5 years ago off the shelf mid range lx/xt fs bikes with decent frames from the likes of giant were more like £1500 at full rrp moving up to say £2,200 for the same from someone like rocky mountain or santacruz

I dont think the low to mid range stuff has increased as quickly as the top end stuff the the op started this thread over

I think one problem may be that the wages of the buying public havent increased at the same speed that bike prices have increased

Circa 2006 top end xc/trail bikes were around £3,000 to £4,000 as I recall

now 5 years later its more likely £6,000 + for a top end bike

I would think to most people it doesnt feel like their wages have doubled in the last 5 years

dont get me wrong,weight’s not the be all and end all and I’m not trying to pee on the op’s parade.

Still looks good value if its 28lb

Not saying its the case here but it would be nice though if honests weights could be given by bike brands

Sub 26lb in that guise?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm…

Though not saying I wouldnt be pleased for you if its true

yunki –
we need this guy in charge.. he knows how to deal with people that don’t toe the party line..

Shamone!! Get your looting ass out that trainer store mother f*****!! He Hee!!

larrythelathe
wills works do one for the ftm carbon?

Brant do you have any thoughts on this please?

The FTM would appear to have an unfashionably steep h/a at the moment for the front and rear travel?

Ive got the bosch Li with the little plastic blades. I works ok but the tips of the blades break off if your trying to trim up to a fence or a deck.
I can get through 2 blades this way doing our garden.
Think one with a nylon line might be better

I flatly refuse to believe that a Mclaren F1 just ‘goes’ like that on a patch of diesel at 70mph on a big almost straight road.

I think you’d be surprised…

I’ve spun a 911 around accelerating in a straight line at around 50 mph because of a diesel patch on the road.. if the back wheels break traction, the way an F1 rev’s they are going to spinning up to a ridiculous speed exceptionally quickly unsettling the car as they do spin and when they regain grip.. there’s not always a lot of room to correct these things on the road

These are very direct cars the slightest input through the wheel or you right foot makes a difference to what they do…

CaptainFlashheart

Margins for bricks and mortar shops aren’t that awesome. Some things are, like tubes for example, especially when bought in bulk.

True smaller items like tubes have good margins. Their more affordable to stock up on but then you have to turn over loads more of them to make a crust..

Not many little LBS can afford to shell out £50k + though with each big bike brand they stock at the start of the season to get them on the decent margins and even then your not talking wiggle margings

Yep. Its a bit unfair to expect your local LBS to match the wiggles of this world when making your new purchase..

If you want them to survive you have to accept a bit of a compromise on the price

The Southern Yeti – Member

So Wiggle’s gross margins are 83%.

Pretty standard for a retailer, isn’t it?

Distributors expect LBS to work off around 30% for complete bikes and that’s before the customer asks for a discount..

Followed this thread all the way through and I have nothing new to really add other than a bit of support for Brant.

I’d be totally gobsmacked if he has the final say on quality control at Ragley, Nukeproof etc and wouldn’t be surprised at all if the unwillingness to act from the people who actually are responsible form part of his decision to move on.

I have never owned a “Brant Bike” only his bars but I do own a Cotic and now a Titus and I value highly the ability to talk to the guys behind them directly on here if needed (how cool is that), as said there’s very few industries where you can do this – try talking directly to mr zanusi when your washing machine goes wrong and see how far you get

I like his designs – couldn’t say they are pretty but their function over form – and willing to stray away from the norm in pursuit of moving the bar forward

I have no problem with you shooting them, in act if local I’d do it for you with a clear consciences.

Couple of points to take into consideration though.

Depending on the size your garden, if you’re using an air riffle don’t let any pellets stray across your boundary, classed as armed trespass or something daft!

With a legal limit air rifle you’ll pretty much have to shoot them in the head as unless you’re very close you wont get through the breast feathers with a chest shot.

Easier to bait them down and shoot them on the ground. If shooting up at them into a tree you have to aim lower than you think to compensate the elevated trajectory. Not as easy as it sounds when you trying to hit something the size of a pigeons bonce.

