Ali C

What were the bikes we used to compete on back in the day? They had 26" wheels and a seat (almost identical to my Hex), were they 26" BMXs with seats or trials bikes?

I didn’t realize Ross was also racing BMX then, my apologies

that was amazing! Alex's and Kriss's parts were edited so well and of course the riding was nuts! Kriss isn't scared!

I think the Crossmark Mk2 is the closest to a larsen...I'm running a pair now and I really like them

That's not what he said though. I can fully understand someone enjoying riding a comp style bike instead of an inspired, I absolutely don't have an issue with someone's preference of bike. The issue is having a preference and then looking down upon/mocking the other style (which he did). It reinforces a split between riding style when there absolutely doesn't need to be one, bikes are good, saddle or no saddle, brakes or no brakes 24" or 26".

You can have an opinion but that doesn’t make you immune for being called out for it.

I’d definitely organize something if it meant we got to see you ride again! in other good, my 30 year old MX5 had its MOT today and passed with zero advisories, two years in a row!

I thought this attitude had died out?

Thanks guys! I can't do a 24Tour, I'm on 26 now!

so so so so happy I started my vlogging 4 years ago! I had previously been 100% reliant on demos for income and after 4 years of making a video every week, sometimes wondering why I bother, I'm finally getting enough revenue from YouTube and Patreon to make a living! I would've been in such a bad financial position right now if I hadn't gone down this route as there's zero shows at the moment. Also since lock down I've gained 10K subscribers...to put that into perspective I gained 16k all of last year. I'm not in it for the numbers but I'm quite excited to get to 100k, I never thought I'd ever reach that. I'm thinking of doing something to celebrate, maybe a group ride or something.

Maguras are pretty great, the calipers are the strongest and most maintenance free I've used plus I love the magnetic pads which removes the need for those springs (which can bend and hit the rotor). The levers fall apart from trials use as we tend to put a lot of back/forth flex into the blade but they're not so bad on the mtb...until you crash. I've been running shimano levers on my magura calipers on my trials bike for a while now with no issues, could be an option for the MTB too perhaps? I think Hope brakes are fantastically well made and the ease of spares is a bonus. I do find them under powered compared with other brands though plus I've always found them to vibrate and give a real high pitched tone if the pads drag even a tiny bit. I also found them to be fairly high maintenance and I'd get sticky pistons quite often. Sram guides feel nice but are under powered. Sram Codes have great power and feel great, had them on my Santacruz for over a year and I've only had to change the pads. The downside is the lever pivot bolt keeps on vibrating lose no matter how much I tighten it.

If I were to go out and buy brakes with my own money right now, I'd go for some Hayes Dominion models (2 or 4 pot, your choice). From feeling them at Eurobike, they have the nicest lever feel I've ever felt...the lever took the lest amount of effort to move, it's insane. Power is meant to be good too and they seem to be getting great reviews

no I don't, they've not really been advertised much (I only found out about them a couple of months ago) so I'm not sure how many people are aware they exist

for sheer power...Trialtech are hard to beat

35mm I think, 38 is pretty good tbf

check out Light Bicycle, they do a decent 24" carbon rim https://www.lightbicycle.com/AM431-rim-profile-carbon-24-inch-mountain-rims.html

I need to go for a ride after watching that...fun!

You’re allowed to drive as long as the activities last longer than the driving

I just got kicked off the pumptrack by the police! They first said it wasn't social distancing which I (politely) explained that I was on my own and well away from anyone else...they then said it was recreational and not exercise. TBF I didn't argue, there were some younger guys in a group and I understand that to stamp it out they have to stop all use. I'd rather they said that though than suggest you can only keep fit as long as you don't enjoy it

The lack of correction hops makes me smile Nice work (and no footjam whips )

I heard they had atrocious grip because they were made with silicone base rather than carbon?

That reminds me of Michelin Hot S red tyres that people started to run for some reason...I sometimes forget how long ago they came out!

I'm the same as you, I'm death grip on the front brake unless I need to use it, often swapping from death grip mid move. That's riding street though, on natural I tend to cover both brakes as things can take you by surprise

curiosity got the best of me and I bought a rear brake for my comp bike. First thing to notice is they have smaller pistons, this means a few things but firstly it means they WON'T work with normal magura clamps and the ones supplied are for v-brake mounts...you can kinda bodge them on but there's seriously limited adjustment so it's as good as not working. I'm looking to get some custom clamps made as I'm really curious to see how the brake performs, the lever blade is pretty long and I'm confident it will be pretty powerful. The other thing about the smaller pistons is that it means it uses a disc brake lever potentially opening up the use of shimano, magura or any other mineral fluid filled disc brake lever which could be a massive thing! People have wondered if it's possible to use a disc lever on a magura for years and it looks like it might now be possible. Other things to note is that the cylinders have access to the back (rather than a non accessible magura cylinder) opening up the possibility of better servicing and potential mods (adding or removing springs etc). The piston itself is alloy which is also cool (I wonder if a one-piece pad and piston would be possible?). The brake seems like a bargain if fitting became easier, the lever feels slightly cheap and heavy but nothing too bad, the cylinders look great though, here's hoping the seals are decent! I'll post some stuff on my channel as and when it happens so keep an eye out.

Officially the nicest feeling levers I've ever felt, so light to pull!