Put a Spa Chainset on my Salsa Casseroll with custom ring sized to what I wanted – black and silver. It looks superb and works perfectly. Getting your rings right, a triple and the crank length right means I can spin uphills not mash. Old school bb which may be less stiff but they’tr cheap and go forever. SPA stuff is excellent. I don’t have one, but their bikes and frams look amezeballs value with Reynolds 725 and dynamo options. I seem to have gravitated to to how they spec their bikes by my own experience, so I’d say they know what they are doing. Good shop, company, products and value. Looking back I probably should’ve just bought one of their Audax/ tourers and saved myself a load of hassle.

Was thinking of one of these for mum when she has to stop driving. Step through (easy to mount) integrated lights, hub gear, rack for a pair of small panniers for going to shops, chunky tyres, small wheels easy to manouver, high stack.

Kind of an electric version of her Bike Friday shape which she like to ride. Seen quite a few elederly ladies riding similar on New Forest gravel wizzing along with a big smile on their face.

Missinformed, ignorant, self interested and predjudiced. The verderers are demonstrably incompetent. Locals despise them. They have needed to be removed from influence decades ago. Its time they went.

Last time this happened some 25 years ago they realised they’d also have to ban horse riding and there was uproar- literally marches on Lyndhurst.

The verderers actions are the social and sporting eqyivalent of racism. There is no parking on verges, no destruction to the ecosystem and i’ve barely ever seen people riding off piste. Given its mostly a working forest with churned ground from heavy plant, the verderers are exercising their political self interest agenda.

They clearly don’t have the confidence of the Forestry Commision or Police. They really do need to be removed and a better system of management implemented thats fit for purpose.

Genesis did a Croix De Fer 931 stainless a year or two back. Might be one about somewhere or used.

I thought 240’s were stainless bearings and 350’s weren’t…part of the price diff apart from the extra machining.

I bought some giant trx wheels for my 29’er very cheap which were rebranded dt 240’s hubs i think or at least internals. 32h straight pull. The big boys did use DT’s hubs sometimes and they’re out there chesp if you can find them. The DT freehub design is still amazeballs. Might want the lower / standard pick up ratchet thingemy for the e bike’s inertia for max durability.

“You can hardly be surprised that it isn’t like the North Face of the Eiger.”

Actually there’s a mountain cafe up there too! Set back from the north face. Cog railway up that an all, then a 30 min walk accross to it for some hot soup! It’s still just like that Clint Eastwood film as you go up in the mountain…priceless.

I’ve found Continental XKings have surprisingly low rolling resistance for the grip offered. It’s a very good tyre for allround jack of all trades. A bit more speed with Raceking rear but not much. They do them in 26 and Protections. Supposed to have made them tubeless better now as well as 2.2 there’s now a 2.3 (the old 2.4?).

C456 Evo frames take 27.5 XC tyres no sweat. Run mine like that. Great frame. Slack light and confortable ride. 26″ was funnest though.

29″ straight steerer 100mm Judy Gold. 226 from Europe (+taxes)

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/rockshox-judy-gold-rl-29-solo-air-100-qr-953124\

26″ straight steerer 80-120mm. There’s a whole page of em here… from £100-220 (+taxes).

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/shop/26-suspension-fork-80-110mm-820/l-24

The 120mm straight steerer Reba 26″ in at end of March.

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/rockshox-reba-rl-26-solo-air-831669

Bigger frame sizes I assume wouldn’t have the dip? Is that a small in the photos?

Frame spec is listing it takes a 3” 29er tyre. Triple butted titanium…they’re spoiling us.

Salsa Firestarter carbon older non boost version.

No on a Singular Swift.

I’d love a Whippet but just want the frame/ fork. They’ve never been on offer thanks to Covid and probably never will be. It’s going to be a year or two before any excess stock is sold cheap if they have any. PX has stock and that’s something, so he’s no reason to sell at prices he used to. The full bike’s good value though and I’ve thought about buying one, but I have a load of good bits on my Swift…

Whippet rims are 30 internal I think now, if you’ve got those you might be better looking at 2.4’s rather than 2.2’s I use, though it suits a light build. I did read something about tanwalls not being as strong as black sidewalls but don’t know if thats true.

