Neither of those brands are confirmed yet? The latest addition to the fleet was Nukeproof I believe.
Mountain Biking
- Thread starter Zefan
- Start date
Neither of those brands are confirmed yet? The latest addition to the fleet was Nukeproof I believe.
Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Mar 2011
- Posts
- 6,479
- Location
- Kent
No I know, I'm hoping Vitus are there, they were last year. Bit of time yet before so time for them to confirm.
Last edited:
Sounds like it's quite casual then, I had figured there would be lots of pre-booking of bikes. But if it's just wandering up to a stand and saying "I want that one" then that's nice and easy! When registering I saw something around setting up the bike for you and fitting your pedals - do I definitely need to bring my own or is that just for people who are wanting specific pedals (ie SPD)?
Also... Post demo day OCUK meet?
Also... Post demo day OCUK meet?
Associate
- Joined
- 21 Jan 2014
- Posts
- 1,445
- Location
- Fife
All the ones I've been to have said to bring your own pedals but they've always had a bucket full of pedals to use anyway if you don't.
Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Mar 2011
- Posts
- 6,479
- Location
- Kent
Well I demo'ed a £5500 Whyte S-150C works, then a T-130S and finally a 905 hardtail today.
Verdict? Full suspension, all the way - the comfort is just too much to give up and they really don't climb worse than a hardtail.
Out of the S-150 with loads of carbon but 29 wheels and the heavier T-130 with 27.5 wheels I preferred the T-130.
Verdict? Full suspension, all the way - the comfort is just too much to give up and they really don't climb worse than a hardtail.
Out of the S-150 with loads of carbon but 29 wheels and the heavier T-130 with 27.5 wheels I preferred the T-130.
Anyone here own a SixSixOne lid? I need a new skid lid to replace my Bell Alchera which I put a substantial dent in after a bad crash at Glentress. Wondering what the sizing is like on the SixSixOne lids, i.e. are they made a bit big or small compared to their label? I usually buy in store and try lids on but there are some good deals online for lids. Looking at a SixSixOne Recon.
Out of interest, what was it you preferred? I'd guess it just felt a bit more lively and interesting - so makes simpler trials feel more fun. I know that's one of the things that's got me looking at mid travel 27.5 bikes rather than the current Enduro crop that can allegedly do everything hugely well!
Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Mar 2011
- Posts
- 6,479
- Location
- Kent
Pretty much that - my fitness levels are... lacking somewhat
so that may have had a fair bit to do with it, and the place I tested it is pretty smooth, just a couple of man made rock gardens and some small drops, very pedally otherwise.For me the S-150 felt like it took far more effort to ride:, slower to accelerate, less responsive in the corners, the T-130 even though heavier felt much more responsive and much better in the corners. If my fitness was better and I was able to keep the S-150 up to speed I'm sure it may have changed my view slightly, but the T-130 was just a bit easier to ride and more lively.
Here's my full 'report':
S-150C Works – took a fair bit of effort to get up to speed and was quite slow to turn in to corners/berms etc – now my (severe lack of) fitness may have had a big factor but it was definitely more of an effort on this vs the other bikes. I would imagine once you’re up to speed and if you’re hitting some gnar then the 150mm travel 29er would come into it’s own, but it just felt slow and ponderous getting up to speed, and if you dropped off the boil you then had to power it back up to speed. It felt light, but not £5500 with a carbon frame, carbon wheels, carbon cranks, carbon bars light – I’m 6ft 3 so tested the XL size, it felt a nice weight – maybe around 29lbs, certainly a few pounds lighter in the hand than the…
T-130S – …which felt noticeably heavier, being an alloy frame and alloy rims (i29’s) as well as no carbon anything. I’d take a guess at 32-33lbs for the XL model I tested. However, instantly, on the first couple of berms I was like ‘yeah, this is much better!!’ – it was far easier to get up to speed, much quicker to accelerate and much better through tight berms and corners. Overall just a lot more flickable and eager to turn, and less effort to climb and get up to speed. Overall I was far less tired on the T-130 than on the S-150 – this may have been down to me being on my second run so it was less of a shock to the system but I did feel like it took less effort to ride. The revelation RC’s felt great, although I don’t think the sag on the pikes on the S150 were set right as they were much harsher. I’d be happy with the Rev RC’s on a future bike though, nice and plush.
Both the above bikes had GX or XX1 eagle which was awesome, the Hope rear hub on the S150 sounded amazingThe both climbed extremely well, no noticeable pedal bob when sitting and spinning and I kept both in the ‘open’ mode on the rear shock, really didn’t see the need for anything else. They gave no more than 5-10% away on the climbs to the…
905 – …which even though you could feel the bike surge forward with each pedal stroke, didn’t really climb much better than the 2 FS bikes. It handed similarly to the T-130, nice and quick to accelerate, quick and flickable in the corners, but then of course, there’s the comfort. I’m the wrong side of 35 now so this is a big factor, and even on the relatively smooth fire road climb and with 2.8″ tyres I could feel the bumps impacting my sitbones, when riding some rougher stuff it just confirmed one single fact.
I need a full suspension bike.
The S-150 is a much longer and slacker bike than the T-130 too which won't have helped the 'slow and unresponsive' feeling at the speeds I was going at, and as mentioned above the trails were pretty flat with just a couple of descents and a long draggy fireroad climb so a shorter travel bike will naturally be more at home there.
