Sponge

I can't watch Vimeo or Youtube here in China, so can someone upload it onto the TF Video gallery please?

The Python broke?! Haha, damn I was thinking of building up a new bike whilst I was here in Beijing. I haven't thought of trials, or even riding in general since I got here in September. Where abouts did the Python go, and how long did it last for you? Damn, I thought they'd be strong... hmm

I can't see the pictures, since I'm in China and internet here sucks pretty bad. Everything is blocked, pretty much. Upload them onto TF-gallery? So what was bad about the 09 Python? Do the short and long Lynxs ride better/worse? (though I kind of already know the answer to that based off what people always say about their newest frames)

Sick! Is that Janson's old St. Blaise there in one of those pics? Great guy

.... Or one could instead get a Madera hubshell first off instead of a Profile one when they order a new hub. It's lighter than the Profile I believe? Completely retrofittable to any existing Profile cassette hub you have now. It's the same design internally, but the shell is more simple on the exterior, and lighter.

I totally disagree with that. 160mm cranks are too short, and don't offer enough power and leverage. 170s are fine and don't feel toooo ultra-lanky and lengthy. In fact, when you get properly used to it, you'll find you have greater stability and balance from it, as well as more leverage and power. Notice how 175s are the norm in BMX! There's just more stability overall and each pedal stroke delivers more power. Mark (OBM) used 175s on his mods, and from what he's posted in the past, it's apparent that the extra power, leverage, and stability that longer crankarms gave, were a huge benefit to his riding, more or less. That's 175s on a mod, and I still personally much preferred that over weedy 160s. 170mm is the happy medium that suits all... Mod, 24, and Stock; well proven and trusted by thousands worldwide. EDIT: Also, the gearing 'feel' isn't that much affected by crank length. I mean, yes there is a bit, a tiny bit... but not to the point that it makes the gearing feel like kicking nothing. 170mm on 18:12 on a mod is perfectly fine... I think that's the most used set up for drivetrain on mods. For good reason. It also makes you focus more on technique and manipulation of the bike with the body, rather than brute power coming from the gearing that propels you. When learning stuff like pinch gaps, I strongly believe longer than 160mm is better.

Haven't read any posts except the first properly. God what a load of petty arguments. Stop segregating yourselves and steoreotyping/labelling yourselves as "TGS" and "Streety" because it's just moronic. Just ride for whatever reason you want and have a good time doing so. "I'm a TGS rider I am"... Just, no. Trials is trials. TGS is a stupid name and also quite an un-needed stereotype. To think that kids these days are proud of stereotyping themselves with collective groups? Come on... Just be yourself and just be creative with your riding, have fun, stay safe. Peace.

Wow! Haha, bit of a surprise to see them in baby blue! I thought they'd be in yellow. Anyway, looks nice, and it's interesting to see Deng step out of the ol' silver and black frames. I have wondered this though... reading that this new LE is made of 6061 alu, whereas the black 08 ones were made of Ultra 6 (6066 alu); being a slight downgrade in material, does the same hold true for the 2009 Python and Team? Similarly, are the Lynx and new Lite made of 6061 too? Sure, the prices are lower, but I do miss seeing bunches of sturdy and beefy U6 frames.

Fair enough, Marino frames are 'handmade' in Peru by a hardworking guy trying to make a positive impact on trials... but, is the quality really there? I mean even for the low price... the welds look fairly sloppy and for a steel frame, anything 'less' than full 4130 chromoly throughout is a bit dodge. Any hi-tensile grade piece of tubing is likely to fail. I'll be honest, I still wouldn't like to run one of these frames. But maybe in a few years' time, the brand'll improve Nice bike nonetheless

When a group ride gets so big that it gets split into small cliques, it's not so great. Ideally, would be a large enough group that could still keep together.

Brakeless footjam whips, I find, still aren't all that bad compared to with brakes. This is on flat ground though, mind. Since your foot acts as the brake anyway ultimately. I guess it may take a few minutes to adjust from using a front brake to just jamming full-on with your foot, but I do love how the trick is like an oasis in a vast desert of tough moves and tricks. Whiplashes, on the other hand, which I've been trying, are pretty damn frustrating haha. Can't imagine doing whoppers any time soon anyhow! Some day though!

Though some people may bitch and moan... I've found Odyssey Twisted PCs to be very very grippy. I'm using Nike SB Dunks, so it should be grippy on other similar soles too. Also, I quite like the funny look of Twisteds, and they're relatively cheap. The bearings are fine, as is the axle, so no issues there. Just don't do a lot of pedal-stall moves...

Tailwhip hops? also known as Whoppers? Man those are hard as hell... But it's very very punishing on the bike to learn. Whereas, if you're trying footjam tailwhips... man, they're actually one of the easiest 'flatland' tricks there are out there... Hence why it's so commonly and heavily incorporated into Street BMXers' riding and other types of riding like for some trials riders. Fun fact: It's less scary to learn than barspins, and personally I find 'jam whips easier.

