Looks very nice stevied.
I’ll post a pic of mine once I’ve built it.

I’ve gone for 26″ rear and 650B front with the Syntace W40 rims.

From riding the 601s previously in Garda and in Finale, I’ve found the geometry adjustment to make quite a noticable difference but easy to experiment with on the trail. I ran it in slackest position 90% of the time though and with a 180 fork, so suspect you’ll find it climbs well enough without needing to steepen it up.

Those SCS chainguides are almost silent and very effective but the inserts are prone to wear. I got about a year out of mine on the 301 with a double. New inserts are worth buying from German sites when you’re placing a bigger order and stick ’em on the shelf for later.

I have no objection in principle to using credit but I’ve always been able to get a better deal with cold hard cash.

I’m picking up my 601 tonight Steve.
I suspect you’ll be built and riding before me though as I’ve got somebody working on getting me a pro-core kit for the build.

San Marino without lights would have been a disaster!

I think they’d say it’s “Character-building” :twisted:

For my two-penneth…
I honestly think the “cheeky trails” approach is not making our case any stronger, as there’s an implicit acceptance that being there is “wrong”.

Instead, we should be riding those trails whenever we like, regardless of how it’s designated. Just be nice to everyone you meet on the way and ride appropriately.

Of course, if you want to go full-tilt and knock your friend’s time off the Strava leaderboard, then you’re going to have to ride when it’s quiet, but that’s not a reason to avoid riding those trails responsibly at busier times.

Most footpaths aren’t worth riding anyway, too many gates, boggy, overgrown, difficult to ride uphill.

I couldn’t disagree more, but I do realise that this depends where you are.
In Lakes/Calderdale for example, all the best bits are designated as footpaths.
We just ride them anyway :D

Only three made it to the pub though!
Bull was closed so we opted for a swift one in the Black Dog.

Yep,
I’ve got a rough idea of a route that can always be tweaked a bit if conditions (or the approach of closing time) dictate.

If “Ponale freeride” is a name for the trail that goes right down to the old Porto Ponale (metal bridge; steep section; short flight of steps; a few small drops), and you’re OK with that, then you’ll be fine with everything at Finale.

You’ll be fine.
Finale is much faster and flowier but (with a few exceptions such as trails like “Inferno” and “Cacciatore”) mostly technically easier than the stuff in Garda.
Because Garda tends to be more technically difficult (depending which trails you rode, obviously) you tend to ride stuff more slowly there.

I know Michael well (fellow Northerner) and have ridden Garda stuff with him on 3 separate visits. I’ve also been to Finale for a week last year and loved it.

There is maybe more of a case for a full face helmet in Finale because you’re likely to be hitting everything a bit faster.

I wore full-face and knee pads all the time in Finale.
In Garda I wore both open face and full-face according to what we were riding, approx equally.

No, Finale is not a step up from Garda, just different.
Yes, a proper full-face is a good idea if you want to take Finale’s tougher trails at full speed.
No, you won’t need a pressure suit for Finale.

Have fun. I’ve run out of holidays this year or I’d have been with you on the Finale trip.

Least worst option!

Thanks Craig.
Route TBD based on weather but will try to include some lesser ridden bits.

Rivington, cheeky stuff around Parlick, Pendle, Worsthorne, Calderdale… How far do you want to travel?

*Picolax (@firestarter)

Yes, nice cheeky edit there ;)

Nan Bield from Staveley.
Only a short route and only 15 mins from M6.
Only place worth a detour would be Calderdale, but if you’re heading to Lakes anyway, then I’d just go straight there to be honest.

A natural loop from Staveley?
Rivington would probably be the closest if that matters.

You really don’t want/need a big bike.
I took two bikes out there with the idea of riding the quali on my Patriot and the race day on my 301.
I took both down the quali course back-to-back and compared times on Strava. I was slightly surprised to find that I was a good bit quicker on the 301.

140 to 160 trail bike is the Goldilocks spot I think.

Yes, dual ply rear, ideally run tubeless, is a good idea… but then I have never been able to get away with anything less in the UK either. Overall, it’s no more brutal than a typical Lakes descent, it just goes on a lot longer.

Are you getting a solid lever when bleeding with the bleed block in place?
If you can’t even feel solid resistance with that in place, and having bled thoroughly, then you may have a leak somewhere.

Not used one as narrow as that or in 29 flavour.

I have the W35 in 26″ rear/650B front though.

Have also ridden the W40 rims

They are excellent rims, staying true despite some serious abuse.
The one issue I’ve had is that they don’t seam to work well when used tubeless with Maxxis dual plys. They are brilliant with proper UST beaded Maxxis though, or anything Schwalbe.

