New bike day. The hand me down. (MTB)

[MingtheMerciless]

Ummm did we not? Lol I have no clue what I had for breakfast but yeah you may be right.

The weird thing is, I wasn't trying and harder on the Session, it was like jumping on a panigale or a bandit 600. The session just made it really easy, I didn't push my limits more.

I'm currently devising several plans

Mrs Weeksy may stab me in my sleep if I go through with any

It's not new, I've just polished it..........

Though Mrs M has found out about an imminent posh tool box purchase.

So I maybe joining you in A&E

[weeksy]

Ooooooh we need more on the toolbox.

I'm still thinking/planning in mine for next year

[MingtheMerciless]

Ooooooh we need more on the toolbox.

I'm still thinking/planning in mine for next year

If all goes well (Facebook market place 2nd hand) it may start with an S……

[Count Steer]

Ooooooh we need more on the toolbox.

I'm still thinking/planning in mine for next year

If all goes well (Facebook market place 2nd hand) it may start with an S……

Hope that's Screwfix and not Stanley.

[weeksy]

Ooooooh we need more on the toolbox.

I'm still thinking/planning in mine for next year

If all goes well (Facebook market place 2nd hand) it may start with an S……

Hope that's Screwfix and not Stanley.

LOL i was thinking it'll be Snap-on

[Count Steer]

If all goes well (Facebook market place 2nd hand) it may start with an S……

Hope that's Screwfix and not Stanley.

LOL i was thinking it'll be Snap-on

Arf! Snap-on was what I meant to put.

[weeksy]

IMG_20241121_154905 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr
150mm air shaft in there now. Frame is compatible up to 150 so thought I'd eek it up as it's not a lot of money.
I'll be running 2 sets of wheels for it, so the travel will do for fod days as much as anything when it's got the full soft rubber, but shouldn't hold it back for trail stuff

[weeksy]

I'll be honest here, i'm not sure I can feel a massive difference but i didn't really expect i would due to my skills levels.

However that's also good as it does mean it doesn't feel wrong

IMG_20241122_100711 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Trails were ridiculous though, icy, frosty, muddy, leafy, basically 0 grip on any bits and rear wheels locked up on the steep bits... Good fun though that's for sure

[weeksy]

IMG_20241126_095617 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Local short one today, i've been Zwifting a bit lately and the legs were a bit weary, so just a nice little cruise. The trails were better than expected actually, although i think my selection of trails worked in my favour too.

I had a weird brake noise on the front which confused me a little, when i tried resolving it i was struggling to diagnose, but when i removed the pads it looks like they've been screwdriver'd apart to move the pistons which has deformed the pad surface (standard sram pads), so i lobbed them in the bin and threw in a used set of Uberbike Race Matrix which were instantly silent.

The creak/noise from first weekend has gone completely though after swapping the pivot bearings

[weeksy]

Just being doing a quick test/check. Mostly for my own interest really as much as anything.

I plan on hitting FoD this weekend and as when i'm on the Fuel i'll be using an uplift (mate or bus) i thought i'd 'enduro' it a little and fitted some DH Supersoft Continental Krpytotal rubber both ends. These are as you'd expect about the grippiest stickiest rubber out there, so should be perfect for uplift days.
But i was curious as to the weight difference.

The standard bike with mudguard, bottle cage and pedal comes in at 14.07kg on my Chinese scale jobbie.
With the Contis it comes in at 14.88kg. I don't know if the actual wheels are lighter/heavier, the Conti setup is running a set of Hunt Trailwide and i think the cassette is the same model, rotor shouldn't make any difference really.

It does make you (or me anyway) think though about tyre choices as i'll bet it makes a MASSIVE difference out on the trails.

So i guess the search is on now for the next trail tyre to buy when the Bontrager XR4 wears out. They're the XR4 team issue and in a 2.6, according to the internet should be about 900gr... So what's their equivalent?
Bontrager have just done a rebranding of all their rubber.
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/bontrager ... tires.html

I think the XR4 is now the Gunnison.


We do have plenty of options to test up in the loft space including 2 brand new Magic Marys, 2 brand new Conti Kryptotal in Enduro version and a few various other random tyres like a Maxxis High Roller and a DHR2.

