I run 27.5″ wheels on mine with Minion SS 2.35″ on the rear, there’s 8mm clearance either side at the tightest point
It’s a great bike, light enough to use at xc races , rowdy enough for uplift days and everything in between
The only duff point is the press fit bb

I’ve not had creaking from mine but they’re super easy to overhaul
Worth doing anyway
Mine was making some scraping noises and after a quick service it’s mint!!
Here’s the service video
Good luck

I have a pair of the 35mm wide rims built by Light Bicycle (onto Dt Swiss hubs to keep the weight down)
I’ve been using them on my hardtail since November and have treated them pretty badly(I’m pretty clumsy ,all enthusiasm no technique!)
The front is still absolutely perfect
The rear cracked during a WGES race on a fast rocky section. LB replaced the rim for the shipping cost(£50 ish inc. customs duty) and were great to deal with
I’d recommend them but bear in mind if you are likely to be fairly rough then either go for the 38mm or the Heavy Duty option
My lbs said their wheel builder has had problems with spoke tension letting go with these rims but the wheels I’ve had have been perfect and are absolutely true
Also remember to add customs duty to the price of the wheels which is about £50 per pair

The wife’s been using Butcher/Slaughter all year
They’re mint for everything (if a bit loose on fast muddy downs)
Only trouble she’s had is punctures on fast rocks
Not much grip difference between the Slaughter & Purgatory
Get it, it’s a hoot!!

Ah!
Fair point Z1ppy
I’m using a threaded 30mm bb
I don’t know about press fit ones,sorry

Yes
It works fine

That bell tent is exactly what I had in mind
Cheers qwerty

Cheers folks
That’s a couple of good looking ones to get started with
Not cheap though are they!

In.
ukge’s are brilliant races IMO

I’d go for Hans Dampfs
Trailstar evo front
Pacestar super gravity rear
Only cos I seem to puncture everything
Had this combo on since march , no punctures, work brilliantly on everything except the stickiest of mud

Just got back from a week there,first time,no guide
There’s loads of trails that are dead easy to find and the the bike park is good value for a couple of days on its own
I found loads of dead friendly folks who were happy to share their knowledge
Mud was fine at worst but dried so fast it took a morning after a downpour before everything was rockin’ again
Just worth watching out for really steep stuff when it’s mega wet as the roots get slippy & there’s an awful lot of them!!

I run SRAM
my wife runs Shimano
I’ve been through 3 rear mechs and hers is still fine!
Other than that they both seem to work brilliantly with a 34t & 11-36 cassette
Unless you’ve got the money for an x0 mech with replaceable pivots is go shimano

I had no success at all with Clutch sx’s tubeless
Just got latex all over the place
No problems with muddy Mary’s instead

I found the continental revo sealant works really well & seems to last longer than Stan’s
Bit pricey though!

Three of us did that journey by train last year as the transfer costs were ridiculous.
It was pretty straight forward and dead cheap, a bit of lugging bike bags was the only down side
You can get all the info you need from tourist info at Nice airport

I’m 6’3″
I’ve got a 20″ Alpine which fits great and means I can run a dropper.you could get an 18″ but you’ll need a massive post

At some point you’ll need a bleed kit but there’s no need to get an original as it’s easy to get an aftermarket one.
I had a warranty issue with bikediscount.de and they were superb and turned it round in a week
I’d buy another off them in a flash

I have a 2012 Alpine
in standard set up it was a bit underwhelming(36’s and rp 23)
Put some Pikes on which are way better (more progressive spring rate suits bike/my riding better)
Put a CCDB on and you’ve got a different class of bike both up & down
I’ve put in on a diet,(30lbs now)light wheels make a HUGE difference. Very lively
They’re great bikes but can be easily set up badly. I’d try a Five as well before you buy

As I understand it , they make the spring rate more progressive.
In effect you can run the forks with the usual sag without blowing through the travel when you hit something a bit harder
I run mine with the recommended air pressure and both tokens in
They’re very supple on small stuff and only rarely get to full travel
Definitely try them

We were up there last weekend and the whole trail was open(I guess,1st time there but no diversions)
It was all in pretty good shape as well.i had a great day!!

You’re spot on
CTD is as you described
Pikes are open,partially locked or locked
Open is for normal riding

I’ve got barons on crossmaxes and the first time I seated them they were well tricky
I did it by using just sealant, lying the wheel down then pumping like mad with a track pump
As the bottom bead started to seal turn the wheel over & the latex can seal the other bead
It took about 20 minutes to get both up
Now they’ve been on the rims a whole they’re dead easy and pop up no bother
Good luck!

I ve had both
The ccdba is in a different league
No question about it
Performance & longevity are miles better than the fox
Tuning is easy enough if you follow the instructions

Solid wood floors can suffer all sorts of problems with movement and warpage unless the timber is decent quality , is properly dried and then acclimatised to your house. They also need fitting properly. This all means a good floor costs an awful lot more than engineered flooring. If budget is a consideration go engineered every time. The finished floors are very similar
As for doors the engineered ones will usually be fine for internal use, so long as they’re treated (oiled/lacquered) properly. You’d have to have a wierd set of accidents to get enough moisture on them to ruin the veneer!
Solid doors will be better made( mortised and tenoned) but need to be made of decent quality timber and will cost a small fortune . They will also age well and get you you’re worn but not worn out look
From a carpenter’s point of view I’d go engineered floor and solid doors if money was no object

I’ve owned a pair of Havens for 18 months now.to start with the front axle arrangement seized solid within a week,the bearings were all replaced by week two and they’ve had another set since. After that the rims have remained almost perfectly true and once you get used to checking them before every ride, to see if they’ve loosened off, they have been excellent!!if they’re cheap they’re not a bad wheel set. Just a bit of a faff.I’ve used mine for lots if racing ,riding jumping and DH days .i run 2.35″ tyres and the rim is plenty wide enough

Been using a works for a while now.chain has never budged.
Enjoy a tea & cake with the fiver!!

Cheers folks

Shortcut is on the right lines I think.i’ve tried soapy water,co2 cannister,removing the valve,compressor on full tilt and the biggest track pump I could get my hands on

Electrical tape it is! Thanks all

thought so.
shame

A 2007 patriot with the adjustable shock mount gives you 7″ travel and a Maxle back end.if you buy the small shock shuttle it will also run as a 5″ bike.so you get the best of both worlds.and they’re cheap!!Hurrah!

Superb!that should give us a start.old man of storr looks good on video.
Thanks