fartymarty profile

IMO bar width should relate to shoulder width.  I have fairly wide shoulders and ride 780s which feel comfortable.

What is everyone's shoulder widths (measured arms down against a wall) v bar widths?  

The other way to measure would be to let your arms drop and get someone to measure outside to outside.

I use schradders so they're super easy to clean out and get less gunked up.

Something a riding buddy put me on to... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.probikegarage.app

We're lucky to be allowed* out to ride so don't take the piss.

* at least in the UK anyway for solo rides.

At least LBS's can remain open  https://singletrackworld.com/2020/03/bike-shops-classed-as-essential-service-may-remain-open/

The UK is now on lockdown but you are allowed out to exercise once a day.  For me this will be local XC rides during the day (work the extra in the evening).

The UK is now on lockdown but you are allowed out to exercise once a day.  For me this will be local XC rides during the day (work the extra in the evening).

Joe is a bit of a gearbox fan.  We talked gearboxes and the like when I did my demo ride.  I think this is the reason for doing more standard sizes so he can focus on the more interesting projects like https://m.pinkbike.com/news/starlings-new-170mm-29er-with-a-gearbox-bespoked-show-2019.html

For me a high pivot Murmur with gearbox would be the "forever" bike.

We used a chain breaker the other night to single speed an eagle where the mech had fallen apart on a FS bike.  It got my riding buddy through the ride.

I also carry a few extra links (and quick link in my key ring) incase I bend / break a chain.

We were riding the last two nights (Surrey, UK) and will continue to do so until the government advised not to.  After that I guess we play it by ear.

Andrew,

http://www.tedjamesdesign.com/portfolios/29-gnar/ 
Fits the bill quite nicely. It's a little Mad Max (which I quite like) and semi reversable.

A cheaper alternative would be the superstar components slackerizer headset. It should be model T7-2, based on the details you posted:

https://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/slackerizer-angle-headset.htm

I have just put a Superstar angle set in my frame to replace a Works.  So far so good and it was £10 cheaper than the Works.

Posted by: michel77

Posted by: fartymarty

Hey man, thanks. I love it at 130mm, it's pretty much perfect for what I use it for now.

When the Surface was my only bike (for 3 years basically) and I was trying to hang with the guys on bigger bikes, and I'm talking good riders on Nomads and Yeti SB150's, I needed everything I could get. The Fox 36 at 150mm was great for smashing like that but having the Smuggler for that stuff now (and still not keeping up lol), this is where the Surface shines for sure. It can still handle most everything but it's noticeably better on steeper climbs, and it just feels right.

130mm is a nice amount of travel for a "do it all" HT.

My Krampus HT is no longer... its now has a rigid fork as the Pike went onto the Starling Murmur I got in April last year.  I do miss it but would rather have two very different bikes than just one.

@Michel77 Nice Surface. How do you find it at 130mm? I was running my Krampus at 120mm before I put the Pike on my new bouncy bike and really liked the shorter travel.

I've just got a Lezyne 1800i.  1800 proper lumens for €150. I have it helmet mounted and my old lights on the bars.

Posted by: grambo

Posted by: cerealkilla_

And don't think the bespectacled protectors of the frogs who hate all bikes aren't just rubbing their grubby little hands together...

Awesome post that perfectly sums up my feelings and fears on this subject. Nothing to do with getting passed by ebikers (I personally don't give a shit, but I worry about perception by other user groups getting dusted by these guys on Old Buck/BP(s)/single track).

Awesome to see UROC making an unequivocal statement for Cumberland Community Forest... Non-motorized = NO ebikes.

I also agree with cerealkilla_ like it or not ebikes are a sub category of mountain bikes and we need to work together to maintain trail access.

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: nouseforaname

I think some folks just hope that by dropping the gear inches, climbs will stop sucking as much. They don't, the suck just goes on for longer.

the best thing about pushing yourself a bit more is that the climbs get easier and suck less as you get better even though you're actually putting out more effort at the improved pace. pushing hard when you're fit is way easier than pushing hard when you're not.

Climbs don't get easier they just take less time.  They still hurt.

I don't notice the lack of travel as it is really progressive.  What I do miss is the slacker HA and longer WB.  It is a bit twitchier at high speed but not a deal breaker.

Another thing to consider would be an angle set.  I have a Works -2 and it drops the bars and steepens the STA.

Plus my terrain (in Surrey UK) doesn't warrant much more than 120mm (I have just changed back to Pikes after 2 months rigid)

Posted by: RAHrider

120 fork on a "hardcore" hardtail is too short IMO. I have a honzo that is supposed to run 120. When I got it I accidentally put a 140 on it (I thought it was a 120 but when I was measuring it in the process of replacing the fork realized what I had been riding). I set my DVO to 130 when I put it on and have found it shorter than I would like ever since. 

On the other hand I suspect 180 would be too much to my liking. I think 140-160 is the sweet spot. Too short and it makes it difficult to carry speed when the going gets rough. Too long and you lose the fun of riding a hardtail.

IMO it depends on your bike and set up.  I was running my 29HT with 140 bit it looped out too much on climbs.  I now run it at 120mm with a Debonair air spring in my Pikes and them stuffed full of tokens.  It has better mid stroke support and hardly ever bottoms out.

Get a DHR2 in 3.0 or Bonty SE5 if you want something similar but not Maxxis.