I’m assuming yoru trying to build an AM/Enduro type bike here so sorry to reply all weight-weenie… but light bikes tend to feel better on the ups and downs, and hence if your specifying from scratch why not build light and strong?

EX721’s are very strong but very heavy… if you don’t need world cup downhill strength because your not nuts* (or clumsy) you could probably get away with a lighter rim. Stans Flow are the obvious choice as they are wide which gives the tyres a good shape, and yet almost XC type weight. Not the greatest when you do dunt them as there is not a lot of material there but a good compromise for weight vs strength. A Flow will probably need replaced more often than an EX721 but will feel noticably lighter. There are some Chinese made carbon rims which are similar to a Flow rim available if you fancy a gamble?

Hope stem and Renthal bars is good kit but why not go Carbon bars and a lighter stem if your buying new? Easton 35mm Havoc/Haven are the obvious choice and would be lighter – others are avialable.

Reverb – obviously! I tend to buy cheap saddles as they are just as good and light as expensive these days. Madison Flux/Charge spoon if they fit your arse.

Float forks vs Marz RC3 Ti… I’ve got both. The Floats are 150g lighter but don’t feel as good. Does not feeling quite as good matter when they are actually both very bloody good?
You can say the same for rear shocks. I have a custom tuned Float R shock and a CCDB with a Ti spring. The CCDB does feel better but again the benefit is not huge and the Float is perfectly happy doing all the same stuff… in fact for some riding the Float combo feels better as they give more pop and feel more playful, it’s only in the scary gnar and at great speed that the CCDB and RC3 Ti makes it all much smoother and are worth the (quite substantial) weight penalty. I’m glad I’ve got both but if I was to only have the one option it would be the Floats.

Brakes – I’m a Formula fan so TheOne’s would be my choice.

Gears – if you can get away with 1×10 then I’d go XT or XTR shifters with a Zee or Saint rear mech. If I needed more gears I’d ignore the weight penalty and fit a Hammerschmidt.

No point trying to save weight elsewhere and then fitting heavy DH tyres so look for a compromise tyre… but as with the rims you might end up trashing a few to find out what works for your riding. Conti rubber queens and Scwalbe Hans Damf are good and much lighter than a full DH tyre. Perhaps only fit a DH or UST tyre on the back?

* if your a nutter who breaks bikes then check the warranty and history of Alpine failures carefully… they are not a bulletproof frame option!

Interesting to read something completely non-fawning though nasher 😆

I’d love to give XX1 a proper whirl where I live but I’m not going to pay £1200 until it has some history and real world reviewage.

Hell… I’m to stingy to go 10 speed when my old 9 speed stuff is still working just fine 😉

Deville are the same length axle to crown as a Fox 36 fork; which is 10mm longer than a Fox32/RS-Rev… and hence probably a little too long for your Yeti.

Also… if your not finding the Fox 32 flexy and scary then no need to go up to the 34mm of the Deville, and if you use the travel adjust feature of your TALAS forks then your going to want either a new Fox TALAS fork an RS Rev Dual Position.

I love watching Schneidi… proper smooth almost effortless looking style… which is clearly effin fast!

Well… if we are in gloat mode I intend to spend a few hours in Belgium tonight (all the Belgian beer’s are upstairs). Many of these I’ve never seen before 🙂

Stonehaven Real Ale Festival Beer List

Check the CRAFT KEG and bottle list for the unusual Belgian content.

Lovin the green.

I should have added… my wife forced me buy a cheap 16″ wheeled bike for the youngest boy as he didn’t like the hand-me-down balance bike and wanted to be on a real bike like his big brother… HUGE MISTAKE. It was a total POS and ended up meaning none of us rode much until he outgrew it and he could get an MX20 like his big brother.

We went for Ridgeback MX20’s for our boys as they were able to try them for size in local shops. They have been great bikes… not sure what the resale will be like although both bikes still look great.

I’ve not visited the Arbroath shop but it was good to use Chris and Joe etc when they had the shop in Stoney… I hope the future works out for you guys whatever you decide to do… sad times.

I never did get a kebab 🙁

Snow Grouse is mingin.

Lookin good!

Stonehaven. The gateway to Royal Deeside with the sea on one side and forests leading too the Cairngorm mountains on the other… if only Aberdeen was further away it would be perfect (but I’m not retired and I need to work so it’s rather handy).

