I’d advise sticking with it for a while before trimming them down. I put some 760mm bars on my 29er, intending to trim them but now they feel spot-on and anything much less feels weird.

I do knock them very occasionally and you do need to give a bit more input in the tight and twisty stuff but they really help with holding a line when things get steep, fast and bumpy.

Give it a month or two and if you still don’t like them, cut them down a little at a time till they suit.

Buzzard looks like it will be great – but heavy like all the other longish-forked 29er steel hardtails out there at the moment. I’m waiting for a 29er rival to my C456 – something ally or carbon with good geometry for a sensible price. Come on Brant!

Rockshox are a lot tighter, I think. I wouldn’t get a 650B in my old (2007?) 26in Rev, for example.

I’m confused. What internal adjustment is necessary for the X-Fusion forks?

Surely it’s the distance between the dropouts and the bridge that determines whether a fork works for 26in or 650B.

I’ve done almost all my riding on a rigid SS over the past year or more. I honestly didn’t miss suspension during the 2012 mudfest and now I’m on a 29er I honestly think I’ll be sticking with it for most local (Surrey hills) rides even when it dries out. I love it.

I used to run 130Revs on an Inbred. It was OK but def felt better suited to a shorter fork.

FWIW I’d run the drivetrain you have into the ground then get a cassette-style rear hub and matching cog.

I’ve always used a 1/8 chain but I’m not sure it makes a lot of difference.

Buy a complete M475 hub from whichever of the German sites is cheapest and use the freehub off that. It’ll almost certainly be cheaper than buying a separate freehub.

I love my Inbred 29er SS. It’s amazingly capable. I had a 26er Inbred before and the 29er is much smoother and more controlled, although a bit less keen to pop off things and skip about the place.

It’s not the lightest but IME there’s always a trade-off with downhill performance when you shave off every last gram.

I’d recommend a Swift fork from Sam at Singular (that’s what’s on that first Inbred above, I think). I’d also recommend a wide – 740mm+ – bar and a big front tyre.

Cripes. That Curtis is beeoootiful!

It may have been dry all week but it’s also been frozen for most of it, so it hasn’t drained.

Was out on Leith Hill last night and the frozen bits were good. Lots of the main trails will still be a mudfest if they thaw during the day but there’s good riding to be had if you know where to look.

I’ve not been over to Peaslake in the past few days but I think it’ll be the same story

No one’s mentioned On-one. A 456 or C456 would fit the bill. They ride fine with anything from a 100 to 150mm fork. You can also run a slackset on a C456 if you want to keep the angles slack with a shorter fork.

I rode Mattjg’s yesterday and was impressed. Didn’t notice any “29er negatives”, very, very smooth but not bobby or wallowy, nicely manoeuvrable and the front lifts very easily when you want it to. It felt a bit hefty uphill but then it was encased in several inches of ice.

He’s nearly as good as me 8)

[/url]
Inbred 29 in the snow[/url] by Charlie Creswell[/url], on Flickr

That looks topmendous. What size frame and what does it weigh?

Very nice. What’s that finish like in the flesh? Looks industrial – like a shovel or a wood burner. In a good way

Matt, this is clearly just an excuse to try the Cheesy Chips Diet 😆

Seriously though, I’m going to make some spelt bread today. I’ll do you a loaf as an experiment if you like

When drilling, aim only to remove the head of the bolt, leaving a good stump that you can turn with mole grips.

Brant, please can I have a C456 29er with SS/geared swapouts and chainstays as short as a Kona Honzo? Thanks.

Actually, I’ll have two.

Whereas the Hilo is more of a Cyber-sausage

I understand all the arguments about not lending tools but not helping a customer to find a solution to a problem like this is not a good way to build a business. Assuming it’s an external BB it’s a 5-minute job (or a low-risk lend) that will make the difference between winning goodwill or getting roasted on the Internet.

TBH I found the Inbred and Swift a v similar ride. The Selma is, as Matt says, a rocket ship. Not quite as confident on the downs as my Inbred but that may be because it weighs almost nothing. I’ve been riding rigid SS for a while but I’m fairly new to 29ers and I’m still impressed with how capable my Inbred is every time I ride it.

Got a link to the Sombrio’s, Northwind?

If you don’t have a remote, you’ll probably think it’s fine. Once you’ve tried one with a remote, you’ll realise just how invaluable it is.

Sacrifice of a dandelion

I seem to remember ordering a lake of fondue. Don’t worry Matt, I’ll take responsibility for providing cheese and dandelions 😆

Hurrah! Nice one Charlie

IME once delivery dates start drifting like this you can be left waiting a looooooong time, or forever.

I’d ask for my money back. Once you’ve got it in your own hands you’ll think differently about accepting a second-best substitute frame. You’ll probably find something else you want just as much as the Giant.

IME once delivery dates start drifting like this you can be left waiting a looooooong time, or forever.

I’d ask for my money back. Once you’ve got it in your own hands you’ll think differently about accepting a second-best substitute frame. You’ll probably find something else you want just as much as the Giant.

Nice one! Enjoy

Fair enough.

There are lots of people just having fun riding their bikes in the Surrey hills. Nirvana organise some jumpy / freeridey rides. I’d start there

Depends what sort of riding you want to do. There’s not a huge amount of the sort of riding that would justify a Stinky on Leith Hill TBH.

If you’re just into jumps, drops, etc then you might be OK but I’d have thought a 6in travel trail bike like a Lapierre Spicy, Spec Enduro, etc would handle even the biggest local stuff and would be much more fun to ride on the singletrack that makes up most of the Surrey hills riding.

You’ll need to hook up with others to find the good stuff. Try asking at Nirvana, Head for the Hills and Pedal & Spoke about local rides.

BTW what’s wrong with the attitude of BMXers?

Landlords are generally OK but we did have a run-in with one a year or two back. He didn’t like our grubby bikes propped against his lovely posh pub front wall. Think he thought muddy plebs might scare away the local toffs. 🙄
TBH night riders make up a fair proportion of the mid-week drinkers in our local pubs these days.

Won’t a cheapy Chinese xml work with those batteries?

We ride from 6.45 to 9ish, an hour in the pub then home by 11ish. I never have a problem getting to sleep but Thursdays at work are hell.

I’m in the wipe the chain and lube it camp. Every so often when I have time and can be bothered I give it a proper clean. Last drivetrain lasted about 4 years.

Looks nice but I’m now addicted to dropping my saddle so the extended seat tube is a negative for me. But more importantly, what’s with all those gears????

I use Marmite. The special XO stuff.

I’m still using an original Gore Phantom. It’s so good I use it almost every ride autumn to spring. Looks v “cycling” though

Sure about ally frame? Lurcher is cheaper and lighter than some of your list, I think.

This thread would make a great discussion piece for PHSE lessons 😆