@monkeyboyjc Have you got the stem yet? Any charges?

I ran them on Stan’s Arch Mk3 rims, so 26mm ID and stans sealant, no tyre inserts. I did manage to slash one rear, but aside from that, they’ve been very tough for the riding I do around North Wales. I had two pairs, one on my old Whyte T130 and another on my Mk5 Cotic Soul, so both 27.5 bikes with around 130mm travel. Felt like a good middle ground between a proper race tyre and something like a DHF/DHR II. Rolled way quicker than the DHF and High Roller II I had on the Whyte before hand and didn’t seem to give up too much in the way of grip. Perhaps not quite as invincible feeling on steeper, looser terrain, but for 95% of what I do, was plenty happy.

Big fan of the Maxxis Forekaster, pretty quick and seems grippy enough in the 2.35 size. Under 800g per tyre too even in 29. First tyre in a while I’ve actually worn out before I replaced it!

They make some decent bikes, I rode the first Ariel Prototype when Madison relaunched the brand in 2008ish? and it was good for the time. They just seem to make some odd choices, like the Super Boost thing and the BB heights seem sky high too on these new ones. The old Traverse was a downcountry bike before downcountry was even a thing, but they gave it a stupid tall seat tube and a silly 142mm offset rear end. They could have been on a real winner with that as the spec was good and the rest of the geometry was pretty sound too. It’s like they get 90% of a bike right and then fall asleep at the last minute. Might sound harsh but they do take the shine of otherwise nice bikes. These new ones are heavy AF as well!

I’d skip the 34 and go for a Sid. The newer 35mm models are lighter, stiffer and the dampers feel better IMO, not a fan of the Fit4 Fox forks, the RaceDay Charger damper in the Sid Ultimate is insane for how small and light it is!

Dissector feels a bit slower than than the Forekaster, it also the best part of 150g or so heavier. The Forekaster is the only tyre that (touch wood) I’ve ever properly put a hole in. I do like the speed and lightweight though, but definitely not the grippiest. I do like the Dissector/Rekon combo on the Spur. It’s a bit lairy in deeper mud but for the most part it’s been ace this a winter on a mix of natural woodland singletrack, road and hard trail centre trails before lockdown.

As said Dissector on the rear would be a good choice. Have to say I find the 2.4 Dissector just as grippy as 2.3 DHF up front, so if you really wanted to shed some weight and some speed, could try Dissector front and rear. If you don’t like it, you’ve got a spare for when the rear wears out!

Seems way more expensive on R2 for me, they’re showing 397 euro, so about £342… Plus, I’m a tart and would want the regular black or rainbow colour!

Chickened out and cancelled the order, still in stock so can always go for it if I man up. Don’t really need them, but £260 for a set of G2 Ultimates is cheap as! 25% odd more than that, not so much!

I’ve heard it’s best to just leave them alone and that taking them apart only makes things worse. I really like Yeti as a brand, but I’d never own one, just way to high maintenance and it’s something that’s often overlooked in a lot of reviews. Same with the new Revel Ranger, gorgeous bike, but it has like 18 bearings or something crazy!

It was one of the key reasons I’d settled on either an Ibis Ripley or Transition Spur. Aside from the fact they fit the bill ride wise, the Ripley is easy to work on and you can buy the complete upper link for around £50 with bearings pressed in (I did this twice on my old Mojo HD) and the Transition has 6 bearings in the back end, 4 of which are the same size and a full set of quality Enduro bearings is less than £40. I went with the Transition in the end, insanely pleased with it, but there’s some really good bikes around that travel/price. You have the Spur, Ripley, Kona HeiHei to name a few. Tallboy is nice, but probably a bit too DH orientated for your needs. Feels weird saying a 130/120mm bike as too DH orientated but there you go!

Damn, sounds like I missed out :/ ordered some G2 Ultimates today, might cancel now. Presuming if I dont cancel and refuse delivery they’ll be sent back and I’ll be refunded?

Anyone received anything from R2 yet, did you get charged? Hovering over some Formula Curas, good price regardless but even better if they’re as seemingly nonchalant as Bike Discount

Not strictly true any more with Maxxis and WT. Initially, they were a standalone thing, now any Maxxis Tyre that is 2.4 wide or over is WT and will be marked as such. Any less than this is “regular”. FWIW. I’ve got 2.4 Dissector/Rekon on 25mm rims on the Spur and never felt like I needed a wider rim for more support, that’s running 23/25 ish PSI and 165lb me.

Perfectly happy with 25/26mm rims and 2.3/2.4 tyres. Got Arch MK3 on the hardtail and Hunt XC wide on the FS and never wished for any wider, had 30mm rims previously and they squared off my preferred Maxxis tyres too much. Like others, I ran XC717s back in the day, even my Crest’s which were considered wide for XC at the time were only 21mm ID, the original Stans Flow was 25mm and DH riders swore by Mavic 823’s and 721’s for years. Telling that a lot of DH riders still ride the DT EX471 as well.