I rode a carbon 456 evo with Lurcher carbon forks with 26 then 27.5 Crossmax’s XC before and love a light bike, both the way it feels and the lighness carrying it or throwing it over gates. Still have it. My Swift’s head angle is a sharper 72 dgrees and I think somewhere between the 65 or so on the 456 and my Swift is probably about right for XC like the Whippet has. I like the 120mm carbon fork as that will give a bit higher stack for more comfort. It’s pretty unique to get those. Bigger frame main triangle will take bottles and a small frame bag etc. Current trend for straightling headtube to rear axle gives no room for that. I like my Swift, just a steel 29’er with sus forks (and a Brooks) is ‘evy.

I tried a pair of Schwalbe Racing Ray/ Ralph skinwalls. A pack of two was about £70. They do a twin pack cheaper. They were good XC. The paddles on the new ralph seemed to work well up loose steepies. I seemed to have settled in a pair of Ikons for my XC. You can get them in skinwall. A bit slower but I like the reasurring feeling carving high speed gravel corners with em and having the same tyre front and rear for a balanced front to rear feeling. It’s all personal. On my rims the Maxxis seem to blow up tubeless easiest but again that all depends on rims etc. Tried an Aspen rear and that was a bit quicker, but again I have a better ‘day out type XC’ with the Ikons – there’s no sketch on 25mph gravel corners which you get with the faster Burts and Racekings.

On road I point my beam a bit to the left. What I’m aiming for is to catch the eyeball of a motorist sat a junction waiting to turn right. That “sorry mate didn’t see you” that puts you on the bonnet/ into his wheel with no warning when your riding past and not expecting the pull out. Hands ready on the brakes and discs to stop quicker…cant always stop it. People will still see you and pull out coz they think they can make it before killing you. You’re expendable and in the way on a bike. Road ridng its only a matter of time before you get hit even with flashing lights and high viz. Old folk genuinely can’t see and stressed mothers in a rush late for school drop off at 9/3 see you but will still kill you. They’re the two worst drivers in my commuting experience.

Very pleased with my Cateye Volt 800 too. Just works. Not expensive. High quality. Well made by an established manufacturer who know how to make stuff thats sealed etc. About £50. Mine’s the earlier rounder one.

https://road.cc/content/review/251430-cateye-volt-800-front-light

There was nothing wrong with 26. There still isn’t. The wheels accelerate faster, are lighter, stronger and turn quicker. Whole bike is lighter. When I get back on my 26 it reminds it’s more fun than 29 or 27.5.

There’s still stuff available just not as much as the bigger wheelers. Just stock up when you see it. I could rag my 26’er, 29’er not so much despite all the ‘traction and rollover’ Don’t feel inferior just coz it’s a 26.

26 will come back just you watch.

I’ve gone back to non bibs so I can take a leak easier. Life’s alot easier on all dayers. Not so hot in summer either and don’t interfere with layering. And cheaper. Not the current (roadie) fashion but they have some practicalities.

Surly Karate Monkey.

Spa are getting some frame and forks in mid March in most colours and sizes.

Its a very adaptable bike. The rear gnot boost thing can take all wheel standards. Rigid front fork is 120 corrected I think. Loads of mounts. 29 or 27.5+ if you ever fancied it. Head angle about right for all dayers but not nervous. Its not low though, but that can affect crank length or rock strikes. It looks like a good moderate bike to me. Don’t have one but i’d maybe swap my Swift for that. £680 f and fork which is frankly going rate these days. ‘In stock’ is quite a remarkable site these days if they get them. If you’re buying sus forks make sure you’ve lined up what you’re getting coz alot if stuff either isn’t available or will be full price.

I accept that the New Forest is a in large part a ‘working forest’ and there will be a churn in how things look.

