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Beautiful evening Sharkattack 😍👆
Ended up in Sportsbikeshop and bought a set of Sidi X-Power boots.
I looked at and tried the Sidi Adventure 2 boots also, and while they were clearly a bit better than my current boots, I could still fairly easily bend them over sideways and generally manipulate them about.
Felt like I've already bought the wrong boot initially, just because it said 'Adventure boot' on the label, and so told myself, don't make the same mistake again and at twice the cost.
I think it's fair to say that 'Adventure' is really just another word for 'Touring' these days.
I've already given my foot a good smashing and just about gotten away with it, so why increase the likelihood of not getting away with it next time.
The Adventure 2 boots are really nice, but yeah, I think in my head, I know that I should be going for better protection over all day comfort.
Sat in the X-Power boots and hobbled around the shop for about 45 minutes. They fit ok but quite tight across my left ankle (the foot I injured as it goes)
I wasn't sure if this would loosen up after a break in period and the people in the shop were nice but not that knowledgeable about the off-road side of things in terms of gear.
They are a size up from what I normally take too.
Anyway, bought them (eye watering price of £280) and took them home and proceeded to wear them in the house for a couple of hours.
I'm now not convinced that they are a good fit and was very glad to get them off(as was my partner 😂) and so unfortunately I think they need to go back and maybe try two sizes up.
It's really hard to spend so much money on something you don't really like. Trying to be sensible though...
Yeah it's tricky isn't it! Hopefully you'll find a pair that work for you. I have some O'Neil ones I got from Ebay ten years ago and the amount of times I nearly threw them out from the shed (maybe I knew this fad was set to return one day 🤣 ) because they are so un-comfy, I'm amazed they survived!
With the RST ventilator trousers I picked up on Sunday, and the better boots for road riding arriving today, I'm pretty happy with my set-up for the minute. In fact, I'm struggling to see what my next mod/purchase will be!
I did like James' gear choices the other day I must say, especially those trousers that looked like army surplus combats but- to be honest, I think I was just more jealous of the 2 and a half stone weight difference 🤣
Perhaps that's a good motivator for a diet- if I shrink enough I'll HAVE to buy more clothes 😎🤣
Forma's have arrived. They're well comfy for new boots!!! I gambled on a size smaller than the ones I tired on in the shop and luckily they still fit.
There is a tiny bit of ankle protection there. I think I'd be happy riding gravel and small grassy ruts with them but even slow technical off roading (and especially slow rocky stuff) there's way too much risk for me I'd say.
I guess I feel happier knowing I can maybe bomb an easy trail or two on the way back from somewhere now, or cut across the Plain to avoid the A303 for example.
Oh @Kayak23, I meant to say- I tried to beep you guys when you got diverted at the road works as the tank crossing by the cones was a nice little gravel cut through to the other Tidworth road 🙄🤣
I bought some Fox MX boots about 4 years ago when I bought a YZ125. They're always on sale at 24MX.
Long story short, I never rode the bike and the boots are still in the box! I kind of assumed they'd be way too stiff on the road but the protection would be useful when I venture away from the tarmac. Also I didn't want to have the same problem I had when I actually rode an MX bike and couldn't find the controls with my feet. That was an awful feeling.
I've been riding in some 8 inch high North Face leather boots which look the part and are unlikely to come off in a crash but they don't offer any crush protection.
I'll get the Fox boots out for a test ride. They'll look a bit odd with my jeans tucked into them! Hopefully I've got some baggy pants somewhere. Thankfully I had the foresight to buy black ones.
I've been back to the shop today as I wore the Sidi X-Power boots a couple of hours last night and they just kind of hurt the inside of my ankle and arch.
In regular shoes, I'm normally a 42 or 43( about 8.5 in UK sizes)
The Sidi boots i got were a 43 and seemingly too tight.
I tried on a 44 today and a 45.
The 44s were a teensy bit better but not a revelation by any means. Still felt a little too much hard pressure on my inner ankle and arch.
The 45s felt pretty good for width, but the boot itself was massive, being a 10.5 when usually I'm an 8.5.
