As mentioned above get the chainline right. Easiest way in my experience is to put the straight edge of a long metal ruler or suitable piece of wood against the chain ring and see where on the hub you need to put the sprocket. I also prefer to use an SS hub but you can use any hub.

I’ve got the Queridoo, fits a 29×3 inch tyre. Personally found that it works much better with a smaller wheel as the big wheels/long chainstays on 29+ flexed like Arnie during a Mr Universe competition when loaded up. no such problems on the 26″ bike

I always found ebay cheapest. I usually buy boxes of 18, 36 or 72 depending on which hubs I’m building on. Usually like using dt revolutions.

Got a full fat Charge and a 29+ Genesis Longitude (and a couple of skinny type bikes)
Since I got the Longitude I’ve barely touched the full fat, it’s heavier it doesn’t handle as well and it’s not much more comfortable. In really soft terrain (bog/powder snow) the full fat makes sense, but for general hooning or milage I find the 29+ is much more suitable and fun IMO.

I see a few comments that people are using the levers to get tyres on to rims. If you need to do that you’re doing it wrong. Especially if you’re running tubes as you can pick flat before you’ve got the the on! Get the bead of the side you’re fitting right into the well all the way round leaving the bit with the valve till last, then push the last bit on with your thumbs. If it’s particularly stubborn then turn the wheel round and pull the sidewall bead with your fingertips. I remember showing one of the new lads in the shop that when he bent a metal tyre lever.

+1 exposure joystick.

I would disagree with the gearing comments above, mine has the -12% gearing on the 3 speed and it’s great around edinburgh and the top gear is much more useable that way too.
You can always do the Brompton hire for a week to try out what you want first? Look up your nearest dealer with hire on their website

What like press fit or bb30?

What’s the flyer like for popping the rear wheel out with track ends and full mudguards? Always seemed like a hassle?

Edit: just seen that the red and blue bikes pictured do not have the same drop out arrangement

Northwind – Member
It’s totally reasonable to have to service your forks every 15 hours

Are you a fox rep?

Hope the rider that fell off the bridge into the river last night was ok? Had someone helping and an ambulance on the way when I checked. Was it minipips that managed 14 laps? Chappeau!
Managed 21 myself and kicking myself for not going out for the lady one. Would have been worth 2 spots but not sure I had anything left to give

Loved mine on the puffer. Had done about 3 rows on it before. That’s the one with the split down the middle. Plenty of give, it’s like a hammock

Just been up today. snow has got very slushy and slippery. Not much snow below buzzards nest, after that the climb is just about rideable for the most part today. However forecast is for temperature to rise about 6 or 7 degrees over the next couple of days, so expect it to be very mucky by the weekend

anyway when did bottle cages and saddle bags become cool again

When people realised what a pain riding with a pack can be. Enduro cool innit (see also Specialized SWAT)

I’ll be ss-ing my way round for a bit solo. Non existent training is going to lead to a lot of pain. Should be fun. First solo 24 for me

I’m liking the Hutchison Toro on the back of my codeine paired with a magic Mary front. Rolls well and grips well enough as far as I’m concerned. I’ve got the hard skin version, no problems thus far

as above or on-one parkwood or a canyon grand canyon?

I’m guessing you mean on finance with Hp?
Always worth having a look at last year’s models in all the usual places. Chain Reaction’s own brand and evans own brand stuff also seem to be very good VFM

Only experience of those models is the codeine. Absolutely love it. Pike is awesome as is the CCDB air. 32lbs for the large with pedals and the original x01 spec though I’d take 1×10 and an expander over that and x0 rear hub every time.
Faster up than I expected and a riot down. It is very very good at monster trucking over everything and handles tight and twisty incredibly well too.
Mud clearance is good, though a 2.35 hans Dampf gets a bit snug with my bullying. 2.25 smorgasbord had loads of room

IIRC it’s based on a London cyclist with a 30 minute ride at either end of the day 5 days a week.

