[fatkid2000]

this, however is the daddy

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/fox-shox/36-talas-rc2-fork-ec016092

and I really need to go and find some work to do....

Here we go again - fatdoc needs another trip to 18bikes!!!!!

How many forks do you have in the garage???? And how old is that Magura??

Now go and do some work & stop day dreaming.

[Bubba]

Jon don't ever become an audiophile is all I can say!

[Oli]

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/marzocchi/55-ata2-ec001692

Aren't all the 2008 'zocchis supposed to have major QC issues? With huge amounts of play in the bushings being considered 'normal'? SouthernDownhill consensus seems to be avoid.

36's sound good...

[fatkid2000]

Here's a link for fatdoc to help his slight equipment buying fetish....

http://www.priorygroup.com/forms/AddictionsAssessment.asp

[fatdoc]

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/marzocchi/55-ata2-ec001692

Aren't all the 2008 'zocchis supposed to have major QC issues? With huge amounts of play in the bushings being considered 'normal'? SouthernDownhill consensus seems to be avoid.

36's sound good...

cheers Oli...

probs why it's sooo cheap...

I'm in a quandry about 36s: i would prefer air, i would prefer a 20mm axle... but that's no biggie the 15mm fox ones can be sorted with spacers to fit my Hope hub I believe... and a 6" post mount so i dont have to upsize my Hope 185mmm to 203mm as i believe you have to do to go post mount to IS...

another way to go is too finally just accept i cant climb (on a mtb that is..   ) and get a coil 140mm fixed length. I really wish i didnt seem to have developed an allergy to rockshox.... but after 3 pairs of pikes going back this spring i'm never getting them again...

reason for daydream??? I dont like having to use the compression damping to the degree you have to to stop the fork diving... yet it seems quite slow through the stroke... wnat it more lively but not linear
I'll try some different settings (again) but if i cant get happy with it may as well sell it on IMO... has to be said... an adjustable non rockshox through axle coil is really what i'd like to try....

[Oli]

Probably the wrong MTB thread really, but;
What do you gurus make of this?
http://www.southerndownhill.com/forum/index.php/topic,174050.0.html

I'm quite tempted. But slightly pricy (although it does look mint)? Non replaceable rear drop outs. Usually single pivot disadvantages. It does look in good nick and it's been upgraded to a DHX5 which is a bonus.

Anyone ridden one for sizing ideas?

[fatdoc]

i've sat on one, tlr has one.
i'm 5 ft 7, i'll be wanting a small than??

i always wanted a bullett. IMO this frame is the best one they ever did.. the new one is too steep and jacks up too much and in reality the unique position it had in the marketplace has now been flooded by all and sundry

this frame:

is worn but a manual tied to it??

looks in good nick

i'd be a hardnosed, lets face it they are reasonably common if you are patient in SDH, £300  - 325 posted, with seatpost and front mech... it's an iconic but old used frame at the end of the day

[Oli]

i'd be a hardnosed, lets face it they are reasonably common if you are patient in SDH, £300  - 325 posted, with seatpost and front mech... it's an iconic but old used frame at the end of the day

I might email the chap and see what he's prepared to do. I'd need to justify it to myself somehow... and then find some decent forks to build it up with. I think my old pair of Stratos mx6's wouldn't quite cut it.

[Norton Sharley]

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/marzocchi/55-ata2-ec001692

Aren't all the 2008 'zocchis supposed to have major QC issues? With huge amounts of play in the bushings being considered 'normal'? SouthernDownhill consensus seems to be avoid.

36's sound good...

 

is there even any point in trying to influence your decision?  no

cheers Oli...

probs why it's sooo cheap...

I'm in a quandry about 36s: i would prefer air, i would prefer a 20mm axle... but that's no biggie the 15mm fox ones can be sorted with spacers to fit my Hope hub I believe... and a 6" post mount so i dont have to upsize my Hope 185mmm to 203mm as i believe you have to do to go post mount to IS...

another way to go is too finally just accept i cant climb (on a mtb that is..   ) and get a coil 140mm fixed length. I really wish i didnt seem to have developed an allergy to rockshox.... but after 3 pairs of pikes going back this spring i'm never getting them again...

reason for daydream??? I dont like having to use the compression damping to the degree you have to to stop the fork diving... yet it seems quite slow through the stroke... wnat it more lively but not linear
I'll try some different settings (again) but if i cant get happy with it may as well sell it on IMO... has to be said... an adjustable non rockshox through axle coil is really what i'd like to try....

[Yossarian]

Chicksands was fantastic today. Ok - too wet for the shore really (although it looked really good Bubba) - a mate came a bit of a cropper sliding off a fairly high ladder, but the 4X and dual courses were perfect.  They're going to extend the latter too.

The best day biking I can remember for a long time.

And I'm not in hospital.

There was also a van offering piping hot thai green curry. If you're that way inclined....

[Norton Sharley]

Sampled Dalby Forest yetsterday with Fatdoc and Fatkid and, for a trail centre, it was quite entertaining with some tricky step downs on the black.  We mainly did the red circuit so can't comment for the whole of the black.  It's long rather than hard but I would certainly rate it above Llandegla and definately better than Coed y Brenin or the Marin trail.  On the NS mtb scale 3/5 for quality and 2/5 for the red circuit technicality (3/5 for the harder black section).

And the 'Doc didn't break anything  , although I did, doh. 

