Every trail bike Dirt reviews is the greatest thing since sliced bread. They take a top of the range trail bike, shorten the stem, run 50% sag, and never fail to enjoy themselves

Good that means they are having fun on the bike, like what you're supposed to do. They critique the DH bikes more as that is primarily what they ride (except Billy)

It's one of Norco's all mountain range, how will it be overkill for inners dh tracks and the fort bill dh track? Looks nice mind :)

Go here: http://www.sram.com/en/service/rockshox/tech_manuals.php

Scroll down a bit, passed all those boxxer manuals and you'll see some tech manuals download one and have a read. It says in there 15wt oil for the lower legs and 5wt oil for the damper system

No idea I wear a bmx style skid lid or a full face so the problem doesn't affect me.

Depends on which bit you're oiling. The norm for most rock shox forks is 5wt oil in the motion control damper (upper right leg) and 15wt oil in each stanchion (lower legs).

All the info can be found on sram website.

Ring TFtuned and see what they say, i've hardly ever used the motion control lockout on mine though, never seen the need.

I may be wrong on this but don't you need a specific bushing removal tool for changing bushings in rockshox (or any) forks. I don't think these are cheap either. If my bushings were shot in my forks they'd be off to TFT.

For the last year I used the sram 951 chain, it has been shortened and lengthened too many times to remember as I kept switching between single speed and 9 speed, and pins were re-used everytime, haven't had a problem with it. Only just replaced it with another one now as the old one had stretched.

Much prefer a review that is part of a long term test, I read the reviews sometimes but never pay much attention unless it was a bike or frame I was interested in.

The boys over at Dirt mag seem to review stuff pretty well, no scoring either so it's just a person's opinion on a bike, how it rides, what could be different/better.

On the topic I've never seen a review of my bike which is heavy, bad at climbing yet so much fun when pointed down a hill.

Trying to vary my riding now and do some none trail centre routes, but as we regularely take out new folk with us trail centres are an easy safe option, plus we have loads within about an hours drive so it's just easy going there and playing on the fun sections when we can't be bothered to work out a route.

If you're mates are slow/nervous a full ride of red (both sides) and the blue may well be enough. Some sections are worth repeating though, so you can try hit them faster and maybe get your nervous mates to work on their skills a bit.

Shouldn't be too busy during the week so you could maybe get away with sessioning certain sections if you keep your eyes out for others.

Will be probably be up there myself tomorrow.

Have to agree with some points that some surfaces at some trail centres make what could be a fun section into a tedious drag, never noticed these bits being built on purpose though.

Plenty of fun, loose rocky descents in the Lakes though that are mint and you can really feel the back end skipping out as you hold your line, gotta love the old hardtail for that bunking bronco feeling.

As what others have mentioned above take your weight in lbs then use that as your base psi, so if you weigh 95kg – 210lbs = 210psi or so.

Check the sag and work from there, bare in mind there is no perfect setting for all types of riding and it will take time to work our what works best for you and where you ride.

It's possible the chain might jump off the top as their is no top roller/guide to stop it doing this.

Try riding it and see what happens.

I'm perfectly happy with how all my bits and bobs have held up and performed in the last year (apart from my rear hub which needed new bearings after only 3 months).

Pikes have problem with losing travel and leaking through motion control, but after a year of abuse I don't mind too much, and a service is really needed anyway.

Wide(ish) bars and short stems are great. A short stem doesn't feel twitchy to me but then that's all i've ever ridden with on my own bike.

Tried various demo bikes and mates bikes and any stem 60mm or longer feels sluggish and horrible on downhills, not a fan at all.

As for bars I like something that is slightly wider than my shoulders that gives good stability going down, but not so wide as to get stuck in narrow sections.

As for being wrong about something, i'm willing to admit that a granny ring does have certain advantages and isn't only for pansies.

As some folk mention above the suspension design also affects the shocks performance and if this isn't mentioned when you get it push'ed it may be it hasn't been set up quite right for your bike/and or riding style.

Not had it done yet but my RP2 blows through it's travel far too easily so could probably do with a tune up.

Pro 2 rear bearing kit – http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24132

No idea on the others but since both are UK companies just email and ask them and you'll have a reply within 24 hours probably.

– Yes running the 32T will be fine
– Not as such but 2:1 is standard, so try running a 16T on back
– Just buy a single speed kit like the dmr simple tension seeker kit: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10009
– Just play with the spacers from above kit
– Use the tensioner kit from above also

It is unlikely you'll get correct chain tension without using the tension seeker if you have vertical dropouts, it is simple to set up and use an converts a standard QR rear hub/wheel to single speed.

