Education We Like to Ride Bicycles

My personal opinion is that bikes are, as a general rule, over-geared. I think that's a consequence of trends being driven to a large extent by what the pros do, but there's a world of difference between pros and day to day cyclists. You see it with gearing but also with bike geometry - it's all well and good for pros in their 20s to have super aggressive "head down, arse up" riding positions where they're stretched out to the max horizontally, but that's not ideal for non-pros.

If you're a keen amateur who is into time-trialling then that's fair enough, but such people make up a very small proportion of cyclists

 

I was contemplating a GX transmission but the cost to replace my free hub bodies to XD at £170 a pop for 3 wheels and to get 2 additional cassettes gave me an aneurysm. It’s was looking like it would cost £800 for the Bosch kit and then ad additional £510 for the free hub XDs and then £560 for two additional cassettes.

The older GX “upgrade kit” at £419 ish is the way forward. I can use my NX and GX cassettes that way.

Yea I didn’t post, it was an impulse buy.

Edit.
How much “Scout” would he want?

I can do frame, a Black RS spec frame in size M 290 by its self or with any of the following.

SLX cranks, BB, SLX derailleur, SLX shifter, one up dropper, one up dropper lever, Nukeproof saddle, headset, MT5 Pro Brakes or Codes, bars, STEM, Burgtec or Deity Grips.

I don’t have a set of wheels for it as I will be putting them back on the status. As for a cassette, I have a ZTTO spare that’s been used for about 10 miles as well as an M7100 chain that was put on recently and I don’t think used beyond setting it up.

Let me know, I can always drop either of you a call and drive up, your only 30mins up the road anyway if I recall.

 

I think the answer to that's pretty simple. MTB gearing has gone from using touring bike triple set ups to gears that reflect how a mountain bike is actually ridden now.

Riding off road you only really use the gears in three blocks. the lowest couple for steep or technical climbs where torque is everything because you won't be gaining momentum.
The middle third are for shallow climbs and traverse.
The highest couple of gears for the flat and downhill.
After about 20mph you're either rolling down a flat road and not pedalling, or you're going mach stupid down the trail and not pedalling.

Compared to road (or cross) you don't need a lot of gears to finely manage cadence, you need a really low gear, a fairly high gear and some in the middle for not up-not down. The best cadence is the one that keeps you going rather than the most efficient.

Also ground clearance.

 

When I bought that first mountain bike, they had barely got started this side of the Atlantic and, were as rare as rocking horse turds. Mine was basically a mildly ruggedized road bike, with cantilever brakes, fat tyres and flat, wide handlebars. The frame was built from a slightly heavier version of Reynolds 531 and 2 inches smaller than my road frame. Was built by Overburys of Bristol. Was still a lot of fun to ride in the woods near home on The Mendips.

 

@andrew8200m if it's a 29 he won't be interested. We only got him to move to a 27.5 because he snapped his enduro. #26aintdead

 

Fully understand that. I went with the 29 over the 27.5 due to the geo allowing for a larger fork at the front and a slightly slacker head angle when going mullet as this kept the BB within 4mm of a 27.5 based bike with the roll advantage the 29 offers.

Hasty response however was welcome. Appreciate it! Evil-bay awaits unless you have a few MTB forums or groups that may be worth a look ?

 

I decided I’m going to keep the status as it is and use it as a bike park bike as it’s a tank. Zebs will stay on, dhx2 will too and so will the MT7s. All the Burgtec stuff can stay on it as well.

I can fit the child seat to the status if I need to so that’s helpful.

The Charge Cooker 1 will be handed over to my dad. He’s a road biker and his mountain bike is a 1992 Raleigh something or other that’s about had it. This way he gets the same sort of rigid experience and easy of pedaling that he is used to without the need to go out and buy something he doesn’t really need.

I’ll be down to two bikes anyway so the missus will be happy, win win!!


Oh and I did a thing…

Fox 38 Factory Kashima 170mm fork (arrives next week).
Fox Float X2 Factory Kashima 230x65 air shock (arrives next week).

Both for £999.98 delivered

And I also may have bought some Hope TECH 4 V4 with rotors to set the bike apart from the other. I’ll use the Magura as spares as I’m bound to smash bits up this summer as I did the last.

IMG_7498 by andrew8200m posted 28 Feb 2025 at 14:06

nom.

 

Im not selling the status.. it’s a park tank at the end of the day and I still love it. I’ll think about it after the summer.

Brakes were fitted to the ONE77 earlier today, one didn’t want to bleed for love nor money so I ended up doing it the old fashioned way with syringes.. it was messy..

Braking power is insanely good but I’m on the fence if they’re better than the MT7s. They are certainly built better that’s for sure.

GX wireless isn’t getting fitted, the XT will do just fine. It’s one more thing to remember to charge and ruin a day out if I don’t.

Here she is. Love it!

IMG_7528 by andrew8200m posted 2 Mar 2025 at 14:51

IMG_7527 by andrew8200m posted 2 Mar 2025 at 14:51

 

I missed the where to sell stuff question. I've only ever sold via Pinkbike, Faceberk or Gumtree. There is Singletrack too.

 

Gumtree seems like a minefield. Facebook? What’s that? Hrhrhr..

Looks like pinkbike may be one to venture to. Never thought about singletrack though..

Evil bay worth it or is it still a sh** show?

 

I've never sold on ebay personally. The shop site I manage sells there as part of the package but I have very little input.

 

That’s fair enough. I’ve not sold on there in forever. I’ll have to have a look, it my be worth a shout as I do still buy there occasionally.

 

I am well and truly getting back in to cycling. I got a Cyrusher Kommoda in January and it has changed my life so much for the better. Ear marked a couple of things I will upgrade but overall I am super happy with it.

 

Went out on a 18.8 mile jolly today on the Cube with a friend which showed me some tracks he use to hit 5 years ago.



What an absolute world of difference ebikes bring to the table! Massive steep climbs before i wouldn’t dream of attempting, against just sending it reaching the top and thinking that’s it? Only issue I had was with climbs where the front wheel wanted to lift so you shifted weight to the front then the rear tire would spin.

What a summer this will be if the weathers nice!

 

@Weekly_Estimate when you're climbing a steep hill like that, stay in the saddle, drop your chest towards the bars and pull diagonally down towards the pedals.

 

Can anyone recommend a 165mm shock for my Kommoda? I want something I can lock out when just cycling on tarmac etc. nothing too fancy or expensive, I’m a noob at this stuff.