Awesome feedback all – much appreciated!

Elterwater Hostel is v good.

Yes – had spotted a couple of strava segments that suggest it’s ridden, if somewhat infrequently.

I’ve bought second-hand walking boots from Inov-8 off eBay and got them resoled with 5-10 rubber (shop in Chesterfield). Works very well and reasonably cost-effective.

Sad that Evil are still behaving in this way. I was the one mentioned at the start of this thread who had issues with them over a cracked rear triangle. In the end, my LBS made good, and I’ll prob never know if they took the hit or not.
They are stunning bikes, and despite my issue, I’ve just bought an Insurgent to go with it. Some might think it madness, but if you trust your LBS then you should be fine. In Evil’s defines, they seem to be having far fewer issues with the current frames than their first carbon frames, but still a shame they aren’t better at the CS bit.

I reckon the only way you can better that is to arrive by sleeper train! Did it a few years’ ago with a mate who for some reason needed to bring his suit with him – ended up stashing it just outside the station and picking it up on the return journey!

I tend to think that in the Spesh range there is overlap between models, so if I were owning 2 then I’d have them 2 models apart, i.e. an Epic + Stumpjumper, Camber + Enduro etc. I’d therefore have a Stumpjumper to go with your DH bike.
PS I have a carbon Stumpy Evo frame for sale if interested.

Im surprised you think a Nicolai is a marmite bike. Looks maybe, but in terms of ride, they are the most neutral bikes I’ve ridden, and I mean that in a positive way – they just allow you to get on with riding, rather than worrying how the suspension is performing etc.

I’m not a great lover of turbo trainers, but have to admit the kicker is a great bit of kit. Bike training for the iPhone generation and all the better for it.

mattjg – yep we should def do it. I know of one other Following too, so there’d be a trio! BMW here too, although technically it’s an Alpina – does that count?

The Following was back in action this weekend thanks to HftH (my LBS), and reminding me what a stunning bike it is.
The original cracked rear triangle has been sent back to Evil for evaluation – I guess once they’ve looked at it they will decide whether or not to honour the warranty with the shop.

Yep – guilty of saying “mint”

Also nice cafe at the Visitors Centre at Ariundle. Only time I rode that track, we got overtaken by the postman in his van, so reckon you’re good on a CX!

Sadly no can do re: video as both the original cracked triangle and the initial replacement are back at Silverfish.
Clearly there’s a fine line here – we all want lighter and lighter frames, and certain parts of a bike frame should have some “give” in them, so personally I’m happy to give Evil the benefit of the doubt in terms of it being either the design being a bit too thin or lax QC in the manufacturing process. My bigger concern / question is over the warranty process.

This has now been resolved, from my perspective at least, so I thought I’d update the thread.

The first thing my LBS did was to seek a second opinion – in this case they used Carbon Bike Repair in Dorking. They also viewed that it was a result of impact damage, but rather than a direct impact, felt it was a result of a rear wheel impact twisting the rear axle which in turn put and outward flex on the seat stay, causing the crack. This view was supported by some damage to the rear rim, which I hadn’t spotted. They also noted how thin the seat stay was at this point, being able to deflect the carbon with a modest amount of pressure.
When the replacement rear triangle arrived it also appeared very thin in that area, deflecting under thumb pressure and “crackling”. This was duly sent back to Silverfish and a 3rd rear triangle dispatched. This one doesn’t deflect, and is now fitted to the bike.
The result of the above is that the LBS opined this was definitely a warranty issue, so have replaced it free of charge. Whether or not Evil / Silverfish take the same line is unclear at this stage, and obviously between the LBS and them, not me.

As such, I’m now happy – I’ve got my frame back within 2 weeks at no cost to me. However, it’s worth highlighting that this wouldn’t have happened without the support and effort of my LBS, which is Head for the Hills in Dorking. They were willing to back their customer and seek a second opinion, which then led them to believe the first rear triangle wasn’t up to the job. They also loaned me their demo Nicolai (stunning bike btw) to keep me out on the trails last weekend. I should also mention Simon @ Nirvana has been v helpful and supportive, and given he is now the Evil dealer in the area, he’s keen to see riders have confidence in the warranty so has watched this with interest.

The key question to me is: would I buy another? At this stage, I don’t know. The Following is without doubt the best bike I’ve ever ridden, and I would be gutted not to ride it. Part of me also wants to ride an Insurgent. I love the fact it’s come from a small boutique brand, and accept that because of their size, riders are, to a degree, part of the R&D process. That only works, however, if you are willing to support your customers with a 1st class warranty and back-up, and that doesn’t seem to have happened here. Evil have a killer product on their hands with the Following (and with Bike magazine currently testing the Insurgent, possibly with that too), but customers aren’t going to buy them if they question the support.

The flip side of this story is that it’s a great advert for the LBS. I’m quite certain this would have been a much more painful process and perhaps with a different outcome, had it not been for them.

Carbon Bike Repair in Dorking may be able to recommend something.

Tis dark tho……

Matt – was it you riding an orange one with sprog past Abinger cricket pitch this afternoon??

Many thanks for the support expressed on this thread – much appreciated.

To clarify a few things….

