I am all for changing to gearbox long term and actually believe this is ultimately the way the market will go (outside of ebike) it’s a crazy idea having something as expensive as a rear mech inches from the ground.  I can’t imagine if there was a blank sheet of paper approach today anybody would design a rear mech on a MTB.  Ultimately though Shimano and SRAM have millions invested in groupset design, with patents and pipeline development.  Are they really going to invest in technology which limits their aftermarket sales of broken shit? Who knows, but I think a sealed gearbox unit makes perfect sense for here in the U.K.

Amazing thank you!  Been getting a little bored of my route!  I’ll give this a go during the week one evening.

Fun little blast around Bredon Hill today. Stupidly muddy but nice to get out though.

Hey Kyak, I live in Bredon.  Ride up the hill occasionally and looking to ride up there more.  Been keen to know what route you take?  I got a nice little 7mile loop from my front door, but looking to make it a little longer

I’m going to head up to Hopton woods tomorrow after the rugby.  FOD looks like a wash out and all my riding mates have bailed on me now.  So it looks like a solo ride.  🙁

Well I thought he was great, delivered much more than the ‘lads, lads, lads’ content of Peatys (which I also enjoyed differently). But then I went in expecting to hear from a Downhill racer, not a polished after dinner speaker! I thought he was charming, with some understated cheeky humour.

tried to subscribe it says
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Sorry, this voucher is not applicable to selected products.
so what subscriptions is it valid for?

I’m dreading this weeks half term, if it’s not my wife sitting down for a chat it’s my son asking me about how things work, or my daughter asking to give her a lift.  To the point I have diarised a few days in one of our offices an hour and a half each way.  I am creating an office space in the spare room!

I really love the look of the bike. Not really the travel or wheel size I want/like but would love to see more photographs and details of it

Prime FOD conditions yesterday, slippy, rooty fun.  Didn’t really shroud myself in glory given it’s my local.  But happy enough, enjoyable day out.

couple of things I went away thinking about.

1) why are people who are sponsored Entering into normal race categories, especially when the elite cat is so sparse

2) splitting the groups by age isn’t great when you are the edge of the age categories.  As such one of our mates rode on his own all day.  Would be nice to be able to ride with friends like you can in other formats.

I would say it would be much better if we had lots of rain than the sloppy thick mud we will have after a week of torrential rain and a couple of days drying.

was planning on getting up today, but didn’t manage it.  So will just ride tomorrow.  I’m full of cold though.

i can’t get my head around the map that’s been posted, looks like some of the trails they have run before.  Possibly with Y2K thrown in, which if so I’m disappointed about.  That trail needs some love desperately after a summer of being hammered.  With the rain we have had and the number of riders likely to hit it several times during the race I can imagine it will be ruined.

It’s going to be bloody muddy, that’s for sure.  Fit proper tyres!

They won’t run GBU, likely several trails on the Worcester lodge side of the hill and likely half part of one of the old downhill tracks.  Think there are a couple of you tube videos of previous events which will give you an idea of what to expect.

see you on course Sunday

Can anyone tell me how they measure up in real life?

yep, on a 30mm rim (DT Xm1501 spline 30)

front 63mm 2.48”

rear 61.3mm 2.41”

I have one of these I’m not using if anyone fancies a lightly used one?

Got to say no issue with mine either.

I have just ordered the Magicshine Monteer 6500, paid £189 from bike lights U.K. with a 5% discount code.  Will be matching it up with my exposure diablo for the lid.

Had a fantastic day there.  Amazed at the great condition of the trails given the rain we have had.

Obviously we have only just scratched the surface, but really enjoyed riding there.

thanks for the tips guys.

I think that’s because it’s not hugely different in size to the normall Mary, despite what the tyre size says. For me the knobs are better spaced, larger and just alround better on the 2.6.  I get more grip because I run lower pressure with an insert I get slightly less tyre role than expected.  Genuinely it’s a great tyre and seems to hold up better than the 2.35.  Would happily run another on my big bike if Schwable made a rear tyre that was any good or lasted more than a couple of weeks.  My OCD doesn’t allow me to mix brands on the posh bike…ok on the winter hack….

Sorry – page split has meant Mary picture and info is on page 1…..

So less than 2mm in difference between the 2.4 Michelin and 2.6 Mary.

For reference here is my Wild enduro Frnt on a 30mm rim…

2.6 Mary is a brilliant tyre.  If you run one with an insert like rimpact it makes it even better in my experience.  I took a photo of my 2.6 Mary fitted to WTB 30mm rims on my winter bike with callipers so you can see real life measurements.  Can’t say I really notice any horrific squirm even on hardpack bermtastic places like BPW.  But I tend to run higher pressures than usual at bike parks

Wild enduro don’t work with 30mm rims

contradicts most of the reviews…also my experience of running them on 30mm rims.