If you can easiest way to blast the blighters is with a shot gun but they tend to upset the neighbours.

Finally make sure you can tell your woodies from your ferals.

As mentioned woodies are a tasty bonus or why not try your hand at taxidermy (?) but treat ferals as you would rats, they can carry just as many nasty’s so pick up with gloves and burry them or burn them.

I’d guess Manatou pre reverse arch. The only company I can think of using post mounts back when it looks like those forks were made.

Also crown and lcok out looks very manatou like. Old scarabs perhaps?

Id say 2.2 Black Chilli Rubber Queens too.

I don’t know what continental do with the black Chilli stuff but my rubbers strangely feel faster rolling than any of my maxi tyres including 2.2 exception series crossmarks and aspens 8O

Interesting comments about the sizing but it is to horses for courses.

I haven’t got round to building mine yet but I did stick the fork, saddle, stem bars and wheels in friday night to sling a leg over it.

5.10″ 32″ inside leg on a medium felt fine for me, with a 70mm stem and in line post. At 23.25″ it’s got the same top tube length as my soda.

Can’t comment without actually riding it but 25% sag in the shock it seems pretty firm even with the gate fully open. Seems to be a fair bit of compression damping dialled in to the custom tune so I don’t think its going to bob too badly but I stand to be corrected!

As I recall 2006 is around the borderline that the Hanjob frame went from being rated for 100mm forks to 120/130mm, athought it could have been the 2007 year that this changed.

I think cove still have an archive on their site so best to check.

The 100mm versions are still a pretty tough frame and still feel sweet around the 110mm mark but I would have thought feel crap at 140mm. But at least if you have travel adjust you can experiment to your taste.

Your warranty will be void however if you rip the head tube off which I can not say it will or wont do at 140mm!

working for quite a large landlord Ive had to unfortuatley deal with quite a few liquidators over the last couple of years.

They only have one intrest and thats their getting their fee.

My one few pleasure in these instances is by when we can, getting wind of the situation 1st and repossing the properties before they get there and make the liquidortors jump through hoops to let them in to pillage the place.

As a large company weve been legally advised not to take goods in luie of unpaid rent even though a Lease may state that we can.

In your case unless they are waiting there with a video camera and the police when you get there to – errrhumm “asess what unpaid-for stock they have of yours on site” they wont want to spend one penny pursuing someone for stuff that disapears.

Apart form them no one else will ever get paid either.

The only upside is that customs and excise ie the tax man can no longer be classed as a preferential creditor so they get stiffed too! :-)

Go in quickly if you can, if your worried take only whats yours when no ones looking and I’ll wager you will be fine.

Its pretty much all a liqudator does anyway!!! albiet legally

Lary check here when evens is back on line. Andy posted these links yesterday. i went for the carbon low top with the convertor bottom and they fit a ok

Cane creek

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cane-creek/40-series-is42-short-carbon-top-headset-ec026961

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cane-creek/40-series-is42-short-top-headset-ec026962

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cane-creek/40-series-is42-tall-carbon-top-headset-ec026964

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cane-creek/40-series-is42-tall-top-headset-ec026965

Bottom

Cane creek

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cane-creek/40-series-is52-conversion-bottom-headset-ec026972

at least i would if evans site hadnt crashed right now!!

evans cycles i’ll have a quick butchers for you

hell yes lary! Im working to a budget so bought a straight steererd fork from on one as it was a good price..

the 40 series cane creek intergrated 42 top, intergrated 52 bottom mixer defo fits as well, mines fitted. just popped my new rev 20 maxeld rlti’s in the for fun too! Ive got every thing i need, just in the process of moving house with a stressed out mrs so looks like mines waiting till saturday to slot together, if I’m lucky!

