monkeyseemonkeydo

Awesome as ever! Some very innovative and imaginative lines in there. The mind boggles!

Doesn't sound like they're giving a convincing story to me... Is the noise 'sided'- can you determine that it's happening on one side of the car rather than more centrally? Regarding the car coasting and still being rowdy as f**k that would suggest either the wheel bearing or diff bearing. Jacking the car up and wobbling the wheels will give a vague feeling for wheel bearing wear (unless it's obvious) and hot hubs would also indicate wheel bearing issue (unless it's not the bearing at all but the brakes which can also be a source of noise!)...

I've had no issues with my ESI's moving (non lock-on versions). I think I'd destroy them trying to take them off the bars but slipping doesn't seem to be an issue.

The bags were in the van but I think were built up and complete in the back. Saw the footage on his Facebook of the thieves riding the bikes away making me think they were ready to go.

Especially all the camera gear, laptop etc. First thing I'd take into the hotel rather than leaving it in a vehicle...

That section in Evolve (or Revolution?) with Martin Kleivart(?) riding one was never long enough for me! The way he threw it around and moved it in the air was mesmerising.

From Tartybikes: "25" rear tyre from Monty, only suitable for use on their 25" rims with BSD of 537mm (regular 26" rims are 559mm). Please note that the sidewall graphic states 26", but this is the diameter of the tyre when inflated on a wheel, it IS to fit a 25" rim."

I'm using ESI silicon grips on both mountainbikes. Like foam trials grips but not an instrument of torture...

When I was about 13 (1995) I bumped into a guy on a GT while I was on my skateboard near Evesham while visiting my gran. He was messing around on a few pallets and doing some basic trials. Tripped something in me and I think I then started messing around on my 24" Raleigh Scorpion at home but went to a Scottish car show in Glasgow where Will Cogger was doing demos for Peugeot and got chatting with him about trials and actually getting into it. From there I think I got the MBUK (trials/stunt? I forget) special edition which introduced me to Martyn and Martin, Hans, Maguras etc. and led me to upgrade to a GT Backwoods which was featured in there. Got the basics dialled on that, went to the Bike Show a few times, got the various videos of the time and JJ Gregorowicz's part in Revolution got me into 20" and I got a Monty X-Hydra. Around that time the guy who ran the Aberdeen exhibition centre's son was into trials and he managed to talk his dad into opening a trials 'club' which meant getting a whole bunch of stuff (skips, barrels, pallets, bunnyhop bar, balance beams etc.) dragged out once a week and us being able to make our own sections and trying new stuff. That put us in a good position to then take part in Under Pressure (even blagged flights off of Channel 5 for that even though we were total nobodies and they were even originally planning on banning 20" and making it 26" only). That went well and introduced me to the national scene (a very young Danny Butler was there in full Megamo kit, Chris Akrigg, the MAD guys etc.) but my first proper comp was a bit of a nightmare- I decided to do red route at the British Championship round at Silsden and boy was that an eye opener. Did poorly for one lap then quit as I was going to hurt myself!! I did a few demos around then as well one really big one at a Scottish show at Inglestone where we were put up by a promotions company alongside FMX riders (Jamie Squibb and a few others I remember), another where we got to ride with James Lampkin on some big motorbike sections and I really enjoyed surprising people by what could be done on a bike. I'd always been quiet and quite introverted at school but riding and the demos really helped me let loose a bit and I guess I liked showing off to the crowds! I came down to Uni at Southampton and hooked up with X-Street who was the first company to start importing Echo bikes when they first started. Got hooked up with the first Echo EM2 in the country and got in with Mike Graves and did a couple of Essex comps with him and then the Hampshire series. Rode plenty while at Uni and moved back to 26" for a while (Orange Zero followed by an Onza T-Rex) and started riding for Tartybikes in about 2005. I think it was probably a London ride with Matt Staples that introduced me to Inspired and Dave Cleaver hooked me up with a Mk1 very early on that I loved and rode comps as well as street and was purely on 24" from 2009 until about 2016 having been through a Fourplay, Mk2 Fourplay Team (dual disc), Skye mk1 and then the Arcade that I still have. In 2016 I couldn't resist getting another 20" for messing about on Portland on. I'm now 37, have two kids and don't find much time to ride but I still enjoy it when I do and like being able to do things on a bike that most people still don't think should be possible. Trials was the introduction to bikes but anything with two wheels makes me happy- mountainbikes, road bikes, jump bikes, BMX etc. and the garage is full of at least one of each. It's only ever been a hobby even though I could've gone down the demo route and I really miss the mates getting together side of local comps (the Hampshire series stopped after Terry Graves had a heart attack a few years back) and I really ought to get back into the group ride side of things but we'll see.

Not just trials. Slo-mo of someone going round a berm on a mountain bike... yawn.

Oof. Trials bike?

Yeah physically it'll work with a disc but the geometry might a bit odd. From an old thread: Chainstays - 400mm Top Tube - 571mm Seat tube - 310mm Head tube - 120mm Head Angle - 74 Seat Angle - 73 BB drop - +.5mm Wheel Base - 1020ish (haven't put a fork on it) So yeah, long chain stays and low BB will be interesting (you might want to run short cranks if nothing else) but crack on and enjoy.

What did Alex and Josh do to the respective hubs?

I can see brakeless being a perfect place for an I9 Hydra if it will cope with the forces... Lovely colour

Chainspotting era Martyn Ashton red Beast of the East with Racelines, CODA cranks and the tri-colour Flite saddle is very droolworthy. The Boxx is definitely up there. Vario Tibo XL (always wished there was a mod version of that with the moto seat). And on the posting your own old bike side of things I still liked my Repsol orange rimmed 221PR

He's now seriously into his XC and road riding instead I think. Still using his beast mode to good effect but with a somewhat different goal!

Or plectrum.

It's weird but I like it!

It had one job...

Sounds about right: NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID

Currently getting a 'Not Secure', 'Your connection is not private' on Chrome on two separate machines (at home and work so totally different ISPs, connections etc.) for every page I visit on T-F.

That Onza was such a lump! Brings back good memories though. I think that London ride near the beginning was when I first hooked up with Tartybikes and also being totally mesmerised by Matt Staples riding!

Truedat!!

Pics or it didn't happen.

I'm not sure what type of freewheel comes on the Zoot... if it has a visible lockring make sure it's tight and if you can take the crank off, take the lockring off (do that over a tray so you can catch all the bearings) and have a look at the pawls and springs etc. You might find some damaged pawls that you can file back to a healthy state. Next step would be to replace the freewheel but that involves being able to take the existing one off the cranks which can be a bigger challenge than getting the sprocket off!!