What @yak said. Bought an Abbey from Sigmasprt, I think it was £175 but even this tight Brummie thought it good value.
It’s the only decent one I’ve seen, beautifully made, a precision tool, all the rest are toys. It will last you a lifetime of bike fettling and will bring you joy every time you use it.

What I can’t understand is why Iran doesn’t come under more international condemnation for its Hezbolah/Hamas war with Israel. First Gaza and now Lebanon, both destroyed because of the hatred of Israel by Iran’s religious leaders.

Certainly Israel needs to be condemned for its actions. Nothing can excuse the slaughter of innocents, however until Iran stops funding their proxy armies. Israel will continue this decades long war.

Iran is the problem, and perhaps the Israelis should do something about it. I’m not convinced the rest of the Arab world would be too upset if they did.

Ride some of the Ridgeway, past the White Horse at Uffington and on to Avebury for he stone circles (a bit busy with tourists but worth a look)

Thanks Alan1977

Thanks all. I’ll fit the Bike Yoke and attempt to sell the Bontrager. If it doesn’t sell I’ll reconsider!

I never replied to this, my apologies, but thanks for replies.

I’ll convert my Topstone back to 2x drivetrain, but low gearing, and use it as a winter/touring bike, but it could still be pressed into service for the Leadville* 100 (joke).

I’ll consider my hard tail to be my gravel bike as at the speeds I go it’s all I realistically need. Would need to do something about bar comfort, couple of hours arm discomfort gets a bit much.

Second set of wheels with 45mm Gravel King tyres, or similar, narrower bars with bar ends, and some rigid forks if I can stumble over something cheap. Tail fin rack when neede.

I rode the HotNC last week (on my Scott), gravel/hard tail riders about a 50/50 split. Terrain mostly suited a gravel bike, might have been different in the wet, but a suspended  ‘graveltail’ would have covered it better.

*I read that some of the hotshots rode the Leadville with dropbar hard tails this year. It’s all getting a bit confusing!

https://www.bikeradar.com/features/tech/gravel-pros-drop-bar-mountain-bikes

I’ll be there.  HotNC virgin.

Was just about to post asking for advice on gravel bike or hardtail. Got both. And if gravel bike then 38mm or 44mm tyres? Too much choice!

Sticking with original question, Road Racing should not be an Olympic sport. If a medal is to be given to an individual winner then the sports included should be for individuals, not teams. Road racing is a team sport.

An Olympian is supposed to be the best in the world. If some riders (dometiques, sprint lead out riders etc.) sacrifice their own chances for the advantage of their nominated team leader then it is not a level playing field, some riders have an advantage.

In the past it has been known for riders to show allegiance to their trade teams instead of to their own national squads which makes the whole thing a nonsense. Ask Charlie Wegelius and Tom Southam their opinions on this.

As best I can tell with a decent mic, the pin measures 12.735mm

You might want to look at IndieVelo, a free (for now, at least) Zwift clone. Being developed in the UK, looks very like an early incarnation of Zwift, but it claims to have features that make the performance input/output even more realistic. Draughting, gradients, wind direction, and so on.

I’ve abandoned Zwift for now, and tbh, doubt I’ll go back. If IndieVelo isn’t too expensive, I’ll stick with it as it offers all I need.

Home

Bounce Cycles, thanks for the reply and it all makes sense, and I apologise for my rant, and I sympathise with regards to the manufacturers different sizing. To be fair, a digital calliper, tired or not, is not the right tool for measuring a bore, as I’m sure you know, so I cannot with confidence praise or condemn the machining. However, I’d be surprised if you made something outside of your own tolerances. What does surprise me, though, is the deviation between Rockshox and Fox. Surely a standard should have been established. Poor, in my opinion.

In a previous life I worked in the precision machining world, an army of CNC machine tools at my disposal. Regularly turned to less than 8 microns in stainless on our Star sliders. I’d have accurately measured the bore of the shock and turned something up.

For now, I’ll persevere with your products and see if it will bed itself in.

BTW, I bought from Merlin, always my first choice for mail order, they have been excellent over many years.

Okay, so I pressed the steel bush out and fitted the nylon bush, and yes it closed down to 12.74/12.73 (with my tired Mitutoyo callipers). The pin is a VERY tight fit, so tight that it won’t rotate in the bush, locked solid. When mounted the shock will be rotating on the 8mm did sleeved bolt that passes through the frame, so steel on steel, the poly bush doing nothing. Bonkers.

To say that Fox is a looser fit than Rockshox just reinforces the point I’m trying to make. From an engineering point it’s just not good enough.

That’s my point, really. Why 12.73? Can’t we have an agreed size amongst manufacturers of shocks and bushes.

I’ll fit the ProFin plastic bush but I’m not optimistic the pin will be a good fit. I’ll report back.

Thanks for reply. I find it hard to accept that something that is supposed to be a precision fit is, er, not very precisely made. Surely, a 12.7mm dia pin, which is seemingly a standard size, should be 12.7mm+0/-.02, and should be a good slide fit in a 12.7mm bush**. It’s all a bit shit. In a previous life I’d have made my own out of phosphor bronze and it would work better than the expensive stuff I’ve been sold. Rant!

** or is it deliberately oversize so that it won’t fit anyone else’s mount kit. Dunno.

Rear shock, full suss XC frame (M), 100mm travel front and back. Not looking at remote lockout.

Thanks all. I’ll split it, but probably use most of the parts on my new build.

Thanks for the very comprehensive reply. I’m beginning to think I should just stick with my existing bikes, a 2018 Trek Top Fuel 9.8. Or stick with a hardtail. 🙈

I’m only going to use the bike for wobbling round Haldon/FoD, maybe Cwmcarn, plus some routes around Dartmoor,Quantocks etc. I deffo won’t be pushing the bike hard, not enough skills and not enough legs.

I’ve hopefully bought a Rapide FS from him. Well, I’ve paid for one. Hopefully being shipped today.

Simon, the vendor, seems very kosher with good communication and straight forward.

Bit confusing though, as latest 2024 model, in cool grey, seem to show UDH on the Vitus website, yet the one I’ve bought appears to have a frame with the older style mech hanger, which wasn’t available in cool grey.

Not sure it matters or that I care tbh, just curious.

Update: I’ve booked a session for me and a mate with Pedal Progression at Ashton Court, Bristol next week. I’ll report back. Thanks for all suggestions.

Thanks all for replies. As far as I can tell training at Haldon is no longer available. There is some at Ashton Court which is not so bad, about 1.5 pours for me. I’ll take a punt and report back.

I know the issue is just one of confidence. I’ve ridden fast motorcycles at silly speeds quite happily but on the MTB I just don’t feel in control on the tricky stuff. I know speed is my friend but I bottle it, wobble, hit a tree root and fall off. At least at this point I’m at walking pace!

Thanks again.

PS, I have absolutely no interest in downhill runs, Enduro or gravity stuff. Far too risky. Dartmoor, bike park trail riding with occasional technical stuff is where I’m at. Thanks again.

I’ll very soon (tomorrow?) have a 2020 Scott Scale 920 for sale. Any good?

I think it’s only 100mm travel but if it’s an issue I have some Fox Performance Elite (110mm) forks I could swap over.

Update, ended up buying some 5-10 Sleuth shoes from Evans, £23.00. Wore them for the first time at Haldon last week and they were excellent, hugely improved grip on the pedal. So, shoes and pedals are sorted, just need to improve everything else now. 🙂

Thanks all

Bike came with Prime Orra wheels, but surpisingly on 24h speed, front and back. She swapped the front over to dynamo, so original never used, but the back one has gone out of shape, alum has deformed, I think. Heavy use, mind, fully loaded bike packing Maine to New Orleans, Eastern Divide Trail, down the Appachian Trail.

Also considering DT Swiss and Bitex.