Well, I’ve taken the plunge and ordered one.

Should arrive by end of week.

My wife didn’t take it well, considering I only bought a Trance just before Xmas. She thinks I’ve got a problem.

It’s not a problem that a new bike won’t cure though.

Chocolate milk after a ride does it for me.

Apparently there was a study printed in a tri mag which showed it was better than specialist recovery drinks.

I’m a greedy pig all the time anyway, don’t notice I’m much more hungry the day after a ride.

There isn’t a vendetta against Prince Harry, he’s just inherited his grandfather’s gift for diplomacy.

The tabloid hacks love him in fact, because he’s the most down to earth, blokey royal they’ve ever met – and he really wanted to see some action rather than be the token royal soldier.

Anyone going to defend his use of raghead? Please.

Slow news day, my arse.

Strongest domestic news story of 2009 so far.

CaptainF – You’re not really that naive, I’m sure.

Coffeeking – Very well put.

I’m not saying Harry’s likely to be on the next leaked BNP list or anything, he’s just the thin end of the wedge – with the BNP list being the other end.

It’s interesting for me in that the word “****” is really similar to that Swastika he wore before – both have been co-opted by one point of view and both have become so loaded with meaning that to wear or say them (even “ironically”) shows an insensitivity to cultural meanings which could be called racist.

Miketually – Fail to see your point. Is “Ramjam” a racist term I’m unfamiliar with?

Both, obviously. Like grandfather, like grandson.

Only mildly racist, but to use the P-word like that isn’t acceptable and smells of institutional racism (the army) to me.

Yeah, all of them might call their asian pal that in a friendly way – but he’s hardly going to complain about it and rock the boat is he?

Surfer – I bet they hear that one quite a lot.

God you had me worried for a second there!

I have another 12 months though. Phew!

I bought a petrol hatchback Mondeo, 2002 model, a couple of months ago for £2.4k. FSH and 53k miles.

That was from an independent trader, I found private sellers were being unrealistic about how quick used car prices were falling – whereas traders have generally only bought them a week or two before at auction.

Autotrader is by far the best resource I’ve found for car buying. Go and look at as many as you can, be flexible on colour and trim levels. The Zetec has all the gadgets you need.

Diesels tend to go for a bit more than petrol, but I saw a few with low-ish mileages advertised around £2500 when I was looking.

Agree Nasher, they even flogged an ’07 Reign with a 130mm Tora IIRC. Madness.

Have you got one then? I already have a 36 Talas and think it might be happier on the Reign than on my 575.

Big fan of the Anthem and Trance and I’m hoping the Reign has the same taut but bottomless suspension feel.

Yep Uplink, I’m with you. I was gutted when I got out today and found the ground was starting to thaw.

The cold snap was like a wonderful unexpected gift that transformed my slippy, muddy local trails into a superfast “rocky” tech-fest for a week and a half.

Luckily I managed to get lots of riding in, but I fear it’ll be summer (or later) before I’m riding so fast round there again.

Kirroughtree is the best IMO, and has lots if different grades of routes so a great family option.

Maybe you should do at least a couple of the others first though, just so you don’t feel a sense of anti-climax when you ride them after K’tree.

Thanks for that guys.

I’d be losing the brakes (and almost all the components) anyway.

Funny you say the riding position is very upright, the bike looks ridiculously compact in some pics – but more normal in others. I thought it might be that the pictures are getting a bit squashed horizontally on my laptop!

Giants can be a bit upright though can’t they. My 4in Trance is more upright than my mate’s Fuel EX.

The Reign 1 that I’m looking at does have a bit of a dull paintjob, but might look better in flesh than in pics.

Hopefully I’ll get to swing my leg over one this week anyway.

M0nster2 – Either that, or your wife has got something to tell you.

Sullivan’s Travels for me.

I love dogs and I usually stop my bike to say hello and have a little play with any friendly ones I meet while out riding.

But it’s a different matter entirely if a hapless dog owner is incapable of stopping his animal growling and aggressively chasing other countryside users.

In that situation I’m initially patient, but have resorted to booting a dog chasing me. And giving the owner a verbal dressing down.

Neither of those probably help the poor animal or ignorant owner, but that’s life I’m afraid.

Can you control your animals Mr Knob?

Yep, really good thread. Everybody’s story is interesting simply because it’s obvious how much MTBing means to them.

I was a teenager in the home counties in the late ’80s, bikes were our means of transport and independence – MTBs were starting to appear and a mate offered to sell me his Raleigh Montage for around £100.

It was a bit bigger than my racer, but how was I to know that a 5ft 8in boy didn’t need a 24in frame. I think I was a bit of a sucker when I was younger.

Anyway, soon flogged that and put together a parts bins special on a 16in 4130 frame, and suddenly riding the singletrack round the local woods and parks became our main passtime.

Rode and raced a couple of more ritzy rigid steel bikes for years until I shook off my luddite ways and embraced full suspension (as well) in 2007.

Never been more into it than I am now, and wish I’d spent more of my misspent youth in the saddle.

Recently bought a 2008 Trabce myself and put a 100-130mm Reveleation on it – and it seems the best all-round length is around 115-120mm.

Go for it!

