To be clear – am running bling rings on 3 bikes with MRP guides; 2 are GXP, one is BB30. All three work perfectly.

Got a Titus Motolite in exogrid I might be persuaded to part with…..

Oddly, Bling Rings apparently don’t work with BB30 cranks (GXP only) – MRP tell me this is due to different spindle length & resulting crank offset.

Don’t think this is true – am running a 28T on my Spesh Camber with no problems.

Majorca high on the list – only thing putting me off is we’ve been there a few times already, and wouldn’t mind trying somewhere different.

tomsaso – that sends shivers through my spine remembering a holiday in Mablethorpe aged 18 staying at a mate’s parents place. Grim doesn’t even begin to describe it!

In my experience, the stated min on Islabike’s website is a minimum, and I wouldn’t want to go below it (now on 4th Islabike).
The good thing with these is that they retain their value 2nd hand, so trading up doesn’t cost too much.

Awesome. Email sent to Kev.

Rode Leith and Holmbury yesterday afternoon covering about 25kms. Garmin said -4degC which meant in places nicely frozen. Problem is that the current mud & standing water was too deep to freeze. As a result, water then splashed onto the bike before freezing. Had to stop a couple of times to clear ice off the jockey wheels. No other problems though and good fun once you adjust your mindset.

Any SRAM crank with a removable spider should work (ie X9/X0/XX); can’t remember about X7 but I think there’s a non-series one (?S1400) that works.

Note they don’t work with XX as this doesn’t have a removable spider. There are also some OEM versions which SRAM / Truvativ make which also work.

Stu – is that a Camber and a Yelli?? If so, by coincidence that’s my full-suss 29er and hardtail 29er! Which was quicker up and down Cadair??

Have also emailed Middleburn twice but also no answer! Would def be interested.

Instead have been running SRAM XO cranks with a 28T bling-ring to great effect.

I’ve spent a lot of time on 29ers and 650B bikes over the last 6 months. In fact since getting my first 29er in October I haven’t ridden a 26″ wheeled bike since, so you could say I’m a convert to bigger wheels.
Having done this, I do think 650B are a good compromise, being more “fun” than a 29er going downhill, whilst still maintaining some of the increased level of grip and steamroller ability of a 29er.
The Burner therefore looks a cracking bike and I’ve always had a soft spot for Turners. My only issue is they are a bit heavy compared with some of the carbon offerings out there – shame DT hasn’t embraced carbon technology…yet!

Anyone got the link to hand for the SRAM video on how to do this?

Slightly feel for the OP too – they may have used some colourfull language but I’d feel pretty annoyed too.
I’ve not had any problems on Telegraph but have come across this on one or two other trails in the area and it is (a) clearly deliberate, and (b) v annoying. Jesses Garden is pretty much always blocked with branches which are a bit too big to jump.

Ha ha – reminds me of the time when on gardening leave I drove 650 miles round Wales with my Kona Hei Hei in the boot of my Chimaera 450. I worked out you could wedge the roof section behind the seats , so most of the miles were done roof off too! Did 4 days of riding around Betws y Coed and Rhayader – happy times!

I’ve got a carbon one with SRAM. I’m a Shimano fan overall but have found the SRAM stuff fine.
These are awesome bikes out of the box. I have a lot of experience of full-suss bikes, but this is my first 29er and I’ve been blown away by how good it is. The only thing I’ve changed for the better is the seatpost, replacing the command with a lev. I’ve also gone 1×10 with a bling ring but that is personal preference rather than a must-do. Can’t recommend it highly enough – do it!

I’m one of the riders GT is referring to. I run a 28T x 36 on my 29er and 30T x 36 on my 26″. Both are pretty light (26-27lbs), and I’m reasonably fit. Very little of my riding is on the road. I use bling rings on both bikes, and it works very well for me. Never spin out on the 11T, and only very rarely wish for a lower gear. I love the fact that 1×10 drops almost a pound in weight, and makes the drive much simpler. Job done. Wish more companies did smaller rings than 32T.

Pretty sure you’re referencing Crackpipe, and possibly Wet n Wild, both of which are far superior to the ones mentioned above (imho of course). Shame but inevitable.

I had a crack at creating my own. I bought a pair of Inov8 walking boots off Ebay and then had them resoled with 5-10 sticky dot rubber. In one way they work really well – being goretex they are waterproof, and the 5-10 rubber sticks v well. I also got them half a size bigger than usual so can wear a couple of pairs of socks so really warm.
Sadly though, they don’t work as I’d hoped, in that in really wet conditions, esp with deep puddles, the water goes in over the top and then can’t get out again! As a result, you end up riding along in a pair of mini-paddling pools! Solution to this would be a pair of mini gaiters, but then it’s all starting to become a bit convoluted.
I can’t believe someone like 5-10 don’t make a decent set of winter / waterproof shoes or boots, that are the flat-pedal equivalent of Shimano / Northwave etc boots.

