The next step....

[Asgard]

I used to do my own ghetto conversions for my downhill bikes by slitting a tube and using that as the liner, worked well most of the time with an occasional burp , like all tubeless conversions very dependent on the tyre/rim combination used

[minkyhead]

oh well spot the mistakes ... no lid ..raised headstock ... luggage ...wolley hat ...forgot to drop seatpost ...shit tyres .... in fairness im getting better .... its load s of fun ... but as i get better i am gonna bite the bullet and get a lid for me 61sst nirthday before i bash out what little brains i have left

me leccy bike has given me access to trails a few mins from me front door . its brilliant id never have bought a non leccy bike ...im after a newer one soon i think

baaaaaap

[Redmurty]

be careful with the co2 there are some tyre gels slime type stuff that you can't use co2 with.

I use tubeless on my gravel bike and you will soon spot little dots of the compound on the external of the tyre that's where its sealed a leak. Tubeless seems to leak when left standing for any period, that seems normal. The gunk you put in a tubeless tyre should be changed every 6 month's ish there is new stuff coming out that's meant to last 12 month's.

XC tyre pressures are like trail riding pressures on a motorbike juggle the pressures to you get the ones that suit you.

Electric bike really seem to be getting popular, it's getting people out who would not normally ride, still trying to get used to being over taken by a granny on a tow path

my baby

[minkyhead]

wow that looks proper trick ... have bmw sued you over the telelever front end
interesting looking bike ..whats the advantage of the telelever over say a posh air fork ?

tbo im not sure what to do the hardtail is ok for them smother woodland tracks ..me forks are not the best mid priced springy thingys ..i may just buy some new forks for it and call it done

makes you think when councils are giving up big swathes of woodland and creating trails and directional signs for push bikes surfacing canal towpaths to get people to comute ....and for motorbikes nothing ... oh well

ace bike that

[Redmurty]

It's a 20 year old Whyte design as I understand the story "Mr Whyte" designed it for Marin who didn't want to know so he did a production run himself, sold them all but pulled the plug on the run just as the design caught on.

The "girderfork" works great no dive when braking etc the shock is situated between the forks near the steering head. The rear shock is air assist but not the front. It's quite a light bike designed for off road touring for want of a better way to put it, but I struggle with bags on it. At a push you could call it an adventure bike I'm looking to do the trans Cambrian trail on it when the weather warms up a tadge

A lot of hard core cyclist's I know are happy with the "ebike" explosion a thing I was surprised about as the mamils can be a bit elitist a bit like BM riders their rational is that it's getting people out on two wheels.

You are welcome to try it Minky, I'm forever getting stopped on the trails for people to look at it. Full suspension can be great but you have to dial the bounce out on the road, there are bikes out there now that you can lock out the rear suspension when on the road, can be annoying when all your peddling energy is going into you pogoing

cheers Spud

[Tramp]

I prefer a hard tail especially with side panniers...unless you are going downhill mega stuff std forks are fine ...and yes electric is the way forward in Europe there is zillions of Miles or recreational trails...

I carry my bike everywhere on the camper...compared to a small enduro its magic..

[roberteagle6]

Hi Minky, great vids and very interesting, I have been thinking about getting a leccy bike, tried the Halfords Carrera and was impressed with its assistance and how relatively easy the peddling became - only did a few miles mind on a test ride. I thought that a bit more power would be required for trails, so will be checking out some more powerful alternatives next week.

2 stone lighter !!! you'll be down to my weight soon !!

[Bart1]

Have also been looking at these ebikes and saw a mid drive kit on another forum and so converted my old Cannondale, it works really well..very pleased. Its a Bafang kit from these guys, only 250w but they do bigger ones
http://eclipsebikes.com/index.php?cPath ... 50937aa63a

[minkyhead]

hey bob good to hear from you buddy

ill be honest ive considered them bafung 75w 1000w jobbies on a good 2nd hand mtb .... 1500 quid should get summet with a pretty high spec ..and a dishonest 25mph cruising speed and i bet for dry stuff firetrack and generel fecking about they would be awsome fun ..i suspect with your injurys healing they would be great fun

theres a old addage that power is nothing without control ...... heres my thoughts as a novice for what there worth after 2000 miles or so on me e bike

with 250w motor and the bosch system i still have to be carful about traction uphill i can still judge it wrong and even with 250w can endup with a face full of handlebars when dont want em ,,, bit like a dirtbike somtimes a 250 is easier to manage than 500 ..id be bloody wary even of a 500w motor off road steep uphill let alone a 1000w .... the mtmb mode responds to cadence on the boch where the turbo can wheelie you to a stop ..or worse

what ive found mostly is the control of the brakes and the tyres fitted are the two biggest factors as when i let the thing go downhill speed is way more than ill ever need with the leccy switched off .....where it scores of course is on the way back up 800 meteers of wet mud on 40 degree cimb aint gonn happen for me without a battery ...just a awful dirge ....there were honeslty lads there age 20 pushing there bikes up what i were riding up back to the start point ....... ..

im happy i think with me present bike tbo the bike has still a long way to go before i even remotly catch up to its capability ..so maby tyres and forks will be more than enough for me ...im not gonna pretend that ill get anywhere proper daft on it .....but theres some pretty steep stuff it will do that i would be twitching on a dirtbike ......and abandoning ship is much easier when the front lets go a foot too far

another falacy is when you watch the expert boys jumping and doing incredable quick turns and alsorts of stuff it pretty dam intimidating
.what has surprised me is how much grip you can actually get on steep downhill stuff way above what a trail bike would stand and thats taken a good while to get used to its all brakes and lever pressures are generally way above what me dirtbikes will stand ......but amazing grip at times so bit by bit ive dipped me toes in and ive found i can do the downhill runs ..i can go over the really big 25ft rollercoasters and just miss the jumps put compleley its like mini rollercoaster its all about brake s to retain and when to release ..making sure you have the right gear if your a tad short right mode ..

please remember im a total novice so im posting from that persective ....but in the last year or so ive been trying stuff and getting stuff wrong without a big payback ... but to ride that park in them conditions and be comfortable ....ish has taken me a while ...

heres the thing its not all about that shit but getting around like to day i were quite tired so a canal cruise and a bit of the woods s

ill admit i have mine derestricted ...i can cut the 16mph limit out and if i want too braaap along at 20 mph easy ive got just shy of thirty but legs a r like a feckin catherine wheel ....i could change the front out but 1st gear would be too high off road steep ..im considering a11/46 cassettes with a 17 tooth front so more spped for less revs on the 11 and athe same 1st gear ... i dont use that much but its threre and i like the option theres certain sections of road that i know it will braaap on over 20 and i just switch it on for them bits

[minkyhead]

oops