Maybe I’ll take the SS then to spice things up..
Forgot to ask- how longs a lap?

Good effort Sarpullido :D !

I’m going to pop down for the 6hr solo.
Few people from the club are doing pairs but I fancy something more chilled.

Any idea how much ascending there is per lap? Trying to gauge whether to take the SS or not..

Whyte T129 SCR Works (medium)- 13.4 Kg/ 29.5 Lbs.
Standard build (xx1/pikes/Roam40/reverb) with XT trail pedals.

Whyte claim 13kg but that’s excluding pedals, so my weight is inline with claimed. Makes a pleasant difference to other wild estimates from manufacturers.

Frame weight is (around); 5.9 lbs for 17” and 6.2 for 19” for the 2013 frame but I believe it using a slightly lighter tubeset now.

I need to try harder!I missed a bit..
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was reading an enthusiastic review about a fancy new bike with dropper post lever and another to lock the suspension and all I could think was, “How did that make it into the shops, given it’s impossible to turn upside down to fix a trail mechanical without knackering extra sticky up thumb switches?”

No no no! Don’t start the debate on what way up a bike should be when fixing a mechanical. :x
THE thread

I’ve got a 650b ’13 Explosif. I’ve had this from new. 17” @ 5’9”.
It’s a fantastic bike. I bought it as an all rounder- local XC loop, some playing at Swinley & some local 4x bits. It does everything comfortably. With the dropouts fully forward it’s very playful and easy to manual. It’s really well finished but not the lightest. It’s hugely versatile though and I can’t see me selling it.

Edit- I’ve got an Ardent 2.2 on the back and there is lots of mud clearance I think.

Whyte have been drilling their frames and running all cables internally for a few years now and they are doing it for 2016 too.. If frames where folding and failing i’m pretty sure they wouldn’t do it.
There’s a disproportionately high number of Whytes in my riding club and none have failed or had any issues despite plenty of abuse and neglect.
There’s plenty of other manufacturers doing the same and shifting large units without issues.. :roll:

Maintenance for me is minimal- I ride things to destruction. I think suspension components are the only thing that get any regular maintenance. Forks I can do myself but not touched a rear shock yet. Drivetrain replacement is cheap, especially now that 11spd XT cassettes are available. 1×11 Drive train cost is now £100 to replace! Very little cost for me- free frame bearings for life. Looking annually at- 1 drivetrain, set of pads, Bb, headset and wheel bearings(maybe?) and lastly, rear shock service. That lot isn’t really more than £250/year.

After about 10 miles it all looks the same.
It’s a nice and relaxed ride with essentially no climbing so could be good for you? Beware that parts are also very overgrown and very rooty.
Personally I wouldn’t really fancy doing 100 miles of it.

If you’re getting back into it- how about the Ridgeway? There’s parts of it that are 25 miles with little to no climbing? You get great views and not too many dog walkers.

That is perfect. I absolutely love it!
I wish they’d make a 29er equivilant.

One of life’s most cruel (first world) problems.
Waiting for a new bike is a mixture of euphoria and anxiety.

How about Wiggle?
I just got an email that they have started doing Bike insurance.
I’ve not got a clue how much it is or if the Ts&Cs are reasonable though.

Ah, come on! It was a another fantastic video by Chris & Co.
Seems excessive to be so heavy handed. An official press release by BBNP would of been better than pulling everything without a word.

Cheapest hope parts I can find.
I think I might get a set of cranks.

I don’t think that filing cabinets are that highly in demand, don’t worry :wink: .

How was the event? I fancy going next time.
Didn’t realise it even existed till Mboy told me.

Parts of Germany use 4G exclusively.
My Dad lives out in the countryside, about 10 miles from Frankfurt, and the 4G dongle powers everything. It’s fantastic. The download/upload speed is much better than what I can get where I currently live.

Thanks all! I must have clicked it a few times during instillation.

Few pictures of the work in progress.. Gears still need to be indexed, waiting on a SL-K Post and SI saddle. Riding position hasn’t been set up yet so plenty to do. Don’t even get me started on the grass and the weeds.

Well, It didn’t tick all boxes but then at less than a third of the cost you can’t complain. For what it’s worth, I find it more comfortable than my GFs ’13 Polo which surprised me.

