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Superstar Sentinel? £40, tubeless ready, not too heavy, decent width. Not tried them but they look good

Taking a good line really helps. Look ahead for helpful patterns like meeting diagonals and hard edges that will stop a slide and plan your route through, then look into the distance, stay on the power and keep loose.

I did the top cap replacement – it was simple and has cured my wobble.

I replaced my black top cap with a silver one from bikediscount.de and the only difference was the colour.

What you need is a Singular Buzzard as well as your C456. That’s what I’m doing and they’re both ace

Ha! Our two-year-old Bosch dishwasher has been a pain almost since new. I think it’s a float valve that gets stuck and it won’t drain properly. Luckily it’s insured and gets regular repairs for free.

That pottery’s great. I did an evening course a few years back and loved it. It’s part of my fantasy semi-retirement plan…

Sourdough

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Yup, Nukeproof are good

If it was me I know I’d never bother. More bikes needed…

It’s cobblers, innit. Depends what you want from your bike.

I have two 29er hardtails with v different geometry and I love them both – a rigid Inbred that rolls over, across and through everything and a Singular Buzzard that’s poppy and playful and fun. And they’re both perfectly capable of getting a serious wiggle on through twisty singletrack. I think the mags and the industry have, as usual, done a fine job of talking nonsense about 29ers (and 26 and 650b).

A BB mounted guide sits between an external BB cup and the frame, replacing a spacer.

I have a Superstar one that I’m about to take off my bike and sell. It’s three rides old and in good nick with just a few scratches inside the cage. My email’s in my profile if you’re interested.

Come to think of it, I’m often asked to go outside because of the way I smell

Very nice.

The On-one super light stem is very nice and v well priced. Go for a 70mm with wider bars as a starting point and see if you like it

To be honest I’m usually somewhere between an overripe Camembert and boiled cabbage

Nice vid. Looked tight and quick and smooth … and painful

What is that thing bottom left in the pic? Don’t think my CK BB has one of those (or the top two for that matter)

Have a go on a T129. They are amazing down and surprisingly good up.

Singular Buzzard? I’m loving mine

On-One Inbred or Scandal surely?

More suspension makes a difference even on relatively small drops to flat (or nearly flat). It may not be necessary but it does make a difference

I’ve had an original steel 456 and slot dropout 26in Inbred and now have a 29in SS Inbred and C456. No issues with the finish on any of them apart from the 456 which scratched and chipped quite easily. They are/were all great riding bikes and great value. As others have said, why spend over the odds on something that’s going to get covered in mud and hurled at rocks.

Brant, pretty please can I have a 29er C456 with nice short chainstays?

It’s not especially tricky, in the same league as servicing forks. As said above, the hardest part is gripping the internal shaft securely without knackering it.

Having done it once, I’d be happy to do it again.

Does the full service kit include the top cap bushing and seal?

Good viddage

Didn’t replace the keys, just the top cap. I had a little bit of rotational play but it’s all-but gone after replacing the top cap.

Another tip – stick the post back in the frame to undo the top cap, it’s much better than a vice.

An update: bought a top cap from bikediscount.de and fitted it after watching a YouTube vid. All went smoothly and no more play. Yeeha!

I didn’t bother with the lower seal kit but I probably should have.

The hardest part is undoing the lower seal head; I used a couple of blocks of wood drilled with a groove and lined with inner tube to grip the internal shaft.

Mikey, you’re so right. Lots of chain dropping today. Short cage mech and proper chain device needed – other than that, it’s amazing.

Swap them with your mate’s while he’s buying a cheese straw at Peaslake shop

Steel feel? Dunno, feels very smooth, definitely not harsh but then neither’s you Yelli

Top tube is shortish but it’s fine for me. The pic makes it look shorter than it is

@ Mbnut – no but Sam reckoned about 5.6lb, I think, and that seemed about right. V similar to my Inbred 29er

@ Atomizer Yes it’s a medium and fits me fine at 5ft 9 ish

So it’s had it’s maiden flight and I’m impressed. It does what I hoped it would – combines the fast, smooth rolling of big wheels with the playfulness and agility of a 26in hardtail a la 456/Soul.

It was super-confident on a couple of technical drops that I sometimes think twice about on my C456 and happy over jumps and being muscled through tight woodsy switchbacks.

I got used to the 800mm bars very quickly but they may yet get trimmed as I had a couple of close encounters with trees.

It’s not light but it’s not Cyril Smith either. My shonky scales read 28lbs or so but I can’t say I noticed the heft over a fairly rapid 2-hour ride.

Think I’m in love.

Matt, I hear Buzzards are particularly aggressive towards Yelli Screamies. I’d take extra care not to leave any offal on your saddle.

Perspective is a bit odd in the pic. Bars could maybe do with dropping a smidge and I think I may have finally found my personal bar width limit wth the 800mm Nukeproofs. Other than that, I’m happy.

Yes

If it works, so what? It may be a fashion crime but really, who cares?

Forks back to front is a bit more serious. I’ve seen several bikes in London like this and in Spain last year we saw a guy about to go out for his first run down the mountain with his forks reversed. We pointed it out and he wasn’t aware it was wrong but said he would sort it out. I assume he did but we still saw him being carted off to hospital the next day with half his face held on with bandages.