suggests they’ve seen it before

They have. I know of two riders with exactly this issue, and google images shows the same but on a road wheelset under ‘cracked hunt rim’.

I got some Race Matrix pads a couple of years ago. Tried them with Sram Guides and XTR 2 pots. Slight increase in power over the standard pads. But any wet they scream for ages and loose power. When properly hot they also start screaming. Went back to Shimano resin and Nukeproof semi metallic for the Guides.

Intense Tracer, 2001 ish. The red one dripping with XTR in the catalogue.

Is there some kind of washer that could be used to take up the space? Or maybe a washer missing?

Bit hard to picture without knowing the age or type of Hei Hei? But I had problems with the upper shock bolt of a 2016. I can thoroughly recommend not over tightening it because the thread stripped out of the rocker on mine. Real pain to fix.

Bikes and Buddies are excellent.

Internal cables

Especially ones that rattle or don’t play well with left rear brakes.

Can’t wheel my bike upright through doorways without turning the steering, too long. Need to turn the steering anyway because the bars are so wide.

Hmm…I’d be concerned about that one and likely not ride it. But with that crack doesn’t it now effectively have similar strength and material left intact to the open dropouts we all used a few years ago without issue?

I’m amazed there are people on here replying that think stripped drive ring threads on a hub with known issues well within the warranty period is an acceptable wear and tear item to just eat the cost of and move on. Unless the guy is like 250lbs and riding a battery bike or something?

So it is. That’s suboptimal. Explains why no one uses it now. Couldn’t remember if it was any good or not. I do remember trying a Trek Liquid at the same time and preferring that.

Anyone remember Monolink suspension? Guess Maverick took it to the grave? Probably quite difficult to package with long dropper posts, big wheels and steeper seat tube angles these days. But a clever way of getting a rearward axle path without too much chain growth. Think I demo’d a Klein Palomino with it once.

I like the theory of being helped by a westerly tailwind. But mostly I find as the prevailing wind is a south westerly and the SDW heads south east it hits side on. Spent many happy hours up on the downs with the bike tilted into the wind trying to stay upright.

Current Scott Spark owner here, and I’ve never noticed any tugging back through the pedals.

Not ridden a Spark TBH. Some are better than others. But put your back wheel up against a wall and compress the suspension, the cranks will rotate back slightly.

Is a concentric rear axle not just another type of single pivot?

Split Pivot or Trek’s Active Braking Pivot is basically a single pivot for pedalling performance but not for braking performance. Does what it says on the tin in my experience. Noticed quite a difference in how active the suspension was under braking going from a Split Pivot to normal single pivot, but got used to it after a while.

The proliferation of single pivot flexing stay designs cropping up at the XC end of things is mostly down to weight. For shorter travel applications the braking performance of the suspension isn’t such a big deal. Flexing stays create additional rebound force. Not a huge fan of pogo sticks or unpredictable rebound. Some are worse than others and it’s not always something that just slowing the shock down can cover up. To get similar single pivot anti squat or pedalling response to VPP, DW, Yeti it results worse pedal kickback and constricts the suspension movement under power. Probably fine for short track races and punching up climbs but constant tugging back on the cranks gets annoying and tiring on longer rides IMO. Pretty sure Santa Cruz said last time they updated the Blur they didn’t want to compromise suspension performance just to save weight? And yet here we are.

I generally think DW Link is one of the best. But not all DW Links are the same and other designs have been catching up in recent years.

And yet, Orange are selling everything they make at sky high prices… so..?

But they would only make what they have orders for or think will sell. So the question relevant to this thread is: are orange making as many frames as 5, 10, 15 years ago?

Yes to the bottle mount thing. Puts me off. Upside down is almost as bad as none. Ideally two, one for a drink and the other for storage.

Think it depends what you’re used to riding. About 5 years ago I got my first single pivot (not Orange). Previously owned Horst Link, Maestro, Split Pivot, VPP, DW Link. Straight away it felt like the suspension stopped working when braking at the same time. Felt really odd at the time, but after a while I just stopped noticing it. Probably a bigger issue with more travel. What I didn’t stop noticing was the pedal kickback pulling back on the cranks over every little bump.

Definitely don’t see as many on the trails as a few years ago. I quite like the look of them, appreciate the simplicity and the ones I’ve ridden rode nicely. It’s not as if I know many people with modern Oranges but two of them have cracked theirs, not great. Prices seem questionable. £2200 for a Stage Evo frame, plus another hundred for any colour but orange. It’s a basic design with no carbon, just two bearings, no linkages and being made here there’s no shipping or import duty. So must be paying a lot for the cost of UK manufacturing and selling through real shops. The bottom brackets are rather low. May or may not be a problem depending on terrain and where the suspension sits under pedalling.

Guide RSC’s (second hand) with the Bleeding Edge port and was expecting a bit of a tussle but they were an absolute doddle. Proper easy.

