Agree too. Not just the mech as I am also using the shifters and chainset on my fun hardtail. Would buy the brakes as well but I’ve already got new Deore on it. Shimano have really got it right with ZEE. 😀

Cheers new tyres and grips on the way soon 😀

Green is considered in Celtic culture to be an unlucky colour, so leave the forks black to represent impending doom.

Look out for old stock air shocks like 2011 RS Tora or even RS Recon Gold or Silver. A little wile ago I picked up a new set of Recon Gold solo air for £169 and to be honest they are a great budget fork far better than the XC series, at least the airs are not sure about the spring versions. Cheap Suntour forks are rubbish really.

The Zee lever is plastic too, gold plastic, but still plastic.

Hmmm…looks and feels like metal to me, also a couple of mag reviews have commented on the ‘metal’ lever.

PS bit disappointed that the clutchy lever bit is plastic. Think I will be getting a zee for my other bike as the same lever looks metal.

Not only is the lever metal, it is gold anodised. It’s a nice mech, no real advantage to XT other than weight. Make sure you get the correct ratio one for your cassette. The 32/36 version seems to be out of stock in a lot of places.

Weird so did they buy some bankrupt stock?

Why do you have to e-mail. Why not just put a buy it now price. Is it so they can vet the buyer?

No, definately scammer, they have been hacked. 🙁

Sorry, but I can’t comment on original post as I did not read it all (about a quarter) and I have a life. I look forward to the abridged version.

If someone pays £X for product ‘Y’ without a gun to their heads, they are not being ripped off.

I sometimes will pay a premium price for something beacuse I simply ‘want’ it. If I am prepared to pay for it I am not being ripped off. We all like to buy nice things whether its Those Trainers; That Car; That Camera; Those Speakers etc.

On the other hand, I often like a bargain if I can get it….

We actually still have no idea which brands the OP is talking about to be able to make a decision on being ripped off or not so all hypothetical.

fixed that for you

Cheers thanks for that 🙄

If you are shortening cables trim off any bent or frayed bits flush first with a proper wire cutter. Then they’ll feed back into the outers fine. Shortening the cables can only be beneficial.

Sorry to hear about about your break-in, hope the police find the thieving barstewarts. I like your Giant and if it was me buying now, I’d have one. People on here don’t like modern stuff unless it looks as though it was designed in 1991, doesn’t matter that it is one of the best trail bikes out there. At least it narrows it down to a thief without a beard.

Good luck.

Nope, but I’ve done it the other way around. Sorry if not much use to you.

It’s okay though you don’t have to read me withdrawing my original statement. So I will post it again. XTR brakes do look better though; I stand by that.

Not intentional, I just happened to take a waz and make a coffee while in the middle of posting.

Stand by whatever you like. Yawn.

The brakes they make are twice the price of xtr; at least. Plus they look like a small child made them.

XTR M985 set – £290.00
XT M785 set – £190.00
Hope M4 tech Evo front/X2 Tech Evo rear – £220.00 (price I actually paid)

Average typical UK supplier prices.

So what’s all this bo**ocks about Hope brakes more expensive than XTR. Seems you’re acting like the small child here not them.

All it needs is for someone to say something good about Hope and the haterz come out from the cracks in the floorboards to have a pop and spout rubbish. Same ones all the time.

Not the best brakes in the world, a bit dated now, had a set on one bike a while ago but had to put 203mm discs on the front to get any sort of braking power at all. Didn’t keep them long and now have Deore 596, vastly superior in my opinion and at £80ish easily worth the extra £30.

Last Saracen I had was in 1994. This almost makes me want another one.

^^ Where did 5 year old come from??

^^ this. But out of stock.

Yeah you need to keep your eye out closely for the better items in these clearance sales and if you miss out then its no good wingeing on here. I’ve been doing well with some great deals in the last few months – mostly from CRC. Get on the ball!

Shimano have really hit the nail on the head with Zee, superb operation for a reasonable price. Using Zee chainset, shifter and rear mech myself on my fun bike.

Plaything for rich unfit fat cats. Wouldn’t want to lift it onto my roofrack.

Zee = short cage = single ring = great!

Good consistent advice here then.

Don’t bother with lacquer on alloy just buff it up now and them with Autosol a few times a year. Works for me. Oxidisation isn’t so bad on some allys, my Mongoose Amplifier is 6061 which is less prone to corrosion.

I see an immediate application on bog pans. No more klingons.

But not advisable during laser ear surgery.

There have been quotes on other forums of sub 20lbs Anthems, I suspect they are using scales that are even more optimistic than mine was. I’m now happy with 24.5lbs, I enjoyed spending a bit of money on nice components – a lot of it came off the rotating mass esp the wheels, and its a really sprightly and responsive bike now.

Change the air in your tyres for something lighter?

How about Helium?

that adaptor for £5 only converts standard saddles to fit an i beam post, i need it the other way round.

Oops so it does, sorry!

The funny thing is that even though the bike is 1 lb heavier and I am 11 lb heavier the bike rides just the same. 😆

There’s an I beam adapter on ebay for £5.00 at the moment. Not mine by the way. I use Kore I Beam posts and saddles on two of my bikes at the moment and like them a lot as it is so much easier to change and adjust saddles with them. Note that the adapter will add an inch or so to the saddle height.

Ooh! like that M900!

The bike my wife used a while ago had Acera/revoshift and gearchange was atrocious.

I have a set of Alivio 8 speed here, almost unused shifters, front and rear mech and HG51 cassette if you’re interested. Not a huge upgrade i know but worked very well. Alivio stuff is pretty reliable but not particularly light.

Alternatively apply enough heat to melt the stems, the steel one will melt first.

You started this thread not expecting a sensible answer, right?

Leave them in the water for a few weeks. If one goes rusty it is steel and the other one is Ti. If the other one goes rusty then that is steel and the other other one is Ti.

if you had a tool for fixing boxes; probably a box tool, would you keep it in your tool box? I suppose you might have have a box tool box? but then where would you put your box tool box tool? in your box tool box tool box I suppose.

I’ll have a pint of what you’re drinking. 😀

94 Cinder Cone……
To be honest I’m surprised that’s considered retro, maybe I’m getting old!

You have to remember that 1994 was quite early in the development of mountain bikes. Bouncy forks and rear suspension and other decent parts had only been around for a few years. 1994 probably equates timewise to the 30’s/40’s in motor car development and we would certainly consider those retro.

We’re all getting older! 😉

My Mongoose Amplifier 2. Its a nice bike to ride and I get it out from time to time, though nothing too demanding. The rear sus is nowhere near modern bikes for travel and comfort. Strange how things change, the Amplifier 2 was the bike that Leigh Donovan won the Downhill Campionships on in 1995.

Frame on this one is rare American build 1995 version, though forks and brakes are from 1998. Spec of this bike changes from time to time, it now sports a Noleen Carbon Crosslink fork from 1999.

Wrong, its pre 1997.