Not much of a description for this one…

Tasty Orange

Chris King are the only fit-and-forget headset I’ve found so far… all the others I have tried have ended up requiring attention .

Hope headsets are a bit poorly sealed so crap gets in them and makes them grindy, but because the bearings are stainless you can clean it out and regrease it.

We must remember to support our local pubs or there’ll be no where for these local breweries to sell their wears, and to keep the communities going.

I did last night[/url]

Fyne Ales Superior IPA and Red IPA were outstanding.

I couldn’t choose a favourite at the moment… I’ve had so many amazing beers this year.

Tryst’s Hop Trials were brilliant – Citra and Stella stood out
All the Kernel’s I’ve tried – IPA Motueka was awesome but my dad drank the Barley Wine so I need to get another bottle of that to try it… he said it was one of the best beer’s he’s ever had!
BrewDog IPA is dead, and all the collaborations and oddities they have had on tap (except for the very medicinal tasting no hop competition beer they had… odd).
Fyne Ales – Avalanche, red IPA and Superior IPA

I hope to try BrewDogs San Diego Scotch Ale today.

You lucky git… the Mikkeller (and Evil Twin*) beers are some of the best I’ve had.

*Evil Twin is Mikkeller’s twin brother.

Alternating between the two at the moment and I’m very happy with either. Anything I can do on one I can do on-tother.

Earning the descent

Wifebeater on high

Macavalanche (with the stitched up ballsack)

I used to think Brew Dog was overhyped until I started visiting the Brew Dog Pub. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Brew Dog stuff in bottles but from the tap is a different kettle of fish… especially their collaborations with other brewers.

Brew Dog are not going after the CAMRA style of beer so perhaps it’s no surprise that those who like “real ales” are not fans. Punk IPA is what it says it is… it’s inspired by IPA’s but is pretty out there due to the bitter hoppyness of it. I find one bottle refreshing but at the end of the bottle I’ll have something else.

I’ll stop now… I just love how we now have so many choices of beers because brewers are doing fantastic things with beer… cheers!

Congrats

Best beer I have ever had was called ‘Chris from Stone Stout” and was brewed by Brew Dog. It was a scary 14% brew and served in what looked like wine glasses, but **** me blind it was awesome. I hope I taste a beer as good again.

It’ll look better when you get the cut down wellies on… just how much mess are they expecting to make which requires the wearing of wellies!

My two’s names still make me laugh.

and

Don’t look over the screen… 😕 Really… don’t 😐

Here’s to all going well for all of you.

PS. If I’d had my way my youngest would be called Stanley (it got as far as to be his middle name but it was a lost opportunity to get this great name back into circulation… other than on tools!).

Lovely…

From my mate…

I say crack but it’s actually a failed weld / hole with around 4 hairline cracks creeping out from it

It’s an ex-demo, he’s raced the Mega on it, and he rides mountains (in the way bikes like this are meant for).

Thread reserection time… that’s another friend of mine cracked an Alpine 160 swingarm.

No warranty so it’s option time.
1) £450 crash replacement fix from Orange
2) Off to the local welder bloke (who fixes helicopters)
3) Sell front triangle and shock and buy something else

Not impressed.

lifestyle 🙄

Modifying my existing soul – well I have looked at doing this, but by the time I’ve had new dropouts and the other bits and bobs, and a respray (which it could do with anyway) it’s fast approaching the cost of a new frame. I also want to keep my existing Soul as it is.

I still think you should buy another soul and get the one you have modified… it’s the only way to get exactly what you sound like you want… which is a soul with some extras which would only be available by going full custom or by the cheaper option of modifying a soul.

wha’appen to the troof?

The sorry Troof

From my understanding all of the Kingdom Bike Project[/url] options are pretty much custom so anything they do can be tweaked.

Very tempted after the untimely demise of my Ragley Troof.

Scott Genius 700 is floating my boat

Even if I had the readies (and the wife would allow) my history with “stock” bike components and carbon would make such a purchase rather silly… but it’s interesting to look.

Buy another Soul and get one of them modified to take the Alfine and mudguards etc.

Getting them involved in making the food and seeing where things come from has helped my two be very open to different foods. Gutting squid with them and getting them to touch and sometimes play with the fish/meat/veg before we prepare it is very amusing. Picking from the garden is a big winner.

Also having tactile food like wraps and loading up a lazy-Susie with salads and veg’s for them to pick at makes it all fun.

Sometimes they have off days when they are tired etc and even if they make no effort we make an effort not to be dissapointed or make a big deal of it. I’d rather they ate at the table with us than cry at it.

B&Q are the current favourites for our next kitchen.

Suction mounts are how they install huge panes of glass on buildings… as long as you install the suction cups correctly job will be a goodun.

