Joined (for first time ever). Cheers!

Cranks are also known to fall off and/or bend if you look at them funny.

Chanced one last order on the 12th, £35 and most of that is for a couple of Fohn bits so can’t see it turning up. Have messaged CRC but no response. Ah well, was always a risk when picking at the bones. Hope all there can find decent jobs to move on to.

Another great ride on Sunday on the steep and loose trails round here, loving the Wild. @mboy – check the chainring lockring is tight when you get it. I had heard reports of them being loose from the factory but hadn’t checked mine as was just about to change it. Was stamping on the pedals when it came off and I nearly got ejected, thought the chain had snapped at first. Managed to bodge it just tight enough with a multitool as a drift and a large lump of chalk hammer.

Put an XX1 T-type chainring on yesterday and found two things – the spider assembly clashes with the Orbea chainguide, also looks like you can’t use a 104BCD chainring on a spider as that would clash. Also a Nukeproof ISCG05 chainguide (probably anything other than the Orbea one) won’t fit due to the shape of the carbon moulding around the motor. That’s why the top guide is longer than standard on the Orbea one, it mounts further forward than other types so has to extend backwards

Thought this was going to be a Calvin and Hobbes thread. Not actually disappoint for once though!

Can’t wait to watch this later, loved the last one he did with Kaos! Love Sound of Speed generally but Parallel II with Semenuk is still my best favourite though

Just under 6’4″ and XL with a 42mm stem, fits great. Have you had an EEB before? You can get away with going a bit smaller due to the stability from the weight and the assistance allowing a bit of compromise on weight distribution for climbing

@Mintyjim – was very tempted by a Levo, very nearly bought one but ultimately my mates with Levos and Kenevos have had that many problems with motors and batteries that it put me off, even with the best warranty. I also have a mate who is a Bosch dealer.

Was also tempted by a Rail but the reports of rattling put me off and the geo of both older and newer versions didn’t look quite right for me. Also think the Wild is much better looking. Not ridden one though.

Had a carbon and an alloy Crafty, loved them both but they aren’t as nimble as the Wild IMO. Also had to install an angleset and the new ones have headset cabling and non-removable batteries so if buying new the Orbea is sorted geo wise out of the box. I’m also running a 240mm dropper which I couldn’t do on the alloy Crafty

I wonder how much of the creaking is down to the spin block thing? Mine is an XL so have removed it as no clash. I also pushed motofoam into the headtube to stop the cables rubbing on the steerer. The alloy cable guide part is a bit gash but with standard stem and spacers mine is silent so far and pretty much every ride, bar a couple of frozen ones, has been properly filthy and required a thorough wash

I also read that water can get in through the top tube controller and downtube (accessory?) plate openings so have sealed those with silicone as well

Here’s mine. Got some silver chrome Slik graphics for the suspension and some Conti Argotals to go on.

I have a 23 custom carbon Wild, was an M20 but have changed everything. Usually I’d go alloy for an ebike but the alloy Wild seatstays are a bit snappy (even the 23s) and wanted the lower weight. Headset routing is gash but I have changed to a standard stem and spacers, hoping to not have to touch it for a while. Non-removable battery has pros and cons, not a deal breaker for me though. I have installed a Rockstop motor guard which seems good, doesn’t transfer load to the mounting points and is removable for cleaning.
The important bit, the actual ride, is superb. Absolutely love it so far. And it runs really quiet which is important to be, I can’t stand a bag of spanners!

“There are plenty of other Bosch powered bikes out there, just as good, without design stupidity.” @hobnob – examples please? Canyon Strive:on has the headset routing and a battery connection issue. Mondraker has headset routing, Whyte 160 is heavy, stays are too short for me and seat angle too slack. Pole Voima I don’t think is comparable, Cube Stereo 160 is 27.5, Trek Rail maybe, bit rattly though apparently. Others?

The Mega 290 RS is now £2600 with the code. For god’s sake someone please buy it (or them)! I don’t even want an analogue…..

I just ordered an Argotal DH soft for the rear of my ebike.

Spring, you say? Listening to the rain battering down onto the metal cabin roof here in sunny West Sussex, I think I’m going to order a Supersoft for the front!

To be fair the best trails here are steep and loose, I’d probably compromise a bit on tyre choice on an analogue

Goddammit @ribena no need to ruin my day with your accurate observations before it’s even started!

I just wanted to show off my new DJ really, just need a silver seat clamp to finish it. Standard middle aged STW front brake present and correct although might lose it, don’t think it served much purpose.

Second outing tomorrow, off to Newhaven pump track. Will be getting there early to avoid all the fast kids, going to be cold!

Like mine for the £80 I paid, they do start wetting out now though. Is spray on DWR favourite with these or wash in and tumble dry? Which would mean taking them to a mate’s as we don’t have a tumble dryer

Pffffft. The Berlin wall coming down was due to David Hasselhoff alone. Talk about not knowing your history!

Also bookmarked. Mine hurt on the eeb as well now. Just started taping them for patella alignment as apparently that is the issue, too early to tell if it will help though

Loved Tahnee’s commentary, great insight and funny as well, she’s a natural

Where’s the new track going to be @chiefgrooveguru ?

