Leisure Lakes demo day 2017 - PH trip to Cannock Chase?
Discussion
Leisure Lakes are having their annual MTB demo day at Cannock Chase on the 18th and 19th of March. I have been the last 2 years and it has been a good day out. Will any other PHers be there?
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/demo-weekend-2017-c...
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/demo-weekend-2017-c...
Hmmmmm?
It's a bit close to my 'Battle n The Beach' race the following weekend. But I might be tempted if there are enough PHers going to make a decent group of it.
I've also got insurance repairs going on in my kitchen and bathroom through February, but I'm hoping that'll all be finished by March. I shall keep an eye on the thread and make a decision closer to the time.
It's a bit close to my 'Battle n The Beach' race the following weekend. But I might be tempted if there are enough PHers going to make a decent group of it.
I've also got insurance repairs going on in my kitchen and bathroom through February, but I'm hoping that'll all be finished by March. I shall keep an eye on the thread and make a decision closer to the time.
)I had a great day at Cannock on Sunday, testing bikes meant I could take the MR2 for a blast on the way too! I'm planning to buy a new bike later in the year, so got to test some of the candidates.
Whyte 905
Leisure Lakes Demo Day - Whyte 905 by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
After signing on I went to the Whyte stand, as the T-130 was top of my list of bikes to try. Unfortunately they were all out being ridden, so I opted for a 905, which is a much better version of my current bike. I thought it would be a good bike to base all the other reviews on. The 905 did feel better than my bike, the SRAM gears took a bit of getting used to. I was struggling on the bumpy trails, especially the long rooty section at the end of the lap, I thought I was just unfit/out of condition, but didn’t have the same issues on the full suspension bikes I rode later in the day.
Cube Stereo 140 HPA Race
Leisure Lakes Demo Day - Cube Stereo 140 HPA Race by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
The 120mm travel version of this bike is high up my list of possible next bikes, but they only had 29” or 140mm suspension versions to demo. I took out the 16” frame version, which felt quite compact. I later sat on the 18” version which fitted me well. Dropping in to the Son of Chainslapper section, which now has braking bumps, the Cube felt so much more planted than either then Whyte or my hardtail, within seconds I knew my next bike would have both front and rear suspension! What I hadn’t expected was how much smoother the rooty climb would be on a full suspension bike. I arrived back to the demo area feeling a lot better than after riding the Whyte 905 and it wasn’t just down to the 2x11 gearing! On the subject of gears, the Cube was the only bike I rode with Shimano gears, it may be down to familiarity, but I just cannot get on with SRAM shifters. The downside to the 2x11 setup was that the dropper seatpost level wasn’t easy to reach, on a couple of occasions I went for the left shifter instead of the dropper post.
Orange Four by Hope
Leisure Lakes Demo Day - Hope Orange Four by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
After lunch I planned to take a walk around the various stands, but spotted an Orange Four on the Hope stand. An Orange Four, especially one dripping in Hope bling is my dream bike, as it was in my size - it would have been rude not to see if it lived up to my expectations! Aside from the colour, the only think I would spec differently would have been Shimano, rather than SRAM transmission. I could feel the quality of the bike from the first few pedal strokes and it was a dream on the rough downhill sections. It also climbed as well as the Cube, despite only being 1x11 - the Hope 44 tooth cassette helped there! I must admit that when I got home I had a look at the Orange website to see if I could afford a lesser specced Four, but even the cheapest model is 50% about my budget. I have certainly found a bike to benchmark all other potential new bikes against though!
Whyte T-130s
Leisure Lakes Demo Day - Whyte T-130s by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
My fourth, and final, ride of the day was on a Whyte T-130s, I had high expectations for the full suspension Whyte, compounded by the fact it took my three visits to the Whyte stand to find one in medium, which I thought would be my size. Unfortunately, the medium frame was too big for me, the seat wouldn’t go low enough. Luckily I was able to swap to a small frame, which felt ever so slightly cramped. I don’t know if it was how the suspension had been set up, but the rough sections, especially braking bumps, didn’t feel as smooth as with the Orange or the Cube, yet it managed to feel bouncier than either on the climb.
Conclusion
I don’t think I’ll be buying any of these bikes, unless I win the lottery, in that case I’ll have an Orange Four, with all of the Hope bits. However, I have got a much better idea of what I want - short travel full suspension with Shimano 1x11 transmission and a dropper post!
Whyte 905
Leisure Lakes Demo Day - Whyte 905 by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
After signing on I went to the Whyte stand, as the T-130 was top of my list of bikes to try. Unfortunately they were all out being ridden, so I opted for a 905, which is a much better version of my current bike. I thought it would be a good bike to base all the other reviews on. The 905 did feel better than my bike, the SRAM gears took a bit of getting used to. I was struggling on the bumpy trails, especially the long rooty section at the end of the lap, I thought I was just unfit/out of condition, but didn’t have the same issues on the full suspension bikes I rode later in the day.
Cube Stereo 140 HPA Race
Leisure Lakes Demo Day - Cube Stereo 140 HPA Race by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
The 120mm travel version of this bike is high up my list of possible next bikes, but they only had 29” or 140mm suspension versions to demo. I took out the 16” frame version, which felt quite compact. I later sat on the 18” version which fitted me well. Dropping in to the Son of Chainslapper section, which now has braking bumps, the Cube felt so much more planted than either then Whyte or my hardtail, within seconds I knew my next bike would have both front and rear suspension! What I hadn’t expected was how much smoother the rooty climb would be on a full suspension bike. I arrived back to the demo area feeling a lot better than after riding the Whyte 905 and it wasn’t just down to the 2x11 gearing! On the subject of gears, the Cube was the only bike I rode with Shimano gears, it may be down to familiarity, but I just cannot get on with SRAM shifters. The downside to the 2x11 setup was that the dropper seatpost level wasn’t easy to reach, on a couple of occasions I went for the left shifter instead of the dropper post.
Orange Four by Hope
Leisure Lakes Demo Day - Hope Orange Four by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
After lunch I planned to take a walk around the various stands, but spotted an Orange Four on the Hope stand. An Orange Four, especially one dripping in Hope bling is my dream bike, as it was in my size - it would have been rude not to see if it lived up to my expectations! Aside from the colour, the only think I would spec differently would have been Shimano, rather than SRAM transmission. I could feel the quality of the bike from the first few pedal strokes and it was a dream on the rough downhill sections. It also climbed as well as the Cube, despite only being 1x11 - the Hope 44 tooth cassette helped there! I must admit that when I got home I had a look at the Orange website to see if I could afford a lesser specced Four, but even the cheapest model is 50% about my budget. I have certainly found a bike to benchmark all other potential new bikes against though!
Whyte T-130s
Leisure Lakes Demo Day - Whyte T-130s by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
My fourth, and final, ride of the day was on a Whyte T-130s, I had high expectations for the full suspension Whyte, compounded by the fact it took my three visits to the Whyte stand to find one in medium, which I thought would be my size. Unfortunately, the medium frame was too big for me, the seat wouldn’t go low enough. Luckily I was able to swap to a small frame, which felt ever so slightly cramped. I don’t know if it was how the suspension had been set up, but the rough sections, especially braking bumps, didn’t feel as smooth as with the Orange or the Cube, yet it managed to feel bouncier than either on the climb.
Conclusion
I don’t think I’ll be buying any of these bikes, unless I win the lottery, in that case I’ll have an Orange Four, with all of the Hope bits. However, I have got a much better idea of what I want - short travel full suspension with Shimano 1x11 transmission and a dropper post!
Craikeybaby said:
Conclusion
I don’t think I’ll be buying any of these bikes, unless I win the lottery, in that case I’ll have an Orange Four, with all of the Hope bits. However, I have got a much better idea of what I want - short travel full suspension with Shimano 1x11 transmission and a dropper post!
