Matt24.

Thanks all for your input. Feel like I am maybe leaning towards giving some rekons a go. I don't find the contis lack grip so not much benefit I wouldn't have thought from the casts for me. K rads I've ran in the past and in the cold / wet grip was awful! Never again. Holly rollers i ran for years before Contis existed and pre Contis they were my go to but I do recall a fair amount of pinch flats! I think the volumes is also now bigger and I'm keen to try something a little skinnier! I had the crossmarks when I had the Hex and assume the rekons aren't too far different unless someone knows different. The schwable billy bonkers are probably just a bit too thin at 2.0. Reading the above I am clearly very picky! In all honesty it will probably have zero bearing on my riding thinking about it but atleast it'll motivate me to ride my bike in the cold and wet!!

Hey, after any experience people have had with the varying tyre options available. I have Contis on my Arcade but am after something potentially a bit lighter and with a bit more of a 'nimble' feel if that exists!! Can see various options! I.e. schwalbe billy bonkers, maxxis rekon, vee tyre options etc. Open to people opinions on what to consider or any hands on experience people have!

Hey, does anyone know what these are? Ta.

Best bit of that bike is the trial noir sticker!!!!

Looks great. Love you are running Chrie King's! Would have been the only upgrade I didn't do on mine back in the day I would have liked! Random question but why did you end up going for the rear QR?

A hacksaw and a plug would be more suitable than that weeny if you actually were bothered about saving weight and not sitting!! 🤣

Oh and i do love a good 20 minute stretch for a ten minute ride

Nice little edit that, a few years behind you at 35 but can relate to what you were saying. Had a bit of an epiphany recently after reading a book called dopamine nation in relation to riding for me. Although ive kept up riding over the years i find myself going through the motions sometimes and that book reminded what I enjoy about it which is pushing yourself and the progress, the older I've got the less i lean into pushing myself which I've now come to understand is why i likely dont take the same enjoyment from it, short summary is i now know to continue to push myself when it comes to riding if i want to take pleasure from it. That doesnt necessarily mean going as big as i did in my twenties but just push the body and capability i now have. I felt that sentiment come through in the edit which its taken me a long time to realise!!

I have ridden a 24 back in the day at Hemel Hempstead and Corby. Corby is a bit bigger and more varied

I would take Adams answer! Bought it second hand and I swapped it relatively quickly for a BB7. Have never got on with Hopes and dont know much about them- it popped a seal on the caliper on a hot day not long after getting the bike and that was enough motivation to go to cables!!

That is very similar to how mine ended up a few weeks after this picture. Avid sd7 rear and original sd7 levers with a bb7 up front with some high rise bars and shorter higer stem.

This is as mine was when i first got it bar tyres id changed. Atomlab rims on pro2 evo hubs. Middleburns. Leeson seat and bash, i changed it to v brake, XTR one for sale whicb would be good age for this! Hope stem, easton bars. Hope mini on the front.

Stay with mt5 and a Shimano lever. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but assume you could buy a deore lever and it would work fine and be a fair bit stronger than magura levers

I went to bloodstock pre pandemic and it was a pretty good bunch. Stick to quiet camping and you'll be fine. I've also done festivals alone and never had any issues. Just go to what you want to see and chill in a camping chair when not! Worse case you go to some of it and leave early! You won't be obliged to stay 🙂

@David Ciesla if you are interested I have a pair of MT7 levers which are hardly used I was going to eBay at some point.