I took two bikes out there last time I did it.
A coil sprung Orange Patriot and an air sprung Liteville 301.
I rode both back-to-back on the same morning down the quali course, where I’d have expected the coil sprung bike to have had the advantage. It didn’t. I was significantly quicker on the 301 (RP 23/Pikes).
To be honest, the terrain of the main event is predominantly XC, so no need for anything more than a standard trailbike build (apart from the obligatory dual-plys).

downside of the one you linked to above for me is the heated windscreen

…and just for balance… the heated windscreen is one of the things that keeps me coming back to Mondeos. Fantastic.

The only downside of the Mondeos is the relatively poor fuel economy.
Typically 45 mpg maximum from my 163ps, if driven like a granny.

Silver every time. Agree that black cranks look crap in next to no time.

I’ve stuck with the silver xt 104bcd cranks on my 301 and settled for a 32t oval (works components).

The 601 came with X01 carbon cranks. Great because you can stick a 30t spiderless oval on there. I suspect they may not be so great looking though once they’ve been battered to hell and back.

I’ve got a riding buddy who has one.
It’s a heavy bike, very robust but quite an old-skool steep head angle so not fantastically stable downhill.
Much improved (up and down) by fitting a CCDB coil but you’ll be looking at a near 40lb bike if you build it up beefy and fit dual-plys.
The only bike he’s not broken (yet) mind.

Garda

Tech (check)
Steep (check)
Singletrack (check)
cheap (check)
self-guided options (check)

Supergravity or Dual Ply, as wide and as big a volume as possible, on a 40mm rim, Tubeless. :)
I can run about 25psi front and 30psi rear with this. Slashing sidewalls seems to be a much more common failure mode than pinchflatting is now.

It’s pretty much self-regulating IME.
No-one rides the moor tops when they’re a bog-fest, because they’re no fun at all like that.

I’ve not been up the Stoodley side of Hebden since Christmas, because the water won’t have made the trails up there any better but it’s scoured the green slime off the rocky stuff around Heptonstall, Slack, etc. quite nicely :)

I wear goggles over glasses to ski. No problems.
But I can’t do the same for biking. They’d steam up within the first 30 seconds. :(

It’s the fact that your daughter has passed her test and can now drive unsupervised. (oops, too slow)

and £1,300 is very cheap. I think my son’s was over £2,000 for an 89ps Punto in the first year after he passed.

How about a Syntace W40 rim and a rebuild? About Euro 185 from zee German sites.

I’ve only ever seen that with the clamp over-tightened, but you’ve ruled that one out pretty conclusively.

Is the return speed slow after the initial “help”?
If it’s quick, then it’s not likely to be a bleed issue.

I’d go straight to warranty, assuming it’s still covered. (2 years)

Liteville 301 – first proper day out on it early 2014, set the sag and headed for the Lakes.
Big mountain passes all day and some fairly tough descents = Four KoMs and third place down Rossett Gill!
Yep, that one just felt right from the first ride. And a 26″ wheel on the back too, who’d have though it!

I’m not sure what value you’d get from feedback received from a potential buyer. What’s the incentive for anyone who’s genuinely interested to say anything. It’d be beneficial to them if you got the impression that no-one out there was interested.

Recuva worked for me on photos deleted from an SD card

I need to get organised.

I’m thinking maybe Finale early as practical in Spring.
Garda again for Summer hols maybe, or possibly Les Arcs.
Would like to do the guided Trans Savoie sometime soon too.
Don’t know if I’ll get to the Mega this Summer but hopefully :(

wot junkyard said re trailcentres – ie Don’t

If South Lakes, then anything around Garburn/Kentmere/Harter Fell/Nan Bield
or Ambleside, Loughrig, Coffin Trail, Elterwater,Hodge Close, Iron Keld type stuff.
If North Lakes, then go big: Skidaw/Ullock & Blencathra,
or Whiteless Pike/Buttermere/Rigg Beck,
or Catbells/High Spy/Dale Head/Hindscarth/Scope End

A fall line, … the steepest possible line on a given descent … and not fun to ride anyway.

Eh! That’s usually the line that’s going to be the MOST fun, isn’t it?

How many people are getting filthy black contaminated mineral oil out when they bleed?
When I have had this, it’s usually coincided with the onset of inconsistent lever feel.
I can only speculate that this is from a seal that’s deteriorated.
As it’s evident at the lever end, I suspect it’s the piston seal in the lever.

I don’t rate them at all.
I have skinny ankles, so they gape open and fill with water. You can actually feel the cold water rush in and flood them when you hit water.

The only truly waterproof solution that I’ve worn is knee-length goretex boot liners, worn with merino socks inside and winter bib tights over the top. Not a good look but effective.

Mostly I just go with thick merino socks and accept that they’ll get wet but still stay warm-ish.

