Have a look on on-one for something FSA
They had some orbit MX’s (lighter than XLIIs) on not that long ago for £20. Else I had one from merlin a while back for £25

“i need to replace my afr rear shock and ive killed 2 now “

Killed it twice how?
Specialized 5year warranty not upto much?
Or aren’t you the original owner?

“mines making some bad noises”
squelchy noises as it goes up and down? IM(limited)E that might be solvable with an air can ‘service’ (ie unscrew air can, clean, grease, reassemble)

“Bear in mind that helmets have an expiration date and are designed to last 3-5 years depending on the manufacturer. Apparently the material they’re made from loses it’s integrity over time”
I could well be wrong, but I thought it was a UV exposure thing (amongst other factors like time and crashes) that did them in, so wearing it a lot/leaving it outside or it having been left in a shop window for (or car/van) for however long won’t help

“my Anthem bob peddling up steep hills?

Having said that, whilst it’s a 100mm, it works brilliantly with 120mm forks.

I’d think that the Giant Trance ought to be a pretty good 120mm climber”

(bit of an aside but) this is confusing me
(IIRC) Anthem is/were 90mm. Anthem X is 100mm, Trance is/were 106mm then I think 100mm for 2008 only before Anthem X replaced it. Trance X is 127mm?
Or are you just missing the X’s out

All this talk of bigging up of mavericks traction and frame weight is making me think I bought the wrong frame. A Guapo with wound down fork isnt bad, reckon better than the ’07 SJer FSR it replaced. My guess would be itd be down to the extra chainstay length
With the prices JeJames were offering them a Maverick would been cheaper too ..

“Flows aren’t that much heavier “
Flows are closer to EN321s in weight than they are to Crests?

“You can tap them out and tap a new one back in”

I didnt know this either.
Where can you get a new non-driveside-race from though?

maybe the 1 1/8″ crown sat dwarfed under the 1.5″ lower cup could bother you. Mine looks a bit daft, though only a 32mm fork

“highest bridleway is a smidge over 900m on skiddaw!”
“Skiddaw’s the tallest one with a bridleway”
and Helvellyn?

“…you can see the inner tube through the sidewall threads”
+1

a friend of mine put a hole in a non-snakeskin schwalbe within 2 or 3 rides. Cue puncture every ride after with him refusing to buy a new tyre or try patching it, despite having skidded off almost all the tread

Surely more easily found trails means more riders and more ‘lazy’ riders, making assumptions here but If you won’t put the ‘effort’ into going out and finding trails or getting someone to show you them, then perhaps as a generalisation that would include more riders who are less respectful of keeping trails in good nick?
Again, making assumptions

Plus, more riders = more riders being shown around/told = more use/damage = more tension with locals

If you want to find them, you’ll find them?

Runs away ..

“For dalby park in Thornton le dale”
or Dancombe/Langdale End side and be nearer the old and new black stuff

Depends on the shoe
The extra metal isn’t much more, (the front and rear loops do nothing)

I found with Spesh Tahoes they ‘hot-spotted’ around the cleat and flexed very easily with M520’s. With M530’s (basic trail one) they’re much better for this, though clipping in is a touch more fiddly as you don’t find ‘home’ quite as quickly but tbh I still don’t think they’re as good as ‘XC/race’ style spesh shoes and M520’s, which apart from some overall cramping/aching from long descending I still prefer. XC/race style shoes on M530s offer no benefit as far as I can see

My brother prefers M530’s over M520s (but still uses them) with the new(er) Shimano DX/MP66 replacements

Used to use ODI rogues, while the above are great attributes I found even with my spade hands they could feel a touch big, and when it got technical they were too ‘squirmy’ rotationally? Though depends on how much squish you need as you tire?

Edinburgh Bike Coop (Revolation) used to do some Ergon stylee grips for around half the price, not sure if they still do them?

“albert front tyre and I can feel the drag it makes”
The aerodynamic difference over any other MTB tyre is going to be neglible no? Itll be the the tall square block (unramped) tread that’ll be draggy?