I ordered a jersey last night that had been sat in my basket for a while. Was despatched at 10pm apparently so someone was there last night at least.
Less than £20 though, wouldn’t risk any more than that

Love my Zipp 303s, supremely comfortable on low pressure tubeless, lifetime warranty as well. Freehub isn’t too noisy, unlike the Scribes, the engagement is a bit slow but can’t say that bothers me.

Just don’t buy them from Tredz, they sent me a pair from two different batches with different graphic shades, I didn’t notice until I’d ridden them a couple of times and Tredz and Zyro said tough shit.

Usable platform on the large Waveforms is actually 102L x 106W. The 112L includes the offset on the other side of the pedal

Well I got some large Waveforms, discount code from Saddleback made them more palatable if not sensible. The usable platform isn’t 112 long, that’s with the offset to the other side. The actual platform size is 102L by 104W, annoys me when manufacturers do that. My Unites are 104L by 100W, wider Q factor though so really naff all in it. The Wolf Tooths are works of art but I dunno that the extra concavity and narrow Q factor (which may not even be a good thing) is worth the outlay, might send them back.

What size feet have you got Benji and how did you get on with the narrow Q factor? Fanks!

 

I did not know that! Be good when they’ve done the whole thing

Funnily enough I moved from years of clips to flats to try and provide a bit of variance in pedal stroke. Really enjoying flats generally but can’t say they’ve helped the pain.
Can’t bring myself to move away from clips on the roadie so messing around with cleat position and crank length

Still a trail giraffe, just with a mini-gut! Yeah thought the same, I’m just looking for anything I can do to lessen the pain so I can keep riding. Already on 160 cranks on the ebike and just moved to 170 on the roadie. Can’t see 5mm shorter will make any real difference and don’t really want to, given the length of my legs!

Based on the rain we’ve had the last few days it will be utterly minging and covered in filthy puddles. I wouldn’t and if I did not without full length mudguards. The surface is really bad in parts, I’ve seen people on bikes completely coated, head to toe, not mud, just black grime.

I remember seeing an online campaign a few years ago (might have been a link on here) to have the whole thing redone with a proper all weather surface, lots of comments saying it would be tarmacking over the countryside and I agreed with that initially but reading more about it, it really isn’t and a decent surface would provide a proper all year car-free commuting route

Think I’m just better off trying to find another pair of hen’s teeth Daggas and consciously putting my feet close in. Good job I run cheapo cranks!

Bikeradar review says the Renthals aren’t ideal for big feet

100L x 104W according to the listing on Merlin.

Large Wolf tooth Waveform are a bit bigger at 112 x 106, assume that’s L x W. However Wolf Tooth have gone for a very narrow Q factor and Renthal have gone the opposite way.

My knees are creaking, pain is on the insides which I understand might be linked to too wide a stance, was thinking of investing in some Wolf Tooths but my inclination is a wide stance is better for control and I really don’t like smacking my ankles on the cranks! Had Chromag Daggas on a bike that was nicked, which I loved (size 47 feet) but I’d rather reduce the knee pain if I can

Yeah, also unimpressed. I’m thinking of keeping it for the light, alarm etc and adding another one hardwired to a storage device, which would also get over the issue with the Ring that cheap WiFi jammers can nobble them. Any recommendations for that sort of thing?

Not saying it’s this, IANAD and all that, but do you have pain in your knees and hips and have you heard of “miserable malalignment syndrome”? Basically your femurs should rotate outwards into the correct position in your pelvis in the first couple of years after birth, if they don’t it gives you the above. My eldest daughter had it and had it surgically corrected a few years ago, which involved cutting her femurs and rotating into the correct position and then doing opposite in the lower legs to compensate, femurs pinned and tib plated and bolted. She’s fine now but does set off airport metal detectors!

Haven’t Haibike also got a shocking warranty rep? And yeah, they’re minging

I got the “povvo” spec one on sale, wouldn’t have considered it before, way overpriced, 7k for a bike with Rockshox 35s? Give over.

I then changed pretty much everything. With your budget you could make a few sensible changes to the suspension and wheels maybe with a bit of savvy shopping. I got a new Zeb Select plus for £450 from Bike Discount (pretty much an Ultimate) , a warranty replacement X2 factory for £400 (and bonus points for mismatched suspension) and a pair of pretty much new DT Swiss H1700 for £300. Sold the new stuff for £450ish

I have the latest carbon Wild and love it, the handling is amazing. Can’t remove the battery easily though and rim magnet very expensive to derestrict and not proven yet, if that matters to you.

Brother has the Strive:On, equally great reviews but has a battery latch issue which may or may not be fully resolved.

I would be sticking with Bosch. Nearly got a Levo but they don’t really do it for me either and despite the warranty support I’d rather not have to use it. Had a Vitus with Shimano for 4 years before, great bike but had a new motor about every 12 months and bear impossible to get serviced.

Despite owning a new Defy I wouldn’t go near a Giant ebike due to their recent handling of warranty claims

Got it in 2 today in about 10 seconds, first guess got me 3 letters.

What sort of max streak is everyone on? Mine is 59 on hard mode (not really sure that makes much difference), got tripped up by ember last week. Always guess the first one in the hope of that elusive fluke! Got four letters in the right order once….

What do you mean you’re cancelling me? I don’t belieeeeve it!

I have the Fox 2l hip pack, love it. Perfect size for me, doesn’t move, comfy, looks good, seems well made. Regularly gets hosed down after muddy rides and all good

Defo got tight hamstrings, like a banjo!