It’s not quite as much as 10mm in reality, because the sag will be proportionally greater. I changed some Yaris and Lyriks from 170 to 180 and the difference in head angle was hard to notice once on the bike.

JP

Get an old style Nespresso machine and compostable Colonna pods.

My business sells pods and beans from specialty roasters, so I have some experience in this area. Basic old style espresso machines and decent pods are your best bet for an espresso type of drink at this price point. Other options at that price either don’t produce anything resembling an espresso (Bialettis, Aeropress, etc) or tie you in to terrible quality pods (Nespresso Vertuo, etc)

Doubtless several armchair experts will be on to contradict me in a bit, but you can make your own mind up regarding whom to trust.

JP

@geex Not really sure what you’re saying, other than ‘I used to ride it on a rigid wheelbarrow and I was still faster than anyone on here.’

There are plenty of technical climbs that I ride regularly when I’m doing natural stuff on the Mendips. Perhaps my early 90s Merlin titanium would be quicker up them than my Mega, but the bike never stops me from riding them, and it’s much better at everything else.

You sound a bit angry, like the Northern bloke I met the other day at a bikepark, who I’m sure is from this forum. What’s the issue?

JP

I don’t know why some people on here don’t seem to understand that we won’t end up in a no deal situation. There is only minority support for it, and it’s completely irrelevant that it’s the default option. It’s analogous to driving a car towards a cliff then saying it’s inevitable that we’re going to drive off it; it’s not, because the driver still has control of the brakes and steering, and, regardless of how you feel about the competence of the driver, suicide is not a real option.

JP

Some real nonsense on here. I’ve been riding mtbs since the late 80s and the bikes now are better than anything from previous eras, and it’s mainly due to the geometry.

I can’t see how anyone thinks the trails haven’t changed in this time. There’s loads of stuff you wouldn’t have even considered riding on anything other than a downhill bike from that era that we regularly ride now, yet are able to pedal back to the top. Go and ride Fifty Shades at BPW or something similar, on a 90s bike and tell me you wouldn’t rather be riding a modern enduro bike.

If you’re an STW pootler who rides bridleways and a bit of road in between then modern slack bikes are not for you. If you think that a bike with modern geometry takes away the fun then you’re not riding it fast enough or on the right type of trails.

As an aside the whole slack head angle makes it climb badly notion is just not true – as long as the seat angle is steep then climbs are fine on a slack bike. My Mega with a 63.5 degree head angle climbs just as well as my 70 degree XC bike in terms of the body language needed.

JP

JP

Yeah – go for the MT520 four pot – it’s as cheap as a Deore 2 pot if you buy from the Germans and it’s got much more power. Works fine with Deore levers.

JP

It would be a pretty poor attempt at trolling, and I don’t see why asking about tyre pressures would mean that the trails would be too taxing for you, if that’s what you’re implying.

JP

If you’re a typical STW member and pootling down the blues on your gravel bike/bikepacking bike/short travel FS then you’ll get away with your normal pressures.

If you’re actually riding the harder reds and blacks (bear in mind that the two red blend trails are harder than some of the blacks) then add a few PSI to tyres and shocks. I don’t generally go much higher than usual, as, apart from a few trails like Deep Navigation and Zuts Alors, it’s not full of rock gardens.

JP

The IMS precision metal filter gave the best taste when I tested filters for a coffee website s few years ago. Saves buying paper filters as well.

JP

I bought some last year. Was looking at Zees and Saints but put off by wandering bite point issues even on recent sets.

Mine work brilliantly – power is up there with other Shimano 4 pot brakes, especially once I changed the pads to Saints (non finned ones – the finned ones need some of the fins removed to fit, which I CBA to do).

JP

5 posts on a major race thread on cycling forum. I despair! 😋

Perhaps I should have asked what side of the bed people read about it on.

I really want to got to NZ now. looks prehistoric with the jungle and all that jazz!

You’d get more replies if you’d posted about how you want to take us back to some anti-car dark ages utopia. Most people on here seem more interested in that, or what gravel bike is best for commuting, than, you know, actual mountain bikes.

JP

I don’t know why people always harp on about the Yari having a rubbish damper – it’s quite basic in design but works pretty well most of the time. I don’t find a massive difference between my Lyrik and my Yari except for on multiple hard hits (rock gardens and the like). Even then, I’m not sure you would be demonstrably faster on the Lyrik, unless it was on a very long, very rocky descent.

JP

Upright pianos can be anywhere on the spectrum from unplayable to brilliant. Personally, I’d want to play it before I bought it if it was a used one.

Digital pianos don’t go out of tune, sound pretty good these days and are considerably lighter and easier to move around. They generally don’t feel as nice to play, although the difference has become less in recent years. They do look a little naff as well.

