Mountain Biking

Soldato
Joined
9 Apr 2007
Posts
13,536
Getting impatient waiting for parts to become available.
Probably keep my Hope brakes I have now V2 front M4 rear. Do love Hope brakes.
 
Soldato
Joined
10 Oct 2006
Posts
3,567
applied an invisiframe kit today to my SC Hightower.. Instructions stated .. can take anything from 45mins to 3 hours. More like 4-6 hours!:rolleyes:

I just did the same took 4-5 hours total pain, I ended up with a few water bubbles on the top/down tube that appeared 15-20mins later they are luckily clearing up as the water evaporates. Should have paid the bike shop to do it but they had a 4 week back log and I wanted to ride the bike !
 
Soldato
Joined
23 Jun 2004
Posts
4,673
Location
Blackburn
Those Hope brakes do look immense! I have been considering a brake upgrade recently too having ridden enough on the Tektro M275 to realise where they are good and where not so much. The pads have fidget room in the caliper as they are merely secured with a single pin that you bend at the end so do end up rubbing on a a larger 180mm over bumps which I've started to find annoying!

I'll be weighing up options from Magura, Hope and Shimano

A small amount of movement from the pads is quite common. Magura and Shimano brakes have this but you can't feel it when riding. Can't comment on the Hope brakes as I haven't used them since using Mono 6 Ti's about 15 year ago and can't remember if they had pad movement or not.
 

mrk

mrk

Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
100,310
Location
South Coast
Stock lead times of 8-12 weeks I've been seeing!

Out of interest, what sort of riding do you do?

I'm following your broom bike with interest as I have an old (10yo) halfords special which I'm using until I prove to myself that this isn't a passing interest before I buy something proper, and I keep having to stop myself form buying stuff like pedals and grips because it's probably not going be anywhere near as useful as buying a proper bike! I have many urges to buy bits but fortunately you're doing the same so it quenches my need for upgrades :D

After brakes, do you think there's anything you'll look to change or will that be 'it'?

:D

Currently I ride with a mate within the local areas consisting of some connecting roads, woodland trails, single track trails and gravel/dirt cutting in and around conversation parks and the local reserve. The reserve is the largest place close to home but all of these are perfect hardtail surfaces really.

For me I was always gonna upgrade bits on the bike as my ability/experience grew, think I said this way back too. The frame is the same as what they use on the higher end models (QR vs thru axle withstanding) so is otherwise modern geometry, it will take a tapered head tube fork so again in future if I wanted an even better fork my option is are there.

As a fairly lightweight hardtail I do like this though, and have no intention of replacing it. The colour theme is what I like especially and cannot get this on any other model so in a way I'm kinda stuck with this, not a bad thing I guess as there are plenty of options to. Plus for the total value/spend on it so far I don't think you can get many bikes out there with the same upgrade components without jumping into the £2000+ range?

After brakes that's more or less it really. No interest in a dropper post, been playing around with fast descents in Alver Valley as they have a number of steep bumpy hills and I have no problem with getting behind and below the seat in its normal position (I am 5ft 8").

Suppose the only thing I might upgrade to in the further future is a wider range 12 speed cassette now that I have the Hope Hub as can simply swap out the freehub body to the XD driver and get the 520% range off the Eagle GX cassette.

but you can't feel it when riding

Oh you can definitely feel pad movement on these. It's not an issue that affects the performance or riding though but is something I've been noticing more and more as riding harder around the same locations now to he point it is just a bit annoying.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Apr 2012
Posts
4,067
Well, as my last little bit of crypto bullrun profit taking... I'm building a new bike.

Frame lands tomorrow! Can't wait.

Bought:
- Deviate Highlander 140mm (Matt Black)
- Fox Float X2
- Hope F20 Pedals (Purple)
- Hope Carbon Handlebars
- Hope AM-FR 35mm Stem (Purple)
- Hope Headset (Purple)
- Hope 4 Pro Hubs (Purple)
----------------------------
Soon:
- Fox 36 Factory Grip2 160mm in Black
----------------------------
Left to buy / find:
- Groupset: Shimano XT 12 Speed
- Brakes: Hope Tech3 E4 (Purple) 180 back, 203 front, both Purple.
- Seatpost: Fox Transfer Dropper, Kashima coating
- Cranks: Hope (Purple)
- Grips: Hope? Open to recommendations... May go black on these tbh.
- Wheels: EX511 Rear & XM481 Front
- Tyres: Recommendations? Going to go Tubeless.
 
Soldato
Joined
21 Oct 2011
Posts
21,592
Location
ST4
Those Hope brakes do look immense! I have been considering a brake upgrade recently too having ridden enough on the Tektro M275 to realise where they are good and where not so much. The pads have fidget room in the caliper as they are merely secured with a single pin that you bend at the end so do end up rubbing on a a larger 180mm over bumps which I've started to find annoying!

I'll be weighing up options from Magura, Hope and Shimano as want to keep my current rotors just upgrade levers and calipers.

In the meantime changed pedals from the cheap aluminium ones which served well but got scuffed too easily pealing off the paint and had not so grippy pins to Tag Metals T3 nylon which have much gripper pins and are a slightly wider platform too.

pedals_tag-metals-t3.jpg

I was looking at those Tag Metals T3 pedals the other day, gutted to see that they don't come in orange. Oh well, the search for matching orange grips and pedals goes on.
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Mar 2008
Posts
9,181
What tyres are people using? I'm after some recommendations.

I'm fairly new to mountain biking and I'm big (110kg) and unfit. I ride mainly fire trails with a bit of more off-road stuff, and a bit of tarmac.

I picked up a cheap 2nd hand Voodoo Bizango that came with 2.35" Michelin Wild Rock'R 2s. The tyres feel like they're sucking themselves to the ground, which is good and bad. I'm holding back the guys I ride with and (while weightloss and fitness are the priority) something a bit faster would be great.
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Oct 2011
Posts
4,126
Location
London
Morning all, hope people don't mind me asking some Q's in here.

I'm after a fairly cheap and standard bikestand, any suggestions? Around £20 would be ideal, something not too obtrusive storage wise either as our flat with balcony is a bit on the small side. I've seen one on Planet X for around £30, but it might be a bit big.
 

mrk

mrk

Man of Honour
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
100,310
Location
South Coast
For tyres I'm really impressed with the Schwalbe Rocket Ron. Good rolling resistance but at the same time sticky grip too, plus they look mean without having bright distracting printing on the sidewalls. Good balance all round I'd say and the price is excellent too.

Morning all, hope people don't mind me asking some Q's in here.

I'm after a fairly cheap and standard bikestand, any suggestions? Around £20 would be ideal, something not too obtrusive storage wise either as our flat with balcony is a bit on the small side. I've seen one on Planet X for around £30, but it might be a bit big.

Just a stand for storage or workstand? I have the workstand from Planet-X which was £50 including a torque wrench set and both are really excellent that I've made a lot of use of for bike cleaning and maintenance.

If just storage then I got this stand off Amazon and again it's compact and excellent and usable for working on the bike too without the bulk of a workstand (with some limitations obviously):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06Y1YX87S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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