So, something very similar to a NI Backstop appears to be returning, which is a bit embarrassing to those people who voted against it last time, like, err..Boris.

What do they call it so they can pretend it’s something new, rather than the Comebackstop?

This was always the only workable solution, initially proposed by May and shot down in flames by the DUP.

Potentially gives NI a competitive advantage into the future, which can only be a good thing. Will be warmly welcomed by businesses, farmers and the sensible people in all communities in NI.

Interesting to see what transpires In the next few days, it’s difficult to lend much credibility to UK government sources that 48hrs ago were attributing Merkel with demanding a permanent CU for NI and no-deal was inevitable.

Definitively will take you four/five good long rides to familiarize yourself. My full suss was out of action for 6 weeks during the summer, so was back on my 2006 Kinesis Phase which Ive not ridden really hard off-road in a few years. With a 150mm fork from Marzocchi Mike, short stem and wide bars I was surprised how relatively modern it felt, but it certainly took a few weeks to realise I couldn’t just sit down and plough through everything.

Noticed that you tend to use slightly different muscle groups too, front of my thighs were definitely a bit achey for the first few weeks.

Persist with it and you will definitely be rewarded! Even with the full suss back in action I’ve found myself migrating to the hardtail more and more for short spins.

I am running hefty tyres (Der Baron Projekt 2.4) which help with shock absorption and pinch flats!

Enjoy it mate, sounds like a fab piece of kit!

I’m still running the original fox float shock on my 1998 Marin Eastpeak. The shock has only ever had 1 full service back in 2007 after the rebound damping circuit failed. When it came back from TFtuned there was a note from Tim Flooks commenting on what amazing condition the shock was in.

most of the rest of the components on the bike have been replaced have been replaced after they wore out or broke

Seatpost original 1998
Fork Marzocchi Z1 FR 2002 bought second hand and fitted to the bike in 2008
Shimano XT rear derraileur 2003
Shimano LX Octalink chainset 2003
Shimano Deore disc brakes 2008
Shimano Alivio shifters 2008
Main pivot bearing last replaced under warranty in 2012

How did you manage to get a 14 yr old main pivot bearing replaced under warranty?!

Nowadays I’m amazed by the life on a few things but not by: modern sus (forks and shocks), most modern brakes (brilliant when working but don’t last long), modern chains and cogs, dropper seat posts, tyres, and grips, – all these things now work so well but just don’t last long!

I’d hazard a guess that suspension fork longevity peaked when Marzocchi were at their prime, most older forks I see still in use seem to be some variant of Bomber/All Mountain, with an occasional Manitou Nixon thrown in.

With that in mind I think full suspension bushes, pivots etc. are immeasurably better designed and last longer than 10-15 yrs ago

On the flip side, I think my shi**iest purchase ever were a set of Fox 32 RLs. Lasted one winter and stanchions ate themselves. £500 quid down the swanny and have never touched Fox since for a fork, even though I know they fixed the cheese stanchions years ago.

Must be some pretty old Shimano SPD pedals around. I had a 20 year old set that were still going strong.

Just reminded me my Shimano DX spds are prob 10 yrs old. Prob had two services. They just get on and do the job so well they are forgotten about….

Surly Instigator forks, swapped between four frames since 2007 and shortly to migrate to their fifth frame.

Avid BB7s, used for 12 years and now in the spares box, to be pressed back into service one day.

Hope Pro 2 hubs, in use since 2007 with one change of bearings each. Original front rim, rear replaced four years ago when it started cracking round the spoke holes.

Hope headset, in use on various frames since 2007. Just changed the bearings for the first time.

I made some canny purchases in 2007…

Not surprised with the Hope hubs, mate of mine is running I think a mid 90s set on a Merlin MALT he uses as a commuter. Still sound good!

DMR V12 pedals with titanium axles, been on various bmx’s since 2006 and still going strong

Bet they’ve acquired some ‘patina’ over the years!