The LBS is not Nirvana – I ordered the frame via another shop before they picked up the Evil brand. They are, however, showing an interest in how this plays out, for obvious reasons.
The LBS involved is well aware my contract starts and ends with them, not Silverfish or Evil, and have said they will see me right. They (and I ) are also aware that in the first 6 months of ownership (which this is within) the burden of proof is on them that the damage is not a result of a crash or impact, not me to prove that it wasn’t.
I regularly ride with one of the staff so they are very familiar with where / how I ride, and as such, believe that the damage being as a result of an impact is highly unlikely. I can’t fault their approach to date and fully believe their intention to resolve this to my satisfaction. You could ask, therefore, what’s my problem? At this stage – none as I still believe that it will be resolved properly, hence my postings here and on MTBR being purely factual. Once it has been resolved, however, I fully intend to update both threads on the details of the outcome, and my feelings on the matter.

Hmmm – am in two minds about posting, as it’s my frame in question and one reason being cited by Silverfish for the warranty not being honoured is me posting the thread on MTBR. I’ll therefore keep it factual rather than expressing any opinion, because it is still being discussed.

At this stage, Evil are refusing to replace the rear triangle under warranty, claiming that this has been caused by crash or impact damage. They have opined on this based just on photos, as the frame has been returned to Silverfish, rather than Evil themselves. I don’t believe this to be the case – I haven’t crashed the bike where a big impact to the rear triangle would have occurred, and it’s been ridden almost exclusively around the Surrey Hills where rocks are non-existent. My LBS concur with this, knowing both where and how I ride. I’m now waiting on Silverfish / Evil to come back with a price on a replacement rear triangle.

I’d agree with the comments on how good this bike is – it really is phenomenal. So much so, I was just about to pull the trigger on an Insurgent to complement the Following – needless to say that purchase is on hold pending the conclusion of this.

Normally agree about schwalbe for rocky stuff – just doesn’t last. HD is exception though – ridden in Alps, Whistler and Lakes and awesome.

juanking tackle…..that’s a new one on me!

Anyone thoughts on using Harter Fell as a shortcut on the Nan Bield route??

Some cracking ideas here – much appreciated.

North of the Sun was at the 2013 Banff festival, and was one of the highlights – brilliant story both touching and amusing. Most of the people coming over were at Banff, so will save this one for another session. Likewise Crossing the Ice.
Touch – one of the Banff highlights from this year. V cool!

If people are interested, am happy to include the full list of what I end up showing.

Cheers for the ideas – happy to pay for stuff if it’s good, although having been to Banff for the last 2 years, most of the people who are coming round will have seen those two. Will check out the skiing one too.

Dogging def off limits – 8yr old also viewing!!

The log jump taking the usual line is a decent size, but the hill is steeper and looser than the photos. As usual, Brendog is making up his own line which takes things into a whole different game!

Log jump is Thick n Creamy I think.

JCL has covered most points. I’ve owned both bikes in carbon (although the non-evo version of the Camber) and would happily live with either for the type of riding you describe. That said, for your weight and riding pref, you may find the Stumpy the better bet as it will be stiffer and plusher when the going gets tough.
I should say that I think both are awesome bikes and amazing value for money. I’ve test-ridden a few of the boutique 29er frames over the last few years and keep coming back to Spesh. Now keen to try the Enduro!

Trek Stache rides v well and superb value for money.

Sculpture or fountain for the garden?

You’ll struggle to get a Stumpjumper FSR 29er below 25lbs if you want to use it properly. Mine is the carbon EVO frame with Pikes and dropper-post, XX1 and ENVE wheels, and comes in at 26.5lbs.

Can Howard at Pedal and Spoke not sort you out with a demo on the Yeti? I thought he was a dealer for them as well as SC now.

Having spoken to Mountain Trax in Wokingham, seems none have landed in the UK yet. Due in early Sept according to Silverfish.

My mate has been through 3 rear triangles on his SC Blur TRc, and I went through 2 on my original Ibis Mojo. From my perspective, stuff will always break, and it’s much more important how you are treated both inside and outside the warrantee period, and in both the above, there were no complaints so would happily buy again, accepting there is a risk of a problem.
Not really interested in a debate about value – tough to argue a £1500 frame offers value with most people, let alone one costing almost twice that, but it doesn’t stop me being willing to buy one.

Yes that about sums it up! By the way, when you refer to “snappy” do you mean tendency to break, or quick??

Tested one on Saturday. Decent spec including ENVE wheels. Found it a bit dull, and didn’t do anything better than my Spesh Stumpy Evo 29er, and did a few things worse. On the other hand, the Solo we also had out on demo was an absolute riot and am seriously tempted by one.

Yep the trails down as described by Freeridenick on a previous posting are simply amazing, and suspect you won’t see another rider on them!

Excellent news re: Torgon lift. The yellow guide book also shows an extension of the Torgon ride down to the main valley bottom, giving over 1500m vertical descent in one hit. Only problem is no lift back up, but you can catch a train up to Champery and get back into the lift system there.
There is some awesome natural stuff to the West of Chatel. PM me if you want any more details. Some of it easy to find, some much less so!

Cheers. Rode Col du Cou last year and def back on the list for this year too.
Any gems in Morzine / Les Gets area?

Not ash dieback, you scaremongering twonk. It’s Phytophthora ramorum in the larches there.

Whatever – still means a chunk of it is shut!

JCL has got it right. Non-bike park stuff is the real buzz for XC riders in Whistler. I’d def try and do a day in Pemberton too, esp if you have any ability to shuttle up the dirt track. Amazing stuff.

Also worth noting they are suffering from Ash Dieback so part of the forest is shut including the new black section.