Having demo’ed one at Bristol Oktoberfest at the weekend – the Surly Wednesday

Out of 6 laps, I managed to have my second fastest and obviously most fun lap on it. The other laps were on my 29er hardtail. How is that possible?

So, the new 23 inch Jones + – Is it a smaller size only, or intended to be a more chuckable version?

Spectabilis – thanks for the heads up. Just looked at the Calendar and I may be free that weekend. Not too far for me to travel either. Cardinham trails about 30mins drive from Padstow….I’ll chase you up if it works out.

Hi, Are there any Stooge in Devon or the SW that can be tried out / demoed?

I was lucky enough to have an evening riding a Jones with a Fat Front and a Jones Plus around my local woods this week, courtesy of Peanut off here and I am hooked. I think the standard Jones and Fat front suited my riding style best of the two. But it was very close. I need to try a Stooge now to add to the complication of which is best for my needs.

Frood – Thanks for the feedback. Glad to hear you are throwing it down stuff. Sounds great to me. Very tempted by a Longitude (if I can find one) or a Stooge. Both sound like a more fun ride than current racy 29er I have

Frood – you say the Longitude is capable? In what way?

Have seen someone in my town nipping around on a Longitude, need to chase them down and have a chat really!

Dunno if the guys, Andy and ? that I met at Twentyfour12 this evening are on here or not. But on the off chance they’ll see it, thankyou for entertaining my interest and for Andy letting me have a pootle on his Stooge around the car park.

Even though it was only a car park test, I get it. It felt fun and as agile as it could for a carpark test, well I could easily lift the front…need to try one off road now…or just order one…

Cheers
Justin

I’ll 3rd 1st Choice Finishers in Exeter. Haven’t any experience of them powder coating bike frames. But I use them for our business and they are great. Always a few bikes frames being coated when I pop in.

Stayed in Chamonix for two nights a few weeks ago on the way back from Italy. We found a very small ‘studio apartment’ for about £30 per night through Air B n B. It was very small, and felt claustrophibic, but for two nights at that price it was absolutely fine.

Can’t remember address so not very helpful.

Epicyclo – I haven’t ridden much over the winter, for one reason or another. Have been back on the bike recently, and seem to have lost any skill I had, feeling sketchy on steep stuff. So was wandering if I should compensate with a slackset.

I just need to get over it and get riding more I guess.

Oh arse, I have a tapered steerer.

Nuke – thanks anyway.

Random – and unlikely to get a response – but did one of you Longitude owners ride through Buckfastleigh in Devon yesterday – Sun 24th May?

Looked like the grey and blue frameset only colourway. Would be interested to have a spin if you can be located and are local.

stumpytrek – A Fatty, on Dartmoor…Do you live near (to Dartmoor) then? Would love to try a Fatty on my local trails, just to see….

Having said all that have so far failed to meet up with Peanut to try his Jones…

Hello.
Just registered as Jflo
Thanks

Hello, have also applied, had the polite ”we’ll get back to you” email back. But nothing. Not rad enough I guess..

Normal size tyres on what used to be a normal Mountain Bike no longer look right. Fat looks appropriate everytime these days.

Johnj2000 – Ha, sorry. Haven’t ridden them though. They are not very long, just steep and twisty. You’ll get down ’em on anything, but if you are thinking of Lusleigh Cleave on Dartmoor you’ll prob be riding a trail bike anyway?

Churston Cove is the first beach / cove you get to if you were to follow the coast east out of the harbour. The valley runs out the back of the beach/cove. It can be accessed via tracks from near Churston Court pub.

There is some riding actually IN Brixham! My Wife’s family live in Brixham, a short walk from Churston Cove and although I have yet to ride them, there are some hand made DH runs in the steep wooded valley that leads down to Churston cove. Look good fun for a trail bike to mess around on for an hour or so.

Just looked at the price of the Surly Ice Cream Truck. Bledy hell, that on-one Fatty definitely is a great deal by comparison. I know, I know the rims aren’t as wide but they both have similar trail style geometry

Upper Dart, Do you mean from Dartmeet down to Newbridge and vice versa? If so, great walk / scramble. Great swim spots and still warm enough for a dip as haven’t had much rain of late. Tavistock Inn at Poundsgate or the Church House Inn at Holne good for a pint of Ale and are nearby.

You know what, the internet seems to be missing videos of people ‘shredding the gnar’ or whatever on a Fatty. Can anyone supply any video action? Would love t0 see a Fatty in high speed action…

Going to have to try rigid this winter, but last night’s change of route proves I would find it hard to ride rigid exclusively.

