I've got a set of these. The set-up is very simple as long as you read the manual. I found setting the + VE first and then matching the -VE second (like it says in the manual). Then take the shock pump out with you on the first few rides and add the -VE as necessary.

They do take a short while to bed in, but I think that can be said about all airforks.

Servicing and extending the travel is very easy thanks to PP's guide!

Fox Forks, even if the price was halved I just wouldn't do it.

Anything RaceFace that's designed to rotate.

Hope brakes, good for a year and then it's a battle to keep them alive.

Surprised to see Marzocchi in this thread!

I try not to get pissed off about this kind of thing especially if i've read it in the papers!

I'm aware it's all a big club, politics, banking… all that bollocks.

But yes… it does take the piss quite a lot… i'd like to be appointed "are you taking the *****ng piss? jog on" minister, i'd do it for the average wage.

Wozza… we've got Fred Goodwin on the phone…

Hi Fred,… what's that? bonus? but you *****d up mate… here's your bonus… my foot in your arse… jog on.

Of course any business selling XTR at cost will be exempt.

Who'd vote for me?

Concept of a mountain biking "Season".

My kid brothers arm after breaking it in exactly the same place twice. When the doctor says 4 weeks before riding, he's not being a "little pussy and just covering himself", they actually mean it.

Oh… and that knee wins this thread easily, it looks like it needs polifilla not stitches!

I've said this before but you can drive round Manchester and spot scumbags on rare bikes easily, seems to me the cops are oblivious!

If i were riding up there with my usual riding mate(s) i probably would get the map out. However i'll be with the g/f who's a newbie and a couple of friends who are only recently dabbling in biking (they are experienced climbers/fell walkers though). For what we need Winlatter sounds perfect, a nice blue loop for the g/f and a climb up a big hill for me with a long descent.

In that case it's perfect. Have good one.

I expect to get flamed but here goes…

I can't really see the point of this place, well the red run at least. Seems to me that it's pretty badly made and a bit of a featureless slog up for a long run down, with its poorly placed jumps.

I'd dig out a map and have a go at the much better riding in the local area.

That said, the view from the top is very good.

I think someone with no sense of irony got upset… "GET A LIFE"

So i'd like STW to host my tribute.

Gt "Danger" Zaskar
1998 – 2009
Location Leeds/Manchester
Age 11 years
Cause of Death Misadventure
Date of Birth 05/10/1998
Date of Death 05/10/2009
Visitors 297 since 05/10/2009

Well… this day was going to come eventually! The Zaskar has died!

Originally bought by a fella from Chorley, it got it's first injury in 1998 about 6 weeks after he bought it. He was polishing it, (the bike ;) ) on the sofa and dropped it, putting the massive dent in the downtube.

Being a ponce, he couldn't handle it, so Scott willing to take a chance (mostly due to deliberately destroying his GT Outpost) bought it off him for a few quid and the Zaskar joined our family.

Built up with a mismatch of Alivio and STX RC, it was a pain from day one, compounded by the massive 30mm of travel on the RST 261 he fitted. We soon discovered that RST stood for "Really Shyte Travel". Illustrated perfectly during the "Big Chipping Crash of 1999". Scott stacked it at about 30mph downhill. So we fitted some 80mm Z4 bombers.

This began the "wonder years" for the Zaskar where Scott would regularly dick full sussers downhill on it. It was ace, upgrading most of it to XT, hope wheels, Pace forks and M4 Disc with an XTR V.

It climbed like a bitch and descended silly fast. Top bike!

But then came the dark ages…

The XT Hollowtech 1 crank wouldn't come out and it was sent to the bike bike bin in the sky… located conveniently in mum and dads garage loft.

It was in 2007 that we dug it out and decided to spend a weekend fixing it up…

2 days, 3 hammers, 2litres or degreaser and some swearing later the Zaskar was reborn!

I took it out for a week and liked it more than the M4 hardtail and it was still stupid fast, even as an 8 speed!

But the bad times were about to get worse for the Zaskar! I said Hannah could have it.

So 6 months down the line, she'd still not ridden it and some nights i used to just ride it round the flat to keep it happy… it was like when people keep wild animals as pets… not a good time!!

Luckily i got binned. And there's one thing you do when you get binned gents… and that keep your bloody bike.

Conveniently, Dave needed a bike and the Zaskar achieved what Jackko couldn't and made a successful comeback tour.

Sadly, like Jackko, this was short lived, and the poor Zaskar had it's killer blow!

Turns out the BB was the end of the Zaskar.

I'm going to get it cleaned up and mounted into a frame as a testament to what a real bike is… i doubt any of ours will last as long as this legend.

Next ride is dedicated to our departed friend.

RIP Zaskar.

Just had an email off a mate…

"theres a funny story about that site. Its owned by **** who owns Mission, Fibre etc.

The site became really popular so he thought he would start putting adverts on the site to make abit of cash.

So off he went to google adverts to get it all sorted.

What he didn't realise is that google adverts linked to topics on the page.

So people who put memorials on the site for say someone who died from a motorbike crash were getting adverts to buy motorbikes lol

q lots of complaints

DOH!!"

