Prob not helpful, but I have an AM9 built faily light. With lightish wheels, air shock and pikes and am loving it. Only two months into ownership but it is almost the best of both worlds / sits on the boundary of Enduro and trail. I’m in no doubt how capable on steep and techy stuff it is and have been pleased with what it is helping me to ride, but it moves along on well enough when out for more of an XC ride, but here’s my main point – I’m most surprised by how nimble it is. It feels like such a non 29er. Way more thrashable than I was expecting. It’s some damn bike.

Hi – Can anyone update on how well the Nukeproof Blacklines are working out please? I have just seen that Wiggle have the for £56 so am very tempted. I was about to go for some Fox Flexairs as so many positive noises on here.
Specifically, I am after something shower proof and able to handle splashes and spray. Which the Fox Flexairs are reported to do, but I’m not so convinced the Nukeproof do.

Thanks for the feedback Warns74 and

It sounds great to be honest. Which makes my bike choice harder!
Via my convoluted path of bike choice, I think for me it’s coming down to a Bird AM9 and Canyon Strive. Yet to ride an Am9, although I rode an AM160 in ML and decided I should go for a 29er and slightly less rear travel / more pop, hence the AM9. But I have access to a small canyon discount code via bro in law and it makes the Strive quite attractive. As I am drawn by the idea of having enduro DH performance with uphill nippiness..

Anyone else have real world feedback on the 2019/2020 29er Strive?

Even though both geo settings could be considered conservative and it’s carbon only and I’m nervous of loose rocks v carbon it keeps creeping back into my new bike thoughts. Possibly because a friend has a Torque and it rides really well. Just easy to ride.

That and I’ve listened to too many podcasts recently with either Fabian Barel or others riding it…

I don’t know much but I what I do know is:
Have heard that the fence at the bottom of Honey Badger is because the end of Honey Badger exits onto private land that is not part of Ausewell. People would ride out the end of HB across this land and exit at the road near Holne Bridge. The private landowner is merely stopping people crossing their lane.
As for the fence over near Lovers leap and at the bottom of Grey Park Wood, it actually cuts through the trail with jumps on in Grey Park Wood so is potentially dodgy if someone keeps riding and doesn’t see the fence. But when was here a few weeks back stripey tape had been put up as a kind of half-hearted warning.

Going back to Ausewell, no-one really knows the plans of the NT and Woodland trust, but they are planning on opening it up to the public when they have full ownership. So who knows if the trails and access to them will remain or not.

Hey Thanks for all replies, thoughts experiences and opinions on this one.
Getting closer to actually buying a bike, will be the first new MTB (or sub 3 year old MTB) I’ll have ever bought and as so much has changed with geometry over the past few years I wanted to understand as much as possible.

So it definitely seems there is a choice, front wheel lift, rad skills, jump friendly etc and the Longer and lower the bike the more planted and maybe more of a skills compensator it becomes?

Think I’ll still take confidence over nimbleness…personal pref obviously.

So good! So inspiring! Commenting so I can find again as we may be about to do something similar although not so ambitious…

Sharkattack (and everyone) this is good to hear. I Only had one demo ride (an afternoon) but I experienced the same. Awesome everywhere but back wheel skills and jumping not happening.
It has crossed my mind not to go for such a progressive bike, but the awesome everywhere aspect of LLS outweighs that thought.

I saw the high bars effect as well. I dropped the bars 10mm as they felt higher than normal, but the handling then felt much worse.

ThankS all

Yea trying to manual I guess, but more be able confidently keep the front up when riding off of drops.
And yes, I am a bit of a kook and trying to teach myself to use body weight and not pull up with arms.
Thanks

Like many people I am sure, I just so hope they have an aluminium version as well.
Planning on demo-ing an AM9 in the coming weeks, but that’s really with this (in alu) in mind to see what size I need and if the AM9 is too much bike for me.

Soo….I need new forks for my 29er Hardtail and have been hankering after a Stooge for a while. Maybe now is the time to make the switch…

Any secondhand Stooges out there? Frameset with forks, or with 29+ front wheel also…

Thanks

StuE they look great. Dual duty as a hiking bike also. Obviously. How does the walking rocker work on the pedal?

Have wide pasty feet, so it be as simple as the width of the Impact VXi may being the deciding factor!

Any views in the Freerider Pro? Guessing it’s a new model, and should dry fast as there is less bulk?

So what is difference between any of the Freerider models and the Impact Vxi?
Feel (Freerider) versus protection on the impacts?

Impact VXi ? So whats the difference between them and the Freeriders?
I’m only riding trail on a hardtail and the occasional Bike Park Wales trip. Not a Downhiller – as the Impact Vxi are more DH? Or are they?

Hijacking with another Codeine question.
I’m currently riding a medium On-One Parkwood. Fancy switching to a Codeine. Codeine seems to have slightly shorter HTT, but longer reach.
How does that work out?
Can anyone say if the medium Codeine feels about the same fit as the Medium Parkwood?

Jonestown – that does indeed sound rad. The new Krampus looks good. But this has potential to be good-er

If you are looking at buying property and thinking of Ashburton, then you do need to look at Buckfastleigh. It’s the poorer neighbour to ‘The Gateway to the Moor’ and doesn’t have so many antique shops, or a fancy cooking school. But houses are considerably cheaper and it probably has better access to the moor, and a rad woods for razzing around in that Ashburton doesn’t have…

Meant to say earlier -Where are you thinking? Not What are you thinking? which sounded a bit rude. But Devon is fantastic, so still a no brainer…

Skipper – what are are you thinking? I cant make any comparisons on the cost of living, as have always lived ‘down here’. But we have settled in Buckfastleigh and ended up starting our own business.

