Slam is my LBS and they are trying to go with the “online” flow. understanding that its likely adapt or die. I think it shows great initiative. I wonder though if long term smaller less diverse shops will die out and the ones who embrace it could become service centres? Perhaps paid by transaction. Just a thought, with out understanding the cost/implications. I wonder also if the PDI cost could be raised to say £100 and the shop would also deal with the usual reverb, Pike, SRAM warranty claims…

My medium 29 came with a 150mm drop as standard. I had to raise the post around 10mm from fully inserted to get the required length for my short 29″ inside leg…Looks to me like the seat tube on the 27.5 is 10mm longer so i could run a 150mm with it slammed to the collar, but not a chance of a 170mm post. In terms of frame insertion, i cant comment really.

It’s also an orange so only comparable by the fact it’s. A hardtail frame. Personally I would compare against other alloy frames take an average and split in two price wise

Yep,
My Ibex is a 55a compound. Its absolutely lethal as a front tyre. Not particularly great as a rear either in my opinion. But its fast and relatively light for its width, so completely acceptable and usable.

Renton, what do you actually want from MTb’ing? If it’s to get fitter then a few times areouns Swinley over a couple of weeks/months ain’t going to cut it regardless of bike. If it’s just enjoyment then, my suggestion is that you look to ride somewhere else other than Swinley. Which, in my experience is a pretty woeful pedalfest. being a serial bike swapper is fine, if that’s what you enjoy. It’s your money. Perhaps avoid starting an new thread waxing lyrical about your new bike then another thread a week later saying how it’s not for you. You won’t get such grief that way!

As above my Jeffsy came with some Ibex front and rear. As a front tyre in FOD the thing is border line lethal. Just swapped it out for a magic Mary, as a rear is ok but traction is poor on technical climbing in anything other than bone dry conditions

Man I really want a solaris!

I don’t understand…the hardtail makes your legs hurt and a full susser won’t? It’s just a different riding style and needs time in the bike. When I jump on my ht after weeks on FS it always takes a few miles to adjust. 40miles is like 2 rides. Perhaps try somewhere different to swinley. Which to be honest is just flat and boring, probably the breaking bumps making the bike feel brutal.

Go to agree go with the Hopes. Last set of Mavic factory build wheels I had were Crossmax Enduros and they were bloody hopeless. Constantly snapping rear spokes which were a fortune, just awful wheels.

So as I read it the CRC kit has worked for loads of people within this thread? But for you it bottoms out, your dampener is fine and you have tried on three different sets of pikes? Seems a bit weird to me.

I’m ok with the steepish rocky stuff to be fair. Just don’t want to ruin an event by running too light a tyre, or to have to pedal an unnecessary tyre around if it’s not needed. Ard Rock virgin and all. Maybe I will just bring what I have got airing on the side of heavy

I am struggling with the same conundrum myself. Planning on running either minion DHF or magic Mary on front. Possibly some form of semi slick on rear. But may bring a hr2 or Hans dampf for the rear really conscious of side wall protection on reports from friends

I have tried to order twice from Freeborn. Both times showing stock online. Both times no actual stock at point of order.

In fact I may be there late tomorrow afternoon work dependant so could possibly tag on. Even if we stay close to cannop it’s off piste

Chris, there was a big thread on this here recently try searching else you are welcome to pinch one of my routes from strava just search me

Couple of weeks into full sus 29er, albeit owned various 29 ht. I much, much prefer my 29er. Little bit of new bike placebo maybe. But it’s so fast, stable and just as chuckable and fun.

I have just taken delivery of a medium cf1 I am 5’9 with a 29/30″ inside leg I have had to raise the post about 10mm to get the perfect pedalling position. It’s a fantastic bike so far apart from the shocking Onza tyres that came with it! They are bloody lethal on wet roots! Trying to decide what tyres to switch to next. Mine weighed in at 29lbs out of the box, swapped cranks out to SiXC and set up tubeless and I am now a smudge under 29lbs. Size wise I wouldn’t want it any shorter but in standard set up I like the reach it seems to work for me and proves my thoughts that super long bikes don’t really work for me

Got to say this years route felt like a bit of a slog. Especially pedalling back up from the river! Managed not to cramp but started to get some twinges. I will confess that when riding through Staunton I fancied dipping off down some of the trails. The endless fireroad and tarmac had worn thin!

Glad I’m not the only one who found the fabric one garbage. Well for trail riding anyway. Mine kept falling off only to completely disappear.

Needs pictures…reviews always need pictures

Yep, I ordered one regardless after comparing the reach and other figures to other bikes I have tried. I can always return if it’s too small and there was no large in stock. The deal looked good to me so just decided to go with it…will wait til Friday and see how it feels when sat on it

So spoke with a very helpful chap from YT yesterday who has confirmed my Jeffsy will be with me by Friday at the latest….Expect full pics and review following delivery. This is the first new “complete” bike i have bought since my Bird Zero AM a few years back. So quite excited. Wife also pleased as the constant delivery of bits normally sends her over the edge.