I understand FE are taking diggers and logging equipment into sensitive areas and leaving entire hillsides stripped and then left to natural regeneration. Probably a 50 year process.

Why then do I have to listen to the Verderers that MTB’s should be banned because of a few tyre tracks. It’s completely at odds with what’s going on with FE and the sheer scale of large gravel paths needed for that access.

Their argument is not reasonable. By making it, they make themselves justifiable targets of ridicule. Why should I have to accept riding around the south New Forest under a cloud of guilt.

I found myself in a Welsh trail centre last year for the first time. Kids enjoying bikes, learning, older guys out riding, shop selling bits…it felt like a mini ski resort. Same vibe. Compared to ‘head down, don’t stop, be prepared for abuse and get your argument in first’ attitude we have to take in the New Forest just to get some exercise, frankly I could have cried with the difference in approach.

Locals generally know the nuts of it and just ride (with a low profile). But others really think it’s the law. In the first lockdown, I was out enjoying the forest and I pass a runner on a car wide gravel track linking legal cycle paths I use for a loop. This a footpath he says. I ignore him. You can’t ride on this. I ignore again. Stop this is a footpath again. So I stop, reiled for an argument and give him both barrels. There we were he a doctor, I a veterinary surgeon stressed with running our respective practices through Covid, atop a Forest hillside disturbing the peace with our mutual verbally offensive language. Thats the occasional reality of biking here. Without a better long tern resolution it’s actually a source of conflict at times.

What happens in your head or in public statements of intent in your office is not what happens on the ground.

The teams go in, log the trees, leave massive rutts you have to climb over (think WW1 at Flanders) the ground excoriated – nothing left just acres of wet mud and then just leave it to fern over. There’s no replanting, no rough relevelling back to how it was (poor deer) no tidying of the foot path that was there. A total mess – it’s not done with care. Thats the reality.

The transition from non native softwood plantantion to native deciduous hardwood species might eventually occur given another 20-50 years naturally but it’s not proactive. Replacing a hillside of mature redwoods with a sea of equally useless low fern is barely improving biodiversity. Eventualy it will be no thanks to FE ‘mananagement’. It’s shamefull. This is in the enclosure just north of the Canadian monument in full view of the main (cycle) paths on both sides.

Is there a proactive native species tree planting department in the New Forest? I have never once in 30 years seen active replanting of at least some deciduous native trees after logging an area here with very heavy plant.

I ride regularly in the NF. I accept its a working forest and there are plantations to be worked and in some cases deciduous woodland returned so that it holds more wildlife and native trees.

My normal loop included a beautifull section through some very mature redwoods on an incline quite high up. A peacefull and beautifull location. After the loggers went in the whole hill side was cleared to a quagmire like a nuclear bomb had gone off. Utter destruction of all the habitat. Massive soil churn a hillside of brown mud and ruts just left I had to climb over never mind walk or ride. Utterly disgracefull. No attempt to level the ground. No attempt to clear debris. No attempt to replant deciduous trees, just left raped to become a useless field of fern to cove rthe scarring. No doubt 20 years time some new trees will find root but hardly proactive management. Coming accross scenes like that make the idea that a mtb is going to add any damage to the NF is completely laughable. Very little of the New Forest is actually in a natural state. Bird life is pretty absent. When horses were kept off the forest one year the grass grew and there were alot more insects and flowers.

There has never been a well organised defined management plan for the New Forest. It’s 2021 and there are no oragnised paths for children and locals never mind tourists to walk or cycle between villages safely. In times of road safety, emmisions and climate change it is by definition demonstrably unfit for purpose.

It’s such a large area, and arguably actually not so wild, that the use by Forest Commission, walkers, dogs, cyclists, commoners who ever, doesn’t have any appreciable affect at all. The trees grow the horses make their own paths.

The ‘commoners’ are a very self interested group, and always have been. That they object even to ribble sportives on the road shows how unaccommodating and unreasonable they area. I’d not like to use degrogatory comments on a public forum but the feeling is widespread.

