I want Brown Chris King everything on my bike but I’d rather spend the money on another bike :-/

Parade lap might be handy then :)

I was out spannering and cleaning last night. Just as I’d got the thing looking and working spotlessly and like new – I asked myself, what was the point of that.

Last night, just starting out…

Folsom Prison Blues – Johnny Cash

iPod on shuffle just as I was walking into the studio…

Bought a ’91 Cinder Cone frame at the Bristol Bike jumble the other day – £35!

I had ’94 Cindy and Fire Mountains when I was a youngun chasing my Dad around the trails, and I’ve after one for old times sake for a while.

Hmmmm, Metcheck is forecasting a LOT less rain.

Hmmm, mine’s pretty much bang on, perhaps 1 or 2 mm out at most but I can’t be sure if I’m just trying to see something and it’s my eyes fooling me.

Have to admit, she’s a little broad across the shoulders…

Thread over!!! Jesus wept, I still wish I’d bought one but I think the Five was a wise choice given my maintenance routine and crash rate.

I find it hard to concentrate at work and stuff and generally get fed up – I think that’s probably a withdrawl type symptom.

Only thing for it is to go on the dole and ride all day…

Chuck Norris has no need for expenses, for this would suggest that Chuck Norris needs to pay for the things he wants in the first place.

2.4s seem reasonably sized, they look skinnier than my 2.35 Kendas but I think that more down to the amount of tread rather than carcass size.

Need to check mine but having run a wideish 2.35 Nevegal out back for a lot of it’s 16 month life, I can’t say I’ve ever noticed… Will report back.

Gary, i could be completely wrong here, but the chassis and upper legs are identical and in theory the internals can be swapped over between floats and vanillas.
I certainly cant see how just the guts of the fork could make a difference to its stiffness.

Perhaps, as I say, I can’t be certain. However, WMB did moan about the Float chassis feeling stretched at 140mm whereas the vanila is native 140mm so maybe there are some differences internally (you can’t change the travel with spacers on a vanilla for instance). Clearly I could settle this by getting a hold of a non QR15 Vanilla but I can’t see that happening lol

the BB feels pretty low

I found that too but it made for a ripper of a bike on smooth but fast descents! I’d imagine Llandegla is quite an ideal trail for it actually.

so basically, a single pivot is simpler and therefore fewer bearings to wear out, the trade off being that it allegedly suffers from brake jack/pedal bob but whether that’s true/noticeable is debatable
?

Pretty much… :)

I’m going to be doing some photos there in between laps (assuming I can be arsed one it all kicks off)

Post your rider numbers and I’ll keep an eye out…

Priceless! :lol:

I found with events like the Bike Fest and I suspect this one, actually asking “can I pass when you’re ready” generally results in most riders pulling over almost immediately in a rather calm way and I always make sure that I’m coming across probably overly grateful when I go through.

Probably helps that I know the Bike Fest course so well and probably time my requests well mind.

Steve, if you’re bashing out 32mins for the bike fest I’d be concerned about beating you round the course. I’ve not done a hot lap since last year (34 mins) but I know that while my all day endurance is well up, I’m not sure I’ve got any faster over a whole single lap. Shame because my goal was to go sub 30 mins this year and I deffo won’t do that if I’m riding Solo LOL

Yeah very much so – I had it at the Bike Fest last year where he was already two thirds past me and only said on your left because he’d then clipped me – possibly the dumbest place on the course to pass at the time.

Five is all about being stiff, strong and having a sorted geometry and ride position – it’s piss easy to maintain and just feels unbelievably sorted in any situation. It’s probably the bike equivalent of a 911 – you could argue rear engine design is flawed (and many argue SP is) but they’ve been refining the design for so long that it’s simply brilliant regardless.

Supposed Five Cons:
Bob is neglible when seated, pro-pedal max does the job if you’re a stand up and mash. So meh.

Pedal feedback, MTFU and pedal harder, really doesn’t bother me and in some situations actually helps you power through.

Brake Jack, you’ll find you brake less anyway on this bike and you shouldn’t be breaking on the brake bumps anyway where it would even be an issue.

Weight, it’s not any heavier than anything in it’s class. 28lb (sans pedals) for what it can handle is quite admirable.

Value, sod it, it is pricey but you quickly forget about that when you ride it. I thought ’08 was fair value anyway and frame only hasn’t actually risen in price much which is rare for ’09. Besides, I see so many original Sub-5s riding around to know that there’s many a year to come on this bad-boy…

(I’ve gone on and on haven’t I?)