Had almost convinced myself rigid was the way forward due to mainly riding long low tech or short steep and slow over the past 6 months.

Then last night we rode some very fast rocky stuff that we used to ride all of the time and was grateful for the forks, even though I was running them much harder than ever before.

Gylly emerging from his own bivvy and tarp

Causing havoc at Bantham

We occasionally have to look after Percy another Border Terrier. His owners think this bed fits him?!

Two Headed Border Terrier

Brant – New you’d have tried it. Glad you say it was awesome. Did you try it without slackset? Although I was thinking about putting a slackset in there while I was changing things around anyway. Have been riding my Scandal with the 100mm fork locked out, it’s ace but on really steep stuff I’m crossing the front and tripping over a bit too easily

Rorschach – look forward to hearing how it goes.

Peanut, Let’s meet up. Would deffo love to see what the Jones is like.
my email is justin at solidwool . com

Then regarding Clink and the Puffin rider it would also be good to get together as those two bikes are kind of where my next bike thoughts are leading. Or an O-O Fatty…

Clink- I’m in Buckfastleigh, south Dartmoor. So not too far away from you

Clink – You say you’ve ridden your Stooge on Dartmoor… Does this mean you live on or near Dartmoor?
I’m thinking if you do, I’d love to meet up to obtain a test ride…

Jonestown – Any clues as to what is coming next from you? Wide sweepy bars? Slack short fatty?

Way over budget, but have a nosey at Finisterre

Good timing.

On a similar subject, still looking for my Exposure Diablo I managed to loose last winter while out running. Gutted and my mind still boggles. If anyone around Buckfastleigh and Holne has found one, it could be mine…..

Thanks miranmtb. You’re selling it to me. Going to have to see if I can try one over the autumn.

Keen to know how Cheezeez is getting on with his Stooge? More a question of how much slacker is it than his inbred. Asking as I have a Scandal and fancy something just a tad slacker. But seem to remember that the old On-one 29er HA was 70• with sag. So wondering if it is intact similar to the Stooge…

Ha awesome. Had a brief chat with Angus (the reviewer) about his Codeine one evening at Haldon. He was very happy with it, talking about gap jumps and all sorts. Good to see his review. I’m sold. Sounds like the perfect FS compliment to my Scandal 29er…

Solidworks user here. Have used both inventor and Solidedge in the past. But have stuck with Solidworks for the past 10 years. I think you’ll get a seat for under £5k.

There probably isn’t that much between the Inventor, Solidworks and Solidedge, but Solidworks has the largest user base and you’ll find the most help on line. For instance I’ve had to model in a way I am not very proficient in over the past week and was getting quite stuck. Some quick on line research has found the answers to each problem I’ve encountered. Invaluable I think.

If you go with Solidworks, it would be good to know how much you pick up a seat for at the moment.

Also I second working in 3D, even for simple parts. Then creating 2D drawings from that.

Winter before last I splashed out on a pair of Exposure Diablos. One for me and ‘one for the mrs’. Two up they were awesome. A very versatile light. Nice to carry for trail running as well.

Then I somehow lost one while trail running. Or i left it on my bin when unlocking the door and someone pinched it….Either way, cannot afford to replace right now, so looking for a cheapo chines option…

What’s this about Tea Ladies in the shooting ground? I saw the lights on from late evening and had a few laps with the rowdy DJ set, but never saw any tea…..

Second the helpfulness of Cycle Surgery, and the Bike Cellar. My front mech gave up on Friday evening and between the Bike Cellar and Cycle surgery I had a working front mech come race time. Was a bit stressful, but they were both very helpful.

Loved it. 24hr pairs and managed 30 laps and came 5th. Always had a bike out on the course which was our aim. So really pleased with ourselves.

We were the guys trackside near the very first little start loop who were having massages Saturday evening. Felt very smug!

As always, the course was great, the atmosphere was just lovely. Already scheming for next year.

I normally love a good tough climb, but was grateful that there seemed to be less sharp steep climbs than normal? It kept the course flowing well.

Just back home from nipping down and setting up our Gazebo trackside…Walked a bit of the track on the Cottage Return Side of the valley with the dog to see what is diff this year. All looks superb and dry as a bone. Very excited.

24hr pairs here. Will be ‘Team L1 Triangle’ if anyone fancies heckling us on. Looking forward to it, and am sure the forecast rain will only be alight bit of drizzle a that is all the forecast rain in Devon was over the past weekend.