I’ve got GripShift and Triggers at the moment :P

Pros and cons to both as I am sure anyone has used both is aware.

Grip choice and brake lever positioning negatives vs able to change lots of gears in one positive, although I find the GripShift a bit vague and less snappy a shift.

I prefer the triggers on balance.

The argument is that the hook weakens the rim and brings no benefits to the party anymore as when your running sealant for tubeless you really don’t need it.

The 30mm internal rim versions are built with an improved technique which makes an allegedly stronger rim than the older 23/28mm versions.

I would buy wide and hookless.

Speeder – if you look at the picture above I posted of my DHX you will see its the version with the dial at the back rather than the three position pro-pedal switch; because this becomes a low speed compression adjustment after the modification the dial adjustment DHX is the better shock to modify. This was the advice from Craig last year but he is constantly fiddling with his kits so this may have changed… and to be honest, I am so happy with the basic set up that I have hardly touched the adjustments (and I was a constant fiddler with the CCDB I had before this as I could never get it quite right). Avalanche are now modding Float-X shocks as well. When Craig was doing my DHX he discussed how this type of shock is prone to pushing air into the oil and hence they require more frequent servicing than coil shocks, and its a price that has to be paid for any air shock. I got a local guy to service my DHX after it started squelching as I had indeed pushed air into the oil (6 months and the Trans-Savoie of use).

On a side note about the more basic Float/RP23 type shocks I have a Float R which TFT did a PUSH modification too. It took two goes with TFT to get the set-up pretty good with the Float R; and as a normal use shock I am very happy with it. The way it is set up it sits quite high in its travel (a bit like a BOS VIPr) and there is good control even when the going gets gnar, but other shocks I have tried feel better hence my constant faffing and geekery. Had I not tried other things and if I were less of a geek I would probably be happy with the Float/Float combo but to try things and be looking for improvements is a hunt for a needle in a haystack. The Float shock worked well with the Fox 36 RC2 fork I had, but not with the Marzocchi 55 RC3-Ti fork, and the Marz fork worked well with the CCDB but I stuggled with the CCDB and the Float fork – I like a ballanced feeling suspension set-up.

Summary of my suspension geekery (there are a number of threads on this) – The basic Float/Float combo worked best with about 20% sag and was a great XC/Trail set up; but when I dropped the pressure to get 30% sag and improve the doonhall performance the shock and fork would pack down and bottom out etc. The Push kit on the Float shock improved this and I could run lower pressures in the shock getting closer to the 30% sag of the Marz fork, but it still feels like it wants to run higher in the stroke. I preferred the plusher 30% sag set up with the Marzocchi 55 RC3-Ti and the CCDB, although there was brake-dive and shock-wallow with this; better at high speed stuff but scary in low speed techy riding and not great for out of the saddle honking or pumping the terrain.

Ideally I wanted the 30% sag and plush DH feel of the Marz/CCDB with the low speed control and reduced dive of the Float/Float set-up, and thats what the Avalanche tuned 55 and DHX-Air gives me. I’m able to run 30% sag and have plush suspension without having brake-dive and wallow in low speed techy manouvers, or pack-down and bottoming out on big/square hits. What I have also found is that the fork and shock work fantastically well for pumping terrain where it feels like a big hand is pushing the bike along the trail as you pump the little rises and falls, and getting out of the saddle and honking is not a huge chore as the fork and shock only seem to use part of the travel when riding in this way… my Avalanche tuned DHX and Marzocchi fork combo is stunning.

I’m testing a lovely bike at the moment and the Pike fork and CCDB-Air shock work well together but I miss the magic of my own personal Avy set up (but I want a longer top-tube… and possibly wheel-size!!!).

Beware the geekery!

PS… I’m liking the Ion 15 8)

I’ve just had a text from him so he is alive…

I bought a brand new DHX-Air (above) shock from ebay in the USA and had the seller ship it to Avalanche; who then did the work and shipped it to the UK. The process took a while and Avalanche can be a little slow but worth it in the end.

The Avalanche RP23 (Linky) is a new product so getting any review of it will be difficult; even on MTBR there are not many users writing about their experiences with any Avalanche stuff. The FAQ section for the upgrade is really interesting and if you call and speak to Craig you will find he answers questions very honestly… you sometimes wonder if he wants to sell stuff.

I’m running a DHX Air with Avalanche internals and its the best shock I have used. I’ve written about it a few times on here; in a nutshell it’s such a well set up shock that it does not need a CTD type crutch. It’s firm and supportive most of the time and feels great when pumping a trail, but when the going gets gnar it uses all its travel and is able to return back to supportive without getting bogged down.

