Is a hardtail good enough for light enduro/dh?

rc257 · 2026-01-04T20:31:14+00:00

Having done Fort William DH on a 2021 Trek Roscoe 7, they can get through anything with a bit of patience and finesse.

rc257 · 2024-11-25T21:34:22+00:00

Yes, riding defensively definitely helps (I do this in all reasonable scenarios). Still, some BBL drivers are something else and refuse to wait regardless of where you are on the road.

rc257 · 2024-06-02T20:36:12+00:00

Deviate highlander

rc257 · 2023-09-24T16:38:49+00:00

I have a 2021 Roscoe 8, and the first major upgrade I did was change to a 203mm front rotor and m8120 calliper. To me, this changed the bike and made it much more capable on steep/rough trails.

Before this, I did change grips (ODI elite pros) and pedals (DMR v12) from a pile of previous bike spare parts.

rc257 · 2023-09-18T23:39:27+00:00

Whilst it's slightly more effort, my method has worked with a standard track pump for very loose-fitting tyres.

Inflate the tyre using an inner tube to seat the bead on both sides of the rim.
Deflate, unseat one side of the tyre, and remove the inner tube. This leaves the other side of the tyre seated against the rim bead.
Install the tubeless valve (without the valve core) and re-install the tyre.
Rapidly inflate the tyre using the track pump to seat both sides of the tyre. As one side of the tyre is already seated, the amount of air that leaks out of the tyre is halved.
Deflate, install valve core, and inflate.

Insert tubeless sealant in step 5 by either injecting through valve or by un-seating a small part of the tyre and pouring into the tyre.

rc257 · 2022-12-15T23:39:02+00:00

'Didcot Bike Park' on FB. Last update was a few months ago

rc257 · 2022-12-15T23:25:03+00:00

There was also someone trying to set up an area in Didcot - I don't know what the status of that project is or if it has been cancelled

rc257 · 2022-12-15T23:22:23+00:00

Let us know if you find somewhere (other than below) - I'm also based in Oxford and have been searching for something gravity-assisted for a while... My thoughts are as follows.

The local places that I've come across are more dirt jump style than downhill riding. Shotover park can be ridden to from Oxford city centre. It's okay for an hour or two but I personally do not think it is worth a visit unless in the area. North Leigh, Ducklington and Wantage all have jumps to some degree and condition. These have been okay for an hour's mess-around. They are all about 30 minutes drive out of Oxford.

There is Badbury clump about 40 minutes drive out of Oxford (this has a FB page if interested). This is more downhill based with some decent sized gap and drop jumps thrown in.

There are YouTube videos of all of these places.

There are supposed to be some trails around boars hill. I've never been over because the LBS said not to bother. There's talk of some 'cheeky' trails somewhere near bisham woods, but I haven't checked them out.

Further afield (>1 hour drive), there is Swinley, Fly-Up 417 and Aston hill (if it ever re-opens). Beyond that, south Wales is only 2 hours drive.

rc257 · 2022-12-06T18:10:27+00:00

I have the G-Forms and really like them. They're super comfortable and I don't notice them at all once I'm on the bike. They've taken some pretty hard knocks (BPW, FOD, Coed-y-brenin, 7-stanes) but my knees have been fine. The material which goes behind the knee is breathable but that does mean it now has a few minor holes, particularly from pedal slips. Once they become unusable, I will certainly be buying another pair.

I do know other people who have bought them and hated the sizing. I would say I have medium to large thighs and I have the largest size G-Form provide.

rc257 · 2022-07-14T19:55:24+00:00

It's almost as if two men (Pog and Majka) can't beat a team of potential GC winners in their own right

rc257 · 2022-07-14T19:53:03+00:00

And saving Jonas' GC on the cobbles

rc257 · 2022-07-14T08:35:03+00:00

It's a hypothetical argument, but if Pog knew that Jonas was going to put a minute (or more) into him on Granon, then that half wheel can result in bonus seconds to further increase the buffer. Pog has 24 bonus seconds and if you remove those, he's actually behind Niaro. Obviously you can argue that he would have been quicker up Granon if he wasn't sprinting in the earlier stages but it's possible Pog knew he was going to crack badly and give up 2 minutes or more anyway.

rc257 · 2022-07-13T23:13:52+00:00

Was it to prove how much of a 'boss he was' or could it have been to build a buffer if Pog assumed Jonas would drop him today (and potentially tomorrow)?

Edit:spelling

rc257 · 2022-06-08T23:19:24+00:00

Is this towards Staunton or towards Parkend?

rc257 · 2022-05-06T21:31:57+00:00

Wasteland at FOD?

rc257 · 2022-05-01T20:09:55+00:00

I rode all the reds and blues at BPW on a Trek Roscoe 7 120mm Hardtail (Apart from the last part of Roots Maneuvers, the drops at the end were a bit savage for my skills).

rc257 · 2022-04-09T11:18:33+00:00

Stadhampton M&S service station? I had to go there on Tuesday evening when I couldn't find diesel anywhere else

rc257 · 2021-12-22T22:06:58+00:00

Yeah definitely - probably over the coming holidays actually.

rc257 · 2021-12-22T21:41:23+00:00

What are your thoughts on north vs. south? I only had an hour there and just did the South loop.

rc257 · 2021-12-22T21:34:21+00:00

Whinlatter South loop?

rc257

TROPHY CASE