[fatdoc]

attack trail....

so not a million miles away in terms of budget 

[Bubba]

Also consider Iron Horse MK III / Intense 5.5 ?

[fatkid2000]

The blur LT this year has a virtual pivot - is this any better than the single pivot?

[Oli]

 VPP should reduce pedal feedback, although how well it actually works I don't know.
Ellsworth make some really nice bikes as well, just to potentially confuse matters more...
www.freeborn.co.uk

I want a Dare, and maybe a Ti Truth for some XC... But can't see it happening.

[fatkid2000]

There's a a review of the Santa Cruz in 'shift' - a new magazine from bike radar & bike magic websites. The review is very positive. Think I may stick with the Marin - once the wife to be has emptied my bank account. You'd never guess that she goes to work!!!!

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/uan/3227

[Bubba]

VPP is meant to be really good, though i've never ridden a bike with it on myself. It's good enough for the V10 and the VP Free so I think it'll probably work fine.

[yoda]

I was wondering if some one could help me.I have a Marin Northtrail hardtail,Im from a bmx background I knew very little about mountain bikes when I bought the bike and although I'm very happy with the frame (it suits me down to the ground) the forks are crap,they are 120mm and seem to bottom out when I bunnyhop,Is there a decent set of forks that any one could reccomend that are reatively cheap? preferably under £200 quid??

[SA Chris]

What forks are they? It could just be a case of adjusting the set up?

[fatboySlimfast]

if theyre bottoming when you bunny hop then there
a)fucked
b)got the wrong spring rate, too soft
c)if they are air, not enough air
Compression, rebound etc etc adjusting would not do anything to stop this.

[Bubba]

You should be able to get some forks to do the job for under £200 - i'm not sure what to recommend exactly, i'll leave that to the doc.

[fatdoc]

VPP is meant to be really good, though i've never ridden a bike with it on myself. It's good enough for the V10 and the VP Free so I think it'll probably work fine.

I'd ride that blur fatkid... getting demos on them is not easy, and it's a great oppertunity. I know there are similar travel *bespoke* american frames out there... ellsworth etc... you'll be paying out more for sure.

This is an oppertune moment for me to remind you to set your budget 1st, choose the bike second.!!

[fatdoc]

I was wondering if some one could help me.I have a Marin Northtrail hardtail,Im from a bmx background I knew very little about mountain bikes when I bought the bike and although I'm very happy with the frame (it suits me down to the ground) the forks are crap,they are 120mm and seem to bottom out when I bunnyhop,Is there a decent set of forks that any one could reccomend that are reatively cheap? preferably under £200 quid??

We need:

make and brand of fork, your weight, the colour of coil  spring inside (if you're much over the *stock* weight of 11 stone that near all bikes are set up for) of the air pressures in the fork if it's air sprung.

This is not normal for your fork. However, are you sure it's bottoming out? Some forks do *clunk*....

If you want some new forks for £200 I'm sure we can point you in the right direction  Lets see if we can sort the one's you've got 1st...

[Norton Sharley]

The blur LT this year has a virtual pivot - is this any better than the single pivot?

At the risk of being bollocked as usual the last few years' Blurs have had VPP, although perhaps not in the UK?

Anyway, I know a man who had an original Blur xc, with vpp, and was very happy with it except that the head angle was a bit steep and the bearings wore too quick.  He then got a Blur LT with Pikes which fell apart so got replaced with 36's.  He reckoned the LT was better due to slacker head angle.  I never got to ride it cos it was an XL, and I'm not!

Also know someone with a Nomad, which he reckoned was brilliant, so vpp probably does work.

[Norton Sharley]

I was wondering if some one could help me.I have a Marin Northtrail hardtail,Im from a bmx background I knew very little about mountain bikes when I bought the bike and although I'm very happy with the frame (it suits me down to the ground) the forks are crap,they are 120mm and seem to bottom out when I bunnyhop,Is there a decent set of forks that any one could reccomend that are reatively cheap? preferably under £200 quid??

I'm not sure about decent and relatively cheap in the same sentence?  Marzocchi MX Pro are unbeatable value for <£200 but are only 100mm I think.  As the boys say, fix yours instead or spend £300 on some Fox's?

[Bubba]

Or buy 2nd hand - Fatdoc probably has a whole rack of forks waiting to be sold

[fatboySlimfast]

off the top of my head, lying round in his garage are
1x minutes
1x coil pikes
2 x possibly nasty pair of of triple clamps

[fatdoc]

before you all get some twats to break into my garage

(wont be the first time) - and my house insurance is bad enough as it is - i have no items of worth in my garage.

 

[fatdoc]

Right,

seems i've got confused Re: Prophets and blurs.....  easy to do, both made by *crack and fail* look a bit similar and cost too much! sorry about that...

had  another look at it all....



Unless the ride is way better I'd get a tiawanese frame set and then use the rest of the budget on running repairs and accessories... as fatkid2000 will need a full set of MTB clothing etc...



Lets not forget the budget to start with was £1500 tops!!



So,

lets rein it all in!!

[SA Chris]

Ever hear of Titus? Friend has just got a Motolite II from Fat Treads in Aviemore, and is going on about how great it is.

[Bubba]

as fatkid2000 will need a full set of MTB clothing etc...

