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

200x50/57, at 50

A higher grade stainless spring should/could be lighter than a Ti one

Well that was certainly how Fox tried to market the SLS springs but in reality they were never actually any lighter that any of the old school Ti springs from the mid early 2000's.
The weights were similar on lighter springs around 300lbs but if you needed much over 450lbs they certainly are not lighter than proper Ti springs. But it was still a fair weight saving over a standard steel spring.

Super Alloy Racing springs came on the scene with springs that were arguably lighter than normal steel springs. But they used springs that were a fair bit shorter in overall length and then used plastic spacers at either end to fit them on to a wider range of shocks.

SAR springs are produced by Eibach in Germany and its worth noting that EXT springs are also produced by Eibach. Early EXT shocks were occasionally seen with coils that were marked with a white Eibach logos before they started marking them as EXT.
My 140mm long 550lbs EXT weighs 447g. Better than the roughly 750g of a normal steel spring.
An old school Ti Spring at 550lbs would have been around 350g depending on brand.
I have shorter EXT springs that measure 117mm and rated 450lbs, they aren't easily accessible right now but I'll weigh them later.

I guess no one bothers to produce Ti springs due to the cost and that current light weight steel springs are close enough.
Theres also the fact that the quality and ride feel of air shocks massively increased over the past 10 or so years.
Coil shocks are definitely still a bit niche but they do seem to be making a bit of a come back over the past couple years. Most of the folk who switched back to coil from air like me tend to be of a certain age who never gave up saying "air shocks are shit! coil more plush!"

I'd like to try a coil sprung bike - be interesting to feel the difference.

With that said I'm also really looking forward to trying my freshly serviced Lyrik and new rear shock tomorrow in the Surrey Hills. I'm taking my waterproof onesie in order to give everyone else there a case of the LOL's.

What time is Hurtwood carpark typically full by, anyone who knows the area?

I'd like to try a coil sprung bike

You're welcome to try mine tomorrow

Depends on the weather. By 10am if it's pissing down there'll be spaces, if sunny less. There are other little parking bays in Peaslake, near the Hurtwood Inn and up Walking Bottom Lane if required.

New shock (or the setup, or both) makes the bike much poppier, getting a lot more height of little jumps than before. I’m also ~5kg lighter than when I set the pressures and I’m not wearing a full face today, so a lot of factors I suppose. It is fun.

I also gave my Deathgrips a tap with the mallet this morning before setting out and my conclusion is that they are just shit- the right one simply won’t clamp onto the bar, and when pulling up hard it will rotate.

Suggestions for grips that, well, grip are welcomed.

Hair spray and any non-lock on grips?

And only ride in the dry.

Ergons

I agree with @Dogs

I am on Ergon GA3s and love them.

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If anyone suffers from arm pump or just wants a more comfortable cockpit setup I highly recommend Rev Grips, the suspension grip. Highly effective but very expensive grip system.

Ride no-handed = win

Ranmore Common ride this Saturday:

https://www.lfgss.com/events/5604/

Thought that was my bike for a second!

Does anyone want my Swift? Large, could sell as a rolling chassis with Geoff bar cockpit, seatpost and and brakes. It's had a hard life (belonged to @platypus before me) but still rides great (#futureclassic).

Now sold

Finalised the specification for the Bird Zero AM, also paid for a pre-delivery lower leg service on the Pike Ultimate as my Lyrik is so much nicer post service. Picking it up on Saturday from their Eversley showroom place, much excite.

Hey all,

I’m emphatically a roadie, so in need of a bit of geometry advice.

Basically I might get one of the two on-one options below or any other options about the same price...

On one scandal. Which is quite well priced at the moment. Seems (from what I can find) to have fairly normal geometry, ok spec list and (critically) in stock. I’d add a dropper post.

On one Whippet Equally well priced. Seems to be quite traditional XC geo. Would also add a dropper.

I basically just ride byways on a gravel bike and would like to be a bit less battered. Would like to do occasional trips to wales/Scotland/do alfreds way etc.

Views?

Scandal takes bigger rubber and has more progressive geo so would get my vote for a small weight penalty over the Whippet.

Cheers - it does seem more versatile than the Whippet (I’m trying to not think, ‘lighter - better’)

I was also looking at the giant fathom (the new one) but practically the two aren’t hugely different spec or geometry wise. (I’d get the 29er version). Price wise, I think they’d end up pretty similarly if you factor in a dropper into the On One

Also...I cannot find the giant in stock anyway so it’s kind of a mute point...

Scandal looks a bit more versatile and comfy for longer rides. There are a couple of threads about it on the Singletrack forum that are worth checking.

Fab, checked those out - no major flags really coming from those threads!

You could get cheaper if go 2nd hand. Noticed a medium Genesis Tarn on the bearbones forum for £600 earlier. Not a lot of detail but think could get a bit cheaper if asked. But then again thats a bit different.

The scandal for me. Unfortunately it's not a good time to be getting good deals on last year's models that there are none of.

Yep, Scandal one of few bikes in stock.

How was your ride at Swinley? Find any of the old stuff?