[fatdoc]

fair go on the grade, though annoyingly the best bit of red is also the best of black... did black 1st time, red y'day...

i seem to have injured my left quads.. no doubt not aided by the A64 traffic & the evil clutch on the van on the way home 

[Yossarian]

after two days at coed llandegla i can offer the following observations....

my new cove that performed so well on the 4x at chicksands was a total pig to pedal uphill for any distance.  my gang spent an awful lot of time waiting for me to crawl up at a pathetic pace, and indeed spent a lot of time speculating about what deviant activity i might've been up to in the proceeding days that might've explained my performance.  smoking crack with an orgy of angolan prostitutes was the favoured explanation. 

the north shore stuff was fairly pointless.

the first little black graded section had a collection of very rocky "dirt" jumps that were not particularly pleasant, especially when you fall off the side and land on your head.  my friend big ben was in a&e this morning having his neck looked at.

winter mountain bike fashion is a terrifying thing.  norton can try to argue this one all he likes, but even the most outrageous roadie get-up (full pink once outfit included) doesn't even come close.  baggy shorts and black tights and booties and silly glasses and stretchy camo fleece combine to create a look so hideous that the united nations should really try to get together and stamp it out as soon as possible.

the dolphin in mold is a fine pub. if you like dribbling beryl cook models vomiting lager and chips trying to karaoke the summer of 69

[tlr]

Some vailid points made about Llandegla and winter fashion.

So when are you coming up to the Peak for a weekend? I thought it was going to be early December some time?

[Yossarian]

i was aiming for the 6/7th, but it depends on appeasing the GF.  especially considering the fact that i am trying to negotiate a third biking-related weekend in a row.

if i'm lucky, she'll admit that she's forgotten what i look like, in which case i will send a massively well-endowed (she will remember some characteristics i expect) gigolo along until i get bored of arriving back home late on a sunday with a car full of mud and energy bar wrappers.

are people still keen for an uplift day sometime?

[fatdoc]

6 th working 24 hr shift, 7 th daughter's birthday....


might be able to have normal early morning sunday ride.. but if i'm up all night it's a no no.

I usually dont arrange a ride in these circumstances - if it's a light shift I wander off on my own for an hour or 2, as the pace is very slow!

If i get a passout to ride trail centres within easy of reach of peak / sheff I'll not be going to llangdella, dalby is way way better.. although the whole trail centre concept is a bit MTB *lite* anyways... good once in while mind!

[Yossarian]

Ah, well, maybe the new year would be a better plan. The troops are being a bit unreliable at the moment too.

[cofe]

first ride of da year yesterday and first in about 3 months. linked the two reds at nant yr arian again. it's shocking how quickly fitness darks you. still seem able to ride the fun stuff though but got a bit over confident on some sheet ice. word.

[Yossarian]

whereabouts is that? 

and has anyone done the karrimor at coed y brenin?  i'm quite into the idea of some longer xc type things at the moment.

[cofe]

here word. bout 10 miles east of aberystwyth. got family nearby so it's handy.

in the same area the cli-machx trail just north of machynlleth is also very good. only one trail but most of the climbing is done early on - gets it out of the way - and it finishes with the longest man-made singletrack descent in wales. and it's a good one too. prefer to do nant yr arian as linking the two reds makes for a slightly longer ride.

never ridden coed y brenin. intend to this year. could probably nip down to cli-machx easy enough from CyB.

[blatant plug alert]we've a book that covers them all, obviously.[/blatant plug alert]

[Yossarian]

i know!  i must get myself a copy...

i thought coed y brenin was ok, but then we only did whatever the old over-caffeinated sugary drink company course is now called.  what used to be called the karrimor trail is meant to be great. hmmm.

[SA Chris]

I did them both on the same weekend a while back. It was the first time I had been on a bike for about 10 years, and was a shock to the system.

My first biking of New year was on the Wildcat trails at Golspie. Only did the red circuit which was good butvery treacherous in ice and frost and glad I had skill compensators on when I lost it going over a small kicker and landing on ice.

[fatdoc]

I did them both on the same weekend a while back. It was the first time I had been on a bike for about 10 years, and was a shock to the system.

My first biking of New year was on the Wildcat trails at Golspie. Only did the red circuit which was good butvery treacherous in ice and frost and glad I had skill compensators on when I lost it going over a small kicker and landing on ice.

 

i know how who feel, i washed out on a well easy, though sodden, trail yesterday. have to say I'm just soo damn chuffed to have been ill for the last 3 weeks of still, dry weather to then finally get out to a day of harsh westerly winds, hidden sheet ice and a bit if sleet.... bollocks.

[SA Chris]

Was it as bad as this?



That's frost btw, not snow.



Mate's pics from just before New Year.

[Norton Sharley]

Nah, can't of been that bad.  At least FD wears baggies over his leggings and non-roadie shoes and helmet 

Good piccies though Chris, especially those on t'other thread.

Karrimor is now the black trail called Dragons Back I believe.  I thought the first hour getting out to the 'Uncle Fester' descent was utterly boring being almost entirely forest 4x4 track.  If you do go there I would thoroughly recommend shortcutting this section between Hermon and Gomez- I've not done this shortcut but it must be possible given all the forest trails.  Add on the MBR trail to make a good day out (The Beast).  I guess with the shortcut this would take around 2.5-3 hours.

Apparently work is ongoing on Uncle Fester section too so until that is finished I'd go to a different centre, check out the forestry commission website.  Or up Snowdon.