I cant remember seeing that many ‘passing places’ at trail centres?

“Make ’em wait, who gives a **** about some, tw*t IT ponce on a fully-hung skill compensator!”

I thought 44mm would accept 1.5″ steerer tubes with the right external headset cups?

“I think of Gisburn as an average place that will one day be great”

I kind of got that feeling too. Plenty varied, but some kind of naff and eroded bits in that mix too. Flat but rough bits I didnt get. Maybe set up wrong but some bits made my 6″ FS feel rough going. Okay, so I what was I to expect being so overbiked? (I went to play on some of the DH stuff too .. )

“Crown Steerer
Lower TALAS assembly
Stanchions”
I thought the CSU was one piece (comprising steerer, crown and stantions)
Either way how do you knacker the crown or steerer? Cable rub on the crown? Crash into something and your wheel doesnt give? You need to change the steerer standard?

“the rear shock which you cannot do yourself”
You can do at least the air sleeve/shaft/main seals yourself
With Rockshox you CAN service it all yourself, or at least the manual for my monarch appears to include everything (Ive yet to do so). It suggests using air instead of nitorgen if you dont happen to have the correct nitrogen filling equipment ..

“which forks have the longest service interval”
Maybe* shimano, bontrager, kona, salsa, on-one, niner, exotic, superstar, nukeproof, etc etc ..
Or did you mean suspension forks?
Marzocchi 3 year interval?

*guessing carbon rigid forks probably want inspecting all the time? though technically Id guess you’re supposed to inpect all of your bike?

“15 hrs is just ridiculous even if it is only a 10 minute job.
High performance motorbike shocks (Ohlins) have a service interval of
Racing: Every 10-20 hours of operation”
eh?
if you’re going to equate things, then regular street use would be like road commuting on a MTB?

“Fox F800RLs”
I want to see some of those!

“Yep 15 hour service interval .. That’s why sensible people buy Rockshox”
IIRC Rochshox lowers drop/service is only around 25/30hrs?
They also can have stantion wear problems. I think mine was due to a worn (to the metal) bushing on one side rather than more stantion anodising. Either way it leaks a fair bit of oil from just over 2yrs old

“Its no more difficult than cleaning and oiling a chain”
Apart from do it properly you need to take the lowers off the forks (which requires removing the front wheel, realistically the front brake caliper*/hose, then after dropping the lowers, cleaning, oiling, replacing/reseating foam rings/seals, refasten brake hose, *if post mount caliper reposition/reset brake caliper and replace front wheel. And to it properly you’ll want to torque it all, qhich at least with rockshox warrants a long reach 10mm socket/or crows foot, which bot everybody has (yes, I realise the answer is buy one)

If you’re a serial saddle dropper and its wet/muddy or really dusty out (so not the UK .. ), then greasing the post can attract loots of crud and make it harder to get the saddle in/out

Though no grease will wear out the post/seattube quicker (if a serial dropper/raiser)

“More tension does not make stiffer”
Someone will come along and say back off all your spokes/nipple tensions to almost nothing and see what happens ..

If you fork valves and your shock pump are working properly you shouldn’t lose any pressure when you disconnect the shockpump. The air loss you can hear is the air escaping from the shockpump

It is when you connect the shockpump to the fork that some of the air in the fork fills the shock pump equalising the 2, and so it reads less than when the shock pump was last connected

I have found certain shock pumps with certain fork/shock valve combinations not to work properly and can leak on disconnection, could be some element of wear going onm but not sure

Oh and because the +ve chamber will be much bigger than the -ve chamber, the -ve chamber will drop more pressure when connecting to it than when connecting to the +ve

+ve and -ve pressures the same, the fork maybe sits a little bit into the travel (‘unsagged’/bike not weighted) and dives ‘normally’

-ve pressure > +ve pressure, more plush/dive-prone, but sits unto the travel a bit more when ‘unsagged’/bike not weighted

+ve pressure > -ve pressure, more firm/skittish, feels like it takes more bump to get it to start moving

10psi difference will make a noticable effect

I sometimes maybe run 5psi more -ve than +ve, but its still a touch dive-prone when pushing it (for me)
It basically gives you more options, though I don’t really use them

“More negative pressure = more active initial compression stroke”
More plush/prone to fork dive

Could be wrong, but looks like the opening section of Nant-y-arian?