I was riding a well set-up CCDB-Air yesterday and it felt good… but not as good as my Avy DHX 8)

If your shock has not been custom tuned for you and your bike I would start with that. Loco/Mojo/TFT etc will probably be able to improve your RP23 with a custom tune; but if you really want to get the best from the shock then Avalanche has in my experience been worth the effort (but I am a bit of a geek).

Let us know what you do.

My XC and Bulb hubs required new ratchet rings every year… I find the Pro2 and EVO much more reliable… progress is good!

Answer have a 780mm carbon bar too.

My wife wanted one of these.

I’d much rather have got her something else…

Home Alone – kids loved it too.

The huge carbon rims do look pretty mental and the tyres are mahoosive on them.

Here is my last carbon rim…

Dipper did say “If you bend it you mend it!” :twisted:

Binners… if you cant get your cat out from under a tree or bed what you need is a childs lightsabre.

Although best make sure the cat doesn’t get it.

See the many Pike threads on here… if you can afford a Pike then its the one to go for.

What can I tell you?

It’s a custom bike – but kind of a pre-production Ion 15 built in collaboration with Chainline (who frequents STW). It belongs to Dipper of Gravity Sports in Buckie and is his personal bike. Sizewise it should be just about perfect for me although from looking at it I want to move the saddle forward… and fit pedals!

All the kit is top end. Pike fork, CCDB Air shock with the switch thing, Derby Carbon rims on Hope hubs, full XX1, Reverb Stealth, XTR brakes. It felt very light as I wheeled it into my workshop.

I’ll post my thoughts mid January when I’ve had a good chance to take it out on various trails… shame I probably won’t get it up into the big mountains but thats winter in North East Scotland for you.

And Yes… what a way to try your first 29er :mrgreen:

Test riding this…

I’ve got to hand it back in January 8)

Isn’t the bottom bracket already on the high side?

I’d be thinking this^; but it does rather depend on what 650b tyres your planning to shove on.

I’m running 26″ Conti’s which are tall anyway, and I limit my Fox 36 fork to 130mm travel to stop the bottom bracket from feeling on the high side. I would not want to do anything that would raise the bottom bracket any more… but that’s just my opinion :)

I tried SS but got sore hands. I liked Try-Lee’s but I’m now back on YETI’s and I love them.

Give the cats and kittens some discipline. Our cat and kitten get in trouble when they mess with the tree’s so they are pretty wary of them.

The cat is extremely well behaved and knows better than to mess with the trees, the kitten is a bit more playful but is still getting put away in a room when we go out and at night which limits the trouble.

Gratuitous picture. Maple is trying to find her place in the household… but its not on Lola’s rug yet.

One of our pets goes in the pot.

Note – pictures from last year… Lola got off the hook and Larry went for the hot swim!

I love my XX1. I run 1 x 9spd on my hardtail as that’s the bike I ride in the local bike wrecking forest. But for the mountains the XX1 on my big bike has been almost faultless and worth the risk as I too was not a SRAM fan.
The gear spread I find perfect for where I have ridden and I love having only one shifter. Greasing the clutch thing was easy when it dried out and started clunking and that has been my issue.

Red ones go faster 8)

Any pictures?

Look good. I’ve not tried them but I was tempted, although I wanted a 750mm bar… but I see a new 780mm coming soon 8)

If the straight-pull was the norm and someone came up with a circular flange design that allows spokes with a J-bend at one end to be placed further out from the hub centre (hence building a stronger wheel) and doing away with those week and difficult to machine spoke holding turrets they would be onto a winning design…

Good luck to those that enter, maybe see you there.

Devil’s suppository ! (Boulette d’Avesnes)

I prefer a Sherry with cheese… save the Port for later with chocolates :wink:

Just nipped out to the garage. Website ERD for the 26″ 33mm is 518mm, and a quick measure with the tape says that’s what mine is. The spokes I’ve bought for my rear rebuild on a 32 hole Hope hub are 250mm, but I won’t have time to build it for a few more days.

Snapped eight in about a year until I got the EVO setup… with maxle and solid BETD bolt. No problems on the EVO in two years 8)

Yup, my 28mm were bang on… still not built the 33 yet though :oops:

I have this one and it is an expensive way to inflict pain upon myself… seems to help though.

Anyone else thinking this?

No more blobs.

Bareback… yeeeehaaaw!

Meet the “Ditch Magnet”.

“I WILL KILL HIM”

Gravity Sports Ion 15 which I plan to be chucking a leg over shortly 8)

No. After a few days I get scratchy and a tendency for ingrowing hairs.

300g seems a lot for paint, but stans painted rims are 40g heavier than the anodised ones so it makes sense as a frame takes a lot more paint.

Weight-weenies always go for anodised :roll: (although I guess true weight-weenies would never look at a Nicolai since they are not carbon :wink: ).