Don’t get the “issues” people report with Transition, my LBS say they’ve not had any warranties with the frames themselves, only a few Novatec hubs that got a bit torn up and some NX cassettes that were a known issue from other brands too. All the guys there ride Transitions, and some basically ride their Patrols/Scouts like DH bikes and have had zero issues. Patrol is due an update some time, but the Sentinel and Scout are both great bikes. I love my Spur, but it’s definitely more XC than the OP wants

You want less of a Mondeo so you choose a Stumpy? That’s even more Mondeo like than a G160, regardless of how much carbon they throw on and how much they charge. If you want boutique, as RichMTB says, definitely look at the Sentinel. I’d argue it’s even better all round than the G160 and the detailing and support is excellent too. Lifetime warranty on the frame, they look incredible and the ride is awesome too.

Yes it’s a 29er, but aside from convenience of just swapping parts over, I see no reason not to go 29 these days. If you just swap parts over from the G160, it won’t feel all that different and you’ll end up in the same position before long, as all the parts are worn/used already. Case in point, a mate bought a new frame and transferred parts over to it that were 3/4 years old and he’s over the “new” bike thing already and hardly ridden over winter. I got my Spur around the same time and am still fully loving it on every ride. There’s to be said for a new bike, being completely new and not just a new frame, especially if it’s for a special occasion. Go balls to the wall!

Doubt you’ll see one, like everyone else they probably can’t keep up with demand so why make that worse by doing a discount code? All that’d do is make their stock issues worse and make them less money

7Mesh Copilot would be my choice by a mile.

https://7mesh.com/copilot-jacket

I have the older Guardian and it’s insanely good. The fit is excellent (they do size up big though, so I go down a size, I wear a small and I’m 6ft 160lb), it’s properly waterproof and all my kit from them has lasted incredibly well. My Revo shorts from them have had 3 winters abuse and are still going strong. Worn with a temperature appropriate base layer and I’ve been more than happy in mine down to about -3 degrees. Cannot recommend them enough!

7Mesh Thunderpant if you can find them. Yes, they are mega money, but my god are they good! Properly, properly waterproof, the fit is good and they will last forever going on my other kit from them. A pricey but very worthwhile investment, completely transformed winter riding for me!

Got GE1 Factory’s on both bikes and really rate them. The rubber seems a little softer than the regular GE1 Evo so they feel slimmer. I tried the Slim factory ones but found they gave a little too much trail feedback, swapped to the standard size and they were much better. Should be noted I find the slim in the regular Evo similar to the standard size in the Factory. The Factorys look awesome though the opaque rubber is cool! Stupid I know, but cool!

You can get Torque caps for a lot of hubs these days and like others I do like the system, it’s a minimal weight gain (if anything) and it should in theory be stiffer so why not have it? Yes if you have a wheel that doesn’t have them it is a little annoying, but overall I am a fan. Think it’s just a shame more people haven’t taken it up, I think the new EXT fork might, but otherwise no other takers so far.

Tried the X-Tracks and like them a lot. Felt a little more secure than Shimano, bit of a firmer feeling to unclip, which was great with worn cleats, felt like I could get longer out of a set before they needed replacing. Can’t comment on durability of the bearings as it was a relatively brief period, but given other Look pedals riding pals use they should be good. My XT Trail pedals are still going strong 8 years later though!

Those Silt wheels look great value, especially the carbon ones! Anyone used them? They alloy Enduro/Trail wheels got a great review in MBR this month

There’s no argument, they broke the rules and got fined. Riding (from home) is allowed, riding in a group or travelling to ride is not, simples.

At least they were fined, more than can be said for my local constabulary who seem to not give a flying about the group of 10+ MX bikes that tear around a dis-used slag heap that is frequented by families and walkers at a million miles an hour on a weekly basis.

Yeah great news! Always looked forward to Bike’s Bible Tests. Subscriptions isn’t bad either, but also couldn’t find out whether it’s print outside the US for definite. Reading the wording on my account, I don’t think it is, but I’m not too fussed, I get digital which is fine by me.

The 2019 frames were way overbuilt, and to be fair to Transition, their “claimed” weights are usually pretty spot on too. They claimed 3.99kg for a medium with all the hardware and shock, which is weighty, but they are bombproof. The weights on the website are setup with out tubes too, so shave 0.5kg off as you’re running tubes and not tubeless. The Yari is heavier than the Fox 34 they came with too, so more weight saving for the complete bike there. Little bits all add up, but go tubeless and perhaps run a lighter rear tyre and you’ll notice a big difference without affecting durability.

Just seen on Instagram they’re not shipping to the UK anymore either. The options for gravel frames at the minute are getting slimmer and slimmer!

OP, did you buy one in the end?

Hmmm they did have Large Mint for pre-order yesterday afternoon, obviously gone already! Solves that problem for me then for now!

Reading on YT’s site too, you have to pay £185 postage and customs fees as well 14% import fees, which makes the Izzo Pro over £4.1k… I could be wrong about that, but that doesn’t make it as good value as it would be, especially so given their CS reputation and the lack of stock!

