Al - believe it or not I was about to suggest the very same thing! I struggle to get there for 6.30 (if I manage to get out at all!). How about meeting at 7 instead? Means I and presumably you lot have a much better chance of getting there. Not like we're trying to catch the last of the rays anymore! Park at the pub as we'll always have a beer after anyway. What do the masses think? Starting to feel like me and this Weds ride are just not meant to be! Sorry to the South Leics guys - I will kill a work colleague if I don't make it next week....so, 7pm everyone???
Phil - we really must've just missed you, hopefully next week!
Good ride tonight Alan. Neither of us really knew where we were going but we managed to string a decent little route together. And find the pub, of course 🙂
It was quite fun to ride some damp trails for a change (yes, I know I'll regret saying that in a few weeks/months!) There wasn't really any mud, just the occasional slippery rock and root to keep things interesting.
7 is better for me too, means less of a rush and possibly even time to eat something first too! Pub car park also sounds good, it has lights which would make packing up in the dark a bit easier too.
Alan - this is the light I have:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B007WAAO70/ref=ox_ya_os_product
Good to hear some of you made it out.
I'm getting seriously grouchy about this frame thing now. The worst scenario is that they take the full 10-14 days, and then say 'no'.
If this happens I would advise anyone in my vicinity at the time to put their fingers in their ears.
That would mean having to order and receive a new frame, get headset cups pressed in, and build the rest up myself.
Anyway, I'll be on to Evans (again) tomorrow if they don't contact me like they said they would.
I can feel my legs getting weaker by the hour!
Muddy - do you rate that light and have you used it much? Could do with a new cheap but reliable and most importantly bright light...will be eyeing up your lights next week!
I asked for the link to the light, as it looks identical to the Magicshine light I have, which cost me £70.
I'll be getting one for my road bike.
Thanks, and see you all next week, whether it is 6.30 or 7 (which is better for me)
Alan.
7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7!
Rascal: I've only had the light for a few weeks and probably used it about 4 or 5 times in varying degrees of dusk/dark so I can't say much about reliability. I picked up a second one for my helmet (and as backup) too. They're plenty bright enough - I usually have one or both on the medium power setting.
It's the standard 'cheap Chinese Cree light' that is often discussed on here and is sold by various places at various prices (I think we talked about it last time we both rode on a Weds, just before I bought one?). I reckon about half of the weds night riders I've met so far are using the same!
The main complaint seems to be that it's a bit spotty, so I got one of these for my bar-mounted one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SEEN-ANGLE-DIFFUSER-LUMEN-LIGHTS/dp/B00DQ5IGMU/ref=sr_1_4?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1378968131&sr=1-4&keywords=C%26B+SEEN
Fits perfectly and widens the beam enough for me. I'm undecided whether to bother with one for my helmet light since that usually points further ahead and the spot hasn't been a problem so far.
The battery doesn't look very waterproof but I've fixed that with a freezer bag and rubber band...
Finally lost my rag with the whole warranty replacement thing!
I'm going to be ordering an on one 456 evo at the weekend, hopefully receiving it Tuesday, and building it up. I've ordered some shims and a new seat clamp.
Madison won't guarantee even looking at my broken frame before 27th September. If they do send me one, I'll flog it on eBay.
Good excuse for a new frame if you ask me.
Then I'll be back in the mix for Wednesday nights before you can say 'ooooh that's a nice new frame'.
That's pretty piss poor customer service to be honest.
Which colour are you going for? There both pretty nice but I think I prefer the Matt Raw.
I'm going for 'smoked paprika'. Ooooooh, get me!
Now my mind is made up, I am straining at the leash to get one.
It's a bit more of a bugger than I thought, though. I've got to get a new headset as well, get the cups pressed in and the crown race swapped over (halfords?)
Then I can build it up from the body parts of the genesis.
Sorry chaps, work did me over on Wednesday too. 7PM start works for me in future.
Love that frame Danny, nice choice.
Not sure if it fits the frame but I run an fsa orbit headset that I got from on-one at a cracking price.
I'm going to order the 18" frame tonight so they will despatch Monday and I will receive Tuesday at work.
I've already considered the headset issue - On One's prices for these look brilliant.
I'm either going to get an FSA Pig Pro or the On One headset that says it has a 'ridiculously well-sealed lower bearing'.
Apparently I can request them to press the cups in prior to them sending it out (at a small charge).
All I then need to do is get the crown race on my existing fork switched over (i'm really hoping halfords can cope with this on Tuesday evening!), then I'm good to go on the build-up.
I've got some nice new gear cables (the routing is different), a seatpost shim and a new seat clamp (both different diameters to the old frame).
Other than the brake hoses being too short (which I don't think they are), I think I can build this up in an evening, gears sorted and all. If not, shouldn't be more than another couple of hours.
I'm sure I'll run into some snags along the way, but I can't think of anything I have missed that will completely stop me.
I've even goto some helitape patches in for the frame, and will put a 'MK1 chainstay protector' (strip of inner tube and zipties) on before starting to put any components on.
I am really, really looking forward to getting out on it at the first opportunity!
New frame ordered!
For those of you who don't like lifting your bikes over the gates and stiles on our rides, I refer you to the below video.
[url] http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/chris-akrigg-trial-trails [/url]
FTFY -Mod 🙂
That could have worked better. I am useless with technology!
Look at it on the STW homepage.
I bet he has three weetabix.
Riding my local DH 🙂
Injured leg (pulled calf muscle running for bus last night!) means Weds night is a no-no for me.
Desperate to join the NWLRC again but with work and injury it just ain't happening at the mo 🙁
Pretty naffed off about it TBH. Enjoy the ride - will be dark early now 😯
Sorry - I'm going to have to bail on this week as well.
I need to do most of my new bike build up tomorrow evening in order to have it ready for an away day on Sunday. Other evenings this week are already partially occupied with other stuff.
I have not helped by predicament by cocking up the ordering process wit On-One so that it has delayed delivery until tomorrow, otherwise there was a (very outside) chance of me being able to bring it on the ride tomorrow night.
I [u]will[/u] be there next week, though. New bike in tow.
Have fun tomorrow night - to quote Rob Warner on the DH world cup at the weekend, "it's wetter than Prince Philip's underpants". Should be some slip-sliding action to get your teeth into, which I am actually quite looking forward to getting out in.
I'll be there, forecast is ok for tomorrow.
7pm at the pub?
I'm not going to make it tonight I'm afraid - hopefully next week though!
Danny: Plus when his co-commentator tried to apologise for any offence caused. Warner's reply was "It's ok, I don't think he's listening" 🙂
Is anyone else going?
If not, I wont bother, and just stay local here
It's lovely out there...looks good enough for a bike ride even!
Shame I can't go 😕
I have finished work in a nice timely fashion so if the mass majority cant make it I might get out in the next 30 minutes or so why the light is still here?
Stuck at work again 🙁
However, I'm on holiday next week so baring booking a week in the sun somewhere (yeah I wish) I'll be about next week!
Anyone make it out last night?
My dream bike build degenerated into a nightmare last night.
Firstly, the right bb cup wouldn't go in, an issue, but not a show stopper necessarily.
But then [u]disaster[/u] as I tried to put the rear wheel in, and it just wouldn't fit into the dropouts. On closer inspection, the gear hanger has been hit from behind, probably in transit, and narrowed the open end of the slot.
So after getting a frame sent within 2 working days of order, I am on the "send us a photo, then we will tell you what to do" wagon.
But I am not going down that road, more specifically I'm going up the M1 to Rotherham on Saturday morning to get the frame switched in person.
The glitch with this is that they can't press in headset cups as they don't have mechanics on Saturday, so it's back down to pedal power in Loughborough to beg them to press the headset on Saturday.
Assuming this ALL goes exactly to plan, I might just make the peaks ride I am meant to be doing Sunday. If not, I'm probably shafted for next Wednesday as well as I have no other time I can get the headset in.
I am, probably understandably, really pissed off with this now. On the plus side, my partial build has not even scratched any paint off of the frame (apart from around the dropouts), so he shop don't have a leg to stand on (I hope) if they don't offer an exchange.
Here's hoping for a happy resolution.
Why is it always me?
I can lend you a headset press, or do it for you early next week, if you get stuck - in South Leics.
Phil
Thanks for the offer, I may well take you up on that!
There will be a post on this thread on Saturday afternoon if I need it!
Thanks again, I really don't want to have to go down the 'blocks of wood and a hammer' route with a brand-new frame.
How many brave soldiers made it out on Weds?
If I don't make it next week I'm gonna sell my bike for all the bloody use it's getting at the mo!
Good luck getting it sorted Danny, what a nightmare! I'm sure you'll get it built soon and it'll be worth it in the end, but the offer is still there to borrow my old/commuter bike if it isn't sorted by Weds (and if we can figure out how to get it there!)
Going to be up in Ravenstone over the weekend, visiting relatives, I'm planning to go for a rumble round Hicks lodge early on Sunday. Anyone else about? Used to ride round Ticknall area a bit, back in the day... Always good to see how its changed!
Hi all NWL Riders club members. The Evo has landed. Well, I had to go and fetch it, but well worth it. A big thumbs up to Pedal Power for pressing the headset in on a Saturday.
The rest of the build took three hours. I needed to file the lacquer and paint from out of the dropouts to get the wheel in. It's still a bit tight, but nothing a bit of brute force won't overcome.
It's going for its baptism of fire in the dark peak tomorrow, then I'll be out on Wednesday evening. Yay.
7 o'clock in the pub car park?
See you there.
Hey people.
The evo got a run in the peaks today and it absolutely blew me away, descending in particular. The rocky as hell stuff was more of a buzz than a series of slams as it was on my alu hardtail. I was unfit and really suffered on the climbs, but the evo being a fair bit longer in the front centre meant that it felt easier to climb on than the old one as I was a bit more stretched out.
In short, I am pretty chuffed.
Now then, who's out on Wednesday?
By the way, I am probably going to try to get a pass for another Saturday or Sunday in the peaks soon, so if anyone fancies it, then let me know.
Providing I don't get shafted in work AGAIN on Weds I will be there. Leg seems to be a lot better though may feel it on climbs - have to wait and see - [b]7 in the Man Within Compass pub car park.[/b]
Danny - I'll be up for a Peaks ride soon - keep us posted...cheers
I'll be there this Wednesday 😀
Will only have an hour or so but shall ride what I can 🙂
How was the new steed Danny?
The new steed was a bit of a revelation if I'm honest!
The supposed weight penalty didn't really make a difference because:
A) I am quite unfit at the moment
and
B) Because the frame seems to fit me much better than the previous one, the slightly more stretched out position makes climbing more comfortable
When pointing it downhill, the alchemy seemed to happen. The head angle is way slacker than the genesis, so it was really stable and the front tracked up and over any rocks that my skills meant I didn't avoid. The 'steel feel' is definitely there - the really rocky bits were much more of a 'buzz' than a series of 'slams' as they were on the old bike.
If I had had a bit more left in the tank for the downhills, I would have been able to ride them probably 5% faster, then I'm sure the extra zip and zing would have been even more evident.
So yes, well chuffed.
I just need to re-cable and service my dropper post to make it more suitable for the shorter ups and downs round here - hopefully before Wednesday evening.
See you wednesday?
7pm Man Within Compass car park.
Right then folks.
Quick roll-call for tomorrow evening - who is in at the moment.
I will be there - the 7 o'clock meet gives me time to go home first and get changed, but I will be there at 7 or a bit before.
Come on, I need someone to show off the new rig to.........
Even the dropper wasn't a problem in the end - the cable is just long enough!
I have just had a glorious local ride. A good 12 miles of mainly off road bliss in great weather. Snapped a spoke coming down Bardon Hill though 🙁
Is there and danger to riding with 1 spoke less?
Oh and my other issue is how the hell do I attach a light to and endur-o-matic?
I will find a solution and join you for a dark ride.
Oh and the woods are running glorious, apart from the slick, greasy death stones 😯
Bloody phone
Count me in.
Wouldn't want do miss slick greasy death stones, especially in the dark. 🙂
Good to hear the new bike was worth the hassle too, Danny!
Good to hear at least two of you are going to be there!
I wondered if you were going to own up to what could be construed as a training ride, scandal!
I saw you heading up towards the bulls head, I'd had to pick some stuff up from the outlaws house, so happened to be driving home that way.
Tentative peaks ride weekend after this one by the way, will discuss more tomorrow.
Yes - if I'm not, you will see me on Central News as the top story - murder of a work colleague. Looking forward to it
Danny...might be up for that Peaks ride. Chat over a beverage tomorrow night.
Having consulted the 'Leisure and Recreation Committee' at home, it has been decreed that next Saturday (5th October) is the better bet that weekend, although the Sunday is still a possible if that is loads more convenient for others.
My preferred ride option would be my 'four up, four down' route around the reservoirs. Start at Bridge End, up onto Hagg Side. Then down Hagg Farm, over the A57 and up the track to Wooler Knoll. Then along the roman road to Blackley Hey (aka potato alley). Then up the Rowlee Farm climb and down Lockerbrook. Quick snack and a drink at the visitors centre, then up Derwent Edge to Whinstone Lee Tor before a blast down the kosher bridle way, or the well-known super-steep cheeky, to finish at the Ladybower Inn before a quick spin back to the car.
This takes in four absolute classic dark peak descents and keeps the climbing as easy as possible. Only the last climb is not 100 percent do-able.
Other alternatives are to start in the same place, do the same first climb, but come straight down Lockerbrook before doing a Cut Gate out and back.
Or do the classic Edale and Jacobs Ladder route.
The last two are more 'ridey' where as the first one is maximum bang for your buck in terms of descents!
Anyway, this has been a long rambling post when we can discuss properly tomorrow, but planning away days is brilliant!
Car sharing etc can be sorted in advance too, although some swapping of email addresses will be necessary.
If we can get there quite early, it is surprising how much we can have the trails to ourselves.
Ahhh balls, I was planning on riding the Viking Challenge on the 6th, but that Peaks trip sounds a good one.
http://www.vikingchallenge.org.uk
Danny, my training ride will more than likely leave me knackered from the start tomorrow night 🙂
****.
Outlaws up that weekend - very reluctantly gonna have to count myself which is an arse as I really like the sound of that 😕
Just looked at preview and my swear word has been swapped for 4 asterisk - technological swear filters eh?
If anyone could bring a spare rear light I would appreciate it 😳
Also I have no helmet light and have had to bend a snapped spoke around another spoke as I don't have time to sort it.
Looking good.
No problem, I'll bring a spare rear light.
Good to see no last minute drop outs this week (yet!) 🙂
muddyfool - MemberNo problem, I'll bring a spare rear light.
Good to see no last minute drop outs this week (yet!)
Me 🙁
Sorry fellas, I won't be there, wife has wisked me away for a couple of days (birthday surprise). It's been brill so far though, track biking, bmxing and mtb at the National Cycle Centre yesterday and a gentle peaks ride today.
Unfortunately (again) I can't make the 5th, I have a ticket to the Tigers v Saints game, I'm in if you change it to the Sunday for whatever reason 🙁
Well that was over all too quickly for me 😆
Nice to meet you all and sorry I had to cry off early.
As good as riding is, being a fair bit slower than the rest of yooz is a bit poo.
Hope you had a good ride and I'll see you when I've deposited 3 stones somewhere 😉
No worries twonks and fathomer, the ride will be kept going, so there's plenty of opportunities in the future.
Great ride this evening folks, really good to be out and about again locally. I'll post something about the Peaks ride next weekend soon, fathomer - it looks like it will be Saturday at the moment, so apologies for that.
I can't make next Wednesday, so enjoy that. And make sure your lights are charged!
Rascal, I'll put the forum topic that shows the 2 led light I was on about on another post in a mo.
Rascal, the thread is called "talk to me about trail lights" and is in the bike forum about four pages in at the moment. There's a pic of the red metal bodied one I mentioned plus another link that takes you to something that looks identical to my lumenator. Both are on the first page of the thread.
The best thing is probably to read the whole thread and see if anyone has had any disasters with any of these lights!
Yeah, really good ride last night. Great route with some fun little descents (and not-so-little ascents, by local standards at least!)
Shame you had to leave twonks, I've been at the back of groups often enough to know what you mean but nobody minds a bit of waiting, there's always someone at the back (usually me tbh!). Hope you can join us another time anyway 🙂
Danny/Dom - will have to let you know about the 5th, hope to make it but I'd be going straight to a mate's birthday afterwards so will have to find out plans/timings/shower availability - would definitely be up for it another time if not though!
I'll probably be going for a quick play around swithland woods area on Saturday afternoon by the way, in case anyone's interested.
Twonks - don't throw the towel in - pretty much straight after you left I fell to the arse end of the ride - suffered after 5 weeks off the bike. FWIW I'm feeling very unfit at the mo - need to dusk off the road bike! Get some sneaky rides in to get your fitness up if it helps - trust me, I need to play catch up too 😉
What with fitness, rubbish lights that packed up quite early on, a stupid 'off' on the first part of Bardon Hill it was challenging but good all the same - I will have new lights next outing.
A good turn out last night - will make it next week and hopefully not holding people up the the climbs again!
I couldn't agree more with rascal. The third time I made it out on a Wednesday night I had a complete fitness blow-up. I was pissing sweat, holding everyone up after every slight incline and making a sound like Ivor the Engine. No one seemed to mind!
lol, cheers guys.
From leaving work half an hour early to make the ride after a docs trip - Wednesday was a catalogue of disasters for me.
I've ordered some new lights and will make a few more mid week nights I'm sure 😀
Twonks
What lights did you order?
Having a dilemma about which lights to get...the ones Muddy had look good, but so does the double unit in pink - very fetching!
Hi Rascal.
Link to a decent thread about lights:
[url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/talk-to-me-about-trail-lights ]Thread[/url]
Link to lumenator look-a-like for £34
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281126901995 ]Lumenator-Look-a-like[/url]
I'm sure something on that thread will do you! Plenty of opinions and options!
I ordered the Solarstorm X3 from DealExtreme.
Have used them in the past for a lot of bits and these seem to be a good buy.
The lamps are T6 instead of the U2 but reading torch forums suggest it is no bad thing.
For the money I'm sure it will be ok, although I am hoping 'deep pink' will be more red like 😉
Muddyfool.
What time were you going to be out on Saturday?
If it is after 3pm, I might be able to meet up for a blast around Swithy area.
I'm up for a Swithy ride Sat afternoon...better with a few in the Curzon too! What time you thinking?
If it is 3pm or after, I'll be there. Shall we just meet at the top of the slate piles next to the pool at 3?
After 3 would be perfect for me too - I'll be riding there as it's only about 3 miles from home so could meet you in the top car park closest to Woodhouse Eaves/Swithland? Say around 3:30, if that works for you both?
I'm not thinking of anything too strenuous by the way, after commuting today and motorbiking tomorrow morning my legs will probably start feeling it soon... in which case I'd be more than happy to retire to the pub for a pint 🙂
By the way rascal, don't take my light-evangalising too seriously. The ones I have seem really good to me but I really have nothing to compare them to so the dual-led ones may well be better for all I know. We should have done some comparisons on Wednesday in the car park!
3.30 at the bomb holes in the middle of the woods?
It's a date. Not up for a mega-blast - any time on the bike at the mo is a bonus.
Bring beer tokens 😉
Open to anyone else too.
Ooooh I fancy this but im off to the bike show at the nec in the morning so depends when im back.
3.30 at the three bomb holes, by the slate pile, by the pool? Even better 🙂 (somehow I completely missed Danny suggesting a place to meet in the post before mine!)
Scandal: if it helps, drop me an email (in profile) and I'll send you my number so you can catch up if you don't quite make it.
Yes, I'm 99% certain I can make that. See you there. Probably an hour and a bit rattling round in the woods, a quick couple of runs down hallgates as well if you fancy it. Maybe a nip over to Beacon Hill if you fancy that as well. Probably be much too busy for any Braggie action, though.
Guys
Sorry but gonna have to bail this one.
Up to my neck in DIY and the other Swans fan in Loughborough has reminded me they play Arsenal on TV at 5.30...down the pub. Duty calls....and yes, I am shit. I've been rubbing down plastered walls which has given me an incredible thirst so go easy.
Prob worth a few of us swapping numbers too in case of these 'let's meet' scenarios go belly up.
Have a good ride and squeeze a cheeky one in at the Curzon or Wheatsheaf 🙂
I will be out that way sometime tomorrow if anyone's interested. Cheers
Me and Rob who came on Wednesday are coming over so should be there for half past. However I don't know the woods well and we will be driving over, hopefully we will find the meeting place.
Hello All,
Can I ask you to be a little more discreet with your posts about the woods please?
Share the cool trails with your mates, arrange rides, but please consider how national notoriety would be detrimental for all the existing users. The delicate loamy trails cut-up badly in winter.
A new geographically non-specific thread would be an ideal start.
Have fun.
Cheers
e.
Erm, yes, I suppose I can be more discrete, but it's quite difficult to organise a meet without being a little bit specific!
Anyway, point taken. Now we have done a meet over 'my way' and the others know the area a little bit, we can just meet in the 'usual place' rather than naming it!
Just by the way, those woods have appeared in a printed country-wide trail guide! I was a bit taken aback when I saw it in Waterstones in Leicester, but it didn't result in a noticeable increase in two-wheeled traffic. However, I do appreciate that this area is 'sensitive', although that is down to the archaic attitudes of a fair amount of local folk more than anything else.
On to happier matters, nice little ride today folks, who'd have thunk it, bike covered in dust on 28th September? And a very agreeable pint in the wheatsheaf. Tidy.
More soon on next weekend' peaks ride, hidetherum you are more than welcome, I reckon an early ish meet, pedals turning by 10am latest should fit the bill. If we do the route I have in mind, there are loads of add-on bits we can do if we finish in too good a time.
Heading up Whitwick way later if anyone fancies it...gonna take a pootle over Bardon Hill way too...
Sorry rascal, I can't come out to play today! Arriving back later than advertised yesterday after a pint in the wheatsheaf didn't do me any favours, although the missus didn't seem to mind too much!
Up to my elbows in garden destruction / reconstruction today, it's coming to something when the first piece of kit out of the shed for a spot of gardening is a bow saw. Mind you, after yesterday's four-man removal of a fallen tree (at least 15m long) from a well-known local trail, hacking down a few lilac bushes is mere recreation.
Scandal. You mentioned the shed alarm thing. Type 'personal attack alarm' into amazon, then look down the list for the square black box one that is called the 'chieftain personal alarm with strobe light/torch '. I know it all sounds a bit OTT, but it might make the difference between getting your bike nicked or not. It'll take you less than ten minutes to put up. Then all you've got to do is remember the bloody thing is there before you open the door.
Did the ride we did last Weds this afternoon.
It looks a bit different in the day doesn't it!
Wasn't as useless as I was then.
The descent to the res was nice - went a bit shite (literally) on the climb back up as my chain snapped and while sorting out a Powerlink the cow shit form near the monastery lept from the wheels and frame to my hands - though I wasn't sure at one point if it was the cow or dog egg variety - lovely either way.
Bizzarely I also found 2 pairs of walking boots in Swannymote Road car park - shout if you know anyone who's lost some boots 😀
Good ride on Saturday chaps, I usually ride that area solo so it was good to have some company for a change 🙂
Hidetherum - fair point, will be a little less specific in future. Although 'national notoriety' might be a bit strong, anyone who travels would be rather disappointed I suspect!
Danny - I'm going to have to give Saturday a miss. Shame as I would really like to come but it just doesn't work out this weekend. Hopefully another time! I'd probably be interested if you're doing a local evening ride anytime, by the way.
So, who's up for the usual ride tomorrow? Pub at 7?
Not me.
Lots of pitches on in work this week.
No lights either.
Enjoy!
To those of you making it out tonight - have fun drifting in the stuff that was dust last week. I really fancy a ride in the wet, but other things are in the way.
I'm reclaiming some of the evening for 'blokedom' by cooking a nice Jalfrezi for my tea.
How many for the Peaks on Saturday then?
Can I suggest 8-15am meet in the layby on the Loughborough side of the M1 J23 (on the A512) going into Loughborough, about 100 yds from the island?
Let me know if no-one is coming, then I won't have to hang around in a laybay for half an hour on my tod!
Enjoy this evening.
Hey chaps
Was a great ride last Saturday, much fun, thanks for showing us about guys.
Gutted, can't make the Peaks ride (gagging to get out there) and I'm struggling tonight (still at work)
Will try but If i'm not there then feel free to leave at 7.05
Once again I can't do tonight either. Maybe next week!