I have a Van Nicholas Chinook which is a great frame however this is my third warranty replacement after I broke two Zephyrs and a previous Chinook, all at the bottom bracket weld point.

No flex BigR? I am the same weight as you and all I can say is you are not trying hard enough! 😉

Hopefully this one will last a bit longer but I can’t fault VN’s lifetime warranty and customer service. If you want a frame for life get a VN.

I like it but agree with what Clink says. By the time they ship them that black and white livery with red highlights is going to be sooooo last year.

Why does it have to be one or t’other?

I have a Genesis iO rigid SS, Inbred hardtail with Rockshox forks and an Orange 5. I use whatever is the most appropriate for the terrain I am riding or as the mood takes me.

Lots of well-organised events of varying distances around the country here:

http://www.bike-events.com/

They are marshalled and signed so no navigating required either.

I have an Inbred and a Genesis iO and I prefer the iO but there’s not a great deal in it. I would like to try an On-One ScandAl and will probably buy one of the new frames (if they ever come out).

This was my opinion of my first ride on a 29er with a good set of views posted in reply which might be useful.

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/first-ride-on-a-29er

I’m willing to accept that maybe the Tallboy wasn’t my cup of tea and am waiting for a demo on a Singular Swift to reserve total judgement.

The term should be “cut & shut”.

Was that a Freudian slip?

Several people have commented that the TLD pads come up small. I’m 6′ 4″ of average build but not massive legs. Anyone else this sort of size got the TLD T-Bones and have an opinion on the fit?

randomjeremy,

There seem to be two types of TLD T-Bones that I have come across, the CRC ones and these:

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Troy%20Lee-Troy-Lee-T-Bone-Knee-Guard_16411.htm

What is the difference?

randomjeremy,

Are the Troy Lee pads you are talking about these ones?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=59945

As they have no velcro straps do they stay in place okay and do you think they may stretch and slip over time?

kyle straits work for me

Do they fit without taking your shoes off? i.e. just wrap around the knee and fix with the velcro straps?

Is it easy to change the standard Inbred frame to single speed?

Assuming you are talking about the geared Inbred with vertical dropouts, I did this as my first single speeder. The standard SS ratio for gears is 2:1 with 32:16 being the most popular.

When converting a geared frame you need what is commonly known as a “magic gear” which is one that gives you the least amount of slack that needs to be taken up with a chain tensioner. I found that 36:18 was the best magic gear for my 20″ Inbred frame but you might need to experiment with various ratios if you have a different size frame with shorter chainstays.

It will need to be fairly tight when first fitted because the chain will stretch over time and eventually you may run out of adjustment with the tensioner. I used to keep two or three chains in various states of “slackness” to allow for this. It’s actually much easier if you get one of the horizontal dropout frames but you do need a chaintug on the drive side to prevent the wheel being pulled over under load.

You may find that if you are just starting single speeding that you will benefit from a lower ratio than 2:1 but after a while as your fitness and technique improve, you will begin to spin out on the lower ratio and a move up to the standard 2:1 will be beneficial.

I ride SS on and off road and the only time I have experienced knee problems is never to do with straining a big gear up a hill, it’s more to do with spinning too fast on the flat where my knees tend to bounce when pedalling too fast. I try to resist the urge to do that whenever possible now.

I’m more of a big kahuna burger man

“That is one tasty burger!”

xcgb,

Go here:

Home

and sign up (free) for much better financial advice than you will get on any biking site.

You might want to start on this board:

http://boards.fool.co.uk/absolute-beginners-investing-50014.aspx

Make sure you know why you are investing (not just greed) and what your goals are. Don’t invest any money you can’t afford to lose.

It may seem like it but there is no easy money to be made on the stockmarket. Read everything you can for at least 6 months and don’t be afraid to ask loads of numpty questions, we all had to start somewhere.

The market may well go up in that time but don’t be too anxious to get in quickly. It will still be there when you are more knowledgeable and less likely to make silly mistakes.

A Fate worse than death?

What about gently heating the seat tube with a hairdryer say? Very often the application of heat will cause enough differential expansion of the different materials to break the stiction.

If it doesn’t work on its own it might well help in combination with one of the other methods suggested.

