Yep, definitely an XL at 6ft3. I’m just over 6ft and ride a large but have ridden an XL T130, it felt ok reach wise but didn’t feel as fun to ride as the Large, felt more stable but less agile thanks to the longer wheelbase.

Had mine since August 2016 and it hasn’t missed a bit. Changed the bar/stem/grips/saddle for preference reasons and changed the wheelset from stock to Pro4’s and Arch Mk3’s to drop a little weight, but the base spec is solid, reliable and the ride is very, very good. It’s done short xc blasts, a few DH runs and multi-day epics and it’s taken it all in it’s stride and done it with a serious amount fun, feels very agile when you want it to be but also has great stability at speed. Can’t fault it really!

Went for the Nano Air in the end, found a place local to me that stocked Patagonia, Arcteryx and more, tried the Nano Air and just felt right straight from the off. Great fit, warm, comfortable and looks like it deflects minor drizzle and rain pretty well. The mrs even approved, which was most surprising given the price!

Patagonia/
Arcteryx
7mesh
66North

If you aren’t a brand snob then Regatta stuff is surprisingly good now
mmm

But seriously I’m a big fan of Montane stuff, fit is always spot on and quality is great.[/quote]

Comes across that way but I got my 7Mesh kit on sale, and if it weren’t for the fact the sleeves were a bit short I’ve walked out of Mountain Warehouse at the weekend with exactly what I’m looking for for half as much!

When will you wear it and why?

Just for general Autumn/Winter wear really, I just use regular hoodies at the minute, usual high-street stuff and now I’m getting closer to 30 than 20 I feel the cold more I used to, so just want something warm, comfortable over a t-shirt and reasonably wind/weatherproof (I’ll not be out all day in a downpour!)

I’ve got a 66North Polartec fleece at the moment I got in Iceland last year and it’s very good, but wanting something with a hood and is more weatherproof.

Kitsbow is very nice kit, although I’m a devout 7Mesh fan these days, for Shorts, Jerseys, Jackets etc I won’t use anything else now. I’ve several jerseys, 3 pairs of shorts and their strategy jacket which are very good, fit is ace, materials are robust and top quality and they just work. Particularly like the Strategy jacket, Glidepath short and Desperado Henley, I’ll be using them for years to come and they feel like they’ll last an age to, unlike the Fox kit I used to wear which was usually only good for the bin after 12-18 months. I’ll be topping up my 7Mesh wardrobe in the next few weeks ready for winter, some of their roadie gear and a few thermal bits and bobs, it’s a real shame they don’t do base layers, socks, gloves etc as I’d be sure to get them, given how good the rest of the range is. Expensive yes, but very much like Exposure Lights I think the premium is well worth it for the performance and durability you get, you only have to read all the reviews and listen to user feedback to see that.

The reach on the Pivot is super, super short though, a good 40-50mm shorter than I’d like in a Size large and there is no way I’m having a PF BB again. There are a few that get close, the new Evil Following is one, but I’m still wary of their frames holding up and the other is Transition Smuggler but they haven’t done that in carbon yet. Was really hoping Whyte would do a T129 carbon this year but now it’s gone altogether!

Carbon Short travel, DW-link 29er with slackish HA, short chainstays, 460-470mm reach, threaded BB and properly sorted details, I.E cable routing, lifetime warranty on bearings, boost axles etc. Ibis ripley is close but just sooooo short, which is a crying shame as I loved my Mojo HD.

Of the few theories I’d seen and/or thought of, it was one I could see the logic behind but was surprised it’s happened. Silverfish already distribute Raceface/Easton and with Fox owning both brands I guess it’s an easier move for them to take Fox than Mojo take Raceface/Easton. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Marzocchi go from Windwave to silverfish either now, maybe with DVO and Formula falling by the way side.

+1 for Corsas, though my 28’s don’t appear much bigger than 25mm corsas my mate uses. Also looks at the challenge Paris-Roubaix, very nice and on offer at Tweeks at the moment – https://www.tweekscycles.com/components/road-clincher-tyres/challenge-paris-roubaix-open-road-tyre-700-x-27mm

Running 50 x 780 on my T130C, Chromag Ranger stem and Chromag Cutlass Carbon bar, best I’ve used by far. Was always a fan of Easton bar stems but my Haven 35’s were just too stiff, the Cutlass’ have a nice degree of give to them but still feel solid. The stem is a hefty lump but it hasn’t slipped, creaked and it looks awesome. Plus the bars have orange decals to match the bike, so there’s that as well!

The Mantle looks ace as lightweight XC/Trail rig and I also like the look of the Volare 853 Disc as well. I don’t really need either of them but that doesn’t stop me wanting both! Prices are about in line for most non-direct sell brands, Mantle Frame is £1500, Scott Spark 910 frame is also £1500.

