http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/buying-from-zee-germans

I guess it depends on the type of riding you will be doing but for trail riding I would go with Option 1 and take your own bike with the new pikes on.

I went to the Alps with the White Room last summer and hadn’t been for 10 years before that so was a bit out of touch. There are loads of threads on here about what to take, spares, pads, tyre choice etc. In the end I took my own bike and a few inexpensive spares, (spokes, mech hanger, brake pads and the like) and rather than buying dual ply minions (like nearly everyone suggest) I put on some HRIIs with exo walls and normal tubes. I figured that when I got back home I would use the HRIIs again but would never use the heavier Minions for general trail riding so they were a waste of money.

The riding with the White Room was superb, pretty demanding at times and pretty full on! During the week I only replaced one pair of brake pads, (Im 15 stone) and that was it. Bike (with pikes) performed flawlessly and didnt need any more work or service when I got back. Apart from a couple of burped tyres I dont think anyone in our group had any mechanical issues and unless you are unlucky you should be ok with a few cheap spares.

IMO of course.

More importantly when are they going to get the Mr Whippy machine (and the rest of the cafe) up and running again?

Thanks fingerbang, it’s certainly looking nice, be interested to hear how you get on with it once you’ve had a chance to finish and ride it a bit more.
I’m sure its just the slightly different camera angle but it looks nice and slack from the non-drive side and not so slack from the other!!

That isn’t being ‘sneaky’ at all. That is correcting the problem of communication about it.

Not really, the documentation they send out with the bikes says 9cm, now the website says 12cm. Just sounds like grounds for another argument if something goes wrong.

All the positive geometry traits from the Enduro, (short stays, slack front) can now be found in the 2016 stumpys. Well worth a look.

Try and get a test ride on the 2016 stumpjumper fsr. Shorter back end and slacker front than the 2015 and earlier models. Could be had new for around your budget.

Arch EX
Spank oozy 295

Both around 1800g all up (I think)

[James] not sure whether you’ve noticed this or not but I see Commencal have been a bit sneaky and updated the information on their website for the HT frames.

Spec now includes: “MINIMUM SEATPOST INSERT:12 cm”

All a bit underhand and pointless given it contradicts the info they send out with their bikes but I hope you enjoy the new one, (if you keep it). I’ve stuck a 400mm post in mine now, just in case!

[fingerbang] thanks for the pics, could you post some more as the build progresses as interested to see how this XL comes along. The only thing bothering me at the moment is the tiny headtube on the XL so be good to get some more thoughts when you’ve ridden it.

Not quite the answer you were looking for, but:

I had the Oozy 260 Evo wheelset on my stumpy 29er, loved them and would happily buy them again (only this time in 295 beadbite flavour). 1800g for the 29er wheelset was one of the main reasons I chose them over flows. I’m 15 stone and they had 18 months of riding including a trip to the Alps, couple of trips to BPW etc with only a new rear wheel bearing replaced.

I’d either buy the 295 wheelset again or have the rims built up onto Hope hubs.

I also have a set of Arch EX rims and the finish on the Oozy’s was so much nicer.

You can’t please all of the people, all of the time. I struggle to imagine 20,000 miles a year on rough country roads unless OP is travelling door to door in a rural area for business. Presuming a decent amount of that would be A roads. Then again, I don’t know.

What I do know though is that wheels and tyres are pretty easy to change, and that it’s very difficult to get a large, sporty, bombproof car for 4k.

Jimjam, I’m not singling you out, my comments were based on having owned an E61 M sport touring, living in Surrey and driving to rural parts on a weekly basis.

Unless I missed it I don’t think the OP mentioned “sporty”. The focus of his posts have been around coping with rough lanes, farm track etc. something that this type of car does very badly to the point where you wince over every road imperfection and fear for damage to the front splitter!

OP: you mentioned no VWs etc, what about the 2003 era Passat estate? I thought they had a good reputation for reliability and come from an age where small wheels and bigger volume tyres were in. Also within budget.

