Only GX and above; NX fits on a standard freehub.

Honestly, I don’t think that would work – you’d be expecting the oldest member of the household to walk up and down two flights of stairs to get in/out of their living accommodation?
Granny flats need to be ground floor really, unless there’s a lift.

Happy with my Topeak D2 here.

Would Bird count as the first UK bike company to make the direct sales model work?

The first apart from Planet-X/On-One, Merlin, Ribble, Dolan, Cotic, Ragley…[/quote]
Yeah, ok, good point! 😳

Would Bird count as the first UK bike company to make the direct sales model work? That and their progressive geometry – I suppose the Mojo/Chris Porter/Nicolai collaboration would fall under that banner as well.

Pretty bad but trying to get better.. I work away a bit, so t’other half gets stuck with looking after the horses and dogs on her own when I’m not there. When I’m around I’d rather be riding than tidying and cleaning so it tends to only happen if either of us gets really fed up and goes on a rampage with binbags and a duster.

I actually prefer Glyncorrwg/Afan for that exact reason – it feels more natural and less built than most centres, and once you get right out there it feels pretty lonely. This blown-out section of Blade sounds fun, think I might have to go ride it!

I’d say definitely don’t discount the Bird Aeris 145 in XL (even though it’s 650b) as the reach is 530. The geo is not far off the Geometron, if not quite as slack. The stack isn’t all that high though, so that might be something to think about.

Looks like you can buy them here: https://www.bike-components.de/en/tubolito/

As I currently only have two, I’d forego the rigid SS commuter and keep the Aeris 145. The only road riding I do is either to the trails or a 4km commute so I think I’d cope. So chalk me up as another who’d stick with a FS as my only bike!

1) Depends how badly stripped they are – sometimes re-threading is enough to save them.
2) http://www.gbcycles.co.uk/p/47132/YST-Threadless-Cartridge-Bottom-Bracket
3) eBay or http://www.retrobike.co.uk

🙂

NowTV will be the tough one – I think only LG and Samsung have it.

Bird has transferable lifetime warranty if that’s important?

If you’re willing to look at 650b then the Aeris 145 XL is rather long.

Tubed or tubeless? I really liked the Specialized Butcher/Purgatory combo (Control for tubed, Grid for tubeless).

Whyte G160 S?

Yes. Which is why the bikes live in the house and the cars are on the street..

I normally pop home for lunch but if I can’t then our local dog walker does a comfort visit – they pop past, let the dogs outside to pee, check they’re OK, check water bowl, spend ten minutes with them – which is only a fiver for two dogs. Means they never get left for more than four hours at a time, and we walk them as normal.

Bit longer travel (140) but used Aeris Mk1.5?

Transferable lifetime warranty, takes a front mech, and non-Boost.

I’ve got a Large Aeris but I’m in Surrey.. They’re great though, not that that helps you!

Sample response from another woman – I asked my OH her views and she said said she’d actually be more likely to enter the event due to the naming of the categories! She is Glaswegian though (and very strongly feminist), so take from that what you will about her sense of humour… 😉

Specialized Command Post has a setback head (and is awesomely reliable to boot).

Unless there’s exceptionally fortuitous circumstances and you’re a top-tier frequent flier, economy>business upgrades just don’t happen.

Agreed – go have a word with yourselves, eh? Some of the attitudes on display here are utterly pathetic.

See, I lie and say that self-harming scars are from mountain biking! 😀

The only Allroad really worth getting over a standard Audi Avant Quattro is the first generation one based on the A6 as it has a low range option (on manual boxes) and height-adjustable self-levelling air suspension which alters spring and damping rates. OTOH, if you need the increased ground clearance of the A4 Allroad but not proper off-roading ability, it’s probably a good choice.

Bontrager Drop Line lever, £15: https://www.tritoncycles.co.uk/components-c9/seatposts-seat-clamps-c86/drop-line-dropper-seatpost-under-bar-lever-p17260

All sorted – he phoned back the next morning and my friend has his lights 🙂

Other half has rediscovered her riding mojo on a Zero Am and couldn’t be happier. She went for NX and the stock DT Swiss wheels to keep it below £1500 and is more than happy with it.

I could potentially be up for a TNPR as the other half does a WNCR..

I have a Thule 970 Xpress 2, and for two FS bikes it’d be a nightmare. One is OK but there’s just not enough room for two.

Specialized do the externally-routed Command Post Blacklite in a 75mm drop version, and you can adjust the air spring pressure.

Over-the-counter antihistamines!? I should be so lucky.. Double-dosing on prescription tablets (120mg fexofenadine) currently, plus prescription steroid nasal spray, plus eyedrops.. Only just keeping it in check – still a sneezing mess early morning and evenings.

OTC medication? I wish..

I’d have said Pole Evolink as well..

Just water in a Camelbak to keep it un-gunky, but supplement with a weak dilution of Torq in a bottle if it’s hot, long, or I know I’m going to be really pushing myself. I get terrible leg cramps a few hours after riding and Torq seems to stop it. Can’t use anything with aspartame in either, makes me really ill.

Not a 120 but a 145 – listen to the guys at Bird ref. sizing; as has been said, they don’t ride as long as the geometry numbers suggest. Regarding choosing spec – spend the money on suspension and wheels at the expense of finishing kit and groupset; bars and stems make little difference to how a bike rides, and groupsets wear out and are easily replaced.

I’m going with GX Eagle, as someone on the FB page suggested.

What are people using to measure pressure? Recently bought the Topeak D2 gauge as I thought now that I’m running tubeless it’d be good to be able to accurately repeat pressures from pump to pump. Thought I was running around 30F/34R; turns out my preferred pressure is 21F/24R! That’s Maxxis EXO 2.35 on 30mm internal rims, 160/145 FS, 14st (kitted up) rider.

Puddles at Gisburn
Couldn’t find flow
Still had fun

I demo’d the Aeris 145 back in January and promptly bought one (GX, 160mm Boost Lyriks, Super Deluxe rear shock) based on a number of points:
The way it rode – I wrote a mini review of it on here somewhere.
The frame – the level of detail that the guys at Bird have thought about is unbelievable. Almost everything on the bike has been designed and engineered to the nth degree. Ben spent time showing me the leverage curves and explaining how they’d arrived at the shock tune they had, the way the seatstay top section was machined as one piece for stiffness, etc.
The warranty – lifetime transferable, yes please. Having heard so many good stories of Bird bending over backwards to help customers out really reassured me.
The geometry – having followed the development of the Pole Evolink, Mondraker’s Forward Geometry and the Mojo Geometron, I wanted something with properly long proportions (in Large size).

I’ve yet to regret my decision..