I stand corrected, seems they released a 2.6 & 2.8 Magic Mary in Speedgrip compound without telling anyone! No “regular” Magic Mary’s in Speedgrip though, and given how big a 2.35 Magic Mary is even the 2.6 is going to be a big old tyre!

Magic Mary’s are only available in Addix Soft in snakeskin or Ultra Soft or Soft in the Supergravity casing. Speedgrip is not available on the Magic Mary, only on the Hans Dampf, Rock Razor, Nobby Nic, Racing Ralph and Rocket Ron. Tbf if you think Speed Grip is the compound you want the Magic Mary probably isn’t the right tyre for you, I’d look at the Hans Dampf or Nobby Nic.

Went for a new Joystick Mk12 and will be pairing it with a Toro on the bars when funds allow, had a look at the entire range in my LBS and that seems to be a good option, thanks for the feedback all, first ride tonight :D

I changed the wheels on my 2017 C RS as the stock Raceface/Whyte wheels were bloody heavy by my standards, just over 2kg bare and I really loathe carrying around wheels that heavy! I swapped to a Pro4/Arch Mk3 hadn built set that come in just 1.7kg for the pair and the bike feels much, much better. Just feels so much livelier. I’d like to go even lighter really, but then you’re carbon realms and I’d struggle to justify it as I’d do it properly, DT have some super nice XMC 1200’s for 2018 that use a 30mm ID carbon rim and weigh just over 1.4kg but they are silly money. I don’t think it helps that the bikes are fairly portly anyway, stock mine was well over 30lbs without pedals and even now with ligher wheels and a carbon bar it’s still just over 30lbs with pedals fitted. Maybe the carbon front end is overbuilt and the I’m sure the alloy back end doesn’t help, but while it feels solid stiffness wise I’ve ridden others that feel just as solid but are substantially lighter. If they could trim a bit more weight from the frame and wheels as stock they’d make a sensationally good bike even better!

Can’t fault my X01 Eagle setup so far, 1 year it’s still shifting as smooth as it did on day one. However if I were buying aftermarket and not using what came on the bike I’d go full GX with the exception of the shifter and chain. My understanding is the XX1 chain is leagues ahead of even X01, so I’d go for one of those in Black and an X01 shifter as they seem much smoother in action, should last longer and have the adjustable shifter paddle, which I’ve actually found really useful to really dial in the position just so.

Love my T130 but I can’t help but yern for something a little lighter and possibly with wagon wheels… It’ll be a fair few years off but if Transition do a Carbon Smuggler in the next year or two I could be tempted to move across to big wheels, shame Whyte have discontinued the T129, if they had done a carbon version of that to sit alongside the S150 I would have been very tempted.

That’s not a bad weight, though it pains me that bikes are getting heavier and heavier these days, my T130C RS with upgraded carbon bar and lighter wheels is still over 30lbs with pedals. I managed to get my old Foxy Carbon down to just under 27lbs with Next SL’s, Nobby Nics and superlight Easton bar and stem, which for a bike with a Fox 36 wasn’t bad!

Love my current T130C RS I’ve bonded with it in a way I haven’t done since my old Mojo HD140, I don’t think I could pick between them, I still regret selling the Mojo, if it was a Large and not a medium I’d probably still have it.

T130C RS

Another Chromag user here, with a 50mm Ranger stem and 780 Cutlass Carbon bar, has displaced the Easton Haven/Havoc Carbon combo that used to be my favourite, the stem is gorgeous (though my inner weight weenie cried putting a 190g stem on my T130!) and feels nice and stiff and the bars are by far the most comfortable I’ve used, the shape is bang on and they have a wonderfully damped feel, but don’t feel flexy at all. Got both on crazy deals, so I ended up getting both for way less than the bar normally is on its own to top it all off! :D

28lbs is easily achievable even on a tight budget, my old BFe was under 28lbs despite a dropper and beefy tyres, I built my older Kinesis XC120 to just over 22lb despite the face it had a 140mm revelation and 780mm bars, no dropper and 2.25 Nobby Nics mind, but I didn’t throw huge money at it, no carbon in sight.

My T130C RS however is heavier than I thought it would be, I’ve changed wheels, bar and tyres and it’s still over 30lbs, though I haven’t tried as hard as I did on my Foxy Carbon, which with Next SL cranks and 2.35 Nobby Nic/Rock razor set up tubeless was well under 28lbs.

That’s only happened to my tyres when I’ve changed them over for a ride or two and just left the other tyre with the stans still in the tyre and left them in the bike shed to try and save the sealant, so it much just reacting with the air. The bike must be sat though as obviously the tyres hadn’t moved for a week or two in my case.