“runing 2.3s at the min but think there a bit slow”
What tyre and on what rim?

eg a 2.3″ Conti Vertical on a mavic XC717 is going to be a fair bit smaller than a 2.3″ Specialized Eskar (or 2.3″ Conti Baron) on a ZTR Flow rim

“am i missing something here”
While a narrower, higher pressure tyre will roll better on a perfectly flat surface, eg (theoretical) road riding, when things get rough/uneven, a wider, softer tyre requires less energy to deform it to the terrain, so is supposed to roll more easily, or so the theory goes

A quick google conversion is telling me you’re after a 209.55/57.15mm shock? (so 210/57)

Whats up with the current shock?

After looking into a bizarrely dimensioned shock and working out the spacered down options to fit in around rockers which already bottom out up against the seattube, I ended up paying through the nose to fix up the old one, meant I wouldn’t be screwing up the travel and BB drop by 0.5″ each way.
Though can’t say I knew of shock bushings then, though only a year ago I probably should have done ..

+1 on trying to find a MoCo unit if you find 327 pikes for much less than 426’s

“Sektors are just cheaper Revelations”
Not really. The spring is different (though for 2013 not so?) the dampers are different (revs have dual-flow rebound or more now) and maybe also lighter

It would appear Pikes and Recon AM (not Recon XC (XC/SL/Race, all 80/100mm)) have been replaced by Revelation, Sector and Argyle 140mm, sort of
As in:
Closest thing to a dual air 454 Pike would be an ’09 Rev in Maxle 20mm, same lowers, then 2010 onward Rev Maxle (lighter crown/lowers)
Closest to Dual-air U-turn 454 Pike similarly ’09 Rev Maxle, then ’10 onward
Coil U-turn Pike kind of replaced by a Sector Coil-turn in Maxle (but newer lighter/flexier power bulge lowers)

[Recon (QR) solo air (80-)130mm/coil U-turn 85-130mm replaced by Sector solo air and coil U-turn in QR]

With the OE (felt/commencal) 140mm Recon 20mm (pike lowers) probably closest to a 140mm argyle? Though somethings likely different as the 140mm solo air argyles are still around 2400/2450g IIRC

“The 327 came stock with the specialized pitch which has no motion control (turnkey instead?), “

If the pre-sector 130mm Recon(AM) are anything to go by then:
327 has no lock out or MoCo damper in the top. Just oil and the rebound adjuster (and OE)
335 has a turnkey lokcout in the top +rebound(and OE)
351 has MoCo compression damper, but no floodgate adjust. Available aftermarket

Also IIRC:
454 dual-air, fixed travel ~ 2050g
454 dual-air U-turn ~ 2150g
426 coil U-turn ~ 2400g
Not sure on the others, I seem to think there were some claimed at more like 2450g, and 454 coil U-turn would be something like 2200-2300ishg

Id guess you’re going to have to make a compromise somewhere there. 67deg HA, take a beaging AND comfy. At least you’ve not asked for it to be cheap

I suspect if you changed your wants from a 67deg HA’d 120mm bike to 68/120 or 67/140 you’d have more choice to go at? Unless you’re considering an angle adjust h/set
Not sure what the angles are on the 456evo but IIRC 456s aren’t the comfiest ride, nor Orange P7s?
Guessing you want to be considering things like (Ive ridden none of them so no idea on comfy):
Cotic Soul
Cotic BFe
Dialled PA
Dialled Alpine? Or are they 130mm+?
Genesis Altitude/Latitide (not Alptitude, unless youll go to 140mm)
Sanderson Life perhaps
Charge something, not the duster. STmag had one recently. Said it was very slack
Pipedream R853 Sirrus maybe?
Other high spec tubed stuff in steel

Ive a Sanderson Life with 120mm forks (Around 68deg HA) pretty comfy and seems fairly downhill capable despite thin diameter tubes. Is alright at small-medium ish drops, a long ETT 20″ frame with 90mm stem aren’t the most conducive to feeling at home in the air
Not the best climber with 120mm forks, though I think thats down to the stupidly slack seatangle. ETA on the fork (a lockdown) helps when its steep, but worse when rough ..
I cant say it gets that much of a beating as I use it as a XC hardtail most of the time, only when its acting as spare bike when the suss bike is down that it gets taken to more jumpy and rocky places

What cycnical said. Similar for larger wheels and front end height

Id guess also that it might be harder to get a preferred compromise in suspension design the longer the suspension travel in a smaller frame, just trying to get it to all fit in?

Trek fuel or fuel EX?
Trying to work out what length forks you have to go in the BFe

So 26″ wheel or 29″ wheel then? But Cotic only?