I run a musical instruments business so PM me if you need more detailed advice.

JP

Never had any seal problems with Shimano brakes and neither has anyone else I know.

Deore 4 pots are excellent and very cheap at the moment.

JP

Why wouldn’t you wear them? It’s not like I ever think ‘My arms are really hot’ even in summer.

They’re probably overkill for moderate trail/xc/pootling, but I don’t do any of those anyway.

JP

I’m staying just south of Bristol and my preferred riding is like jumps and stuff but whatever really. I haven’t ridden off piste at Leigh woods, any good?

Wind Hill is your best bet then, or Belmont, which is near to Bristol and has jumps and techie stuff but is to be avoided if it’s been remotely wet.

JP

Wind Hill and Rowberrow are my local spots. The former holds up better in winter.

JP

Try hotels in Portals Nous – a few miles from Palma. They’re all a bit touristy but relatively cheap and there are decent restaurants and a nice beach nearby.

I’ve got family on the island (in Calvia) and Portals is where we stay when we’re not staying with them.

JP

Was ok at Wind Hill yesterday (ironically) although a bit too windy for the pro line. You still see people doing it in pretty bad conditions, though, which amazes me given the size of the features.

JP

The 4 pot Deores (MT520) are your best bet. They’re half the price of Saints, and once you put Saint sintered pads in the power is very similar. They also don’t seem to have any of the variable bite point issues of other 4 pot Shimano brakes.

JP

Thinking of doing the Triscombe round of the Southern Enduro Series. Anyone else looking to do it?

JP

WTAF. if you’d been referring to the 29er Anthem then fair enough, but to say the 650 is just for xc and pootling is frankly bollocks.

My son is completely allergic to gnarl and yet was quite happy a wide variety of trails in Finale on his Anthem. Fair enough Kill Bill, Cacciatore and the Calizzano Free ride stuff isn’t super difficult, but his Anthem certainly wasnt holding him bacl in any way.

The 29er Anthem however would have fully sucked there.

Unless you’re talking about the model with a 120mm fork, it’s still a 110mm bike with a 68 – 69 degree head angle (depending on year) designed for XC – Giant even states that on its website.

To use an analogy – you could ride a fully rigid bike in Megavalanche, but that doesn’t mean it’s really fit for purpose, or remotely enjoyable.

JP

I was really disappointed with the top spec one I rode last year – it was super light and efficient but just seemed to skip over bumps and didn’t feel very confidence inspiring.

You’ll want the largest size as it’s fairly conservative, unless you like shorter bikes.

JP

Sell the Anthem, buy the Trance, unless your riding is all XC or pootling.

JP

I don’t see why everyone is getting so confused about this. We won’t be leaving without a deal on 29th as there is a clear majority of MPs who do not want to leave without a deal, as demonstrated by recent previous votes. The notion that we’ll stumble out because no one will vote for an alternative is ludicrous.

This is just the first stage of Brexit being kicked into the long grass.

JP

As I’ve said before, Brexit won’t happen.

JP

A few hours at Wind Hill this morning. Trails running nicely considering the amount of rain.

JP

”This T- Shirt? Why….yes! Yes , it is!”

Can someone explain the significance of that phrase – it crops up a lot on here and so just don’t get it.

JP

It’s just like a religion isn’t it? – ‘look how virtuous I am!’

So…. you accuse people of being hypocrites for using a car & so when I point out that I don’t use mine that much you suggest I’m being sanctimonious. Enlighten me how I can win this particular argument?

Lol!

JP

miketually

Subscriber

Rural school runs: school bus.

Next issue?

There isn’t one. And that would only address a small part of the issue.

By the way, I lived in Amsterdam for many years, which Monbiot and many other loons see as some sort of public transport utopia. The reality is that it works better than the UK but it’s still a massive pain in the arse to get anywhere that isn’t on a direct tram route. I used my bike more than anything there, but you don’t always want to arrive everywhere covered in sweat/soaked to the skin/freezing cold (delete where appropriate).

JP

So what? You have everyone in rural areas forcibly moved to cities? Or you have a massively inefficient bloated public transport system that actually caters for all needs, but still isn’t really any good?

You lot talk about the car as if it’s part of a global conspiracy, yet you don’t offer any clear and credible alternatives. Come on then, tell me how my life, for example, would work without a car?: I live in a rural area, 15 miles from the nearest city and have to drop and pick up my young daughter from the nearest school, which is several miles away. There are many people like me, so do enlighten us.

You didn’t read the article did you?

If you live in a rural area a ban on cars in cities is unlikely to be much of a problem to you.

The article gives clear and credible alternatives, and even gives examples of paces they already exist.

I’m not referring specifically to the article, but the general anti-car rhetoric on here.

JP

Oh, and I assume you don’t own a car, then?

