Matt Burrows

Yeah sounds like a plan

The Giant you linked to in the first post is pretty good for the money. Its got steel forks and the spokes are 3x so it will be better suited to going up and down curbs than most, certainly better than the more expensive Giants that have gay spoking patterns. And yeah Tom was spot on about Singlespeeds, just don't bother. If you want to commute fast and easily then gears will be very useful. People are suggesting them because they are simple and cheap. But have others have said, if you're on a tight budget then Halfords do some basic but reasonable road bikes. If you can get a good discount off RRP then you'll have much better bikes to choose between, spec improves very quickly as you move away from entry level (although they often become more fragile in the pursuit of low weight)

I'm guessing that the rising cost of raw materials would be the only decent reason to move away from U6 in the first place, so maybe it is really expensive now? But then saying that, the new Trialtech forks are £115 and I'm sure they will still sell...

Putting a 1.5" steerer on a cheapo T-raptor was hardly inspired. The design and potential performance benefits are obvious and significant. Even some road bikes use 1.5" to 1,1/8" now to prevent sharp steps on full carbon forks. If a major player committed to designing and making a decent version, it would sell well. Infact I think the potential performance benefits could lead it to being a trials standard in the future, it's just a matter of time

Nice pics James, definitely want to ride there Hook woods? I might be up for that if its not pissing down and others are riding

Spot on! And as Mark said, the actual TGS in that vid was bigger than what 80% of the TGS lovers on this forum could do Much Love Rowan! Even though I'd seen quite a few of the moves I was still completely blown away. I loved the first castle park combo, to link all those moves into one was just epic. Also the combo at the steps in Lloyds, a mix of street trials and a really tech pure trials move, doesn't get much better than that. Also looking through your other vids, how many places in Bristol have I never ridden?!? Next time we must do some exploring I think

On the subject of making forks more trials specific, you only have to look to the MTB and even road bike world for ideas. A through axle is the first obvious move, I think it would be ideal for trials. The new 15mm bolt-through looks like a well thought out design and certainly feels stiff in use. A 1.5" steerer could be made stronger and stiffer than current set-ups, and would provide greater surface area for the legs to be welded onto. It would also mean the legs wouldn't have to come in as far to meet the steerer and could be straighter. You could even have an externally tapered 1.5" to 1,1/8" steerer, which would allow people to use the same stem. Also the disc calliper/fork disc mount could be completely redesigned. I think even switching to post mount forks/brakes could provide a quick and easy improvement, compared to using less than ideal IS disc adaptors. If only there was more money in trials then we might get some decent product development...

You say that, but certain forks definitely stand up better to those moves than others. I used to hook often and hard, using speed and brute force to get up walls. I snapped 3 sets of Urbans and 2 sets of Hi-Fis (pre '07, U6 with thinner steerer) which all lasted between 6-9 months depending how often/hard I rode. Every set snapped at the steerer, I never had any disc mount failures. I've now snapped 3 sets of the new Urbans and 1 set of Zoos ('07 onwards with thicker steerer,non U6?). All have broken on the disc mount, all have broken after about 6 weeks of riding. I don't hook as often as I used to, I'd like to think I'm a smoother and more refined rider and I tend to practice pedal hooks more often than bunnyhooks. I was led to believe that the newer forks have thicker steerers and disc mounts with the same legs, they certainly look identical from the outside. If this is the case then the most likely cause of failure would be either the disc mount is too stiff causing a stress riser or the legs are made from a weaker material. I suggested the change in material was the cause as others have said they are made from a different Alu, and from my experience forks and frames made out of U6 usually take a tonne of abuse before failure compared to similar products made from 6061/7005. All of this is of course just conjecture, but then with so few facts provided about different products it's all we have to go on. Does anybody actually know what alloy U6 is and its material properties? As ever for the consumer, real facts are sparse if they exist at all. We have to base our choices on hype and hearsay and just hope products have actually been tested properly... But having said all that, I still firmly believe that the new Deng forks are significantly weaker than older versions. If I had broken 1 or 2 sets then I wouldn't bother saying anything, but the number I have broken with almost identical lifespans has definitely made my mind up...

glz? Its GHz, ie. gigahertz. Was a nice frame, although why you'd ever want to copy Tim's shed spec is beyond me The new long frame rides nice, especially when built with some decent components like on Tim's comp bike.

Yeah I wouldn't compare it to Hope XC 36 engagements with 3 pawls? Sounds more like a Hope Bulb... Aluminium cassette body for trials? I'd avoid if I was you.

Yes Yes he has Legend

Some people still don't seem to grasp the fact that old Deng forks made out of U6 were far stronger than the current ones, which are all made out of low grade Alu (7005 or 6061?). I've broken 4 or 5 sets of the old forks with the thinner steerer, but they all lasted at least 6 months. I'm a lot smoother than I used to be now but I've gotten through 4 sets of the new forks (Urbans and Zoos). They all cracked on the disc mount in a matter of weeks. I use a 185mm BB7, and I used to use a 203mm on the old style forks without any disc mount problems... If you ride hard then avoid Deng forks! Hopefully the Trialtech ones will be stronger...

Mike said he wasn't very impressed with the sections or the venue which is a shame. He finished on 80 in Senior the same as Pat. Well done to all that took part I'm a bit gutted I'm not there as well!

That was a sweet ride, cheers guys

That doesn't surprise me, he gets better ever comp I'm sure. Good work Sam

Cheers guys that was an awesome ride Especially Oli who put up with my lack of courage and multiple failed attempts in the quest for a decent photograph!

I should be coming with Grant and Tris hopefully

Thanks for the offer but we want to ride in the daytime really, plus probably going to Brum on Sat. Weather looks awesome tomorrow, Bristol it is

Is anybody up for riding on Thursday? Me and a couple of friends will be up for riding somewhere, thinking probably Bristol but I'm open to suggestions

Wow, it finally lives! As a stock only rider who has been using 135mm hubs for my whole riding lifetime, this hub is very interesting. I can see why people would prefer the standard bolt in end caps, but having experience of other forms of MTBing it really makes a lot of sense to have a through axle in trials. Certainly I think its a step forward, and I can see it leading to a dominance of mod spaced stock frames in years to come. It should lead to a stronger, lighter and stiffer frame/hub interface. If this hub is released, I would seriously consider selling my 2 Pro 2 hubs and frame and buying a new mod stock 116mm frame with hubs to match. If you can run a Hope then suddenly mod-stocks become a lot more appealing!

I currently have car space for one, maybe 2 if i get a new car sorted by then. I'm thinking of setting off on Thurs 14th/Fri 15th, but not sure when I will be returning. I might have to get back to England On Fri 22nd for work on Sat, but I'm trying to get out of it. So yeah anybody who wants to car share or fancies coming with me, I'd be more than happy for some company... Gonna be awesome

Can't believe I nearly missed this video! Great riding from all, I liked the mix of rail lines that everyone was doing. An enjoyable vid that reminded me of good times riding Swansea in the past. We seriously need to organise a big weekend as soon as your back Matt! Preferably while there is still some good weather left, and we can have a BBQ and a riders night out

Skips sound good, although the forecast is for showers so they might get a bit slippy Looking forward to it

Its my day off, and Bristol is the only decent spot with good weather tomorrow so... I can't do Rhyl I'm afraid as I'm going up to do the comp at Heysham, you and Will should come too!

Hey guys, I shall be riding Bristol tomorrow, hopefully with some other riders if they come. Anyone else is more than welcome to join us. Weather forecast looks good