Inverness has some amazin riding. not trail centre riding though.

For me. This ol’ thing still makes more sense than anything original Levy has ever said.

It’s kind of a shame the DH bike design could never really have evolved into a Enduro bike light enough to be of interest

I’ve no real interest in reading the PB review or the comments on the Taniwha but for any knight jumping to defend Levy’s honour over whatever comments Metz made about his riding skill. First take a look at the guy ride. It’s actually quite painful to watch. And certainly not worth getting your shiny armour dirty over.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the direction you mount a set of trail kings. The tread patern design isn’t great either way round whatever the size.

[GEEK]The Ft William pic is Brook MacDonald

The terrain shown in the pic is a manmade very short rocky chute/drop you have to scrub speed on or preferably before as the landing/base of the chute is into a FLAT right hand corner. Brook has pre-jumped after scrubbing just enough speed on the straight. You can see this from the fact his wheels are not touching the ground, his body positioning and the fact his bike is matching the angle of the chute. He’s chosen to landing at the base of the chute ready to make the turn. There is loose gravel in the corner (not yet in view) when the track is dry but no large loose rocks. This would all make far more sense to you if you knew the straight leading into the chute and the corner after it[/GEEK]

Hope this info helps your discussion.

Party on.

I’d love to see this bike nac nac bunnyhopping through the inner city traffic.
If only it had a lower top tube.

Rennie, Bryn Atkinson and Hill were the Madcatz Ironhorse DH team. They rode the SGS DH bike. Hill went on to ride the Sunday for Ironhorse/Monster Energy.

Contrary to what someone earlier said. The Sunday was not particularly Long or slack for a DH bike when released in 2005/6. For ref: A medium Sunday had a H/A of 65deg. Reach of around 395mm and 1150mm wheelbase with a 13.9″ BB. The previous years medium SGS was both longer and slacker but had quite a high BB (I had both of these bikes). Hill’s SGS was modified (shockmount drilled lower) to drop his BB below 14″  later he rode a custom Sunday front triangle an inch longer but with the seat tube from the Medium. No Ironhorse with this geometry was ever sold to the public. And they didn’t ever make an XL.
By comparisson a geometron is miles longer, slacker and higher.
his custom frame had a reach of around 420mm.
Hill still doesn’t ride a particularly long bike to this day.

Rennie was hugely talented. Junior world DH champion ’99. and in elite won the 2003 world cup series overall. He also rode for Yeti and then went on to ride for Santacruz syndicate alongside Peaty before sort of throwing it away due to personal issues.
He’s still around the Aussie scene.

Bryn retired from DH, married Jill kinter and those two are still doing their thing riding/racing various places around the world.

I expect I’d considerably change the spec to knock a chunk off the weight (Air rear shock, lighter tubeless wheels).

FWIW I am an overweight Coke Zero drinking E-bike owner

Can you run Di2 straight off a shimano Steps E-bike? or do you still have to use the ugly awkward box/battery or whatever it is?

The display thingy looks the same.

Newer reigns are nicley progressive so should work well with a coil.
whether coil is for you is entirely down to your own personal preference though.
A coil should offer a more comfortable ride and better grip but may make the bike a little less poppy/playful.

sweeping generalization I know but hopefully you get what i mean.

If you mean you need a 64 x 222 shock for the trail bike it is possible to do this via shaft spacers.

Specialized used to to exactly this with older Fox Rc shocks on their SX supercross frames to give adjustable travel.Nylon washers of suitable size with a split to place round the shaft (under the Bottom out bumper) would work.You may need to get creative sizing the washers.

If you mean you need a 64x 216 call TF tuned and ask about a custom shaft replacement.

I thought a mudhugger might be prone to clogging in certain conditions.

Have you tried any of the Rockguardz Mudguardz? I don’t really like the look of long mudguards so purely for vanity sakes bought a Mudguardz PG350. it’s a much shorter guard but moulded in such a way that the rear scoop catches a lot of spray as it comes up and forwards from the back of the tyre and the front is shaped so as to have less chance of trapping mud in the front portion but still enough coverage to stop face spray. There’s no way mine can clog as I’m using it on a 650b fork but with a 26″ wheel and 2.4 tyre. Dispite the obvious extra distance between the tyre and guard it still does a great job of keeping mud and spray off my face and upper body.

