When my old 1 1/8 reba fork died my Gen 2 Soul was retired as well (replaced by the ubiquitous midlife carbon 29er full sus), and it now hangs as a stripped down frame in the garage with all other parts on the wife’s (also ageing but now surprisingly well spec’d!) 26″ HT…..hoping to maybe one day resurrect it as a thrash/general duties bike for the kids to spare their good ones for pure trail duties.

Same vintage Jeffsy….After destroying my original Raceface BB in less than 4 (winter) months I switched to a dual track bearing option from ROTOR and have only been through 2 in the past 5 years…..Have repacked in situ with Mobil XHP 222 to get extra mileage which has worked well as well. I’m also more selective about riding conditions and no longer plow through deep water and tend to wait for dryer riding days for full sus duties. Wet winter conditions means the hardtail comes out. No jet wash and minimal washing generally….just brush off dry mud and damp cloth clean and lifespan is certainly much better.

The bearings info:
ROTOR PRESS FIT 4130 BOTTOM BRACKET – STEEL
Designed to work with BB86, BB89 and BB92 bottom brackets
Dual track bearings
Machined outside bearing
Double seal

Depends if £170 or so is “big money” .. seems cheap compared to most forks
https://www.bike24.com/brands/rst?cohort=children

That did look promising….but….out of stock….9-10 weeks delivery on that link. Quick look and there seem to be none available on the planet. Suspect as a 1 1/8th it’s end of line as the high end kids forks have all gone tapered. Think that’s why it’s so cheap… it’s possibly out of production and definitely unavailable!

Early Rider Seeker 20″ (and no doubt the 24″) have great trail geo and tyre clearance….our 6 year old has 2.4 Veetire flow snaps which are like a kids Maxxis Minion DHF….set up tubeless and running 12-15 psi they are a great alternative to the added weight of a fork. As I think you’ve realised, you have to spend big money to get a kid specific/tuned air fork that will actually begin to work for their minimum relative weight! Here’s the bike and a sample of it in action with pilot Charlie on the lower part of “Lower Cliffs” at Cannock Chase.

20″ Earlyrider Seeker in “Beast” Mode!

ER Seeker 20 in action

230gm total weight increase over the stock 2.25 Veetire Crown Gems and worth every gram….they’ve also made tech climbing much better due to the phenomenal traction.

Maxxis Ikon 2.6 …..big volume but fast rolling….great summer hybrid tyre with a bit more capability if it gets choppy.

https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/maxxis-ikon-3c-exo-tr-maxxspeed-foldable/136836806/p?utm_source=google_products&utm_medium=merchant&id_producte=6972458&country=uk&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlKPClrDM6QIVFuDtCh0nvgD6EAQYASABEgJQiPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

As mentioned by others a 2nd hand 12” Isla Rothan is a great lightweight/good geometry/scalable option from age 2. The single rear brake is great for getting them used to the concept of slowing down. I sold ours for what I bought it for after both our kids learnt from age 2….and then they both transitioned on to a 14” bike with pedals off initially at age 3. If your starter is older than 3 then again good advice above…. just get a light 14” (or 16” if they’re bigger) with pedals off for first few weeks/months. Either way be prepared for the 14” to be outgrown within a year for 3 yr olds….. again, with a good brand 2nd hand buy. you’ll recoup pretty much all your outlay….I sold our Isla Cnoc for its buy price too!

If you’re off-road riding consider the new trend of burlier tyred little bikes. My 3 yr old daughter is smoking her older brothers relative (skinny tyre Isla Cnoc)progress on her Early rider 14” seeker with 2.25 trail tyres….awesome bit of learning kit! But turning 4 next week and a recent growth spurt, she’s ready for his hand me down 16” earlyrider trail bike. There is huge demand for the seeker 14” though so again, I think the apparent steep initial outlay is pretty minimal if you can wait a year of two to recoup that cost. Bottom line, size/age of your child dictates where you start…. enjoy the amazing journey of seeing them learn to love riding!

OP question: “fast rolling back tyre from Maxxis” Answer: Crossmark II

There we go. Nice and simple. As others have said not high volume at 2.25 but perfect for XC duties.

