Way over budget, but the 7Mesh Guardian is an unbelievable bit of kit. The only waterproof jacket I’ve ever used that doesn’t need pit zips to remain breathable and the hood is excellent too; fits over the helmet with ease but doesn’t flap about in the wind. 7Mesh gear is incredibly durable too, it makes every other piece of MTB gear I’ve used look positively second-rate and I’ve got some of their kit which has had 2 years of non-stop hammering and it still looks brand new and I’ve never had to re-proof any of their waterproof kit, still good as new. Expensive? Ohhh yes. Worth it in the long run? Abso-frickin-lutely!

Budget wise I can get both hopes for not much more than one Exposure.

Quick search around and you can get the latest Maxx-D and Joystick for a little over £25 more than the Hope lights linked at Evans. I know which I’d rather (and do) have. Don’t get me wrong I like Hope kit, both MTBs have Hope brakes, BB’s, Hubs and headsets, but for me, there is nothing than Exposure.

I had a quick play with the Hopes and they are decent, but the cable-less design of the Exposures is far better imo. The run time on the R8+ looks pretty poor too. 1 hour on full power? Also baffles me a little how they claim 4000 lumens and then 2 sentences later it states 3000 lumens measured? Same for the R4, claims 2000 lumens in the title yet says only 1500 in the description> My Maxx-D has 3300 lumens in the Reflex mode and I can get 3 hours out of it, easily. No brainer for me! Get a Maxx-D and a Joystick and you won’t go wrong, they are genuinely brilliant lights!

They are good but really for that money I don’t see a reason not to go for Exposure lights. If you’re really on a budget then the separate battery/head unit brings the price down but at the higher end just go for Exposure.

Cafe is always closed on a Monday, trails are likely still covered in snow/ice from the weekend. Wouldn’t bother today tbh!

The E4 i recently put on a newer set of Revelations is mightily close to bottoming out on the fork leg, even with a recess built into the leg just for that reason! Think it’s quite common for some 4-piston brakes to foul or be close it on 180mm post mounts. Shim away or switch to a bigger rotor and mount.

10 years ago I was riding my beloved Kinesis XC120 and it was already 3 years old at this point! Oh the days of only having one bike!

Nowadays I split my riding between these two and a gravel/road bike

It’s always reasonable to ask for a discount. The advertised price is an offer, its not legally binding, only the price agreed by the seller and customer is legally binding, so you can always counter offer. They don’t need to accept your counter offer, but if you don’t ask you don’t get. I think if you were to ask for discounts then you’d be surprised at how often you get one.. might not be a lot, but something is better than nothing.

This kind of attitude really gets my goat. Yes if something is full RRP and you’re a regular customer to your LBS, heck your might even be on first name terms with staff, then its alright to tentatively ask the question, but for **** sake if somethings already 50%+ off don’t be a dick and ask for more discount. People just strolling in and asking for money off is one way surefire way to piss off a sales assistant. Even better, don’t do it when the sales guy has spent an hour with you talking you through the options if required and helped inform your decision, only to ask for discount for the sake of a couple of quid. Just pay the labelled price, thank them for their time and don’t be a cock.

Usually mid to high end MTBs come with a manual, volume spacers for the fork and occasionally tubeless valves and pads spacers for when you take the wheels out. Knowing Specialized you’ll likely get none of this. I’ve also never known a bike to come with a shock pump. Basically when buying a new bike, be prepared to get the bike and that’s your lot.

Charger damper is good, certainly better than the Mo-Co in my 2018 Revelations, which still isn’t a bad fork now I’ve had time to fettle with it a little. Rode the ’18 S150 on a demo last year with the Deluxe R and didn’t miss the pedal platform, it felt pretty efficient as it was. Only use the pedal and lock modes on T130 as it’s there, doubt I’d miss it if I didn’t have it. I have heard that the Whytes with the more basic shock are actually smoother and plusher than the ones with better shocks, something to do with the extra shim stacks or valving or something like that!

The fact their marketing videos have been so silly is just brilliant marketing though! They’re just so out there they stick in your mind and get you talking, I bet you’d struggle to remember anything about a video from any other brands, yet most probably still remember the original jeffsy marketing campaign

@Nobeerinthefridge, I got a MK12 Joystick in 2017, its been awesome, just wished it lasted a bit longer on full power!

