A government introduced it and a different government can take it away….loving the emotive language people use when discussing ‘their’ NHS!

I work in the NHS and for what its worth some areas would benefit from a massive kick up the arse and the involvement of the private sector would/could achieve this….but a completely private health care system is something i’m against.

couldashouldawoulda, cheers hadnt thought about it like that!

Northwind, i dont understand your post?….my cheap compressor that runs to 200psi and regularly inflates my own tyres between 35-40psi (and has done my car tyres a few times) is worse than a track pump?….not having a dig but interested as to why this is, the gauge runs from 0-200 and is pretty accurate too….i wouldnt go back to inflating tyres by hand after the ease with which a compressor gets them done!

If it’s just for tyres then any old thing will do, I use one that cost me £4.99 from a petrol station and runs from the cigarette lighter, runs up to 200psi apparently but i never go above 40psi on the tyres anyway….should leave you with £95 change to spend on tyres!

A Fury of that vintage is/was a very nice bargain as others have said….Getonyourbike of this parish uses one for everything from cross country to gravity enduro and mini-downhill….a very strong frame that takes all his jumps and abuse in its stride.
I believe he runs a Shimano chainset as (like others said) the original equipment BB, chainset and cranks were rubbish.

Mamadirt….I also got a cheap Kona frame from CRC, a Caldera. It’s aluminium but I’m gobsmacked at how comfortable it is, accepted wisdom says it should be a harsh ride but with narrow 27.2mm seat tubing and gorgeous slender seat stays and chain stays it is great fun to ride. Not a fashionable brand at the moment but they still seem to have ‘it’ when it comes to hardtail geometry.

Any old trainers i dont mind getting muddy and wet will suffice in the winter….in the summer i have some Airwalk skate shoes that are grippy and have a stiffer sole than typical trainers so are ideal…in my opinion of course.

The seriousness and pomposity in the magazines makes it exhausting trying to keep up….if you believe what the magazines bang on about then you NEED a 140mm full-susser for Swinley….and if you’re going to venture close to a Welsh trail centre then you ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE 160mm of travel at each end….plus dropper seat post….Alpinestars baggies….20 litre rucksack/hydration pack etc etc…..takes the fun out of it a bit dont you think?….its probably the main reason i still ride a hardtail, in my own little way i like to think of it as metaphorically giving ‘the finger’ to the industry and the turds in the magazines who would have their readers swap bikes every year and swallow the BS churned out by the industry.

I got back into mountain biking because its relaxing….shorts, T-shirt (maybe a jacket) and the bike….simple fun that reminds me of being a kid again….the perfect antidote to modern life….unfortunately some parts of the industry do their best to kill this fun and introduce the rat race of consumerism into what should be a fairly cheap hobby when you think about it….instead the conditioning via the web, the magazines etc is that a bike isnt worth having unless it costs upwards of 2k….that shorts for £5 from Sports Direct are somehow inferior to shorts from Endura for £50….and that everybody should live to ride the downhills like Gee Atherton….i can fully understand why the OP feels bored with the sport and i’ve only been back a short while.

Part of the reason i havent ridden my motorbike so much this year is that i got bored of ‘kitting up’ to go for a ride….once i’d taken the cover of the bike, put leathers on, gloves, boots, helmet etc 20mins might have passed and the desire to ride had vanished in the chore that was the preparation….when i see local riders out in their full storm-trooper gear i fear the same thing would happen to me with mountain biking if i went down that route….so i dont bother.

Take it back to basics, buy a simple bike and ride it everywhere….just change the tyres for whether you’re road riding or off-road riding and dont believe the pish printed in the magazines.

Enjoy!

No, you’re right….nobody ever leans off the back of a hardtail do they? :roll:

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Like i said earlier, if you have a long travel hardtail and are using all the travel then kudos to you, you are riding the front hard and using it as intended….however watch most people on a hardtail and as soon as things become steep or rough they ride like in the above photos, giving the forks an easy ride and using their legs as the suspension instead….thats just the way it is.

A good video is the now infamous ‘Hardtail downhill in Whistler’….that kid does a good mixture of both, at times he pumps the front hard and at other times he hangs off the back….most mere mortals though just hang off the back as it reduces the chances of an ‘over-the-bars’ moment.