This is terrible. I'll keep an eye out too

2.05 g

It's normal... seriously. Pretty much always the case with bashplates. The older bashplate models like on the old T-Pros, 2004 Python, Koxx Levelboss, Monty frames... those have a slight little bit sticking further out on the right side of the bashplate.. But I think the newer gen bashplates don't really bother with this It's fine because imagine smashing the bashplate on a wall... it's not going to hit the freewheel despite how far right it is because the bashplate is a stopper that prevents the freewheel from being touched. You may hit the freewheel if you land at a really odd ODD angle.. however, straight-on, it's not gonna hit. *** Unless of course, your current bashplate was so mashed by the previous owner that it has receded towards the BB shell somehow? In any normal case, your freewheel should be protected. Post some pictures up and I'll be able to help out more.

Just curious man, if that's the case, then how come there are those choosing to still use the full chain rather than say, buy a sturdy 'freestyle' KMC chain, (not the Kool chain) and whack on a separate half-link, which you can buy for about a pound and a half from most stores? I mean, unless of course a. they don't know full chains stretch like bitches, or b. they just like the gash colours that the Shadow chains come in.

People bitch about this frame too much. I personally like it, I actually don't mind the dropouts. They are different at least. Makes a nice overall change to the now stereotypical idea of a 'long, low, silver' bike. There are a load of other frames out there that I'd much rather NOT get... Sweet bike, hope you're enjoying it, post up a vid some time!

Arrow Racing BMX... the Launch tyre.

Where'd you get that frame from? Looks new

You may think that at first. But it's not a problem on my flat bike. I have my chain pretty damn tight, I could actually go another 0.5mm smaller. But yeah, to remove it it's quite easy, even at high tensions... There is ALWAYS a tiny tiny bit of leway, so what I do is pull the back wheel really hard back so the chain momentarily stretches a tiny bit more, which relieves the Slammer of tension so you can pull it out with a fingernail. If you think that then you probably don't understand the concept of these at all. These are aluminium and damn strong. You DON'T need steel. Heck, people think trials riding is stressful on parts, well, for almost everything BMX is leaps and bounds more stressful on the bike. The tyres are at 100psi on BMXs, and they hurl themselves off huge stairsets and crash a lot of the time too... heck think about over-rotated 360s or tailwhips... how much stress that puts on a bike? A trials frame would shear apart far quicker... Trials riders run less than 30psi in their tyres... which absorbs A LOT of the shock of jumping and dropping, trials bikes have it pretty good in comparison! This Slammer is a washer with little curved prongs on onside, which you place on your axle and slot into your dropouts, effectively 'filling up' the gap in the dropouts... so it makes it a totally secure and stable fit. Also, the best part is that you will no longer ever need to worry about getting perfect alignment in your dropouts since you can set the washers at perfect and equal setting... unlike snail cams which will always have a tiny bit of leway and is more prone to shifting the wheel subtly. Basically, Slammers can be for the biggest no-brainers. Rear end alignment and chain tension just got a heck of a lot simpler. In conclusion: these definitely won't snap, and don't snap. It's used extensively amongst many BMXers of all levels and NO ONE has faulted them yet...many swear by them as the most valuable component.. since it eliminates wheel shifting headaches. By design, think about it... how can it snap? It's wedged tight between the dropout inner most end and the axle, so it's not like a loose flappy thing that can be crushed. Also the axle bolts are done up tight, effectively fusing the dropout, axle, and slammer into *one piece*. If it isn't breaking in BMX (where stresses on the rear end of the bike are arguably higher than in trials.. think: 100psi, over-rotated 360s and tailwhips) then it won't break in trials. People are worrying too much. Steel would be overkill. Would you want to use steel snail cams when aluminium ones work fine and don't break unless they are physically smashed during sidehops? Some one on here finally demonstrated some logic. Come on the rest of you ... 'the future of Britain'...

The best riders in the world only use snail cams because that's all they can use for their frames currently. Haha, these just make it a ton more convenient. I know how to set up my bike perfectly fine and snail cams work fine, but these just make it that bit easier. Simple?

Chain stretching is the only issue, I agree with Mark on that. But then again, I've been using mine and still, it hasn't gotten any looser. Mind you, there is the option of cranking it up 0.5mm as well to accomodate for some chain stretch. For someone with a chain that's already done most of its stretching, it's fairly ideal

I'm using one on my flatland bike. My gear ratio is 18:9, so the chain is eve more damn close to the chainstays than a mod bike, and the chain is taut and has been for a very long time. It has never 'slipped' or shown any signs of unreliability. It just makes the rear end a 'fit and forget' thing. True the snail cam can get a some very fine tuning done, but similarly, the slammer comes in a whole host of sizes, with 2 sizes on each individual washer. They come in increments of 0.5mm. Moving up 0.3mm on a snail cam definitely isn't the different between a totally loose chain and a too tight chain in my experience, and many others. The gap is a fair bit larger than it So long as you have a stretch-proof (as far as possible) chain and picked the right size slammer, then you're covered.

Considering a lot of BMX street riders are using these... haha, gaps on a trials bike are as soft as a marshmallow. I'd be more afraid of snail cams slipping a tiny bit (which they do). These buggers are damn well made and very good tolerances, I run these and so do many others, no one can fault them. Though these are made of alu, they're just way more than strong enough already. Think about it logically, how can these break? They are stuck firm against your dropout and axle, there is no wiggle room pretty much... so it is all fused with the dropout and axle as one piece almost.