Just bought some uberbike skinnys for a tenner…so far so good…as loads of colours. They’re a lot like ODI Ruffians.

Mosey-just shortened the cable by 1cm without the barrel adjuster and bam…works brilliantly.

Using a normal gear outer should also mean it will stretch better to fit my other bike too which I’d forgotten about.

Not saying you should use the barrel, just that its not working for me without it. Think I may have to shorten the cable…but then it won’t fit the Ex8…so may need separate cables for each bike!

Try without it first and see how it goes.

If you do need the barrel I’d aim for in the middle of the tt and between the cable guides.

Hmmm…not my experience after a couple of rides and a swap between a new bike today.

Installed on my Ex8 with adjuster and worked well, but instant play after 1 ride (and I’m not a fatty or anything).

Wish I hadn’t cut the cable at 100mm as it made the adjuster sit in an awkward position. My advice is check where the barrel will sit best somewhere along the tt.

Decided to swap it onto my new Soul today with normal gear outer and no barrel and seriously doesn’t like it…to the point it doesn’t work!

Also be warned…the plastic noodle going into the cable housing is made of cheese. My one is utterly wrecked and I’ve only taken it out three times.

I’m going to gaffer tape the red cover too, as I’ve heard they have a tendency to fall off and a new one costs £8.

Written to superstar today about the play, hopefully they can fix it.

Still love it tho…

Bontrager XR4 TEAM TLR 2.2…saw them somewhere for £30 each.

Will be investing in a pair very shortly myself.

Cheers folks, prefer a normal gear cable as the re-inforced one appears to love eating paint too!

Just follow my old girlfriend’s navigation technique…whichever direction you’re facing…it’s always North (priceless)

That is a nice bike…pity I’m a short arse (and have too many bikes already)

If you can wait and have a spare fiver, CRC do a BBB set of link pliers. Bought some for exactly this problem.

Oops…double post

Spank oozy evo’s seem to be getting good write ups.1650 weight but built more like enduro wheels for £350

Stevede-beat me to it!

Would love a slackline ti…but credit card and wife say no ;(

If you need to buy on finance then obviously mainstream is the way to go.

If not, how about building up a 29er like kinesis FF29 or Cotic Solaris (or the Trek Stache looks good)?

I built my Cotic Soul with all new parts (apart from wheels) with LEV dropper for £1800

You could get a super sexy pipedream 931 or Stanton slackline ti and budget 2nd hand for the rest of the components?

Stanton are only making 30 frames… but £1250!

For 100 mile epic…I’d need a motorbike!

Not received mail from anyone yet?

Everyone sure their using roberttaylormatthews@googlemail.com?

Sorry…not been on the forum until now.

Cheers

That does like nice…thought about a Sanderson last year but the 27.2mm meant nowhere to put my dropper.

Hope she’ll ride as good as she looks.

That’s what I thought, but on my current set up it really pulls the chain tight up and out of the way between the wheel and crank space.

My trek one has given up the ghost after 6 months…thinking of a hope press fit given their rep…just crapping myself at the £80

They’re folding and I’m based in brum.

Tbh you’ll get away with most tyres at the chase (unless some parts get really churned up).

I particularly enjoyed using bonty XR4 2.2 last year, but they’re not tlr so have them in the garage gathering dust since I went tubeless.

+1 grippy paste (used on my reverb and LEV)

Didn’t get on with my reverb and the bleeding of it…but my LEV is awesome and relatively faff free.

Depends on comfort and cost. FS would be comfier for what sounds like the XC type riding you do, but even if you get it 2nd hand the cost and effort of servicing the rear shock and suspension bearings should be taken into account (if you can’t DIY).

Budget new FS are usually fairly heavy too with lower end components (although a budget Merida FS I saw looked great vfm the other day)

Steel hardtails are comfy to a point (being a Soul luddite, but does not profess to being super skilled…unless that’s at falling off!) But building from frame only costs a fortune (unless you have all components or can be bothered trawling the classifieds for weeks/months).

Get out and try both FS and hardtails if you can at a demo day.

Personally it sounds like your type of riding suits a hardtail and (hates saying this) have you thought about a 29er?

Arch Ex would be my choice (if no hard dh involved)…although you might get away with crests if you don’t hammer them though rock gardens

Bikeinn are doing m771 xt for £43

Fatbar lite are good at 740 wide but only 269g…only one colour and unlikely to match your Soul.

I’ve got 720 ragley risers which have been great (were really cheap from crc too) and 747 spank subrosa (not used on my Soul yet)

Cheers folks…I’m running 75/720 on my fs, but that’s 10mm shorter in the tt than the Soul and feels ok, apart from my fork being a wee bit divey.

Added issue will be if I stick with the 120 forks or alternate with the 110/140 talas on the Soul.

I’ll try the different bars, forks and saddle position before I go forking out for a new stem…although merlin are doing good deals on havocs at the moment.

+1 Fuel Ex8. Run mine with 110/140 talas and 1600g american classic wheelset…nips up and down mountains like a Nepalese goat

Cycle Pro with detachable chain tool £13 and has been brilliant (although it is orange…but matches my Cotic)

Make sure you post a pic when built…gives us all a shameless excuse to do likewise!

Thanks folks…everything is all a bit compact with the brakes and shifters…Will give it a try.

You could maybe save yourself a wee bit of money by getting 2013 SLX parts instead of XT (albeit getting the XT cassette might be worth the extra) and the weight wouldn’t be too dissimilar.

At least those are the components I chose!

Trek Ex8 but fitted with 140 talas…relatively light and rear feels more like 140 too.

Might change to the ‘rocket light’ when the frame becomes available (hopefully green or blue).

No…do it on my own whenever I go to Wales with the wife. Print off the different routes before you go and keep them with you. You can also tailor the different sections too so you spend less time on the fire roads. Personally I find the mbr route a great warm up, before doing the beast or Dragon’s back

If they’re the m670 SLX then no, they do not come as standard like the older m666 (as I have both).

You will need to order the specific covers (check the shimano tech doc for part no…cos I can’t remember) at £1.99 each through your lbs or crc.

Think there is a back order until May (according to Madison).

I’m just using black electric tape for now.

Posted a ‘small’ parcel today and the cheapest option was next day delivery at £8.25 FFS!

+1 for Tacx…used on Reverb and LEV

Cheers folks…I’ll try tomorrow when my mood is a bit less irate.

Chief – my fs is 28.4lb with lev and talas…mind you it also has a pair of very gaudy looking but light american classic all mountain wheels (no pedals)