Deore spec Ibis Ripley AF? There have been sale examples on a few UK sites for around £2,200 I think which come with reasonable spec Fox forks and shocks.  Looks a solid DW link bike for the money.

https://www.tradeinn.com/bikeinn/en/ibis-ripley-af-29-kit-deore-2022-mtb-bike/138610131/p?utm_source=google_products&utm_medium=merchant&id_producte=15172201&country=uk&srsltid=AfmBOoovgtEAkEm4CkuOdL2xXfWIxjQPVX_LlXbM511dagPlm7WL6zErWSY

Ton has it.

If I didn’t work full time,  up at 5am,  nap at 2pm and bed for 10/10.30pm would be ideal for my body clock.

Most of last year to try to offset too many hours behind a desk I would get up at 5am to fit in an hours walk before getting the kids ready for school from 6.15 am.  Just due to life commitments I would struggle to get in bed before 10pm at all and with that routine and mild daily exercise I felt relaxed, had energy, good levels of concentration and rarely felt tired.  An afternoon nap in an armchair for 30 minutes really would have been the icing on the cake.

Now days getting up at 6am, without the daily walk, sitting behind the desk and bed for 10.30/11pm I generally feel like rubbish. I need to get back into last years routine.

If it goes to points I’m currently feeling Usyk can pull this off.  Fury is known to be a great boxer for a heavy weight of  his size but Usyk is an even better boxer and gives the impression of being just as cunning as Fury.

Questions have been raised about Usyk’s body but if that is a reality Fury’s big height advantage might work against him getting in low to the body.

Without being known as really big puncher and with no real questions over Usyks chin Tyson might resort to using his weight to lean on Usyk to wear him down for a TKO so hopefully this won’t become a 12 round cuddling match or a questionable draw.

After Tyson bouncing of the canvas following some big one shot knock downs Im not sure there will be a knock out from Usyk but he definitely  has the ability to wear you down knock someone out over 12 rounds.

If they were both the same size I would say Usyk has the boxing edge over Tyson in all areas.

A quick edit to add, I don’t dislike Tyson nowadays and can’t disagree that he has certainly done really well for himself and his family but I think the boxing reputation he trades on has been done without facing anyone really decent.  If you look at the trouble Wilder gave him and his own subsequent loses to good but not top tier fighters the only really good fighter on Tyson’s record worth boasting about is a convincing win over  Klitschko. Klitschko was a great fighter but a much better and game version of him turned up following that loss to Fury to take on Anthony Joshua who’s win over him looked even more impressive to me.

Done, target met.  Hopefully your thoughtful act arranging this brings a smile to your sister at a dreadful  time :)

CRC sale – Sram MTH 716 boost  HG hubs on Race Face AR30 29″ rims coming out at £87 pair if an good for anyone. 

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/sram-mth-716-on-raceface-ar-30-front-wheel

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/sram-mth-746-on-race-face-ar-30-rear-wheel

Cheers Charlie 

Are they the same as these?  Shimano list them as EP8/ E800 Series if that is confirming compatibility.

https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/ep8-ep800/FC-M8150.html

In the Q&A on the Chain Reaction page someone has said they fitted them to an EP8 equipped Marin.

Edit: I can see now the XT Logo isn’t in the same place as those on Shimano’s web page

https://mtb.shimano.com/products/e-mtb/components/?tab=crankarms

this might help

Good shout there isn’t a lot of detail to go on and that would help explain the level of discount.   Were they labeled XT when the E800 was current?

I’m trying to think what I put on my Rise with an EP8 , they might have been E900’s

sorry direct link for the helmet

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/dhb-c1-0-crossover-helmet

Also kitted out steel commuter bike with hydraulic discs  for £506 which doesn’t look too bad

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/octane-one-kode-adv-commuter-road-bike-2022

I have this on Mark 1 Topstone and also had a similar thing on a Last Fastforward.

I hasn’t proved to be an issue as said outside of re dishing the back wheel your going to be using.   5mm movement to either side is usually covered within the existing spoke length and chainsets should be able to be spaced to suit.

If your buying a complete bike and change your wheels, use the original back wheel to set the relevant arm on your wheel jig to the correct dish then true the new wheel to that.

I’ve upgraded the wheels and the chainset on the Topstone with non Cannondale items it just took a bit of thought.

Obliviously non A.i is easier for upgrades but I wouldn’t let it put you off a really good deal, but also check out the bottom bracket standard on the Scapel to see what  chainsets will fit when it comes to replacement as Cannondale can be a bit limiting  there on road and gravel bikes but not sure about MTB.

Speaking from experience even when using the correct size of these BB’s for your BB shell, if the frame tolerance is tight it is possible to strip the threads out of the 2 halves if installed by winding in only… Expensive mistake….  Some frames may well require partial pressing in.

I haven’t ridden a longshot Solaris but I have a simalary slack Last Fast Forward and a mark 1 Solaris before it.

