I have a Specialized Deviant II. It’s ideal. Lightish and very well vented. I can happily climb up Inners wearing it without boiling my face.

If a mountain is bigger than a hill, then do I need a downhill bike for <1000ft, and all mountain for >=1000ft?

I detect that you’re being sarcastic but I actually agree…

I think AM basically means it’s big, bouncy and tough but still light/geared enough to permit peddling/carrying it up big fat mountains.

I certainly wouldn’t want to carry most DH bikes 3000+ft up a soggy mountain but I’m happy carrying my Five AM.

There’s a limit to how far it’s worth pushing/carrying a DH bike.

Not sure what FR is all aboot. Jumps and that? Not sure. None of it really matters though eh? It’s just playing on bikes 😀

283 of my fave AM riding spots 😀

14″ Delicious Green Piglet ordered. Should be here tomorrow 🙂

Thanks again for the help

Thanks for all the responses, very helpful!

I also spoke to a very nice chap at Hotlines who happens to ride a 16″ Blue Pig @5’9. His wife has a 14″ @5’4.

The only difference is the top tub length, but it is quite a big difference.

I’m going to pull the trigger on a 14″ Piglet – I imagine the shorter top tube will get my elbows-out and let me throw it all over the place 🙂

Oohh that looks lovely. I love that colour. I prefer the look of the Piglet too – more understated.

Hmm if you’re 5’9 and the 16″ is perfect I guess the 14″ would be better suited for me at 5’6?

I had a shot on my pals 16″ Blue Pig and it felt fine, but maybe the 14″ would feel even more fine.

Go round and punch every one of them in the throat

An S-Works Purgatory came with a bike I had. Ripped after a couple (albeit very rocky and steep) rides

I pass soldiers carrying big guns in the Pentlands all the time. They’re always really friendly and don’t seem to mind sharing the land at all. I’m sure plenty of them are bikers.

What cameras are people using? Any recommendations for a good,tough compact that goes from off to reasy to shoot very quickly?

I’m using a Panasonic LX5. Love it. I hardly ever take my Canon 500D out the house these days

I filter through traffic. I don’t get stuck behind it.

How do you do that safely? I’m talking about the slow (15mph) moving traffic that I get from Cowgate to Haymarket. Not stationary stuff.

I cycle right through the city (Royal Mile – Crammond) every day. Pretty much every night the Cowgate lights are red with nobody walking or waiting.

I still stop and wait till they turn green. Why? ’cause maybe drivers will see me and think “What a nice guy, these folk on bikes are really splendid fellows, etc”.

It doesn’t really cost me any time. I soon catch up with and get stuck behind traffic anyway – so why not stop and look like an angel 😀

The bike shouldn’t matter too much – where you ride it is more important

I don’t have a bad word to say about my Hope V2s or my Hope X2s

I once saw a bike startle the wotsits out of a woman who was walking at the green man.

Right enough nobody was hurt but it’s quite an arsey way to behave. I find it interesting that it’s always older, more respectable looking people (suits) that I see riding on the pavement, through lights and generally being dicks.

How wide have you gone?

Loads of truly beautiful and inspiring photos in this thread. Keep them coming! Great to see people putting the mountain part into mountain-biking 🙂

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P1010411[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1010398_s[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000311[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000065[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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IMG_4848[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000260_s[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000212_s[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

(when I’m not healing broken bits) I commute 60 minutes/day on my mountain bike. Wouldn’t have it any other way!

It’s very satisfying scalping lycra-kitted roadies and if I fancy it I can nip up the woods on my way home 🙂

I’ve had both on various bikes and couldn’t tell the difference. There’s not that much difference in price either.

Where is the second last one drookit?

Looking south west from Carn Liath (Beinn a’Ghlo). It’s one of my faves thanks to the impressive bike-tango CaptainMainwaring is performing 😀

Here yi go. Mostly Munros and Corbetts

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P1010373[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1010358[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000743[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1010083[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000547_stitch[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000531[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000515[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000614[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000580[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

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P1000562[/url] by DavidHodgson[/url], on Flickr

If you’re arguing with TJ you’ve already lost.

Got an LX5. Love it to bits – loads of buttons and lovely manual controls.

These were all taken with my LX5

Omar Rodriguez Lopez

That was the Purgatory S-WORKS version. Dunno if that’s different to the one you’re looking at.

Great tyre though!

I ran them tubeless for a bit on my old Stumpy as they came with the bike. They’re light, and decent enough in terms of grip, but I ripped the sidewall at Glentress – so clearly not that tough

Inners is littered with trails cut for various events. You can’t miss them, they head off into the trees all over the shop. Some of them are overgrown – you’ll head down what looks promising only for it to turn into thick woods. Others are magic.

If you’re booked on the uplift, make friends with someone who knows where they’re going and have a blast.

Is it the 31st/1st you’ll be there? I might be aboot then

What rim tape are you using?

Angry people are angry 🙄

I’ve just gotten over my annual bout of bust ribs. It takes me 2 weeks to get back to easy biking and 4 to get back to full strength (I’m 28, fit and eat well).

If you’re able to cycle over bumps and weight your arms without it feeling like you’re pulling your stomach out – they’re probably just a bit bruised. Although, typically (for me) it takes about 5 days for broken ribs to become painful.

In my experience, it’s best to rest up and avoid loading your abs/arms for at least a week or you’ll just delay the healing process. It’s frustrating but it’ll get you back out quicker.

You soon figure out ways of getting out of bed and standing up. I sort of kick my leg and it’s weight pulls me up, rather than engaging my stomach muscles.

Best of luck healing – you’ll be fit again before you know it!

All the DH trails are rideable by beginners with little experience at low speed except Gold which is a bit steep and Matador which is steep and wacky.

Make or Brake is brilliant but watch out for the jumps at the top – you need to commit to them or you will do a whoops. Best to roll them the first couple times.

Make or brake is really flowy and fun. Upper Cresta is brilliant too. Ach they’re all brilliant – have fun!

I’ve had a Rocky Ridge for about 6 years and still love it to bits. Keep it!

What’s the question?

Aye, 19%. You’re worth whatever you can negotiate with your employer. If you don’t like it – move on and up. If you can’t do that you’re probably not worth it.

If I could only have one bike it would be a hardtail.

Aye – never used it.

Quick cup of tea and a small bowl of granola at home then porridge and coffee at work 🙂

I like the peak ’cause it helps keep flies out my eyes in the summer and mud out my face in the winter.

Mine has a removable visor but I’ve never actually removed it. It’s just a £40 Specialized job

I love how there is more than 1 “international standard” 😆

I’ve got a Gamut P30 double on my Five too and it works fine. It’s a doddle to fit as there are ISCG tabs.