INCOMING !! New frame day... Bird Aether 7

[Ditchfinder]

21psi? - crikey I get issues with squirming on anything less that 25! I like plenty of sidewall support I guess.

(2.3 Minion, 27mm internal rim width, 13 stone)

Oh and GWS

[weeksy]

21psi? - crikey I get issues with squirming on anything less that 25! I like plenty of sidewall support I guess.

(2.3 Minion, 27mm internal rim width, 13 stone)

Oh and GWS

I generally go about 22-24 on both mine and the lads, but i must admit i'm usually on the 24-25 for my riding, but that depends of course on where and what, if i'm riding a Ridgeway day i'll be closer to 30, if i'm riding BPW i'm usually closer to 22. Horses for courses of course.

[MingtheMerciless]

19-21 Psi on the 2.6 Rekon on the front and 28-30 Psi in the 2.2 Honey Badger on the rear. On the Enduro with 2.35 Michelins it's about 24F, 26R when playing win the rocky Dartmoor stuff.
Winter on 2.2 Michelin Wild Mud (enduro sidewall) is 18Psi.

12st fully laden and after a good meal.

[Mr Moofo]

I run at around 25 PSI on the front ( Maxxis Ardent) and around 32 on the back ( Hans Dampf)
104 kgs ...

[weeksy]

Well the new tyre is on the front. Inflated high at the moment to seat etc.

I've also stuck the Shockwiz on the rear on the DPX2. I've put a little more air in it than i had too, so curious to see how it goes.

Last job was fitting a new chain. I was getting quite a few grindy noises from the new 30T chainring, someone suggested it may be the chain, i was thinking it was the cheaper chainring i bought... but with the new chain installed, instant silence when pedalling.

It has made me think that maybe i need to re-address my lubing and not have GT-85 as my go-to. I'll look into that.

[Mr Moofo]

GT-85, whilst good for light duties, may not be ideal for Berkshire loam

[weeksy]

GT-85, whilst good for light duties, may not be ideal for Berkshire loam

Yeah i've just bought some Muc-Off C3 Ceramic Dry Lube Bike Chain Lubricant 120ml Dry-Weather Conditions.

considering i dry the bike and chain after every ride i'm thinking it'll be fine.

but has also highlighted i should change the chain on my lads bike too, as well as changing things like chains a little more often.

[Mr Moofo]

my chain gets changed every 1000 kms or so - but I do use a measuring tool ...
And I am not doing the Gnar stuff ...

[weeksy]

my chain gets changed every 1000 kms or so - but I do use a measuring tool ...
And I am not doing the Gnar stuff ...

I use one too, but mine was within limits, just really 'clunky' hence me thinking about the lube side of things.

[MingtheMerciless]

Lubes are funny things , local to me Muc-Off wet or dry ceramic stuff just causes the chain to foul horribly, fenwicks wet or Viking wet lube and the chain stays relatively clean and I use white lightning wax for the summer with similar results, go to Dartmoor and the Mucoff works very well and chain stays clean.

Different lubes for different geologys..

[weeksy]

Lubes are funny things , local to me Muc-Off wet or dry ceramic stuff just causes the chain to foul horribly, fenwicks wet or Viking wet lube and the chain stays relatively clean and I use white lightning wax for the summer with similar results, go to Dartmoor and the Mucoff works very well and chain stays clean.

Different lubes for different geologys..

Hmmm I hear that

[weeksy]

MAy not be too interesting to you lot, but was to me. Stuck the Shockwiz on as i collected it on the weekend

2021-07-09_10-46-14 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Now that's interesting to me because i stuck an extra 20psi in it as well before this ride as i thought it was a bit too soft, so from 182>198. However the Shockwiz still wants more, so i've just gone to 216psi now. Will test it tomorrow.

2021-07-09_10-46-22 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

2021-07-09_10-46-30 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Had an ace ride and with the new chain on it's quiet as a sleeping mouse . The handling wasn't tested much, but round here it's more XC than gnarly reds, so you can only ride what you have available to you

[weeksy]

Well, just to start off, if you don't like how the thread went up to now, stop reading as it's not changing.

Anyways.
Today was another ride on the Aether7. I was running the new higher pressure in the DPX2 of 215psi, with 1 large (Size3) volume spacer installed. I was also running the 2.35 Vigilante front tyre at 24psi.
The trails were around the rooty slightly muddy trails of Greenham Common, nothing massively techie in terms of jumping, but very much in line with the sort of riding my bike usually sees. Sure i have jumpy days, but my 'normal' stuff is more XC than DH. Hence really why i went for the shorter travel Bird rather than the AM 160.

Overall the bike felt great again today, whether that's the pressures, the riders or the shock settings, maybe a bit of all 3, but didn't have a single moment in terms of grip or turning, all good.

Shockwiz said "pressure good, remove a volume spacer, 1 click slower rebound), now arguably i should go to a smaller volume spacer, but i don't have a size 2 or 1 for the DPX2, so i've removed it for now, I may purchase a size 1 for this coming Enduro race next weekend. But it may only be the difference between finishing last or 2nd last in my class, lol. I'm an overweight 50 (nearly) year old and the majority of this weekends racing is for the 13 year old, i'm just along for the ride, but i'm very much looking forward to racing enduro.

[weeksy]

2021-07-11_05-57-00 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE

[weeksy]

Shockwiz said "pressure good, remove a volume spacer, 1 click slower rebound), now arguably i should go to a smaller volume spacer, but i don't have a size 2 or 1 for the DPX2, so i've removed it for now, I may purchase a size 1 for this coming Enduro race next weekend.

I did in the end... the Size 1 (smaller than the 3) has been installed today in preparation for this weekends fun. I don't think it'll much matter, but i do now feel it's 'right'

[weeksy]

Steep and sketchy, yeah, maybe just a bit


2021-07-18_09-41-10 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE

[lostboy]

Great pic.


Heels and elbows down more will help push the bike further forward and get your weight further back. Always helpful for descents like that.

[weeksy]

My thoughts were mostly on my impending death rather than my technique

[lostboy]

My thoughts were mostly on my impending death rather than my technique

The chance of the former is dramatically reduced if the latter is correct

[MingtheMerciless]

My thoughts were mostly on my impending death rather than my technique

If you've got time to think you're not going fast enough!

Damn the Torpedoes, RAMMING SPEED!

(I have a titanium screw in my scaphoid due to this attitude so I may not be the best person to take race advice from).