So what to do. The New Forest is a gravel grinding nirvana. It’s endless. I have my life to lead and can’t wait for common sense to prevail. If you stick to gravel tracks, slow for horses and cyclists, dogs and walkers…in Charlie’s words ‘don’t be a dick’ I say cycle wherever. These days I don’t ride on the Forest proper. We did 30 years ago as local kids, but you all too easily end up in bogs and it’s quicker on the gravel.

If the Forestry Commision stop you (generally they won’t – they just don’t want you in areas of active logging) I’d quite happily stand my ground and point out tho the wholesale destruction of vast acreages with their logging. They don’t replant with deciduous trees – just leave the ground scarred and broken to be covered over with fern. I’ve never been stopped by ‘a commoner’ they are never on the Forest, and I’d just be objectionable for the sake of making them hesitate to do so again then be on my way. They aren’t reasonable people, so you can’t reason with them. The horses prevent wild grasses and flowers growing, greatly reducing the Forest biomass and environmental diversity, plus are a huge danger to car traffic as are the horses are at great risk themselves. Remember these aren’t wild horses, they are owned by the commoners, like you own your dog. If you let your dog out to roam free, you’d be responsible. These people avoid responsibility for their horses ultimate welfare or or drivers safety.

They tried to ban cycling outright a few decades ago then got into a pickle when they’d also have to ban horse riding. The local riders grabbed their pitchforks and it all had to dropped. A few cycle routes were put in, I remember mainkly at the time so they could get an ambulance to someone. It’s not all bad – the FC does re gravel any potholes!

So come to the New Forest, ride solo or a two, but keep to a gravel track if not an cycle route (their are quite a few of those to be fair) keep moving, try to blend in a bit, and you’ll be fine. The odd bit of ‘cross country’ will be necessary but keep it to minimum and no harm done. That’s what locals do. If you want to see deer, look sideways not ahead, and go out at dusk around Bolderwood.

E bikes have higher emissions. Curently half the power comes from nuclear or fossil fuel burned remotely never mind the emissions making that battery and motor. Just saying its cleaner than a car if you e-commute but compared to using a normal bike or just going for a walk, e biking is actually adding to climate change.

Describing normal bikes as ‘acoustic’ infers e-bikes are progressive which is perverse when normal bikes are in fact the greenest option to the problems we face.

Check this E-bike out…fully new school.

Cube Stereo Hybrid 12 Race 625.

120mm Fox 34 suspension, Bosch motor, 4 piston brakes, 2.4 tyres, 30 inner rims, 1 x12 XT (10-51), full sus, racks, guards and dynamo lighting!

https://www.cube.eu/uk/2021/e-bikes/mountainbike/fullsuspension/stereo-hybrid-120/cube-stereo-hybrid-120-race-625-allroad-iridiumnblack/

Spa’s Wayfarer is better in every regard.

More gears, close ratio gears and better chainline (and customisable chainset rings), standard hubs 100/135 (easy for shimano dynamo), stronger better engineered rack, strong home servceable hubs, easily replaced cheap transmission parts and a superb steel Reynolds 725 frame in metallic paint (short or long frames depending on bar preference). Standard bike is just over a grand. That’s a real commuter for people who don’t do *ullshit and do commute, carry a load or do a bit of gravel with exactly the right components for the job (I don’t have one just saying).

The short ‘playfull’ chainstays (WTF?) stop it using 29 XC tyres. The rack doesn’t triangulate to the seat tube properly and it’s missing the inner ring from triple gearing: it won’t go steep uphill offroad with a load into the wind at the end of a long day if someone is a typical middle aged person is out trying to get fitter.

The aluminium frame won’t be compliant unlike a steel one. Funny road hub standard – who knows how long that one will last.

The perfect commuter/ gravel road bike looks a bit different. Certainly less fashionable.

Ikons front and rear. Or XKings.