If you’d posted this topic a few months ago i’d have gladly taken it off your hands!
Its a robustly built frame, nothing fancy, just a pure (some would say old fashioned) approach to mountain biking….i prefer hardtails so it appeals to me, i think they look better/have nicer lines….and there is huge satisfaction in taking on technical terrain without long travel and full bounce….that said i am entering more gravity enduros next year and realise the limitations of my bike so FS may be on the shopping list at some point next year.

To a certain extent i agree with GW, a longer fork (using all of its travel) usually makes for an unstable front end on a hardtail…..you’ll find most long travel hardtail riders use only the first 100mm or so of travel (just look at the grease/dust marks on the forks!)…100mm is fine as most hardtail riders (myself included) dont ride the front that hard, on steep stuff most hardtail riders (again me included) are to be seen hanging off the back so far that the fork actually ends up having an easy time of things and barely uses half its travel.

You’ll probably see their business model move to one that concentrates on repairs and servicing rather than selling huge numbers of bikes.

They are approaching the kind of price point where people will think twice about buying an On-One and just save a little bit more money and buy a decent 853 steel frame from somebody else….the beauty of the 456 (and the others) was that they were so cheap people were prepared to put up with the heavy and harsh steel they used.

Cotic Soul does seem to be the most appropriate in my opinion, owners say it has a lovely supple ride which helps with the ‘all day’ part of the OP’s requirements….hardcore?….it takes 140mm forks, how much more than that do you need?….any more and you need to go full suspension in my opinion.
Granted its not as slack as some other suggestions on here but do we all really need 65 degree head angles and bikes that ride like Choppers?
I’d also say research the build and find some reviews before purchasing….accepted wisdom is that steel is comfortable, aluminium is harsh and titanium is perfect….problem is titanium is a bugger to work with and there seems to be loads of failures reported on this forum with titanium framed bikes.
Aluminium can produce a nice flexy, springy, steel-like ride if done properly….the seat and chainstays on my aluminium Kona are beautifully narrow and the ride is superb….likewise there are some seriously hardcore steel bikes with virtually no give in them whatsoever and will feel like you’re riding a pneumatic drill all day.

Browse the CRC site, they are virtually giving frames away at the moment….find one you like (or priced right) then visit the manufacturers website to check the angles etc…its what i did with the Kona and things have worked out better than i’d hoped….i would post a pic in the ‘Beautiful Hardtails’ thread but its not niche or single speed and only has 100mm forks so would only get mocked by the STW massive!

thieisnotaspoon – it was Peter Clifford’s WCM team that bought R1 engines and changed bits and pieces to race in MotoGP when it went to 990cc in 2002 i think?….the other teams put in a protest and had them thrown out….got to laugh that it now turns out he was a visionary and thats the way the class is heading, proddy engines in bespoke chassis!

Motorbike engines have been bombproof for years, people used to run screaming from anything with more than 10k on the clock but most decent sized engines 400cc+ and multi-cylinder will do 100,000k now, the zx7r i bought had 28,000 miles on it and never miseed a beat….did only have it 3 months though!…..go on the Honda Blackbird forums and loads of those guys have 100,000+ mile bikes.

This thread is becoming much like an IAM/ROSPA club discussion….motorcycles are fun, do the test, buy a bike and enjoy doing silly things….when i first got a bike i left early one morning with my passport in my pocket and sent my girlfriend a picture of me later that day in France….the Nurburgring (and back) is possible in a day if you catch the earliest and latest ferries available….and ride it like you stole it!….i put 16,000 miles on the 600cc i had for 18 months just from doing things for sh*ts and giggles….sadly the current bike has barely covered 4,000 miles in 18 months as i spend more time on the mountain bike now.

Maxxis tyres are cheap but good, most motorcycle mags tested them against all the usual suspects from Pirelli, Bridgestone, Michelin, Dunlop etc when they first appeared a few years ago and found them to be just as good….if i recall correctly they didnt have the outright grip (they were testing at a race track and were a few seconds a lap slower) but behaved in a predictable manner and gave plenty of feedback.

That said, tyres are funny things…its all in the head so to speak and i’ll never put another Pirelli on my bike after a bad time with some Diablo Corsa IIIs a few years ago!

jhw – if you want a sportsbike then get as modern a 600cc as you can afford, they got progressively more peaky as they evolved, to the point that most of them now have the rev limit somewhere between 14,000rpm – 16,000rpm and the power doesnt really kick in until north of 10,000 revs….the relative lack of squirt in the lower revs is ideal for somebody new to sportsbikes. It means you wont loop it by grabbing too much throttle, you wont spin the rear end up pulling out of junctions etc….all things that can and do happen to newbies on big bikes.

