I got an 18inch Dirty Jo full Creme (bought off here actually) – which I believe is the same as the CRC brand-x triple butted XC frame. I run this with a 100mm reba and it’s been great. A good compromise of stiff but not too stiff. Decent handling (if a little sketchy / scary on the technical descents) and feels very lively. They’re a proper bargain IMO 🙂

Have a look in the classified ads on here – there are some bargains to be had. If i remember correctly, there’s a very nice On One Scandal hardtail for sale which I nearly bought myself. Mattupnorth is the seller I think

With decent lights all the daytime stuff is ridable, but navigating is really hard – only ride trails you know or you’ll end up in the middle of nowhere with very little idea of where you are (VOE).

And remember that it’ll be a long cold wait to be found if you stack it and can’t ride home

A lid isn’t “attire” it’s safety equipment and you can chowp all you like about it, but the fact remains that you spazzing yourself on a little fall because you’re too cool to wear one will ruin everyone else’s day.

Grow up and wear one, maybe? Or ride on your own?

Use them on my hard tail. They’re ace, but it’s a pain fitting the brake lever, shifter, poplock and bar end on the bar

I’m 5’11” and ride a medium hardtail (18 inch) and a large short travel susser (19.5″, I think, but I never measured it). I got fairly long legs (33″) and both fit me well.

I find the hardtail terrific on the easier stuff and climbing, but my weight’s too far forward for any bonkers downhill – the susser, with it’s longer top tube, it much much more stable. I can barrel through stuff on the bigger bike that has me sh!tting myself on the smaller bike.

“Oh, er, and I got one on my dingaling too, can you get it out for me? Pleeeaaaasssseee”

Top of Jacob’s Ladder? Not sure if that qualifies as irrational heeby-jeebys, it’s ‘orrible 🙂

For me, it’s the last decent into Darley Bridge on the White Peak mountain guide book’s “5 Dales Circuit”. If I just manned up and rode it normally it’d be nothing at all, but because I always sh!t myself and tense up, the big ruts really screw me up

Same here – UK size 10, shimano size 45

I’m in the same boat – mine have been fantastic but are 3 years old now and I quite fancy a bit more light. I’ve been thinking about just buying another set

So, in a nutshell, the mech is lazy coming down (big cogs to small cogs) the cassette? And it does this with another mech? If that’s the case, then it sounds like either a load of friction in the cable run or a knackered shifter

I did it the opposite way round – been riding exclusively on my own for twenty years and had my first ‘sociable’ MTB rides this summer. Both ways are ace and each add their own special something to a good ride. The adrenaline-fuelled shouty conversation at the bottom of the big descents is quite funny :).

AdamW – I’m in Loughborough and there are enough local trails for an entertaining evening blast. Not Dark-Peak entertaining, but still worth riding. Give me a yell if you fancy a ride some time