You're right there Pierre. I can be in Geneva in the same time it takes to drive to North Wales but only because i live next to (literally) Bristol airport!

EDIT: Another issue not mentioned is that of trail maintenance. If the trails at Les Get etc are full of braking bumps and in generally poor shape after just a few weeks use every year then how do think Glentress/Innerleithens trails are going to be after year round hammering once a chairlift was installed???? You'd have to also fund a full-time trail maintenance crew as per Whistler. The reason the best trails in the Alps are just that is because they're protected from use by snow cover for about half the year!

🙄

….and you're not.

Edit: I was too slow, having read through this frankly hilarious post!

Hardly the end of the world is it OP…i mean you're looking at a new seat stay and thats it!

Hardly going to cost the earth i suspect.

I cope with work by jacking in the job i grew to hate and was robbing me of time and money (106 mile round trip every day!). I then spent 3 months riding alot and thinking about what i really wanted to do with my life. Applied for a few jobs but heard nothing. A big bike shop in Bristol got in touch and i will be starting a new job, in a new industry in 10 days time.

I'll earn less but have a pleasant 20 mile cycle commute every day and learn alot about something i have a passion and enthusiasm for. I don't have to be nor need to be a slave to a high wage as we have no kids and don't plan to either.

It's all about getting the balance right i suppose.

Worth stopping by if passing but it's not all that IMO.

As ahwiles said, it needs another trail as i'm bored of the current one especially since they messed around with the freeride area. The same drive time gets me to far nicer trails.

Where does all the water in North Somerset come from?

I ask as down here we've had no real rain since early April and the three reserviors near me (1@Axbridge and 2@Barrow Gurney) are pretty full although local farmers are starting to get concerned due to the fact that after the recent hay crop, the grass just isn't growing back!!!!!

Very nice indeed. I have a Handjob (same geometry i believe) and love swapping between that and my Zesty. Although i'm too now thinking the hardtail needs a shorter stem!

+1 for The White Room. We're returning for another backcountry week in September after our first Alps trip with them last year. Can't wait!

We were going to do 2 weeks also but plans changed. But we wanted to the last chairlift week/first backountry week in order to sample as many different trails as possible.

Stevo and Iona are superb hosts….also try Trail Addiction. Not gone there myself but i hear good things.

Depends how far up the Stanchion it is. If nearer the upper crown then the scratch won't be under the seal much at all during use. In which case just remove any burrs so as not to damage the seal. If nearer the seal then filling with nail varnish will work a treat.

For £14 more it has to be SLX surely?

You may have a duff fork there as my FIT forks are great, the only thing i'm not 100% happy with is the bushing tolerances (but that does mean no stiction) but it's bloody close in performance to my previous Vanilla forks.

Where were those taken Tamworth?

I had the same problem on my 2010 RL FIT forks. I had to give the rebound damper nut a fair old whack to loosen it!

I think a few have missed the real reason we prefer uplifts in the Alps…..the bloody altitude!

It doesnt matter how fit you think you are. Cycling up at 2000m is rather different to cycling up at 500m! Plus in some cases you would spend the entire morning climbing, do one descent, spend most of the afternoon climbing, do one descent. Good luck cycling up to the Col D'iseran (2770m) from Val D'isere!!! I'll stick to the van i think.

TJ: I'd be surprised if it was UST as IME UST is the only tyre/rim combo i've managed to get on/off without levers.

Dials that click hey? so like all the Fox forks i've ever owned 😉

Hora: You should try one of the 'Backcountry' weeks offered by Trail Addiction or The White Room in the Tarentaise valley. Our week is £350 each (includes everything except 1 evening meal!). For just two of us i can't imagine how it could be done cheaper TBH. Plus we don't ride a single 'man-made' trail all week and only use a van for uplifts so no lift tickets either. It's superb.

And that Coogan is exactly what i was refering too!! Bring on September!

I certainly would Buzz, the closest i've come to an Alp like descent in the UK was down the Snowdon Rangers path but that involved a 1.5 hour push/ride up!

20-30 mins in a van whilst in the Alps last year more often or not resulted in 45-1.5 of descending (perhaps with the odd climb). In a week of riding in September we never climbed more than 300-400m a day under our own steam. There is so much more to the Alps than chairlifts and braking bumps.

Knackered doesn't describe what i've ridden in the Alps. Dusty yes but then they would be, it was summer. Much like my local trails have been here for the last 3 months! It really depends on when/where you ride i guess, as far as knackered trails go. I prefer out of season riding mostly cos it's alot cheaper!