Dont get an Aprilia 250, lovely as they are they are a money pit as the 2-stroke engine requires more than a little TLC to keep them sweet….dont get a twin, they deliver their power in great huge dollops lower in the revs and you will probably end up flicking yourself off the back if you’re clumsy with the throttle…and you will be to begin with.

I got a Kawasaki zx7r for my first bike, a 750cc 90’s World Superbike legend….to say it was too much is an understatement, the learning curve was steep and after 3 months i (predictably) crashed it opening up the throttle before the bend i was on had opened up properly, bike was still leaned over and the rear span up….couldnt catch it in time and smashed the bike into the kerb and then a wall….thankfully i had parted company with the bike at this point and was sliding down the road….wounded pride and all that.

I then did the sensible thing and went and got a sports 600cc for the reasons i outlined at the start of my post, much better and spent a very enjoyable 18 months on that bike learning the nuances of bike control until i sold it on and was ready for something bigger again.

Woodward’s team played great rugby from 2000 onwards, 2002- early 2003 was a joy to watch. He also had the balls to take the team down under prior to the world cup and beat Australia and NZ in their own backyard. If it was exclusively down to the team then why has Johnson been such a poor coach? Plenty of the 2003 players continued afterwards but the results tailed off when Woodward left, he was as important as any of the guys playing at the time.

Should have been a double champion by now, still can’t believe Mclaren left him out on a visibly delaminating tyre and gifted Raikkonen the title that year!
One of the best out there but will come good later when he calms down, much like the more impressive form Button has shown in the second part of his career.

Rumour on the rugby boards is that Woodward will get Andrew’s role if Francis Baron becomes head of the RFU, they can then select a decent coach. Sadly not enough time I fear for a magnificent home victory in 2015.

Shimano do the 22/36 combo.

I’d go as far as to say the Alivio stuff below Deore is still good too. My mechs, brakes, shifters, bottom bracket and cranks have been faultless in 9 months of all weather and all terrain riding. Its perfectly possible to put together a quality hardtail running Deore and SLX everything for not a lot of money, especially if you’re still happy with 9 speed stuff.
Top end stuff costs top money, always has done hasn’t it? As somebody else said, you’re often paying for less weight and unfortunately less reliability often accompanies this!

I have an SLX double and bash too and went for 175mm cranks. Its what length the Alivio set-up was on my previous bike so I just stuck to what I was familiar with. I’m 5′ 9″ and my frames have been medium too, hope that helped a bit?!

Rode rigid MTBs for years in the 90s, seemed to ride the same stuff I ride now…maybe I was braver then? I was certainly younger! Rode a rigid old Saracen recently and actually liked the very direct feel again.

Dont forget you can now get angle-set headsets to slacken the angles even further on whatever you settle on.

Could try and find a Voodoo Zobop for £1,000?…..they are only £1,500 new so shouldnt be too difficult….you wont find a better specced bike for the money….its got 150mm travel at both ends and has a robust build with quality components, it should be able to turn its hand to most things you’re into….only drawback is it might not be slack enough for you, i read an interview with Joe Murray (the designer) who said the head angle was 68 degrees….i reckon thats fine but i know others would disagree!

Kona Caldera frames on CRC, JE JAMES, Winstanleys and other places for £150, boring black/grey colours which is probably why they’ve been discounted from £250. Nice angles and will take your fork. Bikeradar said the frame is great but let down by the crappy components Kona build the complete bikes with but if you just want a frame then that’s not a concern for you, I have one…it’s a hoot!

Yep, some of the more honest SS’ers on here have admitted their rides usually involve getting off to walk at various points ….and as others have said, I believe the pro XC riders use gears. I wonder why this is?!

SS’ing is cheap and low maintenance, I get that….but it does limit most people’s riding hence the pros not having anything to do with it on road or MTB.

It’s niche though and certain STW’ers love that!

I got fitter by just enjoying the cycling….staying out on the bike longer during the nicer summer months helps, tried riding trails slightly faster than usual….that helped too.

