I actually had clearance issues on my Swoop. Running a fox x2 with a dhr 2 2.4 rear tyre it would hit the seatpost tube on bottom out. Eventually figured out that the early x2 shocks don’t have bottom out bumpers as such so i swapped it out for a ccdb il coil shock which has a nice fat bottom out bumper and that solved the problem. Was still an issue that i was a little surprised to come across though, especially seeing as they are good for up to 2.5 tyres.

Ive messaged you jk1980

Reading this thread at 2.00 in the morning before going to bed isn’t the brightest idea ive ever had!
About 10 years ago i was leaving the factory i work at in Ilfracombe, Devon. It was about 8.00 in the eve and was pitch black. A strange transparent type figure holding a torch slowly walked across in front of my car as i was driving out of the factory. I remember stopping and just staring at it trying to figure out what i was looking at, and then it just disappeared into the fence. It didn’t freak me out or anything i just couldn’t figure out what i had just seen… i still can’t! Told people at work the next day and they were just like… oh thats the old train conductor. Apparently there has been quite a few sitings of this ghostly figure around the factory as it was built on the site where the old train station used to be. I didn’t believe in ghosts then and im still not sure i do now but i will never be able to explain what i saw that evening. It was a very wierd experience!

I haven’t read through the posts so im sure plenty of people have already recommended e cigs. Im 40 years old and have smoked since i was 12. Over the years i have tried everything from patches, gum, the alan carr book etc but the only thing that has actually worked for me is the e-cig. I have been smoke free now for 11 months. I enjoy the taste, still get my nicotine fix, it doesn’t smell, i dont cough up flem in the mornings any more and I haven’t had to break habits which was always the hardest part… i can still smoke after eating, when i drink etc. Ive no doubt that e-cigs come with there own health issues which im sure we will find out about in time but you can be sure that it’s nothing compared to the health risks that come with smoking tobacco! I hope you find something that works for you.

Me and the Mrs spent 3 months campervaning around the U.S and Canada, we explored all possible options including buying a van once we landed but in the end took the safe option of hiring a van. We went with a company called Escape campervans which were by far the best priced we could find. They have plenty of depo’s throughout the U.S including the west coast such as L.A, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver…. so you could pick a van up in L.A and drop it off at Vancouver at the end of the trip! The vans are cool aswell…. if you can look past the lairy paint jobs!! Not the cheapest way to do it but definitely worth looking in to.

Appreciate your advice. Yeah think im gonna have to have more of a look at the Grizedale area. Ill be staying nearby anyway which would make it nice and easy. Ive found a Grizedale/Parkamoor route which looks a decent ride and I’ll search around strava for some more ideas. Ill still be keeping an eye on the weather mind in the hope of some techy, alpine action!

Thats a good shout mate, reckon i will go that route. Cheers for the input.

I was looking to change it by 1 degree to bring the head angle to a more standard for nowadays 65.5 and not to lower the bb too much more, but i am also tempted to take it to a more risky 65.0 and have me a nice mini process 167 but i risk unsettling the geometry too much, and i do use this bike for everything so i still need it to be able to drag it up those fire roads and hilly climbs.

How much did that slacken the head angle by chakaping? I reckon it’ll make the bike a beast on the steep stuff but i do worry about it being a bit washy up front on the flatter parts.

Thanks davros, thats good enough for me. God i hate midgies!!

I would always go to crc first when looking for bike parts, but everything i have ordered this year has taken a week to get to me. I dont want to pay for next day and dont need to receive it the next day but i do expect to be seeing my goods in around 3 days. Gone right off them.

Im favouring the cli-machx harder and the mach 3 trail at the mo. I bet there is some really good riding around the dyfi forest if you have the time and local knowledge to link them up but unfortunately i dont. I will def have a good look at the flat tires site as i cant really find much that jumps out at me regarding riding in North Wales other than the obvious Snowdon descent and the bike parks. Maybe there is some natural/off piste riding around Coed y Brenin that can be linked up using their trails? Ill have to keep searching the web as im sure there must be some great trails to ride in those parts.

Thanks funky, ill have a proper look later but at a glance it looks like just the sort of thing im looking for.

A bump for the peeps that are home from work. Hoping that someone can recommend a good ‘enduro/ all mountain’ 🙄 type loop around the dyfi or North Wales area.
Many Thanks.

The Mach trails look interesting, ill def take a closer look at them. Any one of the three mach trails stand out from the others? Obviously mach 3 is the longest but in your opinion is it the best?

Submarined, I am over the moon with mine. Bought it specifically for following off road gpx routes and strava routes and im more than happy with the results. To be fair i can only compare it to using ViewRanger on my iphone which did a job but would often drain the battery before the end of the ride, leaving me in limbo so battery life was one of the main factors of me choosing the wahoo. I followed a quantocks route that I downloaded from strava, it is only a small screen so i did have to correct myself a couple of times (it angrily beeps at you when you go wrong so you can quickly sort it out rather than noticing miles later) I found zooming right in at the onscreen map helped as alot of trails run adjacent to each other so it was easier to distinguish which trail i was supposed to be on. I was out on the bike for about 4 hours and still had 69% battery left when I finished so yeah well chuffed.