The toe box is hard so you can't tell where your toes are either.
I wasn't keen on going for such a massive boot to me, as obviously having any kind of feel on the bike is already massively limited in mx boots. I don't want to add a load of unnecessary length to that too.
I'd never find the brake and shifter.
Anyway, got a refund in the end and have come away frustrated.
I was really set on the Sidi boots as they seem to have about the best protection but i guess the internet anecdotes about them being on the narrow side are fairly true 😐
Oh @Kayak23, I meant to say- I tried to beep you guys when you got diverted at the road works as the tank crossing by the cones was a nice little gravel cut through to the other Tidworth road 🙄🤣
I think i heard beeping but just thought it was someone saying goodbye 😂
I did wonder why you weren't behind me seeing as i was heading towards Newbury.
🤣 Nah, was trying to be helpful for once.
I went to the beach last night. I have to say, I think I wish I'd spent a little extra on the TKC's. These are sooo noisy on the road that it's kind of ruined the dual-purpose nature of the bike.
In a few weeks, when it's muddy again, and I've only got the spare time to ride lanes I'm hoping I'll forgive and forget 🤣
Felt really happy with everything else on my setup though. I adjusted the headlight a little more and even without the spots fitted, they are plenty good enough for legal-limit riding.
I'm working Saturday this week so trying to decide what to do on Sunday. James went to Tintern and rode the hard steps yesterday so I may go there and have a crack at the Cymry Trail. Option 2 is riding South to Dorset and heading up through Somerset on the GWT to link up with where we started at Keynsham last week. And option 3 is heading East and starting the Middle England Trail section (although that somehow feels least inspiring).
To be honest, there are already sections I'd love to ride again too. The TET is really providing a great resource to enjoy my bike.
I've got a Himalayan meet on Saturday.
Doing the Warwickshire Road Book, led by a dude from Grims Himalayan group on Facebook.
I rode with them before around the Long Mynd and it was pretty good.
Interested to see someone else's take on my local area.
Ooo nice one 👍🏻
I rode back across Salisbury Plain from a mate’s today. Was lovely up on the Northern Transit Route again with insane views.
What was striking though was how hot it was!!
I’m now free most of both days but I’m thinking rock crawling up gnarly lanes in still-air is going to be frazzling!
I’ll probably go, but maybe knock back my target mileage and at the very least, take loads of drink. Maybe I need to take a Jerry can for me *and* the bike 🤣
Maybe just session some harder bits and get lines dialled?
But yeah, water, water, water 😊
Was crazy up Salisbury plain, how far you can go just on wide open gravel tracks.
Cool place.
You could do some tet sections but backwards. There's quite a few sections we did that would be quite a challenge in the opposite direction too 👌
Yeah there’s endless options isn’t there 🤩
A Sessioning session is a good shout. Find a nice shady climb.
I need to have a play on the laptop and work out where the closest fresh TET is if I want to go that option. I’m assuming the MET but actually it could be GCT from Tintern. Otherwise I’m looking at 2h into darkest Dorset to make the GWT worth picking up.
I’m tempted to grab a cheap open face helmet 🥵 🤣
I’m tempted to grab a cheap open face helmet 🥵 🤣
I've got an open face helmet, and until the other day I was happy riding with it on anything but long motorway sections.
The other day on our ride, with my new standard/taller screen, on one of the climbs. The bike pitched into a massive hole on the way up with a bit of pace.
I saw it coming but couldn't do much, and the front wheel hit the back of the hole and jerked violently upwards and the screen smashed me in the chin bar and twisted the helmet on my head.
Glad I wasn't in the open face 😳
Oh yeah you said about that!
Everything is a compromise isn’t it.
I went to Halfords on a hunch but the L they had didn’t fit so I doubt I’ll bother.
Maybe I’ll take the old Caberg and keep soaking the lining in water.
Okay so that was a fun day 🤩
Relatively unmotivated, despite the heat, I just wanted to get away from home for a few hours so I went to the MET seeing as it was the closest option of the 3 on the table.