Wouldn’t bother with the Sync feature, they’re so easy to switch between modes anyway. I went for a Joystick and Maxx-D and have been very happy with them. The Maxx-D decided to stop working before Christmas but it was sent back and returned quickly after a factory reset and has been perfect since.

The Maxx-D feels like more than enough light, I can’t ever think I’ve needed more power, so unless you want literally hours of burntime I can’t see the worth of the SixPack, I can get 3 hours out of the Maxx-D in the most powerful Reflex mode, which is more than enough for me.

The Joystick is good, but in hindsight I think the Diablo would be the better choice, just for the extra burntime in lower powered modes; I run the Joystick on full power on descents and in one of the lower powered modes on climbs and fireroads and struggle to get much more than 90 minutes out of it.

As far as C2W goes I would imagine some retailers would insist you paid RRP, as some C2W scheme providers charge the shops are fair chunk of margin in return, but it’s worth an ask.

Two surprises stand out, both bikes I rode on Demo days. First was a Trek Fuel EX in 2012ish? Just felt really fun and lively, only rode it because thats all Trek had left at the time but actually really enjoyed. Other is a Yeti SB4.5. Did not expect it to feel as fast as it did, eye-wateringly fast everywhere, up, down, along the lot. If it wasn’t so expensive and I had fewer concerns with durability of the Switch link I’d have bought one over my T130.

Bfe has an 853 downtube, the rest is 4130. Geometry wise they actually very similar when using the same size forks. Head angle is the same, seat tube on the BFe is a degree steeper, but otherwise they are within a few mm’s of each other. Hadn’t realised they were that close in terms of numbers!

The BFe uses only an 853 down tube with regular chromoly for the rest of the front and rear end, the Soul uses a full 853 front triangle which is better, more expensive tubing. This is what makes the BFe cheaper, it just uses cheaper tubing. The fact it’s built for burlier riding doesn’t really have much of bearing on the price, aside from maybe thinking a cheaper frame is something people would less worried about hammering than a more expensive one.

I currently have a MK5 Soul and owned an old 26″ BFe for a few years and both feel very different. Geometry aside (which is dramatically different!) the BFe felt fairly dull in terms of ride feel but solid, whereas the Soul feels a lot more comfortable and more agile. Not ridden the new BFe to compare but it really comes down to how you would want to build the bike up and where you want to ride. If you want an aggressive trail bike with a 120mm fork and a reasonably light build then go for the Soul, but if you want something a little burlier and a 140mm or bigger fork, go for the BFe.

2.6 Nobby Nic just fitted in my 2017 T130C RS, but rubbed on the chainstay under hard cornering. Maxxis do size up small so a 2.8 would likely fit but there would naff all clearance. My advise? Don’t bother and go with a 2.5 Minion, that’s plenty of tyre for a T130.

Bits for the spare back wheel for the Cotic, an Arch MK3 28h rim and matching Pro 4 hub, got the Sapim spokes before Crimbo. Next step is to drop them off with a mate to build them up. Same setup as I have on the T130, so can just swap the front wheel between bikes for now rather than both. Might build a front up as well down the line but it’s not needed atm.

After that it’ll be a fresh round of 7Mesh riding gear, they’ve finally bought out a decent looking windproof gilet and I’ve been hovering around their Guardian jacket for a while. Have been living in their Revo shorts this winter so seems sensible to get a jacket to go with them!

I’ll throw the grenade in… why the **** do you want an e-bike at 16? Christ sake what is the world coming to! Use the money on a gym membership or go on a riding holiday.

Had 4 pairs of Hope’s over the years (07 Silver Mini’s, original Tech X2s, Tech 3 E4 and Race E4) and they’ve all been faultless, I only bled the Minis as they were second hand but otherwise they have all been spot on.

Got a T130 and a MK5 Soul and they complement each other perfectly. I’ve ridden the S150 (and older G160) and unless I wanted “more” bike than the Soul, rather than just an FS equivalent, a T130 would be (and was) my choice. I’ve hammered the T130 and it is a brilliant all-rounder and I’ve seen several beefed up with 150mm forks, and beefier tyres both of which are simple changes, with an air-spring swap all that’s needed for the fork. Personally I’d have to want a bike purely for uplift/enduro racing to justify a G170, the T130 has handled everything I’ve thrown at it including the odd enduro-race or two. S150 splits the difference nicely but still felt a bit much for a lot of centres and gentler natural rides.

