Specialised Langster? I used to love commuting on my Langster Monaco when I lived in Hertfordshire, I found that Herts is too flat to really warrant the need for my geared road bike, just made everything too easy. But then I only had to cycle 9 miles (most of it on a mix of surfaced and unsurfaced cycle paths) to work, but still good for a few longer journeys.

Tom KP

That’s pretty much how I imagine Fat bikers looks and dress. I’m impressed they were going fast enough to crash.
I’d be a tad miffed if that was my fence.

Bell ends

Tom.KP

Just try to remember that no matter how strong and ninja-like you are, you get your butt handed to you cos you’re wearing carbon soled disco slippers so won’t be able to fight back.

The SWAT Box is awesome. I’m jealous of my mate’s Enduro for that reason alone. As well as the fact it’s a missile!

Tom kp

Hope are famous for it. They’ve always gone above and beyond when I’ve needed help. And their products are awesome as well.

The Chimp Paradox is a good book

Clay Porter usually comes through with a decent movie

Max Commencal used steel in the old Sunn bikes and purposely designed flex into the frames.
But the marketing people need to sell bikes and they can quantify stiffness. You can’t imperially measure fun.

Personally I’m leaning towards the Starling bike

Tom kp

Or get some Marzocchi 55 RC3 Ti forks for £300 new. They’all fit a 27.5 wheel with 2.4 HR2, work flawlessly and are just like a coil (coz they are coil forks).

Could you not just cut up a Schrader rude and use the valve from that? You’ve probably got lots lying around. I find the spout of the Stan’s bottle fits perfectly in a Schrader valve with the core removed. And they get gunned up less than Presta valves.

Tom KP

I’ve had that same multitool for almost ten years and never realised that was a chain hook – mind blown!

Thanks for pointing that out papamountain.

Osprey do a nice one (can’t remember the model), the pack is kept away from your back to reduce sweating back. It’s comfy and has loads of space.

Bombproof, not that heavy, but not wide enough to be fashionable. Did the trick for us for a few years without any bother or worries.

Had a steel one, they were great fun, but a bit small for riding any distance. It was my only bike back then and I managed everything on it. The Butcher was more allround, but they’re as rare as rocking horse poo.

If you’ever got another bike for XC missions then you’ll find the blender a hoot, as it’ll jump, DH and pedal a bit. Mine was perfect for places like FOD where a decent HT is as much (if not more) fun than a big bike.

Tom KP

Personally I didn’t like the feeling of the tyre rolling over when leaning it in to corners. I can understand what people like the grip and squish, but they’re not for me. I hate my tyres folding over, but then I run >30psi in my Minions for that very reason. I also like to feel what the ground is doing and the big soft tyres masked that.

I’m also not sold on sidewall strength in big tyres

Tom kp

Have a Large here. Unsure which year wheels. But they’re pretty sturdy. Bearings changed after a year and only needed a slight true once.

Yes, because I’m poor. I bought the last one in 2012, it was paid off a few years ago and I still love riding it today.
Some of us can afford the interest free repayments but don’t have a few grand lying around to spend all in one go. Same reason I have a mortgage.

Tom KP

Orange 5 or Alpine, Transition Covert or Bandit, Spec Enduro,

Personally I think it’s cheating unless pedalled from a standing start. None of this getting towed to a certain speed.
Regardless of what the actual rules are.

Tom KP

Go Invisiframe if they do a kit for your bike. The GF has had 2 kits for her last bikes and they’re a doddle to fix, long lasting and tidy looking. By comparison I went cheap with 3M helitape and cut mine to fit myself and it was a complete ball ache, took ages and didn’t look half as good.

Next time I’ll be getting a kit from them for sure.

Put a -2 headset in the bike. It’ll drop the BB a bit as well as slackening the HA.
Don’t forget you can always get a tuning company to adjust the stroke, length, etc if you need to.
Try both settings and see which works.

I’ve always gone ghetto tubeless with my 521s and they’ve both been fine and gone ptwoink with Maxxis, Specialized and Scwalbe tyres. I usually pump them up until the head is seated all the way around usually between 40-60 psi

I’m using a FR 235 at the moment and seems accurate enough

Put some air in your tyres as well.
Jared Geaves recommends ghetto tubeless with a split BMX tube to help protect the rim a bit more (especially carbon). I’m heavier than you and not managed to destroy Hope Enduro rims, but I like to run 30-35psi in my Minions. I can imagine f your tyres are soft enough any wheel will get trashed in rough stuff.
Otherwise my Mavic 521s are ghetto tubeless and still straight after 4 years of rocky abuse. The Wife’s E13 rims are holding up well and she uns them with rather low pressures

Maxxis Minion DHF front and back, either in EXO, DD or 2ply depending on what weight you can live with. We run EXO as a good all year around compromise as I can’t be bothered with switching tyres all the time any more. Have set then up ghetto tubeless using Stans and split BMX tubes. It’s quick, simple and cheap to do. I have the joyous task of looking after all the bikes in the family and setting 4-5 bikes up this way and topping up with Stans every no and again is so much less faff and bother than changing punctures.

It took me a long time to try tubeless as I thought the faff of looking after everyone’s bikes would be a ball ache but it turned out to be much easier and less effort than keepin tubes.

Tom KP

Nope, we just carry out water in a hydration pack or in pocket of shorts/bib shorts.

Never had a problem with 780 or 800mm wide bars. Normally if it’s going to be too narrow for them the trail was too narrow for much smaller bars.

GoPro is the best. Just get the basic one unless you have lots of money or really want massive resolution

BPW, there’s a variety of trails for all skill levels

eBay sells sheets of plasticard cheap.

Hope Tech Enduro wheels

Livigno has a pretty long season and lots of trails. They also tend to have nice weather

So you bought something for CRC price but get LBS support. Not sure what the problem is? Would you rather they’d ordered it from the main distributor, waited a few days and then paid more for it?

The NFU were pretty competitive this year. And give really good reliable cover.

Invisiframe

It’s the poor people that ruin it for me. It seems like they’ll let any common oik on the internet these days.

Lord Pontomby-Smythe,
3rd Earl of ChestWester.

My garmin chest strap is about 8 years old (bought around the Beijing Olympics) and all it seems to need is a battery change once a year to keep it going.

Tom KP

BETD?

A friend built a machine to rock theirs out of lego

It’s shut at the moment