Thunder burts fastest, race kings almost ad fast but a bit sketchy at 20mph on gravel bends. Ikons just carve corners with confidence at high speed. Slightly slower but the confidence is worth it. Tried the new Ray/ ralph and nearly as good but not quite. Tried an aspen rear and fast but not quite the same high speed confidence as a front and rear ikon. These are 2.2 all the letters tubeless on a 29er Swift. Also amazed by xkings-alot of grip with little resistance penalty but too reluctant tubeless. New ones might be better. How much tyre you really need is a personal thing depending on where you ride though and where you get your kicks. No knar in the New Forest, biggest legal kick is down hill high speed gravel…every maker has a decent tyre, some makes might fit your rims better tubeless and make a better experience. Not tried the Rekon.

I find the bigger contact patch of a 29er tyre does make a hig difference in slop and you can motor through poor conditions even with an xc tyre that would spin out on a 26. You’ve got to keep weight down still if you want fast xc.

Mudhugger front and rear year round. Keeps mu feet dry crossing fords.

Besides me and my feet, less muck thrown onto bottles, forks and headset, but I’m a Yorkshireman. I do wonder if more muck falls down onto the hub bearings. They seem ok though (DT’s).

Must have been about 1987. About 14. A yellow Diamond Back Ascent EX no less. It had Biopace don’t y’know. My riding and bikes havn’t really changed. After full sus and slack..now full circle…about the same angles, an oval chainring, steel and still sometimes rigid!

Interesting that mid 80’s seems to be quite common for those still doing it and on here.

I’ve put the PX Molly Mawk bars on my Swift. It gives fore and aft wrist orientation similar to a road bar and they’re narrowish similar to road width. It’s very comfortable for bimbling and means I keep MTB brakes and shifters. Side by side to my road bikes road and mtb hand and wrist position is nearly identical (large Swift/ 58 road bikes). You should give em a go – only £10 at minute! Prefer em to Geofs I had before, but its all personal.

I’ve run my Imperial for years on my Swift, though it does have a rear mudhugger to keep my butt dry (fords on the New Forest). You’re worrying too much.

I apply Neatsfoot oil every once in a while, maybe annual/ every other year. Its a very comfortable perch. Zero butt ache after hours on a bike. These saddles are good for 50 years. The Imperial’s cut out allows more give I think and i run the lacing pretty slack.
My bars are level which is the posture these b17 and imperials are for.
Dad had a b17 titanium and the leather is softer and there is a bit more spring in the titanium rails as well as lighter. The titaniums are super comfy if you find you have a b17 butt…

If I find a Brooks Imperial (B17 with a cut out) comfortable – riding with level bars – would I also find a Cambium of the same width comfortable or are they quite different shapes?

These kind of bikes really suit a mountain triple to be able to range from road riding to uphill loaded mountain biking. It needs more range than most singles, and having closely spaced gears and optimum chainline from a triple I think really helps if you’re riding all day.

I think the trouble is SRAM never made a modern mountain triple with drops gears, so alot of the American Fargo’s came with a front double. If it’s geared for road and uphill offroad, the middle is for riding along on flat offroad and you’re crosschained on the cassette limits. That was the unspoken achilles heal of a typical Fargo, plus they’re spendy in thr UK.

The ideal set up is 9spd Sora shifters with a (fully) compatible cheap 9 speed cassette, long cage MTB rear mech and a Shimano mountan 29er triple 40/30/22. Couple this with Hope BB that fits Shimano chainsets and you’re fully covered for long distance riding. It means cable brakes though.

The maximum 40/11 or 10 is fine, you’re not going to be beasting yourself downhill riding all day and the cycling subset these bikes sell to are older, fatter, less fit than a roadie type of person.

If your going with a 40 front chainring there is space to bring the chainstays out and there’s no reason you can’t have a 2.4 29 er tyre if you want for comfort/ grip whenever it takes you beside the better mud clearance of statndard 2.2 XC rubber. Given the preference for longer chainstays on a bike that needs to ‘just run straight’ and not be flighty and nervous, the longer chainstays that help make that happen and climb better also gives you more tyre room.