More bikes will be tested at the MBR demo day and the QECP demo day (QE cyclefest)
Oh and to add - modern FS bikes are bloody brilliant, this was my first ride on any modern FS bike, shocks left in full open mode and they climbed to within 5% of the 905 hardtail, couldn't feel a bit of bobbing although I'm a 'sit and spin' climber. They just float so nicely over the bumps with barely any reaction to pedalling, it's FS all the way for me now, maybe a HT when I'm a lot fitter in a year or so
My budget come April will be about £1600, which lets me get a Vitus Escarpe VR 27.5 or 29 - revelation RC forks, Deluxe shock, SLX groupset and a brand-X dropper, for £1670 from CRC. Don't know if there's anything else for that price with that level of spec, if there'ye at the MBR demo day and they ride well I'll just need to decide between the 27.5 and 29 models.
Last edited:
Yeh Full Suss is definitely the way forwards. Even my 2014 Boardman still feels absolutely fine for climbing, only ever reach for the lockout when I'm doing a really long fireroad - and even then I'm not sure what benefit there is! Went around AshtonCourt and Leigh Woods yesterday, first time on a mountain bike since October or November I think so it was great to get out. Felt really unfit at first but then got into the rhythm and was keeping a semi decent pace!
Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Mar 2011
- Posts
- 6,479
- Location
- Kent
I used to cycle when I lived in Bristol (Bradley stoke and a few other places funnily enough!) but not on a MTB, I had a fixed gear road bike which I used to get around most of Bristol, this was around 2009/10/11 so my fitness levels were really good then (as you can imagine riding a fixed gear round Bristol!), just need to get some more time on a bike again!
Did the red run at Llandegla at the weekend. Enjoyable but I need to up my fitness for the climbing sections. God that place is busy though, first time at an organised place, not sure what to make of it......
It’s also the first time I’ve seen e-bikes in action, looks like cheating to me!
It’s also the first time I’ve seen e-bikes in action, looks like cheating to me!
Associate
- Joined
- 23 Oct 2013
- Posts
- 1,270
last time I was at llandegla it was an e-bike fest... I've always defended them, thinking they're ace for more unfit or less-able people to get out on a bike and enjoy the outdoors, and I still believe that. But, after the 10th one buzzed past me on a climb I was ready to scream... It just makes it more annoying that you overtake them on anything technical, for them to buzz past on the next climb...
wish he could have towed me up!
Associate
- Joined
- 7 Nov 2017
- Posts
- 2,001
had several 661 helmets both FF and half-shell. TBH so long as the helmet fits there really isn't any difference in them.
Need to replace the GXP bottom bracket on my MTB. Bike is a Scott Scale 35 73mm BB shell with an etype derailleur. Means the overall width of the shell is around 75.5mm. The old Truvativ GXP support article mentions that on 73 or 73E width you don't use spacers. However the newer SRAM GXP support guide has no such mention of 73E. I assume a 2009 GXP will be the same as a new 2018 GXP bottom bracket and will allow the cranks to seat properly?
I assume the lack of mentioning 73E is that etype are not that common on todays bikes.
I assume the lack of mentioning 73E is that etype are not that common on todays bikes.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Feb 2010
- Posts
- 5,320
- Location
- Southampton
Need to replace the GXP bottom bracket on my MTB. Bike is a Scott Scale 35 73mm BB shell with an etype derailleur. Means the overall width of the shell is around 75.5mm. The old Truvativ GXP support article mentions that on 73 or 73E width you don't use spacers. However the newer SRAM GXP support guide has no such mention of 73E. I assume a 2009 GXP will be the same as a new 2018 GXP bottom bracket and will allow the cranks to seat properly?
I assume the lack of mentioning 73E is that etype are not that common on todays bikes.
not sure about sram bbs but shimano 73mm ones you use 1 spacer on the driveside, which you can swap for a bb mount chainguide or etype front mech
id imagine its the same for you?
later on they changed what etype is, so its no longer bb mounted,
just avoid the "dub" ones, because they are stupid new size (and anything else sram related if you can help it
)
Associate
- Joined
- 21 Jan 2014
- Posts
- 1,445
- Location
- Fife
What's the best hardtail out there just now? Looking to get one with the Cycle to Work scheme starting soon!
Looking for something that's go for long distance trail riding (no jumps etc.) seeing as my full sus isn't really suited for it anymore! Wheels would need to be 27.5 and preferably RockShox or Fox forks!
Cheers!
Looking for something that's go for long distance trail riding (no jumps etc.) seeing as my full sus isn't really suited for it anymore! Wheels would need to be 27.5 and preferably RockShox or Fox forks!
Cheers!
Soldato
- Joined
- 11 May 2007
- Posts
- 9,372
- Location
- Surrey
I've got a Roscoe 8 and I'm really enjoying it.
Associate
- Joined
- 23 Oct 2013
- Posts
- 1,270
mate, a little more help?
"best" hardtail is impossible - what's your budget, and then we can start somewhere...
one person's "trail riding" involves jumps - there's even a family/group of full suss with ~ 140mm travel called trail bikes, for chucking about and going off jumps...
As for your description - long distances with no/minimal jumps - I would look at a XC bike, and probably 29" (unless your full sus is a 27 and you want to share tubes/tyres).
Last edited: