You're in luck – just got back from a week with the family in Hinterglemm which is just up the road from Saalbach. I'll answer your q's then add some other stuff.

Lifts as follows:

Schattberg X-Press (access to X-Line) 9 – 4.15
Reiterkogelbahn (access to adidas freeride / evil eye) 9 – 4.30

There are two others (one in Hinterglemm and the other in Saalbach) which can be accessed by bikers but do not have specific trails, and both are open 9 – 11.45 then 1 – 4.30.

There is also the lift in Leogang which accesses the downhill and freeride trails there – don't have times to hand.
Worth noting our hotel deal included the Joker card, which gives unlimited access to lifts (including a bike) in Saalbach / Hinterglemm, and one ride per day in Leogang.

What bike? This is a very tough question: I took my Intense Slopestyle running coil Totems and 2.4" Rubber Queens, which comes in at just under 35lbs. The X-Line is IMHO a pretty full-on downhill course, with a lot of steep rooty sections, some rocky bits and is very long (6km and 1000m descent). I rode it after rain and it was hard work – I would have felt seriously underbiked on anything else. Some of the jumps / ladders (all avoidable) are also big. The adidas freeride is similar but a lot shorter. I didn't ride the stuff in Leogang but saw it from the lift and would say it looks similar. In short, if all you want to do is ride these, then take the biggest / slackest bike you have, and all the protection you've got.
The flipside to this is there is some awesome natural stuff that whilst the lifts ease the pain, still requires some climbing. Here, the Slopestyle felt a little overbiked (but not by much). Having said this, this stuff is hidden away – we were lucky and had someone from Munich show us around. It was blinding stuff, and I may be able to give you directions to some of it if you fancied some more XC-orientated stuff, as it's not signposted, and they don't seem keen to publicise.
They advertise the "Big 5" as being an all-mountain challenge, but from what I could see, this just entailed riding all the downhill courses, and then some dull fireroads, so wouldn't bother with that myself.
My mate was riding his SX Trail with coil Lyrics which seemed similar in abilities on the trails to the Slopestyle, but again would have preferred something bigger for the downhill trails.

Bike'n'Soul has outlets in both Saalbach and Hinterglemm. The bikes are Rotweild so a little unknown to UK riders, but having seen them in the flesh are well-specced and in good condition. They are however v expensive at EUR 62 / day for the downhill or freeride bikes, and when I enquired by email they didn't seem too keen to offer a discount for the week.
The bike shop in Leogang hires Konas etc, but they seemed in less good condition judging by the bike one of our group had.

My main observation would be that if you just want to run the downhill courses then it's a good area, but I reckon the usual hotspots of Morzine / Les Gets offer much more choice of tracks. If it's great alpine riding you're after then it's there, but very hidden and not well advertised, and no-one seems to guide. The riding is akin to that in Verbier, but again I would say Verbier has more scope and more by way of guiding choices.

As a final thought, Austrian / German mountain biking seems odd – you either ride full-on downhill, or you are a flat-handlebar, 100mm+ stem rider who thrashes up and down the fireroads. There doesn't seem to be nothing inbetween – which is where most of us who fall into the "all-mountain" category sit! Also worth noting that this category is referred to freeride by the few Austrians / Germans who practice it!

PM me if you want anything further.

We were there as a family holiday with a 3 & 5yr old + wife, and as such, I grabbed the odd hour here and there on the downhill courses, and 6 hours with our man from Munich on Saturday. As such, it's a cracking place, but it wouldn't be my choice for a full-on biking holiday.

Any update on the Ti Sov?

Plan is to ride my 853 Sov back to back with the Foia in early September then take it from there. Based on this thread, it would be pretty easy to shift a dozen plus, so could well fly.

I did take a look at XACD and was tempted, but prefer the idea of Kingdom Bikes and their ethos. I wouldn't be too surprised if that is who they use anyway!

