Disappointing lack of photos.

Mainly because it’s a right hassle to upload to somewhere else then paste the link on a pc let alone on mobile devices

Got a large, based around Edinburgh, love it! Handles really well, it fits me nicely at 5’11” and a 35 stem.
Pikes and x01. It’s a burly frame with a stiff rear end – don’t expect it to be forgiving in that sense.

Anything I’d change? I’d have put a standard head tube on, integrated top set is a pain in terms of limiting you to very specific headsets (although hope do now make one to fit – they didn’t when I got it despite a different standard having the same name)
I’d probably also have gone with a bolt through rear, but the system they’ve used works well.You’ll need to re-dish any stock wheels because it’s a 6mm offset, but that makes the chainline work better and the rear wheel build stronger.

Another person in the starling build queue. Getting him to bulld me a really slack 29er fs. Why? Because I can get exactly what I want

@cheers_drive where did you find a push on t25 bit? Been looking for one but my Google-fu has failed me.

I don’t understand why people keep ignoring metalheart when he says he’s happy with the fork he’s ordered and doesn’t want to get something else when the fox meets his requirements. Sounds like a nice build and looking forward to hearing how you get on with the bike once it arrives metalheart! Enjoy

SS riding allows you to not think about changing gears constantly. It’s very liberating, but not social. Just before a hill you’ll learn to accelerate and grind till you blow up or reach the top on the way down you’ll learn to flow with the trail. It’s great fun

I would be very surprised if you managed to fit any + tyre in the oo codeine, I get the occasional tyre rub on a 29×2.35 on a 40mm rim in the back of that when I corner hard

We’ve got a dawes the edge rigid with cantis both ends and a rear drum. Great fun for me and the missus. We’ve got a set of 2″ slicks on it now as that’s what we mostly do but it has done some trail riding in the past. It’s also done duties in the past as a London tour guide back in my days of living in the big smoke people generally don’t know what to make of 4 or 5 tandems riding together through town.
Next project is to do a few days riding and camping on Harris/Lewis and Skye. As mentioned above it’s fantastic for couples of disperate fitness and what got my other half into cycling – now rides her bike to work every day. Biggest difficulty for us is storage

climbs pretty well as is with the steep seat tube. Still my fastest bike on some of the the tech climbs around the tweed valley with a KOM up (and down) in a few places

It works very well with a 140mm and I seem to remember the original design being 140-160. You’d be pedal striking a lot with a shorter fork imo. As above why?

I’m with trail rat. 3×7 on our tandem and it’s brilliant. Xt shifters and an old school mech work beautifully and have been on since the early 90s. I’d be more worried about whether 1×10 or 11 will cope with the torque. There’s always the sram ex1 group which is designed with high torque shifting and a large gear range 1x system.

And for some reason it would only go backwards freehub must have been backwards

Hub with the world’s largest flange? That’s 30ish mm too short for a wagon wheel… this your first home build NW?

Very happy with my outeredge wooden platform trailer. Much better with a heavy shopping load than the single wheel trailer. Easy enough to hitch and unhitch. Only gripe is its a bit rattly when empty but I think most are. Fits around a 29×2.4 tyre no trouble. Needs a qr or bolted hub and a flat dropout as the mounting plate sits behind the qr head. Wheels detach in seconds for storage

and Chris Porter is busy enjoying a celebratory something now somebody else agree’s with him

But it won’t take out the clutch or mech spring tension which is what he’s on about anyway. There will still be chain growth which will be resisted by the mech regardless. Bat poo mental

64 degrees on the last fast forward handles well enough for a 29er. Not ponderous nor too wandering on climbs

When I called sjs this morning they didn’t know middleburn had gone :/

Again only used but if you can find genesis alt bars they’re 720mm versions of exactly what you’re looking for

Honourable George, fast forward is brilliant but deserves a better fork than the xfusion currently on it! Also a much stiffer rear triangle than the fireline it replaces so will be putting on a bigger volume back tyre

Whereas im 5’10” on the large codeine and have now gone for a large last fastforward frame which has 25mm more reach than the large codeine and fits me much better.

If you’re in the region of Edinburgh you can have a go on my codeine if you want to try one.