[weeksy]

IMG_20241128_094742 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

IMG_20241128_092434 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Out today and was debating sticking this in the Radial tyre thread, but left it in here. Yesterday i fitted some more DH'y tyres for the weekend at FoD, i'm not racing but on the Sat i was planning on hitting the race track and other DH tracks. It was more curiosity than anything else. But WOW what a difference this morning. None of it in a good way either. I'm going to put a figure on it, but it may or may be pie-in-the-sky, but i'll say 15%-20% slower/draggier. It was SO much harder to pedal than the day before. I knew it'd feel slower but i was shocked (maybe wrongly) just how much. The tyres on today were an Argotal supersoft DH and a Kryptotal SSDH, so they're about as grippy as the world gets.
The question is, is there ever a world we people like me can outperform the drag and benefit from the grip... Well deffo not locally no as it's not a tight/twisty place to ride... but i don't think i'm convinced i could ever take advantage of the grip in that way, even on a DH trail/day.

It's certainly made me think about what rubber i want on there for the trailcenter days.

[weeksy]

So the spare/enduro wheels now have a Conti Kryptotal Enduro and a Soft Magic Mary. Which hopefully is about the right level of compromise for what i want/need. I've got the XR4s on for the morning at FoD (Unless i ride the Orbea). But will try and get some testing on various configurations. I expect this means very little to anyone apart from me, but i like writing this stuff down.

[Couchy]

I've been using the XR4's on my trek and I find them pretty rubbish so took them off and got an argtotal on the front and magic mary rear which I know I like, first ride saturday with the front so will see how it feels

[weeksy]

Which versions? See the pretty pics on sidewall

[Taff]

I'm very interested in what you find because I'm looking for the right combo for the neuron.

I've plumped for DHRs both ends for a number of reasons, the guy in the lbs reconed is a good combo and some bikes are coming with that set up, and then I spotted that the Spectral comes on that combo.

And if I hate them then they'll get used up on the back of the ebike

[weeksy]

I'm very interested in what you find because I'm looking for the right combo for the neuron.

I've plumped for DHRs both ends for a number of reasons, the guy in the lbs reconed is a good combo and some bikes are coming with that set up, and then I spotted that the Spectral comes on that combo.

And if I hate them then they'll get used up on the back of the ebike

I think it comes down as with bikes to what you/we are prepared to compromise on for a given day out.
My plan Sat is to do 4 uplift runs, 2 with XR4/XR4 then 2 runs with Mary/Krypto. See if I can actually notice anything, I may even Strava them which I never ever do.

Was looking and Specialized have some Purgatory on at great prices.

I've also got a pile of 7 tyres to flog at FoD including brand new 27.5s

[weeksy]

Well the weekend of testing on the Fuel didn't work out for me.

IMG_20241202_085951 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Due to circumstances beyond our control we ended up having Isaac our race mate staying over and not only that but he was without bike for Sat. I gave him the choice of the Fuel or the Privateer 141 and sadly for me he chose the Fuel. LOL.
So the whole of Sat he was thrashing the Fuel down the race-track in practice and based upon his GoPro times i'm actually convinced he was quicker on the Fuel than he was on the Session. Although i don't have any proof fully, that's how it seemed anyway.

He said it was skittish and a bit too light and all over the place, but as he's a mid-pack racer in Youth, i'd expect nothing else of a trail-bike like the Fuel. But he really seemed to enjoy it, even on the XR4 tyres which wouldn't have helped. I should have swapped to the better rubber for him, but i was concentrating more on sorting my lad and making sure he was OK.

I did get out for 3 hours though myself, but was on the Rise and had a fine fine ride with a few mates. I'm gonna try and come up with a plan for this weekend, but not really sure where/what at this stage of things.

[weeksy]

IMG_20241204_102351 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Out today and the usual trails locally, the Fuel is just awesome around here, really goes well. I was having some debates on which rubber to run, but the XR4s around here are ace and if i'm going anywhere more tough i'll put the spare Hunt endurowide wheels and tyres on there. Funnily i was chatting with the family last night about the weekends ride and the boy says "can i use the Trek then please"... lol.. he tried it in the car park the other day and really likes it too.

[crust]

I know where there's a status sat doing nothing for the foreseable. Your welcome to use it.

[weeksy]

I know where there's a status sat doing nothing for the foreseable. Your welcome to use it.

Thanks man, but i'd just ride the Orbea or even his Privateer