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

If he's put £575 he's probably wanting £500? £575 is reasonable imo.

Cotic soul 27.5 is meant to be for between 100mm - 140mm travel forks. As good as the Rockshox Pike is, I don't think I'd want a 150mm one on the front of a regular XC/trail bike.

What does this mean?!?

That's a bFe and 150mm hardtail is great for xc.

Too bouncy, I think.

Or it might not be chuckable?

That's a bFe

Whoops, so it is!

150mm hardtail is great for xc.

Maybe in the Northern wilderness that you inhabit :-)

One person's XC is another person's trail/AM.

More fun downhill, harder work uphill.

Too bouncy

This too

chuckable?

I thought better of you, Andy

XC has changed a lot over the years, I take it as being able to everything but the ridiculous DH in a trail centre as well as anything in the real world.

The pikes have easily adjust travel (as do my forks) so you can wind them down easily enough if needs be.

XC has changed a lot over the years

Right in the feels

I remember the first XC races I watched were basically what CX is now - people hopping off their bikes and pushing / carrying up and down tech bits - now XC racers are riding stuff you used to find on World Cup DH courses. And DHrs are just a bit mental.

XC racers are riding stuff you used to find on World Cup DH courses.

Mmmm. Kind of. But not really. But yea the anti has gone up, probably because normal XC races are bloody boring to watch.

Watch some mid 90s WC DH races, then watch some current XC races.

Then watch some mid 90s XC races and some current cross races (not just soggy field slogs)

Then watch some current DH.

The mixture of Chris King, Hope and SLX bits is spot on for reliable stuff though.

Still, genuinely used second hand MTB stuff is a lottery. The on-one < back there was unused, and I'd trade a bit of a 'dull' frame for 'it just works' over a nice frame with components that are potentially a ride away from being fucked.

genuinely used second hand MTB bike stuff is a lottery

Competitive/racing stuff, then yes XC has become far more technical.

I was thinking more of the recreational mtb marketing minefield that is XC, trail, AM, enduro, freeride, DH etc..

recreational mtb marketing minefield that is XC, trail, AM, enduro, freeride, DH etc..

Always a good time to throw this in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyTyjQbvylg

If you just ignore all the marketing bollocks and look at XC as riding up, along and down hills, up to the skill/tech level one is capable of...

hills

At least they're more or less the same

Do you have hills in the south?

My local trails:

Budget mtb for a small person? Big wheels, one gear, no suspension, job done

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182504119537

Competitive/racing stuff, then yes XC has become far more technical.

Interestingly, there's a couple of threads on Reddit that suggest XC has always had this level of Gnar, in the US at least in one form or another, except that previously there was variety, and now there is this kinda technical conformity - we need a rock garden we need a drop we need a... and funnily enough the techy courses get televised making it look like all XC races are techy...

The same is probably true for CX too - the interesting courses get televised so it presents this image that's kinda different to the reality of most races.