Both- obvs.

180mm gnarpoon, which you’ll never test to it’s limits.

140mm trail bike which you can blame your lack of speed on.

That’s what I do!

silly image linking…. tsk tsk

in fact…. these are the seats i have.

pollisport bilby

I had a Yuba Mundo for my three boys, it was fab. Yes, the high centre sometimes required a little thought, but when used to it, there was no real issue. The seats i used were great, and yes expensive. But if you do get a Mundo, let me know, as i no have no need for the two seats currently sitting in the shed, Make me an offer. They’re a little dusty and the bum pad will no doubt be goosed, but the seats work very well to clamp onto the rack of the Mundo and probably most other ‘in built cargo racks’

Chain too short on a full suspension bike?

most likely this.

I have a Ford s-max with full glass roof. I use a 3 x bike Seasucker rack which has been great. Sucked straight on to the glass roof and was rock solid.

I can actually get 5 bikes on the roof, using 2 Thule racks and the Seasucker just slightly back and in-between the Thules.

Topeak Booster – still good for me, 3 years in. done maybe hundreds of tubeless inflations.

SportPursuit website did have a few good deals on Vulpine merino tops. They’re pretty nice, and not too ‘bike specific’.

Clearly you need a well equipped workshop…
& then another set of tools in a tool box for the back of the car / van for longer trips away…
& then also a tool roll with the bare minimum for lightweight trips away (flying etc)…
And of course small lightweight tools for carrying with you on a ride. Preferably as many sets as you have saddlebags / camblebacks / framebags to avoid re-packing.

That should sort you out.

Ha… thats pretty much what i’ve ended up with.

MIght be a bit of a trip for you, but theres a great coach at Chicksands bike park that really helped me bring on my jumping skills/technique. I don’t crash much now, but can ride most mid sized jumps/doubles/booters.

Speak to Tom Dowie.

https://www.tomdowie.com/

All my bike stuff sits in this type of Stanley toolbox.

2 pullout trays for tools, and small bits. The, spares and bigger items in the bottom. Just means i can throw it in the car when i go away and i’ll have pretty much everything i need.

I’m running EXO+ as there’s not too much weight penalty, but the sidewalks are a fair bit thicker.

@Sir HC…. i didn’t know that. He’s plainly trying to emulate my turn of raw SPEED.

I run DHR 2’s in 2.4 WT back AND front. I’m still alive as i sit here typing.

Having said all that about yokes and eating shocks…. I have a CCDB coil (piggyback version) on my 2017 650 enduro and it’s been thrashed to within and inch of its life in Alps/BPW/wales trails centres.

I’m 120kgs too.

Still on 1st shock with a few services. It’s ace and plush as a plush thing.
Paired up with a lyric coil on the front, it’ll cover any terrain I can handle.

I used to do exactly what you’re planning. I have twins, and an older child.

I used a Yuba Mundo, with both kids seated on the back. Mixture of younger child in Hamax seat and older one sitting on the rear deck and holding on to stoker bars. When the eldest was old enough to ride, I’d have the twins on the back and he followed behind.

Hit this link for a pic of the Mundo.
The bike was pretty stable with a very wide kick stand. Although, it’s always a little tricky getting them loaded/unloaded without the bike toppling over.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v06tlu6qk5n0b2e/2013-09-07%2009.43.30.jpg?dl=0

As a 120kgs biffer, who rides Wales, Alps etc: it’s not the spokes, but the build that will be an issue.

Rims should be tough, but spokes…. I use dt double butted. Always been fine.

and further to that, i do indeed have a 55lbs spring with only 2 short set-up rides on it.
If anyone is interested in that.

Bryn Bettws Is a good spot to stay (kinda low-fi) with both bunkhouse, and camping pod accommodation.

Literally right on the trail, with a good little jump spot/bike park there too. Easy to access and a good local steak pub a 10 min walk from the cabins. It’s where we stay when we go to afan.

ok, thanks all…..

@ Nobeer… I also have a Joystick, which i find is not really enough for a helmet light, so i use the Diablo, and the Joystick get’s used for camping now.

@kryton….
if the Toro does 2000l (ish) for 3 hours, that sounds like it would work fine for me.
Are you using it in Reflex+ mode, for variable output to get this?

My riding is south downs area, and some gravel back lanes stuff. So, brightness overall is not the biggest issue, but runtime at around 2000L is what i was after.

Thanks for the replies all.

@bigyan – thanks for the link.
Interesting to read. Although no mention of how tricky/tools needed to shuffle the shims…. might have to tinker.

I think the loading on the Vorsprung is quick critical (as there’s specific details in the instructions about exact fitting) so I’m not sure preloading is possible.

The shin stack Ian the way to properly set-up the HBO effectiveness, but I’m too lazy to do it.

I think that the HBO system is, in effect, being too effective, creating the inability to achieve full travel. I can feel it’s effect on big landings, so it’s very noticeable.

I¡m going to try much lighter oil as a ‘cheat’ to see if I can reduce the effect a little. Well, when the Somme of my local trails has receded.

