I’ve used ZTTO stuff and it’s fine. Quite good actually, so at that money it’s a bargain.

Didn’t Ragley have a few full suspension bikes years ago

Yes, they did. I think they only ever got to prototype stage and were multi-link jobs.
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/Nukeproof-and-Ragley-Eurobike-2011.html

Ragley should make a single pivot, full suspension mullet. Like an Orange Switch, but miles cheaper and able to take a water bottle. It would be in keeping with the brand too.

To answer original question – yes, it will go. When the paper and board is mixed up in a huge bucket to make paper mache, there’s a rope that hangs in there as it all gets mixed about to make the soup. All the tape and bits of polythene end up sticking and wrapping round the rope, so it all gets fished out while the paper fibres go through the system to make more paper.

Bueller. Bueller. Class? Anyone?

XC and DH race, all on the same bike…. best concept ever!

Ahh, reminds me of the old NEMBA series when I was at Uni. All the events were an XC race in the afternoon with DH or trials or something else in the morning. Shame the mixed concept died off as people became more pigeonholed. Back then we all just rode an MTB – no all mountain or enduro or anything like that. Steve Peat won the National DH series on a fully rigid Kona.

Jumpers for goalposts, hmmm, isn’t it?

Tubez Rulez. 8)

This and a standard gear cable?

Yes, standard gear cable and outer.

Kia and a few others ask you to change all 4 tyres at once. Pairing new with old wrecks the 4WD system somehow. Maybe Ignis is similar? I’ve made the massive assumption there that you only changed frons/rears rather than all four tyres.

I’m more of an Ali Express person for lights these days. Dirt cheap and surprisingly good, especially if having to buy a few sets to include the family.

For example –
￡11.52 53％ Off | Bicycle Light 1800Lumen 4000mAh Bike Headlight Power Bank Flashlight Handlebar USB Charging MTB Road Cycling Highlight
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mO9sWAU

Haters gonna hate and be all snobby, but you can’t argue with those prices.

so I would need to get spec together for the rest of it and am not really confident doing that.

That’s what we’re all here for. :-)

Seriously though, what worries you in terms of speccing a bike?

5’10” – long legs

Marin Alpine Trail – Large – 465 with a 45mm stem. Standard bike is 35mm stem, but swapped it out as I was understeering too much.

Orange 5 – Medium – 442 with a 50mm stem.

Orange is way more fun for just dicking about, lobbing off drops and stuff like that. I wouldn’t want to go longer than 465mm in the reach and I prefer a top tube 600mm to 620mm.

Would a 140mm fork be too much?

Probably. It was designed for 100mm, so I guess 140 would raise the BB too much to still feel nice and nimble.

Well, I ordered it. £50 for a frame is a bargain.

Exactly. I want it to be significantly different to my other bikes, otherwise what’s the point in building something up if it’s similar to what you normally ride? It’ll be great for the FoD man made trails, I reckon. Verderers is just a big BMX track anyway, especially the final descent section.

Aye, On One Bootzipper fork in 27.5 size is 405mm A to C. 25mm difference in 26 to 27.5, 20mm or so for 100mm fork sag and we’re about even.

mulleting it looks like a recipe for a silly high BB and a very slack seattube.

Scroll right down the page for the geo tab. A to C fork is 453mm, so 100mm travel fork. Should be easy enough to keep the angles roughly the same with a 405mm 27.5 rigid fork.

Thanks, lunge. I do want to keep it quite light rather than a burly jump bike, so that sounds good.

I find doing those little jobs you’ve been putting off or even just giving the bike a good wash often helps. Kind of rekindling the relationship in a way.

Suspiciously specific reply there, tomparkin.

My brother goes sprinting. The hot ticket in the class he sprints in is an old MG ZR 1.4. His most recent car cost him £300 and he does about 12 events a year at Curborough Sprint Course on the varying layouts of the track. Sort of like track days, but you get the competitive element plus chatting with likeminded car nuts.

