Ride 1: Titus FTM carbon

Titus FTM carbon

I was keen to try the FTM carbon, it’s a similar beast to the Marin Attack Trails that I love so much, so the comparison would be interesting. Obviously it’s a bit unfair to compare the two as they are at somewhat different ends of the price spectrum, but they are certainly very similar in terms of travel and aimed at being good all rounders.

You notice the smooth carbon lushness first, then the low weight. This bike was pretty sensibly specced with XT stuff and yet on the climb it felt like I had a giant hand at my back pushing me up the hill! This bike flies uphill easily and smooths out the trail beautifully. The front / rear balance of the suspension was good and it tackled the sheep trail with ease.

Dropping back down through the golf course down the steep chalky descent it was no drama at all, I kept the brakes off and got to the bottom with a big grin on my face.

So as I said at the top, only a really quick spin, but first impressions were good. This is a light, capable all rounder that climbs well and descends well too. However the frame on it’s own does cost almost as much as an entire Marin Attack Trail 6.8, so obviously you’ve really got to want one. But then if you’re considering a frame like this price usually isn’t your first concern.

Ride 2: Whyte 19 steel

Whyte 19 steel

At nearly £500 cheaper than the Whyte 19 the 19 steel could be seen as the poor relation, but I think that is more than a little unfair. Componentry aside they offer two different ride feels for sure. I rode the 19 trail a while back and absolutely loved it, it’s an absolute trail weapon, it’s light weight and fantastic handling make it a great bike for round these parts. The aluminium frame is not harsh at all, but some of you out there may be looking for that famous steel ‘zing’ and a more comfortable ride. This bike delivers big time, I absolutely loved it. It just felt comfortable and well connected the whole time. The fact I was shouting at the guy on the El Guapo to get off the brakes on the downhill should tell you something

So don’t think of  it as the poor relation to the 19 trail, it has a character all of it’s own and is great fun to ride, why not give it a whirl?

Ride 3: Titus El Guapo

Titus El Guapo

This was the bike everyone wanted to ride, it was specced to the absolute max with the lushest kit you could possibly imagine on it! Obviously the first thing you notice is the weight, yes not nearly as weighty as a Marin, but then it costs a lot more too. It uses the same horst link configuration as Specialized and is pretty active, you can see this as a positive or a negative really, but if you put the pro pedal on for climbing it’s not really a handicap. The plus point is of course that when you get to the top of the hill and turn round to come back what you have is a super plush machine that tracks the ground perfectly and gets you where you want to go, quickly.

This was the only bike that I did the downhill by the golf course without braking, it feels as solid as a rock, firmly attached to the terrain.

There will be a more thorough review to follow, because I liked it so much I bought one

Ride 4: Genesis Alpitude

Genesis Alpitude

I took the Genesis Alpitude as an ‘old faithful’ at the end, I’ve put in a few miles on this bike already and it’s good fun. You can read what I though here.

So there you go, the demo day was good fun, unfortunately the weather was less than fantastic and the numbers suffered a little bit. But we all got some rides in on the bikes we wanted to try and I ‘accidentally’ bought one

Hummerlicious (or Guapalicious!)

The current list can be found here.

You could try the Lush Whyte 19 trail:

Or how about a Marin Attack Trail….

Hopefully with a little less snow!

Don’t forget you can play on the north shore too….

North shore fun

Demo day

The Quest Adventure demo day is this coming Saturday (21st March). We’re doing rides at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00. You can book up a test ride by calling the shop on 01903 573700 or 01903 821296.

The list of demo bikes is below:

Marin Wolf Ridge (6.9 &/or 6.8): S, M & L

Marin Mount Vision (5.8 &/or 5.7): S, M, L & XL

Marin Mount Vision women’s: S

Rocky Ridge: M & L

Quake 7.9: M

Indian Fire Trail & CXR if they arrive in time

Scott Scale 20: S,M,L

Scott Scale 35: M

Scott Spark 30: M

Scott Spark 20: S, M, L, XL

Scott Genius 20: M, L, XL

Scott Genius 30: M

Scott Genius 50: S, M, L

Bring your own helmet. Flat & clipless pedals will be provided but you are welcome to bring your own.

Trials display by Darren and his one time trials display partner Chris Donney of Zero gravity. Many thanks must go to Chris and Rob for bringing their rig down.

Test ride the top end GPS system

Trail Break’s latest set of events take place this weekend from Cranleigh in Surrey, with two days of riding in the heart of the North Downs.

Saturday is a Southern Trail Ride, with a choice of distances from 15 to 30 miles over pre marked routes, while Sunday’s Navigator Race gives you a different way to explore the terrain in the shape of a three and half hour MTB orienteering competition. There’s free SIS energy drink for riders on both days, and full catering on site, plus all the organisation and support that Trail Break are famous for.

On top of all that, you’ll have a chance to take a look at (and even ride with) the most advanced GPS unit on the market, the Satmap Active 10. The Active 10 features full OS mapping on a large, crystal clear display, and an intuitive user interface that  lets you to follow pre loaded routes or plot your course on the fly, quickly and easily, right on the device itself.

Satmap will be on site at the event and will have 20 demo units that can be loaned out for you to ride with for the day; all you’ll need to do is bring some ID (drivers licence will do) and a current credit card to leave as a deposit. It’s strictly first come first served, so turn up late if you want to try out one of these great devices.

For more details of the weekends events and to sign up, visit trailbreak.co.uk, or call 0118 976 2491 for more information. For more details of the Active 10, go to www.satmap.com.