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

First ride today on new carbon rims and 1X10. Very different. Noice. So much sun, too. Peaslake for the win.

Did my first 'proper' Mtb ride of the year today. 3 1/2 hours round Surrey Hills. Lovely day, complete with a couple of frights where the trails have eroded. Wrecked now though. Sitting on the train eating everything I can find.

Which trails had eroded?

Yoghurt pot and summer lightning- in both cases where roots are now waaaay more exposed. Or I'm just riding badly. Found a drop off near the bottom of SL which I swear wasn't there before- looks like the earth on the 'other' side of some roots has been worn away.

Anyone have any experience of the hella cheap Vee tyres on CRC? Not even a review in cyrillic to base my purchase on.

First crash at penmachno on Friday, I clipped a pedal and flew over the bars, luckily no real damage, lots of adrenalin.

Anyone have any experience of the hella cheap Vee tyres on CRC?

Dunno, but every time I go cheap on tyres I regret it.

it's hard work out there - though my memory may be a little affected by my suffering from giardia when i was there

I think On-One's Floater 26x4.0" tyres are made by Vee. The rubber compound's good enough; the tread pattern was designed for On-One by Shiggy Pearson and Shaggy Ross; The bead is notorious for not seating well on On-One's stock fatty rims leaving a noticeably un-round tyre with potential for the top of the rim to wear away the sidewall, but they seem to seat better on Weinmann DHL80 rims.

Assuming you're not buying tyres for a fatbike, I'd probably go for a pair of the Michelins CRC have heavily discounted.

I've had to reduce my bike collection, so the mountain bike, being least used, was sold. However, I reckon my SSCX frame and fork will clear a 1.9" tyre (albeit with a load of toe overlap).

Some big tyres (relatively speaking) and a Jones bar procured at a decent price on eBay should turn it into a slightly more capable proto-mountain bike suitable for bashing around the woods.

Unfortunately it's slim pickings with 700c/29er tyres between 40mm and 2.1".

any one know what size bolts these are

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/hope-pro-2-threaded-axle-bolts/rp-prod18758

m15 m35 etc ?
8mm allen head M10 x 1.5 bolts is mentioned lower down but i've seen other numbers mentioned

has anyone tried the Calibre Bossnut?

Can anyone recommend me a dropper seatpost, my specialized one that came on my stumpy has been shit since day 1.

I took mine out to measure and they are M10 diameter, 35mm long. I think the pitch of thread is indeed 1.5mm. You might be able to use these ones:

http://www.tartybikes.co.uk/bolts/probolt_m10_x_35_titanium_1/c521p10105.html

But any bike shop with a Hope account could get the proper Hope product for you. Try Blue Door Bicycles if you are in south-east London.

Ask @mmccarthy about the one he is using. It's a mechanical dropper that is essentially the same as the Gravity Dropper and apparently very reliable.
If you have many spondoolas to spend I highly rate the Thomson Elite Dropper.

I've got one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IN-STOCK-2015-TMARS-619-3Q-REMOTE-27-2mm-DROPPER-SEATPOST-3-HEIGHTS-/281151027785?hash=item4175e83a49:g:h64AAOSwxH1UJEzz

Simple, cheap, basic and easy to maintain & service (a full service on mine takes about 15 minutes doing it myself).

I think most people are either in the mechanical or hydraulic camp. Mechanicals need looking after little and (relatively often). Whereas (in my opinion) hydraulics are need bigger (more expensive) services less often.

Like @t_w says, if you've got the cash to spend, go for the Thomson. If you want to do it on a budget or just prefer something that's easy to work on, go for a mechanical.

Thanks for the recommendations!

I have a Reverb post. Can't fault it. Have had to bleed it once and it was a painless process.

I haz cheap black straight steerer 120mm Rebas with 20mm axle together with Mavic 717s on Hope Pro2 Evo with stans tubeless rim strip converters . They're not Fox or white but........

General consensus appears to be 120mm is best.

Heading to Peaslake again tomorrow, it my go to so I know most of the trails, but have seen a few new ones have been popping up. Any clues as to location greatly recived! meeting down there at 10.30 if anyone want to join.

Cheers

Heading to Bedgebury tomorrow. Anyone have a sense of how muddy it will be? Was in Kent today and walking trails are swamps.

First post clock change post work ride around Holmbury and Peaslake this Eve. Ahhh beautiful sunset, much Zen. Beer in the Volunteer tasted better than ever.

I'm going to sell my Surly Ogre. can anyone give an idea of how much I should ask?

Size?