Matt24.

Thanks for the rundown. I’ve just put some MT7’s on my Hex. Part of the appeal is for something with power but has some modulation. I had XTs on with trialtech pads which felt very on / off - any experience with best balance on par setup for the MT7’s for what I have described?

Out of interest @Adam@TartyBikes is that down the pads or the brake?

https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ema-advises-against-use-ivermectin-prevention-treatment-covid-19-outside-randomised-clinical-trials . Interesting to compare your perspective.

I second the cross marks with exo. Assumed you were looking at 24’s - should read the thread better next time! I have been running them for a few months on the hex and didn’t pinch when I dented my rim so a thumbs up from me! They are pricey kind but worth it!! I had the contis you mentioned on it when I got it and I pinched those pretty quick

I ran them for years before the continental option came out. You’ll get pinch flats. Run a heavy DH tube at 35psi plus and they might not be too often. I did used to like a good pedal gap so that didn’t help.

I would hope that as the pandemic starts to settle around the world which eventually it will, vaccine passports will become surplus to requirement. Hopefully not to far in the future so you can rejoin shows!

I think we need people to question things and go against the grain not just give into everything directed so I wouldn’t worry so much about how people take it. We all have a right to an opinion and to discuss things and get our point across. I hate the phrase unprecedented as it is used an excuse to justify on occasion not thought through plans but I do believe that the last year and a half has caught most of the world off guard who just naively sleep walked into the pandemic as they just didn’t see it an imminent threat to an extent around this sort of stuff. You’d hope it is another 100 years before something like this occurs again but unfortunately because the nature of how governments change often over that period they will probably just as ill prepared as they’ll have moved on from this period and be disconnected from it. I guess as a government when the likelihood is you’ll be in power 8-12 years they don’t plan for pandemics they plan to tweak nhs, education etc. Now that is wrong and they have a responsibility on wider threats which I hope going forward more will be done to prepare.

My understanding is the vaccines do work in a sense if they are designed to surpress the severity of the illness. So for example my dad who is on immunosuppressants from a kidney transplant is likely to be hospitalised from COVID even with the double jab but the jab gives him a fighting chance with treatment that he can beat it. I think the daily deaths currently being I think from a basic view a tenth of what they were at a similar rate of infections in the last wave demonstrate it helps. I guess the last lock downs have occurred as the NHS would have run out of beds to treat people unless they halt hospitalisations which the most effective way is stop socialisations with lockdowns. This lock down they are gambling that they have enough beds to cope with the level of hospitalisations per infection in the population. But of course if the wave is over 10x the last in volume at its peak they’d run out. As far as I have read the NHS also administer care differently depending on where they are in the wave around how they use the beds which gives a bit of buffer. I received my 2nd jab today and a lot of my decision was to limit my risk to my dad. I don’t however believe the vaccine should be mandated, mostly my view on this is less to do with people around missing out on travelling and certain social situations and more to do with people who are advised not to vaccinate because of health reasons would miss out unfairly and probably are already in a position that as a minority they are under supported. edit: I guess the other thing seen today is that the highest infection rates and the spread is in the age group with the lowest take up of vaccinations 20-29 years. I also have noticed whilst out and about this week they are the quickest to socialise regularly and in large groups and least likely to wear masks now it isn’t mandatory which will also be fueling the wave but a lack of hospitalisations

I wish someone had told me never to sell your old bikes. You’ll really miss them one day!!

I’ve run shimanos on my alias - I first off just had deores 160mm with ebc reds on rear and greens on a 180 front. Never slipped, very easy to setup and maintain and stiff levers. I then moved to XT twin pots with same size rotors. Loads and loads of power - if anything too much! Only mention is change the adapters as they bend and it snaps the calliper mount. Once you change them over you’ll be fine. I’m 13 and a half stone and never had an issue with power or the callipers once adapters changed.