Just out of curiosity, how much did Lynskey want to do a Sov copy? A lot, presumably…

$3595

Regards the travel thing, 140mm is fine on a hardtail, but it's the stiffness of the 36 I like, on my new hardtail, i'll be running a shortened pair of 36's.

Agreed – big difference between the 150mm 32 floats and 160mm 36 floats stiffness wise.

What would the deal be in terms of IP infringement though?

Dunno about this – whilst a frame manufacturer clearly has a patent on the complete design, I'm sure they couldn't patent the geometry, which is effectively all you are copying. It's highly unlikely the frame would actually look like an Evil Sov – just ride like one that's been on a diet!

I did email Evil about doing a Ti frame and heard nothing back. Also interesting that Lynskey were quite happy to rip the geometry and build me a custom frame.
If you went out and marketed a frame as an Evil Sovereign then I'm sure they'd be a bit touchy, but if you just sold it as a hardcore hardtail that just "happen" to have identical geometry to it, then I'm pretty sure there's little they could do.

Ti Sov a gogo. Make it…… MAKE IT ….go on you know you want to

Yep – you're right I want to! The Evil is such an awesome bike that I'm very excited about testing it back-to-back with the Foia and possibly building a Ti version.

Personally for what I want the bike to do, I'm not convinced a 160mm fork is necessary. If I ride anywhere rocky I'm likely to reach for the full-suss, so for me it's more about a bike for looning about on in the Surrey Hills.

Depends on what the stock rockers are/were on the TNT – if it's 5.5" then prob works fine. If 5" then may be a tad too much. Also depends on what 160mm fork you are trying. For example, Floats can be reduced internally if you find 160mm is too much, and a Lyric can be had in u-turn flavour.

Simply put they are awesome. Run mine on a DW 5-Spot and did a direct back-to-back with a mate's DW 5-Spot and the stock RP23 – it's like running a much bigger tyre on the rear as you feel you have sooo much more grip and traction.

Just had an email from Chris at Kingdom. We're looking at doing a shoot-out between my Evil Sovereign and the Foia sometime soon in the Surrey Hills. Should be interesting, and I'll definately report back!!

Interesting feedback. I sent them an email last night re: a Ti Sov so we'll see what they say. Sounds like we could generate enough interest for a dozen or so frames very easily!

Which version of the Spot?

On a DW – definately.

On a HL / TNT – possibly, but you'll want the longer rockers.

Differences as you'd expect – slacker head angle, sl higher bb. I run Float 36's on my DW, and lod Bomber Z1 Lights (tall 150mm) on my HL with Push rockers. I prefer both bikes in this form than shorter forks.

Geetee – interesting post. I'm looking to get the Mojo HD demo bike (a medium) shipped to HftH in Dorking at some point in the near future – we should try and arrange a back-to-back with the carbon Nomad as I think that would be a killer test. The Mojo HD has the advantage that Ibis are going to be doing two sets of shock mounts which will allow you to run it at either 140mm or 160mm travel at the rear (although will require 2 different shocks).

To the others questioning the need for a big bike around Surrey Hills I would just echo GT's point – if you know where to look, there are more 6ft+ jumps and drops littered around than you can shake a stick at. Sure – they can be ridden on hardtails etc by very (very) good riders, but for the rest of us, the safety margins provided by a big bike gives you the confidence to move outside your comfort zone, then perhaps go back and ride them on something smaller. I ride an Evil Sovereign for hardtail kicks, and an Intense Slopestyle as the skill-compensator, and each has it's place around the Surrey Hills.

Evil Sovereign. Makes you a better rider at everything and makes you enjoy it more. It's better than all the bikes mentioned above (and below), and that's S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

I would agree totally – as would Nim if he were being honest!!

Am out in Hinterglemm next week with family and pondering whether to take the downhill bike or something more XC…..any advice??

Mate of mine has just bought a Genesis Alpitude for thrashing around the Surrey Hills and absolutely loves it – gets a more regular outing than his DW 5-Spot at the moment!

