I have a 16” one for sale… please contact me for details.

Cheers

Hi Matt

I think I have scoped the route you are proposing on the old Bing OS, couldn’t spot ‘then into Tywi forest, down the Cynnant descent’.

A GPX would be dreamy if anyone has one… be the first time I have used the Garmin in anger!

Looks like about 50km, which is a fair bit… are the trails likely to be mostly passable or is there a fair bit of swampy grassland type stuff… that run over Mynydd Mallean looks like it could be a bit damp.

Thanks for your help.

Bumped for the morning guys

That is a fair ole ride… respect

No ideas out there…

Les Arcs would fit the bill I reckon, I have been a couple of times and have found that Trail Addiction and Mountain Bike Chalet ride the exact same area and trails, for me Mountain Bike Chalet offer better value (not stayed with TA but see them on the trails so know where they ride).

White Room Chalet are based in a slightly different area but do ride many of the same trails but also offer trips to other riding spots, for me this was the trip that provided the best mix of riding.

My trip next year will probably be something of a road trip, with 3 days at Pila, 3 days at Morzine as much for the social and 3 days at Chamoix.

Whatever happens you will love it.

For future reference…

I have found that some forks and crown races do not work together, the differences are slight but enough.

Smiff you now have a problem as you have a fork with a crown race that you have forced on… it will not come off.

I have cut pretty much all of my crown races with a hacksaw with a fine tooth blade as I have 9 sets of forks which get swapped between 5 bikes depending on my mood at the time.

I run a cut reducer crown race on my burly bike which has seen plenty of action and it works perfectly.

I do hope ‘forcing it ‘ on doesn’t come back to haunt you and I mean that as i know how important bikes and biking is to us mtbers. The reason for my post is to reassure anyone else that it is fine to cut the crown race if it doesn’t go on as it should.

Roll on a dry winter…

Hi guys

Big thanks to Cloudnine for info and offer of a ride, as you know we have no signal at the site and i am struggling to get my email at all… we are currently sat outside macdonalds in pembroke Dock to catch up with the world.

We went to Brechfa and my lad made all the climbs and flowed great down the descents… at the end he was buzzing and saying he couldn’t believe how much fun it was at the same time as being so scary.

Weather has been pretty unrelenting and still blowing a gale and the occasional thunderstorm… gotta love it.

Good surf though so will be in the drink in the morning!!

Cheers again for all suggestions.

We are staying at Trefalen Farm, it is near Bosherston overlooking Broadhaven beach. Thanks Cloudnine, my lad is 12 so any ride would be at a mild pace but it would be great if you are free or even just some pointers as to what sections to ride.

I have just watched a video of the Blue at Brechfa and that looked good, either that or Cwm Rhearder (sp) which I think would be a challenge for him… either way we will get out riding at least once.

We are coming up from Kent and I suggested that we go somewhere more local as the weather looks better this end but my lad loves Wales and is so excited we are going to stick with it… we have been camping every year for 8 years and it is fair to say that it has rained and blown a gale most of the time!!

Looks like we will be pitching up in a downpour too…. gotta love it.

many thanks for all the replies.

When I saw there had been 16 replies I thought ‘wow, should be some good routes in there’ but it is as I thought, not alot to be had re mtbing.

We will probably trip out to somewhere one of the days depending on how things go.

We are already booked on the coasteering trip and I was planning on a walk up the Preseli Mountains, we also have our surfing gear and a bunch of power kites so we will have plenty to keep us busy.

Weather looks average aka wind and rain so nothing unexpected… just hope we get to have a few campfires as we have several bags of marshmallows packed!!

Love the vid… reminds me of someone… or should I say lots of guys that have since become keen mtbers!!

I sustained injuries both time George, my point is not to say do not buy a Parachute but rather have a look around as there are much better products out there… that said I feel the Parachute is not a good product and do not like to see people wearing them but then I used them and at the time thought they were ok… that is ok mind, never excellent.

This thread has actually given me the idea of starting a top 3 mtb products thread… almost certainly been done but hey…

Trolling or not I think a serious point has been missed here.

I have used the Parachute and it is not a good middle ground between full face and xc, I like the concept and agree with the notion it increases confidence but the Parachute is simply not up to the job.

It is too lightweight and the chin guard is shaped slightly wrong.

The result can be a shattered chin guard which i managed twice, yes twice, i never claimed to be smart!

As I said I like the concept so I started looking around and found the Casco Viper, it is expensive but it is streets ahead of the Parachute in terms of strength and is far far more comfortable.

I have been using mine for about 4 years now and love it, I have done Alps trips, Mega Avalanches and lots of solo riding on tech terrain in it and it is in my top 3 bits of kit.

Please do not think I am here just dissing the Parachute, I have Met xc lids and love them it is just that the Viper is genuinely better and much safer.

Be happy – go riding

Cheers

Take your time at the points you are unsure nav wise, a ‘oh i’ll try this way’ could cost dear.

If it is hot then be aware the first tap is some 35 miles in so i’d leave as early as possible to reach the first tap in good nick…. they do some lovely ice creams in the farm shop opposite too!