Maxxis says: “The CrossMark II improves on the speed of its predecessor while improving grip in intermediate conditions. The legendary center ridge still flies on hardpack, and the updated tread pattern provides better braking and cornering over a wide range of trail conditions. A great choice if you want to go fast everywhere.”

My YT Jeffsey ditches it’s trail duty E-thirteen wheelset with big voulume DHF and DHR II for a Stans Arch MkIII wheel set with 2.35 `Ikon up front and Crossmark II out back for local X/C bridleway/ kids rides duties…two bikes in one! Ikon in 3C is a surprisingly good general use and even trail centre tyre….I’m going to source the bigger volume 2.6 3C WT one for summer duties next time round (available germany but not UK?)

Fab upgrade. The bar mounted climb switch is a very worthy addition too…..

I managed to get a current MT500 on sale online (size chart recommended Large for me at 6’1″)…. It is a very bike specific cut and as others have mentioned comes up short at the front….for general wear…..seems perfect once on the bike and leaning forwards though, not tenting and getting in the way. I’m wearing it for running in the wet as well and would have liked it a bit longer at the front for that but it’s great for it’s intended purpose. Great ventilation with the pit zips and pockets doubling as vents, and really appreciated the helmet compatible hood in its’s first outing this weekend in some heavy rain….adjustment system to keep it put while hurtling downhill worked well. Finished bone dry while mates were soggy so happy with that.

Same boat OP….our 3 yrs 6 mth lass is all set for a size up from her 12″ Isla Ronan which she is confidently zooming about on…..she has her brothers 14″ Isla Cnoc small ready to inherit. He switched up to it with pedals off for 3 months, and then was off on his first go with pedals on once he decided he was ready (and wanted to ride like the year older neighbour’s twins!)

This is a link to her last week giving it a first try….it is 2kg’s heavier than the Ronan but she instantly liked not having to lean so far forwards (Her Ronan is at max height elevation so it’s a relative lean down to the bars). She’s a bit slower on this obviously on a first try, but her brother was whipping around on it like the Ronan after a couple of weeks.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4iKVCan6Cn/?utm_source=ig_web_button_native_share

(Her brother lasted less than a year on it before he outgrew it, but it was definitely age and size appropriate for that crucial learning to pedal timeframe….a 16″ was just too big on standover and weight without a 14″ transition, but he’s a 50th percentile size so your mileage may vary if you have a big for age child) He moved onto a Early Rider Belter trail 16″ which has done him from 4 to 6 and has been just brilliant. He’s now shifting to 20″ as of his birthday next week).

I may well sell the Isla Cnoc small as she and her brother are Early Rider ambassadors and we can get their new 2020 pedal 14″ trail bike, the Seeker 14″, at a good discounted price (sneak preview here of the urban version….tested at Early Rider HQ 2 weeks ago…forgot to get a shot of the very cool chunky super light trail version!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4QZu0aHCnL/?utm_source=ig_web_button_native_share

Let me know if you’re interested (I’ve swapped tyres from the urban style originals to more trail friendly chunky ones). Alternatively I can source you and Early Rider discount if you want to push the boat out on a new bike! PM me if interested on either count.

Raceface Chester: same price but slimmer profile and lighter than Burgtec composite with serviceable internals, sealed axle, and key for me, you can use a pedal spanner or 8 mm hex to get them on/off…..have been caught out with hex only pedals seizing and then stripping and being a nightmare to get out of crank!

Ikon is terrible front tyre but pretty good on the rear.

Not my experience at all if used as intended (a cross country race tyre)…..I usually run a DHF 2.5 WT on 30 mm rims up front, so have high expectations of grip/cornering performance, but have a 2nd set of 26 mm rim wheels running an Ikon 3C EXO EXC TR 29er in 2.35 guise up front for light trail/cross country/canal with kids duties. It has been excellent, and I’ve even left it on for trail centre duties on occasion and been surprised how well it holds on (and obviously rolls a whole lot better than a 2.5 DH on climbs!). So much so I think the DHF is perhaps overkill for dry non rocky trail centre duties and I’m going to source the 2.6 WT version in 3c EXO TR form for up front (seems to only be available through German online options). But no. it won’t be going to Wales anytime soon.