Gibbon armed 5’11” with a 32″ leg. I’m on a 20″ (large) Codeine here. I could only drop the reverb another 5mm into the frame, so it’s a close fit for standover, but length is just perfect for me. Remember that you could always go up to a 50mm stem too

One wrap of gorilla tape and mine have been happy since last december. I topped up the stans about a month ago, running chronicles too

Parkwood/fireline frame is happy with a set of 100mm forks on. Though I ended up with 120 xfusions: The 100 mm Reba rl just got out of its depth waaaaaay too quickly for my riding style at the golfy.

You also need to consider the length of the stem. Simplified massively If nothing else changes, a bike with an ETT of 600mm and a 70mm stem will have the same distance between seat and bars as one with an ETT of 625mm and a 45mm stem for example, as mentioned above there are a LOT of other factors than just ETT. If you put a layback post it’ll also make the bike feel longer when seated

The Tesco own one is about 14 quid and fits the bill. I can get a waterproof and tools in plus water for the day and a nibble. chest strap keeps it steady

Back when I worked in a shop in London we had a Santa Cruz heckler come back with a broken swing arm, despite weekly calls it took 8 months for the warranty replacement to arrive from the US. Hope your replacement is a little quicker!

thick/thin rings are unnecessary for an SS build anyway. If anything it’ll just wear quicker than a proper SS chainring

The Titus fireline is brilliant, bit out of your price range, but shares the same geometry as the parkwood. Think I’d be hard pushed to look past that for the money

You obviously don’t live in scotland… there have been a few dry weeks, but we never really got a summer this year.

As above try a shorter stem if it’s initially too long. 30 or 35mm stems are relatively cheap and readily available

I’m 5’11”. Went for the 18″ fireline, I’ve got a 70mm stem on it, would have been happier on the 20″ with hindsight. So when I got the codeine I went large. Very similar geometry and size wise and I’m much happier with the sizing with the 35mm stem. They are tall with a short top tube and reach. Love riding both

Fireline – because I needed a HT frame capable of a bit more than the superfly frame I had. All the bits swapped over, great bike, love riding it, although I would probably size up if I were to buy again – it’s short in the TT and I’d like to run something shorter than a 70mm stem on it

Codeine – because I like wagon wheels, loved the look of it when the released the teaser pictures and 2.5k for a pike, CCDB air and X01 is still a bargain! Fast up, faster down. Brilliant for being a hooligan

Cooker Maxi – cycle to work scheme, price matched – effectively became £540 – rude not to. Heavy. Needs a change of wheels really, so doesn’t get used much other than bog trotting or slowing me down enough that the other half can keep up

Longitude – had lots of spare bits kicking around liked fat, but wanted a halfway house – a lot cheaper than a Krampus to try 29+. Just love it

4/20… So 80% of riders are better than you Northwind? I’ll quote you on that 😉

Rate yourself relative to what you want to be or against people you ride with/against, or against strava?

Time pedals are easy in/easy out and comfortable. They are reliable too. Switched from Shimano and won’t be looking elsewhere for a long time.

that 101 looks lovely!

Going to be riding to work about 1pm, but will be riding home at 2am tomorrow. So it really will be ride to work only day

Good at climbing, on the flat I feel that I have to work a lot harder to keep up with people who struggle to keep up on climbs. My descending is adequate to the task too

It’s brilliant, still can’t get my head around Genesis changing it so significantly this year, especially after it sold out in no time

You’ll have a hoot on it. I’ve had mine a bit over a year and still getting on great. I’ll switch it to 1×10 rather than x01 at some point, and when I literally can’t keep the wheels running any more they’ll go too. Pike and CCDB are awesome on it, but I don’t think you’ll fit a B+ rear wheel in. When pushing hard in the corners mine rubbed with a Hans Dampf 2.35 in the rear at the EWS, so I don’t think something wider will work.

It’s a damned fast bike and as you say a tank. Suits me 🙂

Round the back and then down towards Callendar is the better descent

Edit: this was my route, as mentioned before, more rideable this way round. Great descent though https://www.strava.com/activities/204930218