Make sure the chain is the right way up? Try a different mech – if it is bent (e.g. in transit) it will also produce the described issues. Set up AXS before?

I have one of these and it knocks the PNW Coast I previously had out of the park: KS Rage-iS Dropper Suspension Seatpost

No. 1 – Keep the 38’s. My mates experience with e-bike 36’s is that they are so much stiffer, the suspension works way better. He only added a TruTune carbon insert and is more than happy. His other forks are Grip2 36 with coil conversion but says he wouldn’t have bothered if they were as good as the e-bike 36’s. Granted Grip damper isn’t as tunable but chassis/suspension action is better.

Ergon SM Comp for me, found the Enduro far to firm!

Depends where you are in France. Northern France, parts of Normandy and Brittany are famous for their ‘Bocage’ landscape. Not the classic hedgerow in our sense but often a bank (of rock and earth) with trees and shrubs on top. Performs all the same functions.

Flaremax. I dream of my Flaremax…

@kayak23. Not even one single letter?

I know its not the XC Race but I’ve been running the new  V3 XC Wide on a 140/150mm trail bike with no issues whatsoever. They are stiff enough, lightweight and are fast to spin up to speed. Great value wheels.

Decathlon Stilus, that way its easier for warranty etc

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/29-27-5-full-suspension-electric-mountain-bike-stilus-e-big-mountain-green/_/R-p-X8829440?mc=8829440&c=green

Awesome news when so many are not surviving. Wishing Orange success.

Just Pull It! The root canal can permanently trap bacteria and give you an ongoing problem.

I now no longer have the Pikes, basically gave up on them. 

I have been running a Lyric which is stiffer and feels better as stock. Now has burnished bushings (my LBS burnishes as part of the service) TruTune and a TankV4 negative kit for shiggles as I was curious. No Tokens, no HSC, a little LSC for extra support on certain trails, set the sag and its pretty much as close to coil-like feel as any air fork I have tried. I would def look at different brands in future tho and save all the faff!

I have had the exact same problem with the Pikes Ultimates.  I was sold the idea that what I needed was a new damper. The damping was only marginally improved but didn’t fix the problem. Put in a TruTune and burnished the bushings again for a marginal change but didn’t solve the issue. For me it was spiking and the ‘touch down’ feel from the texture of certain terrain.  It moved incredibly easy off the top but for me it wasn’t the how ‘small bump sensitive’ it was –  it is how the air in fork the subsequently behaves. It seems RS forks of a certain age are designed to ride in a particular way and there is nothing you can do about it. Either try a different brand of fork or forget air forks? Also found running alloy wheels and a more damped carcass tyres help too.

In one!

or

Leave out side to evaporate.

Check for damage/kinks/poor cable routing and particularly if on a full susser any worn pivot bearings/rockers etc as this ruins shifting faster than anything else

I find that adding washer help to reduce damage and stops the pedal spindle ‘sticking’ to the cranks.

Good luck Charlie!

Cotic have a great deal on at the moment!

I rue the day I sold my FlareMax. Looking forward to the day when I get another one.

Love this thread.

Early polls indicate not much uptake from Brexit voters, Neoliberals and anyone rubbing their hands together whilst watching interest rates rise…

Can I buy an early adopter ticket to your Lake District please?

Exactly what Scienceofficer said.

‘We’re still debating what to call the bike test. Brit Bruisers? WTF is Enduro Anyway? The Return To All Mountain?’

I’d call it the FAF (Fast as F@ck) test…

We do the same journey and stay 2.5 hours from the Channel Tunnel in France, literally 2 mins off the A4 at Pause La Champenoise in Champflurie: https://www.lapausechampenoise.com/

Germaine the owner is very welcoming, its quiet, the rooms are lovely and the breakfast is delicious. Hope this helps!

Thanks for the PSA on Balfe’s bikes, will be getting some for stock!

Been running the SE4 (like Dissector EXO+) on the rear of my full sus. Totally agree with faz71, lovely fast rolling, plenty of grip and no punctures to date. Not too heavy either. Ran an XR5 on the front and it has a lovely damped feel and is about the same weight as a DHR2. Great underrated tyres.

I met him 30 plus years ago – incredible person. Rest in Peace James Lovelock, you tried to warn us…

And…

Lights left on in a room no one is in
Heating on when its not that cold
Car engines running at standstill
Aircon on but windows open FFS (with car engine running)

A little late to the party but…

A statement that is actually a request to do something e.g. such and such needs doing without a hint of who is actually going to do it and the importance/timescales involved only to find out later it was, of course, me.

Its all your fault. Classic inbetweeners moment – ‘I didn’t book the holiday but its still my **** fault’ or something along those lines.

Been using the PNW Coast (120mm drop and 40-50mm suspension) post for a couple of years now. At full extension it is firm when seated pedaling. If you nudge the dropper remote and drop it half an inch it becomes much more active in the seated pedaling position. Its well made, reliable, easy to pump up as the valve is external (why don’t other companies don’t do this?) and sort of works if you want a firm pedal platform at full extension and don’t mind dropping it a tad to get it going. Personally, I would like it to be active all the time but maybe you can’t have the two functions (drop/sus) without this. Another thing to note is that its much more likely to give up its suspension when perched on the nose rather than the rear of the saddle – or maybe that’s just me/arse.

