“Nah, not been riding much, bit under the weather today.”
“On my other bike/tyres/lucky pants that section is totally doable.”
“You’re right, this is as much fun as being out on the bike.”

Not sure Carl + Ivy are still doing the B+B thing since the new addition to their peloton.

Reet.
After riding ST Minion front for a while everything else feels a bit sketchy. Crossmark 2.25 rear, until you get sick of ripping holes in them, then HR rear until you can afford tubeless, EXO Crossmark rear.

Been riding an ST 4 old + then new versions for a bit + then had an RZ 120 on prolonged test for a bit, so heres some thoughts.
The RZ 120’s suspension is much subtler + I was underwhelmed initially, but built up with the same kit that was on the ST4, there are obvious strengths + weaknesses of both.
I used the propedal a fair bit for fireroad climbing on the ST4 + although its a great technical climber, the design focus obviously was on capability on descents + singletrack. The ST4’s travel feels like it’s a longer travel bike, whereas the RZ120 feels less obvious + maybe more like a really nice LT HT, something like a Soul with a bit more cush.
In my head the RZ120 rides like a very capable efficient XC bike, that does all the xc-technical rides I’ve done on it well. The ST4 rides a very capable fun trail bike, which is much more at home on engaging rather than endurothon rides. But neither bike is an armchair ride, both make you work hard + push you into riding a bit faster. The ST4 more in terms of pumping it pushing into corners + doing the whole pro-elbows, leaning at crazy angles thing. As a Brechfa “flow” bike it felt spot-on. The RZ120 seems to nudge you into riding nearer your aerobic threshold + bung in an extra loop, just gets on with it, + still handles all the steps, drops + jumps I’ve thrown at it fine.
Anyhow opinions are like ars …e.t.c. Not sure if any of that helps.

Think the RZ 120 would do what you asked in the OP, but the forks that came with it (Recons IIRC) were bloody awful, the bike was massively better with Maxle Rebas + decent wheels.

Was written as a discussion starter wasn’t it? Don’t think he was trying to prove an objective truth, just putting forward an opinion. I thought it good + fitted well with Mr Ferrentino’s collumn.

Similar experience with physio in the NHS. Really feel for, the often really good, newly qualified’s who can’t get work. Voluntary work, bank work then apply as an internal candidate is the only way we’ve seen people making it in recently. Good luck.

The ST4 reviews are misleading, having spent a fair bit of time riding both, the new frame is everything the earlier frame promised but didn’t quite deliver (or did then broke in my case). A very capable fun bike, but would be worth getting a test ride in if you can.

Ordered 2 fairly small items from them, had similar problems with delays, fair enough these things happen. But when they arrived, both were not what i’d ordered, similar but wrong, no useful response to emails/phone calls. As the items were small, I chalked it up to experience.
Won’t be using em again. I miss having a decent LBS.

Cotic Simple?

Some useful info here

Interesting, but… Subjective measure of forefoot varus, numbers are too small, 30s anaerobic effort, probably doen’t equate to normal cycling performance + level of significance of the results fall below anything you draw conclusions from anyway.

But good to see some work being done on this. Would be interesting to see if high speed camera analysis comfirmed whether alignment was “corrected” by the wedges.

Food for though, cheers for posting

Hope he gets well soon + learns from the experience.
Great bit of trail, no need to sanitize it.

Good effort taking one for the team.

Had a great chat with an elderly farmer up on the edge of the Preselis. He thought it was hilarious that someone would take a bike up there.

You’ll have allot better riding more locally from Merthyr. there isn’t lots of good riding in Pembs unless its been bone dry for ages, then theres some.
As a place to live Pembs is lovely, beautiful coast, people are dead canny, good surfing. Lots of nice places within reach of Merthyr too + people I’ve met from up there have been sound.

Sound advice. Well worth contacting them for a chat about what you can most usefully work on.

I think if you’d seen his chunky little drummers in action, you’d be biting Postierich’s hand off.

Dealt with Ian in the past as well, straight up honest guy IME.

Thats really useful.
Was a right faff finding an integrated 1.5-1 1/8 reducer headset.
Dr Cannondale (German site) were very helpful.

Today early doors on my local, some tourist “no cycling!”
Me “Really whys that?”
Tourist “Its the law”
Q standard response.
“Daft isn’t it, as we’ve both shown that we can use the path responsibly and before Kinder Scout the law would have said you shouldn’t be here either.”
“hmmph”
“Enjoy the rest of your walk.”
Summer is here.

