I am about 5ft 8in, I have a small and XS Bfe both with 50mm stem and 740mm bars and run suspension between 130 and 150 (mainly the former). They are both great handling bikes and an absolute hoot to ride anywhere, the XS is perhaps easier to move around.

I do find climbing a bit of a chore on the XS mainly because I can’t get enough seat post height and the TT is a bit cramped but is tolerable. May not be a problem for you.

Maybe or perhaps it is just not my thing. Of the several times I have been there I can only really remember the Minton Batch descent as being something to go back for.

You are not comparing like with like.

I have always been largely a bit disappointed with the riding at the Mynd, not a bad day out in the countryside.

Cannock is always good fun.

Definitely worth a visit, you can get a reasonable ride in 3 hours. Worth checking the Chase Trails[/url] site for latest info on closures due to forestry works.

but do we know if peaks are available as a replacement item?

I think the Super has the same visor see

http://www.zyro.co.uk/bell/products/detail/BEH8002837

Might be to call/mail to check.

That is really rather good.

For a good fitting service and selection of bikes you could try Cyclestudio in Stratford.

I have a dual position Rev, 130/150. It now spends most of the time at 130 which is good for nearly everything I ride. I also have a Fox 34 Talas 140/160 which I have run on the BFe, again I prefer it at the shorter setting. At the longer setting on each fork the bike just doesn’t reel quite “right”.

I will be buying a Fox 36 for it later in the summer and that will be spaced down to a fixed length of 140mm.

A weak, and rather disappointing, 14. Off to read that Hex wrench article and Garage Journal thing.

Don’t mind a bit of portage etc provided there is some return for the investment, as it were.

felltop an adventure is what we are after and all in the party are experience walkers/climbers as well as riders so familiar with what remote parts of Scotland have to offer. I’ll try to decipher the clues with the aid of a map :-) If there is anything extra you can share mail is in my profile. If not thanks for the pointers.

I didn’t get any either. They would make it look neater and perhaps stop the polystyrene getting damaged when not in full face mode.

Current diversion are here:

http://www.chasetrails.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/diversions_march2015.jpg

The diversions make it a bit disjointed. I rode there Sunday and parked at the road crossing (near marker M9 on the above map) did all the Monkey on that side a couple of times then drove to the Tackeroo car park and had a play about on the section down to Birches Valley.

It was dry and in places almost dusty, even thought about letting some air out the tyres a couple of times.

What is the problem at Laggan, is it a complete no go or only some parts of it?

You could try going down Sixtapod and then on to the Locomotion variant to get the jumping juices flowing a bit without committing to anything too serious.

Electrical tape will work. Clean the rim with brake cleaner (or other solvent) first then put two layers of tape on. If tape is narrow over the edge of the first with the second. And try not to stretch it as you lay it in the rim.

See http://www.chasetrails.co.uk/directions/

You can also access it from the Monkey, when you get to the start of the Lower Cliff section (currently closed) go right up the forest road, slight uphill, as you go round the right hand bend look for a bridleway on the left. Go down BW and keep heading downhill and you pass the lower part of Stile Cop on the right.

There are plenty of pebbles on the mid section after the first drops. Some of them a quite big judging by the egg sized deep dent in my hat from an unscheduled impact last October.

Shifter is not ispec brake is. Bought at different times and only after getting the brake did I think it would be a good to have, not so genius :-)

Click on the image of the closed box to zoom it and it says I Spec B. Mine are but doesn’t work with Zee shifter. Terrific brakes though.

The Endura Guard ones are polyproylene 1.2mm thick.

Assuming you don’t have easy access to a log skinny or two. Try riding slowly along a kerb between two “features” like the driveways keeping your tyres on the kerb. From where you start look at where you finish and beyond. A long plank about two tyres wide is a also good.

Read what Cy has to say about the Soul on this page:

http://www.cotic.co.uk/news/archive2013

Scroll down to 02/09/2013: Soul – Tough as Old Boots.

Still unconvinced get a BFe.

Had one since last September, once set up correctly it is great. I had problems with it being a bit sticky and generally temperamental due to poor cable routing. This resulted in an intermittent performance when the cable snagged on a part of the rear shock. Not easy to spot but once re-routed it has not missed a stroke.

I’m in, YHM.

I think initially black only, colours to follow a bit later according to one article I’ve read.

Didn’t the production bloke say the machine they have invested in will be used for other things not just the cranks?

Done

I got one for rather less than the RRP, slightly used by LBS, as I was after a new track pump anyway. I have tried it on several different tyres and wheel combinations and all have worked first go. Really good bit of kit that makes setting up tubeless less of a faff.

Check the cable tension and cable routing. I had an intermittent problem due to the cable sometimes temporarily snagging on the suspension rocker, bit of subtle re-routing sorted the problem.

I would suggest a dropper.

If you need to save some tokens Merlin have sets of SLX for £90, put the saving towards the dropper.

I have a pair of Flak Jackets with Transition lens and my distance prescription. Do the job very well and seem very robust; in a couple of big crashes they “fell apart”, you collect up the bits and click it all back together.

I don’t use them that much in winter preferring a pair of clear varifocals in Tag frame, frame is expensive but very good at staying put on my head without having to push it back up my nose. I am lucky to have two pairs courtesy of some Vision Express generosity, I keep one set specifically for riding.

Top tip for any of these expensive lens options, do not rub the trail crap off with the back of your glove, napkins, tissues, jersey etc or they get trashed. I have forced myself to clean mud etc off with fluid (typically squash from the Camelbak) and dry with a lens cloth or buff.

Update on earlier post, parts were waiting when I got home tonight. So 3 days after shipping by normal mail, which is not too bad.

I ordered something boxing day. It was shipped out New Years Eve for standard delivery by Royal Mail. Hasn’t arrived yet and wouldn’t be surprised if it doesn’t land till Wednesday this week.

That rock garden gave me a superman OTB resulting in a knackered hand the week after it opened. Particularly annoying as I cleared it five times on opening day. Hope your frames gets healed quicker than it’s taking my right paw.

I don’t have any problems with a Zee mech and Hope 40t expander. The B bolt does need adjusting but I didn’t find that problematic.

I don’t think the 11t on the SLX can be dropped as it is threaded to accept the the lock ring, the 13 isn’t.

Zee shifters are very good, especially at the CRC price. Mine is matched with a Zee rear mech with XT cassette and Hope expander. I have also used an 11/36 SLX cassette which works just as well.

The trails were ok today, forest roads etc icy. I’d imagine a good freeze tonight might make things “interesting”.

For the most part the trails were ice free today. There were a couple of places where it was a bit slippy but they were obvious to spot; notably on the lower part of lower cliff and some of the drops on the final section back to the car park.

The puddles on the Cliffs were deep and cold :-)

All round a good ride on a 1*10 BFe with minimal body armour.

Is there much ice on the trails?

Regularly ride Cannock on a Cotic BFe, for the most part I wouldn’t describe much of it as rough.

The trails will die under your wheels.