I run a set of these and not had any problems. I think it works both ways – you could argue that fewer spokes / bigger gaps could allow stuff to go straight through or not be picked up, that would have been hooked up by a wheel with more spokes.

“They all do that sir!”

Stiction of the pivots is the downside of using bushings rather than bearings. It will improve with use, but never get to bearings levels.
Re: creaking, may be worth re-torquing all the bolts, i.e. loosen then re-torque as per Turner’s recommended settings. Worked for me.

Nick – aren’t you Surrey based? If so, any idea where your parents got them from?

Hope your garden’s a couple of acres…

Tick! 😀
Although I can’t match Shandy’s 10 acres!

GSP appeals as not too big (have 4 & 6yr old kids), but we do a lot of biking and walking. I once came across a GSP & owner in Aviemore who had just done a big day out in the Cairngorms which involved a 30-40km ride and 10km walk and the dog lapped it up.
Rode a couple of times with a neighbour’s vizla and it was a great trail dog, but both weimaraners and vizlas can grow a fair bit bigger than a GSP.

As GeeTee says, am loving mine in the 140 setting around the Surrey Hills. I’d run it at 160mm for Lakes etc though.
Failedengineer – you’re right, they do bob, the HD more so than the regular. Still love the susp design though!

ianpinder – I so want to ride that bike! It would clash so much with my Vit P HD around the Surrey Hills! Did you get it from HftH?

We’re house-viewing at the moment, and viewed a property last week where the last room in the house we saw was the attic. The agent opened the door to reveal a huge model railway, and my 4-year old’s eyes just lit up!!
Am gutted I let my parents flog my old Hornby stuff a few years back. D’oh!

Hotel on the shores of Tal-y-llyn is very nice. Cadair Idris right next door for a cheeky ride too!!

Try Nirvana nr Dorking for a demo 5-Spot. If you plan it right, you could test that, then the AC from HftH. HftH are also Ibis dealers and can get hold of 2-Pure’s demo HD in if you wanted (or can try mine).

Yes Nicolai will do custom, but does cost quite a bit more. If you went down the Nic route it’s worth hanging out in the MTBR forum as lots of helpful and knowledgabe folks on there. Geetee1972 on here owns a Helius AM with some custom geom, but says if he got another Nic he would get an AC again with some custom geom.

Looking forward to trying that on Thursday!

I bought my DW from Mountain Trax – as above they used to have a demo, dunno if they still do. The Helius AM may be overkill – I’d go with the AC which can build into 28lbs or less. Head for the Hills have a demo AC in Dorking.

Intense Tracer 2, Ibis Mojo HD, Transition Covert, Devinci Dixon, Nicolai AM/AC, Chumba Evo G2, Blur LTc (or maybe a Nomad), Banshee Rune, Turner 5 Spot, Yeti 575, Nukeproof Mega, Orange 5 (or maybe a 160)

I’ve ridden a few of these so might be worth sharing some thoughts.
First off, you should decide if you are happy riding a single-pivot design. If so, the Transition Covert has awesome geometry that just inspires confidence and hooligan behaviour. It also looks good and is pretty good value for money. I’ve not spent too much time on an Orange 5, but mates and reviews suggest it also has awesome geometry, but to me doesn’t look as “right” as a Covert. The Yeti 575 is a bit more of a long-travel XC bike rather than a hooligan, with the offset is it weighs quite a bit less. Whenever I ride a single-pivot design, I do notice brake jack, so have never owned one.
If you prefer a non-single-pivot design, then the most neutral design IMHO is the 4-bar. I’ve spent some time on Nicolais (AM, AC & CC), and would say that the suspension action just fades into the background leaving you to get on with the riding. Nics are beautifully made, but for some are too “industrial” looking. I like it, but others don’t. I’ve not ridden a Chumba, but the design looks similar to the Nic, as well as Titus which I’ve also ridden quite a bit.
Of the linkage designs, as noted above, I’ve owned both the DW 5-Spot (2009) and now the Mojo HD. The DW design pedals amazingly well, especially when climbing as the design props the front end up, meaning you don’t need adjustable forks. They also accelerate well as they feel very efficient. You certainly notice the action of the suspension – for example they often feel they have less travel until you actually need it. For some this is a good thing, others may differ.
I haven’t ridden the latest version of VPP, as used by Santa Cruz and Intense. I wasn’t a big fan of the first version, as esp when climbing it all felt a bit “odd” on square-edged hits. Version 2 is supposed to have dialled a lot of this out, so suspect it gets closer to the DW design.

Hope this helps!!

At 5’11” I bought a DW large (on Dave Turner’s personal recommendation) and found it too big and too steep). The 2011 is slacker and lower, and with a tapered head tube you could run with an Angleset to slacken it further. I’d quite happily ride a medium 2011, but in the interim bought a Mojo HD instead.

The updated model (has gold body) has a broader range of tuning. For linkage designs such as DW prob best to go with this rather than older ones.
Think there’s a 200×50 on Ebay at the moment.

I’ve been trying to find out the same thing! I have a Lynskey-built 456 (16″ though) and want to know the geometry to compare to other hardtails but can’t find it anywhere.
On-One assure me it’s the same as the current version but don’t think that’s true. Let me know if you find out! Might be worth contacting Brant.