Just wanted to say thanks all for the replies, I found it pretty uplifting reading through your varying experiences and suggestions. The house renovation is starting to wind down and if I can invest half as much energy, focus and motivation as I have in the last 6 months into getting this house sorted ahead of the new arrival I can see a bright future! I do think I need to make a mind shift around what I can and can't get away with especially the trade off of exercise versus food and drink intakes. The stretching is also something I am going to take some time to focus on as I think it will really help with these odd sprains & strains which tend to put me out for short sporadic periods and set me back. Thanks again all.....

In the spirit of mental health awareness week has a bit of a mind dump I wanted to share and felt this was the appropriate place! So just dawned on me that this month 20 years ago I picked up a copy of mbuk with a free vhs of a euro road trip which Martyn Ashton featured in and spawned my interest in trials. It tied in with a disappointing ride last night where after 4 weeks of being off the bike with a sprained ankle I couldn’t bounce back to the 4 week ago standard immediately!! I’m 32 and struggling a bit with injuries these days and weight and in turn general happiness driven off the back of struggling with reaching previous riding levels. A house renovation, toddler and general life admin see me eating poorly and unable to get in the exercise I’d like which has seen me put weight on for the last couple of years slowly which now I find gets in the way. I am finding it a bit disheartening and demotivating that I am really struggling to get back up to my early twenties standards again! Riding has been a huge part of my life for 20 years and I never want to part ways with it but I guess am struggling to come to terms with not being able to compete with my younger self. I still feel given enough time to invest in riding I could reach and supersede old levels but it seems out of grasp down to time. How often do you ride to keep your levels up? How do you manage to balance riding and life? Has anyone else struggled with weight and it’s impact on riding? How do you generally keep your motivation? Have any of you had to come to terms with capability going down as you get older rather than up? Interested on thoughts especially those in the 30+ category!

Unfortunately was sold a while back

@Tony Harrison - wondering if you can help! I’m on a nostalgic hunt to find out which issue was my first edition of MBUK I ever bought. It involved this euro road trip vhs free on the front - I’ve had a look through 2002 issues and unless it was Jan / Feb it wasn’t one of those. I think it is 2001? Would you know?

Yeah I’d be a bit freaked out by that! Is a weird part of the body to injure in your sleep!

That’s really nicely done. The older I get the more I want something like this!

I feel for you! I’m in a similar situation - slipped off my pedal yesterday landing a gap - foot landed heavily on an uneven rock below and bent my foot back towards my shin - ankle is in a lot of pain today - really disappointed as was jut getting a feel for the Hex I have had for the last few weeks. I kept riding on it for about an hour after as had an ankle support with me and it didn’t feel too bad at that time. I have a habit of thinking I can walk things off in my 30’s - I need to start listening to my body more as that seemed to work in the teens but not anymore!

I don’t really get it now a days either. eBay run so many £1 seller listings just list it at your bottom price on a £1 seller weekend and you can’t go wrong!

I don’t really get it now a days either. eBay run so many £1 seller listings just list it at your bottom price on a £1 seller weekend and you can’t go wrong!

Cheers all super helpful. It’s a 2019 so going so at least I know where I stand now. I guess choice is either wait until some sram stuff comes available or dive in eithe saints and get creative!

What are you running for a bash or not?

Hey - looking to purchase some 170 cranks for the hex. Currently has descendants on it however doesn’t look like I can get gxp versions of them anymore. Have been looking at 170mm saints and wanted to find out if I need 68-73 or 83 to fit with chain stays running a 4 bolt inspired bash and 22tooth chain ring. Ta

That’s a shame - the property we bought in November was probate. Fortunately once we had made an offer they were about 4 weeks into the probate process and the whole process takes 10-12 weeks aslong as it isn’t super complex so tied into the general length of time for the sale to go through.

I’d be interested to know what influence the Halo device had on Romain walking away from that crash. I could see it being a lot worse going through a barrier with a completely open cockpit.

Well good luck with the rest of the transaction. Really odd that they have behaved in that way. Sounds like you are doing everything you need to do - try to ignore the noise and just plug away at getting it over the line!