I’m pretty sure the manufacturers get told what Shimano will supply to make sure it all works, and a hybrid gearing road/ mtb that’s best I don’t think they will supply, so you have to build up a frameset and do it yourself.

I don’t think there was anything wrong with the frameset, it will be stiff to avoid it resonating if it’s used with front and rear panniers. I remember the AWOL was advertised with front only panniers/ rack which was a bit different and the longer ETT/ shorter stem I don’t know how that affected steering feel good or bad. My girlfriends (bomb pot blue edition) small Fargo does have toe overlap and she hit her foot 10 yards out round the first bend, so that’s not perfect either. She’d be better off 27.5 I’m sure at that size.

It wasn’t a bad bike at all just if you sort the gearing, but you’re still looking at restricted tyre width. It’s a shame Gryphon’s aren’t still available as they were supposed to be ‘not stiff’ for drop bar ‘unloaded’ riding. I think they’re titaniium special order only at the minute. Fargo framesets have got jolly expensive at £1000 or so now. A steel frameset/ fork with the same geometry and tyre capacity as a Fargo would surely be possible at £3-500, I guess like the gryphons were really. PX have never aced a monstercrosser either.

It wasn’t well designed.

It came with a road triple and a 32 sprocket. That’s not good enough for loaded exhausted climbing offroad. Don’t we all ride 32-40/50 without camping gear? Does that bike need 50-11?

And it didn’t have massive clearance. It only took road knobblies. Max 1.9/2 so you can’t put a normal xc width fast 29 tyres on it and do what you’re supposed to do on it.

Making a bike like a Fargo but not as good as a Fargo is just a waste of effort. In reality they didn’t want to let their brand become too uncool behind salsa/ surly and went for niches, probably were restricted by Shimano on what gearing they were allowed to fit and had a comittee designing different bits of it. I nearly bought one, i liked they high stack on the large, but ultimately the Fargo’s properly thought through.

At best its a poorly geared commuter. American lifestyle marketing isn’t enough.

There’s still a few new Singular Puffin frames and forks available at Wheelsports. 399 euros frame 99 euros forks.

https://www.wheelsports.de/fahrradteile/rahmen-rahmensaetze/singular-puffin-rahmen.html?force_sid=d5fc9h7sbq6ih5vbbtomp4d226&listtype=search&searchparam=singular

70 degree head, EBB. My brain is telling me the mk2 took 29+ so loads of clearance I think provided you stump for the 170/135 hubs. I think Novatec do some cheapish. 100mm EBB so fat cranks too. Usually some kicking around in the sale.

Spa Cycles Elan.

Have all sizes including 60 cm. He could try before he buys too.

It’s got a nice Reynolds 725 frame, carbon fork and discs. Full rack mounts. Customisable including a dynamo hub at little expense.

https://spacycles.co.uk/m1b0s223p3552/SPA-CYCLES-Elan-725-%28105-10spd-cable-disc%29

Catlike Mixino. £80-100.

Loads of ventilation (was warn by Quintana in the The Tour). Internal strengthening bits so when it takes a serious impact it doesn’t fall apart before a next big impact.

Question for Hello Dave owners….(thinking of buying one and going boost and wider rimmed etc).

How do they ride XC? I’like long wheelbase and long chainstays…which this bike has. I’m also thinking the super slack HA will allow me just to pedal when exhausted on an all dayer and it’ll run straight and nail downhills when I’m tired. The super steep SA with the long chainstays will keep still in the middle of the bike for uphills. The tall stack will also be a gift for a bad back for middle aged bimbling with level bars. Currently on a Swift, and just wondering if these newest Enduro geometry bikes (or at least this Sick one) are the best of all worlds for something like the SDW? Only thing not so good would be the small main triangle limiting space for bags and multiple bottles. Anyone with one reckon it still works as a package XC (not racing XC but all day non tech stuff when you’re covering distance type XC)?

Cheers

Scrap that missed your looking for boost.