Enjoy

That is bad luck, we are heading there Saturday and one of our lads has done the same, he is out doing a gentle ride now and deciding on then….

Feel for you ..

Round 1 at FOD was excellent, today was ok and I expect round 3 to be very good.

Round 2 was always going to be the least exciting as the venue itself has its limitations but overall i enjoyed it and think Carlos did well with what was available.

Agreed that it was tricky riding sections with drops etc blind and getting some flow was difficult and a little frustrating.

My main gripe was the fact that I missed the bombhole on the first stage and had to turn back once I realised, the marshal was stood in the trees to the right in camo gear… WTF…(I am blind in the right eye so maybe my fault but felt a bit miffed) so I lost somewhere in the region of 40 seconds… a lot of training and prep out the window straight away and the sense of having let my team mates down…

Overall, a fun series with a good vibe and some good sections… price is reasonable too.

Thanks for all the input, gives me a fair bit to go on.

Debating car hire now as 100E each way is not to be sniffed at.

Will give Calizzano a look on the map too.

Cheers

At those weights I would suggest that you are dulling the ride, I run Flows on Hope and they are pretty dam tough yet light enough to be able to have some zip.

For £160 you could throw a set of these on and see how they go and if they hold up you should get a better ride for a great price, they also have Flows on their Switch hubs for £220 so maybe worth a look.

http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=347

Please don’t think I am pushing Superstar just had a quick look to see what was out there for under £200 and having ran a set of the wheels posted to in the Alps over 18 days I was reasonably impressed.

There is a very comprehensive section over on mtbr regarding 650b and what forks and frames are compatable.

I run 650b in both my Sov and my ’09 Zesty.

Main geometry change is BB height, the 650b rims have a 28mm greater diameter than my 26” Flows. this means that the BB drop in relation to the axles remains the same but the BB height is 14mm higher.

Running off set shock bushes goes some way to dropping the BB height back down again.

As for whether 650b is the future… maybe

And there i was about to buy some Raceface chain rings off them today…. I shall reconsider

I run 160mm Devilles on the front of my ’09 and it is great but I am heading to the Alps in the summer and have been considering off set bushings.

The head tube isn’t the potential problem rather the possiblity that the shock may clash with the frame or linkages or that the rear wheel will clash with the seat tube under full compression, not forgetting you will probably be running big tyres.

Please could you update once you have them fitted.

Cheers

There are 9 of us coming up from Kent and all looking forward to it.

Weather for Sunday looks ok so it’ll just be the ground thats wet.

Whatever happens have fun… i’ll be the old one covered in mud…

I have a set of 650b wheels that I have ran in various frames and forks.

Fork wise I have ran them in Fox, Deville and some Rock Shox, bare in mind that whilst they fit I believe they would not be covered by the warrenty.

Frame wise I have ran them in a few different ones both FS and HT, you don’t just have to fit them in but also check to see if they foul on the seat tube at full compression on FSers.

As to whether they are bigger than a 26 with a big tyre, it is all relative, 26 plus big tyre cannot be bigger than 27.5 plus a big tyre!!

Why bother at all??? Good question and at the moment the biggest problem is there are very few bikes designed for them which means running them in 26” frames so the greatest downside is the higher BB.

They do roll better and grip better but the higher BB takes some getting used to but once you get your head around it they work great.

Downside for me is that they tend to tame things down and I like drifting and being on the edge so these are good but bad… hey just like all the other things about mtbing…

I suspect that bikes designed for them will become the dominate force over the next few years as they offer high speeds for less skill which is what seems to sell bikes.

I run across this sort of thing alot.

I have a local loop and some of the trails are just that, trails through the trees. That doesn’t stop someone from setting up traps, not just logs but trees snapped off so that the sharp splintered end is sticking out so that the hole filled with dry leaves trap will see you impaled.

Have considered plotting up to catch whoever is doing it…. even if it was a footpath it would be unacceptable behaviour…. I have my son next week and we ride around these trails so I ride in front and clear stuff as we go.

A lot of very sad people about….

I have been on a Ht all winter, the first couple of rides were pretty weird as i tended to bounce when pedalling and struggled due to using slightly different muscles.

I found that I was loath to go back to FS as I have been loving the beast that is my Sov but the other day I did a big xc loop on a 120mm FS and after getting over the initial feeling of having a flat rear tyre the comfort and traction meant that I was considerably less fatigued than I would have been on the HT.

Both are good and it does sound like you may have a sizing problem but at the end of the day go for what will ensure you get the most enjoyment out of your biking and don’t listen to all the hardnut HT riders calling you a wossy…

Reveiwing bikes or compoments is a subjective thing which makes scoring them somewhat misleading. Certain bikes simply don’t suit certain riders so a reveiw should make the reveiwers opinion as to the type of bike it is clear and leave the question of whether it is good value to the reader,who knows well enough the value of any item to themselves.

At imbikemag.com stuff is reveiwed without a scoring system and the concept seems to to well received.

P35s on my HT with 2.4RQ is great… as posted above go wide and drop the pressures.