Out back on the skinnier rims I run a Crossmark II for CC and family stuff. Hard to beat in those circumstance with minimal RR but not best suited as an all rounder. There will always be compromises and you choose where you take your hit…DHRII fab grip and braking…not to bad on RR, Aggressor actually rated worse than DHRII for RR and gives up some of the DHRII braking, Ardent less RR but sacrifices grip and braking etc……The ardent is probably the best compromise biased towards less rolling resistance IMO. I stick with the DHRII for all round duties, but as you can guess, I’m only really familiar with the Maxxis camp so the rear answer may lie beyond that fold :-)

Black beauty! Another Carbon Jeffsy….Riders own mud applied fresh today in Wales. Coil and 150mm deb air shaft travel upgrades. Oh so capable…now if only I was!

Having run out of upgrade options for my own bike, I have recently been channelling my inner research nerd into a 20″ upgrade for our soon to turn 6 year old (currently on the excellent Earlyrider 16″ belter)

Note that suspension is contentious for 20″ bikes….consensus is that kids this size/age are too light for most (inevitably budget orientated) coil springs to be effective (and hence they add massive weight for very little practice value) and that the air forks that are effectively tuned for kids are eye-wateringly expensive (as reflected in the prices below!).

“Best” 20″ kids trail bikes with (air) front suspension (if money were no object) are as follows:

Trailcraft Blue sky 20 Blue Sky amazing but…..ouch!

Spawn Yama Jama Yama jama equally amazing….but still ouch!

Early Rider: currently releasing a new range of hardtail, front suspension and full suspension trail bikes (having gobbled up American brand “lil shredder”). The current 20″ belter trail is now superseded by the hardtail “seeker” range and the suspension orientated “Helion” range. Both ranges are a big revamp featuring geometry following adult trends, 10/11 speed drive trains, and new suspension for the front and full suspension models. (the apparently difficult to tune/service air spinner grind forks have gone). Official release in November but catalogue is up on site:
EarlyRider 2020

Other high end non starters for me at least are:

Commencal: great spec 20″ hardtails and full sus bikes but completely out of whack crank sizes: 140 and 152 mm which are age appropriate to 9 year olds plus! Most bikes in this segment have bothered to spec age appropriate size 120-130mm cranks.Meta HT (but WOW.and its red!).

Norco: same deal…great looking/spec bikes but 152mm cranks and heavy coil spring for their front sus option. Fluid 2.3+ Great looking bike though and only ½ a kidneys worth…..must… resist… on aesthetic alone……!

Kona…old school spinner grind air fork and massive 152mm cranks. Honzo 20

You could source smaller cranks for these bikes in theory…..looking in to it thought lighter ones are not cheap! I do love the red CommencalMeta HT but I don’t really want to be selling a kidney to fund a bike that will realistically be outgrown in 2 years time…perhaps you could justify it on resale? No, no just leave it kiwifiz!

Most of the rest of the less expensive coil suspension options are pretty chunky 10kg+ numbers, which is kind of the magic number to aim below for for little riders in the 20″ segment. They obviously ride fine, but there is a big penalty for little legs climbing.

The current sensible trend in the 20″ segment is to sub out suspension for big volume tyres (typically 2.6) with some that can be run tubeless as well and give some meaningful shock absorption for bumpier terrain. Good examples:

Merida MATTS J 20+

Vitus 20+ Vitus 20+ The best priced of the bunch by quite some margin. Good reviews generally.

Cannondale Cujo Race 20+
Cujo standard 20+

There are plenty of very similar spec hardtail options with slimmer (sub 2.35) trail tyres good geo, V brakes from:

Saracen
Orbea (disc brake option)
Kona
Giant etc

The frogs and Islas don’t have trail specific options at 20″…skinny road tyres which you could swap out but they have very narrow chain stay clearance out back. I particularly don’t like the long frame/chainstays of the frogs….they look cumbersome….just my opinion. The Whyte 203 looks great with good spec too initially too, but is another weirdly long chain stay bike with a 77º seat angle?

I’m angling for the hardtail Seeker 20″ from earlyrider. Although not quite new school + tyre volume, 2.35 is still pretty chunky, tubeless ready, and thte geo/componen build looks excellent. Game changer that no one seems to match in the 20″ category is the weight (along lines of current 20″ belter which is under 8.2 kg) which makes a huge difference for hills and general ride-ability. Back up is the Vitus 20+….half the price almost but 2kg heavier, old school non upgradeable 7 speed but the best value in the new school 20+ bunch. So there you go….how lucky are current kids to have access to a huge range of trail friendly bikes!