“might stop them folding under if thats the problem that i might experience?”
I think you’re main problem would be easy of pinchflatting and rounding of the tyre profile that means you’ll need lower tyre pressures to get them to corner properly
This is the problem I find with my 2.25″ Maxxis on my XM719’s, which I think are slightly smaller than a ‘new’ 2.2″ continental?

XM719s are supposidly over 500g including eyelets (yes mavic clain less but .. ), just wondering how you’ve ended up with them on an anthem (or is it an anthem X? even so, seems fairly beefily rimmed (if not all that wide)

“fox float rl 140 that came on my stumpy”
IIRC stumpy’s (not evo’s) still come with QR (not QR15/thru-axle) dropouts?
In which case then no it’ll be 140mm max.
IIRC Fox wouldn’t make a 150mm 32series fork in QR as they thought it’d be too flexy, then they made up a new dropout ‘standard’ et voila.

“Sanderson Life”
“Also 100-130mm fork travel”
website’s Axle-Crown limit would appear to be 500mm, which limits it 120-130mm fork model dependant (I think Rockshox would be limited to 120mm)

My biggest gripe with mine is probably just how slack the seat angle is, even with a 100mm fork and (almost) inline post plugged in (130mm Rev. (508mm) was pretty silly).
The top tube is pretty long so Ive recently tried flipping my (5mm offset) seatpost round to see hwhat difference it makes. 120mm ‘zocchi in atm and needs some saddle perching to make it stay planted on steep(ish) climbs
I cant rmemeber finding muchto faze it downhill, though it is my 2nd/XC bike so hasnt been called on a lot for really rock stuff (managed to beast of hope X/hagg fm/back tor fm pretty well.

Only steel bike Ive had so can only compare to an alu. Giant XTC frame with the same build. There is a difference in the rear end, mostly felt at the end of a ride I reckon, where I dont feel anything like as sore/achy

“there’s loads of good riding all the same… “
Just less all the bits that have been levelled, widened and/or covered in non-local loose rubble

Some Ive come across:
Houndkirk Road
Jumble Road (above Xroad with Houndkirk)
Long Causeway to stanage edge
Cut Gate (langsett side down to the bridge above the reservior)
Gores Farm/Lockerbrook (top of)
Hagg Side > Ladybower res. (north spur)
Wooler Knoll > Ladybower dam (permisive b.way)
Xroad above ‘beast’ down to hope cross (almost as before last time I was there)
Mam Nick > Greenlands
Rushop Edge > Mam Nick (part of)
Chapel Gate
Cut Thorn > 3 shire heads
Hungerhill Lane (nr. Holymoorside)
Black Harry Gate Lane (between Great Longstone and Eyam

I read something a while back listing the ‘to do list’

There must be more

Hmm, shoulder protection I could have done with the other day, and elbow
MTFU? with the added heat, Ill not be able to see for the sweat in my eyes ..

Im not hoping to fall off much, but thinking back it keeps happening, and not always when doing the most stupid things, okay probably when pushing it a bit, but even ‘only’ as much as I have before in the same place. Granted some crashes have been Ive maybe been chasing others ..

Also forgot (Ive not tried them) Clarks? Ive heard the sintered pads are probably on a par with the superstar/disco brakes sintereds, but not sure on the others?

Must a few others to consider for less than manufacturers own pads?

What bigyinn said. I did that not long ago. Its not dead yet (no play either) but guess will live on for a while yet

IIRC the genious LT is not supposed to be ridden as a freeride/downhill bike?
Cant rmember what, but seem to think I read something somewhere (was something to do with scott) to say it was really a long travel xc/am bike and not a serious hucker/jumper
Could be wrong, and they could have updated it

My brother reckoned with a Blackspire lower roller that has an Etype mech mount on it, you could double ring a Scott Voltage FR. He has one but has keep it 34T ring so far despite taking it for a few (Short) XCish rides. He reckons the climbing traction is pants though, even seated, spits traction way too readily. He guesses its because its a freeride/slopestyle bike that wasa never meant to be climbed on

” orange 5 with an Advantage front & rear, fine as a back tyre but frightening as front tyre”
Dont think thatll have been a fair test for an advantage
IIRC Orange 5’s have until very recently been supplied with the very narrow Mavic XM317 rim. The supplied 2.25″ advantage is not narrow
2.25″ advantages are a push on the wider XM719 IMO, there seems to be a critical pressure where they do/dont grip (at least on 719s)
5’s now come with the wider (than 317) 119 or 319 (cant remember which)