35!!! Blimey! I think we’re aiming for 24…

I’m aware it’s not a race and I won’t be doing an tw*ttish “on your left” barging through but in my head it’ll still be a race and I’ll a) want to do as many laps as poss and b) be the fastest on my team (sadly I won’t be, probably the slowest actually) :)

Testing an Orange ST4 effectively by the age old method of ploughing through stream crossing – not the best splash ever but it was the biggest of the group – rarrr!

Assuming the rain doesn’t turn it in to a total cluster f*ck, what’s a good time around the Clic course? I’m good for low 30s around the Bristol Bike fest if helps (thinking LVIS boys might have an idea here)

I’m not going to bang on and on but seriously at least demo a Five – it’s not quite for everyone but most love it the second they swing a leg over… There’s plenty of demo bikes kicking about.

In fact I’ve never met anyone in person that didn’t love it after trying, plenty of internet trash talkers though :lol:

Demoed an ST4 – my personal opinion is that this bike only makes sense if you can afford to pimp it out.

The biggest problem with the ST4 is the Orange Five. The ST4 isn’t really any lighter (6.8lb vs 6.4lb for 18″ frame), it feels like you’re riding a Five (sit on one blind folded and you’d be hard pushed to tell), only it’s less capable on the big stuff (that’s not to say it isn’t capable).

It does pedal better, there’s a remarkable lack of pedal bob and they could save money by fitting a basic float shock.

Where the ST4 would make sense IMO is if you pimp it out. The Five is always going to be limited to a heavier 140mm fork. I reckon the ST4 could take a 100mm fork instead of 120mm so something like a SID and some racier wheels and you’ve got yourself an awesome light but tough alldayer.

In S and Pro spec, you might as well bag the Five.

So to answer your question…

an Anthem?

OrangeEvo – how’s the chain line?

I have a noise like that on my IO and it’s where the chainline isn’t perfect and the chain essentially slides across the freewheel (talking mere mms) and slaps against the otherside under heavy pedalling.

It never showed up on a 16t but the bigger 18t cog highlighted a problem I wasn’t aware of.

Having never ridden a QR Vanilla I don’t actually know personally but I know WMB have happily panned the Flat for Flex yet given the Vanilla fork of the year before so I’d always assumed the coil chassis was stiffer anyway.

As I said, I’m not 100% sure if the increase in stiffness I’ve noticed is down to 15QR alone or a combination of it and the Vanilla chassis.

Cool Pete, come see us then – I’m doing 12 Solo so I won’t be about until the evening, unless it’s all gone wrong of course.

I do it for the event but I have taken the fundraising fairly seriously and managed to clock something £430!

I think even if it’s really cack, I’m going to run 2.1 high rollers – I’ll pack the ‘rakers but whenever I run them I end up noticing how few muddy patches there are compared to the insane dragging on the fireroads and drained sections – the high rollers stay clean anyway.

I’m deffo packing the SS now. I’ll be running 32:18 but I’m only little and only a SS parttimer…

Team of 4 with the cheesy riders.

http://www.justgiving.com/gary-lake

If it’s really crap out there might take the SS just in case :)

Hijack wanring, Pete, cheesy ride was lovely last night, you going to be over this way at any point over the summer?

David Coulthard must be delighted that Red Bull are struggling without him.

Chucked it in a year too soon I reckon, he must be watching Rubens with some regret I reckon…

Wild guess, but are those who think there’s not much difference physically on the lighter side?

Or just riding slower or riding gentler trails? I only say this because it does only notice when I’m clattering down something particularly fast and rocky and I’m only 72kg!

Earth and Pat are just colour variations. If you’re vain don’t get the Pats as the red went pale pink on my mates in a few rides.

They really are that comfy. Don’t get me wrong, eventually they’ll p*ss you off but I can happily do a 40km ride in them.

keep the speed sensible on the whoops to avoid panick if unused to getting airborne.

Yeah that’s a good point – the trail is as tricky and dangerous as you chose to ride it fast…

Yeah, ignore the signs and do the blacks too (although avoid the high broadwalk if they’re funny about heights – it’s a mile wide but a good 10-15 ft up)

It’s a pretty dull trail without the blacks – they are essential.

Points system counts as before – must wins wins rule change was overturned before the season started.

So it’s purely mathematical and plenty of the season left yet.

Smart money is on him to do it though – sure the Brawn Car is good, probably the best, but in such calm and mature hands, Button is the one who will make it count, not poor Rubens.

Cool, see you guys around then! (we’re also going along Friday to pitch up… )

Sorry Antony, I’ll be hanging onto those!

clubber, have you lot got any going down for the Clic24 this weekend?

See you there then Steve!