In response to the saddle height question: Yes, you’ll need to raise the saddle by 15mm. Initial saddle height is always set from the bottom of the stroke. Unless you;ve been running cranks that are vastly too long and had the saddle miles too high – not as uncommon as you might think.

Bar height: I like my bars pretty much slammed but if your seated position is sensitive enough to notice the additional 15mm saddle height then yes, a bar height adjustment might be required. I think this one is less clear cut and more a personal preference. My mountain bike bars are miles higher than my road bike bars and the saddle height is the same on all my bikes.

The gold colour you see on some of their motorsport damper shafts is titanium nitride which they can only apply to steel shafts. Hence our MTB sanctions are aluminium and anodised black.

There is however a special run of TTX22m downhill rear shocks about to be produced with TiN plated damper shafts. Keep your eyes peeled…

One more point, there should at least be an ‘elite’ category for each gender at every event. I don’t want pro’s in my age group that I’m never going to beat. Most of them want an overall FTD win so they’re not fussed on age group wins either.

I’m not going to complain. Pretty excited at the opportunity to watch the Road Worlds and DH Worlds in person, a week apart!

@v7fmp that’s the one!

Joe Barnes did a great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4BTfKH5PnI

The people, the trails, the atmosphere were all fantastic. Camp site was great at St Johns Football Club. Ferry wasn’t extortionate if you can maximise passenger space. Actual driving distance for us from Calderdale (to Liverpool ferry terminal) was tiny compared to a Scottish trip.

Ultimately, it’s going to be really difficult to get some sort of cohesive system in place without any real national leadership detailing the rules and definition of each event. BEMBA states on their own website that they were formed from race organisers due to a lack of national governing body! How do we get Si Paton on board again…?

On the topic of formats and race distances; organisers do need to be clear on the level and type of race they are offering! I have zero interest in a 10km mash up with 5 minutes race time. Likewise, I don’t want to do a push up DH race with the same brutal push every stage (cough… LLANGOLLEN… cough).

The best format is the classic format in my opinion: 30-50km lap, 4-6 stages, 3-5 minutes per stage, 12-20 minute race time, practice Saturday, race Sunday!

Special shout out to these events I’ve done this year for fulfilling those expectations: Dunkeld Enduro, Manx 2-Day Enduro.

For those wondering about the Manx 2-Day event, it was excellent! 2 days practice, 10 stages, 2 days racing, post-race food and beer both days. If they run it the same next year it’s the first event I’ll be booking. My race time was almost 38 minutes over the two days for 9th in Master. Proper enduro! – See the upcoming issue for some more info on this event.

Funny you should mention that; there an Cane Creek DB Inline Air arriving in the post today. Hence the bush order!

I got a bargain Cane Creek Helm Works fork too so suspension should be on point.

Thanks for that. Bushes ordered.

A -2deg headset it also on the cards. Wanted a Stage Evo after riding one almost two years ago now but could not stomach the cost and when this Stage 4 came up cheap on ebay I couldn’t resist!

It’s such a ludicrous price I can’t help but think it’s a scam. £900 just for an entry of for an extra £1000 you can have 4 nights in a local hotel… Who calculated that? Are they flying you in an out of London by helicopter every day?

@sparkyrhino Having not ridden mine yet, I’m keen to hear what you think of the 529 too?

Watched this last night. Loved it!

I’m already a big Lachie fan but this was the best film and adventure yet. I love that EF basically keep him on the team to do things like this now. He actively states he’s basically over competitive road racing.

OMG FML!

So much agreement but for some different reasons, mostly hygiene related.

Firstly, why do people insist on washing their crockery in a pool of dirty soapy water then immediately deposit them onto the drying rack for the dirty soapy piss water to just dry on…? Who’s ever washer their car and just left the soapy crap all over their car and declared it clean. Nobody! And you don’t even eat off your car paintwork!

Rinse people! Learn to rinse.

Given the first point and the hygienic need to rinse dirty washing water off your eating crockery and utensils why on earth would you ever need a a plastic pool of shit water in your sink?!

CLLCTV – The most elaborate butchered shorthand version of a word since txt spk became uncool.

I’ll be there! Heading up for Friday afternoon practice.

I’m expecting an e-mail with some course info any day…

I have a pair of Raddlers with the SG2 casing and they’ve been great.

WTB state this on the website:

• SG2 was specifically designed to be a puncture protection layer, but it also improves air retention and eliminates seeping at the sidewall.

They’re obviously aware that their standard casing tyres are terrible at air retention…

I ordered a Stans freehub body from them. It took a rather long time for them to dispatch (1 week) and rather longer (another two weeks) for the thing to arrive with DHL 10-day delivery.

Not massively impressed but can’t really argue with some of the prices. I was also blissfully unaware they were German based when I ordered.

I use 50mm deep wheels full time on the road. The only time its ever really bothered my was when descending the west side of Bealach-na-Ba in a hurricane; I came out from behind a sheltered rocky section onto an exposed causeway expecting a gusty greeting. What actually met me was an actual 50kt gust which immediately pointed my front wheel off the side of the causeway and caused oncoming driver to conduct an emergency stop 50m down the road.

Ride to the conditions folks…

Other than that; 50mm wheels don’t bother me in general road riding. They’re fast comfortable and look great.

@thebunk I believe the extra two cables are for the fork and shock lockouts on the left handed twist grip. It’s only a matter of time before SRAM manage to integrate the AXS actuators to suspension too. It’s so effective everywhere else I can’t see why not!

I used the twist grip lockouts at the 10@Kirroughtree race on Saturday and did lose a piece of skin to the lockout twist grip so a nice easy button to press would be a pleasant upgrade.

I’ve found myself free this weekend but failed to bag an entry on time.

If anyone decides they can’t go give me shout and I’ll buy your entry?!

I’m doing the Dirty Reiver in September and can’t quite decide if I want to do that on a gravel (CX bike with 40mm tyres) or XC mountain bike. I really like the idea of supreme comfort over 200km rather than getting rattled to death with puncture preventative tyre pressures on my cross bike.

@fathomer Yes, that was me! The little Scout did well and took me to 3rd hardtail in the Enduro. I was getting particularly into it at the bottom of stage 6. It’s one of those trails that just gets more fun the faster you go!

@unsponsored Stage 2 was the most difficult by far IMO. The steep corners in the middle were greasy with the wet rock and the grassy muddy slop lower down was a recipe for carnage. I think I passed 3 crashes in that lower section on my race run alone!

8k … 350 hubs !! Great hubs but on an 8k bike???

In fairness they should be Industry Nine hubs as per the SC website spec, which would be more fitting for the price tag, current stock issues have meant we’ve got this one with the DT hubs.

what’s it weigh?

It’s in the region of 10.5kg (23lb) without pedals which is pretty much on the money for a top end XC race rig with a dropper. The Trek Supercaliber I rode recently was 10.4kg without a dropper (granted, it was significantly cheaper too).

That would be me! Knees are a bit sore from the ‘fight club’ mosh pit on Saturday night.

Aluminium hardtail (Nukeproof Scout) probably didn’t help but generally performed well.

I think the machined body and Hope design and manufacturing quality probably go a long way towards the price. Plus, those suckers who love colour coded anodised bits will love them.