Raleigh 501 (Road) – Cracked head tube
On-One Inbred (MTB) – Cracked drive-side chainstay
Airborne Zeppelin (Road) – Cracked seat tube at junction with BB
Van Nicholas Zephyr (Road) – Warranty replacement for above, same problem
Van Nicholas Chinook (Road) – Warranty replacement for above, same problem
Now on my second Van Nicholas Chinook just waiting for it to crack!

welcome to test out my XL swift – 1×9 with 80mm front forks – based in woking

Thanks for the offer rootes1, that config is almost identical to my Inbred – 1×9 with 100mm RockShox Rebas. Under normal circumstances I might have taken you up on it but I’m going for a rigid SS config on the Swift.

The beauty with the design is though it could morph into one similar to yours in the future.

i can guarantee it won’t feel or ride like your 5

LOL!

I’m going for the rigid SS. Will I be allowed to compare it to my Genesis iO?

i think we’re over analysing here, the OP didn’t like the tall Boy, he wasn’t exactly slagging off 29ers, some bikes feel right, some don’t 26″ or 29″ and i understand that, i’ve jumped on bikes and it felt instantly wrong and i’ve had no confidence riding them, others i’ve loved from the start.

As it was my first experience of riding a 29er, I was very surprised that I was unable to detect any of “typical” advantages that are supposed to define a 29er. Especially so because this was a top of the range model that has been so highly rated by magazine testers.

Maybe I was naive to expect that it would perform like my Orange 5 but I had also been led to believe that a FS 29er needs less travel than a 26er so assumed that they should be comparible. Obviously they are not.

I am currently in the process of arranging a test of a Singular Swift which so many posters seem to rate, so will let you know how I get on with that. It certainly is a lovely looking bike and if it goes half a well as in looks then I should be convinced.

I’ll let you know how I get on.

Anyway dunno what you were expecting but it is disappointing not to get what you think you should.

I have read a lot about the pros and cons of 29ers over the last couple of years or so when I have been thinking about getting one. Part of that is that they are supposed to suit the taller rider (I’m 6′ 4″) so I thought that might also be a benefit to me, not that I feel cramped on a 26er but I’ve never ridden anything else obviously.

Using What MTB’s summary of the Pros & Cons of 29ers, this is what I expected:

Pros

Roll smoother and faster over holes and bumps – didn’t notice any difference

More traction from more tyre on the ground – didn’t notice any difference but willing to accept that this is very subjective based on tyres and ground conditions

More rolling momentum at speed – Gave it a good thrashing whenever possible especially on wide, flattish terrain but didn’t notice anything in particular but willing to accept that this aspect may only show itself under controlled situations like timed racing

More stability due to longer wheelbase and lower CoG – didn’t notice this effect either but again willing to accept that some might find it so

Proportionate wheel size to body height helps taller riders get better bike fit – The fit felt fine to me but then again so do all my 26ers

Cons

Larger wheels create more drag and less lively ride – It certainly felt very lethargic and wooden

Harder to accelerate – Very noticeable, every time I tried to accelerate it felt very reluctant

Harder to manual wheelie because of higher axles – Very noticeable again but willing to accept that with a bit more practice this would be a minor fault that could be easily overcome

Slightly slower turning ability – VERY noticeable and I would say major contribution to overall sluggish feel of the bike under most conditions

Heavier than comparable 26er – Didn’t especially notice this over my Orange 5 under static conditions but it did feel much heavier in terms of performance

I don’t think that the more time thing is right. IME, I’ve known straight away when a bike feels right.

I think that I would tend to agree with you there clubber. In the two hours or so that I rode the Tallboy I felt like I gave it every chance to impress on quite varied terrain. I was conscious the whole time that I was actually testing the bike so was constantly evaluating how it felt downhill on the tight singletrack, up and down the fire roads and how it rolled over the different terrain. In all situations it just didn’t feel very impressive.

I’m sure that if I rode it for two days or two weeks I would have probably altered my riding style to take account of its handling characteristics but that doesn’t make the bike any better.

I have looked at the Swift and heard good things about it. The only thing that puts me off is the EBB. Doubtless many have no problem with them but I have heard so many stories of creaking etc. that I just don’t think I could risk it, it would drive me mad.

Some interesting and well reasoned opinions on this thread I think. I think that I gave the Tallboy fair test but accept that it is not the best tool for the Surrey Hills area.

I would definitely like to try a hardtail sometime and will probably be contacting Charlie to see if I can arrange a demo on the Niner SIR9 because that looks more like the type of bike I would be interested in.