Phil Ball selling a Large Scandal for £260 on Pinkbike, Al.

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/3189290/

First time I rode a 29 FS I missed corner mid points or, if I nailed that, then I missed the exit as the bike kept turning. 😆

Where do you see the spoon being fitted?

Check Hardtail Party on Youtube. He will comment on bikes and their springyness. For alu frames he says that the Ragley bikes feel good in this regard.

Check out the Marin Rift Zone series as well. Available (in the loosest sense) in 27.5 or 29.

All very familiar. Double jabbed, tested +ve on LFT on 13th October after eldest brought it home from school. Youngest also tested +ve later on but never showed any symptoms through the whole period.

Each day was different going through it all (puking one day, feeling achy the next, etc.), but being very tired and lots of naps was a recurring feature. Still don’t have normal energy levels and the slightest bit of exertion (e.g. going up stairs) has my heart rate going through the roof. Resting heart rate is still around 80 to 85 bpm whereas before I’d be around 60.

As above, Pipedream Sirius. Check latest video on Hardtail Party youtube channel.

Also, BMC Two Stroke.

I have something similar on my hardtail. Sunrace 11-40 cassette, X9 mech, Gripshift (old skool cool!), etc. Works fine. I have a narrow wide chainring and other than lots of clattering noises the chain doesn’t really come off, but some sort of chain keeper wouldn’t go amiss.

EDIT – I did need the mech hanger extender, but I think my mech is a mid-cage.

ODI Longneck Pro – push on, ribbed pattern, soft, reasonably thick.

Mr Bean – the kids love it.

270 miles on an XD 9-46 ZTTO cassette so far and no problems. Plays nicely with a SRAM chain.

Replace the steerer for a longer one. These guys do loads, check their Insta.

https://www.rsfsus.co.uk/

I’ve got an Ego with two 2Ah batteries. With a sharp/new chain and cutting something like silver birch you’ll get an hour out of one battery, less with old chain and cutting oak, but still 45 minutes or so. I’ve also had the Screwfix corded job which is very agricultural, doesn’t use any oil and consequently the chain goes blunt very quickly. Also got a couple of 2 strokes, but the Ego is a lovely piece of kit and my favourite for doing smaller jobs.

EDC Lite has an 8mm bit (well, kinda – it’s made up of 2 other parts to get to 8mm), whereas I believe the Stash does not. Depends if your pedals, cranks, etc. need that 8mm. My pedals do, so I went EDC.

He knew what he was doing. Watch any headcam footage and it’s obvious where the course went, so why would he do that? Just stupid, especially as they’d have practiced the course too. Defo DQ for all the reasons above.

I think for me half the problem is that the geo of the modern hardtail is similar to a full sus, so you can go just as fast, but without any get out of jail card (aka 150mm of rear travel…). If I did end up getting another I think I’d want it small and playful rather than long and slack. The ying to the yang, but that’s with the luxury of being able to keep 2 or 3 bikes. If I had to only have one bike it would be a simple, single pivot full sus for year round reliable riding.

Pace hardtails use sliding dropouts. As does Specialized Fuse, but that might not be ‘core enough for you.

https://pacecycles.com/pages/rc529steel-hardtail
https://pacecycles.com/pages/rc627steel-hardtail

I love hardtails, I really do, but my last one was a Nukeproof Scout 29 and I just used to feel hammered whenever I went out on it. Sold it a couple of years ago, but still hanker after one and toy with ideas and set ups and single/dingle speed and all of that, whiling away the time type stuff, pretending I have the budget…

Line key/less clear parts with larger sticks. That’s what locals in FoD do. Once ridden in and a bit you won’t need the sticks anymore.

I’d love a Surly Lowside. They just look so right.

@ajantom – what teeth rings are you using on the dinglespeed? Does the chain hang very loose when in the granny or do you have a sprung loaded Singulator type thing? Been thinking of similar – climbs would be steady up fireroads, so not sure a dangling chain would be too much bother anyway.