London Calling

cooldad

Yeah DK did bring up that argument as well. In fairness, the lady did actually write down everything we said, whether any notice will be taken of it remains to be seen.

Anonymous

Oh yeah...

Atz wrote:

As an aside, we're discussing end of year London Calling drinks before I go. Supra suggested the 4th.

4th is okay, and probably most days. Just depends on where and if I can catch the train back easily.

Curious Yellow

Thanks for the brilliant ride and the tips yesterday guys!

Didn't catch the message about the Surrey Hills until it was too late, but once I get a decent bike sorted I'll definitely be up for a couple of rides a week.

Looking forward to next week. Great fun and excellent people to ride with if any of you are thinking about it!

ciducantcme

Whats swinley like during the week?

Thinking about going tomorrow morning

benpinnick

Like the weekend only with less people.

ciducantcme

That's what I thought.
Anyone here ride on the week?

ciducantcme

That's what I thought.
Anyone here ride on the week?

cooldad

In anticipation of the possible end of the world while the forum is down, rides organised here:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/londoncallingmtb

Anonymous

Woohoo! We're back.

Only got a Swinley ride in at the weekend due to spending Saturday finishing off the 456 and then test riding it round Swinley. Certainly different ride having been on a comfy sofa full sus for a good few years. Only around 4 lbs lighter than the Nomad with all the bits on it. Will decide if I go all weight weenie and get carbon everything on it, but for now it's good to go.

Back to Nomad for next Surrey Hills ride. Hopefully at the weekend, maybe during the week also, and a hard tail Swinley ride too. Though the Nomad is lovely and smooth round Swinley, even if OTT.

diy

Sounds like you are disappointed with the 456 build?

Anonymous

Not at all.

It's just a case of getting used to a hard tail after a full sus, and work out what it's best at and how to have fun with it. To be fair I didn't have a clear idea of exactly what it will be for. It's main purpose is to reuse bits off the GT and to have fun building a bike, plus provide me with something I can take out on local pottering about (tow paths, local common lands, sneaky XC on footpaths, etc) instead of an expensive full sus, but hopefully good for doing some XC rides where the full sus is really too much, and generally use as a toy and spare bike.

The bonus will be seeing how I can have fun with it round places like Swinley. The Nomad however remains the core bike of use for Surrey Hills, Welsh trail centres and a spot of downhill amongst other things.

ThePriory1978

deadkenny wrote:

Only around 4 lbs lighter than the Nomad with all the bits on it.

That suprises me. For such a light frame those must be some mighty heavy forks and bits from ye olde GT.
Put the bike on a wheel/fork/crank diet and it will feel so much faster i reckon.

Atz

Forks and wheels will return the most imo. Given the front mech and shifter are off, that's probably 1lb saved there so there's something not totally right. Actually, forks first, it's probably the main difference between my HT and DKs

Atz

Merlin has good deals on 120mm Rebas right now DK...

ThePriory1978

A mate changed some RockShox Recons for expensive SIDS and the his bike instantly became featherlight. Not that SIDS would be half as much fun as a 140mm-ish travel fork on a 456.

Selling your old forks with the right ad would be a breeze to create cash if they are mechanically sound.
My old 08 100mm spring Toras pulled in £80 recently on the bay, due to good accurate sunny pics, description and a Sunday eve end time.

You definately need to give on-one more cash for forks, or Merlin's Rebas as Atz said. Carbon trinkets wont make much difference i think. Sell your soul.

Anonymous

Not sure the forks would fetch much if anything. Still sell the fork and the now spare RP2 shock individually and might get something for them.

Selling them or not doesn't stop me spending though.

One thing I would say though is the Nomad is surprisingly light in aluminium (frame with rear shock is 7lbs vs 3lbs for the 456). The carbon Nomad didn't feel much lighter to me. Assumes my bathroom scales are accurate however, but Nomad comes in at 30lbs. Just weighed again and got 28.8lbs for the 456, so worse!

Would prefer to stick with 130+ forks though, and the Recons are fine.

Edit: Quick search around and typical built c456 weights are about 25lbs.

