First choice would be the T130
Second choice would be the Transition Scout
Unfortunately getting your hands on 2017 versions before xmas is going to be hard, especially the Whyte as I believe (may be wrong) they have sold all their allocation until then.

j273 – yes add another token and lower the pressure. this should make it less harsh in my experience but it’s all about trial and error as we all likes our bikes setup in very slightly different ways. I reckon u may be able to get the pressure down to about 55…. give it a go :)

On a 29er, with 120mm pikes I would go with at least 4 especially at your weight, damn I thought I was doing well to get down to 70kgs….must work harder :)

Had this problem and Fishers replaced the whole unit under warranty as they couldnt get the individual parts for months. Very good service from them. Originally I thought it was the reverb as it has some “squish” in it, but it turned out after having the reverb replaced to be the shock. Bloody annoying it was on any bumpy downhill. Good luck

it’s a good question OP. like u I run pretty hot and always seem to run less layers than my buddies. I suffer in the uk when we get over 23-25 degrees. I didn’t realise how bad I suffered until last year when I did the letap du tour road sportive in France and blacked out (garmin recorded 35+ ) on the 22km col de fer climb. so i think as above spend some time on a turbo in a climate controlled room and spend some time acclimatising. good luck

LBS has the top spec T130 carbon in stock….lurvely, but the eagle 50t cassette looks like a dinner plate…its massive!

WTB asym i35 or i29. Ive got the i35’s built on hopes for the enduro and they are fantastic. Im building up a second set of i29’s for my smuggler as really impressed with them. Being asymmetric is also an added bonus. Good value too.

it’s nice but on my stealth bike I would go for (if I had the money) sram etap gears and cranks, plus these new DA black brake calipers…. job done. really dislike red22 brakes… proper nasty IMHO

Pike 29er std and 3″ tyre on 45mm scrapers is too tight, in that it will run ok in the stand but when you actually give it beans around a corner the tyre distorts and rubs.

However, on 30 or 35mm rims you may just be ok. Someone will hopefully come along to say they have got it working.

If in doubt go for a boost fork if you can.

I have one of these for sale if interested:

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/tcx.slr.1/24994/90528/

Size Medium. Used twice and absolutely immaculate…you wouldnt even know its been ridden TBH.

£850 (was 1250 new a couple of months ago)

Change of plans means its available.

Call me on 07771 637 237 if interested

a bit left field but the new swift carbon hypervox is really impressive. my lbs are the new uk distributors and built one up with mechanical dura ace and nice wheels at 6.9kg. apparently it’s a rocket ship with their race team taking wins on it in their first couple of races. worth a look.

anyone else had any issues installing the TF tuned seals?

Yep, gave up and used standard RS ones which work first time. I phoned TF to complain and was simply told they do fit but are a b*gger to get the lowers back in. I tried for an hour and gave up…..pretty useless TBH.

mine is back with fishers with a small but noticeable knock in the first 10-15mm of travel. will see what they say as its a year old

We normally do a bulk buy shared between a few of us from: https://www.tyreinflators.co.uk

Box of 30 threaded 16g @ 17.99 = 60p each.
I tend to go through about 10-15 a year as there’s always someone in the group who has only got a hand pump at 10pm in freezing conditions.

didn’t get my entry in quick enough but speaking to a few who were there, the only minor criticism was the amount of actual riding time was low (<20mins) and all the stages started from the same place. apart from that looked like an ace event. well done all.

sillyoldman…. I think u may be right. b+ works well up to about 2 inches of slop and then washout becomes a problem and normal tyres fair better, hence why I still think a 29er frame with two sets of wheels works best rather than a dedicated plus bike. just my opinion

I’ve got a stealth 150 reverb on my large smuggler and it’s fine with 32 inside leg. having said that its just gone back having problems so if I was going to change I would go for a 9point8 or the new Easton/race face dropper as they sound more reliable and can be serviced at home. they have a cable remote rather than hydraulic which is far easier to manage and thread through frame

+1 Tom and tamed earth have been fantastic and despite some tough times always give the best service, sales and advice. honest chaps which is great. I’ve had two kids bikes a smuggler and a giant off them plus many more conversations and components, plus lots of help along the way. I’m lucky to live on their door step with trails north, south, east and west without having to drive and will be out over the up coming holiday with tom hopefully competing one of the many local loops. ps teamhurtmore im guessing you were with me in Madeira last summer?

funny the OP says its quiet. went in sept last year as part of our annual trip. stayed at afan lodge that was booked out but the trails were very very quiet. only saw a handful of bikers all day. then went to bpw on the way back and it was packed. I’m guessing a lot of weekend warriors with limited time would rather have an uplift and lots of variations than the afan clmbs and fairly limited choice in comparison. shame really but guess the times are changing

it’s lovely ….. biggest problem is price ….. but that hasn’t stopped it selling out. reps can’t get stock to lbs until
July apparently …. I will wait until trickle down

op – hindhead is my back yard. I’m running spec purgatory on the rear and maxxis shorty on the front …. spot on for mud around here. alternative front is a spec hillbilly. pop in to see tom at tamed earth hind head or cycleworks in haslemere/peters field to see what they have. JC

Rubber o-rings at intervals along cables helps or rubber vacuum hose

Hmmm, bit strange….wouldnt a smuggler have been a better idea if you wanted 650b+ and a transition? That way you could get a 2.8 in the back.

+1 for https://www.landc.co.uk/
Ive used them twice over the last 8 years or so and they have always managed to beat the online quotes and do the maths on comparison pretty well.

Personally I would wait to see if these are any good…..far better idea than having crank arm, BB or pedal based meters:

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/rpm2-launches-footbed-based-power-meter-46485/

I use an older version of this:

http://www.camelbak.com/en/International/Sports-Recreation/Packs/Palos-4-LR.aspx

It has a bladder in and room for pretty much all the basics plus a light weight jacket or top. Sits on the hips well and doesnt move around.

Although Im a massive Whyte fan….two of their hardtails sitting in garage, I would go for the 2016 Camber.

WTB Asym i35’s…..really good and excellent value.

nedrapier – Member

Quick thrash around the Punchbowl early Saturday, and probably same again but longer on Sunday evening with lights after folks-in-law have left. House and garden jobs in between.

Might cross single track with you on Sat morning if we go that way. Starting in haslemere but not sure whether we are going North, South, East or West yet….decisions decisions.

Madeira…check out freeride madeira for guided rides including uplift. Amazing variation in terrain and avg temp will be in the low 20’s during the day and 15’s or so in the evening.

Possible then….thats good. Perhaps I just need to pump it and take it for a 20min spin to get the stans working.

doent it use the internals from the 9point8 seatpost? if so it should be more reliable than a reverb, lev and Thompson posts. personally I would just buy the 9point8 product as the seat clamp is a better design imo. they look dead easy to service too.

3% isnt bad given alot of companies (non cycling related) are offloading 10%+ currently. All sounds sensible, but not of course very nice if you are on the receiving end.

Fantastic place, Freeride would be my first choice but I gather there are some more these days, worth a google. Problem is most of the good stuff is on private land so you have to go with guides. Alot of it is pretty gnarly, so their idea of enduro is pretty hard core. Their all mountain is the equivalent to uk enduro type stuff. With a 13 year old ask for XC type terrain and you should be ok.

Their hills are pretty steep, eg Ive tried to walk up some tarmac roads and had problems they were so steep so be prepared. Also be prepared for changeable weather. Down by the coast it can be a sunny 25+ degrees and then 15min drive away it can be wet, windy and cold, so always have extra layers and a jacket in a pack.

Lovely place though. A few pro’s I know rate it as one of the top 5 in the world.

just done a deal for my first cx bike on the basis I need to do more road miles mid week and don’t want to trash my very nice road bike. so what pedals? xt trail pedals or my 105 road pedals

drop them a line. always had fantastic support from them and never had problems getting through by phone or email.

Literally finished by 2015 s-works frame build up last week, but not ridden yet. CCDB’s are being swapped for roxshox RC3 Plus under warranty. As soon as my frame was registered they sent my dealer out the new shock.

You could (as I did) buy all the 1×11 XT stuff apart from the new cranks (circa £170 online), buy a set of the older M780 cranks (triple 104 BCD) for a smidgen under £100. Then take off the triple rings, sell them fleabay or here for the cost of a superstart components (or other) single ring. Quids in :)

I had a patrol on order until they started to run late with deliveries and I got offered a spec enduro s-works (2015) for £1600…an offer I couldnt refuse.

Have a hunt around for 2015 frames as there are some excellent deals out there, but if I had to go with any of the above I would go for the patrol.

As per Bewildered above. Specialized sent out a new Monarch Plus when I registered my 2015 Enduro frame, I didnt even have to wait until it failed. QC problems apparently. SHame they are having so many problems with them :(