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

leave them on Layhams

Or if your extra lucky on the corner of Skid Hill/Beddlested, so you at least can't see them and hit them at full speed, like my mate did when someone dumped a fuck ton of gravel there, he ended up sliding off the road right by the Col marker ironically.

I've been running around on a Cotic Solaris Max for the last year, and a different steel hardtail for a good few years previously and have finally succumbed. A dodgy ankle and knee + starting to ride a bit more gnar meant it was time to embrace more squish.

Just built this up - only been for a local pootle so far but hope to get out to Surrey next week. Slightly daunted by the setup options on the rear shock. Will probably end up setting up too stiff and as I get used to the back wheel moving slowly soften it to provide that floaty maic carpet feel I dream of enjoying.

Only thing I need is shorter cranks - the 175's that are on there are pedal strike hell. Anyone got any cheap 165's knocking about? A couple years back I got some nice Deore ones for £50ish new - but today looks like more than double that with rings. Thanks Brexit.

Can't wait to give it a proper ride soon

Managed to get an hour in on it earlier in the local woods. I forgot to loctite the grub screw for the HBO adjuster, so had go home and sort that out before it fell off. After that, everything was great. It's incredibly supple and then very supportive through the rest of the travel which is really confidence inspiring. The HBO is genuinely magic, I overcooked a jump deliberately and did a low speed drop to flat, both times the HBO just softened the bottom out perfectly. When I've done the same on a Debonair spring, I either get a horrible thud at bottom out, or never reach full travel but get punched in the arms by the ramp up.
Still need to play with damping but so far it's really nice to feel the adjusters actually doing something, rather than being hidden behind loads of seal stiction. I'm using way more HSC and conversely less LSC than with the old airspring, feels so much better

Hi all,
I'm thinking about getting into mountain biking and I don't know if I will like it, nor if I will do it a lot.
I wanted to buy a second hand bike and got my eye in a cheap Wilier 18 Carati. It's from 2008 or something, had 26 inch wheels (v brake, but there are dis brake tabs) and it has a seized front shock
The bike looks pretty shitty tbh but it's relatively cheap (like less then 100 euros).
Do you all reckon I should go ahead and buy it, maybe upgrade the groupset and convert to disk brake? Or would it be a better idea to get a newer 27.5 or 29er?

I wouldn't buy anything that was both 26" and fucked tbh

For 100€ I'd hire something good, at a trail centre, rather than buying an old nail. Will give you an idea of what it's about, and will enable you to decide whether you like it.

You are unlikely to discover you like mountain biking if you try it out on a fucked up old 26er, more likely you will be “this is hard and unpleasant”.

Either borrow a decent bike from a friend or hire something or bite the bullet and buy a not fucked 29er.

Speaking as someone who recently went from riding a fucked 26er to riding a proper swish 29er, the difference is night and day, and it’s way more fun with a better bike.

I had to move some stuff around in the garage today and it's moved the manual machine to the front - this was fun but not something I'm likely to use again, does anyone want it?

I’d have taken it off your hands but it’s a bit far to collect! You planning on a jaunt to FOD any time soon?

Going on a family holiday to near Landudec in Brittany later this year. Are there any good trail centres in Brittany? Preferably more trail riding than downhill and uplift.

I’d have taken it off your hands but it’s a bit far to collect! You planning on a jaunt to FOD any time soon?

Soonest that I'm anywhere near is my trip to Bike Park Wales on the 13th. I'll be stopping off en-route (not sure whether on the way or on the way back) in Bristol to collect my Klein.

@Dammit Did it enable you to learn how to manual?

Damn it dammit

There are no tickets for BPW that day.

😟

Nice, I love a Transition. Don't be scared by what seems to be a very high sag figure, they don't wallow and even the short travel versions feel bottomless

How fucked will this be after it has sat in my mum's garage for 18 months?

Least it wasn't put away wet...

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Very easily unfucked. I doubt it will need more than the tyres pumped up.
I'm amazed that you use those quest pro tyres though, you must live in California.

Very sorry to say that in the past 18 months, your wheel size has become obsolete

The brakes might need a bleed....

The brakes might need a bleed

Ironically, the one bit I expect not to have to dick with

Does anyone know a new enduro bike or frameset in XL for sale somewhere? Preferably something like a Trek Slash, nothing too fancy. In aluminium and preferably in Europe.
Looks like really everything is sold out.

I'm selling a Santa Cruz 5010 v3 frameset in XL... pm me for deets

Done

Thanks - just been for a first proper spin and it certainly rips - not just over roots and rocks, but just grip for days over everything. I made a good decision.

Found some Chinese 170 cranks in the parts bin, and that seems to have somewhat solved pedal bashing. Will stick with them a while longer before deciding on something more bling in due course.

Also - the bluebells on the east side of Mickleham down are on point right now.

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Looks lovely. 👍