Thanks kimbers and accu – v. helpful.

xxx – coil!

Please?

Whoah! Mentals 🙂

Nice 🙂

Loving them – just a great looking bike. Had my first go on one today, a friends. Really nicely slack and bouncy 😀

Any more for any more?

Nice, thanks Mandog and David. Any more for any more?

wysiwyg – in the expensive sarf 😉

Thank you oh wise bikers – very helpful. Based on this, I’ll clean it first, strip the original bike as far as I’m able, and then take in 🙂

Cheers people.

Thanks Highland.

Utter genius. I may never be able to get over this concept now that you’ve planted it 😀

Thanking you.

+1 for what mboy said.

I have been forced into riding my Genesis again after issues with the Bfe, and am suddenly realising how overbiked I am with the Bfe and its Fox 36 forks…

I know the feeling and it’s very very demoralising 😕
I’ve had persistent chainsuck issues with my Bfe.

In the end, I’ve reverted to riding my ‘lesser’ bike – the Genesis, which has been performing admirably in the crap weather and mud.

The Bfe will wait until dusty trails return, and if problems persist, it’s going: life’s too short 🙂

Trimix = LIKE! 8)

Thanks Iain.

Hey Entonox – do you ride a single, double or triple up front? A lot of the American pics on Pink Bike and MTBR seem to be running Hammerschmidts, so just wondering.

What chain lube do people use? I’ve got the lime smelling eco option (Green something?) but it gets claggy when cold and I’m paranoid about chain suck at the moment.

Interested in other good options, particularly in these muddy winter times.

Ta.

Overwhelmingly it’s about word of mouth.

See the reviews and recommendations on this very forum and others every day for chalets, skills instructors, cars, job advice and whatever else.

Do the basics right – especially the website (simple but up to date and with plenty of pics / video tour of the accom and area).

But IMO the product is the best marketing opp your mate has.

If your mate’s chalet is set up well, the people are friendly and helpful, and they go the extra mile, people will repeat book, they will post on here and generally champion it.

Does he ask for feedback from guests, or send out an anonymous post-stay survey, for example? There may be big clues there about how to refine the product so that the repeats and referrals start flowing.

Those are my thoughts.

When we book our first Alps trip this summer it won’t be because of banners or flyers. It will be what this community recommend…

I can only confirm what you already know – Ardents are effing massive, High Rollers, not so much.

Nice one 🙂

Thanks momo – by a bit of reverse engineering thanks to your starter it’s The Kid’s Aren’t Alright by Offspring.

MrK – you tease.

Great track – http://open.spotify.com/track/7IjdIp3WlQtEnN2BXjr7ov

Thanks cabbage. Was starting to think same.
Can you make sense of the diff between the ES and the ESX?

Wicked – didn’t realise there were actually replies. Thanks guys 🙂
Sounds like an emphatic yes on the robustness question.

So the only outstanding Q is looking at the spec, do you think this is peddalable up an extended trail centre climb?
I know it’s rider dependent to an extent, but obv DH bikes aren’t – would this be?

Thank you.

Thank you all so much. Overwhelmingly helpful

Phototim – that sounds like how it used to be, exactly the same. Start up the engine, weird lift in revs, then settled down.

Now it’s keeping the revs up through gear changes and whilst stationary, but at more like 2k rpm or 3k rpm 😯

Thank you both. These things sound small, or am I being too optimistic? 🙂

What size is it?

Like.

I have a Bfe and it’s stiff at the back compared to my previous 853 steel Genesis, which was a bit twangier, but I really like it – I’m > 100 kg though, so I understand that YMMV.

Given that you’ve switched from FS, is it possible that just giving more time for the transition to happen might help? I suggest this because going from my Genesis to Bfe, I didn’t notice much, but when I had to ride the Genesis again it felt like it was made of bamboo, so sometimes it takes time to appreciate the shift.

It’s a lovely video 🙂

Or alternatively, how can I tell if I need ‘IS’ or not? Thank you.

Thanks for tips all – would I be right in assuming that the ‘IS Mount’ bit will be fine with a 2009 Genesis?

Thanks for the suggestion Jeremy. Looks like neither Wiggle or CRC have them in – does that mean 2nd hand only for Hope Minis? (Which I’m not averse to, though it may be less simple).

Sorry, my bad – I read the OP as ‘new mountain kings’ rather than ‘the new mountain kings.

That Yeti is the pimpest DH bike I’ve seen. Looks like some kinda stealth jet meets drug dealer bling meets batmobile. In a good way 8)

My first bike, a Genesis, came with them – didn’t get on with them at all, got tons of pinch flats and found them a bit spinny in the mud.

Personally found High Rollers and Ardents to be much better for the riding I do.

Hope that helps.

Ton – hope you get back riding soon mate.

For me the current obsession is something along the lines of:
Orange Alpine 160 / Blood / transition covert / Five AM / canyon rockzone

Ideally something sturdy, slack and bouncy 🙂

Uplink – yep, I’m conscious of that 🙁

wwwas – good idea.

No opinions – surely not!

The green is cool, but I’m liking Itheisinger’s black one too.