Baggies on top of tights. Tights on their own is horrific. Fundamentally wrong. Filthily XC weight weenie whippety ‘lets ride up steep hills for 24 hours through the night’ wrong. In my opinion 🙂

already have 36’s which I love because of their stiffness

I understand what you’re getting at – the stiffness of 36s, once you get used to it, is quite remarkable.

I moved from a Genesis Altitude with Recons to my Bfe with 36s and didn’t notice much difference.

Then the other day I had to ride the Genesis on a North Downs day out as the Bfe’s drivetrain was mashed, and it really felt like the Genesis’ front wheel and fork were going to bend in front of me when we were zipping downwards on bouncy tracks (Telegraph Poles, for example).

No going back for me 🙂

But in regards to the OP, get a Bfe 😉

Is that a baby elephant’s trunk in the clay pot?

Personally I agree with what Convert said on page 1 of this thread. Sage words.

Schrick – bloody love your Nicolai! What’s it like to ride?

wicked, thanks guys.

3

Hmmmmmm. Thanks for the input.

The Ardent on the back is freaking massive and brand new. The High Roller (2.1 I think) looks spindly by comparison at the front, and worn.

Confused! 😕

I agree it’s crazy. Getting a new rear wheel from the LBS – Hope Pro IIs together with the XT cassette comes to over £200!

…for a WHEEL…

😯

777mm bars! That must be full on (in a good way).

To the OP I was gonna say Bfe too; a) it makes sense, and b) I have one so I have to go around the world promoting them according to the unwritten rules of internet forums.

Tis free

I’ve also got a Lapierre Froggy, people will think I’m proper rascist

Brilliant! 😀

….more and better than in 2011 🙂

Doodle.ch is good for diary matching – requires manual updating from each participant but is about an elegant solution as I’ve found so far.

I always think of the Euro bikes as a bit too XC for me but *really* like the look of these Fritz. Nice!
What is the plural of Fritz – ‘Frites?!’

Good to hear, thanks for the input David 🙂

I hear you. But would it make any difference to the chainsuck? That’s the question! 🙂

Sharki – absolutely love your words and pics. More!

A slightly different perspective, written from an iPad.

For me it’s a fantastic sofa/ living room device: always on, straight into looking something up or checking social networks and STW. Lovely to surf the interwebz with. Massively prefer it to my MacBook and iPhone now.

The one I’m using is a work one and though we’re cliched media types, none of us have really taken to it for proper work stuff. If I’m really trying to *do* something online – bookings, buying, registering, interacting – I find myself quickly frustrated.

So my feeling is that it’s a fantastic luxury to have for idle browsing and funtimes in an increasingly online world; for me, not so much of a proper work tool.

With that in mind, I wouldn’t personally bother with 3G given the likelihood of being somewhere known, and then just get whichever storage option you can afford but not worry about it too much as most of the content – in my mode – will be hosted online.

Hope that helps and enjoy 🙂

Currently hankering:
Uppy downy seat post for the Bfe
Brand new Orange Blood or Alpine 160 😈
Summer trip (first time) to Alps

That’s all…

Good to hear I’m not the only one 🙂

@stevede here’s some so-so photos of the Bfe – http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cotic-bfe-assessment-after-week-1#post-1441642

Lots and lots of fun to ride.

Sounds like testing a few on is a good idea but what kinda places have a range instore? I’m in Brighton and my LBS don’t and neither to the Evans… Any tips appreciated!

Genesis Altitude. That was my first bike for exactly the same stuff you’re looking to do. Everything from twisty singletrack to Whites Level at Afan. Absolutely fantastic bikes.

Timpol – nice review. Out of interest, what bike is that?

+1 for what Jedi said.

Loved it. Got absolutely soaked and mud covered. Reminded me about the child-like glee of getting filthy and mucking around when the weather’s crap. Bring it 🙂

Thanks Iain, that's helpful.

Eyepic – brilliant 🙂 Sounds fantastic. Will think and ask around about tyres.

high rollers 🙂

cynic-al – you make a good point.

I guess I plan to be pushing my upper limits. 😐
It will be lift-assisted, so I will be riding more downhills, and will be fresher – for the first few at least – having not had to earn them by climbing.

So I think it will definitely be at the edge of what I've ridden before.

Brighton is the bomb but we don't have cheap housing, and many people find the commute – which a significant chunk of our professional workforce do every day – utterly soul destroying.

Thank you both very much. I will check further and go from there. Mucho appreciated.

Please 😀

Mine's built for fun too 🙂

fantastic. thanks for sharing.

Osprey Raptor is superb IMO. Comfortable, expandable, great bladder, pockets galore.

Can't believe Joolsburger said Mirch Masala in Norbury – small world and a great great shout: we would regularly drive there from Brighton (~50 min drive).

The other tip is a members-only club just outside Crawley called The Ram which has a restaurant and bar. The food, just as at Mirch, is properly authentic, properly delicious and incredibly good value.

Now I want curry, not spag bol 😀

Is tubeless a viable and indeed superior option for people like me who weigh > 16 stone and ride quite hard/fast downhill? I ask because I am also averaging a puncture per ride. (Also conscious that my clumsiness on the trail doesn't exactly help but the question remains…).

hello – stanmer is our home patch. i don't ride singlespeed, but a mate of mine does and i'm sure more of the BrightonMTB crew do too: http://brightonmtb.org/

if you're fit enough to race and ride SS normally, you'll be fine 🙂

Thanks. Is it really as simple as that? 😀

Got a pretty heavily built up Bfe (Fox 36 Talas, some Saint bits) and it's absolutely fine for singletrack and traily days out. Guess it depends how you ride – I'm a hefty booger and like to give it some welly, so I benefit from and enjoy what the Bfe brings to a 'normal' days riding 🙂