Crossmarks, my 70a’s hardly encouraged committed cornering or big gear out the saddle climbing
My Dry2 2.0″s on the other hand I think are fantastic, but on my XC Hardtail, used mostly to the east of (And in the eastern edges of) the peak district/pennines, where for past couple of years its been mostly fairly dry
My 2.15″s Ive used up front before, but on my FS I prefer something alittle more ‘aggro’, out back (despite a little less climbing/braking grip) Ill be putting it back on for a while to speed the bike up a bit

Dry2s (theres a clue .. ) aren’t for wet rock, mud or moist grass though

Agree on OEM Kenda, though I gave up on the good ones because of the cr*p bead/sidewalls. 2 failed before the tread had started to round off and they seemed to pinchflat quite easily. Quite liked my 2.1″ DTC folders otherwisw (apart from wanted a 2.2″)

(non black chilli) 2008ish Conti MKs in 2.4″. Didnt get on with either. Granted had them in June Morzine mud on a hire FS (not insane psi’s). Seemed to have no directional control, whereas 50+psi hire bike nev’s could get by. Guessing down to the random triangles all over

High Rollers spinning out under pedalling. Who’d’a thunk it?
Guessing ramps (on top) were forward facing? So you’re pedalling on a load of ramps? Thats why
I liked my 2.35″ 60a folders in damp/wet conditions. ie what they’re for*. Though I got on with them in the dry (not awesome) and winter slop (again okay)
*minions for mostly dry, swampthing/wet scream etc for slop

Conti Speed Kings were a let down for me, or at least my 2nd set of non-black chillis. Way smaller than my 1st 2.3″s (also supposed to be 2.3″s) thought they were slower to roll, when the wore out, instead of the square edges rounding off, they wore from underneath to the point the tread was folding over at the point of contact with the ground, making them very slow! To the point I turned the tyre round once mid ride. It was better
Ive seen this ‘undermining’/folding tread thing with a mates OE conti mountain king too

My 2.2″ ACX TLR GumBi’s folding (55/62a) were pretty disapointing. Way smaller than my 2.2″ ACX folding (non GumBi), and showed serious wear (similar ‘undermining’ as contis?) within 3 rides. Granted probably gripped a little better (but not much) than my non TLR/GumBi ACXs but they lasted well
What I find most strange is that the MudX 2.0″ TLR is the same 62/55a compounds and have lasted a lot longer which also wore more normally, gradual rounding of tread edges

Somebody mentioned Schwalbes being terrible
I quite like my 2.25″ Alberts. The difference being they come with the excelent Snakeskin sidewalls as standard (IIRC Nobby Nics only have it on the massive 2.4″s). The standard versions can be a bit sketch y on wet rock, but let them down to quite soft and theyre great. The ‘front only’ soft version is better in the wet, I cant say Ive noticed front drag with it either

Maybe a bit of a wildcard, but maybe a Kona Coil Air (Supreme?), the one with the magic link. Complete bike comes with a 180-140mm Fox Talas, rear end has 200-120?mm travel, dependant on whether you’re pedalling or hitting bumps or both (and the good way round)
Singletrack mag seemed to like it when it was 160mm forked. 2008 ish

A quick google search throws up some 2008/9 ones on CRC for £5-600, and 2010 for £800 from winstanleys? (not rly looked into them though)

” would suspect that the roller pins would allow the post to rotate. (I’m guessing that this is intentional, and that the roller pins are pushed back so much that it stops the post rotating”

No, this is correct. It shouldn’t rotate

Why would you want it to rotate?
I thought when sat down pedalling over really rough stuff that the side-to-side play in my i900 was sort of useful.
The play when saddle down, slow speed stop/start techy (ie stainburn) stuff where I was wanting to use the saddle as a sort of reference/anchor point for my knees/legs made things a lot more difficult to ride

“ISIS BB where rubbish when new and they have not got better with age”
Apart from the superstar one?

“RCT3/Blackbox have dual flow rebound as well i think?”
As above, Im sure it should still have dual-flow rebound in, or at least the Rockshox site said so for 2011 models? I cant see them taking it off again for 2012. Else unless its a funny OEM model?

“did I miss anything?”

Lawn needs mowing/tidying
Window frame could do with painting
Fence/gate look like theyd benefit from recoatign
chairs could be put away

cant really see the state of your windows, brickwork/pointing ..

What else do people moan about on here?

