unstoppable publicity machine for BrewDog run by their enemies.

this +1

Absolutely no sympathy from me for Diageo but a lot of Brewdog’s stuff is pretty ordinary beer with more effort put into the labels than into the beer

Your drinking the wrong ones then… I love going to my local brewdog pub for a meat and cheese platter lunch and a couple of small but amazing beers. Paradox Stout matured in a Jura cask is wee bit more than just marketing.

If Specialized shoes fitted me I would be after the Rime shoe because of the Vibram sole… nae cheap mind 🙄

Have mostly done DH with proper full face helmets since but this year I will do quite some AM/Enduro riding.
Looking at the Parachute and the jaw bar I must say it looks a bit weak and most of all brittle.

I think you’ve answered your own question there… if it looks brittle and weak then it probably is 🙄 I think the MET Parachute is a great XC lid with a chinbar suitable for protecting the riders face in the event of a minor face/ground meeting… but it aint no DH/AM/Enduro riding full on hit the ground at race pace full face helmet.

As above – My UST BC RQ’s have pretty solid feeling sidewalls which didn’t need much if any sealant; wheras the non UST’s are toilet tissue sidewalls and hence need a fair whack of sealant.

Ohhhh… one of those goes on the list for when I break my Explosif.

A friend has a large scar on his chin from where the jaw piece flexed, broke and dug in… would “probably” have been worse without it though.

He now almost always rides with e Specialized Deviant.

Hope’s are much quieter if you keep the ratchet bit lubed with oil instead of grease (this is a tripple whammy as it also stops them freezing up and helps them freewheel much easier… consider it a free upgrade).

I coudn’t make it but I’ve heard good things from two friends who were there; so well done marionheck

Certainly no room for mistakes. There’s a lot of fit and capable bikers around these parts.

I’ve been trying to break my Explosif for 15 years. I have a love/hate relationship with it. When the chainstay snapped at the dropout it wasn’t “killed” enough so I got it fixed… I need to rip the headtube off it or destroy the main tubes… then, and only then, will I call it properly dead 😈

Kilbo path is rocky and pretty technical in places… much more so than Jocks Road… which means it’s fun-fun-fun (IMHO, YMMV etc)

To make a day of the Kilbo you can go from Clova via the ministers path across to Glen Prosen, then up and over the Kilbo, add in Driesh or Mayar if the weather allows. On a good day this route is almost all rideable. Ministers path is a bit boring, and the climb up from Prosen is pretty damn steep in places but it makes for a nice day out.

What about stockpiling real weapons for when we need them…

u is mbuk rad

At 5ft11-1/2 the 18″ was a tiny bit too big for me hence the 17″ Troof… you should be looking at the 16″ IMHO.

I see a few people bunging big (160mm) forks on Mmmbops, but I found it worked best at 130mm, anymore and the bottom bracket height and slack seat angle started to affect how it rode (IMHO, YMMV etc etc).

If your looking for a hardtail to take a 160mm fork have a look at the Ragley Troof. It’s a bit beefier than an Mmmbop but it rides awesome with a big fork; when I’m riding mine I’m too busy laughing to tell if the back end is harsh 😉

Mmmbop, ugly as sin but oh so capable.

1988 Specialized Rockhopper
1990 Trek 8900 Bonded Alu (broke/stolen)
1992 Rocky Mountain Blizzard (broke x 2)
1994 Rocky Mountain Blizzard (broke)
1995 Trek 9900 OCLV Pro Issue (broke x 2)
1995/6 Kona Explosiv (Broke – welded – still got as singlespeed/fixie)
1997 Intense Uzzi SL (Broke, broke, broke, etc)
2001 Trek 8900 Alu (sold)
2003 Nicolai Nucleon (sold last year)
2010 Nicolai Helius AM (still got, love)
2010 Whyte 19 Steel (broke)
2011 Ragley Mmmbop (waiting sale)
2012 Ragely Troof (still got, love)

I find these books fascinating.

Recently finished this one

Somewhat harrowing!

I really liked mine. I couldn’t decide between the 16″ which was too small and the 18″ which was a little too big. I eventually went with the 18″ and fitted Rev U-turns… for me 130mm forks were the sweet spot. I never felt the frame to be harsh even when running an I-beam seat and post, but I ended with a reverb and big 2.2/2.3″ tyres tubeless at 25-30psi…

I decided the 18″ was a little big as the top tube was where my knees hit, and I found the limits of the bike and forks so upgraded to a 17″ Troof with Fox 36 forks… which is a bit of a beast but suits my riding style better.