Have you ridden (m)any 29″ wheeled bikes?
Maybe need to try a few, and a few steel hardtails too?
Are cotic still doing demo days, albeit in derbyshire?

Itd give closer spacing between gears if thats what you’re after?

Im guessing you’ve seen a PG970 DH casette which is a ‘solid-block’, ie made up of seperate sprockets that go all the way to the freehub body rather than teh higher specced ‘carrier’ style casettes where a ‘spider’ carries the biggest 3,5,6 sprockets togther, making it a bit lighter and should dig into soft freehub bodies

On-one have PG980 (carrier over biggest 3) for £30 (from £70/75) in 11/32 and 11/34T atm if you’re after a good deal on something with a fuller range? Likely lighter than a PG970 11-26? (certainly 11-34 PG970s are pretty heavy, ~150g more than a PG980)

Though tbh, I’d proabably just swap your current casette onto the new wheels, and swap back for winter? Much better to keep the chainrings, chain and casette together so they all wear evenly, rather than try to wear in a new casette with a half worn chain/chainrings? Only sticking new chainrings/chain/casette (together) on when the old set has worn out (lots of slipping)

What draws you to a 3×9 with a close spaced casette over 2×9 with a normal casette?

“what would happen to the edge after cutting carbon”
IIRC its while cutting that you want to be worried/careful. Very much following the blurb of those carbon cutting hacksaws/cutting guides (cant remember the brand) but you cant use a normal blade as it’ll tear/rip/whatnot too much and risk breaking something? Presumable you’d need a very fine blade and a guide to brace around the cut and at least a dust mask, ideally some eye protection for the dust?

How pricey is this carbon frame? £££ or ££££? and new or s/h?

170mm cranks and a low height saddle? Fatter pedals? Fatter soled shoes?

How have measured this 129.54mm? Seems like a very accurate figure for a bike co. to issue or if its you measuring it, then measure a few times to be sure/until you get a number that fits into the 2 ranges above
Get your headtube faced at least to remove paint and make sure its properly square before you put an angle adjust h/set in there. Will presumable put it in the 123-129mm range then too

Ride (build up?) the Jekyll, tell her you’ve sold the prophet while sticking it in the loft (or a mates) or something. Decide if you miss the prophet, sell one of them once you’ve decided?

EDIT: though once you’ve ridden the Jekyll, it won’t be worth as much to sell?

“add 2 links”
“+ two links “
harking back to ‘that’ thread, what are you calling 1 link?
-Length of 1 inner or outer plate (distance from one chain pin to next)
-Or perhaps confusingly 1 pair of inner and outer plates (distance from one chain pin to next to one after)

“not a gear you should normally use”
IIRC the other element of ‘that’ thread was this when applied to big-big method on a 1×9/1×10 setup

Am interested in this too, Ive a thin(ish) wall R853 frame. It doesn’t tend to get ridden in the wet/mud like my full suss does so not as worried as if I were to use it for most of my riding. When it gets a hose down I normally spray in some WD40 equivalent into the drain holes and seattube

“Weird but true”
Not really, (I think) you cant anodise aluminium white, so you have to use (heavier) paint

Arch EX black 26″ claimed at 400g
(420g in white)
Arch EX black 29″ claimed at 450g
(480g in white)

sdg BelAir didnt get on with. Too narrow for me

Charge Spoon Ive not done a decent test of but seems alright
Spesh Henge Ive yet to try but I tend to get on okay with other 143mm spesh saddles (Format and otehrs)

“occasional “wobble” to put doubt in a drivers mind and make them give me a wider berth?”

Yes. Looking back for longer than a glance has me tending to invoke a wobble, especially if its uphill

If the lanes are only a car (or bus) width then riding a yard out from the line/kerb seems to work as traffic has to cross the line. When Im drving passing a cyclist and I have to cross the white line I completely cross the white line to give maximum room, I cant pass if there is other traffic coming the other way so the other lane is always going to be free. When cycling (or glancing back at following traffic) I never get why others will still only give the minimum of room even with an empty lane to use? Laziness? think they cant use the other side? Dont realise 2′ of room is intimadating?

Its when the lanes are a sort of 1.5 width whereby gutter riding and traffic against the white line would sort of give room (but not loads) where 3′ out gets traffic trying to force its way through, and IME some busses/lorries will be pulling back against you as they pass, forcing you to the gutter/kerb
At least riding 3′ out to start with gives you that room to try escape to. Is that better than having no room to spare but cars giving you more space?
In that situation I cant see trying to hog/block the (1.5) lane is going to go down well?