Russ-Tyson

My 456 comes in at 27lb,Im running sram xx revs,single speed,saint crank and brakes and halo sas wheels nice and burly but goes round swinley nicely!

It took a little while for me to get used to the 456 but has turned out to be awesome,climbs well and goes down even better.

Anonymous

So, weekend mud anyone?

cooldad

School on Saturday but I'm ok for Sunday. Have quite a bit to do, so may only be Swinley.

Atz

Leaving Sunday so prob not riding Saturday for two reasons; firstly don't want to risk hurting myself and not being able to go and secondly, still got stuff to sort out.

French_Aristo

Hi,
Heads up for those masocist that do enjoy Swinley in winter, I am planning to ride a Swinley/Sandhurst big loop on Saturday 19th starting from the GoApe gate at 10:00
This would comprise most of Swinley best Single tracks linking all the more famous trails (NEw England Switchback, the whole nine yard, corkscrew, seagull, strickler, reservoir run etc... as well as an incurtion in to Sandhurst academy ground for some more XC type riding just before and after lunch break followed by some more 'dh' exercices at the club house trails (dear stalker, baby maker, etc)
A good oportunity for those that do not know Swinley as well as they do Surrey Hills to sample and GPS track most of the must know of what Swinley as to offer.
Pace will be as fast I one want to make it but we will be waiting for all to regroup at all major direction changes.
I rarely ride weekends due to both work and familly comitments so I thought I might take the opportunity to ride in group for once as I rarely do.
Obviously, this post will also be present on the 'other' forum where more Swinley inclined riders congregate at the full moon.

Anonymous

Is this in excess of your 25 mile loop round Swinley?

Probably would struggle to keep up. Still need to get used to the hard tail for XC use, though not sure I've got the gearing right. It's great starting out, but wear out quicker than the full sus. Wondering if 1x10 34t or even 36t with 11-36t may be better than the 1x9 34t 11-34t I've got. Although a bit of MTFU is probably all I really need.

Anyway, this weekend - if Swinley Sunday, I'll head for Surrey Hills Saturday. Might have my wheel back by then (or at least a substitute).

@Atz - we never did a leaving drinks / whatever.

cooldad

@atz bugger never did get that beer in.
@frenchie as my pace is slow good thing I'm busy

Curious Yellow

deadkenny wrote:

Anyway, this weekend - if Swinley Sunday, I'll head for Surrey Hills Saturday. Might have my wheel back by then (or at least a substitute).

Whereabouts in Surrey Hills are you going riding? I could be interested.

French_Aristo

deadkenny wrote:

Is this in excess of your 25 mile loop round Swinley?

It could be but unless the weather change drasticaly and dry everything up I think that it is more likely going to be about 40/45km max with plenty pause and very few serious climbs
Being mostly single trails and with very little use of fireroads it is a lot easier than 45km in somewhere like the south downs where you have those grueling, boring, long climb to deal with
Also you are never more than 5 miles from the car park so there will be plenty oportunity to peel out and go home if you have enough

deadkenny wrote:

Probably would struggle to keep up. Still need to get used to the hard tail for XC use, though not sure I've got the gearing right. It's great starting out, but wear out quicker than the full sus. Wondering if 1x10 34t or even 36t with 11-36t may be better than the 1x9 34t 11-34t I've got. Although a bit of MTFU is probably all I really need.

I run a 1*10 on my Lapierre Zesty and it is fine for all but one climb in Swinley so I just avoid it as if it did not exist :roll:

Atz

I'll be back before too long and then frequently after that. Last two weeks have been crazy so didn't manage to sort anything out.

cooldad

Atz wrote:

I'll be back before too long and then frequently after that. Last two weeks have been crazy so didn't manage to sort anything out.

Good, I'l stop crying now.

Atz

Anything for you. Wait... no. Anyway, I expect to see at least SOME of the crew next summer. I've located another bike park so we can do up to 4 of them now.

thel33ter

@DK, you were looking for a full face weren't you? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=57595

Anonymous

Ooo, nice. In stock in sensible sizes for the cheap price.

Inspirals come up from time to time, though I can never find any to try on. May just have to gamble on the size. Reviews tend to be mixed on the fit. Can't see a no return policy on them though like some sites have for helmets.