DUP will rail against that (that’s a billion well spent, I assume no refunds) – the question is whether there are enough hardline loyalists that would see it as a call to action again, as this could easily be spun as the first step towards a united ireland. It could be just as much a threat to the GFA as a return to an inland border.

There is a feeling that the ‘backstop’ will end up being repackaged and renamed with some superficial changes. WHatever the DUP stance may be, most business owners, farmers etc. in Northern Ireland, regardless of community background, would prefer some kind of deal than a crash-out so I’m not sure if the DUP being sidelined would cause a revolt to the same extent of the reimposition of a border

Here

Murmurs in the Irish news last night that there has been some movement on both EU/Ireland’s and UK teams on the backstop.

It looks like the DUP’s influence may be waning which can only be a good thing.

This

Don’t underestimate the ‘cool’ factor given that he’s 10. My 7 year old got the 20″ version of this for Christmas, and she loves that it’s fast and looks like Dad’s bike. We have started her on school commutes (about 2km) and mild off road paths and tracks. She can manage about 8-9km. I changed out the cranks to a shorter alloy crank as I felt they were too long for her coming from a frog 48 and shaved 1lb off (commencal cranks were ridiculously heavy)

I’d rate it next to a Frog or Isla, but cool factor is off the scale in comparison :)

I’m running a wide range 9 speed cassette with a narrow wide chainring and chain guide and have been for two years. Cheap Chinese cassette and chainring cost me about 45 quid, new deore chain about a tenner. Old 9 speed mech and shifter from the shed. Running it on my old hard tail, along with a second hand gravity dropper I got for peanuts. Does the job and cheaply replaced…

Where did you find SLate 4 for £80 for both ends?!

Prices for all Santa Cruz stuff seems to be eye-wateringly expensive these days! I’m planning on waiting for a few months to see if any end of season discounts come into play! Thanks for all the advice guys – looks like I’ll be going for a complete bike – €3000 for a frame alone is a p**s take!

Hightower is definitely on my list, also I’ve spotted some Tallboys reduced, would be good to get some owner feedback but don’t see much on the tallboy

Thanks that’s some great advice, I definitely found the nickel low at the front and was lucky I left the steerer long on the fork when building it first day. I’m open to new geometry etc. what really appealed to me about the Nickel is it has been absolutely rock solid, never developed creaks or play and I’ve only done bushes, bearings etc. twice in 7 years! What did you change to when you retired your Butcher?

I bought a set of Magura Julies donkeys years ago from china on ebay building up a budget hardtail. Had no issues they were the real deal and still going strong 6 years later. Only thing I had to do was swap the hoses around and give a bleed as they were set up ‘Murican style with front brake on the left. Shouldnt be an issue with MT2 as they are flip flop design

More deals than you can shake your mickey at over on CRC

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Categories.aspx?CategoryID=625&SortBy=DiscountDESC

Nice Cove Hustler in green would be cool…..

Had a guy in today for a car, whose Lagunas rear suspension had just collapsed catastrophically on the way to work :) Funny that this thread popped up this evening.

They are pretty atrocious as regards build quality and engineering related failures, only maker I think of that even approaches them are Citroen and they seem to have copped on of late

The random and bizarre failures you hear of are quite funny though

I would not leave anything made by crank bothers within 2 miles of my arse.

rx8s are an absolute hoot to drive. And plenty of space for passengers etc. No good for bikes tho. Bootlid is aluminium to save weight so cant support weight of a rack. Trust me I know!

Nothing to touch the Golf in its class unless space is a requirement. Very refined, miser on fuel, and is actually fun to drive (1st non GTi golf to be a good steer since the mk2). Seats and Skodas better space, but poorer build/sound deadening and not quite as ‘just so’ in the steering/handling department.

Run a car hire business and have driven the Leon, Octavia, Focus, Astra, Auris, and it is so far ahead of it’s rivals it’s a no brainer

Anything Korean is dross and to be avoided unless you only value warranty etc.

