I test rode an 18″ Alpine and it felt huge , I’m 5′ 9″ 30″ leg so different geometry :D then tried a 16″ felt much better to me, if you can try one first I would :-)

I live in N.Wales mainly hills and more hills, like to ride trail centers and all the natural trails I can find, I will still have my full sus if i need it, I really like riding hard tails but do suffer with my back , I was hoping a steel 29er would be a bit smoother, carbon seat post will be fitted and saddle with ti rails, and I thought some Ardents 2.4’s running tubeless. I generally ride between 20-40Km depends on free time, they usually take 1 1/2 to 3 1/3 hours some fairly long climbs .

I was going to ask this question, I like Rorschach (Mr K’s) suggestion, light weight and rip your face off sounds great :D

I came off my 5 the other day and have scratched the black coating on my Reverb, you can feel they are sharp scratches I now loose some height on the post and have to keep pressing the button to get it back up, damn shame, Im hoping I can get it fixed, I’ll have to send it off to see if they can replace the shaft, I hope its not too expensive.

KSi900 I’ve ridden this for nearly 2 years 2-4 times a week in all weathers just washed it off, I do smear a film of chain lube on to it every ride and my forks, I’ve had no problems with mud or water.

I really liked my Nomad, awesome long travel bike,
I’m running a Remedy at the moment another good one,Remedy has amazing grip on technical climbs, and goes down hill pretty good.

CROSSMARK 2.25 , rolls quick and grips well, better than the Ardent in mud, on corners the Ardent is better so is a good choice up front.

Don’t see the point in a 2.1 as the 2.25 is a quick tyre and with the extra volume can take a bit more stick, I run one on the rear for 2 years good tyre.

I’ve snapped 3 SRAM chains and worn out a couple of dozen shimano xt and mainly xtr with no snappage, don’t know why they snapped, all 3 were the crossstep sram is it 991nmodel.

I’d like to go again nearly 200miles from home, so not a quick jaunt :D

maybe not in the semi dark next time :D

chakaping , I managed to get up there last night, had a trundle round the XC trail, on my Trek , didn’t get there til 7:30 pm ish went dark quite quick, some nice trails and some steep climbs. Thanks for your info I parked on the verge along with a few others said hello to some of them, so don’t know if it was you :-) met a guy on an orange 224 he was having fun, I stayed off the DH trails armour was very apparent.
cheers

Thanks for the info, ST Minions and full face etc sat in a bag at home forgot to pick them up this morning, so standard minion and crossmark will have to do, so will go steady,,

checked it out this evening gates are locked at 7;30pm so will have to try and get there early tomorrow, look dry and dusty, chatted to a couple of guys said it was well worth the ride…

I change from 1 x 9 XTR 970 cranks and xtr972 mid cage mech xtr 970 shifter xtr 11-32 cassette and chain, to 1 x xt mech mid cage, shifter xt , 11-36 xt cassette and chain with my XTR 970 cranks with a new e-13 ring 32, I like the extra ratio, but the shifting is soo much better on the xtr 9 speed so maybe stick with the xtr to maintain the same slickness xtr gives.

Thanks for the replies, maybe stick my ST Minions in the van , full face and armour maybe 8O maybe I’ll stick to the XC bits :D

5′ 9″ on a 16″ Orange 5 with a top tube of an 18″ limited run from Orange/Strange , 40mm stem, inline post awesome fit, plenty of room around the jewels when seat is dropped,

EBB strip and grease before you build it up, should be no problem after that, I run mine with Pikes felt great, my mate runs his with Revs set at 100mm climbs well and he is super quick on the downs.

I had a light fall and scratched my post, can this be replaced,its not going to be long before it leaks, the scratched are sharp, in the upper section, the uppy downy bit.

Friend of mine was running his with a 36 Float , but had travel reduced to 140mm, I did the same on my Orange 5 , mine tracked like a missile , much stiffer than the 32 Float with a 15mm axle.

