What is it as a % of the total price of the bike? < 5%?

Pretty much 5% on the nose, frame only, not including invisiframing the fork.

Are people invisiframing their forks too?

Innertkirchen.

You can do the classic Susten, Furka (of James Bond Goldfinger fame) and Grimsel loop.

And also Gross Schiedegg over to Grindelwald (via Reichenbach Falls of Sherlock Holmes fame).

Hmm… new hoods bulkier and less racey looking than old ones.  And no big mountainbike 51t cassettes yet.

I’ve been keeping an eye out for 12 sp di2 for ages but this isn’t doing it for me on either count.

I use the voile straps even though I have mounting bolts correctly spaced, just because it’s easier to take on and off, and to swap between bikes.

That is very strange. Can you not just use the voile straps? You’d maybe have to remove the frame bolts?

+3 recommend for Tailfin.  Rock solid with the rubber feet, rubber top tube straps and internal reinforcement.

People want gnar, jumps and steep stuff with minimal climbing

That does strike a chord. Anything less than a trail centre red and I’m on my gravel bike. Anything more than a trail centre black (e.g off-piste mud, roots, steeps etc) is too much for me.

I appreciate that my window is pretty narrow and that the sport is moving on.

How much they paying in NI?

Zero. It’s a state school.

I have objected to this. The Roseburn-Telford route is idyllic. I used to be pro tram but I will never forgive them if they ruin one of the best amenities in the city. What next? A tram along the Union Canal and up the Water of Leith? Concrete over the Pentlands? Absolute vandals.

There’s good stuff too in NI. On education, a friend of mine’s children are at a state school with excellent educational attainment, school uniforms, two rugby teams (coached by actual teachers) in every year group, send a boat to Henley every couple of years when they have a good enough crew. You’re paying minimum £16k pa per child in GB for that standard I’d guess.

Today was the busiest I’ve seen GT in 25 years. There was a queue of c. 30 riders waiting to go down main new red, so I just did matrix and Lombard (which I had all to myself) and joined main new blue. It was fraught.  Bumper to bumper wee kids + hard chargers shouting “RIDER!” don’t make a good mix, I couldn’t get off it quick enough.

The tasters were fun, like berm baby berm on steroids. The drop-off on the black taster looks way more tech than anything else on the existing official GT trails.

I can see me doing the new stuff occasionally for the good variety it brings but the existing official trails are still what I’ll go for.

I read recently that MSR were going to improve the poles on the Hubba Hubba. Does anyone know if that’s happened yet?

I love my 3yo V2 with the old linkage.  If I never updated to another mountain bike again that would suit me fine. It’s fun but also forgiving. It looks after me.

The pinkbike thread is a good resource. There was a guy RMR who seemed to know what he was talking about.

@scruffythefirst yeah although the roadies seem to run it with thin Shimano rotors. I can see how that would gives more clearance and less rubbing if magura are also excellent at retraction, but would it not also imply a lot of dead lever throw?

I’ll maybe just have to roll the dice.

Good work from Joe Nation in 3rd. He won the British divide. I went out to see him when his dot went near my house, and he stopped for a chat, nice guy.

Yeah I flatted too, on the chunky stuff just after the hike-a-bike. I think I may have had a puncture earlier which sealant dealt with, but the resulting loss of pressure meant next big hit whammed the tyre into the rim and rapid blow out. Are gravel rim inserts a good idea or was I just unlucky? It only cost me a couple of mins to stick in a tube and thankfully the terrain was all pretty benign after that.

@bazz I think I may have rode with you briefly, were you on the John Player Special styled black and gold bike?

Also my Garmin gave up the ghost so I had to trade domestique lead-out services in return for directions!

My prediction earlier in this thread about hot foot came to pass. I had to stop a couple of times to take shoes off and wriggle my toes.

A great day out which really pushed me to my limits. Cameraderie amongst the riders, most of whom seemed to be solo, showed the best in human nature.

What lights are people taking? I have a Joystick which meets requirements and is lightweight but is a very focussed beam. Or I have a Strada which is ace for night road riding but heavier, and possibly not worthwhile if we’re starting off at dawn and then have 17.5 hours until sunset.

Can anyone point me to the 2023 GPX? I’m going round in circles on the website, I can see the Final Rider Briefing but not the route.

@vww I’ve not done the Frontier, but 40×40 sounds perfectly fine, it’s easier than my 34 ring x 32 sprocket. In terms of tyres, they recommend 38mm or over. I’ll be on 40mm measured (38mm badged) Panaracer GK SK. That sounds about right for 150km road and 150km light-ish gravel.

I do like the idea of an insulated gilet.

Did you ram your kit in your pockets, or take luggage?

The kit list suggested spot checks which I thought sounded very tedious.

That’s me now booked accom for the night before in Dalbeattie.

Just looking at the mandatory kit list, which is at odds with all the advice to pack light.

Am I right in saying that we need a waterproof, plus a baselayer, plus a warmer baselayer, all in addition to what we’re wearing? Also full tights. It seems overkill.

Arm-warmers, knee warmers, a buff and a waterproof (if chance of rain) or gilet (if no chance of rain) is what I’d pack if I had the choice.

I’m rubbish at reading between the lines and always take things too literally, so advice appreciated.