Not sure about the FSA Gravity SX, A DX Pro or Chris King going by the Titus site they do make a 42mm Intergrated top and a 52 mm Integrated bottom but Im not sure with out one posting the exact size of the smoothie that it will fit. It looks like the rock star has different size cups to the FTM Carbon other wise they would list the smoothie as fitting that as well. I intially bought an angle set before on one posted up the correct size for the FTM ( the intially told me the smoothie would fit) but the bottom cup was a few mm out.

just noticed smothie set looks to work for the rock star but it will not fit the FTM Carbon. no no no no no

frame turned up an hour ago by the way!

Not sure about the smothie set as I dont think on one list actual sizes on their web site. it could be just a couple of mm’s out so it could be squezed in! 8O

brought mine from evans but Im afraid they now seem to be out ouf stock. No doubt every one else brought them ready for their frames arival!

Talking builds I had a set of sun ringle chargers turn up today from cr. Not the latest pros but it looks like the previous model. Not ridden them but initially I don’t think I’m that impressed. no rim strips as depicted and brass nips not alloy as listed. Bearings don’t feel overly smooth either and the stickers are poop .Shame because sun singles used to be really nice. Any other sugestions? Want light but also want stiff. Replacing a set of crossmax sl’s but unfortunately I don’t have a crossmax budget at the moment. Must be 20mm axels

Sory Andy I only ordered mine on Friday and got it yesterday.
Not much conservation for you though bud I know!

Larry I bought my head set from evens they have the separate cane creek top and bottom cups in stock. Use the cane creek code that on one list with the frame. Sorry working of my phone so excuse the crapy copy and pasting but I ordered:

1 EV144440-NA-BLKSeries IS52 Conversion Bottom Headset £22.99 2 EV144429-NA-BLK Cane Creek 40-Series IS42 Short Carbon Top Headset £39.99Delivery: £0.00

They also have an ally top set for a tenner less.

And the one one smoothy won’t fit. Nor will an angle set unfortunately

Just wanted to thank the last to posters for the advice.
Appreciated :D

Just wanted to thank the last to posters for the advice.
Appreciated :D

Cheers Mackem thats what I was thinking.:D

You know what its like I dont want to set my self up for a new build session only to be deflated by having to stop and wait for an adptor to come in! :evil:

Yehaaaaa!!
Well done alfabus!!

Arrgghhhh!
I hate sealed bids!!!
I got involved in one about 4 years ago when trying to buy the house of my dreams!!

You really just have to put down the most you can afford and hope for the best!

I hope your more sucsessfull than I was then!

Good luck buddy I think there’s a few of us on here rooting for you :D

alfabus how did you get on with your offer?
Hopefully no news is good news
Been rooting for you in man cave support!
I agreed to a sale for our house today so at last one step closer to my next humungus man cave endowed new house

I ordered a FTM carbon when they first posted last week.
I read the bike radar review but I tend to take all their reviews with a pinch of salt anyway. How many 140 front ends dont wander on steep climbs?? low bb? Lovely!
Regarding the angles I will be initially running it with an old 130 fork that I have spare so I should be able to guess fairly well how it will handle a 140 and failing that at that price you can always invest in some angle cups if you want to tweak the geo.
Given the bikes titus have previously produced Id be surprised if they went to all the trouble of a new design for the FTM and stick totally crap angles on it..
But hey its cheep.. If you don’t want to take an educated risk you could blow 2 and half grand on a new blur TRc and test ride it first

I must be getting old but as long as it handles brilliantly and doesn’t cost a fortune like most fs frames now I don’t really give a monkeys what it looks like.. If you can keep it under a grand I’m interested

Sancho, thats cool budy no problems, I too was a dealer in a long forgotten previous career so its why im struggling to grasp some shop’s understanding of a bird in the hand with an itchy credit card..
I also know I doese’nt automaticly mean you dont know what your talking about either!
Remember kids, dealers can some times give honest opinions too :wink:

food for thought though for you
covert frame
36 talas rlc
head set
and suitable front wheel (or set)

Just watching a vid on a Mythic Spitfire, I know its only a 5″ but I find anything with any adjustable H/A of 66-68 and bb from 12.8 to 13.6 interesting