Mountain Biking

[robj20]

Yeah, did see that one but I don't think they deliver to the UK.

Tempted to just try one of the top tube mounts and see how it goes.

Just get two sturdy hooks for the bars to hook on to.

I use pretty much the ones above for all sorts, wheels, tyres, helmets.

 

[Superpatsy]

Just get two sturdy hooks for the bars to hook on to.

I use pretty much the ones above for all sorts, wheels, tyres, helmets.

Someone else mentioned those, too.

Quite a good brain fart I've had with this...

 

[SDK^]

A quality first visit to DYFI today - the place is stuffed with good tracks!
Our favourite from the day was probably 'Race Track' - so many challenging drops, jumps and lines

Also, my new bike felt awesome, so much more planted and smoother than my eMTB

Bikes prepped to ride

The only downer of the day - the place has so many slate rocks, they are unavoidable. The edges are like razor blades and before lunch at the end of the Insta360 track on a basic fireroad I got unlucky and caught one, slitting my tyre side wall wide open. It's the first time i'm running full mavity DH casing tyres and the first time I get a tyre issue
I was forced to buy another tyre (£80) which I didn't really want but needed it to continue riding, as I had left our spare tyres at home. Now I have a 27.5 Continental DH KRYPTOTAL Supersoft Front tyre which I have no use for

 

[CraigN]

One of us!

Off to Dyfi today. I always take two bikes and spare tyres with me to Dyfi as I have the same issue.

I’m running DH casing contis for the first time there today. Let’s see if my rear survive.

My last one was also on insta 360. It’s a fair walk that one.

Looks like you didn’t do anything from half mountain. Turns in the ferns is great, as is Oakley if you like your big features.

 

[Andrew Moore]

A quality first visit to DYFI today - the place is stuffed with good tracks!
Our favourite from the day was probably 'Race Track' - so many challenging drops, jumps and lines

Also, my new bike felt awesome, so much more planted and smoother than my eMTB

Bikes prepped to ride

The only downer of the day - the place has so many slate rocks, they are unavoidable. The edges are like razor blades and before lunch at the end of the Insta360 track on a basic fireroad I got unlucky and caught one, slitting my tyre side wall wide open. It's the first time i'm running full mavity DH casing tyres and the first time I get a tyre issue
I was forced to buy another tyre (£80) which I didn't really want but needed it to continue riding, as I had left our spare tyres at home. Now I have a 27.5 Continental DH KRYPTOTAL Supersoft Front tyre which I have no use for

That’s some gash!! I’ve found that out of all of the specialized tyres that the Cannibal mavity is the only tyre that can seemingly go anywhere without issue. I’ve had butchers, purgatory and another (can’t remember) all fall flat within moments of getting to a bike park and now I simply do not buy them anymore regardless of whether I like how they ride. Same goes for Maxxis. I’ve not had issues with any Conti to date or schwable and haven’t tried any of the Michelins yet so can’t comment but I have heard good things.

How you finding the status DH? I’m running my older status as a 173/190 with a single crown zeb up front, still on enduro gearing but I do have the SRAM 7 speed GX to go on when I can be bothered to do so.. just need to get around to it.

 

[SDK^]

One of us!

Off to Dyfi today. I always take two bikes and spare tyres with me to Dyfi as I have the same issue.

I’m running DH casing contis for the first time there today. Let’s see if my rear survive.

My last one was also on insta 360. It’s a fair walk that one.

Looks like you didn’t do anything from half mountain. Turns in the ferns is great, as is Oakley if you like your big features.

I hope your day goes well !
We was planning on doing the Oakley drops but lost over an hour to the tyre issue, so will check it out next time.

I remembered your posts previously about DYFI eating tyres and I had meant to take our spare Maxxis DH tyres as a backup, but I forget and didn't realise until I was over half way there. So typical I had the same issue

That’s some gash!! I’ve found that out of all of the specialized tyres that the Cannibal mavity is the only tyre that can seemingly go anywhere without issue. I’ve had butchers, purgatory and another (can’t remember) all fall flat within moments of getting to a bike park and now I simply do not buy them anymore regardless of whether I like how they ride. Same goes for Maxxis. I’ve not had issues with any Conti to date or schwable and haven’t tried any of the Michelins yet so can’t comment but I have heard good things.

