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I think tyres are the most underrated piece of equipment on a bike, with wheel size being the most overrated.

That was a very silly thing to do. The rules are 1. Only use one when its brand new 2. Only in soft conditions.

I think that's it. The SLX have the servo wave amps the power up nicely. I am hopeful that a full bleed will make them a lot better though. From new, the front brake felt soft compared to the rear, which is weird as its usually the opposite way around.

I can now compare Guides to SLX - same rotor size. The feel is top notch but the absolute control under very hard braking seems to be lacking on the Guides. I sometimes feel as if I am going to overshoot whereas with the SLX I always have a little bit of reserve power at just the right moment. I also find the SLX levers far easier to set up for one finger braking... Just done a partial bleed on the front Guide and it feels a bit better - needs a proper test ride however.

Shoddy production quality and design right there Fox!

Forgot to say that I rather like this modern moonbag... I could definitely strap that one on and not feel like too much of a d#$k :-)

Thats a very decent rim weight!

I noticed the wheelie ability, really easy compared to my other bike - not that I can hold it for more than 1 m ... :-(

This bike has featured in the Gravity section under long travel hard tails already, but may as well put it here. Frame is a Large pearl white bought thanks to Flowta putting me on to a fire sale that lasted about a day at On One. Only received the frame 3 weeks ago and had to wait for a headset to arrive after that. Build is based on my old 26er enduro parts so a 160mm Pike, Flow 26" wheels with serious rubber, SLX cranks/XT mech/SLx brakes/Saint shifter/Giant dropper/Funn bars and rear hub/Spaz seat/35mm stem/Nukeprrof headset Bike is very easy to ride fast downhill and there are no pedal strike issues with the 26" wheels. BB is about 320mm and it corners and turns like a boss. Only downside is my legs take strain being the rear suspension on bumpy trails.

I have a large Dee Dar - I am 1.88 m and long legs. It fits fine. Just make sure your fork has a decent longish steerer tube so the bars aren't too low.

Those things come in at a decent weight but the 30mm versions didnt come in Boost according to the email I received, which struck me as odd and probably a typo error.

I used a moonbag with paisleys in the 90's when I had an elastomer fork.

Its kind of a text book lesson in how not to do it.

Is it just me or are these BOBT chats as boring as watching paint peel? They waffle so and take themselves far too seriously. Far prefer the Brits video reviews - they have a script and more riding...

Thanks, I know but in that pic the dropper hadn't had its cable installed yet, hence the horrible view of the worn stanchion. It works fairly well but is slow to return. It feels terrible compared to my uber fast Spaz dropper on the other bike...

That must have been a long time ago - or the magistrate simply got it wrong. The prevailing approach would be that drunkenness is an aggravating factor. But yes, the law can be an ass at times. Sorry to hear about your loss.

I reckon a HT makes you a better rider perhaps? On the small stuff I have ridden I could feel the lack of rear suspension. I found landing front high seemed to work in some places. Looking forward to how the big bike feels after this thing.

Forgot to say that the airlines charge extra baggage for the big frame box which my BIL paid and used the extra space to bring in pressies etc. they also didn't charge him any duty on the new frame. So I scored a very good deal. BA charge 120 pounds for an extra bag.

Its basically all the bits off my old 26er Enduro so 160mm Pike 26. XT/Saint 10 speed drivetrain, SLX cranks, SLX brakes with 200/180 rotors. Stans Flow rims with a Magic Mary SS up front and a Rock Razor SG out back. Dropper is a tired Giant 125mm which is run with a shim to allow for the 31.6mm seat tube. Saddle is my old Spesh Phenom, not the Rapide one in the pic. The Spesh seat is softish and comfy - perfect for a HT.

It would be great for enduros here, especially ones with shorter stages. I think if you used Aramex Global Shopper you might get away with 100 pounds or so to SA.

I have had 4 rides on the HT beast. The thing is an absolute ripper. I managed to beat a Strava time on a segment I don't know very well and equaled or was close on some others. It really doesn't feel like you need to hold back at all and the steep stuff is as easy as my big bike. You do feel the chunkier terrain more in the legs, but with a 160mm stiff fork, the back seems to fly over the worst bumps while the front takes the sting out. One massive benefit of a HT is that the front end grip stays great no matter where your weight is. The thing steers like a demon and jumps nicely although I haven't hit anything big yet. I was amazed how fast it could tackle off camber rooty terrain. What this bike has shown up is how much better my SLX brakes are than the Guides and how grippy a 2.35 26" Magic Mary is compared to a 2.6 650b Butcher. Time for a brake bleed on the enduro I think.

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I have these suckers. They are uber light and if you happen to fall and the pad gets in the way, they offer pretty good protection. Don't rely on them to stay in place in higher speed situations but still better than nothing. They are good for an XC ride but don't do an enduro race in them unless you really cant stomach hot heavy pads. I found out the hard way.