I think I read somewhere that another company (x-fusion or someone?) is making a similar sus dropper with 150mm drop. Probably from the same factory…

I’ve had the PNW Coast on my hardtail since November last year. It only has a 120mm drop which is fine on my 19″ frame but if I had a shorter seat tube you would want a longer drop.

At the recommended pressures it feels way too hard and you really have to bump down on the saddle to get it to move at all. I experimented with different pressures and settle on significantly less pressure but not too little that it collapsed. In essence it has a pedal platform which you have to overcome to activate it. Things to note, it seems to activate much easier when on the nose of the saddle which is not so great when climbing. The travel is undamped so can feel a little agricultural. If you use the dropper but don’t return it to full extension then it remains totally active whilst seated pedalling. Not sure if this is a by product of the lower pressure setting.

I love the idea of this post and it seems to be of good quality but if it is working it does so either very subtly or very obviously cos you have hit something hard whilst seated. If you see the sort of thing coming that would activate the post then the chances are you’ll ruddy well stand up anyway!

Overall I do think there is merit in this idea but I feel it needs to be a bit more sensitive to activation. Maybe the remote could have a pedal platform setting and a fully active setting?

Hope this helps!

@dorset_knob

Check out the NS Bikes Eccentric! I love mine and it def has a great steel feel. Used to have an El Mariachi which I also loved, very compliant but I had a lot of seat post showing so that is where much of the flex/comfort came from. We all tend to run droppers now (which we don’t want to flex and bind) so are getting a much more rigid feel from our steelys. Had an Orange P7 29 once which I found unforgiving, heavy and dead feeling – the only way I could ride it was with plus wheels and tyres. The Eccentric has much better quality Tange butted tubes and the ride is the polar opposite of the Orange.

Late to the poarty as ever! I bought the Eccentric cromo frame last year after selling my Orange P7 29. The P7 was a heavy and sluggish and a bit of a punisher, the Eccentric built up with the same parts was significantly lighter, more responsive and way more comfortable. I’m running 140mm fox forks, hunt trail wide wheels, xt drivetrain and brakes. Just changed to Maxxis DHR/Shorty tyres for the winter which are heavier than the Nic/Mary combo running previously but just got fed up with the Nics thin sidewalls and too many snake punctures. Massive wheelbase, strong, light and stable and it looks fantastic in metallic green. I really enjoy the Eccentric and I’m sure you will too Pyro. Good luck and happy trails!

Oh yes!

Check out Roverpig’s Flaremax thread, incredibly useful and certainly helped me. I’ve not tried the new longshot Flare so can’t comment – good luck!

Just wanted to say big thanks to Roverpig for this thread, its been so helpful (along with everyone at Cotic) and has answered many of my questions. Roverpig’s descriptions completely ring true for me, what a stonking bike! Here’s my Flaremax:

https://i.postimg.cc/Qt3RWsQy/P1100306.jpg%5B/img%5D%5B/url
https://i.postimg.cc/Hx9FwK3s/P1100307.jpg%5B/img%5D%5B/url
https://i.postimg.cc/Y02Zb3yN/P1100308.jpg%5B/img%5D%5B/url
https://i.postimg.cc/gjM55ZfC/P1100309.jpg%5B/img%5D%5B/url

What Roverpig said.

For a long, slack bike on big hoops the FlareMax is incredibly playful. Up to speed it is very nimble and poppy – you place it there and it goes there. Previously I had an Orange Four which was supposed to be all of the above. The Flaremax is way more stable and confidence inspiring, just plain faster everywhere whilst still being agile. And the steel frame gives it a wonderful ride feel. I’m in love with riding the damn thing and have been out more frequently (the weather helps!) as a result. Def get a demo. Don’t worry about the ‘slack seat tube’ either (it was a concern of mine too and then promptly forgot about it once I started riding it), there are plenty of designs out there with fashionably super steep seat tubes and they still have to ram the saddle all the way forward. This bike was crafted by the designer to generate a particular feel and experience for the rider. It does it in spades and it will be the last thing on your mind with streaming eyes and disbelief at the capability, speed and just plain fun of this bike. Demo one asap.

Cranked is truly great. Get a copy and absorb the quality, you won’t regret it!

Big thanks for that, its much appreciated! The bike and the route look superb, happy trails!

Looks sweet – really interested in an Evol too. What size is your frame, how tall are you and leg length? How do you find the standover clearance? And have you ridden it yet – first impressions?Sorry for all the questions! Cheers

After a lovely chat with the chaps at Airdrop, whatever comes next will def have boost spacing but apart from that they were very quiet! The excitement builds…

Hey Matt_outandabout – will do! I’m also very interested in the 29er too – any ideas on the fork travel and offset?