Ali C

meh, I wouldn't touch a joplin with a barge pole from what I have heard of them.

not sure on the total weight, it's probably in the mid 30s though. Yeah, it needs a dropper post, they are a bit expensive though.

I would have liked to do at least one comp this year, but I have demos this weekend. Have fun though everyone!

8.5mm Narr, I seem to remember it being 8mm

well, obviously some people can ride high bb bikes and very well too (pretty much everyone who rides UCI comps) but for me personally, I found it made the bike too rear wheel biast and unless I spent a large amount of time changing my technique on just about every move, I couldn't get used it it and actually found everything harder. I would just fall off the back of the bike whenever I landed a gap tap or hook and I find sidehops a LOT harder with a high bb. It's like you have to jump higher as the rear wheel is in effect lower that it would be normally. The max I could cope with was around +40mm, but an ideal was around 30-35mm (ILOVED my Yaabaa 1499 and my Atomz Premire)

not what I found! But yeah, the speedrace is pretty cool.

it's a 16" once the post is up it feels fine for xc, but put the post down and you have so much room it's ace

I do like steel frames...well done old chap!

you should be able to do turndowns and lookbacks (unturndown?) easier on the bmx setup.

I have only done normal bmx racing, and it is very fun! It's pretty hard work though, if you flat out sprint the tracks you'll be throwing up a lung when you cross the line. You can do it on a normal bmx, but if you want to get better, a lighter longer bike is the way to go. I built up a super light 7.7kg bmx to race on (now for sale btw), it feels so nuts! Like it has a turbo or something lol

I don't think it will make much difference, but the bmx style would be heavier (and stronger)

very good rider, and actually has a nice style despite having a pogostick bike.

My 2010 Orange Five. This is the AM spec with bigger Fox 36 forks and the Sunline finishing kit (bar, stem, pedals). I love this bike, I have tried quite a few different bikes on demo days and they were all pretty good, but the Five stood out as easily the best for me, I feel like I am sat "in" the bike, it feels like I can just put it exactly where I want it. I have the suspension fairly soft and it feels like a mini dh bike, yet I still ride up all the steep hills we have in the Pennines. I am tempted by a adjustable seatpost and 1X10 gearing too, but that will have to wait. I can't reccommend this bike enough, it's fantastic.

as I said, he lifts the rear wheel off the floor and cocks the pedals back. This is like when people didn't think I rode brakeless, "you must have a back pedal brake or something". lol

deffo WAS fixed. Amazingly if you are in the air and stop pedaling, the rear wheel will stop too. He also lifts the rear wheel and cocks back the pedals to get the timing right a few times.

I think what mark meant was that the pieces could be colpetely seperate but once the wheel is built and tensioned, it will squash the two flanges together sandwiching the carbon between. There are some roady hubs that do the same and the new DT wheels work on a similar principle

there is a European roadtrip in planning for next spring, so yeah Matt, it could be on the cards....What time of year would you want to go? I always found March a little too cold for my liking.

I don't regret not going this year and I am not going next year, that place is toss. I am pretty sure they did it so the rowdy Brits wouldn't go, and it worked

wow, I could have not done with seeing that picture lol

cant wait to see this! It may make me depressed though ha!

Phatpads were the same as the pads I used to sell, but I believe Mike may have changed them slightly now. TNN asked me to send them some of my material, I don't know for sure if it's the same, no doubt different places don't make the compound exactly the same. either way, my pads which were the same as Mikes (old?) pads had VERY good bite, but not grat hold (which is why I liked it in my vee as it has the opposite effects). The TNN pads (Which I havn't used) appear to have more hold and less bite than my pads, so who knows if it's the same.

modern day Evolve....nuff said!

one way to think about it is that the rubber lasts longer than most over soft compound tyres like maxxis and try-all. so you won't have to buy a new one for a long time. If they catch the booster, get mr file or grinder out, it's sooooo worth it, I simply WON'T run any other tyre for trialsy riding.

I would consider you mad if you didn't go for a trials queen or de kaiser. They will laugh at the grip of your rubber queen and put up to more abuse.

rained enough here to make the river level rise by 9ft and flood the main road making the police close it. Bloody rain.