S120 is far from racey! 65.6 degree headtube and near 29lb weight, its a trail bike, through and through.

Merlin are chucking out 130mm RS Revelations on sale for £350, recently fitted a 120mm set to new MK5 Soul and they’re pretty good. Not quite as plush as the Pikes on my T130 but not far off! I’m sure the Pace would be strong enough to take a 160mm fork, but I’ve always thought anything more than 130/140mm is overkill on a hardtail.

Getting closer to Christmas, anyone heard any more news on this?

Am in the the lucky position of having both a MK5 Soul and a Whyte T130 and both are damn good. The Whyte is more comfortable, and it climbs better. I wouldn’t say it’s “better” just different. I’ve only had the Soul a month or so but I’m loving it so far, the Whyte I’ve had for over 2 years and it’s by far the best full suspension bike I’ve owned. The best answer is keep the Soul and get a T130 or S120!

The T130 and Soul feel quite similar in how they handle (helps I have the same wheels, similar fork, same bar/stem/grips/brakes/dropper etc) so if you like the way the Soul rides and just want more comfort, the T130 would be a good bet. I haven’t ridden the S120 yet, hopefully will get a chance in the new year, but it looks very good on paper.

7Mesh Eldorado is very nice, I’ve got a few long and few short sleeve versions and they’re ace. Medium fits me well at around 12.5 stone and a smidge over 6ft, I do also have a small that is just on the right side of tight too, so if you wanted a tighter fit just go a size down from what you normally wear. The quality is excellent and it’s very understated.

I’m 6ft 1 myself on a new MK5 Soul and found it a real stretch to start with. Just to get the build started I used a 50mm stem I had lying around and with the saddle in the middle of the rails on the reverb it was a good 50mm longer from the tip of my saddle to the centre of the bar on my T130. I’ve gone to a 31mm Chromag stem and moved the saddle forward 5-10mm and it’s still 20mm longer! I would imagine at your height a 45mm stem as Cotic have on the longer side of their recommended range and as far as reach goes you should be fine.

I have a 150mm reverb post and have about 30mm, maybe more exposed post though, so you would probably need a pretty long post to get it at the right to you as the frame is pretty low for the length.

Solaris. I went for a Soul so I could use my existing wheels but if I wanted something with bigger wheels I’d be going down that route. The Soul is just awesome!

I miss my Ibis Mojo HD140. In hindsight I should have bought a large, but 19 year old me didn’t want to ride a bike that was remotely gate-like. Dare say if I had gone for a large rather than than a medium I’d still have it, I’d have bought one of the 650b rear ends for it and had it re-sprayed in Matt grey/black and kept it for years to come. Amazing bike, nothing I’ve ridden pedalled as well as that bike. I love my T130, and my new Soul, but the Ibis will always be the one I wished I’d kept

Definitely. Of our regular group rides only one or two still use regular hydration packs, the rest of us are using various bumbags/hip packs/whatever you want to call them! I got a Dakine stealth one earlier in the year and it’s bloody brilliant! Fits under a jersey or jacket, takes all you need for most rides including keys and a mobile. Pumps might be a stretch but in mine I keep all the small stuff (C02 cart, tyre levers, spare mech hanger, quick links etc) and can still just about stash a super light wind proof jacket or gilet in there. Tempted by the new Camelbak Flow but it’s not available yet :(

I live in my 7Mesh Strategy Jacket this time of year and just tailor my base layers to suit. It’s made from various forms of Gore WindStopper and heavy rain aside it deals with everything, nothing seems to phase it. So good I got another on sale from them recently as it’s that good, the pockets on the back are genuinely useful too. Definitely one of the best investments in cycle clothing I’ve ever made. The 7Mesh Recon is also really good, is even cheaper at the moment (£80 down from £200-Ish on their site) and is a bit more casual if you want the same performance with a more casual look/fit.

Mine have been fine on my T130 and now using them for winter on my new Soul. Had them 2 years and they’ve been spot on. 28h build on Pro 4’s. For trail riding and occasional light DH use I think they’re fine, but for the riding you describe I’d go Flows every time.

You’d need ones specific for the brand of hub, not sure if Spank make Torque Cap adapters, not all brands offer them.