Best bit was that it wasnt planned, i rode each ride how i wanted on that particular day….i hate schedules for things that should be fun.

I e-mailed on-one earlier in the year when i was considering a 456, told them i was 5′ 9″ and the official response was to always buy a size too small as its easier to enlarge a small bike with longer seat post, increased layback, longer stem etc….i reckoned an 18 inch was fine for me but they said a 16 inch frame would be better….going by on-one’s sizing policy i reckon you’d need to be some kind of gangly freak to need a 20 inch frame!

Just out of interest how do the big firms like Trek, Spesh, Giant etc perform with warranty claims?

It would seem there is a certain superficial kudos in the MTB world when it comes to owning something niche, exclusive or made from unobtanium etc etc….and then lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth when things go wrong and said small company don’t deal with the issue as the purchaser would like.

In 20 years of riding I have owned a GT, a Saracen, a Trek and a Kona….terribly boring I know but all have been faultless and never been off the road for warranty work.

That said, I wouldn’t mind a Cotic Soul.

I went for the cheapo option of the Zenith AM stem from Superstar (£26) and some 710mm bars from Funn for a massive £14 on CRC….total of £40, job done….love a bargain me!

Rode the new parts today, top job…..rapidly becoming my favourite place to ride.

I need to change my tyres though!….the Panaracer Cinder 2.25s on there at the moment became clogged with leaves and mud almost instantly….then the mud attracted more leaves and the leaves attracted more mud etc etc….very shortly after setting off both my wheels looked like slicks, the tread was completely obscured and the bike was sliding all over the place, even mild climbs had me wheel spinning and stalling….any recommendations guys?….i’ve seen ‘Dirty Dans’ for a good price?

Jameso explained it for me the best so far….the other replies are getting complicated.
If it helps the material is aluminium, the frame is a 17 inch Kona Caldera with a 600mm top tube….from what i can gather so far it would seem to be ok fitting a 120mm fork as we’re only talking a couple of mm difference in bottom bracket height at most?

Never had a problem with CRC myself, always get the order right and always arrives promptly.

Hmm, while these arguments about food and managing the countryside are all very good, has anybody actually come forward and admitted they just enjoy killing things?

I do, as kids we went out with air guns to shoot animals and as an adult i go out with a shotgun to kill animals….i eat the dead creature most of the time (or give it to my dogs)….its social and fun.

Clay pigeon shooting is fun and rough shooting is even better as you get to take the rabbit/pigeon/pheasant home and have a tasty meal….got to love the blinkered views on here, can’t remember who’s post it was but which Pillock tried to say golf and shooting are about social hierarchy?…..some people at a shoot enjoy the whole Tweed ensemble but most people are very normal and wear jeans….I find it just as ridiculous when some penis on this forum spunks several thousand on a bike capable of descending Ben Nevis but rides around the Surrey Hills instead…..complete with hydration pack, armour and motorcross style baggies etc etc…each their own I suppose?!

I like having them around, its part of what makes us better than other countries!
Truth be told they cost us bugger all really, the civil list is granted in exchange for land the Royals handed over.
As for hereditary wealth, got no problem with it….I’d like to know that I can pass my home, savings and belongings to my children when I pass on, this should always be a right regardless of wealth.
I also like the layers of government in this country, a combination of MPs, Peers and the Royals generally ensure not too many collosal mistakes are made by one power wielding President or party.

Great, simple, hedonistic days….a mate emailed me a Youtube clip of a Helter Skelter party at the Sanctuary with us in it for a brief few moments…his accompanying text read ‘watch this and realise how shit your life is now’….

I think his sentiment was a little strong…i happen to like my life as it is now but there is a certain ‘something’ missing….it was exciting being part of a scene back then, we were on the fringes of society, the music and clothes and drugs were our secret, the thrill of friday arriving and just knowing that the weekend was going to be epic….thats what is missing from my life now and sadly i’ll never get that back….i like my job, i have good health and enjoy plenty of healthy, harmless hobbies….but those evenings in the 90s spent in the car with 4 or 5 mates driving hours to an event were special, music playing, flyers laying around the car, bags of speed being passed around, phone calls to mates from other parts of the country, heart pounding as we queued to get in, how the bass would hit you, the tingles down your neck as the pills kicked in, lasers and strobes….truly great days and i will treasure the memories and the music forever.