Its 100% not too big its a Medium Hightower.  Im 5’9 but have a very short inside leg.  It is an incredibly long wheelbase and being blunt on the local techy trails in FOD i struggle to manoeuvre it.  Plus when getting my weight back i have been known to actually get a tyre up my arse.  Appreciate its a technique and skill thing, But i never had any of these issues on my previous 650b’s

I initially found the bike completely wooden feeling almost dead.  But sorted that by changing the rear shock to an X2.  Its obviously me and not the bike, i just don’t enjoy riding it at all

If you are fitting metric shocks I guess it’s a 27.5 model?  I had a 29 and ran a cane creek in-line coil on mine and it was absolutely mind blowingly good! In fact probably the best set up I have run on the back of a bike.  It such a progressive suspension set up it really suited the coil!  Just wish I could get my Hightower somewhere near as awesome

Blob, I think my mate is doing it.  As a few sail maker chums will be no doubt.  I owned a beautiful harper built series 2 GP a fair few years back now.  Bought to sail with my wife!  She struggled with the Genoa loads and could reach the spinny Pole mast eye to clip pole on!  We actually led our first open to the windward mark but she couldn’t get the bloody pole on!  Boat sold shortly after for an rs200 which was also sold as she became pregnant!

Still the best boat i ever owned!  Just stunning to sail and the ultimate competition!

Closely followed by for completely different reasons!  Keep threatening coming out of retirement…running out o excuses now

Having the same issues.  Shows I constantly have a message sat there

I purchased a magic Mary 2.8 addix soft compound this weekend in the hope it would convert me to plus tyres.  It’s a great tyre super grippy and the best + front I have used.  Sadly plus tyres are not for me so if anyone wants a used once one drop me a Pm

Not sure about that.  I sold some forks cash on collection recently but the buyer paid PayPal the. Wanted to come and collect. I smelt a rat and cancelled transaction refunding him.  He then started becoming abusive demanding I send him the forks at my cost ‘or else’ he then left me bad feedback, which eBay kindly removed for me when I pointed out how abusive and threatening he was being. I sold the forks for significantly less via Singletrack.  I have since given up selling on eBay.  Too many scammers and questionable activity.

I would say to the OP…just move on!  eBay won’t do anything.

Well if nothing else this thread has made me happier to purchase a Cotic.  Oh and that Raybanwomble needs to relax, move away from the keyboard and revisit once he has calmed down and read what he has written.

Funnily enough I rode stinchcombe and Nibley in clueing some fairly rad shit from the monument this week as it’s my mates local loop!  Some proper climbsnin there as well mind!

Just wanted to thank everyone especially Fathomer for the route advise.  Popped our Peaks cherry today and had an absolutely fanstastic time!  Other end of the spectrum to our local FOD and Staunton runs.  We will be back in a few week!  Just fantastic

Funnily enough i rode most of that route today myself! Will make next ride I’m sure

i just had a PM from someone called “vaughnny” via this site usual spammy scammy BS…..

Sorry guys can’t make this weekend now by looks of it.  Incendently I am happy to show people around at any point should they require it.  Either nick a gpx from my Strava or if the dates work happy to ride with you.

I’ve Tried looking poops but don’t get it.

Thanks Danny, do you have a GPX route?  Or is it on Strava where I can export?

IHN thanks for The links I will do some more research

russ

So couple of points…yes we can read a map!  And yes it would appear that my Garmin Fenix 3 has a navigation function I have uploaded the cut gate GPX linked earlier into it super easy!  I was being a Luddite!

If others are saying the cut gate route is boring…(I’m taking advise from magazine articles and web reviews having never been) can someone recommend a good loop with an attached GPX file for us to follow?  I will buy an OS Map for the area as well , but a GpX with a descent route would reallly help.

Fathomer.  Thanks for that, looks like we may of dodged a traffic jam shaped bullet with that nugget of info! We would be coming up M5, M42 M1 I guess.

Larry Lamb, get it’s not a trail centre.  I don’t ride much trail centre stuff really that’s what we are looking for is a 25mile-ish rideideally a loop with a good amount of natural riding.  All capable riders, some very very capable downhillers in the group.  All descent level of fitness

Has anyone got a GPX route? We are travelling up early from a Gloucestershire so would like a descent days riding.  I have a Garmin Fenix 3 which has navigation

2nd shout for the quick link being correct way round!

I’ll happily donate, once I am comfortable where we are going!

Jekkyl,

I have a Garmin fenix 3, which i believe i can load maps onto.  But no we don’t have a garmin.  I believe the route i found on google is a loop from Ladybower yes.

Russ

My local hill is a mile away, nice little XC loop.  Ride it when I can’t be arsed to drive anywhere else

So I replaced my whole rear mech recently, following a host of problems.  New one came with new Jockey wheels.  Between my last ride and the change of mech my top jockey wheel had seized solid.  I am returning my old mech to CRC for a warranty claim.  I can’t see much wrong with it other than the cable guide thing being slightly lose which could be part of the shifting problem?

Anyway new mech fitted and all problems have gone away.  First proper ride today!