Same situation….5 year old about to outgrow a 16″ early rider Trail variant that has been fab…..not quite sure people grasp how light the early rider bikes are compared to equivalent Frog/Isla/generic….same for the 20 inch trail….nothing to match the 8.1kg of the rigid fork model.

The Vitus range seem to get the nod from lots of MTB dads in various forums, and are not bad at around 9kg. A lot of the competition are 10kg+ which is significantly more weight for little legs. I like the look of the Vitus plus as we’re riding 90% local bridleway and trail centre. The geo looks more trail orientated than the isla/frog/generic. Commencal do a similar 20″ 2.6 tyre bike but its heavier and more expensive.They also do amazing front and full sus 20″ bikes but all over 10.5 kg and starting at £700+ !!

Maybe a 2nd hand easy rider trail 20? They’re solidly built and have more than one person mileage I’m sure. I’m going to keep an eye on eBay closer to swap out time.

As for gloves, have a look at the Wulfsport Stratos Kid Glove…..from £7.00-£10 if you hunt and sizes from age 3 to 10. excellent glove my 5 year old can put on himself.

Knees: Oneilpeewee’s are excellent and small enough for 4 up
Elbows: Fox peewee titan elbow pads

Both have save a lot of grief and skin loss for our little speed demon!

Let us know what you decide on bike wise…..

I recently started looking for something to replace the excellent Yepp Mini I’d been using on my old Mk2 Soul, but that worked with heavier growing passengers and also worked on my new full sus. I hankered after something that didn’t require you to leave fitting hardware on the bike like the yep mini did too. Then the Souls reba fork died, forcing retirement of my kid carrier and a new urgency for a replacement! The yep mini didn’t fit my 29er full sus as it won’t work with a short modern stem and the foot extensions massively restricted turning circle.

First port of call was a project I’d watched for several troubled teething years, the MacRide ….They seemed to finally have it together on production and access, but then found out that the black version I wanted was unavailable until August in Europe. I didn’t fancy the bright blue one that was in stock. Drilling down into compatibility, it turned out that in the small print, it wouldn’t work with my stem anyway (you have to have additional stack space for it to work with a sub 50mm stem….doesn’t seem very compatible with modern geo trends). I also didn’t like the cheap hard plastic seat as my daughter is a bit “princess and the pea” in nature.

So I looked into the shotgun, with caution, as i have a carbon frame. There web site stated ok for carbon but I wasn’t convinced, so got in contact for a really helpful back and forth about their design and engineering with the company owner. They were also able to confirm compatibility with my frame and that other users had had no issues with my specific frame during its year of use down under before being released in the NH. I’d recommend that if in doubt, get in touch with them directly.they were very approachable….. From their website:

CAN I USE THE SHOTGUN SEAT ON MY CARBON FRAME?

Yes, we have many customers around the world using the shotgun seat on high-end carbon mountain bikes.

The clamping force of the shotgun seat is minimal thanks to the load being shared across 5 points of contact, with each point having moulded rubber frame protection.

If you have a question about the installation or suitability of the shotgun seat for your bike, please contact us or send us a Facebook message for a speedy reply.

It is a really well engineered bit of kit, is pretty quick to get on and off, and has a soft padded seat with infinite positional adjustment for a good passenger riding position and a happy bum. The thick grippy rubber for the 5 contact points leaves no marks on my invisiframe cover, and there is a sensible system for limiting to minimal clamp force. Most importantly, my main 3 yr old passenger absolutely loves it! We have been on some really cool adventures the past month and look forward to many more. Its something special to here your 3 yr old daughter whooping with excitement as you share a trail!

dropbox.com/s/mrm6mvgcuhjt345/Photo%2015-06-2019%2C%2017%2041%2043.jpg?dl=0

dropbox.com/s/ne5q8md9fu294a2/Photo%2022-06-2019%2C%2009%2037%2041.jpg?dl=0

Superb thanks Pook! Blue skies, dry and dusty and some friendly locals for fine tuning advice. The bog of doom was a mere 2ft shallow puddle 😊. Topped off our three days of local riding nicely, especially with the last descent!