I love the Magic Mary, great aground tyre.  Just found they don’t last well at all. If it’s not side knobs splitting, they round off very quickly which means the tyre starts to become less predictable in my opinion.  I made the move to Michellin’s out the box I didn’t like them.  The front needs to be worked pretty hard.  The rear isn’t the greatest rolling tyre.  That said I have persevered with them and I’m starting to get used to them.  I also find the front more predicable and easier to use.  Almost like it’s got better with a bit of wear.

Im not a fan of Maxxis tyres on the front full stop, but have not tried an Assegai.  That said I don’t ride much trail centre hardpack more rooty natural, muddy forests.

I enjoyed the Peaty talks, I am hoping Greg’s will be just as enjoyable.  I don’t expect them to be polished after dinner speakers.  I hope it’s an enjoyable evening out listening to a legend of the sport I love to follow and participate in.

Cheers, we ride FOD mostly and South Wales stuff. That’s all we got…

Legend thank you! Will report back as to how we get on.  Used to steep muddy off piste so looking forward to somewhere new

Had exactly the same issue with crossmax enduros a few years ago.  The nipples seized as well.  I was constantly replacing all the spokes as they snapped.   Absolutely awful wheels, cost a fortune at the time.  Lost a fortune selling them as spares or repair (albeit working at the time) in terms of maintenance I get my wheels checked annually usually.  Service my own bike but prefer a wheel builder to check spoke tension etc.  Once a year, if I keep wheels that long as a serial bike changer

Not as harsh as the crush?? I rode my mates Crush 29 the other day, he runs 2.35 Nobby Nics (awful tyres) but for an alloy hardtail I thought it was incredibly smooth!  I was expecting it to be harsh as hell.   That was rising down some of the rougher trails in FOD.  Even pedalling sat down I was surprised by its traction and how smooth it was.

Also isn’t a 2.6 Mary front and rear going to be bloody hard work? I’m currently running a 2.6 Mary on the front of my whyte and a Maxxis Forekaster 2.6 rear.

which leads me on nicely, if you want a 650b aggro hardtail with mud clearance look at the whyte 901/905/909.  I am simply blown away with how good mine is.  Let down slightly by a crappy fork, you can pick them up cheap enough used to change a few bits.  I am made up with it and it means my Ibis is warmly tucked away nice and clean for best.

I have not spent huge amounts of time on a HD3, but own a HD4.  I completely love my 4, it does everything brilliantly.  The only thing I wish was it was a touch longer (Hd5 ticks that box) I am 5’9 with short legs and run a Large HD4 with a 150 dropper.  It’s a fantastic bike, I had mulled over upgrading to the new HD5.  But have decided to wait until next year now.  In terms of comparison to the HD3, it’s as you have read really.  The 4 is definitely a bigger hitting bike, it climbs well (very well) but not as spritely as the 3.

As if it was ever in any doubt dude!

Mountain bike forum though really isn’t it… road biking is dull 😉

I may have bought some of my Jeffsy stuff from <span class=”skimlinks-unlinked”>you.Lol</span>

Thank you for the kind words about the bike!

i actually owned a Jeffsy, that was a great bike as well.  Made even better with the addition of a coil shock.

Best bike I have ever owned, just awesome… that said the cheap whyte hardtail I have just bought is making me smile so much every time I ride it….not taken any pictures of that bike yet mind

Send it back.

I like an annual trip to Cannock, wouldn’t want to ride there every week, but it can be a decent ride when the weather is grotty.  I just don’t like the ‘feel’ of the place.   Always feel like I’m being watched, almost certainly paranoia on my part, certainly wouldn’t leave my bike even for a second

I just got some of the PNW Components Loam grips (15% off with code ENDOFSUMMER)

I had been interested in trying a pair a pair of these, so went to order a set with the code above (thanks) but they want $40 shipping!!!

I maybe around on the 13th…will double check.  What sort of distance do you want to do? What level of gnar do you want? How many of you are there?

I have…ran my Hightower in 29er and hated it, so tried some 650b+ wheels and it was even worse.

As above I had the same issue, spindle snapped at the tangs…spoke to hope who said I must have fitted in correctly as they had never heard of the problem…(LBS had warranties 3 sets before mine) unfortunately hope had fitted my cranks as the lad I bought the bike off is well known and does allot of work for hope.  Obviously at that point I was out of warranty as i wasn’t the first owner.  Showed the crank design to a couple of people who know about these sort of things each of which laughed.  Crap design, heavy over engineered and weak.  Took them years to develop too.

I find them fine, I have a super expensive pair of Troy Lee and 7idp which are more comfy no doubt but are significantly more money

Ebay for my last couple, sold within 48 hours both times.

Same for me, gave it week here on my frame sold on EBay within a day.  So obviously priced it somewhere near market value.  Tend to put more Enduro/expensive kit on pinkbike