The last thing I'd do to an ST4 is anything that raises the BB height. The low slung centre of gravity is it's greatest asset IMO!

It's the closest thing to a Star Wars speeder bike you can get… 😀

Ah go on…

Haven't ridden a Soul, but have had an Altitude on the go for nearly a month.

Don't underestimate what an skinny looking 853 hardtail is up to. I spent a whole day at Afan chasing an Enduro and a Remedy down the slopes and the Altitude was on it!

The Soul will take the same fork and do the same things, it's more about the ride you want from it.

If you can reduce the travel on the Revs – seriously go and try an ST4 demo bike…

Orange ST4 is 6.6lbs for an 18" I believe – absolute ripper downhill and rides light – only 120mm fork though but if you're getting a new fork it'd fly with something like a Maxle Reba and can easily hold it's own with 140mm bikes.

Wonderful film!

I do love a well made blue run.

Brechfa's is ace for just seeing how much you can stay off the brakes – starts getting silly when you start landing on the upslope of the next roller even though you're actually trying to suck up the kick of the crest, not jump off it.

I thought this was going to be about because the descents are pretty flat…

TEA!

how are you checking for wear? as if you don't pull the lowers off you can't always see the damage.

I get mine serviced annually by an LBS for half the price of Mojo. From all the horror stories I assumed they'd be knackered on my mileage but they were, I quote, pristine.

To be fair, I've not had the Vanillas done yet but based on my floats, I'm not overly concerned.

Ok big disclaimer here – I'm not claiming this is a great shot and it is only some mucking about in the woods with friends type stuff.

But you can image what this shot probably came out of the camera like. It's snowy, I'm shooting into the sun through the trees. The speedlite helped but shooting in Raw allowed me to drag it back into some kind of even exposure.

Post processing, post processing, post processing.

As soon as you start messing about with a jpeg in photoshop, everything you do adds noise.

Making your tweaks in a RAW editor will generate much less noise.

Mind you, shooting in RAW did sort of ruin photography for me as a creative hobby. It removed a large chunk of technical aspect somewhat leaving mainly the composition up to you and basic settings. Once you start making great photos out of technically fluffed shots – it gets boring quickly.

However, all of my photography is editorial now and it's a god send knowing I can get the shot 'about right' and sort it later. Makes things less stressful and you can enjoy the shoot!

2008 32 Floats, no issues.
2009 32 Vanillas, no issues.

I probably do about 50-75km a week spread over the two bikes. Always wipe the stanchions clean and once a month I put some finish line wet lube on, pump the forks round the car park and wipe clean.

It probably gets the occasional over night storage upside down.

Quality end to the vid Dave – all the way through I was thinking, come on "man up"!

Then wammo! 🙂

Why don't you go and demo some things? Scratch the itch.

You'll know right away how much you need and/or want a new bike.

Snowboard cross is ace! Never really thought of MTB 4X for the olympics but would be good I reckon! (never gonna happen)

I got a new gun sent out FOC after almost two years – call him, he's proper helpful!

+1 Starbar – only tried my first one a few months back, lush!

and they give you one sausage cut in half down the middle and opened out

So it cooks quicker I expect.

ton – but she was underage… sex crimes against children is a definite hanging offence no?

😉

Brechfa red and black can be done as a single loop like W2.

If you've got three days, I'd say Brechfa red/black loop one day, W2 another. Uplift at Cwmcarn the third day.

The uplift at Cwmcarn will drop you at he top of the XC loop if you ask nice so you can mix up the DH and XC loops without all the climbing 😀

If you're quite fit there's loads of extra ride time btw. I can do W2 in about 3.5 hrs and the Brechfa black/red in 3.5rs without exactly hauling ass so the Brechfa Blue is a right giggle (easy but so fast) and you can always stick Penhydd in the middle of W2 at Afan.

Boy can ride!

squin – You don't need a BFe for the big mountains, but something bolt through on the front will be a revelation (no pun intended) compared to Rebas. Get some big tyres (I like Bontrager Big Earl 2.35" tubeless for mountain taming on the Soul) and you'll be well away.

Currently have an Altitude 30 on loan with maxle Reba Races on. Very tight and light fork!

That sucks mate 🙁

Don't forget that some manufacturer geo charts are with sag, some are without sag.

That was brilliant, Brechfa not holding up too badly and the connector was a piece of piss to find.

Did the Red, Black and Blue in the end…

Is it as obvious if I start on the black rather than the red? Prob going to be a bit short a ride, so would like the option of whipping round the blue/green afterwards for some more miles.

Depends on the definition of silly. I like 2.1 High Rollers and 2.1 small block 8s at around 490g. I can still get round somewhere like Afan on them so a very sensible option, maybe too sensible.

The HRs are good because even if the course turns to total shit, they're still genuinely rideable – I did the CLIC24 last year on them and it was a soup fest and they held on.

If you're not the cooking sort, just do an M&S meal deal or something.

You'll be less stressed and there'll more time for wink wink nod nod 😉

http://www.users.waitrose.com/~ianclare/lejogoffroadbymountainbike.htm

I can't for the life of me work out how getting a HT is cheaper than getting the shock serviced.

Problem is, if it's the start of a relationship, you'll lay down a marker for price going forward.

Stick to your guns, underpricing can be as big a killer as overpricing…

Ginger beer is a saviour for non drinkers in public situations!

I love how STW automatically assumes zaskar is white btw!

The BBC interviewer seemed to be trying to get the ranger to say there were conflict problems

Shock horror!

Anyone want a pair of one ride old 2.1 folding Trailrakers? £35 the pair…

I'm too light to notice the difference between them – but I do think the 15QR is better in use, more elegant and better thought out.

It's a bit more fiddly to setup, but once setup I much prefer it.

Still baffled by buying hubs to match an axle type – the Pro IIs really paid for themselves when I switched from QR to 15QR…

If you're really desperate, could try getting a flat bar one in and doing the conversion to drop bar via classifieds or something?

I had an Altitude 30 with an 853 frame which I rebuilt with a Ti frame, all the kit stayed the same. The Ti frame is certainly lighter and looks great but I was never disappointed with the steel version. If money was an issue then I would have kept the 853 and not felt too inferior.

I've got an 853 Altitude on loan right now, it is an exceptionally good frame…