Not on twitter so didn’t look into alternative ways KOTP reporting….

Wish it was less of a mission to post photos as have some nice shots.

Thanks chaps. Much appreciated. We’re loaded up and on route to the start!

(Have of course checked KOTP but last update a month old…..)

Hillbilly grid 2:3. Old model available for under £30.00. I got one for front wheel 29er duties after careful research of the options and a storm control 2.0 for the rear. The hillbilly has a tough tubeless ready casing and is superb as front tyre in mud but also works well in drier trail conditions too. Review consensus was generally good all rounder for a mud tread and  surprising  lack of drag for what it is. The storm control on the other hand has a really thin casing in comparison (“2bliss”  but not grid) and the tread is well spaced but shallow……slipped on wet roots and rocks where my aggressor and DHR II  have no problems. I wouldn’t trust it anywhere rocky and it has to be run at higher psi because of narrowness so feels harsh. I’m ditching it for another hillbilly for when i next have to ride really muddy natural trails.

Just remember their are other variables like chain line and hanger geometry that will affect cassette related drivetrain noise/change quality between different bikes…..what works well on mine may not for your set up! Good luck and hope it works out for you too. It’s a huge cost effective range increase for 1×11 and has been perfect for simplifying my winter drivetrain.

I’ve had long cage xt with this cassette working absolutely fine for 6 months on a soul Mk2 built up as winter bike. Shifts really well up and down and no need for any modifications except  standard hi, low and b screw adjust/tweek. I really wasn’t expecting it to be as good! Saw the current ST  review and thought that it was kind of short sighted to base the global medium cage recommendation on trying it on just one bike!

Have run both on ethirteen (older) trs+ 28mm rims. As Northwind has said, there’s more to it than width. Significantly more volume with the 2.5WT and the tread pattern is scaled up with bigger, higher knobs with a little more spacing between them. I too love the big volume  monster truck feel with lower pressure option….i’m off them at the moment and the bike feels a bit harsh being back on the 2.3’s and a 26mm backup wheel set while my bigger rims are out of action for a warranty repair. The 2.5WTs may not be as fast on flats/climbs but they are are far more grin inducing on hairy descents!! The extra volume feels like a suspension upgrade too.

I’ve been using a Thule thruride for the past 7 months for a carbon Jeffsy 29er. As OP has stated YT specifically state no frame clamps so no real option but to source a frame clamp alternative for me. Researched the thruride and picked up on the possible axle damage from metal clamp concerns….I wasn’t concerned about any cosmetic surface damage to the thru axle because (as far as I’ve read) it’s job is to hold the hub against the innners….no spinning roll itself as that’s down to hub bearings and so axle surface state (within reason) is irrelevant. I hadn’t clocked the perhaps more relavent concerns about fork lowers flex and movement of threaded inserts on axle without a hub to lock against and stabilise until now.

One posible Jeffsy solution for this thruride shortcoming is a 20mm to 15mm sleeve adapter that both protects the axle from direct clamp force and gives the fork lowers a hub substitute to clamp onto. USA based MTB tools do a boost and non boost version available directly from website or via eBay…this is the non boost:

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/MTB-Tools-Mountain-Bike-20mm-Thru-Axle-to-15mm-Thru-Axle-Adapter-for-100mm-Fork/252265312182?hash=item3abc2f2fb6:g:vVoAAOSw9mFWNiTy

this was recommended in a lengthy thread on this topic here:

http://forums.mtbr.com/cars-bike-racks/thule-thruride-535-new-model-anyone-using-969924.html

The downside is that you compromise security…..the 15mm thru axle is no longer locked in via the clamp mechanism and could be simply slid out to remove the bike. I’m currently sourcing one as never leave the bike unattended on roof anyway

I’ve found the thruride great to use and rock solid on motorways. Specs state cleared for up to 140km/h…..and no more peering up nervously at a wobbly  front wheel 591 mounting ….much easier to load on and off the vehicle and a lower profile that’s made a small difference to fuel consumption versus my old bike on a Thule 591. Just remember you need room in the car for the front wheel…may not suit everyone.  Hope that’s helpful.