My pal just bought the 19.5in a couple of months ago.

He’s 6ft or 6ft 1in, fits perfectly. Great bike too.

£360 in sale, damn I wish I hadn’t read that!

Started feeling it in my knees for the first time on a sub-zero ride last weekend.

Aged 34, and possibly a sign of things to come.

Wore neoprene knee pads the next day – worked a treat.

I’ve got those MT90 boots, but I wouldn’t want to do any real walking in them.

They might look the part, but they’re no more comfy than normal cycling shoes really and they might have a Vibram sole but they just doesn’t provide the grip I expected on foot.

For your requirements, how about beartraps with toeclips and some lightish hiking boots or boot/trainer hybrid things?

Just try to forget about it.

It’s not money you could have saved, it’s the price you agreed.

I’m with you on the routes.

Don’t try to cram so much in. Maybe use the same space for just one route, but give proper directions like you’d get in a guidebook and provide a proper OS map on the other side so the page can be cut out.

They make this site much more fun.

Hello Tim, I just got an 18″ Trance (not X, but 2008 model so probably similar).

I’m 5ft 9in and have found it just about right, the top tube is short and I wouldn’t want to go any less than the 90mm stem I have on it now.

I definitely wouldn’t want a 20″ frame though, the 18″ is the perfect size for riding over technical terrain for me.

Those yellow toffee ones.

Take them to the office, odds are you’ll find somebody who likes them.

Do you intend to stay out of work if you get laid off?

Have you been in your job more than two years? If yes, you’d get some payoff anyway.

I’ve never bothered as I’m confident I could get some other work (and I’m self employed now), but if you find it hard to get jobs (don’t interview well or whatever) it might appeal.

Subscribe to ST and WMB. I think both do different things quite well.

ST has too many columns that don’t have anything (of interest) to say. Almost like reading some of the threads on here at times.

Travel articles are variable, bike reviews sometimes far too glib. Also bike grouptests sometimes seem poorly thought out or arbitrary.

I won’t name any names, but some writers do go on about themselves more than the bikes/bits that we’re actually interested in.

The “themed” issues can be painfully thin – I thought that “scenes” one a while ago was quite poorly realised, I’m afraid to say.

Are Ben and Ed the staff writers? Both have good clear writing styles.

Good pictures and art direction. Website a bit shonky ;)

WMB reviews generally very good, clearly laid out and articulate. Just the right level of technobabble v comment. Admirable editorial transparency too.

Clearly pitched at newer riders than ST, but the overenthusiasm to “engage” with readers via radspeak is gets on my tits a bit.

Features can be very good, or very weak – witness the “we ride round two trail centres” feature in current issue. Sheesh!

Rate Guy Kesteven’s writing very highly, always engaging and knows how to relate a subject better than any other UK bike journo I can think of.

Quite slack subbing standards recently though, which is unforgivable in printed media.

Also sometimes buy MBR, always regret it. Idiotic magazine, infuriates me and I feel embarassed for the writers.

MBUK came free with WMB this month. Very impressed with quality of writing actually, not at all the baggy jeans-fest I was expecting. Feels a bit old school actually with all those different sections at the back.

I didn’t mean to write so much, it’s just that I’m a journo myself and think things like this every time I read bike mags.

Ta Ben, I have a Float R in the garage waiting to go on – if that doesn’t improve matters I’ll consider springing for a RP23.

As long as your slim, fit and female

Paula Radcliffe will be asking you to budge up in a minute.

Interesting thread.

I agree with you Buzz, don’t think Maestro suspended Giants benefit greatly from Propedal – hardly ever use it on the Anthem.

On the other hand, I wish I had an RP23 on my Yeti 575, as it wallows all over the gaff if the DHX Air isn’t set up just right.

I don’t know if all single-pivot bikes suffer from this, or are some better? And is it a Yeti characteristic or a failing of the DHX Air? I know they get a bad press in some quarters.

Is the OP talking about avoiding tax?

If he takes a loan from his company and pays it back, how has the taxman lost out?

Please explain.

Usually two or three days.

They’re good forks, bit on the heavy side but not cripplingly so – function well, similar to pricier rockshox like Julian says – just maybe take a bit more time to settle down after a big hit.

Secondhand ones go for about £50 or £60 I think, a bargain at that price.

Jfeb – I know next to nothing about watches, but the Christopher Ward watch I bought for my Dad (Henley Automatic) was obviously a very impressive and high-quality item.

I’m buying another model for myself from their sample sale in fact.

31 hours ago.

Was minus four according to car thermometer, but the rest of 2009 has a lot to live up to because the three rides I’ve had this year have all been amazing.

I asked for watch gift advice before Xmas and was steered towards Christopher Ward.

Their watches are indeed lovely, and quite reasonably priced – and they currently have a sample sale that includes some very nice looking steel models.

Would have snapped one up for myself but think they’d be a bit chunky for my puny wrist.

RudeBoy – That is nasty. Looks like somebody’s been messing about on Photoshop.

Really wanted one of these when they came out, it’s the only bike I regret not buying – but I was a skint 17-year-old without a job in a recession so I had to make do with looking at pictures then as well…

1990 Kona Cinder Cone