Somewhere in the Lake District on Saturday and then off to Glentress with a load of folk on Sunday.

Lake District

The (now missing) drops at Cwncarn, Wales

Don't know if this will work with crowns but I have stuck my headset cups in the freezer after another persons advice and they went in the frame so much easier once chilled.

Couple of places on here you could try: http://www.explorelakedistrict.co.uk
You wanting camping or something more comfortable, it has been kind of wet for a bit up here so not sure how muddy campsites may be.

Running high rollers (DH, double ply), front and back, if front goes it is just unlucky or my own fault for hitting something.

Back does occasionally go at places like Ae or Whinlatter where some of the big slate rocks slash and beat your tyres to bits. Usually run mine at about 35psi.

I find that the trail master reports in mbuk are often contradictory to each other, where one trail is praised for a certain quality or feature others are put down by it.

As with anything though it is all personal taste and as chakaping says above the trail master does have a more xc based preference. He was right in his report about Cwncarn red trail though, it is superb, feels quite natural and is one of the best trails I've ever ridden.

Nice to see the 7 stanes folks are aware of the problems and wear & tear of some of the stanes though.

Try looking on here: http://www.explorelakedistrict.co.uk or even ring their office and ask if they have any nice b&b's to recommend.

Quite simply it needs some money spent on the trail, to bring it back up to standard, but it isn't the only stane trail needing to have this done.

Love the last section of Ae line, spent so many weekends last summer just sessioning that last run down, in fact I was there Sunday gone doing just that and also running the Shredder. It sure is harsh on hardtails and tubes but bloody good when you have a good fast day.

Send them directly back to windwave with your receipt, if it was a legit ebay shop they will be able to give you that. Internals will be 09 internals, 2010 don't use the same internals but you could try blag a full inside reworking.

Say you want them back super quick for a special mtb trip and they may fix them and send them back with a week too.

wa – loving the green chromag, looks like a sweet hardtail set up

My end caps as you call them do wobble a bit also, but once wheel is fitted into forks (pikes) there is no movement.

However when same wheel is fitted into my 55 forks there is a wobble, if you grab the tyre/wheel up by the fork arch you can move the wheel about 3-5mm each way. There is no obvious play or looseness around the hub though when fitted.

What sort of riding do you chaps (and ladies) do on Tuesday nights? I'm not unfit, but nor am I some crazy XC whippet, but fancied coming laong sometime to sample some of the other routes, or cheeky singletrack that I know gets ridden.

hora – The wobble has been reduced by removing the small o-ring that sits on the axle, so more of the thread catches and tightens up further. Still doesn't hold the wheel as stif and well as my pikes though, which have no easily detectable play.

Also had problems with my 'zocchi 55, only used it once since getting it back from its fix. When it works it does feel pretty nice, but the bushing life is terrible and recently I noticed a problem with the QR20mm axle, in that it doesn't tighten up properly leaving my wheel slightly loose, so that it wobbles quite a bit. Annoying.

My ns surge:

Plenty of folks use the stiffee with up to 160mm forks, doubt you'd have any issue with it, the lyric would be a great match with that frame. The specs for 2009 stiffee's do say max 150mm, but they also mention max ride height of 520mm. They're tough enough to take the extra 10mm.

160mm up front and 0mm out back will certainly make for a lively ride back down the hills mind.

I have a feeling he has been in contact but not sent any photos to you yet, he was running some 2.35 intense tyres, the 909’s I think.

Mate has one of these and it is very nice indeed, have you modified an LRS chain guide there to be able to fit the taco guard?

Oh and how do you find tyre clearance on the back on the lower chainstay, mates bike doesn’t like having big tyres on, they rub against the frame, highroller 2.3’s do fit but only just.

It’s my local trail and I like it, the last two sections of the northside are good fun and the whole south descent is good too. I’m up there regularly on week nights after work to get in a quick hour or two play time on the fun sections.

It is taking a battering with the amount of people that ride it though, but hopefully they will keep on top of that maintenance wise.

My hardtail:

I run highrollers, super tacky front and normal 60a on the back, the only tyres I can compare them to are Hollyrollers which roll much much faster (obviously) and against some Intense 909’s (i think) and if you think highrollers drag then you really should try some 909’s man they drag something rotten, but boy do they grip.

What would you folks class as a wide rim? My highrollers are mounted to some sun mtx 29 rims, bit of a bugger to get on and off due to the having the wire bead version.