I second the above in terms of riding spots, and bike suggestions as well. If you keep hitting the pedals on the ground you need to think about your technique – pedals level in the rough stuff, pump over big roots / rocks, etc… Have fun! I too was riding in Les Gets at the weekend, so much good trail building been done out this way recently its great. I took the suggested sell up and move out option…

I was hit by a van in London year ago and the driver swore at me and drove off – I was fortunate to have a witness who was helpful and the Police did chase the culprit down for me – I got insurance payout at least. Not sure if the guy was charged with anything I guess not as I heard no more about it.

I like to think that I have a few favourite brands but I find I am much more pragmatic in reality these days – I seem to own a lot of Specialized stuff because its good and reasonably priced for the quality despite not really having any liking for the brand. I love the Orange brand but no longer own one. Again, Shimano is not exactly glamourous but I no-longer use anything else on my bikes. A bit boring really function over everything it seems. I suppose that’s how it should be but its not very inspiring.

If you want a bike for UK trails and to take to the Alps too then the Enduro you already have is it. I think you need to spend some time on the suspension set up and cockpit set up before you bin it for something else.

I got a Specialized Tactic II recently – very comfy one-helmet does all and not too pricey. Understated styling.

Varies but usually 40km round trip, but the full 130km round trip with approx 1000m vertical if time and energy and weather allow (not very often) – its a lovely ride.

If you are searching for a bit of equipment to blame I’d guess at the forks not providing enough support at slow speeds as you drop the front wheel over things, I’ve heard that Fox forks can be laccking in that regard but thank god I don’t own any – I have an XL 2011 enduro with Marzocchi 55 ti’s on the front and personnally I think its great everywhere. If its a longish bike for you put on some really wide bars and a really short stem (if not already set up like this).

I used to drive through a village called Touchen End which always made me smile.

Shingy-Cum-Wendy was always good for a giggle as well.

Yes commute is training, I have been gradually making it longer and longer and vary it depending on time available and how tired I feel! I managed to do the full 70km each way this week for the first time, about 1000m of vertical in that too. I am so much fitter than I used to be, and it doesn’t add that much time really over commuting by other means so it fits into demands of family work etc pretty well. Means I can enjoy riding and doing other stuff at the weekends more as I don’t feel any pressure to spend lots of time cranking out the miles on the bike then to stay fit. Ready for the Etape du Tour now, weekend after next.

For me knee pads, gloves, good enduro or full face helment are the essential items. Extra stuff a good idea as well but depends on your personal preference. I always find its too late to put it on once I’ve fallen off… my elbows suffer a lot in this way. It also depends how hot it is, I really struggle in full body armour and full face helment when its 30 in the shade.

You need to know that the new trail under the Zore lift above Morzine is blummin brilliant fun, and the weather and trail conditions are really rather good despite the terrible spring we’ve had.

Its basically rallying isn’t it? Timed stages and transitions with time limits.

No-one makes short travel bikes for 26″ wheels any more, because it’s a dead market now – except Transition, Banshee, Pivot, Specialized, to name a few…. 🙂

Just weighed one of the inner tubes I’m using – 258 grams. So should be able to save at least 150g rotational mass doing this per wheel. Any particularly good vids online that I should take a look at to see how its done?

Cheers Dan – be good to hear how you go.

So seems like the most cost effective thing to do is to go tubeless on the current set up perhaps… hmm! Thanks all.

Stand up and pump! Good technique but tiring…

So if I were to get some SX’s would the current tyres work as tubeless with them? Could be a good all-round option. Keen to stick to wider rims if possible.

OK thanks that is good to know. Seems like a phaf if its not going to make a lot of difference.

We have two cats to keep the mice down. Bloody things. The cats that is, not the mice.

I try to feed tham as little as possible, I have I think overfed them a bit before, I put a very small amount in their bowls when they ask for it morning and evenings mainly. Also helps stop other cats in the neighbourhood crashing the party and getting free nibbles on us.

Its spring so now they are covered in ticks, what a delight they are.

