeps. I would have one if I could afford/justify two bikes that nice.

What was the mechanism of gregs flat? Could the 29er wheels be giving Greg more grief? Extra leverage on the sidewalls during hard cornering?

Yeah that’s probably it mate.