@mccraque, it is expensive, but it honestly could be your only FS bike, it feels just as capable (if not more capable) as any other FS bike I’ve owned round Llandegla and other places I frequent it’s quicker than my old Foxy XR downhill too, and that had a 160mm Fox 36 up front!

I’ve got a “base” GX build, honestly the only area it really gives up compared to the X01 build is in the wheels, everything else is spot on really and weight savings would be minimal. I got some Hunt XC Wides which cut 300g off the weight (also added my Chromag carbon bars and stem, but the ANVL bar is actually quite light, so only saved 50g). The cranks on the X01 are not X01 models either, and are cheaper and heavier, so again, only 50g or so lighter than the alloy Stylo’s on the GX.

If I had the choice (I could get a full bike quicker) I would go GX and swap the wheels or go frame only and build. Nice as the X01 build is, you can get the bike just as light without spending the extra £1k. Interesting fact as well, the Sid Select+ shock is identical in damper terms to the Ultimate, there’s just more machining around the eyelet that saves a massive 5g, so really wouldn’t worry about the apparent “downgrade” on the shock. The Select+ fork is fine as well, really good actually, feels better than the Charger RC damper in my old Pikes. It is hella money, but as a one bike XC/trail bike to rule them all, it’s up there with the very best and it is crazy light, mine is 12.1kg with pedals, a mates Tallboy 4 with similar build is well over a kilo heavier.

Spark RC is a great shout if you can find one, Supercaliber is nice but possibly a little too like your race HT. The 2021 Spark RC gets a burlier Fox 34SC or the new 35mm Sid with 110mm travel, so it’s plenty capable and with a dropper post added will do most things. True STW style though and recommend your own, the Transition Spur is incredible. By far and away the fastest, most enjoyable bike I’ve ridden. Doesn’t feel like it gives much away to race bikes (rode older Sparks, Scalpels and Anthems a few years back) but my god is it a hooligan on singletrack and descents. With two pairs of wheels (or even just a set of race tyres) I’d happily have it as a race bike that can double as a trail bike. It’s insanely good, highly recommended!

As you’ve ridden and reviewed both Hannah, would you have the Camino or the Cotic Escapade given the choice? Currently weighing up whether to get either to replace my hardtail, as I do find I ride it less now and a bike like the Camino/Escapade would be better and more useful for commuting (lightly off-road) too.

Ardent Race is a good shout in 2.35I’m running a Dissector up front and Rekon out back, liking it so far and more versatile than the other options, at a cost of some speed, but worth it.

Nice as the Commencal is, for me it would be the new Transition Sentinel. Granted I have a Spur so I do like the brand, but the Sentinel is a serious bit of kit, it actually pedals really well and feels quite lively and fun, was pleasantly surprised as on paper I would say barge-like, but it feels way more agile than the geometry, particularly the near 63 degree head angle would suggest. Not cheap, but they are nicely specced for the money without superfluous carbon bits stuck on just for a bit of spec sheet wow factor. Everything is solid, works well and money is spent where you want it on the brakes and suspension.

I’ve generally found e-bikes to be some of the most poorly designed bikes I’ve seen and worked on, so many things are just after thoughts, it’s worrying. like sticking the charge point directly under the bottom bracket/downtube and having the flimsiest rubber cover you’ve ever seen. Having keys on an e-MTB is ruddy stupid too, a hang over from hybrid electric bikes and people who don’t know how to use an allen key without poking their eye out. The wiring looms can be a nightmare too. I don’t want an e-bike, I like my regular bikes more thanks, but even if I was in the market for one, no way I’d get one at the minute, the finer details and reliability are still way to patchy IMO. I doubt you’d get a full refund OP, maybe a goodwill gesture but not much more. This whole plight also highlights the world we live in regards buying online, no way would I spend that kind of money on something, knowing full well if anything went tits up I’d have to send it back or make a 400 mile round trip….

Wouldn’t bother with the Tallboy personally if you want a fast bike, it is hefty! Great going down, but very active climbing and the weight is obvious over something like a Spur or even an Ibis Ripley. Definitely a downhillers short travel trail bike, rather than a jumped up XC/downcountry bike. Same for the Norco Optic. Basically I think for anything to be classed as truly “downcountry” (I know, I hate myself for saying it too), it needs a 34SC or a 35mm Sid and under 27/28lb, stick a pike or full fat 34 (or even a 36 in the case of the Optic) on a bike and it’s more of a trail bike

Ergon GE1 Factory for me, best grips I’ve had and I’ve used a lot! They’re not cheap but they last super well and are mega comfy and seem to put my hands in a better position with the tapered profile, going back to regular grips feels weird now.

AXS is amazing, purely from how clean and how easy it is to install, plus it’s not remotely finicky like some claim 12 speed, I’ve never had an issue with regular Eagle though and I’ve used both X01 and GX Eagle for the last 4 years. Of it were me, I’d go GX Eagle with an X01 shifter, as it’s way nicer than GX!

Seems reasonably common on the new Sid, luckily mine is ok so far but take it back to the shop you had it from and the warranty turn around is pretty quick.