Has none of the reliability issues we have with Passats, Tiguans etc. Vw’s heartland car can’t go wrong, and you will ALWAYS flog it for good money

The upperdecker is always a good one – make an enormous poo in the cistern of the office jacks. The smell of the concealed poo will intensify over a period of Weeks and may even lead to getting time off work while the office is fumigated. Works particularly well if you happen to work in a restaurant.

[/quote]Ive done runs that end by pubs and getting me out can be a bit of a job

Same thing happened me on Saturday. The missus sent the father-in-law down to collect me, ended up coming down herself when there was no sign of either of us 3 hrs later

Yup – I work on ten miles a pint. works for me

Haha – Im at 5 miles per pint, and did an extra five miles today so I could have an extra ‘reward’

Are they both the new models? (Focus is brand new, think the Auris is a facelift). If you don’t really car about the driving/handling experience and are doing motorway miles, the Auris would take it hands down as the 2.0 D4D is a much more sophisticated lump than whats in the Focus.

Focus feels ‘heavier’ i.e more planted, due to better weighted steering and more sorted suspension, but IMO think the new Focus is no longer the joy to drive the original one was.

Running both of these cars on our fleet, if I was choosing which one to take home at night, would always be the Auris

Why not just try and source a build kit from the likes of actions sports, they do full XT gruppo inc disc brakes for €500. Bosh on a Rock Shox fork on sale from On-One and some of their 50% formula wheels. Stuff like bar,stem,saddle,tyres go to Chain Reactions. Should be able to build up something pretty cheap

Very underrated bike, very tough and uses top quality Easton RAD tubing. Mine rides really well changes direction very quickly. Bit short in top tube for longer spins but a great quick blast bike

Wat you talkin’ about Willis?

Must resist….

Have to say the new full-sussers certainly look pretty good (2+2, tanuki, abra). It’s funny that the like of Cotic/On-One/Ragley seem to be occupying what used to be Kona heartland stuff.

All about perception really. My father dumped my old Kona a few years ago after a long spell of idleness in the garage. (92 Fire Mountain). Great little bike that made mountain biking really fun and could outpace so much more expensive kit just by virtue of the small frame/snappy handling. Think the only thing for it is to see what ebay/retrobike turns up…..

No, but he visited there once, and suffered erectile dysfunction in an alleyway.

Nah, the mods would probably intercept it. He should just get a group of rockers to kick the shit out of the mods.

You is opressed to be sure

Progress, maybe.

So how, or why were they left behind?

Jesus Boots

Eh,

Sanding a carbon frame? Would imagine that would be a no-no, had a slight blemish on a carbon seatpost result in a sudden catastrophic failure, almost ended up as a Johnny One-Ball with 8 inches of seatpost up the Jacksie.

Wow, plenty of opinion to digest there! All conflicting too. :) When I initially posted I was thinking that I had missed something and that the 5 was the Evil Sov. or Cove Stiffee of FS bikes(i.e on paper pretty ordinary, but is somehow more than the sum of its parts). More I read less convinced I am. The whole simplicity thing? Does it matter how many pivots a bike has if its well designed and quality bearings or bushes used? Prob not.

My current fs has done 3000 miles in 12 mths and still as tight as day 1. Would be disappointed with anything that did not give me at least this level of reliability. Am I unwittingly spoiled with what I have?

Was also looking at a new Mountain Cycle Zen II and could not get over the negative response here and on other forums to the fugly looks as imo had a similar appearance and design philosophy to the five (if not superior).

A good long spin on the bike tomorrow should help me decide. :)

Keep the opinions coming, some good reading here!

Are I need beard too? If so which I be best at?

http://www.beards.org/styles.php

TT clearance looks great for an XL frame. Most XL frames start looking bit gate-like but that looks great. Enjoy It!

I believe that Sports Tracker is being launched as an App for both Iphone and Android in the not too distant future, so even if you change phones youshoulkd be ok.

Works great IME, I use it on a Nokia C7