I used to like mine but theyve lost their semi-short lived place in my tyre ‘stable’

2 nevegals (1 wire, 1 folding) prematurely failing (loads of tread left) at the bead made me doubt somewhat, I know others have had the same problem and Ive read on here the sidewalls aren’t great

The 2.1″ Nevegals I used for a load ofdifferent riding, but on balance I prefer something just that little bit bigger, the 2.35″s would be better, but theyd be even slower (theyre not exactly quick rollerS)
The 2.35″s on my XM719 rims would be pushing it for shape I reckon, especially given nevegals dont have any bigger side tread, they appear pretty round profiled, narrow-ish rims wouldnt help

If they did a 26″ 2.2″ i might still be interested, on the front at least

“Much closer to the grips and flatter than in the above pic”
I tried it closer to the grips, but found it got in the way of my shifter lever. I reckoned I wanted clear access to fumbling for my shifter lever over better seatpost lever position
Not sure why it looks to ‘up’. I remember it being much flatter than that. Could have been trying to offset the amount the lever sticks out away from the bar
ANyway Ive not used my i900 in about 10 months as the post wont stay down and not got round to trying to get it fixed (out of warranty with about every part worn to ****) and reluctant to buy an i950

2nd pic is top of telegraph valley yes. 1st is Coatestown (the westerley one) descent into back of Hollinsclough, Peak District

“just over two hours”
Google map directions are around 1 to nearing 2hours depending on what area of the peak. Not over 2 for hope/hayfiled though

IIRC there is very little north shore at stainburn. Its a short interlude from manmade double black deliberate technicalness that is the warren boulder trail
The descent line is built in cleared fell, but you should be looking in front of your wheel, not at your surroundings, especially to get the most of that trail
To make up for the short length of all the trails of stainburn, either keep trying the bits you dont quite master at first and/or do them all again. Stainburn doesn’t fit the trail centre mould, but in its own unique (ace) way, its all the better for it. You just have to expect it not to be like all the other centres

mountain biking was cool?

as above gisburn slab isnt that difficult technically/physically/etc. Its just a mental thing to get your head around
Granted there is a bit of overall height to it, it has some slabby lumpiness and some changes in steepness, but it a straight line once you’ve rolled in, theres plenty of run out and the openness means you can see/assess it as you like, plus its not really that steep

I reckon the first black option at Lee Quarry (very early on) thats quite similar on visual appearance is probably slightly steeper/lumpier, it just doesn’t look it being in a hole. Even that will go with your saddle up

What are you expecting from stainburn?

The ‘black’ at hamster might not quite fit the ‘flowy/jumpy’ trail centre red template, but its not really a black (though was 3 yrs ago I was last there). The red has supposed to have been revamped, though I believe it was previously a 20mile or so fireroad loop
Youd probbaly be best paying up (£7 or something?) for a day on the multiple DH tracks there if you’re after something a bit more technical at hamsterley?

“it was not very technical”
Its not
The ‘downhill’ area is almost* all rideable on an XC hardtail
*Ive not tried the wall rides or dropping off the wood/rock ramps onto the fireroad just before or the big ramp (all are rollable)
The ‘red’ XC loop isnt that long, but keep up the pedalling/pumping in all the sections (there is very little fireroad), mix in the ‘downhill’ area (now less obvious where it is) and its pretty good bar a few fairly dull sections

re: scunthorpe – hamsterley
google maps ‘get directions’ reckons 2hours 12 minutes to the main car park in the forest. Ive found it can be conservative (especially with high motorway mileage), though I’ve not timed/checked it all that much

Re: what you asked
What bike will you have with you, what/how do you normally ride?

my take on places you’ve mentioned:
Stainburn – sort of similar to lee quarry in its compact nature, the main double black can be a bit love/hate, manmade very rocky, slow, stop starty, on/off pedal through (for me at least). Something to keep trying at all the bits you dont quite manage. Mix up with the ‘descent’ line and very short red to warm up on, and repeat as many sections as you like to make it short or even spread out over all day. Not sure what the deal is with the ‘natural’ (still hard) trails over the rd these days. Its always rained when Ive been, need to go back on a dry day

Wharncliffe, need to have a proper explore of it all
The XC loop some guidebooks mention isnt really there. The first few kms are (and quite fun if not made of mud), but after that its a case of head over to the DH runs (there appear to be loads of options) and/or follow your nose?