Riding without a helmet feels f*&^ing amazing 😈

Currently loving triple IPAs, Imperial Porters and Barley Wine style beers. Very strong but so flavoursome that one or two is all I ever have.

I enjoyed watching that.

*cynic mode*

He got the mention in of the Perth event which is what the piece was for.

*cynic mode*

Mt Zoom (+ Exotic and probably others all do the same) 175g carbon 740mm bar.

Mt Zoom at XCracer

I might not trust it for DH but probably perfect to get the wide feeling yet at a weenie weight.

I remember 20lb was his target weight… I think he got pretty damn close too 😛

Stolen from MTBR…

Weights/spec so far
Frame, Size, & Color: Nicolai RC, 2010, Size M, Ano Black: 2360g
* Fork: 2012 Cannondale Lefty Ultra Carbon SL xloc 120mm:1290g incl. bolt thru axle
* Steerer Hellore Carbon 68g
* Shock, i2i, stroke – 2012 Fox RP23 Kashima:248g incl. hardware(steel)
* Brakes: 2012 Hope X2 Race Evo: 652g with discs/bolts/adaptors
* Cranks: Shimano XTR M980 with TA Chinook 34T – 666g with BB
* Shifters: Shimano XTR: 122g
* Chain Guide – Carbocage carbon (85g claimed)
* Rear Derailleur: Shimano M980 XTR 172g
* Pedals:Shimano 540’s 340g
* Stem: 90mm Point One Racing Split Second – 104g
* Handlebar: Easton Haven Carbon – 178g
* Seatpost: Thomson Elite layback 238g (KS i900 560g)
* Seatpost QR: Superstar lite: 32g (KCNC clamp14g)
* Saddle: Saevid S1.2 76g
* Cassette: Sram XX 11-36 206g
* Chain: KMC x10SL 235g
* Headset: Acros AH-01 ceramic 82g
* Grips: Ozrider 30g
* Front Tire: Schwalbe Nobby Nic Evo 2.25 tubeless 462g
* Front Rim/ Spokes: Stans Alpine/Sapim CXray SP 484g
* Front Hub/Skewer: Extralite Hyperlefty (84g) – lefty Bolt thru
* Rear Tire: Schwalbe Rocket Ron evo 2.25 tubeless 428g
* Rear Rim: Stans Alpine/Sapim CXray SP 490g
* Rear Hub/Skewer: Extralite Hyper Rear (166g) Superstar Lite QR 28g
* Cables: Shimano XTR 40g
* Overall Weight 9.46kg

So 20.85lbs !

See here… Taadaa!

Whip your Hope freehub body off and remove some of the claggy grease… then put some oil in it. Much quieter and it will freewheel better as well.
Will need to be redone when it gets noisier in about 6 months… I’ve been doing this for years with no problems 😉

Chainline off this here forum had an amazing 20lb Helius RC built up with a lefty for 24hr racing…

I’m surprised he hasn’t popped up on here to comment but perhaps he is away out riding 😆

All my Conti’s look like that after a few months… doesn’t seem to be anything to worry about as they still perform great.

If they are bottle cage bolts these Ragley ones will do the trick…

I have some sitting in a box having taken them off a broken frame.

Davidson’s “Full Bore” with the jelly infused with Brewdog Hardcore IPA… schluuuuurp 8)

*drool*

Transition Trail or Park, if they’re still making it, that’s what you want.

This was my hardtail for forest and mountain use… no “Sisters jeans” and “piss pot lids” involved 🙄 … got a proper BMX for that 😉

I wonder if I have a sufficient “Coefficient of Awesomeness” for an Argon AM?

It would be a suitable replacement for my broken Ragley Troof, and good garage mate for my Helius AM 8)

Oh dear…

… me and my local forest have done it again. 🙄

I have really enjoyed this frame and it’s seen some fun riding… I ride hard and have a history of breaking frames but this bike has seen nothing that in my mind would cause such a failure.

CRC and Hotlines/Ragley where exemplary throughout the warranty process and I have nothing but praise for Shauna at CRC and Steve at Hotlines.

Within a couple of days (as per the CRC email response) I was informed that it was covered under the warranty but unfortunately no replacement Troof frames were available, and as I didn’t want any other frames that CRC/Hotlines had a full refund was arranged… once I had taken steps to ensure this particular Troof frame was beyond use.

Taking a hacksaw to it was rather personal… bye bye friend… it was a rather short but very entertaining relationship (6 months).

Looking back through STW to find this thread I noticed I’ve recomended the Troof (as an excellent handling bike with a 160m fork) on quite a few occasions, and I hope that those who have purchased do not have the same experience as me. It’s such a shame as it really was a fantasticaly fun frame which suited where and how I like to ride.

I’ve now to find a replacement hardtail that can deal with my rather particular requierments… no mean task!