Titus frames can be had dirt-cheap. They have failed to build any sort of brand recognition in the same way other boutique US frames have done, and as a result, they don't sell very well and second hand prices are shockingly low. They've been through a couple of importers here in the UK and still don't seem to have cracked it.

It's a shame as I think they are stunning frames and ride well.

It does mean they are a bargain second-hand or for older models being sold off cheap.

I've ridden the Lakes quite a bit with the Mojo (but not the Peaks), and think that if that was my everyday riding (I'm Surrey Hills so little by way of rocks), I'd want the stiffer and more planted Turner, accepting that the climbs would be a bit harder work. I did find the Ibis got pinged off-line a bit on some of those awesome trails that have a load of baby-head rocks littered everywhere!

As I say, the Mojo HD may be the best of both worlds. I've just checked MTBR and it does seem the HD will be available in either 140mm or 160mm and changeable between the 2 with a different shock & shock mount.

I've a Titus Motolite and have to say it's just as stiff in the rear as other bikes (5-Spot etc). I can't believe Titus would have made the FTM flexier.

Might be able to help here as have owned both. I had one of the early Ibis Mojos in Guinness Foam, and sold it to get a DW 5-Spot in '09 as I love Turners, having also had a HL Spot……

Firstly the similarities: DW Link rules. I've owned a few 4-bar bikes and ridden quite a few VPP & single-pivot bikes and the DW seems to have the best of all worlds – plush and supple over the small stuff, taught under acceleration, well-controlled when deeper into their travel, nice spring out of berms and off kickers, and the rear sits high when climbing, negating the need for adjustable-travel forks. Both ride well without any platform damping. Both come up a bit small – I normally ride a medium frame around 23-23.5"TT but medium in both is too small for me, large better, but at 5'10" would ideally like something in-between. Both also quite steep in head-angle with 140mm forks, and feel better for me with something longer (have 160mm Floats on the Turner, and ran Bomber Z1 Lights on the Mojo).

Now for the differences: the Mojo is obviously lighter, great when climbing and building speed on singletrack, but it's more easily pinged off line on the rocky stuff, and feels a bit less planted when landing drops. The Turner feels more "rugged", perhaps due to the frame materials but also the weight. This gives you more confidence to hit jumps and drops on the Turner. This feeling was obviously increased by having 2 rear triangles cracked on the Mojo (although I should say Ibis were awesome in replacing them).
The Turner is noticeably stiffer than the Ibis, although I never got to try the Lopes link which is supposed to improve things quite a bit. This is a good thing in certain circumstances, but I would say that the Mojo carves turns like no other bike I've ridden – flipping from side to side through turns almost like a set of carving skis. This may be down to the flex in the frame or the carbon material, I'm not sure, but it was highly addictive.

Which one is best? If you love to climb and sprint, then the Mojo. If you like to hit a few jumps or drops and fly rocky downhills, then the Turner.
Having had the Turner for 18 months, I'm really missing the Mojo, and interestingly I'm seriously considering the Mojo HD as it could well be the best of both worlds, especially as the rumour has it that it will also come in 140mm flavour and/or be adjustable between the two.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you want to know anything more!!

Also recommend Andy at Tramontana Tours for mtb guiding. Pretty much all of the island is privately owned so access can be tricky if you are trying to find your own way.

The road biking is awesome – I hired a nice carbon road bike from Andy and found it an awesome buzz – so much so I came home and had to upgrade my own road bike!!

Smuzzy – do you have any experience of other Ti hardtails? I'm interested in if you can tell any increased stiffness due to the helix tubing? One of the joys of Ti is the springiness and wonder if the helix reduces or robs the bike of this quality.

Ooh no – pm on it's way!!

GT – you may have to hit that kicker over the ditch to prove your manliness!!

Greg – you're welcome to try the Evil (and Ti456) if you are looking at hardtails for your next purchase.

Ha ha – just read the 'Dave' post – absolutely hilarious!!

Ha ha – just seen this thread.

Believe me – Dave is going to struggle to outrun GT around the Surrey Hills singletrack, so he's going to need other ways of fighting him off!!