Had mine fitted for about 8 weeks and it is a vast improvement on the old remote, much more ergonomic and I find myself using the post even more as it’s just so much easier to use. I can’t go back to the old remotes now having ridden them on a few bikes since making the change on my personal bike. As far as the reverb goes its a game changer. Get one.

Forgot to add pics of my T130 earlier, have fitted Chromag bars like Wooderson, can thoroughly recommend them! The reverb remote is also a massive improvement on the old plunger design.

Had my 2017 T130C RS since August last year and it still continues to amaze me! Its happy just spinning along as I did on a recent coast to coast to coast charity ride but also more than able to blast around for a couple of hours and even raced an Enduro on where it felt like it gave away little to longer travel bikes, only the rider was holding it back really! I’ve changed the wheels, rotors & tyres, bar & stem, saddle, grips and fitted a 1x remote to the reverb but now it’s pretty settled and I’ll likely leave it as it is for a while. Incredible bike, I loved my old Mojo HD but never fully got on with the Mondraker that replaced it, but I think I’ve finally found the Mojo’s true replacement, I can see me keeping this for a long time!

its a 216x63mm shock

Thanks for the feedback all, doing some more reading it sounds like the Yokozuna are the ones to go for, but can’t find anyone in the uk that stocks them? any ideas where I can get a set?

The only change on the RS is the new air can on the shock and the new grips from Whyte but that’s about it! The carbon RS looks nice, it’s just a shame all models barring the works come with such heavy wheels. Mind you even with a carbon bar, lighter wheels and tubeless my 2017 C RS is over 30lb with pedals!

Did my first Enduro at Llandegla at the weekend and I must say I was surprised at how high and consistent the level was. Given I used to race XC and generally consider myself pretty fit I thought a top half finish on my local trails would be attainable. As it was the new stage they cut in for the event was beyond me, steep, loose loam and I had a nightmare first stage with a crash and finished just above the bottom quarter, though I did break comfortably into the top 100 on the final stage which I know very well. To sum up, fitness helps, but technical ability is far more important. I know guys who competed who on a regular ride I can comfortably out pace them on the climbs and flat but beat me because they’re better technically. So practise your tech riding is what I’d recommend!

Stick with the reverb but get one with the new 1x remote. By far and away the best post I’ve used and the remote is exceptional.

I’d much rather have a bike that I know will ride better than one that ticks all the boxes spec wise but comes with a sub-standard frame. There are bad value bikes out there, no doubt about it, but I’m definitely not one to buy purely on perceived value. Entry level hardtails is a great example, I’d much rather have a deore mech with a clutch than an XT without one, but as people seem rigged to believe XT is “better” pretty much every manufacturer will spend more money on the mech for very, very little benefit.

Ibis Mojo HD (sold in 2015 but bought in 2011 if that counts?)
On One 456 Carbon
Stanton Slackline (though sadly never got chance to ride it in anger)
Cotic Bfe
Mondraker Foxy XR carbon
Genesis Datum
Whyte T130C RS

Had my 1x reverb remote for a bout 2 weeks now and it’s ace!! never had any problems with the hydraulic remote, I have had issues with cable ones. In fact where issues with the remote are concerned and not the post itself I see far, far more issues with other posts than I do reverbs.

Yes the 11-speed cranks work. If you have Sram cranks that can take a direct mount chainring you can chnage to the Eagle chainring very easily but it’s not necessary. I’ve heard reports of Eagle running fine on other rings, like Raceface without issue.

All groupsets and individual parts should be dropping to dealers who got early pre-orders in around the middle of July so my LBS tell me, as I’ll be getting a spare GX chain for my X01 Eagle setup. Sram don’t recommend it, but you can use any 11-speed crank/chainring you want.

Available for pre-order already!! http://www.tweekscycles.com/components/groupsets/sram-gx-eagle-groupset

For jerseys, shorts and softshells/jackets I only use 7Mesh nowadays, it’s just by far and away the best kit I’ve ever used. Otherwise I’m not too fussed really, I use whatever fits/works/feels the best for what I need.

Nope, mine is pretty quiet and I generally don’t tend to look after my drivetrain as well as many. Could be the ring causing the issues like you say.

The Chromags are the dogs bollocks. I’ve always used Easton Havoc bars (the older 31.8mm) in carbon and alloy in recent years but the Chromags are next level, I don’t actually know how they manage it but they offer massively reduced feedback through your hands but don’t feel like a horrible flexy mess. Get a matching Ranger stem and you have imo the best setup money can buy. If I had one criticism of the bar/stem is that together it’s a bit weighty, some 100g or so heavier than a raceface next sl/turbine r setup but otherwise they’re both faultless and look insanely nice too.