I’ve entered in the solo like you I was drawn to it, never done anything like it before, and I don’t smoke but I am an old fat duffer who likes riding his bike, my strategy will be one lap then a burger and repeat til I have to stop it usually takes me just over an hour to cover ten mles so I am aiming for 5 laps if I do more then that will be a bonus, I asked about this a couple of days ago, good quality fluids should help, and fun. :lol:

Mine was an early 2010 HV RP23 , its much better now Mojo have sorted it nicely, My Vannila R is a 2010 Push’d with Ti Spring , with my 36’s up front the bike feels like a mini DH great for storming DH trails :lol: I have a 150mm 32 Talas which is nice for most trails , and works well with the Float RP23.

I hated my shock RP23HV and swopped it out for a VannilaR coil which is great, then I sent the RP23 to Mojo and asked for a Orange 5 tune, it is now soooo much better, before it would drop into its travel and not hold the bike up, now it rides almost as good as the coil but much lighter, still have to say the coil has the edge. I’m 90Kg in my gear so not as light as you,

Thanks arrpee I will try and pick up some gels and look for the Torq drinks , I only every use water so should be quite a difference, may have to change my ways :D can’t stand vinegar so it will be a funny face contest if I try that 8O so if anyone see’s an Orange 5 rider gurning at the side of the trail it will be me :D
Going to ride and record the GP instaed of sitting on my butt. :D

I know Surrunded By Zulus, I won’t come anywhere near any podium unless I collapse on to it as I’m passing it :D
I am going purely for fun but still want to do my best, I’m not too serious about winning in the Degla dash race I did divert over the table top jumps and had a pop off them on my way through, I think I lost about 4 places because of that :lol: I’m just an old fat duffer trying to enjoy myself :D

Thanks uplink, just been checking the bike over, chain etc looks good, pads are still fine, so will leave well alone and check again closer to the time, XT chain and XT cassette have done about 1600Km is that high mileage? normally change mine 0nce a year :D
How about bike set up I normally run about 30% sag would I go more like 20-25% to make the bike better on the climbs, ??
Thanks

Thanks boxelder, some good advice, wasn’t sure how it all works, so I’ll get myself a box, spares wise I’m guessing tyres, tubes, chain, pads and spare bolts, cables, I’m trying to make my bike as simple as possible 1 x10 no dropper post , tubless stans, I’ll fit new pads the week before,would you go as far as chain rings, casstte, rear mech?
Drinks would you use the sports ones available, I normally just have water, but I’m not riding for 10 hours,
I’m aiming for 5-7 laps, is this a realistic aim for a newbie.

Thanks

some had 200×50 my wifes came with a 200 x 50 , but I changed it for a 200 x57,as the float r on it had a scratch and changed the fork from a 130mm RS Tora to a 140mm Rev, nicely balanced bike.

5lab, I was just interested to hear if someone had tried it, if I had one it would have a 180 Van or Float up front, it looks like a great bike, it would be a bit much for an all rounder. :D

200×57 gives 142mm travel, new shape 07 is 216×63

Blue pig x

cheap and ride great if my mmbop was anything to go by :D

Thanks guys, I like the Mandarin and the apple green, how about disco black how does that look??

:P I’m just going to ride my cabinet :D

ok I’m taking my Neon Green 5 up the mountain heading up worlds end road Mr K, may see you on the way :D

ok Mr K just havin a butty,were you wanna meet

I had mine serviced at TFT I had pretty much full travel out of mine, 95K in my gear standard spring, in the Alps they definitely bottomed out, on the Plenney run,and on some of the more severe DH tracks i wandered onto, mine were 2008 model,coil u-turn, fitted to my Heckler. Speak to the guys at TFT they carried out some mods to mine, to improve them.

my old beauty, sadly sold….

Mad English men in the mid day sun, its normal for us to go out in the mid day sun :D

SDG Bel Air RL Ti. for the last 5 years comfy for my bum

If you have the original Pro II’s then its not what you need, you need one of these,

12mm axle kit

if you have an evo ProII then you need the adapters you have found :-)

e-13 32 teeth and middle burm 36 swop between them from time to time.

e-13

middle burn

I found them to be awful, breaking away and clogging with the slightest bit of mud