Anyone tried the Rapid Racer Products Proguards yet? The longer max protection version looks like it’d have the ultimate coverage for a fork brace mounted guard while the shorter standard one looks a bit better for just leaving on the bike all year round. Both look to be a better thought out shape than the mudhugger.

Good to see we’re all so optimistic about a dry summer

:D

Yes. I have tried the fork with and without tokens.
it came with tokens installed.

I run the fork with 75-80psi – No tokens (18-20% sag)
I’m 10kg heavier than Carlos but even if we weighed the same our preferences are not. Meaning my actual set-up is fairly irrelivent to his. As will yours be.
Play around with the pressure and tokens until you are happy. removing/adding tokens is a pretty quick procedure.
Try to leave compression settings full open until you find the pressure/token configuration that gives you closest to spring rate/characteristic and sag/max travel you want. Do set rebound roughly to taste though. Then once you have the spring as you’d like it go back and fine tune comp/rebound.
Write down settings if it helps.
I generally spend a bit of time finding a base setting on a new fork I’m happy with at home (well outside it) before I take it for its first proper ride. I’m generally in the correct ball park from there but I will continue to make small changes each ride for the first few rides until happy.

it’s personal preference.
I have a 170mm Lyrik. I run the fork with no tokens.
The fork offers plenty of midstroke support and doesn’t botom out. infact it rarely uses the last 20mm of travel. But does on the biggest of hits/mistakes.
I don’t like loads of Sag. Don’t really need massive amounts of small bump compliance and don’t want the spring rate to be any more progressive.

You may want something entirely different to me.

Play around with your fork settings and find what you like. If you do add tokens you will also need to alter spring pressure.

I didn’t mention pumping at all. some other guy did.

I’m not really interested in arguing with you. but what I will say is this. Assessing the terrain ahead, working out grip, line, approach speed, gearing, how, when and how much of a pedal stroke you are able to put in to maintain momentum but not clip a pedal is a skill. A skill required whether you have a 10″ BB height or a 14″ BB height. Granted. you have to pay more attention and work harder at figuring it out with the 10″ BB. You obviously don’t get on with low BB heights. and that’s fine. But please don’t say the current standard of low BB bikes (which as I already said aren’t all that low in the first place) can’t be ridden up rough terrain. it’s just more difficult if you’re not used to it.

Unless you went full custom geometry. (in which case I’d expect you to remember your BB height) Those Geometron bikes aren’t all that low.

No it really wasn’t. It was a case of not being able to pedal when I really needed to..

Yes. Like I said.  poor pedal timing, poor technique and poor planning.

If you want to sit on your bike just point it at things and pedal that’s your choice. But sorry you can’t really blame hitting your pedal off things on anything other than your own poor judgement.

How low are we actually talking here?
I am yet to notice any of these new bikes described in reviews and marketing as “long, low and slack” that actually do have very low BBs. some do have fairly big BB drop. but that’s only because wheels have gotten bigger.

I have a 33″ inseam but have 165s on 6 mountainbikes (hardtails, FS and DH)
I also have 165s on my roadbike.
I don’t run 165s for clearance reasons. I run them because I prefer spinning smaller circles.

All my bikes have low BBs. The two lowest are a 200mm DH bike with a 13.5″ BB and a 170mm Enduro bike with a 12.75″ BB. The 170mm bike is the only mtb I have with 170mm cranks (just because it was a full bike rather than built by me and that’s what it was spec’d with).

the DH bike is actually lower at sag and full compression of suspension than the 170mm bike.

I don’t have problems with pedal clearance. and I still wouldn’t have problems with pedal clearance even if I fitted 175s. folk who constantly hit pedals do it through poor pedal timing, poor technique and poor planning.

You get a low COG from having a low BB. Not crank length. In riding situations where a low COG is advantageous you’ll always be stood up.

Anyway. My advice would be to run the crank length you prefer to pedal (which will mean trying various lengths) and try to learn to not drop your pedal into incoming obsticles.

I have 3 sets of shimano Deore

1 set of hope Tech 2

2 sets of Avid Juicys

2 sets of Guides

1 set of Levels (the cheapest ones)

Guides are by far the best of them and the Levels match all the rest in every way except for the non split lever clamp.
Believe it or not the Shimanos are by far the most problematic. with seals/pistons failing.The Hopes need bled most
Juicys have lasted 10 years and are still going strong with multiple DH/Alps trips.