Mine is an Alu XL with Marzocchi 55Ti’s, hope hoops with Flow rims, tubes, Renthal DH bars and a Reverb dropper, and it comes in at 32lbs. I’d be thrilled with 29lbs I don’t think its worth compromising the way it rides to get it lighter thank that. Anything under 30lb is wonderful – I don’t think I’ve ever acheived it. It takes a lot of money to get under 30lbs I think.

That said I think I know how I could do it, Crossmax ST’s would save a lot of weight but I would want wider rims of the SLX which would reduce any possible saving, going tubeless would help too, as would replacing the SLX cranks with XTR’s and putting some lighter wide bars on, that would probably get me close. Not sure its worth it thought 🙂

I had a set of the M810 Saints on my old DH bike, they were incredibly powerful, almost too powerful, wonderful brakes.

+1 z1ppy. Cake making is not cooking, its measuring, mixing and heating in set amounts for set times at set temperatures. If you follow the instructions precicely and use good quality ingredients there is not a lot of skill involved, more being organised really.

The opportunism of Hezbollah is truely sickening. They will help Assad murder random people in his own country in the name of support their sectarian brothers (I forget which tribe they claim to be, who cares) in return for Assad giving them great big rockets that they can use to kill more random people in Israel to further their political ends. What a lovely bunch of people they are, not to mention the rest of them in the region who are involved in stoking it all up.

Probably not. Bloody horrible evil mess driven by regional political self interest and sectarian hatred, and as usual innocent normal lives are snuffed out and a generation of children are psycologically damaged beyond repair so you can guarantee it will all happen all over again at some point in future years. What a stupid waste.

Mrs Ddmonkey makes special cakes for our boys, Thomas the Tank engine, number shaped race tracks, that kind of thing. I can confirm that the number of hours of effort that go into them if charged out at the minimum wage would easily exceed 50 quid of labour, before cost of ingredients, cooking etc.

Mind you, as long as you can make a sponge cake and cut it up into interesting shapes, stick it together with jam and then slap colourful icing over it half decently its mainly time-consuming rather than diffcult? I would fall at the first hurdle of course… 🙂

I got a 36v battery powered electric one at the weekend and am well impressed, if you just want it for tidying up your garden I can recommend. I think it was a Bosch the one I got. Takes about 30mins to charge the battery and lasts pretty well.

The strangest thing to have woken me up was the Buncefield blast, I lived about 30 miles away at the time, loudest boom I have ever heard. And considering I was fast asleep when it happened and yet wide awake and listening to it by the end, it yanked me awake in an instant. I didn’t have a clue what could have caused such a big bang until the news cleared it up about 15 mins later, all sorts of possible explanations went through my mind.

I like – it looks like a much better all-rounder than the previous version.

Is the new one out now?

I take this expression to mean that while you may not want to marry them, on a score of 1 to 10 you’d give them one.

Back end short 16.7 ish? Front end long! 😀

The weather here in the Alps has been really rubbish for weeks, rain rain rain and last night snow down to about 900m. Never mind the Giro the opening of the Les Gets bike park this weekend has beed postponed, BAH! I was looking forward to a bit of lift assisted action. Its been a long winter.

Nice looking bike that.

Lots of choices… 😯

Mindmap no I have not tried the Spitfire, my current bike is a an Enduro which is my only MTB and is a really capable bike all around with a fairly burly 32 lb build. I live in the Alps so it has to fairly beefy. I had not really looked at the Spitfire before but looked at the specs and geometry of it recently and it looked very similar, slack, low, short chainstays, a bit less travel and sturdy but not too heavy. Plus good range of sizes including an XL that is very similar to my XL Enduro, and it can take 650b or 26″ wheels. I’d love to try one!

Banshee Spitfire, Orange 5, Specialized Enduro, Santa Cruz Bronson, are the first 4 bikes that spring to mind, two I have owned and loved, two I have not but like the look of. If its the only bike you have then its worth getting something that fits perfectly and then going to town on the build. I went from 3 bikes to one, and don’t regret it 🙂

http://dirt.mpora.com/video-clips/intense-tracer-275-enduro-bike-build-with-box-from-bad-ass-bikes.html

Have a search for a video on the dirt website of Rob from Bad Ass Bikes cramming a 650b wheel into some Marzocchi 55 Ti’s – its a squeeze!

Of course you do! But not for a short commute like that.