The way i see it is that 1 week of uplift is what i deserve after 51 weeks of climbing to get my descents.

Scienceofficer: I'd guess it's Stockhill as there's been work planned there for a while as i recall.

The forestery work in Roeberrow resulted in better tracks than before as well as a very fast dual track near the old ruined cottage.

The new features are certainly welcome but other bikes already have these features so it looks like catch-up to me. Especially given that Orange are free (relatively) to introduce running chances if they wanted.

They are great bikes but i too believe (which means i agree with Hora!) that the new slacker angles are too slack for the bike. Combine the 2007 frame angles with the new features and you'd have a better allround bike IMO.

It's mildly assumsing to see people getting so excited about a bike that is identical geometry wise to last years model but has a bigger seat tube etc etc.

Badassbikes is in North Somerset (Burrington Coombe, Mendip Hills) and it is indeed good, owned by the legend that is Rob 'Box' Cooksley!

I went to BIKE in Bristol yesterday, full of nice bikes of all varieties and i had a nice long chat with one of the shop managers. Looking forward to having them as my employer.

Whats wrong with an annual service contract Cookeaa?

Assuming it's a decent Bikehut (some actually are you know!) then thats pretty good. Some people just want their bikes fixed and don't have a little shed to go and be a grumpy arse in.

I have a XM and a Spoon. The Spoon is sooooo much more comfortable than the XM. The only redeeming feature of the XM is that it's longer so comes in useful when shifting my weight abit further forward when climbing on my full-sus. It came as standard on my Zesty and that's why i have one. There is no way i could spent £40 over the Spoon to try one.

I don't want to know what you get up to on night rides 😉

They make bugger all difference and the 'looks' are debateable IMO.

If you really want some still why now try the HEL braided hose kits, they come with fittings to suit nearly all brakes so no need to make sure you order exactly the right fittings. They do a 'carbon' option that looks pretty smart.

It's a superb combo on hard packed and dry trails although the rear is abit 'interesting' in the wet. You have to careful when putting the power down on climbs as the Crossmark can slip abit. In the ludicrously long run of dry trails around here in Bristol it's been great.

The 2.35 and 2.25 are about the same in width. I initially had a 2.1 Crossmark on the rear but that felt abit fragile so went up a size.

The Zesty isn't my only bike so gets used when conditions suit the tyres!!

EDIT: Cynic-al…you're right except these are UST wheels so you may as well run UST tyres on them.

Have you contacted Dirt? They may be able to help with a follow up. As i recall, Steve Jones' 5 is a prototype 'thin-walled' frame that is stupidly light!

I thought the appeal of mail order was it's cheaper than elsewhere, free postage (if you choose that option) and you can just sit on your arse and not even have to talk to anyone to make the order.

Imagine that…it's cheaper, free postage and delivered to your door. Most LBS can get a part in for you as quickly but it'll be more expensive and you'll have to collect it….now which do you prefer?!!!

Can we please ban all mention of CRC! It's getting very boring, sorry OP!

Are people aware that Royal Mail delivery the items not CRC themselves?!

We had some here in Bristol last night..should firm up the trails abit.

I can't believe i'm saying this but i have almost forgotten what riding in mud is like!! I'm struggling to remember the last muddy ride. I can recall one since early April but can't be right surely?!

As Donks says, i use Stans in them and was able to get the tyres on with no levers (a first for me!) and pumped up with a track pump.

What tyres are best will depend on where you ride etc etc.

I have these wheels on my Zesty. I use Maxxis Ignitor 2.35 LUST on the front and Crossmark 2.25 LUST on the rear.

Tim: RQ's seem fine to me, they do roll over a touch as they are indeed massive but i think it just adds abit of comfort to my clumsy efforts on the hardtail.

Rubber Queen 2.2 UST on Mavic 819 and Ignitor 2.35 LUST/Crossmark 2.25 LUST on XT M775 rims here.

Use sealant in all of them. The Crossmark was just over 900g IIRC and Rubber Queens were approx. 900g also.

Rubber Queens have been great so far on my hardtail and roll incredibly well for some that looks like it shouldn't.

Natural trails every time. Thats what makes the Alps so great, the sheer length of descents, relative emptiness(depending on when/where you go) and those amazing views.

Its not a weapon, it's a bloody bike!

Oh, abit of helitape would have prevented that 😉

wl: What do you ride?