8th birthday party today. Yesterday was 100k – Plymouth to Exeter across Dartmoor. Top day out.

Ooooh, new bike time :)

Whatever you do, don’t buy XT M8000 brakes – unless you like playing ‘guess the bite point’ – even when Shimano have ‘fixed’ them. You might get lucky and have a set that are OK but I wouldn’t take the risk.

I switched from an HR2 on the front to a Minion DHF 3C as the central knobs are squarer so bite better. Still running an HR2 on the back. Leave them on all year round.

After the total shambles of M8000 brakes I’d steer clear of this this until a good 18 months into full release.

Hot pork pie with mushy peas and brown sauce. Food of the gods.

MTB batteries stuff. You might get lucky with cheap Chinese lights but the last few I’ve bought have been crap compared to the original SSX2 I bought 3ish years ago. I still won’t pay Hope money but £100 for a decent head unit and battery that lasts and doesn’t blow up is worth it.

I’m watching this thread with interest as I’m after something similar – thin / bit water and wind resistant bit not a full on winter soft shell or jacket. Can stuff it in a Camelback etc if it starts to get warm. I had an Aldi one that did the trick but I managed to kill it.

Whatever you do, don’t buy XT M8000 brakes. Even the ‘new’ ones are unreliable in terms of bite point and that’s downright dangerous. I’ve got one last fix to try and if that doesn’t work they’ll be off.

I currently have a choice of either running the rear with the lever that pulls far too close to the bar but after a few pumps under heavy usually gets to where it should be *or* running the lever in the right initial position but randomly goes hard quite far out meaning I have to let go our stretch my fingers right out. Great eh?

@sambob- yep, there’s a ride every Wednesday. Nothing organised beyond meeting at the pub and going back to the pub :)

If you can make it towards Haldon on a Wednesday, a bunch of us ride from the Ley Arms in Kenn at 6.30 or from the cycle path at the top of the old A38 at 7.00. Back to the Ley at 9.00 for a pint and cheesy chips.

Oooooh shiny bike time. So what spec did you go for?

Save yourself time and just buy an Aeris. They’re bloody ace.

Had a ~90 Clockwork and a ~92 Bonty Race Lite. Does a Classic Soul count?

When does a bike become iconic?

@DT78 – I went through a few of the early sets of XTs and as Ben says they had a little silver sticker on the bottom where the last two letters were NG. The ones I’m on now have been fine (fingers crossed) but have rather mysteriously had the stickers removed – they came from Madison, nowt to do with Bird. It’s the master cylinder rather than the pistons that caused the issue. I’ll be switching to metallic pads in the winter as prefer the solid feel.

@jamesmio Re: Tyres – I’ve gone Minion 3c on the front and a standard HR on back. Bike climbs like a beast even with me pedalling so I wouldn’t worry about the drag too much.

Whatever you stick on it, you’ll love it. To quote a riding buddy “you’ve got a lot bloody faster since you got that bike” :)

Yay, an Aeris thread, something I actually know about :)

RC Pikes are great. Ben’s right.

XT brakes are fine as long as you get the most recent batch (Bird know all about this – sorry guys).

Zee brakes – nice but I couldn’t stop the rear of my loan set from rubbing a touch and that stuff annoys me.

XT cranks – typical shimano fit and forget but make sure you put crank skins on them first to stop rubbing. I’ve got an oval 32t Absolute Black ring on mine and it’s great.

Bash guard – worth it (for the bash, not guide), just fitted an AB Taco on mine.

Bars – I’d have gone 780 but I ride a lot of very narrow stuff and 760 just about fits through.

Wheels – get the best you can. EX1501 on mine and love ’em.

HTH.

In the STW style of recommending what you have, buy an Aeris! Great bit of kit, can customise it as much as you want plus they’re super helpful and UK based.

You’re screwed, and not in a good way. Whatever you say will be wrong so take the path of least resistance.

Dartmoor Brewery – Legend.

All these hipster beers full of carrot cake, bitter lemons or organic guinea pig droppings and do one.

@John – will try the rear mech tmw and see if I can get the creak without pedalling. Trying to remember if it properly creaks just coasting. Don’t think it does…

@John – Just been tinkering again and it’s def the rear sus creaking. If I hold the top tube strut thing and push down firmly and quickly I get the crack / creak sound. Just hope it’s something simple like a pivot bold needing some grease rather than the shock. Will contact Bird and see what they suggest as they’ve been ace so far (what do we need to say for Ben to pop up on here like the shop keeper? Bird Aeris 3 times perhaps?)