Yes I do. But over the last 4 years I have cycled about 40,000 miles & driven about 4000. How about you? If everyone else had this kind of bike/car ratio perhaps we wouldn’t be having a problem

It’s just like a religion isn’t it? – ‘look how virtuous I am!’

Have a medal.

JP

miketually

Subscriber

Oh, and I assume that all of the anti-car types on here don’t own a car/never use a car and don’t rely on road transport to receive any of the things they buy. Otherwise you’re just sanctimonious hypocrites.

Perhaps they’re forced into car ownership because society has been planned around it for so long? Perhaps if, over say ten years, we changed tack and favoured other means of transport they wouldn’t be forced into owning a car?

So what? You have everyone in rural areas forcibly moved to cities? Or you have a massively inefficient bloated public transport system that actually caters for all needs, but still isn’t really any good?

You lot talk about the car as if it’s part of a global conspiracy, yet you don’t offer any clear and credible alternatives. Come on then, tell me how my life, for example, would work without a car?: I live in a rural area, 15 miles from the nearest city and have to drop and pick up my young daughter from the nearest school, which is several miles away. There are many people like me, so do enlighten us.

JP

Describe how this is going to happen. Otherwise it’s a stupid hypothetical.

I hesitate to mention climate change

Ah, the apocalyptic cult rears its head.

So, let’s say cars are electric in 50 years time and we have sufficient energy from renewable sources or otherwise, how exactly will climate change affect our ability to travel by personal methods of transport? Seems like a nonsense argument to me.

Oh, and I assume you don’t own a car, then?

JP

Hypothetically like. Just say that our current transport choices might make our civilisation untenable in 50 years time. I know how completely unlikely this is: But would some on here still bleat how impossible it is to make do without a car?

Describe how this is going to happen. Otherwise it’s a stupid hypothetical.

Oh, and I assume that all of the anti-car types on here don’t own a car/never use a car and don’t rely on road transport to receive any of the things they buy. Otherwise you’re just sanctimonious hypocrites.

JP

mikewsmith

Subscriber

True. There’s a vocal minority on here who would probably describe themselves as liberals, yet whose viewpoints are the exact opposite of what the word liberal really means.

Liberal has some really interesting followers….In the US for instance it’s protect the interests of old white men against all those foreigners and gays like, in Australia it’s the party that wanted internet blocking and the hardest of borders.

Which one are you referring to?

In terms of the article it’s about trying to make a world where relying on inefficient and costly personal transport devices becomes a thing of the past and investment goes into better solutions that are better for the population as a whole.

Capital L or lower case l? The Guardian is a Liberal paper, and Monbiot is a Liberal voter, I suspect. So have I been historically, but I am finding it increasingly difficult to find common ground with the sort of Liberal voter (and people on here) who treat environmentalism as some sort of apocalyptic cult.

I’ve lived in places with great public transport systems (relatively speaking), but they were rubbish in reality – expensive, overcrowded, and rarely went exactly where you wanted them to. That’s not to say they don’t have their place, but to suggest that you could replace 90% of car journeys with public transport is ill conceived and unrealistic, even with a limitless budget.

JP

wobbliscott

Member

Since when was a modern car 19th century technology? Thats like equating a modern efficient home to a mud hut. Or laser guided bomb to a medieval spear. Also in 10 years time there will be a hell of a lot more hybrid and EV’s on the roads and in 20 years almost all cars on the road will be hybrids or EV’s so the problem is already well on the road to being phased out.

No problems with initiatives that cut down petrol and diesel engined cars in cities and large towns, like congestion charges or banning odd numbered reg plates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and even numbered ones in between. But you have to pair initiatives like that to having large out of town parking areas for park and ride, or introduce free parking at train stations for those who need to drive part of the way.

There are alot of people on here that would make great dictators…banning activities of vast swathes of the population. the problem with that is once you’ve banned one thing, you just keep on going. I think we should ban people who want to ban things.

True. There’s a vocal minority on here who would probably describe themselves as liberals, yet whose viewpoints are the exact opposite of what the word liberal really means. They make the assumption that people are stupid and need to be constantly told what to do and that they know best. It’s a bit worrying really, as this is what political tyranny feeds off.

JP

for every 10 who blindly sing the praises of their new new shiny shiny?

I know

No, I was referring to the one member who seems to have difficulty conducting themselves in normal social situations, but, hey, believe what you want about yourself if it makes you happy.

JP

I’m not sure if…

pretty much sums up the thread.

Thank you for your valuable contribution to the topic.

There’s always one like this on every forum.

JP

If it is a Giant it’s the second one I’ve heard of in the last couple of days. Only difference was that they have so far refused to honour the warranty on my friend’s bike, despite it being less than a year old.

JP