How you finding the status DH? I’m running my older status as a 173/190 with a single crown zeb up front, still on enduro gearing but I do have the SRAM 7 speed GX to go on when I can be bothered to do so.. just need to get around to it.

The Specialized Butcher tyres have come off now - I've got some Schwalbe Radial MM's & Fat Alberts coming to replace them.
The Status DH is a very capable park / DH bike - no frills and a simple alu frame but it works. I could have spent much more on an Atherton / Commencal / Orbea / Santa Cruz / Spesh Demo but at my level I don't need the higher end kit, and would rather spend the money on more riding trips.

We are at BPW tomorrow

 

[robj20]

And there's me riding Dyfi on a 130mm bike. I plan to do some of the half way trails next visit.

 

[Andrew Moore]

I hope your day goes well !
We was planning on doing the Oakley drops but lost over an hour to the tyre issue, so will check it out next time.

I remembered your posts previously about DYFI eating tyres and I had meant to take our spare Maxxis DH tyres as a backup, but I forget and didn't realise until I was over half way there. So typical I had the same issue



The Specialized Butcher tyres have come off now - I've got some Schwalbe Radial MM's & Fat Alberts coming to replace them.
The Status DH is a very capable park / DH bike - no frills and a simple alu frame but it works. I could have spent much more on an Atherton / Commencal / Orbea / Santa Cruz / Spesh Demo but at my level I don't need the higher end kit, and would rather spend the money on more riding trips.

We are at BPW tomorrow

That’s the thought process I went down. Get an EMTB for the most part, have my hard tail for when I want a quick and easy ride out with a wash and forget maintenance schedule and then get something with some squish that can be thrown about a bit more than a full on DH. Truth be told, a zeb 190 doesn’t feel flexy and With just 10mm shy of most dual crowns it is beyond more than enough. And as for 173 in the rear, it isn’t far enough from 200mm for me to really notice it although the plush you get with 200 in the rear isn’t a little lacking but I personally feel this bike tracks pretty well to not care about that. It’s a tank of a bike, no fear in smashing a carbon frame as it’s Alu and easy to work on. I won’t lie, I want a full fat DH, I just won’t use it anywhere near as much as I should to justify it so why bother.

 

[CraigN]

my contis survived today!

I did come off on turns in the ferns. Its too fast. All fresh mud on the trail so i think its been worked on. Much less techy than it was a month ago. So running super fast and i overshot a jump and landed on the verge on the side of the trail.

luckily the soft mud was soft and no injuries.

Rain held out too. great day.

Will have to do a OCUK MTB ride out there

I was thinking about doing BPW tomorrow as family are busy but my Ebike is out of action and I dont feel like it flows well on an analogue. Especially the DH rig. Unless your just hitting jump lines and blacks all day.

gonna build my 130mm trail bike instead

 

[CraigN]

That’s the thought process I went down. Get an EMTB for the most part, have my hard tail for when I want a quick and easy ride out with a wash and forget maintenance schedule and then get something with some squish that can be thrown about a bit more than a full on DH. Truth be told, a zeb 190 doesn’t feel flexy and With just 10mm shy of most dual crowns it is beyond more than enough. And as for 173 in the rear, it isn’t far enough from 200mm for me to really notice it although the plush you get with 200 in the rear isn’t a little lacking but I personally feel this bike tracks pretty well to not care about that. It’s a tank of a bike, no fear in smashing a carbon frame as it’s Alu and easy to work on. I won’t lie, I want a full fat DH, I just won’t use it anywhere near as much as I should to justify it so why bother.

Because its so much fun!!! My Merida is 180 fork 171 rear and the DH bike is another level. So forgiving.

Ive been using my hard tail a lot and have decided to upgrade it. Bought a Saracen Ariel 30x frameset and a set of 140mm 36SL's and swapping the rest of the parts over.

been using magpeds last few weeks, they are great. Hopefully help me make the transition to clips.

As im a bit weird I find if my feet are not in the right place i cant think about anything else. These are great, feet in correct place everytime. Have the added effect of feet not slipping off pedals when i mess up a jump or drop.

