Not quite a match for Nobby Nics but not far off. Roll pretty well and quite predictable. Running 2.4″ USTs FWIW.

I’m with Si on this. My Mojo was initially built up as light as possible (Pace forks, full XTR etc). It gradually got heavier (Marz Z1 Lights, Joplin, bigger tyres) and to my mind got better and better. Slightly slacker angles and the extra weight meant it held it’s lines much better on rocky descents, steep drops, jumps etc. Sure it was a bit slower up hill, but in the scheme of things was still good. Sadly now sold.
Same thing happened with my 5-Spot – started as light as possible (e.g. Maverick forks) but got better with Push rockers, bigger forks etc.
If you want something lightweight, why not buy a hardtail, and keep the full-suss slightly burlier?

I fully understand the desire to “build” – I’m pushing 40 and for the last few years have regularly dragged a spade and assorted plankage up into my local (Surrey) woods, and build it to try and push my own boundaries.
Sadly, perfect as it may be, the Surrey Hills are just too damn popular, and not just with bikers, to go building that sort of stuff.
I’d rather have the Surrey Hills as an area available long-term to ride good singletrack and get my airborn kicks elsewhere, rather than short-term jumps that could jeopardize long-term usage.

Awesome pic! Noted that one last time out – absolutely massive. Biggest one I’ve seen is the natural gap just above the land slip car park.

First batch due into the country in the next week or so. I ordered mine a couple of months’ ago as was told they were already mostly spoken for. Propel are the importers and their website will tell you who the Formula dealers are.

I did the shorter route twice in the ’90s and both times the finish was in a beer tent! Don’t know if it’s still the same!!

Any unsanctioned building on the Hurtwood estate (which includes Pitch) is getting very short shift from the rangers, and has been for the last year or so. Their view is that the existing network needs a lot of work to make them sustainable with the increased usage they are getting.
Whilst on a personal level I would love to see more trails, including the odd bit of shore etc. but the estate needs to balance the needs of all users, and have deemed it not on, stating that further building puts at risk the ongoing access bikers currently enjoy. Set against that, further building seems at best pretty pointless and at worst somewhat selfish IMHO.

sfb is correct – I edited. My pc was very slow to load pics so only saw the first 2 when I hit the reply button!

As sfb says, your first 2 pics show the W side which is best used as the climb. The E side (Coniston) remains much as your other photos show – a full-on rock-fest with some quite technical sections. I did it over New Year where the odd section of sheet ice added extra interest. Awesome ride!!

Ended up getting my Adventre shipped directly from Wingnut themselves, getting stung by both postage and import duty, so ended up being v expensive. Wingnut are quite amusing to deal with though!!

Did it a few years’ ago for charity… flat, smooth, well surfaced. Only challenge is it’s quite long.

Lyrics are beyond DT’s recommendation for a 5spot aren’t they?

They are, but my experience of the 5-Spot is they are pretty bombproof, and engineered with a fair margin of safety. The Lyrics are u-turn so will likely run it around 145-150mm rather than the full 160mm.

Is this the bike you built with just ‘spare’ stuff hanging around the shed?….

Some of it is (cranks, bb, mechs, shifters, saddle, stem, post, bars), but then forks, wheels, and brakes ended up finding their way onto here as a result of upgrades to another bike!

As others have said, forks will be far too short for the Mojo IMHO. On mine, I started with some Pace RC40 Fighters (150mm travel) then eneded up with Marz Z1 Lights which have same a-c as current Float 36’s, and loved it with these on it.
If you want to keep the forks and are keen to get a DW-Link bike, then a Turner Flux would be ideal. If you want a horst link (as per Lapierre) then a Titus Motolite would work with 125mm forks (just).

I’d think of this in 3 loops, from North East to South West I’d do it clockwise, anticlockwise, clockwise.

I’m assuming the DT 150 EXC’s will have the same a-c as the Pace forks I mentioned, given that DT bought the design from Pace. You may love them on it, but I prefered something a bit more “relaxed”.

Certainly doesn’t look 60km although the area can be deceptive for distances. We rode last Monday taking in all the choice trails in the area covering the five hills and racked up 40 miles. For the route above, I’d do it anti-clockwise.

I’m with Ed-O on this. When I had my guinness foam mojo, it started off with Pace RC40 fighters (bolt-thru) which whilst being very light, made the bike just a bit too twitchy. For a laugh, I stuck a pair of Marz Z1 Lights (same a-c as 36’s) and found it made the bike such a riot, they stayed on.
Worth noting that Floats can be reduced internally (both travel and a-c) – reckon 150mm Floats would be awesome on the mojo.

Saw them once when we specifically went looking. Wandered round like loonies waving white hankies – worked though!
Amazing sound, and most satisfying to hear it on Puttenham Common as it was previously thought they had disappeared completely from here.

