[Closed] So what Grouptest would you like to see in STW?

pub and cake shops on a stw forum organised ride for the mag.

Probably been done before but i'd like to see an article on the different suspension designs available (because I don't fully understand the pros/cons), and then maybe a grouptest of three 120mm bikes each with different suspension designs to see how they work in practice.

Bottlecages 🙂

Actually I'd like to see a comprehensive review of 29er hardtail frames - something like Singular Swift, On-one Scandal/steel, GF, Giant etc etc. Not just the high-end review like a few issues ago(which was great btw).

Generic trail food test, assorted cakes and niceties available from your average shop 🙂 Nothing that is sport nutrition specific.

I usually go for Eccles Cakes and/or Lyles Ginger cake, am I missing any other gems hidden in the long life cake department?!

I'm sure a grouptest of this sort would go down well on a rainy day stuck in the ST office.

Good idea!

I'm sure a grouptest of this sort would go down well on a rainy day stuck in the ST office.

Surely to test them properly you would need to go out riding and nearly bonk, in order to test the effectiveness of flapjack/battenburg/pasty/foie gras as trail food?

Razors! 😉

Downhill bikes

The best downhill bikes for small ladies.......

I think I may have possibly found mine, but it wasn't easy!

As it happens 'bunny I'm currently working on something very much along those lines right now 🙂

Not specifically a 'grouptest' but I was thinking the other day... Wow, my bike rides GREAT... however, I've actually no idea if it climbs better than anything else, or descends better either!
Some sort of article on handling characteristics and what makes a 'great bike' from someone who's ridden lots of different bikes would be very interesting.
I'd also find an article on riding position and bike fit quite interesting, but maybe thats just me!!

P

A big selection of trail bike tyres (2.25-2.5") on a range of surfaces, not just Calderdale.

A 29er test would be good so that I can confirm that my Swift is awesome 😉

My biggest gripe with many of the bike tests is that the bikes often aren't that comparable (e.g: the 29er review a few months ago). Nice reviews in themselves but lacked the context of comparisons to a broader field. To be really informative a better frame of reference is needed. I'm less bothered by price differences but design and usage differences really hamper (my) interpretation of reviews.

I'd also like to see a review of the Banshee/Mythic Spitfire with some other burlier trail bike designs. I'd consider it to be similar to my 2005 Heckler and the Orange 5 in usage but have no idea if I'm correct!

Singletrack forum bike vs rest of the world

So a Cotic Soul with Hope/Stans Hoops, SLX groupset, Thompson finishing and Nevegals against similar price Specialized full suss.

Handlebars

Chamois cream

How about covertly taking the same bike with the same problems (like a knackered headset, undertight front mech clamp, knackered BB) to a bunch of different LBSs, Halfords, Evans, etc for a service and see what they find?

You could do a similar test on manufacturers warranties.

Handlebars

Did that not too long ago.

New versus old. Compare new, 5 year old, 10yo and 15yo bikes of the same type....

It must be hard to come up with a new grouptest each issue, without some of them being deathly dull.

Personally I can never get enough tyre reviews though. I like the generic trail food idea too. Maybe extend to recovery drinks.

considering how important tyres are compared to every other part, as the sole contact point between all that expensive kit and the trails you choose to ride, it is impossibly hard to ever know which ones are decent without having the chance to test loads somehow. so agreed, every issue should have an ever-increasing tyre database in the back.

Like a couple of them idea's;

Chamois Cream - STW team sit bare arsed on belt sander for a minute then go ride! Reporting which soothed the best!

PeterPoddy - Nice idea, eg Turner 5 Spot, horst, TNT, DW.

Pitchforks.
Stakes.
Matches.

I like the idea of 3 generations of Turner frame.

Large volume, light weight UST tyres tested in rocky environments would be useful for me.

How about a group test of fourms ?

Seriously though, most of the stuff tested is good/ok/very good. What about all the crap stuff - lets have a list of whats really bad and why. That way we wont waste our money on it.

For example, those upy, downy, seatposts - great idea, but they dont last in the real world. Well lets tell the world they are crap and perhaps they will get better. We all benefit.

Plus we all like reading about how bad stuff is - assuming its not us that bought it.

Lets have a test of £99 FS bikes - all at a trail center - prize for the fastest lap of the Wall, prize for the most bits to fall off.

Whiskies. I trust the tipple judgement of STW staff absolutely.

Large volume, light weight UST tyres tested in rocky environments would be useful for me.

+1, but not too light weight!

Lets have a test of £99 FS bikes

One of the mags done this (can't remember which one, sorry) and it turned out pretty much as you'd expect...

So a Cotic Soul with Hope/Stans Hoops, SLX groupset, Thompson finishing and Nevegals

that's my bike!

yeah, not too light weight. Robust trail tyres without going over a kilo.

Apres ride pint. I am willing to volunteer my services for nowt too.

yeah, not too light weight. Robust trail tyres without going over a kilo.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Put that on the list please ST people. 😉

I would like to see a real cross section review.

Say £1000 to £1500 price, 29er HT, vs 29er FS, vs 26er HT vs 26er FS, vs 650B etc.

Preferably with similar travel, and ideally from same manufacturer.

For example. Giant Xtc 29er, Giant Anthem X 29er, Giant Xtc and a Giant Anthem X.

Would be interesting to read different opinions on the pros and cons of each bike, especially from a cross section of reviewers.

How about testing say hardtails with a 100mm ish forks from a wide price range £200 -£7000 round an xc loop and timing it to see which is fastest. use a set of control tyres to keep it fair, it would be nice to see if the extra money is money wasted. I'd enjoy seeing a rockhopper get the same lap time as a Flash.

Iain

lets have a grouptest of mtb magazines...

the one with the least "grouptest" would be my winner

the ones with best pics and things written about places, faces, and races would score highly

I'd like to see a test between 2 identical frames. 1 kitted out with budget gear, the other with top end. Everything would have to be unbranded so the tester remains impartial. To see what difference they make of it.

Grouptest of STW forum members obviously.

Maybe a grouptest of tubeless wheels - how well they seal with tubeless and non tubeless tyres, as well as the obvious points for a wheel. And maybe a small one on what sealant they like the best.

Never seen anything on workshop tools, I'd quite like that,

How about reviews on the bikes that are mail order / people less likely to be able to test ride. Think a mag has done something similar, but I would like to read about inbred vs ragley vs merlin (and others?)

Something on best value trail bikes at the £1000 C2W limit, but with LOADS of bikes rather than just 3 or 4.

Always think the better grouptests are when lots of products are compared with short descriptions rather than one or two with long description.

Things like handlebars, cranks, stems are pointless to 'review' they either work or don't and the reader can look at the specs sheet and see if they suit them. Similarly other simple components such as headsets, bbs, mechs etc either stand up to use well or don't, we dont need a load of hyperbole and redundant conjecture on how it will cope with a muddy calderdale winter or peaks grit. Just try it for an applicable amount of time and say yes, it's good/ no it broke, get something else. To this end the section on the website showing the lastest kit comming in for testing lets us know what to expect, we don't need to be shown it in the mag as MBUK is guilty of. Ooh look at this new thing, I don't know anything about it and everything i'm saying is straight of the spec sheet.. blah blah wow I filled up a column with nothing of any use to the reader.

Therefore, I would like to see tests on things that don't have the top trumps review of weight, geometry, strength, price which the reader can make a choice on themselves. e.g. tyres, clothing, foods, tools, coaching services (although I appreciatethat could stir up bad vibles and politics)

Long weekend destinations -balancing cost, ride choice/quality, accessibility etc etc

herefore, I would like to see tests on things that don't have the top trumps review of weight, geometry, strength, price which the reader can make a choice on themselves. e.g. tyres, clothing, foods, tools, coaching services (although I appreciatethat could stir up bad vibles and politics)

It would be quite fun to de-badge some components and bikes, have people test them, then do a "reveal" wouldn't it 🙂

re: the coaching thing - take 5 riders, time them on a ride then send them off for coachign and time them on the same route afterwards?

Also - I think the whole 'upgrade' thing could be done more scientifically - how much time on a given route does changing wheels/tyres/forks/brakes actually make.

Group test: Mountain biking magazine subscriptions

Singletrack
MBR
MBUK
Dirt

🙂

I suppose if its to relate to the STW readership then;

1. pre-1939 tractors
2. free porn sites
3. 'real' ale
4. divorce lawyers
5. Special friends called Dave
6. Best fork to 'own' someone with.

Trail Centre Cafes
Lubes

Also like to see a second-hand challenge eg: 4 writers to build a bike out of second hand bits off STW/ebay/bikeradar (perhaps up to £500 HT or £750 FS) then test each others bikes, then sell them on... (not sure if the advertisers would like it though... 😉 )

I'm Dave...<Waves to all>

It would be quite fun to de-badge some components and bikes, have people test them, then do a "reveal" wouldn't it

I reckon for that to work in some cases they'd need to be blindfolded.