Codeine large is 32lbs with the original pacenti tl28 wheeleset, ccdb air, tubes and pedals. Seriously quick up and down. Rides lighter than you’d expect. But it is tall and short

Doesn’t having it the other (normal) way up usually help keep the seals lubed?

No. From my experience a 29er is brilliant in the steep rough stuff and tech tight twisty stuff too. Neil who’s built trails like waterworld at the golfy rides an alpine five 29er. Doesn’t seem to slow him down much either

Yes saddle back gives longer Ett, but does nothing to reach which has more effect on the way a bike handles when you stand up as it’s the horizontal distance between bb and top of the head tube. And let’s face it… who sits down for the descents?

I really like the way it rides. I’m 5’11” on a large with a 35mm stem. The ccdb shock feels bottomless. Soaks up everything pedals well but has enough ramp up not to bottom out harshly.
Just put a superstar slack set in and is going even faster. As b r says it’s tall and short so won’t suit everyone.
It’s a seriously fast bike both up and down despite the fact that the frame and shock weigh 3.25kg.

i hadn’t even thought of arse travel. but isn’t that just while seated? if i remove my seat and post, will i be losing all my arse travel?

No, it will just be a helluva lot less comfortable

Northwind

I held the KOM for the innerleithen downhill pushup for ages I push like a champ apparently.

There’s a pushup at inners? Surely you don’t mean the lovely little technical climb to the top of plora?

The new start was used in 2007 for the world champs. 2006 was still the old start. Various other changes have been made along the way with the motorway having being redesigned a few years ago with bigger jumps and there is a new bottom section again this year

A first gen Genesis Longitude frame if you can find one second hand – lovely bike very versatile, done big days out bike packing geared, the Puffer single speed, have jones loops atm, but used straight bars previously for trail rioting. Brilliant frame if you can find one

As above. From south Queensferry you can go through Dalmeny and into Dalmeny estate which makes for a nice wee ride too. Then follow the cycle route through Cramond all the easy to Haymarket mostly off road or on very quiet back roads.

Currently trying to get my hands on a liteville 101 to test ride… 2 bottle mounts, 120mm, slack and 29er or 650b

Giro empires here. Lace up so fit nicely for a lot of shapes but definitely work well for my low volume feet. Best fit since my old s-works mtb shoes eventually bit the dust

Commute on a single speed with balloon tyres, and have 2x SS Mtbs as well as something with suspension and gears. I generally find it very liberating on the SS; forgetting about gears and just riding when it’s been a while

Were any of them sporting Plus sized tyres for this weekends race ?
Being very dusty and loose I would have imagined it could have been a good tyre choice.

Dusty and loose isn’t necessarily a plus tyred bike’s forte – it tends to float across rather than grip when it’s like that because the tread isn’t aggressive enough

Ok… so it might only be 3 Ms, but fulfils the brief

Belgium.
(Gofasterstripes will know what I mean)

– what’s everyones favourite colour?

Claret with Ti extremities. but they don’t do it any more 🙁

I commute on a set of Schwalbe Big Apples – ample grip, lots of comfort, not much extra rolling resistance. Marathons are available too but are heavier and less supple

Personally I’ve really been enjoying riding 29+ on a Genesis Longitude – it was the perfect single-speed companion for the puffer as far as I’m concerned, the plus size has enough give to make big xc days out comfortable and fun, if I’m doing “enduro” type riding I’ll take the hardtail or the full suss along. The full fat has been relegated to limited riding – it stays at my in-laws, so I don’t need to worry about taking something when I go.
There are compromises with all of them, if it gets really sloppy mud the thinner the tyre the better, allowing it to cut through and riding with lots of big rocky hits fast and flat out I found that riding full fat/plus (both rigid) was just too punishing, having the fork on a standard 29er allowed for more control, speed and giggles that way, but for small bumps and mile munching the plus size certainly doesn’t slow you down – in fact I think it’s faster and more fun through keeping you on your toes. Had a great day out in the Cairngorms with trail_rat of this parish back in November who will attest to just how fast you can go laden with an extra 25lbs of gear.

Schwalbe 2.35 big apples