Your talking 29er if XCs your thing , right ?

Rigid carbon forks combined with bigger wheels are all you need !

I’m riding in my local Gorrick tomorrow & expect to see a few rigid riders on the podium !

My thinking is it’s uneven wear on the cassette , let me explain.

Having got pissed off with killing complete chain sets , every couple of months , I attempted the ‘3 chain drive train ‘

As in ,you fit a new chain set , then buy 2 additional chains. Theory is if you change the chains in rotation every 2 weeks ( or what ever ) the whole chain set will last much longer.

Well 2 weeks in , I changed the chain & guess what ? There was an annoying vibration , almost grinding noise & under load would skip on my 2 most used sprockets!

Conclusion , the tolerances are so fine on 10 speed kit , the slightest uneven wear can ruin your day.

Most important thing , NEVER use them with bare hands , if you haven’t got gloves , then wrap someone’s t shirt around your hands. Serious frost bite will occur otherwise !

Gulp ,I just bought one of these !

Never had a problem with Endura Baa Baa Merinos , so lets hope this is the same for the PX ones.

Well , it’s not going to stop raining , so , I supposes I better go out& clean last nights mud off the bike , so I can bring it into the kitchen & check those break pads !

My word , I never considered UKIP to be a racist party , more a Conservative protest vote if you like.

It always amuses me that the liberals / anti fascists that preach equality & tolerance always go on such a venomous offensive , when somebody doesn’t hold with their particular ideas of equality & tolerance.

Two fostered kids , from a perfectly decent family ( the councils own words) now back in the care system.

Well done to the left leaning politically correct lobby – once again !

I may just vote UKIP next time around , just to spite this small minded bigotry !

@c klein87 , you’ll be fine with your Ralphs . I’m up there regular with Contimental X Kings – pretty similar grip to the schwalbes.

Have you tried turning the seat post clamp so the bolt side is over the slit in the frame , makes a difference on my 2 29ers.

@ Paulio ,if you are going rigid SS , then I strongly recommend you go for carbon forks , on one’s are fine.

& oh yeah , mine came with vertical drop outs , had to order the horizontal ones , but as with on one , not too pricey , don’t forget the tensioners !

If your watching the pennies , I’ve got some ally ones for sale – £35

@ Rexated , shouldn’t be too muddy . Despite the rain all today & tonight.

Ceasars drains well , but that’s because it’s quite sandy , you might want to make sure you have fresh brake pads & maybe some spares ?

Same reason for a lot of riders running SSers tomorrow!

Oh dear , you can tell the weathers crap & we’re all on line – bored !!

I paid more than that for my Scandal 29er (V2)frame, but don’t begrudge it as it is the most fun bike to ride . I’m running it as a rigid SS , for XC , the geometry for me is the best I’ve ever ridden.

Tiny , tiny , gripe , in the picture & desciption , there where 2 bottle bosses , turns out there is only one.

Been trying to decide on gears or ss all week . I think the next 16 HOURS OF RAIN has made the decision easy !

2 hrs SS for me !:-)

I’ve also heard it said that 29s don’t go any faster, they just feel that way… You can’t go faster without putting more energy in in the first place.

In an XC situation 29ers are much quicker for the same amount of effort , feels like cheating in Gorricks when you belt past 26ers!

Going back to a 26er , you then realise how much harder you have to work just to keep up.

Yes , a 29er can be marginally slower in super twisty stuff , but this is a few hundred metres at most in a typical 8 mile lap.

For simply crossing XC ground at speed , there is no competition !

Ok Chaps , heads up . I’ve been riding the GTC Pro 29er composite for a month now , so I can answer some of your questions.

Frame size – I’m 6ft (34″) leg & the med is spot on . Comfort – riding position is faultless , the composite frame seems to pass on less shock & vibration than an aluminium one ( big thumbs up !)

I also fancied the sram 2×10 set up , but I can’t fault the XT 3X10.

The formula brakes would be my only slight criticism , they’re powerful enough , but lack the ‘feel’ of say avid elixirs , tend to be a bit ‘ clunky ‘.

Wheels seem fine , light & stiff – DT Swiss , not being a brand I have experience of , we’ll wait & see how long they last.

I’m 100kg & the forks on 160 psi are good .

Schwabe tyre combo , is the combo I use already , so happy with that!

But why am I telling you all this ? If you haven’t got one yet , it doesn’t look like you will !

I don’t think next years model will be as good value , now Cube have created a demand & reputation for this bike . Looks like they under priced this one to get their foot in the door & get people talking !

I was lucky enough to demo a Cube 29″ Pro .

Well , what a bike , it’s all you imagined a well speced carbon 29er would be . Light , agile & frighteningly quick ! Just rolls & rolls , covering the miles effortlessly .

Ready to race , straight out of the box – tubeless is the only change I’ve made. Tyre combo ( Schwalbe Rocket / Ralph )is spot on for general XC & racing.

Can’t fault the XT kit , loving the extra ratios possible with the 10 sp cassatte. Never used formula brakes before , they’re fine.

Size wise ( I’m 6 foot ) I would have normally have ordered a large frame , but my demo was a 19″ & spot on !

And let’s be honest a decent carbon 29er , speced like this by Scott / Trek would be £2000+ , so great value !

So , roll on my next Gorrick ! & best of luck to anybody trying get hold of one of these!