Have built up my old 26 soul as a beefy winter hardtail but the new full sus 29er has been so much fun to ride I have been dragging it out in the local mud and some Cannock sandy paste despite best intentions to shield it from the worst of winter. A recent bodge with some cheap muckynutz style mudguards is doing a pretty good job of keeping main pivots clear of muck and even the drivetrain seems less gritty as a result, but it was a bit late for the poorly though of raceface press fit BB92 bottom bracket….grindy as anything within 8 months of new. Despite conventional wisdom, did a clean-out/regress of the bearings in situ and they are sweet again…doddle to do as the external plastic seals are not as difficult to remove as the threaded race face bb’s. Time to assess the toll on the rear suspension bearings now though….a first venture into rear suspension maintenance!

Another running long cage XT with no extra bits and flawless on my soul 26 winter build 1×11. A sweet and simple upgrade for my setup.

sorry should read “sleeve bit” before autocorrect attacked and now can’t edit post.

Your timing is exceptional dougieb! That at least confirms it fits OK. Did you have any fun with spacers and did you leave in/adapt for width the race face sleep bit?

Same boat here…..RF BB92 on CF2 Jeffsy 29er sounding rough 8 months in. The RF ones are about for as low as £29.00 (Tredz with discount) so with the Hope looking like not such a great option with no sealing I’m tempted stick to original spec bearings but leave the Jeffsy for the dry. I have built up a winter hardtail but the Jeffsy is so damn good to ride (and leaves my ageing body feeling considerably less battered!) that I’ve been riding it, against original plans, in the wet and mud. The local muds not so bad but the Cannock sandy grinding paste is brutal on drive train and no doubt BB too.

Another option might be this Rotor equivalent of the Hope/WMF double bearing row bearings: Has extra seal unlike hope and much cheaper. Can’t find info on specific bearing spec though.

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Rotor-Press-Fit-4130-Bottom-Bracket_109064.htm?sku=404070&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google_shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA78XTBRBiEiwAGv7EKrRUsu7DzJ-0K1VcDT78flKTVCxwJ7RknQ0sdvQbV8t-sK7J3IxsThoCCLsQAvD_BwE#

https://www.bikeinn.com/bike/rotor-press-fit-4130-steel/136710246/p?utm_source=google_products&utm_medium=merchant&id_producte=6308742&country=uk&gclid=CjwKCAiA78XTBRBiEiwAGv7EKqlzFm4fFgkpiqRDDyd2LVW-ZgJrJ87Wdo5Mxr1u8yCr9Bo6pNTBnRoC1uwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Anyone tried it??

New battery solved the same problem for me in my old iPhone 5. Don’t think fiddling with apps and storage is going to sort the underlying problem that it’s a relatively old battery now in phone terms. My 6S is starting to do a little of the same now with the battery getting on to 2+ years.

Arch Mk3 on Hope 4’s from PT cycles recently….boost rear normal front no problem and quick turn around. Good email com’s and notification of progress. Recomended.

dry suit ankle cuffs

Best £7.00 you’ll spend for winter riding. Stretch down over back of heel of shoe and stretch front edge over top of shoe and lock in with top lace/strap…..just don’t plan to walk to much once you’re “sealed in” as it’ll wear the rubber over back of heel. No water ingress as long as its a relatively waterproof shoe. Bit tight around the shin but eventually stretches out bit.Worth it for completely dry feet!

Specialized small fry….kiwifiz junior very happy in his from 8 months. Stocked in Evans so you can try it on

Edit: ok a back up option then! Sounds like you’re sorted

What you can’t do on your test drive :-)

123d Nurburgring

No scirocco experience but love my 123d coupe. The 2.0 litre 204bhp unit is legendary (twin turbo in 123d as opposed to single in 120d) Very torquey with great upper end acceleration and superb B road handling thanks to the 50:50 weight distribution but not advised for city/speed bump heavy use….crashy ride on the m sport suspension with 18inch rims and standard run flats (although 17s are an option and apparently not as bad) Lots of owners recommend a switch to non runflats to reduce this. I run a set of 2nd hand 17 inch rims with non run flat winter tyres and its definitely makes a difference for town use ride comfort. But the 18’s look the business and of course aesthetics are far more important?! I’m lining up some non runflats for my 18’s next tyre swap out.