What do 9 out of 10 people enjoy?

Gang rape.

I'll get my coat…

The boss man was a bit luke warm to this to begin with but once we told him he'd spend less on NI or whatever and it looks good for the company he was well up for it.

Has more takers than the pension scheme.

I've got a Lobo and it'd be full to the brim holding what you describe. I pretty much use it without the bladder to hold my lock on the 5min ride to the gym.

I'm 90kg and they feel fine. Rating on the side of the fork goes up to 100kg and I reckon they'll do more than that.

– has never done any cleaning (other than his washing up) in 10 months
– soaks the bathroom with every shower he has (and doesn't mop it up)
– thinks a bath mat will dry if you drape it over the wet wide of the bath (nothing dries in our bathroom anyway)
– hasn't contributed anything to the flat
– insists on washing up with cold water

Sounds like mine has a twin!

I just think that having an imaginary race against someone who doesn't know they are in a race…

Next you'll be telling me you don't give yourself commentary when you're descending? :wink:

Try it, next time you're on you hardtail and you pass a full suss give it a bit of "oh yes, he's only gone and f**king done him!"

Paul's right… the descents ALWAYS a race!!

J-Cloth, i'm happy you've got a bike your having fun on… that's what it's all about, if you posted a pic and it looked the tits i'd have complimented you on it, but i resent being told i'm in the dark ages because I've got a steel hardtail and not a carbon susser.

I've tried rigids, hardtails, softails and 3-5 inch sussers over the years and i'm back on a hardtail, for me its more fun but i can tell you riding took the same amount of time on pretty much everything so i guess the speed is down to the rider! There's always a period where on the new bike i've said "this is miles faster than the last!" but it never lasts!

Top trolling though. 9/10

grumm,

2Hottie: There is nothing better than beating one of those smug twunts on FS bikes down a nice big rock filled decent ie Walnar scar. It's even better when they ask to go in front because they are on an FS bike like it's a god given right, an you still catch them up.

Oh dear.

I love you Grumm with your predictable disappointment to anyone having a bit of none PC fun, but at bike racing? That's a new low mate. :wink:

If they're anything like the Fire XC Pro standard they'll be shite. I think the "pro" element is being able to keep the bike from sliding out in anything remotely resembling a bend, root or gravel!

Back to Contis for me I think!

Its that busy mate, you'll have a problem finding someone who doesn't know their way round.

I've got a Blizzard.

Built it up with XT and Reba Race. I try to avoid trail centres, normally ride in the Lakes, Dales and Peaks. It can more than handle anything around there. It started out with a 100mm fork but i found that upping it to 120mm makes it feel a lot better. The only other one i've seen while out riding had the same 120mm fork set up too.

Oh and the paint job is incredible, if you like that sort of thing. Bit pricey but i'm very happy with it. Get one!

Any excuse to show it off… :D

. but they don't last very long if you're using them every day in all weathers on a commuter

Or in the Peaks in anything resembling rain! The original sintered stay in the tool kit to get me home!!

Shimano pads say Metal or Resin on the back.

Metal or Sintered last longer and are supposed to work better in the wet and from cold.

Resin or Organic wear out quicker but are much stronger once the heat is in.

A mate sorts me out with free Shimano pads, so price not coming into it I always choose Resin.

I've upped my forks from 100 to 120 on my Blizzard. I guess i could argue that the head tube is under less impact stress since i'm not bottoming out nearly as much, or am I just kidding myself?

I guess what i'm asking is, how good are the welds on steel frames and am I seriously looking at face-planting soon? 8O

Upped the travel on my Rebas this weekend, was intimidated to begin with but it's no more difficult than anything else on a bike.

I prefer to jet wash muddy shoes rather than put em in the washing machine.

Don't be tempted to do this while you're still wearing them, that's how the previous set died. :idea:

My Nike ACGs managed 2years of this… they gave up this weekend :(

The service manual says it's a case of adding spacers to reduce fork travel. I can't see a problem but the fella at Fisher was VERY helpful.

Sorry mate, my mistake thought a pompino was like an inbred hardtail.

I reckon the centrum looks pretty good, but then i've never liked owt with dropped bars.

Classifieds is your best bet and i never thought i'd say this but i reckon you should go SS to get it under that budget.

You should get this instead… mate uses it exactly as you described.

Spesh Centrum

Yes Merlin forks can be converted, yes it's pretty easy and yes they works MILES better as a 120mm fork!

Cheers.

Nice. Enduro brown looks even better in the flesh.

hopefully not a picture of your tail bro!

It's only a 2megapixel camera.

Also I am sure most people have sent something rude or a bit blue to girlfriend/boyfriend why the hell not!

Wait till you see what i'm going to send your Girlfriend while we're in Amsterdam.

8O

Engaget Click
Gizmodo Click

Please be giving me your account numbers and i fix this for you ok?

Had this for years as a student, robbin bastids!

Finish line Red at home, Ribena Strawberry on the side of Walnar Scar last weekend.

Cheers Grimy and Bob, that's exactly to fork i've got.

I've got the standard QR version, guess i'll be staying at 100mm.

Clicky

Thanks