IMHO DW beats VPP. Ibis CS is also awesome. Set my Ibis up with Marz Z1 Lights – loved it!!!

I’ve got a nikon p5000 and a D90 DSLR, and love Nikon kit generally. I hate using the p5000 and find it a real pain in trying to capture anything that isn’t stationary. The flipside is I love using the D90 but it does weigh loads, and more annoyingly requires removing your pack to access (yes have tried the Chipps method for carrying and didn’t really like it).

Am keen to try a G9 or G10 but find it difficult to believe they’ll get close to the speed of a DSLR.

Titus Motolite or FTM – pimpy in a subtle way – perfect for those of us approaching 40!!

First gen Blur LT – felt wallowy and too tall.

Ian – from memory don’t you ride a Nicolai? Decent dealer (Head for the Hills) in Dorking…

Sounds like a guide would be very useful then if MTB’ing. Have found one place that rents Cannondale Rizes and has guiding available.
Also sounds like it may be better to rent a road bike for the period rather than an MTB for general riding.

Just had mine done by windridge – they dip it in chemicals to strip the old paint rather than shotblasting.

Very good in risotto!!!

Running 2.25″ Schwalbes on mine (Racing Ralphs) with just the right level of clearance. Wouldn’t want to run anything much bigger.

Since buying my 5-Spot in 05, I’ve had (and mostly sold on) a Turner 6-Pack, Cove Stiffee, Ti 456, Ibis Mojo, Titus Motolite, and a DW Spot. Despite some of these being better in certain areas than the original 5-Spot, I’ll never sell it. In fact I’ve just had it resprayed yellow, and have built it up with coil Lyrics just for laughs and love it! Don’t sell – it’s a classic and you’ll end up regretting it!!

Have SX’s and Traversees – traversees hold air no probs with the rimstrip and some sealant. As you would expect, sx’s slower but stiffer than traversees. No difference in pick-up though. On SXs worth noting 09’s quite a bit lighter than previous (~200g).

Love my traversees. Spin quicker and seem to be just as robust as my King / Stans Flow set-up.

I can vouch for Househusband’s routes involving some “interesting” terrain, even though it looks do-able on the map!!
My own personal epic is thinking that Glen Nevis was ridable!! 6 miles and 3hrs later of having to carry 2 bikes (GF had major sense of humour failure), we finally got to something ridable!

Have a set of Thors and a set of Pushed Pikes – they are quite different forks. As noted above, the Thors are very linear but can blow through travel esp under braking, but this can be tuned out with minimal compression via the Albert select. I have them on a lightweight full-suss (Titus Motolite) for fast XC for which I think they are excellent, esp as the bike benefits from shorter travel on climbs.
The Pushed Bikes are on a long-travel hardtail (Ti 456)which is a real hooligan bike, and here the Pikes are more appropriate, esp as the 456 climbs so well I can run the Pikes permanently at 140mm.
I would happily own both forks again, and whilst the Magura forks are less reliable, the back-up is pretty good.
In summary, just depends on what you want them for as to which is best!

I’m 12.5st and don’t find them flexy. I regularly do 3-4′ drops on them, and have cased the rear wheel pretty badly trying to clear a suprise ditch, and they remain unscathed. However, they do have a low spoke count, with some of them radially spoked, so you may be pushing them to their limit at that weight and terrain.

Just had mine done and spent an age cutting back the paint to clean up the bearing surfaces, and therefore wish I’d left an old/cheap headset and bb in place. If you don’t mind putting in the time, then no need, and cutting back hasn’t damaged the remaining paintwork.

PS Frame powdercoated.

Wot no shedfire / ragley balance bike??

You can make a balance bike out of any bike – just remove pedals, cranks and chain. My 4yr old was beginning to run out of height adjustment on the balance bike so was definately time to move on.

It’s definately critical to get a bike small enough for them to feel comfortable on. We were tempted by the Cnooc 16 as daughter is almost onto the scale from the Isla Bikes sizing chart but thankfully decided against it and got the smaller one. Yes there’s a cost element, but the younger one will also use it, they have a reasonable second hand value, and Isla offer trade-ins, so all-in-all glad we went for the smaller one.

I also got knee and elbow pads from Bikehut which also add to the confidence, as well as the “just like daddy” factor!!

balabce bike was a scoot.

I’m not fussed about pics not included in the original post, as many people (myself included) can’t be bothered to get a load of bike kit pics hosted somewhere which is needed for this site. Pics should be ready to email pdq though.

windridge has a decent website (well for a powdercoater!) with pricing etc. Comes in just short of £100 inc return postage. Check out my other post re 5-Spot respray for a pic, or let me have your email address and I’ll send you a pic.