 

[Andrew Moore]

So I did a thing..

I went and slung a fox 38 170 on the front of the Scout and swapped the tyres out for Kryptotal front and Xynotal rear. Rides nicely, tyres and much better for the trails here as I found I wasn’t getting what I needed out of the wicked Wills although they rolled exceptionally well!

I also decided to dust off the park bike and give it a blast out over the bank holiday weekend. It’s so much fun but part of me really wants to go get myself a DH, perhaps either the Airdrop Slacker or stretch to the Atherton S.200. (Both frame only and build from there).

Her she is.

 

[SDK^]

So I did a thing..

I went and slung a fox 38 170 on the front of the Scout and swapped the tyres out for Kryptotal front and Xynotal rear. Rides nicely, tyres and much better for the trails here as I found I wasn’t getting what I needed out of the wicked Wills although they rolled exceptionally well!

I also decided to dust off the park bike and give it a blast out over the bank holiday weekend. It’s so much fun but part of me really wants to go get myself a DH, perhaps either the Airdrop Slacker or stretch to the Atherton S.200. (Both frame only and build from there).

Her she is.

Nice
That’s looks very similar design and geo to my Spesh Status.

I do like the Atherton S200, seen a few around and they look great, and something about being made in Wales and developed by Athertons

 

[robj20]

Not fancy the A200

 

[Andrew Moore]

Not fancy the A200

I have a habit of hitting trees and carbon as a result doesn’t float my boat for that sort of application

 

[Andrew Moore]

Nice
That’s looks very similar design and geo to my Spesh Status.

I do like the Atherton S200, seen a few around and they look great, and something about being made in Wales and developed by Athertons

It’s very similar to be fair and as I have a 7sp GX DH drivetrain in a box I may slap it on.

The Zeb is a 190 and the rear sits at 173 so it has plenty of squish. The HT angle is wild though at 62.1 as the crown and 190 travel are the same as running a 206mm equivalent dual crown so another option is to just pick up a Boxxer, fox40 or a Dorado and slap that on. I mean, what’s the worse that would happen?

 

[robj20]

What happened to Reserve Wheels legendary warranty?

Got a creaking front wheel and all they are offering is to pay a shop £60 to have them rebuilt and are trying to tell me they don't have to arrange logistics so I'd have to find somewhere and then arrange everything including postage at my cost. Doesn't sound right does it?

 

[Andrew Moore]

What happened to Reserve Wheels legendary warranty?

Got a creaking front wheel and all they are offering is to pay a shop £60 to have them rebuilt and are trying to tell me they don't have to arrange logistics so I'd have to find somewhere and then arrange everything including postage at my cost. Doesn't sound right does it?

As a first action I don’t think it’s too bad so long as you have the facility to get the wheels to a shop etc that can do it but given not everyone is that fortunate I do think your argument holds some weight.

 

[robj20]

As a first action I don’t think it’s too bad so long as you have the facility to get the wheels to a shop etc that can do it but given not everyone is that fortunate I do think your argument holds some weight.

Nearest place to me with any half decent reputation for wheels is still a fair drive.
Sorted now though asked some local riders for somewhere and luckily it is a Santa Cruz retailer.

 

[SDK^]

A great trip to BPW yesterday - we managed to get 10x top to bottom runs in. The new Double Barrell track is fun! We did A470, into Double Barrel into Insufficient Funds several times. From half way down Booomslang was a slop sleigh ride, just about hanging on !
We met up with another group riding 2x Marin Quakes and a Spesh Status - snap bikes !

Waiting for the bike wash - only one sprayer was working so a large queue at the end of the day

]

This was down Norkle to the uplift at the very start of the day. I'm quicker on my new bike, but still can't keep up with my son

 

[robj20]

Just ordered a Fox DHX2 for my Atherton, it's a 2024 one but only £380 so couldn't say no.
I tried a number of onions calculators all giving different spring weights anything between 550lb to 750lb so emailed Jtech to see what they say.

Is it worth using the 8x30 mount bearings or are the standard steel ones still best?
Presume the actual bush is pre-installed on brand new shocks.
I've wanted to try a coil shock for so long.