Possibility? I don’t think I’ll be buying any of these bikes, unless I win the lottery, in that case I’ll have an Orange Four, with all of the Hope bits. However, I have got a much better idea of what I want - short travel full suspension with Shimano 1x11 transmission and a dropper post!
http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant-anthem-2.h...
27.5" wheelset, 120mm travel forks, Shimano SLX 1 x 11 gearing (30t x 11-42), and a dropper post too. £2399 with a s
tload of "free stuff" under the 'Podium Points' scheme if you buy one from Pedal On.£1699 gets you the current Anthem 3, but that's 2 x 10 with no dropper post... http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/giant-anthem-3.h...
Good read, I think I'll go next year as although I don't need a bike its nice to try whats about!
Interesting about the sizing on the T130, a medium looks exactly spot on size wise for you, would the dropper not go down anymore? (Looks like about an inch there to drop the collar to the frame.
Before you settle on a 120 travel bike, just be 100% sure. I now wish I had a little more travel at the back (Process has 134 at the rear), but not so much that its worth changing the bike over. If I were buying again I'd consider the Bird Aeris 145, Enduro mag's review basically said there isn't a single thing they'd change.
My next bike will be 160mm rear, as the ones I've ridden basically have no downsides in climbing (Transition Patrol), but I am torn from my earlier statement with bikes like the Transition Scout which has 125mm rear and totally doesn't feel like it and I question the need to go bigger. lol
Interesting about the sizing on the T130, a medium looks exactly spot on size wise for you, would the dropper not go down anymore? (Looks like about an inch there to drop the collar to the frame.
Before you settle on a 120 travel bike, just be 100% sure. I now wish I had a little more travel at the back (Process has 134 at the rear), but not so much that its worth changing the bike over. If I were buying again I'd consider the Bird Aeris 145, Enduro mag's review basically said there isn't a single thing they'd change.
My next bike will be 160mm rear, as the ones I've ridden basically have no downsides in climbing (Transition Patrol), but I am torn from my earlier statement with bikes like the Transition Scout which has 125mm rear and totally doesn't feel like it and I question the need to go bigger. lol
AndyWoodall said:
Good read, I think I'll go next year as although I don't need a bike its nice to try whats about!
Interesting about the sizing on the T130, a medium looks exactly spot on size wise for you, would the dropper not go down anymore? (Looks like about an inch there to drop the collar to the frame.
Before you settle on a 120 travel bike, just be 100% sure. I now wish I had a little more travel at the back (Process has 134 at the rear), but not so much that its worth changing the bike over. If I were buying again I'd consider the Bird Aeris 145, Enduro mag's review basically said there isn't a single thing they'd change.
My next bike will be 160mm rear, as the ones I've ridden basically have no downsides in climbing (Transition Patrol), but I am torn from my earlier statement with bikes like the Transition Scout which has 125mm rear and totally doesn't feel like it and I question the need to go bigger. lol
It is a good day out, hopefully I won't be in the market for a new bike next year either, but will still go.Interesting about the sizing on the T130, a medium looks exactly spot on size wise for you, would the dropper not go down anymore? (Looks like about an inch there to drop the collar to the frame.
Before you settle on a 120 travel bike, just be 100% sure. I now wish I had a little more travel at the back (Process has 134 at the rear), but not so much that its worth changing the bike over. If I were buying again I'd consider the Bird Aeris 145, Enduro mag's review basically said there isn't a single thing they'd change.
My next bike will be 160mm rear, as the ones I've ridden basically have no downsides in climbing (Transition Patrol), but I am torn from my earlier statement with bikes like the Transition Scout which has 125mm rear and totally doesn't feel like it and I question the need to go bigger. lol
The T-130s in the photo is a small. I need to check which reverb the medium T-130s comes with, as the one I tried had a 150mm reverb and I couldn't reach the pedals, even with it slammed. That was on my old DMR V8 pedals, which are thicker than I would normally use too. I may be OK on a 125mm reverb though.
In theory I'd be OK with a hardtail for the riding I do, my local terrain isn't as good as yours - although I do need to get over there at some point! I haven't been getting to trail centres as much as I'd like to since Owen was born either. A short travel full suspension should be ideal - what sort of situations are you finding you need more travel on yours?