Let me guess, there’s no wandering bite point? And in a few months or a year’s time there’ll still be no air inside? Come on Shimano, it can’t be that difficult!

Is that considered extreme or not suitable for a gravel bike? I’ve been riding the wrong trails then.

No, I’d ride all of that on a gravel bike, and do. I just think 70, as I’ve got, would be a lot more suitable to it than 72.75.

Why people seem to want the geometry of a chopper on their gravel bike always seems odd to me.

70 is chopper geometry to you? Strange 🤔

What about this, this, this, or this? All hybrid terrain? To be fair a decent flat bar hybrid is more capable than many gravel bikes. Anyway those photos look better suited to some slightly more capable angles to me.

At least Canyon marketing dept aren’t as silly as BMC. Don’t flip bicycle photos folks!

the general perception that the previous owner probably took some care of it

Presumably that’s exactly what they want you to think, but is it the case?

I know people that get Invisiframe so they can ride thousands of miles, then take it off before selling and pretend it’s basically new. Dunno if that helps the value more than “Invisiframed from new”, but it surprised me that someone would go to the bother.

Only one bike I have now has Invisiframe, because it came included. Seems like a good idea. If any bike deserves it this one does. But had it not been included I’d probably just clear tape under the downtube. My bikes are bought to be used. It’s not done any real damage but I did notice the two places being rubbed by cables and the top of a bike rack clamp are, of course, missed by Invsiframe. The only other frame I previously enquired about getting done they didn’t have a kit for and weren’t interested in doing custom. Seemed odd considering it’s high end, and more common than some of the obscure frames listed.

I think the real niggle is this should be fitted from the factory, likely at much lower cost. Or better yet, use a paint or finish that doesn’t need wrapping to stop scratches and big chips flaking off. Some are better than others. Had a matte frame recently that never chipped and scratches would polish out.

Perhaps the marketing is more ‘off’ than the geometry. Look at the bars, the saddle to bar drop etc – this isn’t an off-road bike, it’s a road design adapted for some light off-road use part of the time.

If so the marketing is definitely off looking at the photos of it being ridden on gnarly terrain from Canyon and Radavist websites. Not to mention ‘Ready for rough stuff’ claim. Seems like there’s not much to differentiate between the Grizl and Grail. Few small details, including to accommodate the Grail’s weird bars, but they essentially perform the same job.

Can’t say I think a 70 head angle would really have any downside even for a road bike. But then I’m used to mountain bikes and anything over 68 handles sharp to me.

Sounds right. Although there’s a bike in the family, not mine, with old UST Shimano XT wheels and UST Continental Mountain Kings. Pumped to 40psi just over a year ago. Still hard.

Carbon Salsa Beargease. The idea was a fast and light fat bike, unlike the tanks I’d tried before. Unfortunately it was stiff as a board and no fun at all. My first carbon frame IIRC. Well overbuilt with huge tubing. Very uncomfortable to ride, even with fat tyres at low pressure. Wide q factor didn’t agree with my knees. Couldn’t get it set up tubeless satisfactorily. Big waste of money and soon sold for about half what it cost.

Giant Defy. Thinking back I’m not sure there was much wrong with it compared to similar alternatives. For some reason I wanted to get into road riding at the time but hadn’t appreciated a few things. Such as driving a car or riding a mountain bike I had no idea the roads were so horrible with tiny tyres heading towards 100psi. Uncomfortable, rim brakes were crap, poor grip from tyres, wasn’t even particularly light or quick. Sold after 2 rides.

Less bothered about the colour and press fit bb than by the conservative 72.75 head angle and 73.5 seat tube, with a 25mm setback post! Are these bikes actually meant to be ridden off road? And climb without feeling like you’re about to fall off the back? Rhetorical questions. 70/74 ish with an inline post is where it’s at. Maybe it’s to leave something to improve in a few years for the next model. Seems like bigger brands are overly influenced by road bikes and what their pro roadie team say. Whereas Whyte, Nukeproof, Ragley, Fustle, Salsa, Vielo, BMC have actually thought about what works best.

I’ve got the SID Ultimate and yep, can’t get full travel. Looking at the dust marks I’ve had about 110mm. Rockshox made the SID more progressive than the Pike and other forks in their lineup so it feels more racy. Also so most riders shouldn’t need any volume spacers, which add weight. Dunno about the lower models but some fairly extreme measures employed on the Ultimate to get the weight down for a 35mm fork. They wouldn’t want to squander that effort on volume spacers, seriously. Think it’s best set up for feel rather than worrying too much about getting full travel.

Supposedly it’s also meant to ride higher so maybe the amount of useable travel from sag height hasn’t really changed that much?

I did notice with my last Pike that it’s impossible to get the claimed travel. Hard top out to hard bottom out measures up slightly short. Haven’t checked this on the SID.