As above Level feel nice. like a slightly less powerful Guide. They cost less than £30 an end with Tredz voucher. Complete bargain

It actually does make a difference. But if reassurance from a guy on the internet is how you make up your mind pretend you didn’t read my post and go with the other guys answer.

if it’s for a knackered one use the Harry Main method.

Big **** off pipe grips

;)

Garter spring

https://www.vitalmtb.com/product/feature/First-Look-SR-Suntours-20-Inch-Axon-Werx-Fork-for-the-Groms,321

chapaking I have spoken to TF tuned. They reckon a month or two for parts to become available aftermarket but could not confirm parts needed to convert travel and upgrade at this time as there are no exploded diagrams.

hope this helps.

I wouldn’t hold your breath on it being dispatched anytime soon though.
My order tracking has now moved to from showing as leaving Canyon 16th-19th March to April 2-4th.

:(

Order it now.
they won’t take the money from your account until it is dispatched.

Anybody know?

Mine was showing as in stock when ordered over a week ago.
Still not dispatched despite being promised March12-16th despatch.

Spoke to Canyon last week, yesterday and today. Lots of excuses about being let down by a component supplier but wouldn’t tell me which component or supplier. and “we are cyclists too so know how you must feel” What’s that all about?
Have been assured it will be sent start of next week. but they sold me exactly the same line last week too.

I thought the days of being fobbed off with “it’ll be here in two weeks” were long behind us.

As for your carrier dilemma. I don’t have your problem as I have large car that can swallow bikes whole and a towbar rack that can take 2 DH bikes. But there’s a very easy solution: <span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>Just remove the wheels of both bikes. pop them in the boot/back seat (in a bag if it needs to stay clean) and strap the two bike frames on your rear mounted rack. E bike frame closest to the car. without wheels you’ll have no problems with clearance and the bikes will swing around way less too. It’s dead easy to make a chainkeeper for a rear thru-axle frame from plastic pipe fittings. Did this on many a ropey hatchback with strapped on rear carrier back in the 90s. DH on a shoestring days. Our DH bikes were right around the same weight as the Spectral:ON back  then.</span>

Is this new air spring part available to buy anywhere yet?

And will it include the shaft part to swap over to change travel like the old type?

(I’m just about to buy a new shaft to change the travel of a new RS fork (2018 not 2019)

davasaurusrex

Spectral:ON? Do you have yours already?

“Presumably they couldn’t get an original – I know the first one got broken, but thought there was still a later version in existence (I’m fairly sure their replica was modelled on the later version which had a thicker seat tube section).”

Does it say in the video it’s a replica?

There are two of Obrees bikes in Glasgow museum of transport.

I’d assumed it was one of those.

Yeah. if in doubt. er on the side of caution.
But I wouldn’t go spending loads of money on suspension upgrades when your body’s at half strength.
Especially when simply softening up your fork by running lower pressure might do the trick until you’re healed up fully.
Remember. it’s a 160mm fork. it’s meant for riding hard.

If you’re desperate to use more travel simply run less air pressure in the fork.They’ll sag more, ride deeper into their travel and won’t be as supportive in the mid stroke.

The advice I’ve given you is basically just sharing a way of replocating a high speed hit somewhere flat (and safe) where you can try different spring rates (or fork pressures) without having to go and ride something gnarly and guess what’s going on. If your shoulder can’t take that it can’t take a bottom out hit while riding either so now I’m somewhat confused as to why you’re even asking for advice.

When I said I only use full travel on the very hardest hits I really meant VERY hardest. like massive heavy landings. Especially nose heavy ones. This isn’t on a long bike though. I’d imaging on a very long bike you’ll ride more centrally over the bike than forwards above the bars (if you know what i mean?) meaning if riding with decent midstroke support you may well never reach full travel unless it goes massively wrong.

Try this: (It’s something i’ve always done when testing a forks’ spring rate and resistance to bottoming)

* find a breaking bump, drainage ditch or some other wheel sized compression that your front wheel would fall into at low speed. (it doesn’t have to be deep. However the shape of the hole needs to cup the wheel enough that you’d feel a bit of a jar from the bars at low speed)

* roll up to the compression at around walking pace pedals and level stood up and let the wheel drop in (just so you know it’s a suitable compression)

* Now repeat that roll in at that same pace and in the same position but this time pre-jump into it (American or proper bunny hop). not too high though! It’s nosing in that matters not the height

*land with your front wheel in the compression and your front brake on. Yes! locked on! (it’s unlikely you’ll fully commit to this first try so repeat it a few times as a warm up/practice.