Are there any 28t chainsets available for mear mortals who can’t justify XX1?

MRP blingring on a SRAM XO crank works a treat on 29er, although I should say my 29er weighs sub-26lbs. At 32lbs I’m not sure I’d feel the same way on climbs!

To redress the balance a bit, CRC had some cracking deals on Formula brakes last Monday. Some of the descriptions & pics were missing however, and by the time they had responded to my email inquiry the price had gone back up. After moaning a bit, they honoured the Monday price.

The amount of forestry work across the Hurtwood has been a major PITA, not only because of some of the MTB trails that have been trashed, but also some of the tracks that have been turned into major swaps due to a combination of heavy machinery and very wet weather. I get that they need to manage the estate commercially, but they aint half made a mess, and I can’t imaging it’s just bikers who find it a mess. My wife complains when out walking the dog too.

I complained to the ranger last year, who had some sympathy, but said it was outside the control of the Friends of Hurtwood to influence what was being done. He did assure me however, that none of my contributions to the Friends was being spent on the work.

Holmbury was running nicely in many places last night. We had a bit of rain overnight but not a deluge.

Def not. Two estuaries to get across and no beach just before hitting the Harlech beach due to cliffs.

JPCapel who occasionally posts on here has gone from a ASR 5 aluminium to a TRc. He is a lot quicker on the TRc and reckons it’s the best bike he’s owned (DW and non-HL 5 Spots, Ti Ragley before). He rides Surrey Hills and never heard him complain about the bb height on the TRc – in fact it’s one of the things he loves about it.

Donation made and awesome effort – well done and good luck this weekend.

Having climbed a few times in the area, I certainly feel it’s a case of “There but for the grace of God……”

HIghly recommend Feet First in Chesterfield. They stuck some dotty rubber on a pair of Inov8 boots which are working a treat in the snow!

I used to live in Shackleford, and despite moving to the centre of the Surrey Hills, I miss the riding, esp at this time of year as the sandy nature drains better.
There is some really good stuff on Puttenham Common – enough to play around on for an hour or so, and used to be our regular night ride. It takes a while to work out the best trails. Dedicate an afternoon to exploring every little dead-end animal track, but be prepared to get frustrated. The upside is you’ll work out a great loop with some really sweet sections of singletrack every bit the equal of Surrey Hills, just a bit shorter. I used to run a few times around there and used this to explore new trails.

Trashing the Pinarello brand

My Camber weighs 25.7lbs. Blitzes the Slurrey Hills!

At 5’9″ you def want the medium. Am 5’10.5″ and run a 50mm stem on mine.

5’10.5″ and on a medium.

As others have said, great motivator for a kids walk. Recently did a 6 mile walk in Scotland that had 15, and not once did the kids complain about being tired. We all got a buzz getting 3 first-to-finds!

Didn’t get out in the end today…..3 things conspired….poor weather, a mild cold, and waking up to find the dog had shat all over the kitchen! Maybe I’ll have better luck tomorrow!

Tealeith…..any chance of swinging a leg over yours? It sounds like my kind of bike, but am also tempted by the Titus Fireline esp now Brant is offering them for £500!

Worth noting that there is a big difference price-wise in going from Surrey into West Sussex. Might be worth looking around Rusper etc as you’ll get a fair bit more for your money.

Looking to head out tomorrow too from Walking Bottom if you’re around but no worries if not. Reckon I’d struggle to get a good idea of the ride from an XL but would be good to see one in the flesh. Forecast not good though!

PS What forks are you running, and how tall for the XL?

Good call mate – we must have driven past that place last week as we headed up to the viaduct just to the North. Looks mint.
As confirmed addicts of the Highlands, my wife and I never fail to be very surprised as to how much we enjoy the borders, and spending NY literally 5 miles south of where you’ll be was no exception.
Riding wise, we did a couple of laps of Kirroughtree, and did the taster loop with the kids at Dalbeattie – both awesome.
Check out my post here for some further info….
Link

PS I’d be very jealous if my wife hadn’t suggested spending 2 weeks in the Alps this summer for our hols!!

Interesting and sounds very much what I’m looking for. Been riding a Camber 29er for the last few months in preference to my Mojo HD so am a def convert to 29ers around the Surrey Hills. I’ve always liked to ride a hardtail too, esp in winter, and had previously run a Ti 456 (now sold) and an Evil Sovereign (in the process of selling), so am looking for something that is lightweight but playful over the sort of trails you mention.
Are you riding this weekend?

Right location wrong size! Am in Holmbury but would ride a medium. Cheers for the offer though. How do you rate it, particularly around the Surrey Hills?

Bumping to see if any more ride reports. Considering either this or a Yelli Screamy……

Gotama – where are you based? Would love to try one…..