BUCS XC 2011? @ Moelfre? loads of people falling off

I liked the one with the northshore trail clinging to the side of a cliffside above a ravine in austria somewhere. Though maybe the soundtrack makes me remember it
I think I marked the valley its in on a european road map, not sure why, Id never be able to ride it if I went there

The ones of the lakes/alps/scotland. Were they called pretty sweet?
Of those the one that was made up of photos every half a second or so I think I watched quite a few times, just trying to work out where they all (lakes ones mostly) were. Ive been on a couple of great hike-a-bike rides on the back of seeign those

Loads more. I cant rmeember them right now

Blackspire is ‘only’ £22 from CRC if you’re thinking the superstar is a bargain/blackspire will be pricey

I reckon my 2.25″ advantage is about the same overall volume (tread+carcass) as my 2.5″ high roller. I reckon a 2.25″ advantage might have slightly more carcass volume. tread is lower
certainly a fair bit bigger than my 2.35″ high roller, 2.1″ crossmark or a 2.35″ larsen TT
A bit bigger than a 2.25″ Schwalbe NobbyNic/Albert, which is about in the middle between 2.35″ HR and 2.5″ HR/2.25″ advantage
Probably about the same as a 2.2″ Bontrager XR4 (at least the 2009ish-2011 one
Probably only slightly bigger than a 2.2″ Specialized Purgatory
Ceratinly a fair bit smaller than a 2.3″ Spesh Eskar

Maybe, but it’ll mean your pedals aren’t even on each side. One more in than normal, one more out. Granted only 2.5mm difference, could maybe get away with 3 on the non driveside and 5mm out on each pedal

If it wont fit and you cant go to the biggest that will fit (38t? 36t??) Id be tempted to run it in the outside position and accept extra drag in big-big. You’d likely need some sort of inner/upper chain device at least though? Like an N-gear jumpstop if itll reach that far out?

“By IPA do you mean isopropyl alcohol?? “
lol
Im going with the ale

“headtube where cables rub”
Or reroute cables/hoses so they dont rub (so much). ie so each hose goes from the lever on one side of the bike and loops round to the other side of the headtube. Might be a bit of a faff trying to bodge the cables/hoses to work with the cable guides if theyve been designed specifically to work so that cables/hoses go the same side of the headtube to the side of the bike the relevant lever is on?

The joys of IS mount ..

I keep worrying Ill strip the thread in my post mount lowers.
Nice to know I won’t have to pay £££ for new lowers if I do

Ive only done downtube underside/part sides and underside/sides of chainstays

For the mostpart I didnt cut out shapes, just peel off a little, stick on a little, peel back a bit more, stick on a bit more kind of thing taking care to keep it straight as you go.
If you get air bubbles gently relift and rework it to stick
I took a while over it, but couln’t be bothered doing more than bottom 2/3 of downtube/BB shell and chainstays

Only problem is my biketape/helitape? (from JustRidingAlong) seems to break/crack at the first sign of a rock strike. Maybe asking too much of it, don’t know?

Casette type or screw on freewheel? Or not bothered?

Cheap?
I think on-one do one for £40. Think it comes with a 10mm thru-axle (to fit a normal QR frame)
Superstar do one for about £60 which says its zero-dish, though I guess they all are

The Hope one has double the freehub pickup speed I think (48 points/revolution, vs. 24 on the proII) but IIRC its something like 450g(+?) so not light. Though that could have something to do with it coming with screw up allen headed nuts?

Think WTB do one?
A Chris King would be fast pickup speed but £££

Ive used none of them btw

” also want 20mm rather than 15mm”

But you rather 34mm stantions and 15mm or 32mm stantions and 20mm?
IIRC 29″ Xfusion and Fox would be 34/15? And RS Revs 32/20?

And more to the point, does anyone know which will actually be stiffer/track better

Or am I overthinking it and you have a 20mm only hubbed front wheel?

“lycra shorts and that said shorts are over your knee warmers?”
+1

When I first tried knee warmers I didnt know which should be on top, on trying knee warmer over bibshort they slipped down quite easily. Short over kneewarmer and they dont move (Endura thermolite & specialized somethign)