Cut Gate. I prefer starting at langsett, clockwise loop the reservior, but use the westerly of the 2 bridleways to climb upto/over cut gate. Drop down to the bridge at the other side, then head back over again (but take the easterly bridleway (should be dry enough by now?) to ‘north america’ before heading around the reservior clockwise once more (so a figure of 8 with a long out/back at the bottom of the 8)
Can be extended (to very very long day out), I quite like keeping it short(ish) and sweet as above

a quick play with google maps directions throws up loads of options

All the peak district (dark + white) plus outlying areas like around hayfield
Most of North Yorkshire Moors right upto Guisborough woods/surrounding moors (though parking in the middling areas of the moors perhaps not)
Into South/Eastern edges of North Yorkshire Dales
Plus all those other less ‘headline’ areas (yorkshire wolds, south pennines, sherwood pines .. etc etc)

might just get to hamsterly black/red XC or DH in 2hrs (plus a few mins)
might just get cannock chase/stile cop DH in 2hrs

like this:

or closer to the brake lever with a shifter with adjustable clamp position:

I did try using it as a grip lock on collar, but couldnt work out what the point of doing that is? (For me at least?) it means taking my entire hand off the grip/handlebar to press the lever. Positioning as I’ve done in the pics means I only have to ‘shuffle’ my hand along the bar slightly (while still retaining a light grip on the bars)

I went for RHSide as I reckoned in frantic moments Id probably be already on/dragging the rear brake by the time I was about to drop the seatpost

Also because the lock-on grip style lever only grips the bar for about half the way around the bar, it would seem risk digging into the bar if running away from your grips. I chopped the ends of an old lock on grip middle to protect the bar a bit

Is mine ‘on top’? Anyway (As with brake/gear levers) the clamp is only just done up enough that it wont rotate in use, so that in a crash (or turning the bike upside down plus a little too much pushing on the bike) the controls with move around the bar, lessening the chances of them breaking

Apart from breaking 2 of them (just too weak) I think I prefered the original KS remote lever, mounted below the bar. Cheaper too (though still a bit of a rip-off)

My brother went with the BS one. Reckoned the reviews on CRC/superstar alluded to the stepped roller making a worthwhile difference

Yep, sorry didnt think it not being obvious for it to be there. Though given more recent issues where they appear to have limited the grinder to one bike (used to be more) it wouldnt appear to be the most obvious place
Ive got caught out looking for bike reviews with the ‘head-to-head’ mini reviews theyve put in from timt eo time

“ouldn’t find any other reviews of FTM carbon unless it wasn’t listed in a bike test but was a separate feature?”

Think it was the alu. one (same HA?) in I think issue 50? Ill check

“in which case Stans Arch may be the answer”
Stans Arch EX are lighter/wider

“Mavic 521 rims”
Arch EX’s would be the same width, but 140-145g (per rim) lighter
Flows would be 2.something mm wider and about 70g (per rim) lighter
I too have not had any stans rims, am maybe on the cusp of getting one of the above 2
Ive had XM719s for ages, though narrow and heavyish (if you include the eyelets, which I believe mavic don’t in their claimed weights?), they seem pretty tough

“anyone remember what issue Singletrack reviewed it? “

Think it could have been 50? if not maybe 49 or 51. Cant be sure. Wasnt all that lomg ago I looked for the review though cant really remember anything specific they said other than it being an excellent sit down in the rough pedaller

“probably because its such a small difference”

Not really, thinner shims are available
(25.0-25.4 for eg is almost half as thin)

I’ve been thinking they should make a 30.9-31.6mm shim for a while so you can buy a 30.9mm adjustable post and use it for 30.9mm or 31.6mm frames. Almost makes 31.6mm adjustable posts not worth buying, in case you buy a 30.9mm frame in future?

“I’d just buy a new seatpost”
A touch pricey if you’ve an adjustable post though? (or anything else pricey)

“No one was complaining about the HA on the Titus when it was first reviewed, two years or so ago”

IIRC Singletrack mag did?
The head angle (and not finding a way to slacken) put me off a carbon FTM.
69.25deg with a 140mm fox must be about the steepest (140mm fork) head angle out there?
A 140mm Rockshox would be a touch longer, so ought to just pull it the ‘right’ side of 69 degrees bringing at least inline with a few other 140mm forked 140mmish FS frames?

EDIT: I see the on-one site is showing both the alu. and carbon FTMs now come with 1 1/8″ to 1.5″ taper headtube, which there are angle adjust headsets available