Fat Homer follow me on Strava there are a load of great routes.  We have a loop from Paba encorporating dowies, shutcastle etc which normally adds up to about 20 miles.  Russyh on Strava to, drop me an email if you need any help

I may join in, happy to show people around.  Better to park at PABA in my opinion go get a descent loop and finish on a couple of old Enduro stages.

Running a set of Flow Mk3’s built into hope pro4’s and they are noricably stiffer than the DT 1700’s fitted to the bike originally.  That’s 29 flavour as well.  Fantastic wheels!

So I’m having a new problem now!  Down shifting has become incredibly slow.  I have changed the inner and putter cable, which is now running beautifully smooth, cleaned lubed everything and greased Jockey wheels, reset mech indexing, B tension etc.  Oh and replaced mech hanger.   It’s like the spring is too weak to pull the mech back down when cable is released.  Very annoying, not least as I think warranty replacement will take a few weeks.  Any advice as to what might be going wrong?

Offt

Me too Trimix, hero mud in places but I still found it sketchy in places…

All running super mint! Drying nicely!

I share your nervousness!  I now cancel transactions like this, my view is if I don’t understand it and am not comfortable then I won’t follow through with the transaction as a vendor.  eBay is too biased to dishonest buyers nowadays.  Also be careful about dealing outside of eBay I got an official warning when someone contacted me directly!!!  I replied saying I had the item listed elsewhere!  Then got reprimanded for it!  I have all but given up using eBay now.  It’s become to greedy and a joke!

Get a West or SP Epoxy resin handy pack from a Dinghy chandlers, also buy some colloidal silica to thicken slightly.  Don’t buy B&Q epoxy or araldite it’s not the same thing.  Worth buying the proper stuff.  I actually think a proper epoxy repair will last as well as the original job at least!

I had more of an issue in a recent Dudes of Hazzard video where they though it highly hilarious to jump in a “adolescent” sapling tree snapping it in the process.  I just watched it and thought, why?  Maybe i’m getting old?  but i have no problem with people shreding it in woods, cutting trails etc.  nature will take it back once its unused for a few months.  But snapping a tree for a laugh just seemed like twatish behaviour.  Maybe nowadays since the advent of the mobile phones its easier to break stuff in the wild then smash up a phone booth…

Because a reputation for good customer service may mean more to them than the cost of a frame.

My own personal experience of Orange in their latest ownership is the polar opposite of that!

I have not even seen a stage 4 in the flesh as yet, but have ridden my friends MK1 and 2 Segment and is a fantastic bike! He has his built light and its a great climber he runs his forks at 130mm (maybe 140) and the bike is certainly not holding him back.  He will hit anything the rest of s will on much bigger bikes (including a stage 6) Its a vastly underrated bike much more capable than you would ever think it to be.  I can only imagine the Stage 4 is an improvement.  Mainly with things like proper shock sizes etc.

One thing i will say is as my above earlier comment Orange customer service and quality has taken a dip in recent years (my own experience) They have also been pushing the boundaries in terms of bike weight and design and i have seen more failures and shoddy workmanship than ever before.  I sold my last Orange a year ago after owning 6 of them (still got the hoody and T-shirts)  i will never buy a new one off the back of my own experience.  Sure there are 000’s others with positive experiences but i would rather spend my hard earned on a brand whom values its loyal customer base.

Good point Mahalo… get more bikes available for hire.  If I could rock up after work and have a powered pedal up that would be interesting.  Likely be £100 per pedal up mind off current pricing structure :-)

I would never have a problem with a business making a profit!  They need to make money to survive and grow.  My issue is the disingenuous nature they have announced hikes.  I pedal up there usually and purchase the ‘prepaid’ cards.  It’s now ridiculous in terms of cost.  Hidden behind ‘to sort queuing issues’ as a regular user the issue is more sound how they operate the uplift!  If they looked more at their current opperarional Efficiency they would reduce queuing significantly, however it’s easier to blame the customer and increase charges. Which is pretty naive!  Still it’s their business and good luck to them, but as a more regular rider there my riding group are all ‘out’ so i guess they have sorted the queuing issue out in that regard.

That’s exactly how I see it Northwind.  People will pay so they will charge it.  Just hidden behind uplift queue reduction ‘noise’ truth is they just need to manage what they have more effectively.  I suspect there will be a U turn given the amount of backlash on facebook.

£40 seems ok when you look at the ridiculous price of most people’s bikes now. If you can afford a £4k edoooooro rig then you can afford the uplift.

What a load of absolute garbage! Some people decide to spend their money on a bike and not a car.  The cost of their bike has absolutely nothing to do with the price anyone should pay to access BPW.  The prebooked uplift rates have barely changed its the day rates which are now a joke

It makes those of us local ish (hour 20 away) think twice heading up for the old pedal up and token uplift job!  Only able to buy half day pass at £30 on day!  Half a day being 3 hours!  So £10 pedal up fee plus £30 half day uplift makes it an expensive day!  Especially with a rip off shop and shit burger.

They need to spend time time looking at their uplift operation rather than pushing the prices up in an attempt to reduce queues.  Shame I’m sure they will  U turn given the backlash on their facebook page

The have been using my Hermes recently haven’t they!