Yeah, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt are very expensive these days

[squeek]

as fatkid2000 will need a full set of MTB clothing etc...

Yeah, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt are very expensive these days

I go cycling in the same clothes if I'm on the road bike or the MTB.

[fatdoc]

as fatkid2000 will need a full set of MTB clothing etc...

Yeah, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt are very expensive these days

I go cycling in the same clothes if I'm on the road bike or the MTB.

NO no no......

and you bubs, you should know better 


To start,
baggies, wicking top, good shower proof (he'll simply have to have Howies, raceface just not *cool, relaxed and wealthy* enough), camelbak, summer gloves, winter gloves, spd shoes, sealskinz, multi tool, shock pump, foot pump. various spares to carry.. incl mech hanger, spare gear cable, zip ties, 2 tubes & puncture kit... + oh yeah, leg armour and elbow pads... the roadie helmet also will simply NOT do.

Look darlings, it's the whole "look" thing...

AND then...

workstand, socket set, allen keys (imp & metric just to be sure), pedal spanner, various different cleaners and lubes [stop it],

AND then...

fender / front guard, off road lights (he's got these), shades (not too roadie either). clear shades for the night, skull cap [ only piece of roadie gear allowed]




There. That's better.

Ever hear of Titus? Friend has just got a Motolite II from Fat Treads in Aviemore, and is going on about how great it is.

It is. well, one of their models that's an all MTB 5.5 inch travel is anyway. They even do it in TI...


now, fatkid....... there's a thought
 

[squeek]

To start,
baggies, wicking top, good shower proof (he'll simply have to have Howies, raceface just not *cool, relaxed and wealthy* enough), camelbak, summer gloves, winter gloves, spd shoes, sealskinz, multi tool, shock pump, foot pump. various spares to carry.. incl mech hanger, spare gear cable, zip ties, 2 tubes & puncture kit... + oh yeah, leg armour and elbow pads... the roadie helmet also will simply NOT do.

..

workstand, socket set, allen keys (imp & metric just to be sure), pedal spanner, various different cleaners and lubes [stop it],

fender / front guard, off road lights (he's got these), shades (not too roadie either). clear shades for the night, skull cap [ only piece of roadie gear allowed]

Which one of these pieces aren't roadie gear?

wicking top, summer gloves, winter gloves, spd shoes, sealskinz, multi tool, shock pump, foot pump, spare gear cable, puncture kit, workstand, socket set, allen keys (imp & metric just to be sure), pedal spanner, various different cleaners and lubes.

I'm not biased either, I wear my hydration pack on my road bike sometimes too, just like I wear my lycra tights on my MTB. 

I don't see the point in buying two lots of everything.  I only really do XC though, no DH.  I'd rather keep the money.  Nothing wrong with religiously spending all your money constantly upgrading and replacing, in fact I endorse it to keep 2nd hand prices down as I'm hoping to pick up a cheap 2nd hand full suspension bike at some point.

[fatdoc]

To start,
baggies, wicking top, good shower proof (he'll simply have to have Howies, raceface just not *cool, relaxed and wealthy* enough), camelbak, summer gloves, winter gloves, spd shoes, sealskinz, multi tool, shock pump, foot pump. various spares to carry.. incl mech hanger, spare gear cable, zip ties, 2 tubes & puncture kit... + oh yeah, leg armour and elbow pads... the roadie helmet also will simply NOT do.

..

workstand, socket set, allen keys (imp & metric just to be sure), pedal spanner, various different cleaners and lubes [stop it],

fender / front guard, off road lights (he's got these), shades (not too roadie either). clear shades for the night, skull cap [ only piece of roadie gear allowed]

Which one of these pieces aren't roadie gear?

wicking top unless assos, summer gloves, winter gloves, spd shoes, not roadie cleats, sealskinz, nah, you want overshoes for the road, multi tool, shock pump, nah -obviously, foot pump, spare gear cable, puncture kit, workstand, socket set, allen keys (imp & metric just to be sure), pedal spanner, various different cleaners and lubes.

I'm not biased either, I wear my hydration pack on my road bike sometimes too, just like I wear my lycra tights on my MTB. 

I don't see the point in buying two lots of everything.  I only really do XC though, no DH.  I'd rather keep the money.  Nothing wrong with religiously spending all your money constantly upgrading and replacing, in fact I endorse it to keep 2nd hand prices down as I'm hoping to pick up a cheap 2nd hand full suspension bike at some point.

more importantly....

I sense the lust for MTB purchase....

Budget?


Look on bikemagic classified, MBUK forum (really!) and singletrack forum... bargains abound!

[squeek]

I wear the same wicking tops doing both (and climbing and snowboarding), and have spd shoes/pedals on my road bike.

Budget for new bike will be set when my current bike needs anything replacing.  I replaced the back wheel bearings and headset bearings a month or so back, and everything is fine now. I check the bikeradar forum quite a bit.  I'll probably be looking at a light full suspension model that can do a bit of everything apart from hit the jumps and moderately serious downhill.  Something along the lines of a santa cruz superlight seems like it would fit the best, but obviously it will depend what comes up on the market when I'm looking.  I might get a new fork for my current bike, to make it last longer, I suspect the one that came with it is pretty poor (gt 6500, fork: Manitou Axel Elite).  Still get about fine on it though, especially now I've got hydraulic brakes on, best thing about the bike by far.