For the use you describe personally I would have taken the mark 1 Solaris over the slacker Fast Forward so maybe consider a simalary conservative Stanton Sherpa too?

I think you’re going to enjoy the move to 29’er wheels though for an all rounder hardtail.

Unless maximum speed on road sections is the priority I’d go xc race type bike.  I have a very nice fast light gravel bike which is great for the poor road surfaces we have where I live and it’s a personal opinion but that’s about it.  With hindsight a xc race bike is the way I would go now for what I perceived gravel riding to be, but I come from a mountain bike background, not road.

And I still have Andi’s Martini one from this article. I haven’t used it as much as I would like but even still, it just looks lovely hanging in the garage

Stiga Multiclip – been using/abusing one for about 12 years now with next to no maintenance (not that I’m recommending it but its been serviced once).

Pretty sure mine has a Stiga branded engine but as long as there is fuel in it it always starts first time, even between seasons.

Bonus is it’s a dedicated mulcher with a bell deck so there is no cuttings to pick up or have laying around not rotting either.

Mine has the adjustable tilting handle which is actually a useful extra if you have to cut upto prickly hedges.

Happy with Continental Terra Speed. Very fast on road with a bit more tread than a G One Allround that I was also considering, more like a G One Bite. Not cheap mind!

I swapped my Mark 1 Solaris for long low slack with a Last Fast Forward. Not living anywhere steep I prefered The Solaris for ragging around on. Great allrounder.

crossed don’t blame you nor would I!

I felt sick with guilt for 2 weeks after stumping up for my Rise!

Pivot Shuttle SL if you have deep pockets. 150mm front but 130mm rear. get the grey though the blue and red looks like a Spiderman bike.

Sorry not much to add other than it is probably reasonable to ask genuinely and sincerely your ex wife why the orthodontic work cannot be done under the NHS?

Both parents have cars so location of an NHS practice shouldn’t really be an overriding problem unless there are other facts that you dont know of to consider with that. If its additional time and inconvenience to travel, personally I would feel a lot of time and inconvenience would be needed to justify a £5,000 offset.

Our son is 14 and has just been accepted with very little hassle for a brace under the NHS. It’s a classic wired type of brace which are the only ones the NHS offer, but I understand are more effective than the clear plastic invisible types that you have to pay privately for anyway.

If there is a wait for NHS orthodontics in your area, if it is just a brace that required and your son isn’t suffering medically or pain as a result then at only 12 there is still plenty of time to suffer a waiting list.

Our son is a vian little bugger but he even said it would be madness to pay thousands for an invisible brace. He does need a brace or otherwise with the way his teeth are growing they will give him problems later on but his friends with braces all get the wired types so he isn’t worried.

It meant a day off work for me to take him for the initial consultation but as I never use my holiday allowance anyway no real trouble really and it was good to spend some time alone with him grabbing some lunch and looking around the shops when done. He’s just had a second visit for moulds to be taken and then it’s one more visit in august to have the brace fitted. Of course there will be ongoing visits but my wife ties those into the school holidays.

It’s just a guess but I suspect even most private practices dont open weekends so to pay would require a similar level of inconvenience for us as parents and often it’s the same practice whether it’s being done privately or NHS.

I appreciate it’s not much to add on the whole who should pay for what debate but if this teeth mater has been a last straw issue, perhaps clearing up at least this one item factually and reasonably with your ex might start to help iron out the other items fairly for both.

https://www.cyclomonster.com/bikes/road-bikes/2022-scott-addict-gravel-30-road-bike-in-green__5028?currency=GBP&chosenAttribute=286454054&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjoOh1dzF-AIVkmDmCh1YKA0tEAQYAyABEgL7rvD_BwE

looks like they have stock?

Edit sorry thats a 30!

If you’re ever in Framlingham its worth spotting a few of the locations.

The Castle Inn crops up as their local, the village hall next door which is home to the DMDC, and then as you walk down the hill back towards the town square take a left up Double Street and you come face to face with Lance’s flat!
No yellow TR7 outside unfortunately but I was property star struck when I stumbled across that!

In the square itself is Maggie’s shop full of colorful paraphernalia.

All can also be found on google street view in which Lances flat even has a To Lett board outside so at some point he he must have moved on with Toni!

Isn’t that the ti Hello Dave?

Bell Fuels currently quoting 83.5 pence per litre if you’re in Essex or Suffolk. They usually delivery quickly too.

Quick edit someone also recommended the prices BFS Fuel Services for Essex if you’re in the area but I haven’t tried them myself as yet.

Mboy, thank you! I’m just off to change the batteries in my calculator…..

Crewlie that’s great information thanks, throw in short arms and between sizes and It becomes even more of a pain!

Sizing is so subjective and reach lengths keep growing but I feel like my proportions stop me going too modern on the reach measurements or the front becomes to difficult to lift. I think stock stem on the medium and upgrade the dropper to a 170 when it breaks is the way forward.

