I’m 52 and have always been able to do
more challenging/techie stuff than most of my riding mates. Now tho’, I’m focussing on doing the same level stuff, but smoother, more stylishly and above all safer!

Injuries and healing time are the main reasons for this, as I want to be riding/snowboarding until I’m 80 at least.

I now spend 5hrs a week doing Pilates/yoga… as this helps me to stay fit and in-injured.

Hitting big stuff is great, but not as great as hitting average stuff stylishly/consistently/safely.

Gotta be Penmachno from that list. Great trail, not much fireroad, and lovely wooded bits. It’s basically riding up a stream bed for half of it, so as mentioned it’ll be wet. Whenever you ride it.

I’ve edited my post, as I realised I was maybe talking shit. I actually reused the straight pull spokes and re-laced them onto hope hubs. The spokes were regular ones and when I rebuilt it, I seem to recall I just used a spoke key to engage the spoke into the nipple, and continued as normal.

Beware tho’ 2 of the rim inserts have come loose in my rim, so they’re not very secure.

No, you just do the spoke nipples up as usual, the threaded inserts are reverse threaded*, so the spoke nipple just tightens into that. Any spoke type will do.

I’ve re-laced a pair onto hope hubs as the Easton were rubbish.

* to the beat of my knowledge…. but I did re-use the straight pull spokes, with hope SP hubs. So I never actually replaced them with J-bend. So maybe ignore my rubbish response.

Raceface flank d30 knee-shins in Xl work for me. My calves/legs are rather huge.

Just bought some bliss elbows in the PSA thread on here, although tight still are ok. Let’s hope they stretch like every other elbow pad I’ve owned.

anyone 21 stone plus is going to be well outside of the normal range of Forks and Rear suspension standard set up. In fact anyone over 100kgs is also pushing it for most rear suspension

Whilst this is true for air shocks, there are bike where using coil fork/shocks will be fine. As a biffer myself (110kgs) I am near the top end of spring weights, but I could go up a weight if needed still.

The right FS frame/shock leveraged ratio would still work for you.

Wheels/tyres are where you’ll need the extra attention.

I’ve never regretted getting a frame 1 size up from suggested, only ever getting a bike slightly too small.

Shorter stem, saddle forward, if needed to fit.

even a DHF, but thought that they may be very draggy options (although probably not much worse, if at all, than the the DHR II thinking about it).

I’d run the DHF (if you can find one) on the back TBH. It’s not any more draggy than the DHR and freally grips in corners. You can also get away with an EXO+ more easily on the front.

My specialized Ambush has a retention adjustment built into the shell of the helmet, so the adjusters don’t stick out at all really. Might be worth trying on?

Works for me…..
2x sets of hope Hubbed wheels, one 650b with chunky tyres/inserts. Another set with 29er carbon summer rims/tyres.

Both quickly and easily swapped. No re-adjustment of disks. Might be luck, but works for me.

I’ve been clamping my Carbon Stumpy for ages, doesn’t seem to have broken it yet! There’s room down from the swat box just by the BB area on mine though.

@shanner
I’ll check my spares box. I have at least one spare (as i went through a couple to get the right weight) but not sure what the poundage is.

All my boys had/have Rocket Rons on their bikes in 24″ and 26″ guise. Great light tyres for their weights as they don’t smash them up as much.

Rad rides who run out of Molini could be worth checking out. Not been with them myself, but Rene who guides/runs it is a top fella (as well as being a very capable rider)

This solar powerbank has done a good job charging stuff whilst I’ve been camping.

AMZGO Solar Charger 26800mAh,…

They’re great on 30mm internals.
My Roval carbons are shod with that same tyre. Sits well on the rim and holds up nicely when slammed into berms.

gravelking SK come in Skinwall? Mine run well on Mavic OpenPro rims, which are not tubeless specific.

Yeah, my 6yr old enduro is still on the shock i had when new (CCDB coil) And i’m Heavy!
great bike.

@nobeerinthefridge

Thanks for the link to that door step thing, looks interesting.

Is it a technique thing or what

To get my heavy Enduro bike (or pretty much any bike) on the roof of my S-max has always been a bit of a struggle.

I always open the rear door first, lift the bike up and put the tyres on the roof in one move, then stand on the sill and jam my arse up against the door. When braced like this, I can lift the bike onto the rack gullies. I then tie the front wheel strap up, before I clamp the done tube (Thule type rack) then all’s good after that.

After a few times, you’ll get the hang of it.

I run my stumpjumper as a mullet, because as a short legged person, I get more clearance from the rear wheel, but the traction and rolling advantage from 29 out front.

Won’t run to convince anyone it makes a big difference, but works for me.

However, I also run the bike with lighter 29 wheels both ends for more cross country rides and use the Mullet setup for trails/woods/jumping type stuff. This is only because the wheels/tyres combo I had worked better like that. Although, the slightly steeper front end works nicely for longer cross country routes, leaving the slacker Mullet set-up for jibbing around.

On quick way could be to use the ERD you already know, minus the hub spoke hole radius and allow for spoke engage to into the rim bed (basically add some for spoke insertion into spoke nipple) and get a rough number. This might allow you to guess which one, if either are right?

The youth hostel at truleigh hill is very remote, with a lockable store room for bikes. Pretty safe there I’d say.

Or indeed the SDW in 2 days, staying overnight at the Truleigh Hill youth hostel up from Shoreham?

Why not do a ‘point to point’ on the SDW.
Start at Eastbourne, the ride as far as you’d like (brighton 30 ish mile) and the train back to Eastbourne for the car.

There are a fair few stations on the way should you want to dive off sooner, or indeed go on to Worthing and train back through brighton.

My ‘trailskins2’ knee pads were very comfy and I’d love to wear them on every ride…. however they tore very easily where the rubber section meets the neoprene? bit after just 2 rides, so if you have large legs, like me, be aware the pull apart just pulling them on.

Did you see the external weld on the BB shell when you bought it? Or even subsequently?

So a new frame, from liteville, was welded to cover a crack?

I’d be calling them to have the bike collected at their expense and refunded, plus labour to build it etc: that’s terrible and fraudulent too I’d imagine.

Why? They’ll grow sooooo quickly, all your work and effort will be lost in a year or so. They don’t even care about this nonsense of internal routing etc:

Spend the time riding with said ‘Urchin’ and not hiding cables. PLLEEEEASE.

Ohlins equipt, carbon Stumpjumper- carbon Hope hubbed wheels, with mix of saint and Xtr.

In fortunate enough to have one to ride already. Carful what you wish for though- It’s a little disappointing when you get to the point where you have your dream bike.

Makes browsing for kit and reading reviews a little hollow.

Post is well over 2 yrs old so out of warranty.

If you’ve had a Reverb which lasted 2 years without needing a service you’re doing well.
Just buy another brand which is cheaper and more reliable

He’ll be fine with 165 too…

75kgs? – 22psi minimum on 2.4 tyre, skinny rims.

Now, I’m very prepared to shot down in flames here…. but why the obsession with drop bars on bikes that go off-road?

If you’re doing serious road miles, then aero position and multiple hand positions I get. But, surely most people just do backroads and country lanes, mostly not racing, mostly not huge miles on their drop/monster/cross/gravel things?

Just get a bike with flat bars, with more control and light 29er/gravel tyres wheels?

Can’t see the reasoning?

(Having tried gravel/drops/hybrid/all sorts)

Yes, they do. IME that is.

As said above- mine inflates with valve cores in (mostly) and will have the tyre popped on the rim in about 2-3 seconds max. If it’s not seated by then, most of the air needed to inflate has already escaped.

Sounds like it’s not working as intended.

If you’re happy to use Amazon, the SUNTOUR XCT JR Are in stock. I’ve got some on my kids bikes, when you ditch the heavy chainrings, they’re not a bad weight.

Errrr… take it to the LBS?
That’s what I did as it seemed like it would be a major PITA.

Resounding yes then. Thanks all.