Alpkit Outelt have Helm mk2 Air on their ebay shop for c. £575 (though it has been fluctuating a wee bit). I was considering one for a Solaris Max build. I test rode a Helm (on a Flare Max as it happens) and it was the most glued to the ground ride I’ve experienced – though I apprecaite theres lots of contributory factors there.

@dumbbot I’m intrigued by the Everflow Tank, but I can’t reconcile what the two graphs are saying. What’s the difference between Spring Rate and Force v Displacement? Does the Tank just increase initial sensitivity and lessen damping throughout the travel to a degree? If so that would be an attractive mod for my 2020 Lyrik.

Stoli is from Latvia, so all good.

Russian Standard is actually Russian, but I suspect it’s either Sanctioned or retailers have voluntarily withdrawn it from sale. I’ve not seen it for ages.

D = 1/r

Where D equals desire for a new bike, and r equals the amount of riding you actually do.

Evidence is that almost every bike I’ve bought has been in Jan-March when the weather is at its worst and I’m sitting at home googling bikes instead of out turning the pedals.

Glad to see Hope Union XC pedals getting the recognition they deserve. I’ve found them superb, a real step up from other pedals I’ve used.

BFe is much stiffer and snappier (in a good way) according to the HardtailPArty review.

Solaris is the compliant, comfortable, forgiving option.

Anyone going the other way and fancy grabbing the current model before they disappear? Must say I’m tempted.

https://www.bikester.co.uk/cane-creek-helm-mkii-air-suspension-fork-29-boost-150mm-44mm-offset-M1036877.html?vgid=G1528829&_cid=21_1_-1_9_1490_1528829__pla&campaign_detail=smart_shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4OybBhCzARIsAIcfn9nYGf3pl64twy9qKdUuyAKiZzCKctFvd45ILhthBAfZ7Dg7m6EmC80aAho9EALw_wcB

£630 for Helm MK2 Air 29er at Bikester. Seems like a superb deal.

@mert ahh that’s disappointing about Wahoo. I’d heard great things about the easy tension cleats but not about recalls.

My Time XC8s failed due to the spring retention pin chewing through the plastic pedal body and irreparably coming adrift, which anecdotally is very very common with the newer ones.

@dovebiker snap!

The Time sole wear is easily solved by CB shoe shields.

However my recent XC8s fell to bits just outside warranty which was a shame as I loved them otherwise.

Since SRAM acquired Time pedals I’ve been waiting for them to announce that they’d fixed them/reverted to the old bullet proof design. Sadly not so far.

I know Wahoo have worked on Speedplays, so just need SRAM to follow their example as a good corporate custodian.

That’s me signed up solo. Just trying to get my head around the logistics from Edinburgh. It might involve multiple cars and favours.

I’ve done DR before, and my longest road ride is >300km (albeit a few years ago!). The main thing for me to manage over such a long distance will be hot-foot.

Thanks guys. There’s a few 3/4 length, mid-thigh lengths from Aigle, Didricksons and Musto (thanks!). However full knee lenths seem to be distinctly niche, e.g Decathlon stadium wear.

This seems odd to me because for centuries men’s long overcoats were a staple, and for women they still are.

Finally on the DryRobe debate, you’ll have to to forgive me and those of us middle of the road chaps who aren’t dedicated followers of fashion, but who also might be self conscious about looking like trendy watersport mums.

So SUPpy-mummy or shipwrecked trawlerman?

That reinforces what I thought. E.g NF has no end of options for women, but nothing for cold thighed gents.

I have a Straight Cut Designs Bagel Bag and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s secure, stable, accessible and no-sag.

In fact the Wizardworks reviewed above seems to be nigh on identical? I don’t know which came first, or if in fact they’re both copies of something else entirely.

Super thanks!

Yeah that was in the back of my mind about some modern Ti frames being massively overbuilt to counteract risk of snappage, thus invalidating Ti’s acclaimed ride character and light weight.

Thread ressurection; can anyone comment on the new v4 Ti Camino? It’s a pretty nice price, good clearances and geo (on paper), and it’s Ti with a 10 year warranty. I’m wondering what the catch is?

The obvious alternatives would be a Pipedream Alice or a Cotic Cascade, but they seem to be more expensive to build up to a similar spec. Does anyone know how the weights compare with all three?

Also, is the Camino wheel spacing boost or non-boost? I cannot find it anywhere on spec sheets.

Cheers!

@freddiest I don’t want to put you off Inners, definitely go for it, but it’s only good for a couple of hours tops if sticking to the redroute. That’s no problem though as the car park day tickets are now interchangeable between there and Glentress, so you can do a black up red down to make more of a day of it.

If you’re used to blue/red official trails then some of the earlier suggestions e.g Brown Trout Golfie etc will possibly be not much fun.

There are sections still closed due to storm damage. Plora Craig is wiped out and part of the opening climb before you get to the quarry.

Even the sections which are open are now pretty overgrown. Expect your arms to get a good flaying from the encroaching pine trees which have shot up this summer.

I love the trail but it’s falling into disrepair.

Just to close out this thread because I suspect this is a popular theme, I recently bought 2FO DH flats and they are wider than roosts. With a bit of shoelace management (loose towards the toes, tighter towards the knot) they fit perfectly and the grip in all weathers is superb.

The reason I didn’t try them 10 months ago is that Specialized advised that DH was exactly the same last as roosts (which were too narrow for me). In hindsight there’s obviously more to fit that just last.