Yeah, to be fair to TF tuned, I had the same issue and they swapped it out no worries. (Thanks Ruth)

But, I suspect that the smashpot spring kit prevents you using full travel, as it certainly does on mine. Even with a softer spring than suggested, and a softer one than I would otherwise use, I’m still not getting the last 20mm of my 180mm fork. Ever. Huck to flat, long alpine descents, nothing will encourage it to full travel.

I suspect, as TF hinted at, that the bottom out circuit is overdamped and I need to adjust the washers in the HBO circuit.

Not tried yet, but it’s def an issue.

Trousers/ cheap (army surplus gore Tex £20)
Jacket, expensive + breathable. (£1??)

Mudguard keeps the crap off the jacket to some extent.

Evoc do a good one too.

There’s a youth hostel near Shoreham, right on the SDW, if that’s more what you were thinking.

There’s also a pub I’ve stayed in before in Petersfield, which is pretty bike friendly. About 2 miles off the SSW.

{im not a lawyer}

The law, AFAIK will allow an equal use of force in self defence. A push on the pedestrian would be seen as proportionate, whereas a ‘light punch to the face’ would probably not.

If you report this to the Police, using the description you gave here, they might be compelled to prosecute. If you DO go to the Police pre-emptively, i’d take someone to represent you.

Chances are, the pissed up idiot wont remember which day it was, let alone how to describe you. I’d leave it.

I’m with Binman. 2.5 shorty front, 2.3 rear on the winter hardtaik. Eats it’s way through the claggy slop round here just fine.

Not much road on the way to my trails tho’, so it’s rideable for shorter distances. The rest of the time I ride 2.4 DHR’s front and back.

@jp..
Thanks for that, i thought as much. Being as i have a coil spring, then it’s easy.

Does anyone know if the charger damper (considering one from the German site for my Yari) is the same unit, regardless of travel on the fork?

The ones listed don’t seem to show any travel options.

I’ve got the YariUp in my fork, along with a smashpot coil.

The damper seems to work ok, but I’m struggling to get the fork Dialed as a whole. Not sure if it’s the damper or the combination of this and the coil.

The fork seems pretty controlled in the mid stroke, but the low speed control is barely noticeable from full open to closed. Might be the coil spring weight is overcoming the damping circuit (as I’m a biffa and need the heaviest spring weight). The smashpot also means the bottom out control is not really needed.

I’m not able to compare it to the charger tho’ as I’ve got marzocchi and Ohlins on my other bikes.

Overall tho’ seems to work well. I’m experimenting with oil weight changes right now to see if that makes a difference.

I wear BAM base layers all the time. Comfy, cheap and great warmth for winter. In fact, I only have BAM boxers for everyday wear now.

no boring windsock here…. just a little desert shrubbery to watch.

I do think the problem is exacerbated in the more populated south of the country, where access to outdoor spaces is more limited and busier.

Emptying your dog is easier at the local woods, as there’s fewer people to see you/fine you for fouling.

I just use a ‘wheels manufacturing’ bb converter on my specialised bikes. Works a treat and I run shimonoseki cranks on all mine.

It’s about £60 which is not very cheap, but mine have all lasted years with only a quick remove/regressed every 12 months or so. This is easy and uses the same tool as a standard Shinano BB .

Now, I’ve been doing this MTB thing for a few decades, travelling widely and often on a bike. One thing I can tell you is dogs will chase bikes and bark/bite as that’s what instinct tells them to do.

My children have been harrassed by dogs on many occasions, with dog owners doing little to effectively prevent this, or stop it when it happens. They often say, “it’s fine, they won’t hurt you” but it’s not fine. Not fine at all. I teach my children to be very wary of dogs.

I’ve been chased and bitten by dogs when on my bike too, with much the same approach in response from dog owners. Not fine.

One thing I’m sure of, is that this was not the first time these dogs have chased/barked/bitten people. They’ll do it again too, as the owners don’t really seem willing to prevent it by keeping them on a lead, or training them better where possible. Whilst I appreciate people have a right to keep dogs, they don’t have any right to allow them to threaten and harrass other users of the outdoors.

There are of course good dog owners. But IMHO the numbers are testament to a majority being less than responsible. I even see friends of mine with dogs, who are cyclists, losing their sense of proportion when they have their pooch and not a bike with them.

When riding off road with my children, I now keep a little water pistol in a holster on my handlebars, full of grapefruit juice as when squirted at the offending pooch, this acts like tear gas to them and sends them packing pretty quickly.

I’ve yet to use it on a dog owner, but I’m sure it won’t be long before someone from this group of entitled and self interested tw*nts take umbridge at my approach. Just like hanging poo bags in trees, or putting them on the floor next to a full bin, this sort of behaviour is not ok. Dog owners need to compelled to behave better, as I can’t see them doing any form of self policing, some sort of mandated control needs to be implemented.

And yes, I do know dog owners who are responsible for their dogs. Even they are concerned with the quantity of people who own dogs and are not attempting to be responsible for them at all.

I’m with @joebristol a Maxxis Dhr2 exo is a great rear (and front to)

As @oliverracing said, near impossible to get off easily.
Quicker to change pedals if you do it very often.

I’m running a non-boost 30t XTR on my ‘boost’ stumpjumper frame, with no issues. Chainring has about 3mm clearance, so not leads, but enough.