I had a similar experience to the Op. Went into it thinking sub 4hr but just scraped in under 5 hrs 🙁 I’m glad I did it but I won’t be doing it again. The motivation to do the type of training you need to do well just isn’t there for me.

I’ve taken from this the importance of practising descending, and climbing on foot for prolonged periods to be just as important as practising pedalling!

^^^^^^
This 1000x

Take a dump before you ride,

I love the way this old chestnut always pops up when the talk is about lightweight bits 😆 Weight of the bike is more to do with how the bike feels, not necessarily going faster. In any case I always have a dump before I ride and my rotors are light as well. 😀

^^^^
But providing your happy with the performance of a disc such as the kcnc (I am) why not save 170gms 4.5gms per £1 is a bargain when your weightweening.

I use these http://www.xcracer.com/shop/viewproduct.php?productid=172 . No complaints so far.

Not sure about Aberdare itself, but the http://bunchofgrapes.org.uk/ in Pontypridd is very good. Bit hackneyed but the “gap” ride sounds like what your after.

I waited 5 months for a lapierre swinging arm 😯

You’ve not got back op so everyone has moved on now. But as Renton says you can get after market stuff for your car, so who gives a stuff what Mazda want.

@poopscoop I reckon on 26″ wheels 34T on the front if you aren’t used to a 1x or aren’t fit, 36T if you are. For 650b subtract 2 from each of those and for 29er subtract 4. This would be for a typical 11-40 cassette BTW where the 40T is really a get out of jail card

This is why I don’t get “what gearing threads” No idea where you ride whitestone but a 34/40 for someone who “isn’t fit” that’s equivalent to 22/26 in old money. Come to S.Wales, if your not fit you’ll be pushing up everywhere with that gear.

Gearings so personal I’m not sure you can get definitive advise about what will work for you. 30/42 is noticeably higher than 22/32 and I know of lots of people riding 22/34 as a lowest gear. Only way to know for sure is to try it.

Don’t sell it. Find a cheaper house, if you buy a house you can’t afford, when will you ever be able to find the money for a nice bike again ??? Houses are just somewhere to live.

Threads on both bike and chat, both of which end in the same old moan about dogs. Can’t we just one anti dog thread at any given time. 😕

Avoid the Canyon unless you want a head down xc racebike. I have one and its unpleasant

I’ve used lots of X/C bikes as fast trail bikes, shorter stem, wider/higher bars and perhaps a dropper and away you go.

Yes, no, yes.

where did this happen ? On the road or in a park. On the road deff the dog owners fault, in a park there might be an expectation of dogs running around so perhaps not so clear cut. Nothing excuses what sounds like an assault on your son. probably best not to involve the law if you robustly showed him the error of his ways. 😉

Looks like the Machen mast trails on steroids 😯 😯

Tubeless.

I sold exactly the same bike on ebay, but with a 9spd Veloce groupset and some askium wheels.
£700. That was 2yrs ago.

I accept you can do this sort of thing with the lack of a denial but IMHO [almost]everyone would be speaking out publicly if they were accused of this and they had not done it.

Cameron’s the prime minister, he won’t be suing anyone or even speaking about the matter.

However the Prime Minister’s spokeswoman said: “I’m not intending to dignify this book by offering any comment or any PM reaction to it.”

That’s all you’ll hear from him or his office.

And well done to ernie on this thread, very even handed and no trace of hypocrisy.

I’ve had a Mtb since 1987 and never worn knee pads.But for the most part I’m just riding fast Xc and the less restrictions to my movements the better.
Knowing my mentality I if I was padded up I’d just take more risks, and the overall chance of injuries would increase. But thats me, wear whatever your most comfortable with.

If it’s a real bargain, you shouldn’t have mentioned the shop selling it 🙁

If I could easily afford them I would no question. Why ? No real reason, probably because they’re nice and I like nice things.
If you’ve got money it’s your duty to spend it 😀

Buy either, buy whichever you like, they are going nowhere.

+1
You mentioned a Scout, I’d get one of those.

^^^
Have to agree with matt, no shortage of places to ride for me in S.Wales. I know things might be different in other parts, but have a think where can’t you ride now that you would ride with a change in regulations ?

29er, 36t with a 11/34 cassette 😯 I don’t really recognise that as mtb gearing. If it’s really flat where you ride it might be ok, but what if you go somewhere that has hills ?

Outwards.

So every time someone’s bike gets damaged we should all chip in and pay for repairs, how about stolen ? Buy them a new one !!! It’s the op’s bike, he’s a grown up I’m sure he can sort it out with his colleague.

It’s muscle mass/strength and aerobic capacity.

4th post I believe. That’s it end of discussion men will always be better than women at strength/endurance sports, that’s just the way it is.

No way a layman could tell a carbon bike was worth 20x an asda special.

The OP didn’t say why he lent out the bike ( charity event ? )
But I’d find it impossible to believe that the value of the bike didn’t crop up somewhere in a conversations leading up to the loan.

If someones asks to borrow “bend it mend it” is the rule.

If you offer a bike as a loan, then you wear the risk unless you clearly state the rule.

I’ve always followed these rules.

I used to use my MX bike to do Enduro’s. 99% of the route was of road, but as you might have to cross a road your bike was supposed to be road legal and registered. I had a plate made up with my van’s reg on it and would borrow the tax disc. Events were full of Jcb’s, transits and tractors.
Best report me now Carlos I’m not sure I can live with the guilt 😀

Put them in a plastic bag and tape them to your seatpost.

I never need an excuse to do the gap again. Drop me an email, if I’m free when you up I’d be happy to guide you around.

For your intended use I’d get whichever one you liked the look off the most ( colour primarely ). I’ve used this method of selecting bikes for decades and it’s always served me well 😀

I’d not be changing my current set up. Why worry about gears that overlap or one’s you don’t use ? As long as you have all the gears you actually need just crack on.

34×11 on a 29er gives you 88.8″ depending on tyre size. The closest you get with a 26er using a 32 chainring is a 10t sprocket that gets you 86.3″.

You need the model 25. Just order one from Canyon, the link says 2013-14 but the 2015 is the same.

https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/accessories/#category=parts&subcat=F09&id=36982

I’m good at eating Chillies as well Lol.
But on the bike…. solid all round on and offroad, raced on and off for years, never really challenged the podiums but respectable. What I am good at especially considering my 55yrs is putting down big 1-2 mins bursts of power. Got pages of Strava kom’s sprinting up short power climbs,powering along undulating roads and trails. Couple of minutes max then it goes pear shape very quickly. Definitely a one trick pony 🙁

Back in the day 20, just tried now and the answer is 1 😳

Its under 60mls there and back, so even with the climbing 5hrs is reasonable for normal riders.
Maybe try this ride it’s a little bit longer but the Coll de sa Batalla is a great climb.

https://www.strava.com/activities/129086395/

No reason ever needed. I’d imagine the Op fancied something new.