Let's offroad / mountain bike / mtb / ride dirt

Forks look spendy these days. Nothing for £150, for sure, unless a 30 will do.

As @Howard says, the only thing under €200 is the €130 30 TK, straight steerer, skinny stanchions, coils, 2.3kg.

The frame is a 1.2kg carbon jobbie with a BB30 shell so I'm going to build it as a light singlespeed. On the other hand, the rims I bought are Velocity Cliffhangers, heavy but sturdy?

Manitou Minute TS 100mm, Tapered, QR15 1.9kg
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/manitou-minute-29-ts-air-100mm-qr-15mm-tapered-581623?currency=3&delivery_country=190

€200/£175 + delivery

Manitous used to be really popular, what happened?

edit: not sure what version of the Minute this is, but a review I read said the 100mm Minute was 1.7kg.

bike woods not too far beer

Well I like all of those things

Going back to this I'm riding a Focus Jam Evo right now (couldn't get a trade deal on a T-130). It's a 140mm of travel (though the frame can take up to 160mm according to the distributor). I'd like to compare a T-130 and this side by side on the same trails but right now I'd say it's at least as good as it.

Maybe better.

How was BPW?

Also photos of new whip pls.

.

BPW was a great day. Initially only four of us were going but when we got there the group multiplied to nine. The new Insufficient Funds now has proper drops, jumps have been reshaped, it runs better than ever.

Willy Waver has been redone, it runs fucking great. There's a series of berms that are magic. The switchbacks on Bonneyville of also been treated.
And there's a new jump line going in between Hot Stepper and Terry's Belly.

And there's a new jump line going in between Hot Stepper and Terry's Belly

I've heard this will be a blue run, sort of like A470 but smaller, does that sound about right?

Looks like what you describe.

That looks purposeful!

Insufficient funds is now the source of many an 'oh shit' moment.

We're in Lisbon for a week at the end of January and I've provisionally booked a day's guided mountain biking in the Sintra national park (on a Transition Patrol, no less). So much excite! Anyone want to pop over for the day and make it a LFGSS enduro-fest? :p

Very nice!

I'm going to have to try out a modern full-sus at BPW.

I'm really enjoying it. Already managed to crack the rear rim on the wheel destroyer that is Kilvey, so some Ryde Trace 29's & Huck Norris x 2 are on their way to me.

I'd deffo swing a leg over a Trek Slash 9 at BPW.

So many "Oh shit!" moments all over the park. Rock 'n' Roll was like "Oh shit! Oh fucking shit! Oh shit!"

Having been mostly on a road bike the last few months, that's basically my reaction to curbs just now.

Looking at a first MTB after enjoying a couple of rental sessions, arriving on the Voodoo Bizango I think...

Available for £500 and reviews seem to think it was a huge bargain at £600. I'd have preferred a 650b but this seems better value than anything else out there. So far the biggest downsides I can think of are the fugly colour and that it will be put together by a Halfords. Are there any other reasons not to do this?*

*Bike-related reasons that is. I can't really afford this at the moment but never mind.

Voodoo Bizango

Let's be frank, it's a heavy low-end machine. Some good Deore bits, mixed with totally rank Suntour parts; their forks are a joke! It will get tired looking quickly and depreicte heavily too.

If you know anything about bikes (or have a friend who can spot obvious problems) for £500 you'd be far better off buying a used 650b Cotic Soul or similar. The ride will be 100+% better and it will still be worth almost what you paid after a couple of years usage.

Magazine reviews need to be taken with a pinch of salt - advertising revenues always mean that there is a conflict of interest at play.

Nah those forks will be fine.

The reason not to buy it is that you kinda shouldn't buy a 29er unless you really, really want one :)

Otherwise on paper it looks like a credible first mtb, ya.

Well yeah, obviously low end. At 12.9kg it's probably less than my Pompino though, not that heavy for an MTB?

Not just magazine reviews but reviews from owners are very good - including of the fork. Have you had trouble with it or just don't rate suntour? The other suntour part is the cranks - and even the cheapest cranks work fine don't they.

It looks pretty reasonable, and the forks probably work fine, but will be kinda heavy and basic. Like anything, if you know roughly what you're doing and don't need the warranty you'll get better VFM buying second hand, and at that end of the market I'd be more inclined to get a 650b+ bike with a rigid fork, ie the Marin Pine Mountain

The Pine Mountain was my first thought too - and I was sure I was going to go for rigid - but then I felt after trying out the trails near me, I really did benefit from suspension. It's also not any lighter. Was then looking at the Charge Cooker 3 which is on a big discount at the mo, but people seem divided on the geo, it's also v heavy, and I don't think I need semi-fat... I think a regular hardtsil 29er is probably what I need more even if they're less cool?

With suspension I'd personally stick to "normal" tyres, for sure.