20,000 miles a year in on crap country roads

I cant think of anything worse than the 5 series with M-sport suspension and run flat tyres suggested above!!

Firstly rocketdog said it all really, you need to ride both and decide which one you like the best. Fortunately getting a demo with Specialized is generally pretty easy.

Not sure this is going to help, but a few rambling thoughts. I owned a stumpy 29er for a couple of years, but always had this hankering for an Enduro 29er, not sure why, but I did. Over 18 months or so I rode the stumpy in lots of different places including some Welsh trail centers, XC rides like the Gap Road, a couple of trips to BPW and a week in the Alps with the White Room on some pretty challenging (for me) trails. It made me realise that the stumpy was all the bike I’d ever really need and those odd occasions, (Alps only) when I might have liked a little more travel were such a small percentage that it didn’t really make sense.

My only gripe with the stumpy was that I sometimes wished it was a little more nimble, playful or whatever the correct journalistic term is. It coped with everything so well that it almost took some of the fun out. I mostly put this down to my lack of talent combined with an XL 29er that was never going to be the last word in flickability, (whatever that is!)

The reason I refer to all these “terms” that regularly get banded about is this. At the end of this summer I got offered a 2016 stumpy 29er demo bike for the weekend. I’m no engineer but on paper the 2016 bike had much shorter chainstays and a slacker front end and the rest of it was largely the same as my old one. I took it out and rode all my favourite trails and was totally blown away by the changes. I found myself purposely seeking out jumps, roots, rocks and fun bits to play on, pop off and to test the bike and was grinning like an idiot at the bottom of every descent. A couple of mates asked me “how can it really be that different to the old one”, well it is because I now understand what “fun, playful and flickable” actually mean, (albeit in the context of a slightly broken middle aged man riding the cycling equivalent of the Arc Royal).

I don’t tend to change bikes very often but I was so impressed I sold the old one and ordered the 2016 one. Appreciate I’ve rambled on a bit but the point is, (and I appreciate you said you wanted to buy second hand) but it seems to me they’ve taken the bits of the Enduro that were so good and applied them to the new stumpy, so I wouldn’t overlook it, (available in both wheel sizes!)

. was looking at the us site…. the camber comp is 3500 here…

Where is “here” and where are you looking?

2016 camber comp (alu) is £2k
2016 camber comp (carbon) is £3k

I thought with Visa that you can calculate it on the day, but your bank may apply a conversion fee depending on the account?

http://www.visaeurope.com/making-payments/exchange-rates

In your spirit of truth and openness, have you also sat her down and told her Santas not real?

Great to hear James.

Went out on my Meta HT last night and for the first 15 minutes I was fully expecting some kind of loud cracking noise shortly followed by a trail-backside interface, but after that spent the rest of the ride realising what a great handling, fun to ride bike it really is!

Any/all of the week in the Alps with the White Room. Just Epic.

Oven glove needs a wash!

But as someone with long legs for my height I’ve always had to run/buy a longer seatpost than ‘standard’. My Reverb for example has a 150mm drop and has the 420mm post.

That’s not the point. The bike was supplied with a 350mm post which I can use with the minimum insertion point inside the frame. If the reality (“logic”) is that you need to run a longer one so as not to stress the frame then that’s what should be supplied.

My specialized is also an XL, stock bikes in “L” or “XL” tend to have bigger rotors, thicker handlebar grips, longer cranks, longer seatpost etc. All totally “logical” but actually implemented by the manufacturer, not left for the buyer to guess after the sale.

James, that is great news, really glad you got it sorted although it shouldn’t have taken this much effort.It does still leave a few issues though for any current owners:

1) The fact a manufacturer thinks it’s ok to say something is “logical” but the information in their literature is explicit in its contradiction

2) They openly admit to not writing it down yet feel it’s ok to quibble over this point

3) My own Meta HT is an XL, my height and inseam are perfectly within the recommended measurements according to the geometry chart on their website and yet the bike came with a 350mm post, (again this was detailed in the web spec). I measured up my bike and in order to comply with their “unwritten logic” I would need a 450mm seatpost, which in 31.6mm seems somewhat difficult to come by!!

Where it needs to be, (which complies with the literature and 9cm insertion):

Where it should be according to Commencal “logic”:

Logic…..my ar5e!

I really don’t think they have a leg to stand on. There is nothing in the paperwork they provide (or should have provided), there doesn’t appear to be anything obvious on their website, (even the tuition vidoes for fitting reverbs, KS levs etc dont state this 50mm rule).

Be firm with them without being offensive and be persistent. You’ve followed their guidelines and at no point have they contacted you, issued a statement, press-release, recall etc regarding this 50mm rule.

Have you ridden the 2016 stumpy?

Not sure how helpful this is but I bought mine in basic stock spec from commencal direct. The geometry chart says the XL is suitable for riders of 6’2″ and above and with a maximum inseam of 38.8″.

I’ll look at the measurements later but I suspect the stock seatpost supplied (350mm and stated as such in the spec sheet on their website) wouldn’t conform to allow any of that if it needed to be 50mm below the seat tube.

No problem, I’ll have a look later on and see if I can find any reference to it.

Think I’ll also need to do some measurements because if the post needs to extend 1/2″ into the frame below the actual top tube then I might need a seatpost that’s well over 400mm

[Edit, my email is in my profile so if you drop me a line I can give you and update]

2014 frame, the last one before the added front mech and bottle cage mounts.

27.5 and large.

Not sure if it will help but have a 2015 Meta HT 29er in XL and I have all the paperwork at home. Happy to check it out for you and see if it says anything?

Interestingly I was very surprised when my XL only came with a 350mm seatpost which I ride right on the insertion limit.

(better get a longer one!)

jamesfts – what wheels size and frame size is this, and how old?

203 / 180 for me

We have a 4″ Vent Axia in our bathroom. When we moved in the damp and humidity used to create small areas of mould around the window on the walls and ceiling. We redid the bathroom treated the mould and had the fan fitted, plus connected to a humidity sensor in the pull switch. This was around 6 years ago, it has totally cured the problem, works really well and shuts itself off when the humidity gets down to a certain level. It’s pretty powerful and every time I go into someone else bathroom it makes me realise how asthmatic most other extractor fans are.

We had an electrician fit it and the fan itself has been totally reliable although I think the humidity sensor is starting to be less sensitive, but there is the manual over-ride option too so havent worried too much.

591 here too, been using it with carbon frames for years and years and no issues.

Email the spesh UK helpdesk they are always really helpful. If they have what you want they will give you the part no. so your local spesh shop can order it in for you.

SPECIALIZED UK, LTD.
29 Barwell Business Park
Leatherhead Road, Chessington Surrey
KT9 2NY
Great Britain
Tel: +44 (0)20 8391 3500
Fax: +44 (0)20 8391 3501
Sales: salesuk@specialized.com
Cust Service: customerserviceuk@specialized.com
Marketing: marketinguk@specialized.com

I’d go for the beaver over storm, beavers are very good all rounders, I didn’t even bother taking them off this summer.

I’m more concerned about that saddle. Wtf is it, bet it’s called The Plaguedoctor

Think it was a Trek “Gonzo”, also available in blue. 😉

Sorry, I know of a really nice one for sale but it’s XL.

Long answer:
In 26 years Ive never worn pads but bought a set earlier this year for a trip to the Alps, (singletrack riding rather than DH). I ended up buying/trying 661 Rage, Fox Launch, and some Race Face ones. The fox ones seemed light and very comfortable despite being pretty well padded so I kept those and wore them all day for the whole week without even noticing they were on, no rubbing, chaffing etc.

Short answer:
Fit is everything if you want comfort and everyone is different, so buy a few and try them?

Switched over to First Direct several years ago, cant recommend them highly enough and think their “1st Account” fits your criteria?

markiemark – what size would you be after (epic)?

The same ones as in the other thread?

Another maxi cosi rodifix here, its excellent.