Thanks for the info mate, seriously considering it. Ive got xt 1×11 drivetrain good to go with narrow wide chainring and upper guide so no probs there. Flow ex/hope wheelset so wont be the lightest build but ive never owned a full sus bike under 31lb anyway and it doesn’t really bother me too much. I bet my mega tr is nearer 32lb. Anyways im gonna go off and do my head in trying to make a decision.

Oh God please dont make things harder for me Kimbers! Ive just spent some time in the States, im currently in Mexico at the mo and had a chat with a bike shop in Washington who will do me a good deal on a 2015 Process DL frame so i am very tempted. The only thing about the frame that worries me is that the geometry seems to be really quite extreme, i mean most bike companies are going low and long now but that Kona is really long! Do you not feel overly stretched out on it? And i know its a bike that is all about going down the hills as is the Rallon but i do like to have the odd all day ride getting lost in Dartmoor and the likes so in your honest opinion would/do you happily take your process out on the odd all day ride? Your input would be much appreciated.

Totally agree with both those posts, pro riders do seem to have the seatpost quite high when descending, i guess it helps give better control when leaning into turns etc , the xc guys dont even drop theirs! Really dont know how they ride like that though!! But yeah i know it’s probably bad habits from years of riding with the seat out of the way and maybe i should try it out. Dont think im gonna like it though! 😀

Stainburn for sure. Not very big but fun techy trails with some nice off piste trails in the woods opposite. Dalby bored me to be honest.

That is not the answer i was looking for glasgowdan!! Kind of knew it would be the case though. I dont know if its because i do have stumpy legs or what but spent most my days riding medium bikes before getting a Nukeproof Mega Tr in the correct size for my height (large) def a better fit but i certainly wouldnt want more seat tube than the 18.5 inch that the Nukeproof has, 18″ would be better for me. I like to have the saddle right out of the way when descending. Really liked the look of the Rallon but guess ill go back to looking at the large Kona Process 153 with the short seat tube and long reach. Decisions decisions!!

Into the wild is worth a watch. Has a pretty cool sound track written by Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam)

Loved my Gravity Dropper. Ok its not pretty but its totally reliable and if it does get a bit sticky then you just take it apart and clean it up. The only post i would look at in that size.

Ive got a 661 Comp and its served its purpose at a bargain price. Go for it.

Yeah I got caught out with the whole compressing the shock thing but it fixed the issue. Doubt this is the official way to do it but it worked for me:
Empty all of the air out of the shock, put about 50psi in the shock, now gently sit on the bike and compress the shock a few times by gently bouncing on it, now pump it up again to about 100 psi and do the whole sit down and bounce thing again, when you sit on the bike you kind of feel the shock give a bit. Keep doing this until you get to the required air pressure. Make sure you remove the shock when you do the whole compressing thing.

I would def recommend the Nano through pins. I had 2 years riding out of them before the bearings packed up and they took a right beating and never lost a pin. I replaced them with the Nukeproof Electrons but found them really uncomfortable and in 3 rides I snapped a few pins, I did find them grippy though. Just splashed out on some vaults but not fitted them yet so cant compare. I have owned V8’s before but it was a long time ago so would be unfair to compare, wouldn’t hesitate to buy another pair of Nanos again though.

I believe if the tyre says made in germany on them then they are the black chili compound.

Yeah as soon as i compressed it and i felt it give i knew you had got it spot on. Really looking forward to having another go on it now. Hopefully ill feel as positive about the shock as you are. Cheers for the help

Ok so it seems ive learnt a lesson today! Read the manual!! Thanks deanfbm, i compressed the shock at intervals during pumping it up, the pressure is now a more convincing 190 psi and the rebound is 7 clicks from fast which is a very positive sign, just need to get out and give it a proper test now. Hope i didnt do any damage to it on sat, i wasnt exactly easy on it.

Hi deanfbm, well you’ve given me hope. Sounds like you know a lot more about it than i do. Should i be slightly compressing the shock as i pump it up? I have noticed in other threads people go on about how much air they have to put into the debonair shocks but im only needing 150psi, does that sound low to you? Im 12.4 stone kitted up.

Thanks for the replies. Yeah i realise now i should have bought from a suspension specialist, initially more expensive but would have been cheaper in the long run. Funnily enough i did look at the CC Inline but didnt get it coz of the price. Doh! Gonna have a serious look at it now though and as i understand it you fully tune it yourself yeah? Good idea about the air can upgrade if i can find one, and i assume this will not change the tune of the shock? Id have been very tempted by the marz at that price but it was u.s shipping only but good spot.

The clutch on my xt rear mech recently broke and i was dropping the chain all over the place, luckily i had one of those Blackspire inner guards lying around which sort of sandwiches the chain between the bashguard so gave it ago and unbelievably i have not dropped the chain once since and i ride on some pretty nasty rocky exmoor descents. Ill def be leaving it on when i repair the clutch for added security. Could be worth ago if you can find one.

Bit difficult to explain where they are so you could def do with someone showing you. I went about a month ago and most the off-piste trails are now unrideable due to the storm damage unfortunatly. Still managed to ride a couple of them though.

Ha! Yeah i did notice you have one for grabs mate and if it had vertical dropouts id have def been interested but these slot dropouts sound a little bit hit and miss to me when running a geared set up and i could do without any avoidable issues for the trip. Cheers for the heads up though. Oh and hope that cough gets better!

I have the same issue regarding the xs size on one inbred. Was hoping to get a frame for the other half as we are going to be touring through South America next year but all the xs frames are out of stock and an email i have sent to on-one has come back inconclusive stating that they have no new orders coming in but they have not declared the frame as discontinued so they cant really tell me if any more are going to be coming in or no. Not very helpful really!

Anyone riding one of these with a 160 fork? Im currently riding mine with a revelation team fork and although i really like it i feel like the bike could handle the bigger 160 fork no probs. Im toying with the idea of getting a set of x-fusion slants but i worry about the front wondering a fair bit on the steep technical climbs. Can anyone put my mind at ease or would it be a case of pros (being the downs) and cons (being the ups)?

Thanks for the advice. If i were anywhere near hampshire i would have taken you up on your offer for sure bud but looks like i either cough up to have a company service it which is blooming expensive especially as there is no one near me so i would have to have the forks collected or i have a go at it myself. Thinking ill have a pop at it myself.

Nice one for your help mate, i really hope you are right. Looks like im gonna be learning a lot more about suspension in the next few days!

Im not at the flat right now so cant test the forks but i get what your saying and that would make sense mate. Im not much of an expert with suspension so if you dont mind explaining, what would make the damper do that?

Damn it! Too slow!!! Cheers for letting me know mate, have fun with them.

Big Pete – I am also interested in your pikes if they are still available.
Email is in my profile mate.
Cheers. Paul.

Cheers all of you for your help, ive never looked at having a rear maxle set up before so wasnt really sure how to go about it. Im gonna contact a saracen dealer tomorrow and look at getting the dropouts and will take a look at the superstar maxle aswell. Thanks again.

Thanks for the reply mate but i have already tried them but with no luck. Any other suggestions anyone?

Thanks mate, im new to all this forum malarky so dont really know what im doing!