Just finished the two days practice. Great riding, I’d recommend but take it easy between the transition stages.

Ibis Ripley.

Having ridden with Jim on both his 26″ yeti and his new smuggler, I can confirm that he’s was quicker on the latter.

Completed it last year. It’s a great event and worth doing. Rewards the all round rider.

Raced a full year enduro last year but years of XC races before that so kinda only get a little nervous about 10 seconds before the start of a stage. Maybe I should wind myself up a little more, might get faster :)

Doing it solo but also the EWS a few days after so aim is not to muller myself like I normally do. Dropper post and baggies are the order of the day an I shall mainly be doing skids and wheelies.

I wonder what the average sensible number of replies are on STW posts before they become useless (people trying to be smart/funny)?

Spank 777bars and bearclaw stem, black and blue, look the tits :)

Brave move. I wish you all the success with your new venture.

Went Self-employed 2006, best thing I’ve ever done.

I’m thinking MM day 1 and DHF day 2 regardless of mud conditions. DHF still copes well with mud if not too sticky but is way better than the MM for loose over hard (man mad trail stuff). MM side knobs a bit too tall and squirms/floats if pushed hard.

Crossmark on the back for both days as it’s ace for doing skids. :)

They work great of a 30mm internal rim. No sense of side nobs folding.

I bought a 29er enduro for racing……….erm………enduros.

It’s an amazing bike and gives you back what you put in. Loves to be hustled and ridden hard. Great on steep and gnar. A little dull if you ride it at trails centers, but that’s maybe as I find trail centers dull anyway. Horses for courses, etc.

I found it surprisingly nimble for a bike with such big specs. Can’t wait to take it to the alps this summer. Broom, Broom.

This is good.

http://www.superlecdirect.com/p-8ep407n-honeywell-complete-home-alarm-kit

Edit, I weighed it with the rubber band on. Took it off, it’s bang on now.

780 bars with 35mm stem is pretty much perfect for me. Have came from 750/50mm and noticed that steering speed was about the same with extra stability from wider bars. Bike is enduro 29er.

Welcome to the world of wide carbon wheels…….you’ll never go back :)

ardent rear, HRII 3c front are my summer combo.

But imagine it this year Jim, your gonna be riding it :)

On closer inspection, I think I need more than a visor:

Let’s see how the crash replacement program works out…….

They work. Just had a bad crash today and landed square on the chin guard. It rode up a little (my chinstrap was a bit loose) but took the initial impact. A bit of a graze on my chin but I reckon it would have been way worse without it.

Second time using it too!. Need a replacement visor now :(

I’ve a feeling that there will be a fair bit of man-made trail center stuff mixed with some muddy bits in the trees that will never really dry out.

Personally, I’ll be running 2.5 dhf 3c and a 2.3 dhr, good for mostly anything. I think a mud tyre would not be necessary as you’d loose out on the hard packed stuff.

HTH

A shame you are not getting on with the bike.

I’ve been on my E29 for a month now and it’s a great bike. Yes, it has a tonne of travel but still handles amazingly and it didn’t detract from me having fun at the few trail centers I’ve ridden.

It’s a bike that does shine when it gets proper gnar. (but still great to ride normally)

I changed the 30t front for a 32t as I have leg muscles.

32 x 10-42 sram, all bases covered.

Just done it, just do it!!!

Mine were in for about 4 days. Once I saw the status transferred to their final depot, I called parcel force asking if I could pay the customs even tho I did not have the letter.

They gave me the customs ref number over the phone and I paid online, rims came the next day (along with the customs letter!!)

Give parcel force a phone.

http://www.specializedconceptstore.co.uk/enduro-comp/27724/14enduro

Just bought an E29. Really impressive, doesn’t feel like a big bike, handles great, real flickable but so capable too.

Having just acquired an E29, I can’t understand why you’d want to **** about with it’s geo as I feel it’s bang on and you’d only mess that up!

Great to see the results up in the evening. I wonder how much ‘fuss’ it was to do that?

Not used them but Ae should not be muddy enough to justify a mud spike. They will be using some trail center stuff so a mud spike tyre not the best for that. DHF would be my choice.

Just got my 30mm internal AM 29er rims delivered today.

The quality seams excellent. A bit better than the XC ones I got a year ago (which have taken dogs abuse and are still sweet)

If you can go to £75, get these.

http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/time-mx8-mtb-pedal-163125?currency=3&delivery_country=190

Quite light but the actual pedal body is much more robust than the cheaper plastic ones. I’ve had both and in the lond run, these will fair better against pedal strikes.

Yeah, I think some of it is forgetting to breath (and blink). Maybe I should practice some relaxation techniques……….ohhhmmmmmmm……..

There may be an element of that :)

I’m not a fan to be honest. Just made everything brown, didn’t think contrast was improved.

Pair of racing jacket lenses for sale soon I think.

This is actually the reason I discounted a trek as my new bike as I have some great carbon 29er wheels and wouldn’t be able to use them. Oh, and I feel they would be way stiffer than any boost 148 alu ones!

I use these, seam fine and £15:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/master-lock-wall-floor-anchor-steel-large-160mm/49778

I got fulcrum 29 metal xls when I first bought my bike and they where fine.

I then got lightbike xc carbons on hope hubs and they are night and day. I don’t notice any flex at all and they accelerate and change direction so quickly.

Trade off is they are not as comfy as the alus.

Would make a good front xc tyre.

Out – full face, insurance and cost put me off. Did Ae last year. Thought it was pretty tame.

We have a great scottish series and the PMBA events are also fun.

I run a sid 120mm for the 3 xc races I do a year.

Otherwise, I run a pike 140mm for general trail riding and enduro racing.

The pike is excellent. I think the biggest difference is the stiffness the 35mm stanchions give you and also less pedal strike due to raised BB.

Would recommend the pike. Suites the bike really well.