Im with DaveyBoyWonder, Two Shoes by Cat Empire. The segment was from The Collective Seasons film.

Seen that episode of Father Ted loads over the years and its always been censored, guess thats how they filmed and edited it.

Yep, happened with mine after about 5 months of use, i had to pay for it to be repaired (new damper) and i am now preparing to service it after 4 months of use to prevent it happening again. Will be looking to replace the shock when funds allow and when ive decided which one to get.

Really enjoyed watching that. You should be well chuffed with yourself for that effort!

I have used Otterbox Defender cases for years and combined it with a screen protector and it has always worked for me. I take my phone with me on every ride and it has survived plenty of crashes, maybe ive just been lucky mind.
Note though they are pretty bulky and the new cases for the iphone 6/6s comes with a built in screen protector and its rubbish, i just peeled the screen protector away from the case so you are left with just the shell and attached one of those sticky screen protectors to the phone and it works a treat.

http://www.otterbox.co.uk/en-gb/defender-series?scid=OB-EU-UK-TSA-cpc-06813&gclid=CLni-qnx-M0CFRLJGQodbRsJhw&gclsrc=ds

Great news! Thanks for the replies.

I haven’t heard back from Sram or the shop i purchased the frame from yet, maybe they have bank holiday mondays in America too!! Are people having the same issues with the 2016 monarch shocks as I understand these use different seals?

That aint good Tom, i hear very mixed responses regarding Sram warranty so i hope im one of the lucky ones. I appreciate a coil shock would more likely be hassle free and great for the downhill days but for the mixed riding i do an air shock is the sensible option for my bike.

Cheers Kimbers, ill mail Sram aswell and see how i get on.

It would seem to be a bit of a design issue with the konas but maybe its the 2015 monarchs and a 2016 replacement will sort it out! Either way im not fancying the idea of posting my shock all the way to the blooming States. Ive contacted the store i got it from so ill wait to hear what they have to say.

Hi jonnyblease,

What did you do/find out regarding your shock issue? Flipped my bike over (which is also a Process 153) this morning to take the wheel off and noticed wear on the underside of my stantion. I bought the frame during a trip to the US in July last year so just about got some warranty left on the shock but im expecting the whole thing to be a bit of a nightmare due to me being back here in the UK now. Ive only been riding the bike since January so im pretty surprised to find this problem as i have never had issues with monarch shocks in the past. Hope its not going to be an ongoing problem with this bike as i really do like it.

Thanks Paul.

As nickjb points out these pedals have a slight bulge in the centre which i found uncomfortable so i got rid aswell. On the plus side though they are cheap, stupidly light and unbelievably grippy. For value id be looking at the Nanos.

Thanks for the info. I now see that there is an allen key adjuster on the shifter that should solve my problem. Thanks for the heads up mate.

As above ^ The Rage pads replaced the Kyle Straits, i read poor reviews regarding the Rage pads so i replaced my Kyle Straits with the Fox Launch and i have been more than happy with them.

I also agree that you are totally in your right to return your frame and buy it again at the cheaper price if you can really be bothered! Id go the send them a nice email route and see if they offer you a complimentry voucher that way you both kind of win.

Had my Crank Brothers multi tool in my backpack, got through customs in London and LA but got pulled up in Mexico about it and they wouldnt let me take it on board with me. Ended up throwing it in the bin which made me fairly angry! Not worth it!

Yeah thats a nice looking lid for sure and easier sizing but im looking to spend half that amount (hence the d2), just looking for a bit of an upgrade from my 661 comp for the odd dh day. I cant really justify carbon. It is a looker though!!

Ok thanks, im getting the impression that they do come up big, i think jam bo is right and that the shell is the same size and its just the padding thickness that differs. Im going to have a look around the interweb and see if i can find out.

Im sure i will end up buying Pikes aswell as i want to keep the weight down but its so tempting to get the Marz!!

You can get a set of Marz 350 Ncr Ti for £620 on crc, hardly cheap i know but a big saving from the £1000 retail price and competitive with the 2016 Pikes. Weightier than the Pikes but i bet they feel awesome.

Looks good jfagone. Would love to hear what you think about it after you’ve managed a few rides on it. I can get a new 2015 frame which is on my shortlist for my new build. Most peeps rave about them but i have heard a few people just dont get on with them at all.
Enjoy your new bike.

Yeah im waiting very impatiently for more info on the new Mega before i decide on my new frame to build up. Come on Nukeproof give us a clue!!

Yeah i have noticed that the new 2016 Rallon has added a few mm to the top tube and reach throughout the range which actually makes the medium i was looking at a tad bigger than my size large mega. I will probably sit tight until i return home in December before i go making any purchases. The new Nukeproof Mega will be out by then aswell so ill be interested to see what changes they have made.