All 29ers aren’t the same though, the TB is a race bike more than a trail bike and you’d probably feel the same riding a 26″ xc fs race bike and then riding your 5. have a go on a UK designed frame before you give up

Good point rOcKeTdOg and something in all the 29er PR that I had overlooked. I really wanted to have a go on an On-One hardtail and will probably wait for the new Scandal 29er with the swap dropouts to come out later this year. I wouldn’t be using it for Peaslake though, more for fast training blasts around my local trails.

I haven’t given up on 29ers completely.

29ers aren’t for everyone, 2 hours isn’t really a fair test against a bike you ride all the time though

I realise that, however I did try to give it a fair crack of the whip and tried to keep an open mind about its handling characteristics. But what is the alternative; buy one and hope it grows on you because everyone else says its great?

As I said in previous posts, its negatives were just too apparent for me even over a couple of hours. I don’t see how I would ever get over that and I can’t believe that the Tallboy’s charm would eventually ‘out’ and win me over. I’m sure there are those that have one and ride the shocks off it and enjoy it immensely, it just doesn’t suit me and my riding style and never will as far as I can see.

I believe you would be the first person in the world to find a FS 29er to give you a harsh ride.

I guess it depends on your frame of reference. If you came from a 100mm forked, 26″ hardtail then the Tallboy would seem quite plush. All I can say is compared to my 140mm travel Orange 5 that it felt harsh (on descents that is of course).

chainslapp,

As I said in my OP I have an Orange 5 as well. With everything I had read about 29ers I was looking for all the positives that have often been mentioned such as lower rolling resistance and carrying speed/momentum. I can honestly say I just couldn’t detect them, all I really noticed was the ponderous steering, the slow acceleration and the harsh ride in general. I was very careful to make sure that the suspension was setup correctly for me by the way.

I so wanted to like this bike but just didn’t I’m afraid in any way apart from the obvious quality of build that you would expect from SC and paying £4400. It would be interesting to hear from other riders who have ridden the Tallboy because SC had a demo day at Peaslake a few weeks ago and I saw a few of them being ridden around then.

chainslapp,

I live in Essex so mainly ride Epping, Hainault, Thorndon etc. on a SS fully-rigid or Inbred with 100mm suss up front. We visit places like the Surrey Hills maybe once a month on average and the Dark Peak and Wales when we can arrange (maybe 3 or 4 times a year in total).

At 6’4” the big problem I have with getting demo rides is finding somewhere that has a bike in my size. Mostly they carry size Large or smaller which I have ridden at a pinch but is not ideal. I spoke to a Santa Cruz rep at a demo day a few weeks ago where they had about 20 bikes available across the range but again unfortunately no size XL. He did say SC bikes do come up a bit smaller so riding a Large would not be a fair test but that he could arrange to ship a size XL to the shop in Peaslake.

I spoke to Howard in Pedal & Spoke, the bike shop in Peaslake which is an SC dealer and after calling SC he did manage to arrange the Tallboy in size XL for me for yesterday’s demo. So you can see to a certain extent it was Hobson’s choice but having said that I have always liked the SC range of bikes so would have been seriously looking to upgrade to one in the future if I had been suitably impressed by it.

You’re probably right about the hardtail 29er and I know not all bikes ride the same so maybe I am generalising a bit but I don’t think that I will be looking to get any sort of 29er anytime soon based on yesterday’s experience. I would also encourage anyone thinking of going 29er to at least ride one first and especially the bike they are thinking of buying. That obviously goes for any bike really but it’s surprising how many people don’t demo a bike before committing serious cash.

If I can arrange to get a decent demo on a 29er hardtail in my size at some time in the future then I will be prepared to give it another go.

Went there yesterday and yes, very dry. Apart from the devastation wrought by the loggers in recent times, not much has changed in the last few weeks.

YoKaiser,

I had the bike all day but gave it back after a couple of hours or so because I’d had enough of it. In that time I rode Barry Knows Best, Yoghurt Pots and Reservoir Dogs twice and Telegraph Row all the way once plus obviously all the assorted climbs and tracks in between. I felt like I had given it every chance and was getting more attuned with the bike by the end but still hated the general feel of it.

I can’t really see how “learning to ride the bike” (whatever that means) would have really made any difference to my sense of enjoyment. I rode all of the trails probably about as fast as on my Orange 5 but in my opinion it made the Orange feel lithe and exciting by comparison. None of the supposed advantages of a 29er made themselves apparent to me but all of the disadvantages did, big time.