I’ve taken out and greased all the headset / stem bolts, done the same with the seat clamp / bolts, everything else is tight … and it’s still creaking like a right PITA. Pretty sure it’s coming from the rear sus linkage somewhere but can’t help it’s from the forks.

My Aeris has started doing the same. Really sounds like it’s the stem / bars (RF Atlas / next 35mm bars) but could be something else so going to remove and grease various bolts.

Pumping up of XT m8000 brakes (solid feel but changing bite point) is a known issue acknowledged by Shimano / Madison. Tell them you want them swapped under warranty – they should change the lever / master cylinder but leave the caliper. You want the latest versions, nothing with NG on the silver sticker on the levers. I’ve just had mine swapped (3rd rear, 2nd front) and the batch sticker has been removed. I was on set a set of Zees whilst waiting and couldn’t get the rear to not rub.

Shimano have really screwed up with the m8000 brakes. If this latest set do the same I’m giving up with Shimano which is bloody annoying as they’re plenty powerful with great modulation.

Tldr – buy Guides, Hopes or Maguras.

I’m reaching out to ensure our hackathon’s disruptive collaborative is amplified through the line … Oh god, I hate myself for even writing that as a p!ss take. As for ‘curation’ … $&$&(+$+’#&$+%%#&$-

XL Aeris with 780mm bars. Sorted.

Have you played around with the rear travel yet? I’ve tried both settings and 140 seems better. No idea why, it just ‘does’. Will continue to bugger around and let it get me out of trouble :)

World First might be worth a look. They’re focused on older ppl / pre existing conditions but pretty sure they do ‘extreme’ sports cover as one of the head honchos was into biking and kite surfing.

I shave once a week so use Gillette disposables to hack the fuzz off (I have “weird beard growth” according to a barber) followed by a Gillette Fusion (I think). Proper soap and brush. Tried lotions and potions and this is good for me. If I had to shave every day I’d grow a beard.

Kayak – check for a little silver sticker under the levers and see what the last two letters are. The ones that have been checked and resolved via Shimano Europe should have NK (so I’ve been told). Mine should be back with me next week so fingers crossed it’s a proper fix as when they worked they were great.

I’m bloomin’ lucky. Can ride to the good stuff at Haldon in ~20 mins or spend less than 10 in the car and be up on Dartmoor.

[/url]Aeris Meets Dartmoor by jruk*[/url], on Flickr[/img]

I used to be a Shimano fan as I love my M785s but they should have a done a full recall of the 8000s. Mine are being swapped on warranty and I’m using Zees for now but I’m not really keen on the Zees (rear always seems to drag a touch). Buy the Guides unless you can get some of the new new XTs and a guarantee they’ll be ok (NK on the lever).

Pleasure.

I’m getting a bit of heel rub on the seatstays and left chainstay but nothing some tape doesn’t solve.

Run it along the right of the down tube in the top guide and then feed it under the shock – it’s how mine came set up. This does however run the risk of people asking if your bike was made by Biro because the D looks like an O…

[/url]IMAG2189 by jruk*[/url], on Flickr[/img]

[/url]IMAG2190 by jruk*[/url], on Flickr[/img]

I’m just surprised no one’s mentioned the routing of the rear brake hose…

They’re ace aren’t they!

Although yellow is obviously betterer :wink:

Very nice. If you have any issues with the brakes, check the little silver sticker on the bottom of the levers. The ones you want should have NK as the last two letters. Mine pumped up badly but sorted under warranty and changed to the latest batch of levers.

@superstu – what build did you go for? Congrats btw, you’re going to love it. I had the same concerns and it whilst my XL isn’t quite as flickable as my Soul in 1 or 2 local spots (very, very tight off camber roots) it’s amazing on everything else. Have fun and we want pics!

You’ll be fine. Wet off camber grass and roots won’t be a problem *if* you hit them fast and have a mate recording you for a sick editz.

Narrow / Wide helps chain retention so you don’t need a guide. But as mentioned ^ it’s designed for 1x. What cassette are you running? 32t oval + 11-42 cassette is probably OK for most stuff but depends on fitness. If you’re spinning out a 32/11 offroad that isn’t a forest track you’re going pretty fast (my vision goes blurry at that point!).

Haldon’s great if you can get a local to show you the good stuff and how to put it all together. The Red and Blue can be ridden fast but they’re not techie / long. A bunch of us meet on Sunday’s by the ranger’s office at 11am.

Even better would be a Dartmoor trip around Lustleigh Cleave / Hound Tor / Bowerman’s Nose – depends how long you’ve got. Everything from dramatic open moorland to very tight wooden steep stuff.

Not done Gawton but have heard good reports.