Really, anything above Deore is just showing off

+1

Shimano- Fine until the cups go! try finding new cups.

You’ll have finished your major tour easily by that time, but you could easily kill your cartridge bearing in a couple of days.

I take it the only reason you like the Pipedream is because its cheap and has a 853 sticker?

try them and see what you like the best. Its not all about tubing.

Still have my Salsa over both anyday, but that because its right for me.

Keswick mountain bikes, Theres a few of them. or Biketreks in Ambleside.

I love my Avids, had them on a few bikes,

My old man and a mate have just got the new Deore brakes and they are really pleased with them. Look good for the money.

lol thanks gents my legs are scared now

Pffft!!

You need:

And plenty of MTFU

You’ll love it.

BMW driver, says it all really. Not sure why they had to point it out though…

because it was stolen

just watch the internet for proof

the wonders of youtube. I have one more video to go and then i’ll have a go at heart surgery 😉

I have sorted a couple of lady friends out with these:

They have been excellent bikes. Dawes Duchess

From memory these come up small, but check.

Super noodles

My local is about 30 mins from great ayton and has loads of local trails

Wombwell Arms[/url]

There’s Also a few closer to Thirsk which is 20 mins from great ayton.

Got a butt fender great on road to stop spray on your arse, but didn’t do much in the mud, but it never is really.

First you must be mad buying and receiving a new bike in a cardboard box!

Cardboard box did you say?!

and no i wont be drawn into a slanging match as i dont do internet warriors

I’ll guarantee any wheel I build for the life of the rim.

Really?

On spokes loosening and buckles?

You can fit other racks to an El Mariachi so don’t rule it out on that front

Out of interest what have you got to fit on?

I don’t have any photos of my old set up, but this bike has a similar idea.

It would open up EBB and other complicated chain tension systems like salsa etc. Which can be hassle on the trail/road.

I’m going to put it back on my salsa at some point.

The chain will be under tension so i’m finding it difficult to see how not slackening off would allow me to go up or down. Hence the slider idea.

You’d have to drop the wheel out and swap over.

two ratios

32-18

and

34-16

the total amount of teeth is 50. So you don’t need to adjust the dropouts. I ran it on an inbred when it was my only bike for a while. Worked a treat.

I’ll be having a dingle setup so I’m thinking sliders would make manual gear change way quicker and easier. Oppinions?

Run two chainrings as well as two cogs and you won’t have to worry about adjusting the rear end. (as long as the difference is the same as the rear, ie 34/32 – 16-18)

If your not worried about racks pretty much any 29er frame will do just try them and see what rides the best. Tapered headtubes aren’t an issue.

wallpaper for your man cave/bathroom etc

Really pleased with my el mariachi, but you need specialist racks which are expensive.

The Ogre is the best bet or the roadrat as they could be loaded up pretty easily.

A lot of frame will be ruled out by lack of rack mounts.

Cyclocross pfft

Campag monstercross is where its at.

Its running a ambrosio cassette which is campag spaced, shimano splined.

I also ran a shimano 8 speed cassette no probs, with the stops on the mech wound in.

Matt, I agree totally with chain stores vs online. I was only talking about standalone vs standalone.

Its a shame that things are swinging to online but sadly its what the public want, cheap and convenient. Some businesses will evolve and develop with the market and other won’t. Both Wiggle and CRC where independent bike shops, as was Evans but they all took different paths.

I cannot see how it costs as much to operate online as it does a store.

I was comparing A shop with A website.

Shop needs:

The shop itself – online = warehouse
Shop Staff – customer service teams, warehouse staff
mechanics – graphic designers and web programmers (or spend on outsourcing)
Bills – affects both.

What the online business saves in not needing a premier location that a shop would goes straight in the extra wages needed for IT bods, SEO work and google adwords etc.

When you look into it there is actually very little difference.

(i’m not talking about bedroom sellers, but businesses that are there to make money and pay staff)

The main reason internet sites can afford the smaller margins is more in larger target audience than less overheads.

I’ve done it before, Worked a treat.

34 – 16
32 – 18

Just dropped the wheel out and swap over. No need to adjust chain tension.

over the net you don’t have the overheads of a shop

Thats a myth, to be competitive online you need to spend as much as you would with a shop.

Not on my 29er but do on my hipster bridleway bomber. Some nice Pauls Racers.

I wouldn’t rule them out on a mtb.

It would appear the prices fluctuate constantly. No concrete examples but from watching for many months there are many inconsistencies.

Nothing illegal in that, Most websites have price matching, they keep their prices low. When one site drops they follow. When the price goes up theirs go up.

What would be fair is if everyone stuck to RRP, but i’m guessing you wouldn’t want that.

how are they lying?

Got an example?

Your kinda missing my point

Would you be happier with the course if you didn’t have anything to take home?

If you think the cost is for a bike then you are completely missing the point. I would love to do it and I wouldn’t feel ripped off at all.

+1

I don’t see the problem with it.

£400 to learn how to mitre, braze use tools etc and a little bike at the end of it. Gives you the basics to go home and have a go yourself. You also a little bike out of it.

I’ve looked at the 29″ anthem an it just looks all wheel… If you get what I mean..??..

Yep, But your used to looking at your 26″ one so the 29er anthem will look more “wheel” than other bikes.

Give it a go, if you like the ride, by the time you’ve had it a few months it will look normal and the 26er will look all frame.

but its not a simple question. The OP didn’t explain why he specifically wants a 29er

Does he have to?

If he asked for advice on a helmet would you bang on about shoes?

To the op, try a few. A mate of mine is really pleased with his Anthem 29er.

sturmey archer!

we need a ‘singletrack experts’ forum.

Singletrack IS an experts forum.

I’m yet to hear of a brand with a 100% record of perfect frames.

Do you think we should do it again?

Yep, I laughed so hard when I saw one of the mud men. More people should be pushed in.

I also never thought I’d see the day when I’d see more Jones hybrids than on one’s.

Out of those, for you, the bottom ones looks like it fits you the best.

I don’t know if I’m honest.

+1

And i don’t care, the bike I have now works better than the last one and the next will be better still. I’ve found what I like, so bollox to the rest of you.

but surely if they were faster the roadie companies would make them, afterall speed is king in the lycra world

Like 29ers and all the mtb companies making them?

i don’t buy the whole moulton argument the uci rules state that wheels can be as small as 20.5″ including tyres if the smaller wheels were faster the pro tour teams would be using them especially the likes of sky with their love of “marginal gains”

Teams only use what the manufactures want to sell apparently. So if pinarello made a 21″ wheel they would. 😉

Sounds more like a battle between 2 bikes than 2 wheelsizes.