Budgeting for some winter rims and tyres is advised but depends on your use/location….a no brainier further north?

Bike with front off fits easily in boot…..surprisingly spacious with rear seats dropped flat although bit tight for two thanks to height clearance ….roof carrying for a second bike best. 120d gearing apparently better suited to motorway long hauls as ratios give better fuel economy/lower revs in 6th.

Down sides? Well budget also for third party security upgrade. Mine was stolen in London just before Christmas by some friendly Lithuanians. Without the keys. In 2.5 minutes. Luckily for me they were being tracked by a police sting operation and I got it back. Unlike 100’s of others of BMW’s that disappeared last year along with other makes with keyless fob ignition tech. Key cloning is a doddle and all the necessary kit is on eBay for £20.00. Along with readily available tutorials apparently. It’s not just new models that are going. Mine is of a vintage where the parts are in increasing demand and the police said it was worth 4x it’s value in parts. BMW claim software updates have resolved this issue but that is a complete farce. Effective until hacked within a day or two. So keep that in mind

And the other biggy…..n47 engine timing chain issues. BMW’s maintenance free alternative to a cam belt, except that a design fault is some earlier models leads to possible early wear and snapping. An engine out 4-5 grand fix for pre 2010 models (specifics available online). Another one in denial land for BMW and lots of noise on the Internet but real world prevalence is unclear. General thinking seems to be check service history carefully and change oil every 10k as opposed to fleet orientated 20k suggestions. And switch off stop/start tech as this apparently is high load on chain. I opted for extended BMW warranty for piece of mind and will sell on with that too to hopefully mitigate any resale issues.

So…..that’s probably shoved you firmly into the VW camp! Despite these issues, I wouldn’t swap mine…..the pleasure of driving it wins out for now at least and there are perfectly workable solutions as mentioned for the two key problems.

3 years on using dry suit cuffs after seeing them mentioned on here…..one of the top STW hive bits of advice for me and works a treat. Should be STW standard issue to put a halt to the endless “How do I keep my feet dry” threads….it’s the missing bit of kit that stops even the best of boots filling up eventually from the top down. Make it a gortex/leather boot and apart from wading in it, you’ve finally got an easy option for dry feet!

9mm for front, 10mm for rear. DT Swiss RWS available in both sizes. Benefits for front more than rear in terms of stiffness? Greater compression across fork possible is my (limited and probably erroneous) understanding. Very dependant on your fork/set up I guess. Did this on both ends of my Soul with pro2 evos but can’t honestly say there was a huge perceptible difference but my 120 dual chamber reba is fab plowing through most stuff anyway. Subjectively feels a bit more secure at least! Hope conversion kits readily available

+1 for superstar (sintered) in our regular riding group of 5 mixed SLX/XT shimano users. Cheap effective alternative and even last pretty well in the gritty Cannock context. Haven’t come across the Uberbike ones so can’t comment on them.

Love the 2.5 EXO DHF minion single ply up front for the rocky stuff of peaks and Wales. Will replace it with the new 2.3 trail tubeless ready version when current tyre is dead as they are a bit of work to get sealed on a Flow rim.

Rear option not mentioned yet and a perfect partner for the DHF is the new (tubeless ready) trail version of Maxxis Minion DHR II ….. big volume and even bigger grip. EXO sidewalls. Makes this big guy big happy in Wales and Peaks. Agree with you OP the ardent as a rear, although nice volume, is not going to fulfil your big grip priority!

DHR II 2.3 folding Dual EXO (comes up same size as the older 2.5 DHF almost)
EXO Tubeless Ready Dual 62A/60A Single Ply
(60tpi) 35- 65
Stickered weight 780

£35.99 online on a quick google check

Or for more grip/money:

DHR II 2.3 Fold 3C MaxTerra EXO
EXO Tubeless Ready 3C MaxTerra Single Ply
(60tpi) 35- 65
Stickered 755

£47.99 online

No rain when there at 10.00am this morning and main trails holding up well and relatively quiet. Think the stormageddon forecasts kept a fair few away. It is forecast for more rain this afternoon/overnight so no doubt a bit more surface water tomorrow. Hope the poor lass who had a nasty fall on to her bars/stem on Harry is ok…..think she got helicoptered out.