What’s the difference between 2010 and 2011 st4’s?
2010

vs
2011

New one is stiffer, climbs + descends better, not heard of any breakage/chainsuck issues with the new design. IMHO.

2011 Orange ST4?

Mailed you on the ad linked from your profile. Got an 2011 ST4 frame I’m probably going to have to sell.
Mail in profile if you are interested.

Heroic effort by all. Matt demonstrating why he is a professional athlete.

Sounds like you’ve a similar situation to me. Find crossers fun but compromised. And history tells me I just end up getting tempted off road, riding stuff I shouldn’t + breaking myself. Would prefer a proper road bike that isn’t some tourer tank.
So for the non-cyclocross faction, what lightish fastish road bike for crappy knackered roads that are often covered in mud?

He he.
Did he make it back down again though?

No bus back at Brechfa yet, but the pub at Abergorlech does nice food + is biker freindly.

A detuned chassis’ Jesus Christ that is a desperate piece of writing.

Indeed. And total bollox. In what way is the new version “detuned”? There is no evidence of this at all.
I suspect there is some politics behind this. If you look at the reviews of the older ST4, everyone was raving about what a fun capable bike it was. A few of us went out + rode them fairly hard + they broke, hence the redesign. Maybe Orange asked journo’s to reign in the rhetoric a bit?
That said everything that was said in the old reviews is more true about that newer frame, as Alex said above. It isn’t a super efficient XC map crosser, or ideally suited for coming down Nan Biel the wrong way, but it more than capable of hamming round trail centers, down rocky trails /steps and handling smaller jumps + drops. I’ve yet to ride anything, where the bike was holding me back + its faster than my Prophet was on everything I’ve ridden it on. More importantly it feels faster + like you’ve got to pay more attention + put a bit more in to really get the most out of it. (In surfing terms, more like pumping a short board, than just standing around on a longboard). The downside of this is that after 4 hours you’re pretty knackered. Testing a bike like this on old school XC death march type rides is pointless, its not what its for + if you’re not getting full travel out of it, you really, really aren’t trying hard enough. (Sorry Chipps)

Having also ridden the RZ120 It also is a very good fun bike, back end “feels” stiffer + probably can be built up into a lighter bike + would be a better choice if you are planning more endurothon rides.

Try both, if you are anywhere near West Wales you are welcome to have a play on my ST4.

I think this highlights the fundamental problem in bike reviews. They are not based on any objective testing of measurable qualities such as stiffness or efficiency. Not saying we should go all tutonic + have reviews in the form of tables of figures, but some evidence to back up manufacturer’s claims and journo’s opinions would add objectivity.

Cli-machx’d, twice.

Chin up fella, think we’ve all been down the right stuff will make me happy route.
Best way up + out is riding with freinds IME.
Get out having a laugh, the bits + bobs are way less important than the craic.

Nice one. I’m sure Luffy’ll appreciate it.
Gone due to some FC bureaucracy palava.

Cracking riding round there. Cotic Soul would be a great adaptable basis for progression.

The LBS in Skipton is staffed by top folk
Here

That looks very nice.

5′ 11 + change, Medium Swift feels right.

Cheers RD.

Rocketdog, they look good on there, they running ok? Did you change the oil weight (to 7.5??) + redo the shims to avoid the alleged spiking when you put the 29er spacer in?
You can get Maverick converters for Pro II hubs, there’s been a few on ebay.

Got some of the 29er flavour + they seem to work OK
http://www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk/Bontrager-Rim-Tape-Rimstrip-Asymmetric-Tubeless-26-Race-Lite.aspx

YGM

Would agree with Pedlad’s comments. The new ST4 is a really fun bike to get out + have a blast on. Its also a very good technical climber + generally feels more efficient than the older model as reviewed in ST, but rides like a bike designed for aggressive trail riding rather than an uber efficient XC race derived machine. So depends on what your priorities are.
I’ve only briefly ridden an Anthem x, but it still felt very XC to me. I guess At 6’4″ riding a 20″ bike (?) any flex in a frame is going to be pretty noticable, so maybe going for the slightly burlier option makes sense. Definitely try to get a few test rides.
If you shrink 4″ + happen to be in West Wales you’re welcome to have a play on my ST4.

Copy arrived in W Wales today. Looking forward to a bath-time read.

Land cruisers here too. Seem to cope pretty well.