GW – owned a Cove Stiffee for a while and liked it, and also a Ti 456, but the Evil puts a much bigger smile on my face. It's difficult to work out why on paper, but to ride it is just awesome. I admit the custom route is a daft amount of money when there are plenty of awesome frames out there for less than half the price, but it doesn't stop me wondering!

Greg – we'll have to discuss the Ragley in more detail when we meet up. I tested Nirvana's mmmmBop when they first built it up, with a view to swapping the Ti version for my 456, but really didn't get on with it – it just felt "odd".

Hmmm – that holeshot looks nice!

Lynskey seem happy to make one, and would include ISCG mounts and sliding dropouts if required. They'd relieve you of $3600 for the privilege mind! Now where did I put that lottery ticket?

3 sets here, again no issues (1x older, 2x current)

Not necessarily longer – just "different". Difficult to describe, and as I say, I suspect you'd get used to it, but it felt odd when you first slung a leg over it.

Not sure you'll find many who have ridden both in Ti form. I have the Ti 456 and tested an mmmBop back-to-back with the 456. I was actually considering swapping to the Ragley, but ended up keeping the 456.

Why? Well as all the reviews say, the 456 is a stunning bike, esp in Ti form. Quick, agile, holds a line v well downhill, and the short front end means you get a load of weight over the front to carve into turns. Even with 150mm it climbs well too. It's a bike you can jump onto and immediately feel at home.
In comparison, the Ragley felt decidely "odd" to begin with, and whilst I suspect you'd get used to it over time, I didn't feel at home on it in the same way. I'd hoped the Ragley would have a bit more of a hooligan element to it than the 456, and whilst it did, I felt I lost some of the things I liked about the 456.
I've now got an Evil Sovereign alongside the 456 Ti – that does the hooligan thing to the nth degree, so now have both bases covered! Now if only someone would do one of them in Ti…..

You won't regret it – the Sov is just an outrageously good bike. I've got a few lovely bikes (Ti On One, DW 5-Spot, Intense Slopestyle) but it's the Sov that puts the biggest smile on my face.

Cheers for the advice.

njee20 – what width? Is 1.8" too narrow?

I'm also assuming you'd run pretty high pressures to reduce rolling resistance as much as possible?

As above, they rust. Also quite tough to fit, even with a proper headset press. 2pure are great on the warantee side though.

Bought the pair off here a few months back. Didn't get on with them as just didn't seem to have the same control as with my Straitlines. Sold them to a mate and got a pair of Podiums. He's now sold them too, and bought Podiums as well. For my money, Podiums are much better for grip and control, up there with the Straitlines but slimmer and lighter.

Got a Float 36 on mine and love it, although if I went again I'd prob stick a Float 32 150 on it.

Good vid, nice pov's. Been experimenting with mounting my GF1 on a bracket bolted to the bottle mounts and looks interesting.

To improve further, I'd suggest aiming for continuity (ie same trail), but still with different povs. Will obviously require riding the section more than once. I'd also try putting in some sections shot on a stationary camera – again changing the pov (low down, behind a jump, panning etc) and that way build up more of a "story" behind the riding.

Do a search on youtube for Surrey Hills and a video by 5spotty for my latest efforts of cutting together some of the jumps in the area, although apparently Sony's licensing meant my choice of soundtrack was rejected!

A few years' back was riding the Doothie (sp?) valley by 10am, although was an early start from Guildford!

Maybe you can show me how to ride it properly trouty, as my riding style's so shocking

Ride it with GeeTee1972 – he's certainly got a whole load of flow going on! In fact it's a long time since I've struggled that hard to keep up with someone around the Surrey Hills. He's got a great "fast 'n' loose" style going on that is great fun to follow!

Stunning bike. How come your grass is so green? Mine's a grim shade of beige!

If you have oil problems, the Mav instructions aint going to help you. When I tried last year I couldn't find anyone to service it. Mine an expensive paperweight too!