Summary – Fantastic frame and very light for what it’s capable of.
I’ve provisionally sold the frame to a friend but I’m tempted to rebuilt it for more XC stuff now I have the Troof for hooning.

I like 45mm so much that I run it on both my bikes.

Just because you CAN ride a hardtail down something fast does not mean it won’t be EVEN MORE FUN when tackled on a different bike.

Not just about speed IMHO… riding a big bike opens up a whole different world of line choices.

I swing both ways by the way 8)

I’ve had my AM for two years and still absolutely love it. It’s a very versatile bike, I can ride XC one day and chase doonhallers the next. The angles on mine are spot on for the 160mm forks (new ones can take 170/180). I’ve run a few shocks and forks on it with VIPr/Deville being the best light weight air option, and CCDB/Marzocchi RC3 Ti being the best for doonhall. I have no plans to change this bike… why would I?

Note – my bikes are never clean, if I had the time to clean them I would have the time to ride them more.

XC set up from through the winter – about 32lbs

Current more doonhall set up – 35lbs

Any particular questions fire away.

I bought mine from Dipper at Gravity Sports in Buckie – top chap.

Hi Metalheart, said hello in the shop yesterday 8)

Good write up, bikes are still ace even for us slightly older gentlemen.

41. Go to local indoor skatepark some lunchtimes… stick your gym and spinning classes… This is where the skills are at. Ace!

No idea about the totty thing.

Choose your costume?

or…

Behind me is the past and ahead of me is the future… what was that you said?

F*&%ing trail stormtroopers… MTFU and take the consequences of your sh!te riding skills… maybe you’ll learn that riding smarter is actually the way to riding better!

Oh 😉

Mine would be outdoors and would not be overlooked… but no mountains to look at 🙁

For niche you need this as the woodburner is in the tub.

http://www.scanditubs.co.uk/ 8)

The times I’ve really enjoyed lounging in one are when they are outdoor’s, and I’m looking up at mountains, after I’ve had a hard days biking or skiing.

Will I enjoy it so much in my backgarden after a *cough* hard *caugh* day in the office?

Why is rapidfire (etc) so much better than thumbshifters were?

Because you don’t have to lift your thumb above the bar… below the bar is best(est).

Change the bearings in the Raceface – Kaesae

Thanks for that image McHamish…

When I’ve been on holiday (civilised holiday McHamish!) and a hot tub has been available it’s something you do tend to use. But if it was at your own home would you? I have a friend who has had one for about 15 years and uses it most days… but I’m still to be convinced… hence the question.

Binners… with friends like those you’ll never go hungry as a zombie.

Current monsoon conditions make bike cleaning a requirement after any offroad shenanigans and therefore the road bike is the only sensible option.

Note… why be sensible?

I would suggest losing the shifter window on the LHS (front mech) side is less of an issue than on the rear, and it will open up more possible positions. The only way is to try it all and see what works.

This is mine… worked with an XT shifter as well, but I didn’t try it with indicators though.

I wasn’t sure if it would work for where and how I ride but I decided to try it anyway… and I can report that it mostly works but sometimes doesn’t… but I like it anyway… ymmv etc.

As a friend of mine once said… the only way to trully know you don’t like man love is to try it… 😳

I run Formula RX with 180/160 Ashima Airotor’s on my Troof for *ahem* agressive xc *ahem*

The only time I’ve found the RX’s wanting was when screaming off the UK’s second highest mountain when I had them on the Nicolai, so I moved the RX down to my hardtail and bought 180/160 Formula The One’s for the full on Doonhall looning on the big bike.

Folk who ride behind me do sometimes complain about the smell of hot brakes, and I do notice it myself sometimes, but they have never failed to stop me and the feel at the lever never changes much.

Stonehaven Real Ale Festival is in November.

“If” I had enough cash at the moment I would be giving these a go…

http://www.light-bicycle.com/wider-mtb-26er-carbon-bike-rim-26-inch-rims.html

A few threads on MTBR about the 29er version and this one.

Build them up on a Pro2 to keep the cost down and Bobs your bloomin uncle 8)

Get the shock tuned.