Being a desirable brand has a big bearing on depreciation. Myself and a work colleague bought 2 bikes at similar times, mine was a Mondraker, his was a Santa Cruz, both similar in terms of price. We both work in the trade so got decent pricing on them, but after we both sold them a few months apart he made his money back and I lost over a grand. Both were in damn good condition and similar spec so it just goes to show how much of bearing a certain brand can have on second-hand value. From what I see these days, unless you buy a Santa Cruz or a Yeti, any high-end bike will end up being sold for a lot less than the seller thinks!

Well scratch that advice then! Why not use the OneUp remote? Did you already have the Wolftooth?

Got a reverb 1x remote mounted to my Tech 3 lever, just used the Sram shifter mount adapter and it fits nicely. Might cost a bit more doing it that way but would be the least faff I would have have thought.

Conversely, I think M8000 XT is a load of shite. I’ve been running 1x for years, but before that it was 3×9, 2×9 then 2×10 before jumping on the 1×10 bandwagon in 2011. I thought the 9 speed stuff I tried was pretty good (pretty much everything from deore through to XTR, Sram not included as 9-speed Sram always seemed to fall apart very quickly). 10 speed was great. I remember trying the first 2×10 Sram X9 groupset and it felt ace and I still think 10-speed XTR is one of the smoothest, most reliable groupsets ever, would be ace with one of the SunRace 11-46 cassettes you can get nowadays.

But 11 speed… I have yet to ride any 11 speed groupset that I would consider good. SLX, XT, XX1, GX, X1, from my own experience it was all pretty substandard. Sram just felt cheap and nasty and bought out before it was really ready and was basically beta tested by the general public and Shimano tried to make their kit feel like Sram and failed miserably. It was also at this point Shimano went from having best brakes on the market to ones I’d be hesitant to recommend if you wanted anything above Deore level.

I’ve been running Eagle for over 2 years now and its the benchmark. My X01 has been pretty much faultless (recent top jockey wheel explosion aside) and I’ve just got GX Eagle on my Soul and am liking it. The GX does seem have the fastest stretching cables in existance but side from that I’m impressed so far. Be keen to see what XTR 12 speed rides like, hopefully Shimano have got their act together again, because every once in a while they just seem to loose it and their kit goes from being some of the best to distinctly average, at best.

They did a few years back, can only buy carbon frame only this year and they ain’t cheap! I got super excited when I first saw the X, my first custom built MTB was an old Kinesis XC120 back in 2006 at the ripe age of 15 and I loved it, still have the frame now as I can’t bring myself to part with it, it’ll sit in the man cave for all eternity once it’s done. I really wanted the X to be just what I was looking for. Sadly its just too short, an extra 20mm reach, a slightly slacker head angle and a steeper seat tube and it would have been spot on. A better colour would have been nice too!

Wouldn’t bother with Shimano brakes above Deore level, seen far too many issues for my liking. New Deore 4-pots are awesome though, incredible value for money and loads of power, but still a little on/off for some people. If you didn’t want to break the bank that’d be my first choice.

Sram brakes are awesome while they work, but again, I see so many issues with them. I’ve seen bikes with Sram brakes with sticky levers and pistons that haven’t even been ridden, just sat on the shop floor.

Nowadays I’d always go Hope. I have two sets of E4’s, one set with the lighter Race lever and the other with the standard Tech 3 lever and both are spot on. I’ve never had issues with Hope brakes and yes they can feel a little soft on power compared to some, but honestly that aside they are just awesome. For the riding you describe, V4’s would be my choice if you don’t mind the slight weight penalty, otherwise I dare say E4’s would be fine with 203mm rotors. I’m 12.5 stone and use 180mm rotors on my E4’s for general trail riding and have never found them wanting for power. I’d upsize to a 203mm on the front if I frequented more DH orientated terrain though.

+1 for the RocketMax, Sentinel and S150, all are superb bikes, doubt you’d be disappointed with any of them. Of the 3 it’d be between the S150 and Rocket though, rode the S150 earlier this year and it felt really good and if the RocketMax is anything like my new Soul it’ll be a riot!

Tune, Industry Nine or DT 240’s built on to Stan’s Crests with some fancy Sapim spokes. Wouldn’t bother with carbon personally, the weight advantage for the cost is negligable and I’d much rather have a set of wheels that I know will last rather than worry about them. Ran older Crests on my 140mm trail bike for years when I was younger (and lighter!) and never had issues.