I’ve got the W35 on one bike and the W40 on another.
Both come up nice and wide with a 2.5″ Schwalbe tyre on ’em and work really well tubeless.
They’re the best hubs I’ve owned, way better sealed than Pro2 and very easy to work on. Highly recommended. :)

^^^ that’s what is generally described as a “sticky piston” alexh.
Take out the pads and cycle the pistons in and out a bit (prizing back before they come out too far and the seal pops out of the end of the bore.

JackHammer
This one?:[/url]

not so simple as a thread size, the thread is wider than the remaining section of the pin.
link to item on wiggle site[/url]

The oil was black and very viscous, after about 6 months riding. I obviously need to take into account the shelf life of mineral oil

There may be a clue here.
I’ve had black fluid at the lever end on two occasions. Evident when bleeding bottom-up. It seems to coincide with the onset of inconsistent lever feel.
I strongly suspect the cause is deterioration of the seal in the lever.
In use, through the early part of the stroke, the seal passes over the bleed holes that connect the master cylinder and its reservoir. My suspicion is that the seal is suffering a cheese-grater effect when passing over these holes and the black fluid is a result of this.

Another symptom is that the system often resists bleeding bottom-up. The free stoke adjuster is wound back but the lever doesn’t naturally return to the very start of its travel. I suspect the seal on the piston is still blocking those transfer ports to the reservoir.

Mrs is in a public sector management role with about 100 staff. She hasn’t had a pay rise in the last 3 years.

I’m in a private sector management role. My pay rises (promotions aside) have been about 2% PA over the same period.

Yes, I’d say a 5% rise was exceptionally good.

ISTP on this one, same as when previously done in full.

No surprises there.

Mine arrived last Christmas and stayed for a week.
So this year we’re leaving the country first thing on Boxing day and only coming back after new year :-)

Laying it over a std 30t ring, it looked more like +/- 5 mm radius but it wasn’t a very scientific test.
I’ll try it at next drivetrain change anyway.
I do quite like the feel of the pedalstroke with oval rings.

The only other very slight drawback I can see is that the chainring diameter will be at it’s greatest when feet are fore/aft for descending/techy stuff, reducing ground clearance over rocks.

So far, so good, running an Absolute Black 30t oval on the 601 (no top guide though).

Got another 32t one ready to try on the hardtail but I’ve yet to see how it fits with the one-up topguide, which I wouldn’t want to loose. (effectively it’ll have to accomodate the dia of a 30t in one position and a 34t in another)

The Syntace headset bearings on my 301 have been faultless for nearly two years now and that’s two years of Peaks/Calderdale grinding-paste winter slopfests.
Sam is probably right that it may be a question of bearing seal integrity that’s causing your problem.
I’ve always sealed mine with a liberal layer of thick calcium based marine grease (waterpump grease) over the bearing seal as well as underneath it. One of the key characteristics of this stuff is that it forms an effective outer seal and muck just sits as a skin on top of it and is not getting into the bearing surfaces.
Good in bottom brackets too.

Certainly not the top 50 places to live for mountainbikers!

Just been researching same subject as our vented one was getting long in the tooth (failing to turn on occasion and bearing noisy)

From what I could gather, heat pump ones are basically more efficient but take longer to dry stuff.

Regarding ROI on that higher price vs lower consumption… somewhere in the range 5 to 10 years appeared to be the general view but I didn’t go into the numbers in detail.

CBA emptying the tank on a condensing one.

Also read some reports that any type with moisture sensors can be either problematic or shut off too soon before stuff is dry.

In the end, just bought another basic timed vented drier (£170) with biggest drum and load capacity (8kg) that I could find.
Run it for 10 years and then throw it away when it goes wrong.

Sometimes the seal in the lever deteriorates resulting in the piston not returning fully, which can block the ports between cylinder and its reservoir.
I’ve seen this twice on M785 xt brakes.
From personal experience, the indicators appear to be:
1. lever doesn’t return to full extent of travel on release
2. resistance (or inability) to bleeding “bottom-up”
3. black seal residue contaminant visible in the fluid at the lever end

Remedy: New lever assy (seals not replaceable)

fair enough theotherjonv, looks like you can run SS with an oval. :)

Yes Syntace headset is very good.
If you want extra sealing, pack it with marine grease and wipe a liberal layer over the exterior of the bearing seals too.

spooky_b329 – Member
Will oval maintain an even chain tension on a single speed?

Northwind – Member
You can see the mech bob as the cranks turn so I’m going to say no, though it’s not very much.

I confirm Northwind’s observations re the rear mech bobbing slightly with an oval ring, so not therefore likely to be suitable for SS without a tensioner.

Now if we could just get some really big dumps in Europe, that would be great

Yep, off to AdH on Boxing Day and getting slightly concerned at lack of forecast snow now…

Previously used Autoaid for many years. Very good. Basically works as an insurance policy and reimburses your expense.

Now got a Nationwide Flexplus account instead. Make it a joint account and you’re both covered. £10 a month for family travel insurance inc Winter sports and for full European breakdown cover for two. I can’t find two separate products for cheaper than the account fee.

But if I’m not mistaken, that picture is of a descent off Pendle, not Ramsbottom.

The BBB one has worked fine for me