Dammit’s adventures in mountain biking

Seen this one? It's huge!

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/flo-payets-xxl-mondraker-summum-leogang-dh-world-cup-2018.html

Can't wait to take a photo of my #enduropacking rig next week. Will post here!

Still though... just buy one of these...

Nothing was going to happen this month chaps- I’ve already spent more than a Scalpel 2 costs on car stuff, and have another 0.5 of a scalpel to go. Payday is going to be very much appreciated!

Got as rowdy as Epping forest would allow on this today + 70km round trip.

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So one ride completed, does the fork need an entire rebuild?

Needs thinking dinosaur meme, “is a fork with one tine just a prong?”

I think it’s had five big rides since the last rebuild (on warranty thank god) and touch wood it’s feeling great.

And it’s a strut. A strut.

Prong rider or strut slut?

How would this compare to the Scalpel 2?

https://www.bird.bike/aeris-120/

650b

Is 650b to be avoided like the plague?

"sticker shock"

I've only now discovered the meaning of that phrase. I genuinely thought you were still talking about wheel decals :D

Nah, they're fine

Just small. Less suited to the longer natural stuff.

Bird are really sorted. I used to ride at Swinley with Dan who does their suspension designs - very much a thinking person.

The only 29er I can find on their site is this one, which appears to have too much travel: https://www.bird.bike/aeris-am9/

There's nothing wrong with 650b at all just depends how you want a bike to feel. 650b would arguably be a more fun bike.

More trail bike and less marathon friendly. It’s for people who ride an hour of road or cross country to get to their trail centre - like me :)

Very similar to my Habit in terms of angles and layout. Single bottle cage.

I've only now discovered the meaning of that phrase. I genuinely thought you were still talking about wheel decals :D

You'll have another one when I tell you have removed them from mine....

So that Scott which can move between 150 and 120 is genuinely versatile and conceivably a good choice? Or do Scott smell?

Depends if you want to carry around the extra heft a good 150mm platform requires.

Sounds like my answer should be no?

I like the look of Scott genius plus bike. But proprietary front/rear lockout system is often marmite though it makes sense to me.

IIRC it can also be set up for 29er.

Or a Santa Cruz tall boy or Hightower

Sounds like my answer should be no?

Yeah I think so. Unless you pay a lot of money to get the lighter versions of the bike. You can't buy away the extra complexity it brings and the forks don't adjust travel to match. So it's not like it switches in to an XC short travel mode. It's more like an advanced 'climb' mode.

Cannondale do something similar with their burlier trail bikes.

120mm full-ssu 29er.

Going back to the original question in the SDW thread

What would be the best, reasonably priced modern bike for the type of terrain we rode today?

Then yes

120mm full sus 29er

Is the sweet spot

It's difficult to find a truly bad mtb these days, so it's really down to budget, looks, and which brands you like.

did a tiny part of SDW on a road bike with 28mm slick tyres yest (lol) it looked like a lot of fun for people who were riding an MTB there

i have nothing to add here