On a similar note, is there geometry for the B’Twin bikes on t’internet anywhere? I was looking at their carbon models earlier, seems bizarre to imagine anyone would buy one online without a clue of the sizing.

Just fun facts like:

Versatility – BTWIN FC carbon frame is at ease on all road surfaces and hills
Directional control – its uniform components make the handlebar very easy to handle

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/clothing/shoes/product/review-bontrager-ssr-multisport-trail-shoes-12-46399

Picked up some of these for half price to commute and wear at work, without looking too weird. Loads of grip of them and fairly flexible compared to everything else I’ve used.

Look like a similar setup to the Tahoes.

I’ve heard bad things about low bb height on the earlier bikes so has this been resolved on the 2012 frames?

Not really, Specialized have always had low bb heights. Never been an issue here personally, I’d imagine that’s part of the stable feeling it gives.

8O oh man, can’t believe I’d not noticed that rootes! That’s me sorted then, cheers :-)

Apologies Baz, no idea why I said 70 degrees, I’d got it correct in the post before that one :-)

Joined a local CC this month and started hammering road rides, 100 miles on road, 20 miles off-road so far this week. Planning on going mountain biking tomorrow so could hit 140 or so.

Bit of an exception this week, normally do about 20 :)

Not bothering with the gym again here ever, signed up a few times, always get bored after a few months, then blow hundreds not going. Swimming I can only take for about 30 minutes before it gets too dull. I swim breaststroke like an old lady though, which probably doesn’t help.

Good work binners :) Even if it were about fashion it wouldn’t be as bad as supersonic’s WMB articles telling you what he’s got on his bike.

Built up one of the BikeScene Stumpy 29er FSR frames recently, absolutely loving it for all riding. Definitely makes anything vaguely techy miles easier compared to anything I’ve ridden before, depends what you’re after.

Seems fairly efficient for long trundling rides as well.

Used to find my Pitch really awkward for chucking around, due to it’s length. Curiously this is just as long, but has a considerably higher front end, which seems to balance it out nicely.

Used to run my suspension so soft on mine, I felt like I was underneath it most of the time :)

I can’t get my head round a 20inch seat tube. A large should be 18.5/19 as a very max IMO.

Large was 500mm, or 19.68 inches.

You seriously couldn’t get on with it because the seat tube was 17 millimeters longer than you felt it should be?

Cheers rootes, good to hear.

They do their CAAD10 + Supersix in 60, 63 and the CAAD8 + Synapse in 61. My biggest worry is the reach and top tube length are quite a bit shorter on the CAAD8 than the CAAD10s.

Cannondale claim that the 61cm CAAD8 measures 59cm, center to top as well, I’m surprised you found it that different to the 58.5mm Giant.

http://www.cannondale.com/2013/bikes/road/elite-road/caad8/caad8-5-105-triple-crankset

Not sure quite how true it is, I think I’m trying to convince myself more than TooTall in the above :) Saddle does seem miles backwards, quite why they’d decided to have a slack seattube angle, combined with the shortest chainstays I’ve ever seen, I’m not sure.

Their bodytype chart was incomplete too.

Multiply inseam by .883 to determine approximate saddle height (measured from bottom bracket spindle to top of the saddle).

That matched up exactly for me interestingly.

Random, I’m not random and I am not from Milan…

No, I noticed that afterwards but couldn’t change it :) Zoomed out of the map, saw the nearest obvious place and said that.

What is the reasoning behind this other than “that guy has more miles than me, oh he lives in another country, lets ban him” ?

Apologies, just checking :) Can’t deny it looks odd from an outside perspective. You live in Switzerland and have never flagged a mile you’ve ridden as being mountain biking, yet reside on a UK mountain biking forum, with a completely different username.

People do join these semi-private groups just to win, everyone else on the board has logged doing some mountain biking. Can’t see that it’s done you any harm just posting in here, it’s all he asked :)

Putting it another way, I’ve got 87cm of extension between bb and saddle.

A 64cm Canyon Ultimate CF, with 72 degree seattube angle and 2cm layback seatpost (which they ship with), would put me 28.9cm behind the BB.

An XL Giant TCR, with 70 degree seattube and direct seatpost would put me 29.7cm behind the bb.

The frame size is effectively 23″, which is the same as my Stumpy HT, so I’d need about 23-24cm matching that. This seems to be intentional though, the compact geometry has a smaller triangle with bigger seatpost:

http://www.giant-road-bike.com/index.php/bike-fitting-issues/%5B/url%5D

Like the chart at the bottom of the page, which says their 58.5cm is supposed to be the same as a 63-67cm in other brands.

240mm of seatpost, at 72 degrees would cause 7cm of shift off the back of the bike. Compared to someone running at 180mm or so, there’s about 2cm of difference.

Something like that I’d assume.

Yeah, I think this one has become my favourite at the moment. Top value, even if something was miles off I’m sure I could swap the frame for something else and still end up in a decent position.

Still slightly concerned by how high the seatpost will be, but I think I’ve collectively read every comment ever written by a TCR rider on the internet and the general consensus seems to be it’s huge.

Something stupid like 1.3 miles and it’s downhill all the way :(

Cheers!

Moaning on the forums seemed like an easier way up going up a position, rather than going out and riding 2.1 miles to overtake Mick.

Does that mean Robot Bob in Switzerland is legit?

Yeah, often play about with saddle heights. That said I’d say I probably do pedal quite a lot with toes, I’ll have to take note next time I’m riding, cheers!

No real issues on that front though, can’t get bikes any smaller anyway due to top tube length :)

She reminds me of a wheeler from Return to Oz

Is it me or are random people joining? Random guy from Milan in number 2 who does no mountain biking and a guy from Slovakia in number 1?

The Slovakia guy does lots of mountain biking so is more likely admittedly :)

Everyone below me seems legit, they can stay. 8)

Thomson not that light???

http://bikethomson.com/seatposts/elite-seatpost-series/%5B/url%5D

The weights are all quoted, and match up. The vast amount of other manufacturers weights end up miles from real life. Not weightweenie light, but not too bad. Just as light as mid range carbon Eastons and the like.

Thomsons have been indestructible for me too, weigh in the region of two Northwinds riding on each others shoulders.

Using a Turbine on a bike at the moment and it’s been rock solid. Scratches a lot easier than the Thomson though.

To be honest, the only seatpost I’ve not got on with were I-Beam ones and requiring so much clamping force that carbon frames explode.

I lied last time, “Evans said they’d do 10% off, but you’re closer. Would you match them?”. I like to feel like I’ve outwitted them.

Yeah Did look at 64cm Treks, sadly for 2013 they only do the 1.5c (bit too low end) or Madone 5.2 (bit too high end) in that size. Seems to be a bit of a cull of bigger sizes, no 63cm Spesh Allez for 2013 either.

The giant above has a head tube 20mm shorter than a 63cm super6, with a similar top tube
When comparing geometry I find using stack and reach much better

Curses, indeed. 15mm shorter than a Canyon too, looks like they ship with lots of spacers though. Would it be frowned upon to have a stem with slight rise if it were an issue? Half the price of an equiv Cannondale* :)

*although I appreciate the Supersix is probably more in line with the Advanced frame, not the Composite one.

Bought when it was £170 off a few weeks back.

Argh, it still is.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m7b0s6p4467/GIANT-TCR-COMPOSITE-2-2012

So tempted, longer than a 63cm Cannondale, both in toptube and wheelbase. I just don’t trust the compact geometry, surely I’m going to have miles of seatpost? The Madone seems to be a similar setup though, 62cm measures 59.3cm seattube.

Maybe over analysing this a little :)

Ooh, they’re quite long. I’d peeped at the Defy but it looked a bit short. There’s one on Pauls Cycles too, hmm.

Oh go on then
As long as it doesn’t look anything like that 72cm beast

Victory, thanks TooTall!

Lies, that’s an extreme closeup of a BMX, with it’s bars upside down.

I think the Canyon is still my favourite thought at the moment, especially as there’s £170 off CF 7.0s at the moment.

I’ll have to clear it with the missus first, unfortunately she posted in here about an hour ago so I think I might be busted.

Don’t mind if I do :) (name Alastair Graham)

Cheers both, having a look. Hadn’t spotted either :)

Cheers Ricky, I was hoping someone would say something along those lines. The short wheelbase was the only thing concerning me, regarding toe overlap on the front end.

Wearing Shimano 49/13.5’s and get quite a bit of overlap with CX tyres on the Tricross, so it’s left me paranoid :)

They do seem to be a brand which properly tweaks the full geometry for bigger sizes, rather than just stretching the top tubes. Did you use the PPS thing to find the correct size?

The big Garmin’s would do all of this.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/garmin-edge-800-gps-cycle-computer/%5B/url%5D

Cadence is an optional extra bit you have to buy, they work with any ANT+ heart rate bands.

M615s are newer than the ones Rose stock aren’t they?

http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/mtb-parts/brakes/disc-brakes/shimano-disc-brakes/shimano-deore-m615-disc-brakes-front-rear-set.html

If I’d bought an Orange Five 3 months ago I’d be peeved right now,

You buy your bike with it’s resale value in mind?

I actually did something like this and I’m a bit miffed to be honest. They finally offer something to taller riders, a 22″ frame, which I jumped on and bought. The next year release a whole host of far more interesting things appear.

I’ve genuinely never seen another 22″ Five or anyone expressing the slightest interest in one. Now there’s a 29er and 650b model I can’t see why they would either. Curiously I’d seen it as a brand that would hold it’s resale, as it’s not changed in years, then it changes.

Oops.

Not that it hugely matters, its top fun anyway. It’s about the one time I’ve splashed out though, usually get things on the cheap.

Bigger fan of William Singlepivot’s work personally.

First page I went to:

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/article/salsa-cycles-spearfish-and-horsethief-first-look-37717/%5B/url%5D

So, why choose Split Pivot over Weagle’s dw-link? In a word, cost.

The likes of Maestro offer much the same if you wanted that anyway. Found them a bit dead feeling personally, same with my Mojo :S

If it’s a coil shock, like Google image search suggests, I’d bet money it’s heavier.

Were you having trouble keeping up with your mates due to fitness reasons or skill? This will probably boost your techy ability but require more effort on the way up.

I’d have saved up for some new wheels and forks for the Hardrock personally.

i still want a lighter bike but for a ton thought i would add this to the shed too, it actually appears to weigh about the same as my hardrock

Edit: Just read that :) Fair enough reasoning, I’ve done the same far too many times! Could be good fun, as above I wouldn’t chuck any more money at it though personally.

Post another thread about a fantastic new Apple product and I’ll be out from under my bridge in seconds.

Rovals don’t seem too bad value these days:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftb/wheels/roval-mtb-xc-trail-/roval-control-trail-29

1800g, tubeless with yellow tape, decent convertable hubs (DT350 internals), high spoke count, 21mm rims, decent warranty for £500. Loads of other options too, the top end £1200 carbon, sub 1600g ones are far too tempting.

Even the XC version has 32 spokes and a 19mm internal rim:

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftb/wheels/roval-mtb-xc-race/roval-control-29

I’ve ran a single for years and can go up and along everything steep and road

Well if you can, it’s safe to assume everyone can. 1 out of 1, 100% out of your test sample agreed.

People use triples on 26″, 29ers require 10% more effort at the same ratio.