I have some Vee-tire Rail extreme 29ers on my hardtail. So far so good. Started to lose a bit of confidence in the front pushing hard on dusty trails. But otherwise spot on.

I tried everything and know in every instance the bottle was attached properly as it “clicked” into place. In the end i had the bosses up ridiculously tight to “squash the studs” I was using the bigger bottle on a hardtail so, maybe the added weight and rougher ride didnt help, maybe my bottle was faulty. Who knows, but I wont bother wasting £13 or however much it was on one again.

Having spent an awful lot of money in the past making my bikes lighter, I always find it frustrating when you get the usual “Go to the toilet before a ride” or “lose some weight yourself” comments. I think everyone understands the importance of that, however how about you lose some weight from the bike as well as improve on fitness and overall weight loss?
For me the biggest gains were losing weight from the wheels and (if possible) the tyres. The bike feels so much more nimble with a lighter set as generally OEM wheels are pretty heavy. That said buying light is not always a good thing, its worth looking at some compromises so as not to drag an “enduro” bike into an XC trail category. Its not what it is designed to do so will be compromised elsewhere. The DT Swiss XM1501’s mentioned for sale earlier in this thread were mine (sold now mind) and in my opinion are an excellent wheelset to lose some rotating weight from your bike. I would then go down the route others have said in stripping and weighing the bike. It will surprise you how much or how little some parts weigh. Create a spreadsheet detailing the part, the weight, the weight of a potential upgrade and the price. Prioritise the upgrades by £/lb cost vs saving.

The increase in car park charges didn’t seem to make the car park any less busy yesterday!I agree its an awful lot of money to park all day, but people are not forced to park there. I pay my annual car parking discovery pass there are several benefits associated to it like the ability to park in all FC car parks within the FOD area, plus free or discounted entry to places like Puzzlewood, which is great for the kids.

Those Fabric cageless bottles are pretty useless in my experience too. I tried everything to stop mine falling off. In the end the only way was for it to fall off halfway down a gnarly descent never to be seen again. Maybe i was unlucky….?

I have done it for a few years now, always enjoy it. Its a social ride as far as im concerned with a bit of a distance chucked in. Every year i moan like a baby about the bottlenecks, every year i come back for more.

Like I say my mate and I are using it to get some good distance and time in the saddle under our belts and benchmark how our training is going. Hopefully my new bike will arrive before so i can get a good shakedown on it!

I’m doing the full bore again, it’s a pleasant ride but very, very sedate so please don’t expect anything other than fireroads and the odd bit of rooty single track. It’s a cracking event myself and my mates are doing the full distance as part of our training for ard rock, completely different event formats but time in the saddle is important.

You will not need anything substantial tyre wise. Go light and fast rolls my if I were you

Edit: just re-read your post and can see you have done it before.

Got to say on my winter hack today they were sweet as! Just wish my new bike had been delivered in time. My mates on their full sussers were flying.

Dowies still very much there…and very busy they were too I may add!

Sorry that should read very, very much doubt they have been flattened. I rode there Monday and they are spot on and running sweet

I’m there tomorrow. I very, very much doubt they have not been flattened. But will report back if so

I am absolutely and completely in love with my old ‘jalopy’ 29er Genesis High latitude, cheap looks rougher than a bunch of chicks from Gloucester but rides like an absolute dream. When my new summer bike arrives I think I’m going to spend some money on a repaint. Unless a cheap second hand solaris frame turns up by chance.

I had exactly the same problem with my Kona Process. Which basically killed the shock! Didnt bother with a warranty claim as i bough the bike second hand. I wanted an upgrade anyway. But there is an inherent issue around the Process and shock wear (just google it) Be also worth getting your mate to check the rear swing arm for cable rub from the brake hose. Mine nearly wore completely through the frame. I tried to buy a replacement chainstay but Kona were absolutely, completely useless! Both the manufacturer and the UK agent.

The thing is whilst it may make no sense to use it’s a broadly used function on all vehicle classified sites.

Still if that’s the only thing that boils your piss dude, I’m well jealous.

I don’t understand the rant? People watch because they may want to view again easily without suffering the annoyance of having to search??? You can do the same thing with other classifed sites. It’s a bit like the old fashion way of circling an ad in biro within the printed version of auto trader.

Was it showing as physically in stock Leku?

So couldnt wait any longer! Medium in stealth black ordered. Its in stock any ideas on lead times?

Sorry to hear that you took such a hit. Sounds like you did a good job on yourself!!

As for the comments, I guess BPW is no different from any other trail centre? I ride in the evenings at the FOD all through the year and am very aware im on my own if it goes wrong. Luckily im always with a riding buddy