The Bird Aeris 120 is high up my list, I'm hoping to make get down there for a test ride whilst I'm on paternity leave in April/May. Will also check out the Transition, that wasn't on my radar at all!
If you can get a ride on one I'd seriously consider this, ok, SRAM drivetrain (its all good stuff really, its just my personal prejudice and preference for Shimano), but worth putting up with for that frame, they absolutely rock...
http://www.highlandbikes.com/8152/products/transit...
http://www.highlandbikes.com/8152/products/transit...
Its totally irrational, as I'm now into 2k on the Whyte and to be honest, bar one issue, the drive train is great. NX/GX is very robust (I actually think its slightly better when worn beyond its best than SLX/XT as it just seems to keep on going very well), its just personal I think.
For most of where I ride even a full sus is technically overkill (I'm faster at Llandegla on the 905), but nice to have on the more technical places like Eastridge and Hopton.
Its going to be awhile for my next bike (The Process is ace really), but if I get opportunity I'm definitely having a Patrol, in carbon, in blue. Bloody lovely.
As for that Scout, I borrowed one shortly after getting my Precept, did 50 miles on it and it was a revelation, it was suitable for all day in the saddle but railed on the downs like a big bike. I attribute the fact I never really got on with the Precept due to that Scout, afterwards I always felt the Precept was compromised and once the doubt was there it had to go. The Process is like a Scout carrying 2 extra lbs. Lol
Craikeybaby said:
It is a good day out, hopefully I won't be in the market for a new bike next year either, but will still go.
The T-130s in the photo is a small. I need to check which reverb the medium T-130s comes with, as the one I tried had a 150mm reverb and I couldn't reach the pedals, even with it slammed. That was on my old DMR V8 pedals, which are thicker than I would normally use too. I may be OK on a 125mm reverb though.
In theory I'd be OK with a hardtail for the riding I do, my local terrain isn't as good as yours - although I do need to get over there at some point! I haven't been getting to trail centres as much as I'd like to since Owen was born either. A short travel full suspension should be ideal - what sort of situations are you finding you need more travel on yours?
The Bird Aeris 120 is high up my list, I'm hoping to make get down there for a test ride whilst I'm on paternity leave in April/May. Will also check out the Transition, that wasn't on my radar at all!
Its only really on rougher black sections of places like CYB or anything really rooty like Eastridge where I sometimes feel that although the bike as a whole has me covered, rear travel seems to go very quickly (have tried a lot of different set ups with the rear shock).The T-130s in the photo is a small. I need to check which reverb the medium T-130s comes with, as the one I tried had a 150mm reverb and I couldn't reach the pedals, even with it slammed. That was on my old DMR V8 pedals, which are thicker than I would normally use too. I may be OK on a 125mm reverb though.
In theory I'd be OK with a hardtail for the riding I do, my local terrain isn't as good as yours - although I do need to get over there at some point! I haven't been getting to trail centres as much as I'd like to since Owen was born either. A short travel full suspension should be ideal - what sort of situations are you finding you need more travel on yours?
The Bird Aeris 120 is high up my list, I'm hoping to make get down there for a test ride whilst I'm on paternity leave in April/May. Will also check out the Transition, that wasn't on my radar at all!
For most of where I ride even a full sus is technically overkill (I'm faster at Llandegla on the 905), but nice to have on the more technical places like Eastridge and Hopton.
Its going to be awhile for my next bike (The Process is ace really), but if I get opportunity I'm definitely having a Patrol, in carbon, in blue. Bloody lovely.
As for that Scout, I borrowed one shortly after getting my Precept, did 50 miles on it and it was a revelation, it was suitable for all day in the saddle but railed on the downs like a big bike. I attribute the fact I never really got on with the Precept due to that Scout, afterwards I always felt the Precept was compromised and once the doubt was there it had to go. The Process is like a Scout carrying 2 extra lbs. Lol
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