* Once confidently repeating this also push down through your bars with all your strength and weight forwards above/over the bars.

* repeat until you are fully comitting and pushing down as hard as you possibly can.

Treat this as a challenge. How far off full travel can you get the fork doing this?

I’ve been using this test a very long time so I just go straight to the last step. After 3 or 4 tries I’ve found the maximum travel that the fork settings (pressure/spring weight/compression) will get to.
If you’re a strong rider and ride fast/aggressively and are not afraid to hit big stuff you should be using almost all available travel but not bottoming out the fork harshly.
pansying around or riding smoother trails you’ll never get to that last inch. and rightly so.

hope this helps.

Just a thought Joe. How much travel does your Yari have? and what do you weigh?
One difference between the damper design of a Yari to that of the Lyrik is that the Yari’s design of damper  creates more ramp up in that side during compression. This actually increases the longer travel the fork is. ie.  . So switching to an open bath damper will not only change the damping. it will lower the progressiveness of the fork.

I’ve just taken a closer look at the Vorsprung Luftkappe. All it seems to do is alter the Air volume ratio between negative and positive chambers in the air spring. Whether that’s beneficial to you or not is entirely personal preference and like I said I’m already happy enough with way I have the air spring set up in my Lyrik so don’t see that being any different with the Yari. So just ignore my question about that.

I’m interested in this too. I don’t have a Yari but I will be getting one in the next week. I already have a Pike and a Lyrik and am I’m happy enough with each of those running completely stock internals.
What does this Vorsprung Luftkappe thing do? from a quick google it seems to just be a replacement air piston/sealhead with some sort of integrated top cap taking up the space of one token (is there something else in there?).

I had assumed the Yari being solo air would have the same air side internals as a Pike and Lyrik. Is this not the case?

P-Jay are you saying the spiking you experienced was down to the stock air piston in your fork rather than the damping circuit? If so. Why doesn’t this occur on the stock Lyrik?
Confusing to say the least.

Joebristol. How long have you been riding the Yari? and how much have you played with the air pressure? It took me around 10 rides to find the sweetspot in my Lyrik to allow full travel but remain supportive. I’m fairly sure the fork became more supple during that time too which could possibly be down to seals/bushings etc. breaking in? I’ve ended up running no tokens at all and very specific pressure. As little as 3psi too much and it’d noticably use less travel. 3psi less and I wasn’t happy with that much sag. The fork will only bottom out on an absolutely massive hit. but it will use all the travel when that happens. But only just. No harsh mechanical bottom out.

Now that I am interested. Out of the Rockshox Charger, Fast Damper, Novy parts and Avalanche dampers mentioned who here has used what? which is better? and why?

I wouldn’t worry about it. I have the 170mm RCT3 on a similar bike to you. The difference is the 3-position compression (Open/Pedal/Lock) lever. I never ride with the lever in anything but open. There’s absolutely no need. The fork has plenty support not to require it. Even climbing long dull fireroads.

31.6

I also just happen to have a 150mm reverb in that size for sale if you’re looking?

That’s exactly what 1mm, 2mm and 5mm headset spacer are for.

Interesting that you’d chose to use Cotic as an example. Not that there’s anything wrong with Cotic bikes. I just wouldn’t take whatever their latest slant on their idea of the perfect geometry too seriously.. They’ll be sure to be pushing ideas that contradict their current thinking in one or two years time. Afterall. It’s what they’ve done from day one.

Bringing motorcycles into  the equation is just silly. The physics of turning a motorcycle and rider are very different to that of a bicycle and its rider.

Cheapest?

FREE – Remove shifter, cable and front derraileur. Remove All the chainrings and bolts. hacksaw the outer chainring bolts (& nuts) shorter. refit the middle ring. – This won’t retain the chain all that well.

£5 – Cheapest to do it properly. As above but replace the middle ring with a narrow wide (There are cheap but decent narrow wide rings on aliexpress for around a fiver).

*I assumed you already have a clutch style rear mech on the bike. If not. For the second option. you might want to add in the cheapest compatible one. But this is not essential. Especially for a kids bike.
My XC bike has a non clutch mech but narrow wide ring and never drops a chain. my other bikes see far rougher use and require clutches/top guides to insure no dropped chain.