Punctured after CP1 as you were disappearing off in to the distance John, came in 153rd. Don’t talk to me about the cramps…..ooooh the cramps.

Thoroughly enjoyed it though, in a slightly morbid way

There’s no chin under Chuck Norris’s beard. Just another fist

I ran an Exotic carbon 29er fork on my P7 with a 26er wheel last year with no issues. Until I snapped the frame behind the BB shell, but I don’t think that had anything to do with the fork :-)

Touché young man

dobiejessmo: yeah, I absolutely love mine. 120mm travel but feels more like 160 and climbs like a terrier. I bought mine then pimped it significantly. There are lighter, better climbing 29ers out there (I’d have a carbon Epic as well if I could afford it) but there are no bikes that are as much fun

Is it me? Miserable old bastard :-)

Spesh Fast Trak do what they say on the tin, but unfortunately yield very minimal and unpredictable grip…..race tyres only for me, Bonty XR 4s are going back on next week!

I had the 2009 Remedy 9. A truly magnificent bike, now running a Rumblefish which is the only bike to come close to it

A Raleigh Burner and my first trials iron – Yamaha TY 80. Classic

+1 for Bonty XR4s, ace tyres

I’ve got Race Face SixC Carbon. 730mm wide and a lovely shape. Highly recommend them.

Think I’d go for the Answer Pro Taper DH if I wanted any wider. They’re a beautiful piece of kit

Sold my 2009 Remedy 9 to finance junior’s impending arrival. Stans Flow/Hope wheels, Talas 36s, XTR,X0 throughout. Fortunately sold it to a mate so I can still visit her at weekends :D

I’ll second what Thor said, I too am a former BV employee who tends to linger on here from time to time.

The riding is beyond belief; everything from high exposure, trialsey singletrack to flowy, mellow,stuff that you can blast down at warp factor.

Amazing scenery, good food, great atmosphere. What else do you want!?

Mrs A and I are just back from BV on our honeymoon. Carlsberg don’t do honeymoons, but if they did………………..

Bikevillage.co.uk

The Ride with Brad day was in Barnoldswick, where Hope is based, so I can only presume they had some involvement with it

Like what Nigel said, South Barrule is as good a place as any to base yourself on the Saturday, you’ve got most of the route from about 10am onwards within about 2 miles as the crow flies from there. Highlights would be Stoney Mountain, South Barrule Quarry (next door, as the name suggests), Ballaspit, Carnegrie etc. buy a map and you can virtually follow the lot. I’ve ridden it every year it has run since 98 but this is my first off due to work and family commitments.

Then it’s the Manx MTB National XC champs at south Barrule, Corlea and Cringle on the sunday morning!

Link to the route card that the riders carry here:

Link

Boltonjon, Ramseyneil, I do indeed stand corrected…..I was in the middle of a night shift is all I can come up with as an excuse.

:hobbles off in search for some orthopaedic shoes: :D

17.5 inch 2012 Rumblefish elite with hope/Stans wheels & 2×10 XT/XTR upgrade.

30lbs including XTR trail pedals and original chunky Bontrager tyres

ab:

Try and get away with the front group from the start. It usually zips along at a good pace and tagging on and staying out of the wind will get you to the bottom of the first climb fresh and out of the bad traffic.

Don’t burst a lung up the first climb (wherever that may be) then smugly watch as all the lunatics who blasted past you up there slowly get despatched through the remainder of the race.

The first major fireroad descent to Brandywell checkpoint is rocky and punctures are frequent. Take it easy and save yourself some time and hassle.

Save some energy for the final third…there are three tough climbs after halfway (Slieau Whallian, Glen Rushen and Cronk Ny Arrey Lea) so don’t get to St Johns blowing out of your arse.

Find yourself some space for the Sloc descent. If you’re half decent downhill you will make up minutes down there, try and elbow past any stragglers before it gets too techy so you get a good clear run at it. It narrows as it gets more techy so passing is hard.

Enjoy the views and the atmosphere! Have a beer waiting for you at the finish!

ps. Tholty…are you insane?!

I agree with Jon, my first was in 03 and I barely saw anyone from halfway apart from the leaders coming ripping past through Arrasey (back then the elites started an hour behind the rest).

Last year was mega, great to be part of it

Thunderpants: I’ve heard straight up Druidale on’t rumour mill. Can you confirm or deny?

JONNY FIVE IS ALIVE!

Jon: the Rumblefish is fookin mega mate, ate everything up in its path in the Alps. It’s a bit weighty but when you point it downhill it just goes and goes. Could do with a bit more fitness in me though!

8th time for me. Sloc section announced as closed as of yesterday for repairs and to prevent further erosion, been bloody wet of late. Done 3.35 previously but anything under 4 would be good this year due to work, kids and consequent extra padding round the tummy.

Will be nice at the finish to have my statutory celebratory beer then ride downhill-biased singletrack all the way home :D

Price? Availability?

I’m currently riding a Trek Rumblefish 29er with 120mm at each end. In comparison, the last full suss 26er I had was a Remedy with 160mm at each end and Fox 36s. The similarity between the pair is uncanny, apart from the fact that the 29er is better! Yes, it comes in at about 31lbs but it’s not built to be an XC racer (nor am I, for that matter).

I can ride stuff more aggressively than I’ve ever been able to on all my 26er trail bikes, the big wheels just eat everything up in their path. The climbing and cornering grip is also phenomenal.

If money were no object, I’d compliment it with a 29er 100mm hardtail for racing, but unfortunately that isn’t the case!

In short, a120mm FS 29er is a LOT of bike. If you want something for purely XC, maybe try a 100mm set up first?

I’ve gone 2×10 since moving up to a Rumblefish 29er this year and don’t miss the third ring at the front. Mine is 26/38 front and 11-36 rear, covers everywhere, haven’t run out of gears once and there’s nowhere flat here in the IOM. Can’t say I miss that ”oo er, that’s a bit spinny” sensation of 22-32 with my chain flapping about like an empty washing line either. Won’t be going back to 3×10

It appears that I’ve imagined Hope producing one then, thanks for the replies though folks, that last effort on eBay looks like the winner so far

You don’t thread the tool on, just place it over the removable part of the presta and screw anti-clockwise. Grip the valve stem with some long-nosed pliers if the whole lot spins

Second that, they’re all like that

I retensioned the spring on mine last night, in the garden after four beers using only a 2mm allen key and the tool that comes with the mech, hidden inside the cover you remove to get to the screw. Just make sure you put the mech in small-small combo and turn the clutch lever to ‘off’ to take all tension out of the mech.

Believe me, it’s a piece of piss and takes two minutes

I did Worzel’s on his Ex8 when I was still at the shop Steve, piece of piss. Don’t think it’ll be long before I ditch the FSA on my Rumblefish either, creaking like an old barn door already!

djglover – Member
less pies?

Sorry to be pedantic, but should read FEWER pies

Yes

Use it to put your spare plastic bags inside in the kitchen then hang it on the back of the pantry door with your apron

Jarvis is some boy, he is multiple British trials champion, scott winner, former number 4 in the world and now rules the roost in the extreme enduro world. Beats working for a living :D

Go knock yourself out Taz, that was the idea :-)

Lol @ Alex222 :D

Cheers Joe, that helps

Rick – mine kept feeling as if it constantly needed bleeding for a few months until I noticed it, but the clincher for me was that I got some fluid through the seal at one point which got on the pads and obviously severely affected the brake. I only did one ride with it like that then sent the system back to Merlin