I am currently running them on my Evil Sov, smooths the trail better than 26 and spins up better than 29. Biggest drawback when running them on a 26 frame is the higher BB, once you get your head around that they are fast and grip is very good.

I am a complete technophob and have had the “cannot establish a reliable data connection to the server” for a couple of years on my galaxy S….. going to try and fix it now so fingers crossed….

It’s not a drop in the sense of a drop off but a roll in…. and it is a great trail that you will find if you ask around when you are over that way but I won’t say where it is exactly as it will cut up something terrible if it suddenly gets a couple of hundred extra riders down it.

one of the best things about the SH is that there is plenty there and the more time you put in the better it gets…

Looks like they sell them on CRC… it says ’08 and before so need to check whether they will fit the new frames or it maybe that CRC haven’t updated the ad since they became available in ’08.

Either way keep us updated as I own a Sov and have one coming from CRC for a mate.

Cheers

Just to prove I don’t understand…. does disc size make a difference then?? Should I be looking to run a smaller disc to counteract brake jack….

CY – wheelbase figures allow me to know the front triangle figures.

I like as much info as possible so that I can try and work out the nature of the bike…. of course riding one is the best way to do this and I will be looking to demo when the time comes.

As for the difference caliper position has…. it is fasinating and a little confusing,,, enjoying it.

Would have liked reach, stack and wheelbase but it’s a start.

Would certainly be interested in riding one.

Frame Size Small Medium Large
Seat Tube (centre-top) 16″ 400mm 17.5″ 445mm 19.3″ 490mm
Top Tube Length 22.6″ 576mm 23.4″ 593mm 24.1″ 610mm
Head Angle 66.5° 66.5° 66.5°
Seat Angle 73° 73° 73°
Chainstay Length 428mm 428mm 428mm
BB Drop +8mm +8mm +8mm
Head Tube Length 100mm 105mm 120mm

Usual Height Range 5’5″ – 5’8″ 5’9″ – 6’0″ 6’0″ – 6’3″
Stem Length 40-70mm 50-80mm 50-80mm
All measurements are static based on 150mm travel fork. 160mm suspension forks will slacken angles by 0.8 degrees. 140mm forks will steepen angles by 0.5 degrees.

The European Courts say you have to prove you were not going to drive whilst still over the limit but the UK opted out of this and retained its law that requires the police to prove likelyhood that you were going to drive whilst still over the limit.

If you are parked up at the spot you are going to ride out from in the morning and so can reasonably prove you were not going to drive the vehicle then you will be fine. But if you are parked at a random spot then they could argue that you would have driven.

Just be careful and sensible, it may be a good idea to tell the bar staff in conversation, that way you will have some record of your intent ‘not’ to drive which in our green and glorious land should be enough.

Worth noting that the coppers don’t always know the law…. I only found all this out from the wonderful duty solictor that handed me my life back one very nerve racking day a couple of years back.

I have a 3.0 and ride for approx 10 hours a week.

Good – Pack is light, sits low which helps in several ways, leaves a large area of back free to sweat…. nice, never rides up and hits the back of your helmet when riding down steep techy stuff, wrap around design is soooo practical, you can access both zipped side pockets plus both mesh pockets, these are big enough to house food, multi tool, phone etc with no problems. Pack size itself is good, I get a mountain morpth, shock pump, jacket, hat and gloves plus tools etc. I rode the SDW with enough kit for 2 days and nights in it.
Bad – No compartment, this is no problem to me but I know some like it, bladder tube routing and length are not great nor is the bite valve.

Basically I have tried pretty much every make out there and i find the Wingnut the best for me. as mentioned, if Osprey were to put their mind to it I think the perfect pack would be a realality.

Sounds like you have it sorted, I always wear a hat and keep my clothes etc in my bag to stop them freezing…. how cold it is doesn’t matter as much as getting out of the wind so careful selection of the spot you bunk on is vital…. having a good fire helps too :D

Looks like the original poster has been scared off…

i am no expert but what I do know is that the term ‘carbon frame’ can be misleading as it suggests that any one carbon frame is the same as any other… clearly it is not as there are many different lay ups, resins and bonding methods used so each frame will have different qualities and failings.

From my experience the carbon frames I own and have owned and sold have been extremely strong with high impact resistance. That is not to say that I haven’t experienced failures but the carbon frames have compare well against steel and very favourably against ally.

In short…. buy the frame that suits your needs based on size, geometry and intended use…. frame material should not really influence your decision as much as the above.

And whatever you do enjoy it rather than worry about it…

Tough choice…. love my Sov and would love it in your neck of the woods even more.

It’s out of the saddle attacking that it really shines, I run my chainstays about midway mostly.

Very playful bike and bombproof with the hammerschmidt…. put it together for winter and now lack thed motivation to rebuild mt FS….

By the way how do I put pictures up??

I looked at the headset option but once they are in they are hard to get out again and the cost is quite high.

I will be putting the off set shock mounts in for a play in about 3 weeks as i’m rebuilding the Zesty after showing it a little TLC.

I will report back.