Who’d have thought it, a business trying to market its products?!

Have to say though, I actually like the attention to detail and aesthetics of the Charge bikes. I really like the look of the Duster frame for example, and I don’t see why an MTB isn’t allowed to look contemporary/cool.

Would be nice if dusters could take slightly longer forks though, as that seems to be ‘the trend’.

Argh. My bad, I can’t believe I wrote that! Yes, short stem shifts the weight further back, easier to lift the front end but front end more likely to lift unintentionally on climbs, speedier steering. Phew.

Slackening the head angle will not only alter the steering feel, but will also slacken the seat angle – which will move your centre of mass slightly backward.

– Shorter stem will speed up the steering and move your centre of mass further forward.

– Moving the saddle forward will again move your centre of mass slightly further forward.

P.S I do hear a lot of good things about High-Rollers, but I have never tried them. I would imagine they are definitely worth considering too. I didn’t like the look of the tread from a purely aesthetic point of view. Yes, I am that shallow.

You can’t really go wrong with the Kenda Nevegals. They doesn’t excel in any one category, e.g. rolling resistance, grip, weight or durability, but are ‘good’ in all of them and not too expensive. No weaknesses, and you will struggle to find a tyre that is better in any way without sacrificing something else. I like the DTC, but you may wish to consider a stick-E up front if you ride rocks a lot. They do err slightly on the grippier side though, I have been running them through winter but if we get a dry summer I might chuck a faster rolling tyre on the rear.

A lot of people talk about Continental Mountain Kings. I’ve not tried them but they are a bit more controversial. If you do go for them get the ProTection or Supersonic ones, as these have a better rubber compound (Black Chili) that is apparently better on rocks.

My tuppence worth.

Facing is usually performed on the the bottom bracket shell if using a bottom bracket with external bearings (e.g. HT-II). This is because external BB’s use the shell as a reference to ensure the cups are perfectly aligned and not wonky. This is not necessary on older one-piece bottom brackets. In theory, if your BB shell is not faced it could lead to decreased BB life (assuming you use an external system).

Prob already seen them, but:

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/blender-16556
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/blender-26-dirt-bike-8spd-mid-08-28726

Was she hot?

I believe the official line is that SLX shifter use exactly the same internal mechanism as the current XT shifters, but are made from different materials (e.g one of the levers is plastic instead of metal). I reckon they are quite good value cf. XT.

If you get pedals with removable (grub screw) pins, it is a good idea to make sure they are all firmly tightened before you start riding. Otherwise they are more likely to fall out. You could even put some threadlock on if you want more security.

Ok, the riding into a kerb thing was only an example, when out riding for real I do not make a point of slamming into things on purpose! That said, it is good to know where the limits of your bike are. Also, if you are forced to ride over very rough terrain, with repeated large obstacles, there is every likelihood that you will not be able to bunny hop over every single one. Apart from that, thanks very much for the advice guys, will have a play on the local trails tomorrow…

CTC has made a response to the survey, apparently. Detailed here with a further response from insurance company LV:

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/car-insurers-cycle-stats-branded-mickey-mouse-19970