Thank you guys

@ spanner Monkey Colchester Essex

Just looking at those number again I think I may have answered my own question!

For seated peddling ETT plus stem of current bike is 665mm
Large Rise with 35mm Stem becomes 654mm
Medium Rise with the stock 40mm stem would be 659mm. For the extra stand over a 5 mm loss on the ETT + stem wont be noticed and I’ve always felt the reach on my bike is at the top end of where I want it to be.

So I’m thinking at 5 foot 9 and a bit with just under a 32″ inside leg and tyrannosaurus arms I’m better on a medium with a 40mm stem and 170mm dropper

Thanks for replying guys, the dropper post that comes with the Rise M10 which I’m looking at is 150mm Orbea own brand. It is available to me in medium or large so availability isn’t the issue, I suppose I’m just concerned although the stand over and seat tube of the medium looks better is the ETT going to be cramped. The Medium ships with a 40mm stem but I wanted to avoid going to say a 50 or 60mm with the stem.

My current bike has a ETT of 630mm which when run with a 35mm stem feels nice. The seat tube angle is slacker than the Rise so although the reach on the large is almost identical its ETT drops to 619mm which then drops further to 592mm on the medium.

Sorry just to clarify I have no hands on experience with the the current Lyrics or modern air forks for that matter. I moved onto the MRP from a 2012 air fork, and a dual air one to boot so there was usually a bit of re pressurizing the air springs to be done every couple of weeks- sometimes more often! When I was looking for a new fork I thought what’s the least maintenance type out there and came up with coil. You can literally leave it in the shed for 6 months and not need to touch it when you wheel your bike back out- tyres yes forks no!

My comment about not needing to check it before every ride was a bit flippant to say the least and I fully accept that modern air forks are going to be a different kettle of fish to what I was used to

Ribbon Coil owner here, never ridden a latest Lyric but I brought the Ribbon for lack of faf on my hard tail. I have had older Rockshox forks and I just wanted something that I didn’t have to check the air on before every ride, more a squeeze the tyres and go type of thing.

The Ribbon is great for that, there really is only the compression dial to fiddle with as the rebound and ramp control usually get left alone as soon as I found the point I was happy with.

I find the damping fine for a hard tail, I personally don’t think an average full suspension owner would find it lacking unless coming from one of the top forks like the Ultimate or high end Fox.

Being coil though the Ribbon is more linear. You can lesson the effect with the ramp control but I went up a spring weight to those recommended by MRP. That gives me loads of mid range support and strangely the small bump sensitivity doesn’t seem affected or the ability to use all the travel on a nice big hit.

I’m sure MRP know what they are doing but to me it seems like their recommended spring weights are a segment too low against rider weight. I’m 13 stone kitted out and the heavy spring supplied with the fork is my preferred choice.

From what I have read it sounds like the Lyric will out perform the Ribbon Coil, the Ribbon has less adjustability but for lack of fuss it seems good to me. No worry about leaky air seals or station scratches and a nice simple open bath damper that works well enough for me.

We have an Invicta Sedan 5 which in the end we felt had the look of the really expensive stoves we inevitably liked and a nice big glass door and fire box for the size. Personal taste I know but it seems to look pretty timeless to us.

Its a full cast iron stove though, fire bricks and all I believe so takes a bit longer to warm up.

https://www.gr8fires.co.uk/invicta-sedan-s-5kw-stove-anthracite

Sonder Cortex although its only 120mm each end if that’s enough? £2600 gets the GX Eagle Cane Creek version.

Edit, its 130mm on the front

Last Fast Forward or NS Excentric Cromo 29?

Can I just openly say a massive thank you to andyg1966, Andy took the time to dig out, photograph and box up a pair of MX Comps ETA’s which just turned up at work for the cost of postage! Top fellow!!

Its continually warming to know there are some really great people out there on this site :D

Thanks for the tip on Pinkbike, I never think of venturing over there! I’ll go and have a dig!

andyg1966 – Member
Let me check, might have some Marz MX COMPs. You can have them for the postage.

Hi Andy if you have a set of MX Comps that would be fantastic I’ve run them happily myself back in the day. I’d gladly make a donation to charity as well as the postage if you want :D

Monkeysfeet thanks for the heads up buddy but unfortunately the MZ comps were coil and heavily sprung at that. My lads so light I doubt they’ll move with him on there so what with the weight penalty I think ridged would be better. I appreciate your help though :-)

Dialled PA rides beautifully on 120mm. Give it the fork it deserves.

Finding straight steerer 120mm Rebas 2nd hand is a total mission mind you. May have to look at fox or x-fusion options.

I regret selling mine, went for peanuts, should have just kept it and built it back up with bits

I know what you mean about the Reba’s, after selling my lovely clean straight steerer World Cup’s with carbon crowns and a push damper for not a lot I thought I’d be able to pick up cooking set for under a £100 no problem until I looked.. Oh no I can’t !!… :cry: