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Thanks fella.
I've got chicksands Friday next week and then surrey hills the week after and Jedi on the week after that, so that's I think the 17th.
After that though I'm up for something for sure.
With my 8 year old taking up xc racing from next Sunday, my time is a little more restricted, plus I think Mrs Weeksy is going to head on holiday in a few weeks.
I'll throw you a mail
To be honest I feel slightly guilty for not taking such good care of my bike, although it wasn't quite as much as the original Kona price. Pretty sure I ought to be properly cleaning my bike a lot more than I do.
Weeksy where do you do all your spannering? Do you have a garage/shed with all the appropriate bits and pieces in the toolbox?
I have a garage yeah, if anyone from here sees it they'll definitely have me down as having Ocd. Its carpeted, all tools tidy, own hoover for the garage, basically its spotless. Its very much my happy place
Don't know why people go on about being over biked at Swinley. It's more fun in the twisty bits on a slacker bike IMO and as mentioned it has jumps and drops if you know where to look.
He is over biked for Ridgeway and surrounding areas tho on that. That's all about covering miles so definitely xc territory.
I'm only over biked if its a race? Surely if you're just out withing any timing its just fun and being outside?
I do get the point though, but it bothers me very little
No bashing from me you've done the right thing stripping it down, do all the bearings, bottom headset cups and hub pivots need doing most often.
Experienced serial bike owners sell on just before the drivetrain is completely borked and when the fork and shocks need servicing. They usually don't bother doing any maintenance other than jet washing the bike down after rides and a bit of chain lube every now and again!
I checked the pivot bearings on SH full suss bike I got. All the sealed pivot bearings were bone dry from many jet washing sessions. Cleaned re-greased and all are still going strong years later. I doubt that would have been the case had I not bothered.
Fair play for spending all that time 'sorting things out', but it seems a bit pointless some of it, as when you start riding like a 160mm bike should be ridden, and on the terrain where you need that travel, stone chips etc will just happen too often.
IMO of course. Enjoy it.
I guess for me it's a checking thing, knowing it's perfect, knowing it's right. Marks will come, crashes will happen and scuffs will appear. That doesn't mean I can't limit them with tape, doesn't mean I can't check every nut, bolt, bearing and cable.
At the end of the day I will be riding it down things outside of my skills and relying on it to be better than me, so it has to be as good as it gets!
Plus, I really really enjoy it, it gives me pleasure without doubt. Cold beer, bit of music and spanners in hand. One of life's great pleasures IMO.
I'm only over biked if its a race?
Well yes and no. Being over biked means having too "big" of a bike for the riding to be optimally enjoyable. This may not matter to you of course.
It would matter to me if I took my Patriot to the Ridgeway because I have the Salsa which I know better there 🙂
New bearing kit ordered. I decided to pay some on top of him and go for the higher spec bearings.
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I'm with you weeksy, very few things better in life then working in the garage on my bike. Especially if the garage is tidy and the tools are to hand. I love it! It's just a shame the weather is so shit here and all your hard work is undone 10 minutes into a trail.
Brilliant by the seller Chakaping, sorted out payment for bearings without any argument. Another win for STW for sure.
Be careful removing the bearings from the rocker bit.
The bit that says "this bit is carbon" or whatever is a piece of carbon basically super glued to the two bits of ally the bearings sit in.
Fine when compressed together with the frame bit if you are over zealous with removing the bearings the glue comes apart.
Thanks mate.
First job is the main pivot bearings, should arrive tomorrow and we'll see where we are then.
Main pivot bearing swapped and all good. No play any more. Had 2 loose spokes making wheel noisy so sorted them too. Bike now happy. Will replace all other bearings when wife goes away in 2 weeks time.
Due to reviews stating dropped chains and my bike obviously had a few in its past, I fitted a top guide.
Still needs final tweaks
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I'll be making a note to buy from you in the future.
Your spannering may be faultless, your colour co-ordination (that ring!) less so
FWIW I ride the Ridgeway on 30T and given the number of Scwalbe Evos I've wrecked a cheap wheel/tyre set is very sensible. Overbiked? Bet it's comfy.
Did you sell your 'Fish?
LOL the ring isn't mine, i'll be swapping it for a black one ASAP. I've just been waiting for all the other bits to arrive, front wheel, Reverb 125mm, rim tape, tubes, RRP mud jobbie, etc etc.
I sort of sold the Fish, sort of gave it away. A mate has been hankering for it for ages and ages... But he doesn't have the money, so i gave it to him at the weeked on the promise that someday he gives me some money each month, but only if he's got it spare 🙂 He's been a good mate for a long time.
But now as you've commented... i've bought a Superstar N/W 32T in black 🙂
I use my process 153 for everything. Just got back from thrashing it around morzine, les get and les Carroz.
Bit of a pig on trail center stuff, but it climbs quite well for a heavy enduro rig and when you point it downhill it's phenomenal.
I have to admit I'm a bit OCD too. I like a nice tidy workshop to work in and keep my bikes well fettled. A bit of down time once the kids are in bed and I can't ride when the wife is at work. It's my sanctuary.
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Bought a 2nd hand Giant 24" for daughter earlier this year. Just a couple of little jobs to fettle and one thing led to another and I ended up stripping the bike right down to bare frame. Everything was stripped, cleaned, lubed (hubs, fork, etc), replaced as necessary (cables, brake pads, headset).
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A couple of evenings well spent, as now she has a bike that runs almost as new, and shouldn't need any real attention for a while, allowing me to focus on my bikes 😆
Phew, busy busy.
New front wheel arrived and is now set up as my XC rim, along with the Rocket Ron fitted, currently tubed on both wheels, but may debate Tubeless as both are set up taped with Stans, so no real reason not to go Tubeless, i just need to buy 1 valve and some liquid. I'll be asking for lessons when the time comes though i can tell you that. Although it could be argued a 203 front rotor is excessive for XC 😉
Reverb installed and happy... lovely item 🙂 First time with a reverb and i have to say it's quick and smooth, most happy.
I'm glad there's a few people with my levels of cleanliness/sorting, i like everything 'right' if possible...
nice bike Weeksy!!
i had a sneaky feeling it was Chakapings...he tried to flog me the Giant Reign he had before that.
i reckon he's going for another Reign...in the correct size this time!!
Well that was eye opening and eye wateringly painful. But also I guess quite constructive as I now know better than ever where my weaknesses are.
Drops.
Not even crazy big drops, not just blind drops, just 18" vertical step downs I guess.
We were on run 3 or 4, was the dual slalom course and I was following legion748. It was only a recee run to see where it went etc so not like we were cracking on at pace. Well there was one of these vertical steps, not massive by any stretch, the sort you could roll if needed but nicer if you carry a bit of pace. I wasn't carrying enough and I noticed legion748 took a right hand line so I followed, but I went too far right and it brings you out mid been and at the wrong angle, my front slid down, then gripped and I went over the bars, landing on my back/side hard. Very very hard. Managing to miss most of my back protector as well. Instantly winded and horrific pain. Took me a good 3 mins to even get up off the trail and double that to recover enough to breathe.
After a while I'd composed myself enough to do more trails, which we did and they went OK. On the Bull run there's a log step over a crest which eventually I was getting decent air off as when you're carrying more entry speed you can't help but get air. The run does have a root step down I couldn't face though, ending up taking a semi chicken run to the right of the step. But it helped put away some fears and demons doing some runs. Nothing worse than ending on a crash.
In hindsight and now I'm home, maybe I should have. But we can't turn back time. After driving 2 hours home I'm almost paralysed! Certainly bruised ribs, maybe cracked one or two and huge bruising on it's way up.
All in all, as many new questions as answers from today's ride
From the name of the runs it sounds like you were at Chicksands? I can't think of any drops on the dual slalom though?!
That's correct... I think it was mate... it wasn't a 'drop' as i say, more a step down over a log, then into a right hander. You can see the log as you're walking back up the middle section to the start of trails. Doesn't massively matter which trail/obstacle it was.. 🙂
More importantly, the bike performed well and happily... 🙂
Did you go over the "far" side and do the progressive drops? Great way to build confidence. Although word of warning, the smallest drop (about 8") is actually the most difficult because if you go straight off it, then you land pretty much in a tree!! Make sure you look before you leap, and aim left along the run-in, NOT straight!
The two bigger drops, which aren't massive, are actually easier because the run in/out is pretty much straight!!
We did, but I didn't ride them as I was struggling with movement by then.
Been lying on the bed mostly since I got home.
P.s
Them drops are massive to mortals. The left hand drop landing point is 11' vertical height from take off point. Even the vertical face is over 5'
Aren't massive is not a term I'd use, they're seconds from an ambulance ride
lol, sorry, but there's no way i'd ride off something twice my height!
Ok, the biggest one might be a 6 foot drop, but drops are, imo, way easier than jumps, because once you can ride a 1foot drop, you have the necessary technique (if not the necessary spuds! lol) to ride a 11 foot drop 😉
PS get well soon! Get out an ride / walk a bit, i find that really helps, even if it hurts a bit at the time! Otherwise, if ijust sit at home i stiffen up totally (oooh, er, misses!) and then really can't move 😀
The theory is easier than the reality with drops.
Sadly I've had to cancel Jedi on the 20th, no possible way I'll be up to that by a week on Tues.
I'm not trying to be argumentative though and always appreciate wisdom and advice, so don't think I don't.
You right, big drops are a real head game! But for what i would call a "simple" drop, ie one with a clean flat take off, and a nice (matching steepness to fall), long, non committing landing, then once you've ridden one, you're generally like "wow, what was all the fuss about".. 😆
(assuming you don't land on your face..........)
Let me know if you're up for a Chicky sesion when your up and fixed, i'm happy to come along and show you how not to do it 😉
Will do mate. Supposed to be there before bpw on 5th Oct, well, I hope so anyway.
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Fitted the new black 32T front N/W ring. Should be fine for riding and looks a bit nicer than the weird blue one 🙂