Exactly! This is a N+1 man maths scenario.
I was only expecting positive feedback with no real justification.
I’m disappointed.

Orange Fives hold their value very well. There’s some 26” versions selling for £1500. Admittedly they have a better spec.

Hookers and coke actually, but shhh….

I should add- the money needed in 12 months isn’t for a necessity but rather for something else fun.

Excellent, thanks frogstomp.
I’ll give that route a trial run in the morning.

Little update- I bought a little 3 door mk6 Fiesta Zetec TDCI. I got it for an absolute bargain and about half the price of the equivalent Fabia. It’s roughly 25% cheaper on parts and servicing than VAG too. It’s much bigger inside than I thought and swallows up two bikes and kit comfortably. Currently it returns 64mpg sitting on the motorway.

Unleash your in Gnar…

brant – Member
I have no comments on him as a rider. I question his lack of experience on similar contemporary bikes, that I would hope a journalist would have.

Mboy- Member
I’ve ridden it on all the trails so far that I took my Whyte T-129 to when it was new, and crucially the Evil not only feels better on the descents (on the climbs the Whyte would be left for dead!), Strava backs it up with data that I’m usefully quicker on the Evil!

I’d say he has. The T129 is bang up to date and has a very good reputation. It’s designed for similar stuff with similar geometry. Good comparison TBH.

My friends Border ate a whole M&S Chocolate birthday cake straight out of the box last week.

She took her to the vets but appears to be fine!

Great review and well written.
I don’t really care about Marks riding ability. The fact he can tell two (similar) bikes apart means he’s got enough skill to make use of the bike.
I would love to read more rider owned reviews, rather than the bank rolled bike mags.

I’ve actually started looking at the bike. It appears to tick lots of boxes for me- weight, geometry, travel and wheel size. £2250 is reasonably good value for a carbon frame too, by comparison the Santa Cruz Tallboy Carbon is £2800.

I’m off to the US in the next few weeks and I can get a full X01 build with Pikes and flows for £3900 or frame only for £1660 (+ tax, etc…).

Any chance that one of you rides Swinley?

Whyte t130 or G150
Kona Process 134 or 153
Giant Anthem X or Trance

More info here..

Haha, I like this :D

Chronicles are almost as bad as knards in mud

:?
The Chronicle is infinitely better than the Knard in mud. It shed mud better and the shoulders bite better.

30 bikes since starting to cycle when I was 12, 12 years ago;

In order of ownership..
Mongoose Pro
dmr Drone
Kona Cowan
Onza 26” Trials Bike
Cove Stiffe
Trek OCR Carbon Postal Service ’99
Revell 250rr
Charge Blender
Charge Blender Ti
Hoffman BMX
Marin Trail HT [Green]
Charge Duster
Charge Blender
Giant Trance X2 ’08
Specialized Enduro Expert ’11
Descendent Vox [Custom]
On-One 456 SS
Kona Major Snake SS
Chumba HX2
Kingdom Foia V2
Rocky Mountain Oxygen 50
Canfield Yelli Screamy
On-one Inbred
Chumba HX2
Kona Explosif 650b
On-one Fatty
Pinnacle Arkos 3
Kingdom Brigante 650b
Stooge Cycles
Orange Five 650b

The ones in bold I still own. I’ve spent £23,143 on purchasing bikes (but this excludes maintenance and upgrades).

Aye, Pinnacle are great. Essentially the Boardman of Evans.
I bought a CX bike on Cycle scheme. They were leagues above others on spec.
I was expecting a compromise somewhere but no. It’s a great handling bike with a great spec! I suppose if you’re a brand snob it’s a problem..

Currently down to 2 (but have access to another) and it’s making my palms sweat.
Just one though ? :|

Congrats!

Passed my Mod 1 and booked my Mod 2. Fingers crossed!

I wonder if Kayaking tow lines would do the trick? Clearly more dangerous and higher speeds on a bike but the same idea applies.

http://www.kayaksandpaddles.co.uk/canoe/kayak/uk/shop/productpages/canoeing-kayaking-equipment/tow-lines.htm

<equipment-sar>Throwlines & Towlines

I’ve had this experience multiple times. What I find bizarre is that the worst and best customer service examples I’ve had are from bike shops. Some seem to go out of their way to help whilst others do less than nothing. I’ve not had this experience in any other industry.