I’ve got 120mm Reba RLTs with a 15mm bolt through on mine and they’re ace.

Link

More than £250 but try and find a 2nd hand pair?

OK, so I’ve not got loads of other forks to judge them against but they do me just fine (run a 90mm stem and 700mm bars if that makes any difference).

The syringe I used isn’t threaded but is pretty soft plastic so it moulds and stays tight. There’s a really good vid on Youtube of this method – think it’s for XTRs but the principle carries.

Go to Pets at Home (other vets are available) and ask them for a syringe. I got two for 67p. Take the plunger bit out and you have your very own funnely thing so you can bleed from the caliper.

You need to be careful when you take it out so that you don’t poor oil everywhere but it’s pretty easy. Put a few drops of oil into the screw hole so it’s full then put the screw back in (this will stop air getting in).

I’ve trimmed and bled my XTs and they’re awesome.

Edit: beaten to it…

Sooo glad it’s just me with silly sized thighs (caused in part by having a 51t chainring on my bike when I was younger…ggrrrrrr). Carhartt have always done me well – they fit and are well made. Everything else stops at the knees…

Food supply aside, my money’s on the vamps – providing we’re talking Kate Beckinsale in tight leather and tooled up… 8O

Built my Soul up fine (bought direct).

If you insist :)

[/url] IMAG0136[/url] by jruk*[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Just about to head out to Woodbury and it’s looking pretty damn cold…

Ernie, I always had you down as a Telegraph man for some reason :)

Used my 4×4 to go and get some olives, fresh anchovies and sun dried tomatoes for lunch.

If anyone likes getting up early when it’s wet and cold, I’ll probably be heading over to Woodbury Common for blast on Sunday morning. If you’d prefer to stay in the warm, I really wouldn’t blame you…

Thanks – I’m glad the Soul looks clean, it should do, first trip out and all that :)

Master of clean car = car wash

I’m 6′ 1″, ~95kg and love my Soul already. It’s only one ride old so can’t comment on long term strength but it’s damn quick (got stuck behind 3 guys on FS bikes with stupid small rings and skinny thighs on some lovely tight singletrack t’other day). Got 120mm bolt through Rebas on the front with 2.35 Maxxis to give is some beef.

Buy a Soul, you’ll love it.

90mm on a 24″ top tube to get the reach I need. Anything less and I’d be cramped. Do what feels right and ignore everyone else.

In the absence of Landcruiser’s new bike, here’s my new Soul…

Pic taken in the carpark to avoid the “your grass needs cutting” comments. And before anyone mentions hose length, they’ve now been trimmed.

Linky thing here[/url].

Merlin every time. Pretty much everything I’ve ordered has arrived the next day and been the cheapest as well so double bonus. CRC stuffed up an order so I had a moan and they gave me a £25 voucher which is lovely but I still won’t order from them if I need stuff quickly.

How about a BFe (£300) or maybe a secondhand Soul?

Now that’s what I call a proper sized chain ring. None of this namby pamby 42t stuff.

TJ, I don’t think you’ll find any right wingers arguing with living within your means. Have seen way more copies of the Guardian at ‘no cuts’ events than the DT*.

*Not actually true but I’m sure you get my point.

Binners +1

Ever seen a statue to a committee? Nope. They’re all utter $hite. If someone mentions a committee stab them in the face.

Same issue here. Front is spot on, back is spongy. I’ve trimmed the hose and bled twice to be safe and there’s no air coming through. With the block the rear is solid but put the pads in and it’s cr@p.

Has anyone tried alternative pads (specifically the Superstar ones)? I managed get some oil on mine (I think) and I wouldn’t mind trying an alternative.

Thanks TJ. Will have a hunt around. Someone’s suggest ‘A Room In’. Know anything about it?

OK, some blood and guts (for the boys) plus what you said. £20 – £30 a head plus booze money? 9 of us in total.

Thanks rwc. I’ve had a look but can’t find that thread – there seem to be loads. Do the hoses just unscrew from the lever? Not taken the plastic cover off as I’m not sure what’s under there!

That video is brilliant but what happens when you pull the syringe out of the lever end? I’m guessing it pi$$es everwhere and you screw the thingy back in?

Anyone have a link to the vid for shortening the hoses? My rear hose is stupidly long so I need to trim it down. I’ve got a spare olive and a silver thing (insert?). What else do I need – I’ve got the oil and a couple of syringes.

Doh! So cut the lever end then…kind of obvious now you say it…cheers Matthew.

What do you need to cut the hose? I’ve just fitted a set and the rear hose is waaaayyy too long. And if you leave the pads in, isn’t there a good chance of covering them in oil when you remove the hose?

I’m just about to retire the frame from my ’99 Marin with it’s lovely ‘pingy’ Columbus tubing. Would have kept it but need something a little tougher (and with discs on the back). Replacing it with a frame that kinda reminds me of my old Bonty…

I’ll be up for a Woodbury trip – just gotta build my bike first!

I’m about to order a large Soul (I’m 6’1″) and will be going for a 90mm stem with ~690 bars as I don’t like feeling squished. Hope it’s about right.

If anyone has done a direct SLX -v- XT test (666 v 785), I’d like to know the results as I can’t decide between the two.

Sorry, end of thread hijack…

Thanks Kryton, those black flags look pretty tasty. Will add them to the new bike shopping list :)

OK, so I think it’s Soul time but I’m struggling to find some sensibly priced 120mm forks that have a 15mm axle. Anyone seen anything out there?

Thanks metalheart, any suggestions for a 120mm fork?

I’m ok with maintenance, it’s more the extra ongoing costs – shock servicing, bearings etc – that put me off along with the lack of ‘feel’. That said, it’s been yonks since I rode a FS so hopefully they’ve got passed the ‘built of cheese’ issues.

I’m thinking Soul + Revs + Superstar wheels + XT brakes and drive train.

Or possibly one of these and keep the old HT going as well.

Thanks peachos, might give that a go or make my own – I reckon a bit of threaded rod and a mix of bolts and washers from B&Q should so the trick. I’ve ordered a new bb so will practice on the old one knowing I might get 6 months out of it – there’s gotta be some decent sealed bearings out there.

Northwind, I get your point, I just hate the idea of all the waste of making/packaging/shipping complete units when all that’s needed is a new set of bearings and an easy way of replacing them.

I guess it’s the idea that 6 months is deemed ok and that perfectly fine kit should be binned because the manufacturer makes bearing replacement hard that really grates. If bearings really only last 6 months (which I don’t believe) then make them easy to swap over / sell a tool for doing so.

Thanks for the link Klunk. Are the seals any better on the XTR units or will I have the same problem in another 6 months? I just begrudge paying £17 when all I need is a £5 set of bearings.

By way of a quick update, we went down the ‘very, very, very poorly, won’t see her again as she’s gone to be a star’ route. Seemed to work ok. After asking my Dad if Granny had gone to be a star, she immediately asked him if he had a dog. Gotta love kids.

Loads of people come to us at work saying “we need a website” (work for a marketing company) and the first question we ask is “why?”.

Once you’ve worked out the answer in real detail by playing devil’s advocate with yourself, and only then, start thinking about the technology (could a decent fb, G+ or Linkedin page get you a more suitable online presence, for example). Worrying about Joomla v Concrete5 v WordPress etc etc etc before nailing your proposition (I’m assuming you’re selling something?) is a real distraction.

If you’ve done the proposition bit and really need a site, WordPress is pretty good – loads of themes available for not a lot of money.

HTH