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

I completely agree with DJ. get the remote. nothing more scary than controlling with one hand at speed!

Mmmm, I can see where you're coming from.

My thought on it was that being singlespeed and rigid there's minimal cabling/hosing on the bike just now and kinda wanted to keep it that way.

I guess if I'm forking out for one then maybe worth getting one where remote lever is at least an option.

If only I could find somewhere that does 0% and has the 27.2 Thomson in stock.

This is so rad

Run the cable internally? (might need some stealthy drilling)

No one's actually answered if droppers are worth having?

I want one, at the moment sometimes I put my saddle down for mountainbiking and it stays like that for a month or so, which puts me off commuting through parks because it's too low for the easy ride to work, then I put it up for a couple of months and have some exciting visits to the trails when I am basically wedged on the seat... The idea of dropping £200 because i can't be arsed to move my saddle more regularly irks me (if I could find a cheap one for £100 or less I'd buy one in an instant)...

I don't think the Thomson Covert comes in 27.2 unfortunately.

@Khornight2

Droppers are totally worth having. Like many advances people who don't have one will say they are not needed. But they are a huge bonus and aid riding over technical sections, pump tracks etc.

When riding along without one you are not likely to lower your saddle for mildly technical bits where you are out of the saddle. When you have one it is so easy to do and then the moment you return to seated pedalling you can pop the saddle back up. Just getting the saddle down by a couple of inches means you can use your body more to conserve momentum and move the bike around more nimbly.

Dropper are worth it, but they are also a pain. They go wrong, a lot.

This was another reason for considering the Gravity Dropper over the Thomson, it's a more basic design but that could/should mean less to go wrong and easier to fix if it does.

I've found the Thomson at a decent price from Leisure Lakes and they'll let me pay for it over 6 months at 0% which makes the price a bit easier to swallow but they don't have stock until at least the 20th.

Excellent! Anticlockwise is probably quickest with steep pushes up followed by nice long descents where-as clockwise is more rideable with 'techy' descents but a fair bit of soul-crushing draggy climbs :)

Altering saddle height during a ride = Dropper post

Altering saddle height between rides = Quick-release clamp

Droppers are great for steep & technical riding. If I did any riding that fit that description, then I'd probably get one.

Altering saddle height during a ride = Dropper post

Altering saddle height between rides = Quick-release clamp

Unless your ride consists of riding up one big mountain and then back down again. In which case, quick-release clamp :-)

I have a dropper on my fun biek, XC race bike has no dropper and won't get one.

I have the 'lever under the crotch' type, and TBH, it's fine. I don't feel that it affects the experience much. It's also never gone wrong, despite being Crank Bros, but this probably comes down to me meeting Crank Bros' assumptions about the users of their silly parts - that they weigh nothing.

If that's of any help, bike24 has the 27.2 in stock at what turns out to be ~260£ which is cheaper that what I could find in the UK.

weigh nothing

It's true. Howard doesn't even put any air in his forks.

Cheers but if I go for the Thomson I'ma need to pay for it over a few months at least so need somewhere that does 0%.

Just the negative chamber, yo

ESIs are great but their consistency can be changeable. I have one pair that is a lot softer than the others have been.

I saw someone racing XC with a dropper at the weekend at Windmill Hill - it wasn't 'necessary' but he was faster than me! Personaly I don't want one because I fear needing it ever after plus I only ride XC stuff.

what do people think of the On One lurcher or similar Chinese carbon hardtail? are they worth the small amount of money they cost? Is it a good way of getting a nice very light 29er?

I had one for a year, I rode it a lot, and threw a lot of rough Welsh trail at it, and it was fine. The only big downside is the shitty press-fit bottom bracket. If you can find a frame with a threaded BB, then go for that, otherwise expect to be replacing the BB pretty often.

ok, good to know. thanks!
I'm now looking at this.
http://www.hongfu-bikes.com/html_products/2013-29ER-Axle-MTB-Frame-HF-FM057-284.html

there's a BSA option for it too.

Hi every body.

I'm planning to do a bikepack mtb unsupported race this summer. I have all the bikepacking stuff, but... I need some advises for the bike i'll use.
I needa buy new one.. Which one would you in hardtail 29e?
Im a bit on a budget

Ah, I weigh the opposite... Tending towards infinity rather than zero.

I imagine after the divide I'll weight the same as 2 Gabes!

On One Inbred if you don't mind a bit of weight. Probably can get one secondhand for less than your bikepacking gear cost.

Thanks. :) I will check this.
I've got a sponsor for the bikepacking stuff