Good place to take the bike to help tune the suspension i'd say.

+1!

in my experience you cant have something strong, light and reliable. 2 out of 3 is what you should aim for.

You're thinking Strong, light and cheap!

I'd say Pro IIs on Stans Flow Rims with DT comps… if the builder is good they'll put up with anything.

Yeah but 'that' quiet! lol

Oh, DMR do a set of chain tugs with a hanger on, that give you a 1×9 setup on it?

Alfine?

You could probably make quite noticeable change by changing the chain ring and free wheel. Might as well, be cheaper than the loss you'll make on the bike.

I can't believe Brechfa isn't busier, I've been on 2 weekends now, perfectly sunny dry days and not passed another rider both times.

I rode Gorlech about a fortnight a go and there were no actual closures and apart from a few 100m of fire road that's a bit churned up and a 200m section of flat singletrack, it was all open and fine!

I can't see why it's actually closed but I'm sure I'll get flamed too by the sounds of it.

Allow 2 hours for each if you're of reasonable fitness and ability. It's hard work riding both back to back though, although it's only 40 something km, compared to other trail centres it's a lot of climbing. I think it's 725m for black and something like 1200m for the red.

Enjoy, it's a fun place to ride!

tinsy, ok tank is the wrong word, but the ST4 can handle everything a 140mm bike can. It's just lower, lighter and faster.

There's some logic in this madness… but think 100mm rear, 120mm front, slack and built like a tank.

Orange ST4…

although I'd describe it as "oversteer"

How is that oversteer? I know everyone is making fun of the "understeer" reference but I can at least see what he means. If a car understeers the wheel turns but the vehicle makes it's way to the outside of the bend.

Dunno, I'm running bel airs but my saddles are normally bin worthy after a year on the MTBs…

I'm merely stating that if you're not going to take the £66k that requires registration, don't VAT register until you are going to take that amount. When you do finally need to VAT register, I have been led to believe, by an Accountant, that you would be able to claim VAT back on receipts up to 6 months old but would only start paying VAT on things from the date of registration. Our family business didn't take that for over 2 years but we registered from the start so couldn't take advantage of this perk.

I'm happy to be corrected on this, but it's just what I was told…

I run a 60mm too, 40mm was fun but a 'mare in the climbs…

Also, cornering with cranks level or outside foot down?

I remember the day I got a solid chocolate kit kat, again, felt like victory at the time but frankly, no one made me buy a kit kat instead of a yorkie at the time.

Got an iO but checked an alitutde for fit and couldn't even stand over the 19" at 5'10"

I find certain tyres quite washy, have settled on a Blue Groove 2.35.

35psi is a lot for your weight, I sometimes run 28 psi on the front tubed at 11.5 stone. I'd try that first…

Rebound damping should be a nice controlled return slightly slower than compression (in my very crudely put opinion, I'm often informed I'm wrong but I ride well enough so :-P)

And I might add, they are always stale and soft because nobody actually likes a shortie, they've always been in the biscuit tin since you got fed up with the that plumber eating all your Fox crunch creams so you replaced them with Shorties till the work was done and they've gone untouched since.

Let's face it, there's been a huge oversight here…

There is no feeling of bigger disappointment on earth when someone offers you a biscuit and removing the lid of the biscuit tine reveals:

I mean offering someone a slightly soft, stale shortie is basically just asking them to leave…

Not funny, just depressing…

I was told not to VAT register until you legally have to because you can backdate claims but they don't backdate your VAT owed.

Seasons for the pure cinematography and wow factor experience, there's a fair amount of "duuuude" to cope with though although Cam Mccaul does actually just makes me smile now.

Blimey, my LBS did shock bushings and refitting a crankset for just £28 the other day… and another LBS did a Fox Float service, new seals and change of travel with spacers for £45.

NAME AND SHAME!

(yes I can the above work myself but the need to ride and work hours hinder maintenance)

But for what it's worth, did a Cwmcarn uplift day on my Five and more than held my own with the proper DH rigs on the day. I posted a 4:10 which given I'd never done a DH course in my life and was only on 32 Vanillas on a trail bike, isn't too bad!

Five owner here, but I've heard too many good things about the Alpine not to give one a look if it was me.

I can see how the process probably went, started out as a really nice clean design, and someone in marketing just kept screaming "MOAR!!!" while foaming from the mouth, 10 iterationslater and this is what you get!

Yeah, it's the co.uk.

Another web2.0 clone gone wrong… 🙄

Never a clean run on CwmCarn although I'd fancy my chances on something like an Anthem. I've done the whole climb with only one dab near the end many a time, which I'm pretty sure has been altered and the hard bit removed now. But not been riding there without being in a group for ages so haven't had a clear run at it.

W2

A couple of recent observation from me…

Orange ST4 frame and Commencal Super 4 frame reviewed in same issue of WMB. The Super 4 gets a slightly moany review about being weighty but rides great, gets 4/5. ST4 gets the identical review but gets 3/5, even though the ST4 frame is more than 0.5lb lighter. You'd assume then that if both are a bit weighty but ride great, but one is a bit lighter, it would get at least the same verdict or better?

Orange Five Diva, gets a minor negative for "not being the lightest bike on test", yet when you flick to the table at the end of the review, it's listed as being the lightest?

I reckon the cycle to work scheme'll be scrapped before I can get round to actually convincing my boss to let me get a bike… for cycling to work on. 🙄

You're a way stronger man than me, that's for sure! I'd say chin up but you're doing a mighty fine job of that already!

Good luck and congrats on the wedding!

Filezilla

Edit: ha, posted that without reading your post, I've found Filezilla so good that I wouldn't need to. Surprised you've been having problems with it, up to date?

I 2nd PP, if he wants to improve the bike for the riding he does he really needs to just buy a Stumpy. The Pitch is an awesome bike but from what I've seen on the trails, a lot were bought off the hype of the review with very little attention paid to intended use.

Focus C-Max, 55 plate bought 2nd hand from indy dealer: Everything is great bar the interior build quality… 2.0TDCi gives great ecomony and performance, seems to be pricey to repair as there's a lot of tech to go wrong but I think that's all modern diesels (Particulate filter and EGR valve went in first month and only the EGR was covered under warranty, £700+ bill of which I could claim only half, I think this was just bad luck tbh). Been faultless since.

About two years ago I was told by my doc that although I looked healthy at 5"10' and 12st, I wasn't and couldn't rely on my metabolism forever.

Sorted myself out big time now but stress is always an issue. My Mental health seems to range from merely alright to not great… :-/

I always struggled to dial in the sag on the floats, air just has that little bit of stiction which if you're a lighter rider like me on a slackish bike, you find you get no sag and then suddenly too much… (Although now my floats are dropped to 100mm and on the HT they are a totally different and nicer fork)

Another 32 Floats to 32 Vanillas user here, Coil is nicer and worth the weight IMO

Brechfa is basically the anti-naturalist trail – but it's a bloody good larf!