Yep – third the above!

I have to admit I find this sort of stuff absolutely infuriating even at the best of times, let alone when we should be focusing on how tax-payers money is spent. They did this to a similar one near Hindhead a few years’ ago – I suspect they wanted to remove the challenge for 4x4s but in doing so they trashed a cracking bit of technical rocky trail.

Also had problems with mine in the wet, even when using pads well bedded in. Tend to run Hopes in really sloppy stuff.

Thanks b r. I actually have one and the iphone thingy, but wondered what the official numbers were, to compare to a few other frames.

OK – here’s my favourite loop around here. Prob about 2hrs – longer if you stop for tea and cake!

Park in Thursley (either the layby just by the A3 or by the cricket pitch) and head south along the road past the church.
At the end of the road, turn R to drop down to a river. Cross by the bridge, head up the other side to a road. Go straight on (W) for 300m then take the bridleway on the L heading S. Follow this all the way to the top where you’ll find the NT car park and (very good) cafe. Have some flapjack – it’s ace!
Cross the A3 and then head E to get to the Gibbet (stone cross & triangulation pillar). Nav gets tricky now and worth having the 1:25,000 map!
Pick up one of the small trails thru the heather heading S / SSE to drop quite steeply down to where 4-5 trails meet. Take bridleway heading SW which starts to climb (250m contour line on map). Most of the downhill tracks are on the left here. Keep on bridleway for about 3/4km till you come to another junction of 3-4 tracks (close to Hurthill Copse on the map).
Take R bridleway heading SW then after about 250m take a path that goes steeply uphill (push). At the top, follow the path for about 300m but keep an eye out for a cheeky trail on the R. Take this – it’s awesome.
Keep on the cheeky trail as it flows for maybe 500m, crossing a main path, before it spits you out on a main path above Coombe Head. Turn R onto bridleway heading W, then take the left bridleway (singletrack) which heads steeply down W. At the bottom, go straight over the junction.
Start climbing on a double-track (easiest goes R / N then L / SW to meet the road-head at a school.
Turn R almost back on yourself and follow the BOAT NNE to bring you back to the Gibbet.
Go N and pick up the BOAT (now sufaced) which goes beside the A3. When it meets the A3, cross the road and pick up the track that goes over a cattle grid on the other side. Immediately after the cattle grid, pick up a little path on the left that climbs a small hill via some steps / rocks. Great views!
From the top keep going N, dropping down to a double-track. Turn L onto this, and head down a cracking rocky then rutted track for 1.5km till you meet the road at Upper Highfield Farm.
Drift along the road back to Thursley, and enjoy a pint at the pub!

There is some cracking stuff around the Punchbowl and only really busy around the carpark. Unlike Peaslake etc. it’s not ridden that much and therefore a lot less trashed at this time of year. If I get a chance, I’ll try and write some notes of the route I ride around there. There are also some downhill tracks hidden away that were supposedly built by Brendan Fairclough as his training runs!

Make sure they are exactly the right spec for the rear as they are not interchangable. They are awesome wheels by the way, but only you can determine if they are value for money or not!

And a photo from our first ever guests all those years ago..

Yep – it does seem a very long time ago! Glad you’re still using the pics though Guy!

Got one in Surrey you are welcome to try.

TF Tuned are about to get the Push kits to tune the new RS Monarch which is supposted to be better than the Push-tuned RP23.

I reckon they are slightly optimistic and that if you were the minimum size as per their chart your kid would feel the bike was a bit big.

I think you’ll miss the Totems! I’ve run Lyrics (air), 36’s (both coil and air), and coil Totems, and there’s a certain sense of invincibility that they give you! I had a quick bounce on some Van 180’s yesterday and they felt very nice, but as you say aren’t around in the 2nd hand market yet.

Mojo HD – slacker than the regular one, and you can fit an Angleset to slacken it further.

The Entertainer by Scott Joplin. I think I used to be able to play it when I was 15!! The intervening 25 years have dulled the memory (and the finger speed)!!

BOS Deville

I’ve got a set of the carbon Havens. For me the two key things were weight and 2yr warrantee. Stiffness is also a positive, but ranks below the other two.
So far so good – they spin up significantly faster than the Crossmax SX’s they replaced, UST tyres go up very easily with a track pump, and they feel nice and stiff. I’ve only hit one really rocky section so far, and combined with the BOS Devilles, they tracked very very true.
For me it was a worthwhile upgrade but accept that at that price-point some will think it’s bonkers!

Yep 31.6mm but they do feel “sticky”!!

Your obvious competition is the Easton Havens. RRP is £1950 so a bit more than your stated £1600 but I suspect most LBS would do a 10% discount. The Eastons weigh 1450g, are super-stiff, UST out of the box, and have a 2-yr no questions asked warrantee.
Seems that’s the benchmark you have to meet / beat.

Stunning. How did you do it?

Liking my carbon RF sixC bars @ 730mm.

Any idea if the 2011 changed from 2010?

heard nothing and v much doubt it given how long it took them to come up with the current ones!!

Another Crux fan here. My AK47 is big enough for a bothy trip (and therefore prob bivvie too), and stands up to the abuse of winter climbing / scrambling no problem.

Trout – not received an email. Did you get a chance?

stevede – correct.