But if you’ve not got a bike with T. I.T.S – sounds like another unnecessary acronym to me – the above information from contributors might help?

Always has to be someone that misses the joke on here. https://www.pinkbike.com/news/tranisition-carbon-patrol-video-2015.html

No need for any of this nonsense. Just purchase a frame with TITS (Tubes In Tubes System) or similar. Poke it in one end and it comes straight out the other 👍

Alternatively I stick it in one end and hook it out the other with the smallest allen key available. For replacements I gorilla tape old outer to new and push/pull through.

A narrow band onto the handlebar? WTAF? Lovely twisty forces being reacted through a very small and bendy interface. Now, of course, they have corrected that totally obvious and execrable mistake and invented a new thing. Reversing course is not the sign of a design team that know their arse from their elbow.

Yep, this one is ridiculous when you think about it. “Ooh look, we’ve invented a solution to a problem we only just created with the last generation brakes”. Of course no other brake company would be silly enough to to have a clamp so narrow.

People always act like it’s user error and Shimano don’t have a massive problem with wandering bite points that they’ve failed to acknowledge or eradicate.

This.

And no it has not been fixed. Bike reviews still mentioning it. I’ve got the latest SLX and XTR brakes, worst so far for wandering bite point.

If it’s a bleed issue Shimano need to make their brakes easier to bleed. Don’t see this cropping up with other brake companies.

is the knock particularly noticeable/annoying

It’s still there and worse than previous models I’ve tried. Doesn’t make a noise, but can be felt. I’d liken the sensation to play in really knackered pivots or shock bushings. Having ridden both I don’t think there’s a loss in efficiency going for the Evo model, no Brain but still pedals very well.

I seem to recall having to take the cranks off to get a tool onto the rear lower link pivot to stop it spinning. Also you might well want another pair of hands for the lower shock pivot. Lot of things to line up all at one there for reassembly. Suggest doing it a pair of pivots at a time rather than all of them with the swingarm dangling from the cables.

I spent ages taking apart and greasing the pivots in mine, having tracked a creak down with complete certainty to one of the lower pivots. Turned out it was the direct mount chainring coming loose.

I’ve got the older Primer and it’s a great bike. Seat tube angle on that is fine but I’m slightly concerned the new one has a similar effective angle but slacker actual angle. Might be a problem at higher saddle heights. Wouldn’t want it slacker. But the long-ish chainstays help keep the front end down climbing. Otherwise I’d be tempted to pick the Primer, knowing how well it pedals, will be a good bit lighter, less common and lovely paint jobs.

Magura made the hard plastic grips for the controls of a small crane we have at work.

Shimano recently switched sides for the caliper hose to improve cable routing. Most other brake companies already do it on the right side. Usually not a big deal but I do have a frame now that needs a very sharp bend to run a hose on the left.

Swinley is a strange one. If you bimble round slowly it’s boring, but fine on almost any bike. Once saw a guy riding a rather old 3 speed folding bike with racks. Crank it up to a decent pace and the constant up, down and changes in direction start to highlight performance issues you don’t think about elsewhere. In that situation it can be quite hard work on a hardtail. Best off with a light, fast xc suspension bike there imo.

Of course none of this is relevant, it’s usually impossible to ride Swinley fast because you’re constantly being held up 🙄

Giant’s sizing chart has you down for a large. That being said I felt the Trance was a drop shorter in cockpit length than the numbers might suggest. So if not large I’d possibly be looking at XL, but definitely not sizing down to medium.

idiotdogbrain:
You know, the way a lot of people on this thread feel about dogs, I feel about children.. Would I be justified in giving one of them a smack or feeding them something poisonous if they wouldn’t leave me alone and the parents refused to call them back?

Username checks out…

30psi so half way between the guide for the tyres (20-40psi)

The max/min pressure printed on tyres is from safety testing, with a sizeable margin either side of that range also fine. It’s not to do with recommending a ideal pressure on performance grounds. Go lower. My hardtail is currently 16psi in the rear without issue. This is obviously dependent on rim/tyre width, rider weight, riding style, and terrain.

I’ve been chased for over two miles across heathland by a pair of medium sized hounds who ignored their screaming owner. No idea if he ever got them back after they collapsed from exhaustion.

Yeah, I’ve found trying to outrun them a bit hit and miss. Difficult to judge the top speed of a dog just from a glance. I had one incident last year where the dog was tiny and probably not a significant danger but I booted it just to get away from the aggressive barking. Had to push it over 32mph down a long fireroad before I started to pull away. Doubt the owner saw the dog again for a while. I don’t believe people are stupid enough to genuinely not realise how their dog will react to a bike rider and know it needs to be kept on a lead.

Coming from a mountain bike background 50cm drop bars (across the hoods) feel quite narrow, and I’m glad I didn’t get anything smaller.