I’m currently on Mmmbop no.2. Im just under 6ft and found the 18″ large was too big and I’m finding the 16″ medium a little small. I had a 17″ Troof which was awesome but cracked. I can’t see the Mmmbop being a keeper but like your mates girlfriends willing best friend it’s an enjoyable ride. My moon-on-a-stick needs a 1.5 head tube, 31.6 seat tube, 160mm forks and 135×12 dropouts… And ideally can be converted to single speed for pleasure/pain. I’ve also broken three hardtails in the last three years so it also needs to be “nails-min”. I’m looking at custom probably… Nicolai, Kingdom, or I-don’t-know-yet… looking is fun… and there is always the Mmmbop (munter) to ride/break in the meantime.

I still pop a woody when I see a Brodie Holeshot Ti 😳

[Img]http://images.wikia.com/theregularshow/images/b/b4/Cool_Bikes.jpg[/img]

Only donuts care what size the wheels are… bikes are ace.

I’m jealous, I liked the Bos combo when I tried them. Kind of wish I’d gone for them…

Hello again. There are loads of threads on here from us AM riders. We tend to fiddle with our bikes quite a lot and answer questions with lengthy replies. Here is a thread from last year about shocks.
Bos vs Fox fight
I’m currently running a CCDB coil and 55 RC3 Ti; very supple and ace at speed but a bit squishy and prone to pedal strike. I’ll probably change them to something else this year. As GT says the platform is neutral so changing shock or tune is great fun as you can feel the difference. I’ve had mine down to 32lbs with a HammerSchmidt but usually it’s 34. If I went 1*9 I could hit 30… and that’s with no carbon.
Hmmm… perhaps I would still go for an AM over an ION 16?????

DB100… if I didn’t have the AM I’d be all over the ION16. Much as I love my AM I’d like some of the updates they’ve added to the ION, and as there is no weight difference I’d go with the new.
My AM is my third Nic… I’ve not broken one which with my history is impressive… I’d like the light weight of a carbon frame but my experience with the material so far has not been good. I’d like to be proved wrong and discover how ace carbon is but I’m not going to pay to beta test stuff again so I’ll stick with what I trust.
Nicolai fan boi signing off 😉

AM being replaced by newest AC and the new ION 16… If your planning to do more DH type stuff I would be thinking the ION as its no heavier that an AM and a bit more grrrrrr. For more trail and Enduro the AC would possibly be the better choice. I love my AM, had it three years and no plans to replace at the moment.

Bos works well with Bos, but IMHO I’d be looking elsewhere for a fork to compliment a CCDB. I’ve not tried a CCDB Air but my coil is a good fit with my RC3 Ti as they are both supple especially when deep in the travel. For climbing with them a smooth technique is best whereas the Bos pair felt firmer and allows more aggressive climbing/sprinting. I’ve not tried a Lyrik but my older Fox 36 RC2 feels pretty good with the CCDB as it is also pretty supple… But not as much as the Bomber.

Brewdog cheese platter (Morangie Brie, Highland Whisky Smoked Cheddar and Gruth Dhu Crowdie), two Rogue Imperial IPA’s and a Tokyo for pudding.

The Cruel Sea
The Malta Story
We Dive at Dawn
Cockleshell Hero’s ( colour?)
In Which We Serve

I love old war B&W war movies and can watch them over and over.

Saracen Kili Flyer available new for £315.

Ooof!

Much cheaper second hand – I did see one on ebay for £150.

I used to pay some expenses and milage from my work onto a credit card which my wife didn’t know about. Worked perfectly along with sending purchases to my work… I can’t do this anymore and really miss the simplicity and lack of greif afforded by that option.

Note – I never took the piss with this system and I used it mostly for brake pads and little stuff.

She seemed very much in charge… I suspect he spends much of his spare time tied-up in the stark-below-water-level-basement in a gimp mask.

If it’s an estate car it’s a winner!

EDIT – See this pictorial. of a sink estate.

EDIT – might not be an estate… might not be sinking.

Lesson not learned 8)

Killed it 😥

Awesome.

I agree SaxonRider… there was no irony ironing in my post 😉

I’ve no idea what you “youfs” are wearing these days but us 40-somethings are allowed to rock the old geography teacher look (but I do try to ensure my slacks/cords are long enough and that I don’t smell.

Doesn’t matter what you wear if you get the hair right

Kinesis Strut

I’ve had a Rholoff Caliber 2 for almost 20 years and I think it’s a great tool… in fact I think I love it 😳

xxx

Losso. Excellent quality and very comfy, I find them better than the Assos I had before.

*dangles wriggling fingers below chin*

I was tought how to make a good G&T at a United Nations event in New York… true.

*dangles wriggling fingers below chin*