The point I wanted to make is that property in the less glamorous towns such as Buckfastleigh and South Brent is really quite cheap. If you are happy to / can afford a commute, then you are pretty much midway between Plymouth and Exeter, 20mins drive from Totnes or Newton Abbott and ABLE TO RIDE FROM THE DOOR TO RAD MOORLAND TRAILS.

And half an hour drive from the beach.

I can’t believe there hasn’t been more frothing about the tip off that there is a 29+ Stooge coming!
Jonestown, is there anymore details, photos, geometry available?

Eviljoe – I had a 17″ Dialled PA at one point. A pink one! It was brilliant, but probably a bit too small looking back! Thanks for the offer, but I think this thread and the process around it has made be realise I want to stay on big wheels. And the simplest thing to do would be to sort a new frame, either a L Parkwood or Stanton Sherpa (thanks z1ppy) and put all my existing kit on it, then move to a 120mm fork when I can.

Based In Buckfastleigh

Thanks Cheezepleez

Have been looking into this some more recently. Short of a cheap second hand Honzo frame coming up, I think a Parkwood is going to be the simplest and cheapest way to go.

So a couple of questions:

I’m a whisker under 6′ with long legs and arms. Current Scandal is 18″ and I’ve always felt I could do with a little more room when using a 60mm stem. Would like to use a shorter stem if possible on the Parkwood. So will a medium Parkwood feel longer or should I go up to the large?

I see On-one selling a 27.5+ Parkwood. It looks like the Parkwood 29er frame. So does the Parkwood V2 have room for bigger tyres at the back?

Cheers

This is good news

Probably require a decent test on a Stooge then. Anyone know of any in the South West?

Rootdown, Honzo and Big Wig all look good – it does make sense to stick to 29 after so many years on the big wheels I think. Even riding around on my mates Whyte 905 650b I was a bit like ‘Where has the front wheel gone’.

Yes, the Damn Stooge. I would friken love on. Really into the geo and look.Have had a car park test on one with a 29+ front tyre fitted and thought it was ace. BUT surely high speed descending such as at Bike Park Wales is going to be tough going without a fork? That is the only reason why I have stayed away. Although I have ridden both a standard Jones with Fat Front and a Jones Plus on my local woods trails and both were lovely…

Ok, good points there. And I think that’s what I’m worried about, the wheels feeling small. Pootled around on a mates whyte 905 650b this week and that didn’t feel too small…

I have played on a friends Yelli Screamy, albeit and XL and it still felt really steep and high even with a 120mm fork. What is around that is more modern than that? Ideally steel and not keen on how the Parkwood’s look.

Had a back to back test evening on Peanut’s Steel Diamond with Fat Front and 24inch Plus last year.

Wanted to see if they were better suited to my needs than my 100mm racey hardtail.

In short they were. Forgot I didn’t have suspension / showed up how limiting 100mm forks are. They were both very capable. At speed on steep trails I would want to be on the plus though. So stable and confidence inspiring. The Plus absolutely rips.

I will buy a Plus one day…

Last Autumn I had the pleasure of riding some of my local trails that I know very well for an evening switching between a Standard Jones Diamond frame with Fat Front and the Jones Plus. Both courtesy of Peanut off of here. (Peanut we need to head out again soon.)

Both great bikes and felt really confidence inspiring on the trails I was riding. A few jumps and techy bits and I was tackling with more confidence than my Scandal 29…and this was first outing on bike I hadn’t ridden before.

At first I preferred the standard with Fat Front. It handled more like I thought a bike should. Bit more nimble. But by the end of the session I had learnt a bit more about how to ride the plus. I guess more of a rear wheel steer style. And I was sold.

Saving for a Plus.

Surly Wednesday.

But it’s the only Fatbike I’ve ridden on a half decent trail, other than others i’ve only swung a leg over.

Rode one at Ashton Court in the Oktoberfest for a lap. It was much more fun, happy to be thrown around and launched off stuff than the Scandal 29 I was racing on which is my daily bike and the only mtb I’ve rdden for the last three years. I felt like I was able to stay off the brakes for almost the whole lap…

Also Ashton court isn’t remotely technical at all. So not an extreme test. But I thought the Wednesday was great.

Cracked Parkwood! Oooooh

What is wrong with Parkwood with shorter forks? Too steep? Too low?

Sorry, staying clipped in through technical sections yes. It’s more foot out flat out when cornering. Have mates who are riding local trails like that and want to give it a go!

gavstorie good tip on the cleats.

Are the more modern metal frame SPD pedals like the m530 better or any different for support and re-engagement to the older plastic framed versions?

Yep, My original thought was a Parkwood. But I saw a review somewhere where someone wasn’t very impressed and it put me off.

The Last Fast Forward looks great. Full build at around £1250 isn’t too bad either

Singletrack , Clink, sounds like a plan. Let me know! Email is in my profile I think. I’ll go off and check now…

Have read this thread with interest.

What 29er frames would fit this topic?

Current have some 100mm forks on a Scandal 29er and would like to swap the frame out for something slacker and lower…suggestions?

Singlecrack – A Haldon meet would be ideal, if it could be arranged. Are you a Somerset based Stooge owner?

Hello,
My Stooge itch has come back….
Has anyone near South Devon, Exeter, Plymouth, Dartmoor a Stooge that could be tested?
Thanks
Justin