I rate the hubs higher than Pro2, mainly due to the really effective sealing.

You can link up three trails from Din all the way back down to the road.
It’s on as a single Strava segment called Finale Full Ale Ale Martina Rollercoaster.
20 minutes solid flatout. I can still feel the pain in my legs :)

Managed to get the double discount trick through twice. :)
A pair of XT brakes for about £80. That’s OK.
Third set of vouchers were cancelled though. :(

Wheel size doesn’t matter

It did in *2014, winning combo was 26″ wheels in 650b frame.
*It was stupidly muddy.

Yep, I remember it well. Frame and forks seized solid with mud.

I looked at C class and 3 series estates and discounted both… too small.

So it came down to a shortlist of 5 series, E class, V70, mondeo, superb.
Mondeo was the first to come up at a good price/spec so went with that but would have been equally happy with any off that list as a bike lugger.

oops,
typo earlier
should have read 0.19 % over baserate.
I think I’ll be riding that one for as long as possible

damn!
Used a couple of the single use ones only yesterday.
Could have saved another couple of quid there.

oh go on then

I’ve been pondering this question for years now and have thus far held my nerve and thereby saved a bob or two.
Our tracker rate is .09% over baserate, so I think I’ll risk it a bit longer yet.

Needle roller bearings on the shock mounts is the way to go.
18 months trouble free so far. Only maintenance so far has been a precautionary re-grease using Castrol marine grease.

Back from family hols on the Saturday so should be able to make a Sunday ride with a bit of luck.

Wimberries here too.

…for the Liteville 601?
Syntace W40 wheelset of course.

I don’t bother with chain checkers but I do change chains fairly regularly. I just run 2 or 3 in rotation.
Take chain off and lay it alongside a new one. Is it noticeably stretched?
Replace with new chain and repeat after a few months.
Each time you compare, just stick the shortest of the 2 or 3 chains on the bike.
Run the whole lot into the ground, which should now take 3 times as long. :)

Liteville.

My XL 601 werkmachine in raw has just arrived :D
I might go and pick it up tonight and get building.

I already have a 301, running 26 rear and 650B front.
I’ve ridden the 601 extensively in Garda and Finale. The 301 is very capable but no match for the 601 on rough stuff at speed.

I’m planning on running the 601 as my everyday bike. It’s easy to pedal uphill as the suspension action doesn’t bob much at all once you set it up right. Absolutely astonishing pedalability for a 190mm travel frame.
I’ll run the 301 and 601 together for a while and then consider if the 301 is surplus to requirements.

I’ve had a 13 plate 163ps estate for the last 16k miles/10 months.
I get about 45mpg average according to the obc.
Nice comfortable place to be on the motorways.
Pulled a 5m long bike trailer down to Garda and you wouldn’t have ever noticed it was there. Still got >40mpg cruising at 80 with that on the back.
Very brisk and handles well when you do get the chance to rag it.

wot Northwind said around Kinlochleven, plus the Devil’s Staircase too.

Skiddaw and Ullock Pike.

Four Passes (Tour of Gable) and Grains Gill.

Snowdon twice – Rangers and Rhydd Du.

Boredale Haus and Ullswater lakeside.

Helvellyn, Dollywaggon, Grisedale.

Rossett Gill.

Nan Bield.

Parkin Clough & Back Tor, Derwent Edge, WLT (Peak)

Any/every dotted line on a map of Calderdale.

I’d be looking at a “clutch” mech of one sort or another.

Compromise holidays do seem to be a source of frustration for me too.
I think it’s probably something to do with the “fitting it all in” thing that comes with only having a finite amount of leave :(

e.g. Just done twelve days in Garda. Part family holiday/part bikey.
I did;
4 days on the bike, mostly back for late afternoon, only one day when back after dark.
2 days via ferrata with daughter
6 days family stuff, Verona, Limone, mooching aimlessly, etc

I mistakenly though of that as a family holiday with a small amount of biking. She seems to think it was a biking holiday and wants to do a cruise next year :(

I guess it comes down to expectations of “what a good holiday looks like”.

yep, you’ve got it. :D

We went with ezefreeride.com
Trails were picked by Marco and Enrico on the day according to ability and preferences of the group, both are good riders and excellent guides.
Typical day in Finale: 32 miles of downhill/enduro trails on this day

Yes, you’ll need to book. Details in the link.
They collect riders from pick-up points in the town too if you aren’t staying at their place.

Heard a few people say that the problem is mainly attributable to lifting the bike by the saddle whilst post is down, forcing air past the seal and into the fluid.
Anybody know if this is correct?

Had the problem on two posts now. One was replaced under warranty.
The other was fixed by a £60 service, which inc new seals and polymer bush.