Now that would be an amusing bike grouptest....:)

C2W bikes. take a selection of bikes that nestle close to the £1000 range, maybe 2 options for each of

hardtail
full sus
roadbike
hybrid

and see how they do? could also have a conjoining article mentioning which schemes there are, that some LBS take halfords, which mail order shops do etc etc

5lab - they did one of those.

I like to see a massive group test of disc brakes with some real data rather than just feel and favouritism but I'd like to see it done with a control pad in all the brakes.

Then maybe a test the following issue of various pads testing in a control brake.

Maybe some testing of how much difference bedding in pads actually makes.

How about a test of cartridge bearings. Branded vs cheap, left alone vs cleaned and packed with extra grease?

everyone takes 2k, and drops it on whatever bike/saucy components/fancy frame etc they want, no freebies, and compare the resulting bikes afterwards.

It'd be interesting to see some readers bikes tested after they've modified them eg what dothe test riders think of the "improvements" such as bigger forks, changes in wheelsets and whether they are worth making when compared against the stock bike. It might just prove to me that I'm wasting money on pointless upgrades... 🙁 Then perhaps their suggestions for what they would upgrade??

Mark - Resident Grumpy

As it happens 'bunny I'm currently working on something very much along those lines right now

Well if you want a tester..... 😉

*drops hint with sledgehammer*

Great Apes

It would be quite fun to de-badge some components and bikes, have people test them, then do a "reveal" wouldn't it

Candodavid - Member

I'm Dave...<Waves to all>

As for testing forum members, that could be quite interesting. "handles well, although quite a lot of sag up front. Struggles on some climbs, and, most importantly, failed the 'provocative post from Fred' test".

My 2p worth, I think a 'useless stuff we've tested' piece would actually be useful. Some of the car mags do it when they're testing the 'car of the year' - they have 'turkeys of the year'.

I'd be interested in a test of the current crop of posh shocks. Maybe CCDB, Elka Stage 5, Bos Stoy and Fox RC4 all run on the same reference bike to see if they really make that much difference for non-downhill-mentalist riding.

How about a top gear style challenge. DH bikes for under £350. Then enter races etc.

Mudguards.
Sunnies.
Midge repellant.
GPS's.

With the number of bikes getting nicked a test of alarms, ground anchors ,chains etc

Brits v Yanks Trail Frames

maybe...

Orange 5 & Pace RC405

versus

Yeti ASR5 & Santa Cruz Blur LT / Nickel

Comparison of frame builders: Stuff like changing dropouts, or adding / removing cable stops and rack-mounts the like, and then, the quality of their powder-coating / refrub.

Look at stuff like quality of the work, turnaround times, customer service and the like.

(Declaring an overtly personal interest in the outcome 😀 ).

"PeterPoddy - Member

New versus old. Compare new, 5 year old, 10yo and 15yo bikes of the same type...."

I like this one. It's something the motorbike magazines do from time to time, every GSXR750 ever or whatever. Makes for an interesting read, gives you an idea of progress and trends. Wouldn't even have to be such old ones, it could be more interesting to compare last year/this year with a specific model.

"StuE - Member

With the number of bikes getting nicked a test of alarms, ground anchors ,chains etc"

Quite a hard one to do, because it has to be destructive testing, and because a lot of lock companies quite sensibly won't want to take part if the test regime's remotely effective

(one of the big motorbike magazines once changed their test format for a locks grouptest because all but 2 lock providers refused to provide a sample when they said "We'll test with boltcroppers". So rather than go out and spend £2000 on locks in order to write an article that said "These all got cut instantly with boltcutters" and pissing off almost all of their advertisers, they just changed the test to include only ineffective attacks, and got sent the full selection of locks, all of which passed the reduced test. Marvellous)

Lets have a test of £99 FS bikes - all at a trail center - prize for the fastest lap of the Wall, prize for the most bits to fall off.

A Finnish bike mag (more generic then stw) did that test. The conclusion was:

-Those bikes should come with a big warning not to ride offroad or over big bumps
-The handling improved greatly when the rear shock was replaced with a piece of wood
-Dads who like their kids should not buy them bikes like that.

Following on from littlegirlbunny post maybe some tests by readers of STW