I left late and had no milage or destination goals. I didn't bother putting a GoPro mount on my other helmet or even taking my GoPro in the end.
And of course... it was one of the best day's riding I have had yet! And that's saying something.
I did about 50 miles and in that time, there were rocky climbs, loose and rutty descents, Fords, a mini desert (sand 🤣), stunning views, quaint villages, a garage right when I needed one and just a large proportion of trails.
It was brilliant.
With 17psi in the Trackers instead of 25, the difference was remarkable. Partly because they were even worse on road but mainly because they felt like a different tyre off road. I know it sounded like an excuse last week but they just wouldn't grip!
The gnarliest feature was a rocky ledge with no paddle-able line. In the end, I resigned myself to driving the bike up that feature whilst stood next to the bike. There was a ridable line, which with the aid of the stones someone had put there, I could see working. But, if this makes sense, as the bike climbed the rock, I would have been several feet in the air with no way to put my feet down until the bike was past it's tipping point. It would have been a really hard drop into rock on either side. With company, we could have stood there to catch each other if required but discretion always wins solo.
I committed for the rest though and bucked my way to the top nicely.
Bike was generally great apart from during that feature where it slipped backwards off of a rock as I was re-mounting. The combined weight of 1/4 ton snapped the stand clean off!
Luckily, I had done a splash and dash at the last petrol station (no Jerry can today) as I'm not sure how I'd have gotten fuel. Lean it against a walll I suppose.
I stayed cool by soaking myself in the big ford and drunk the best part of 2l of water. I also had a couple of soft flasks of my home made cycling fuel- strong squash, sugar and salt as I didn't want to get dehydrated this week. I also wore the Caberg and rode a few miles here and there with it flipped up.
Enjoyed that a lot. I guess starting with no expectations is always a recipe for a good day.
Just before the stand broke!
The Surrey-Dakar 🤣
It was actually pretty deep. I rode it blind and only by fluke did I choose the shallowest part 🤣
That looks like a mint day out.
I had a quick blast into the Peak to find bumper to bumper traffic, thousands of parked cars dumped everywhere and I was streaming with sweat. It just wasn't fun so it became a quick loop home.
I think I need to look I to raising the seat. I was out for around an hour and it was enough to set my hips off.
I do have an open face helmet to try. Left over from being a passenger on track days when I was doing a lot of photography. So far judging by the amount of unidentified objects smashing into my visor I've always been glad I'm not wearing it.
Yeah the one in Halfords had a built in sun visor which was something I guess.
I’ve bodged the sidestand for tomorrow 🤣
Best welding this side of the road of bones 🤣
Ran out of wire before I could weld up the back of the second bolt 🤨
I got to 1h04m40s in this video today
Had a nice 100 mile local ride with a group of Himalayanists around my hood.
Was good to ride a route put together by someone who wasn't from the area and see where they took us.
I've had a few little issues starting to surface with the bike so almost thought I might not make the ride.
For a few rides I've had a strong smell of fuel, and yesterday on the way the bike was lurching a bit.
Not a bad group of people to be around when you're having Himalayan problems.
We had the tank off and had a bit of a look but nothing obvious happening, and it seemed mostly to behave on the rest of the ride.
Friday I was trying to straighten out my bashplate as it's been getting some abuse of late with rocky trails in the Peak and Wye valley.
Seemingly, all the bashing has cracked the tack welds on one of the bashplate mounts on the frame as it came off in my hand, so I think I'll be getting the welder out too!
Bent as a 9 bob note
Failed frame mount. It's only got two little tack welds so not really strong enough.
Straight as an arrow... nearly
Then the ride yesterday. Crazy, crazy hot.
Cooling off in a ford. Wellesbourne
Burton Dassett Alps
Room for a few more stickers
The ride leader had a bit of a cross rutting and had a lie down at one point. I surveyed from the grass.
Stopped for lunch, and as we rode away, one of the group had a front flat. Pinched the first tube getting it back in. Great fun in the sweltering heat.
Looks gert lush 🤩 How did the other Himmy’s do?
Really good, although one of them is going over to the dark side and getting a Voge. 😳
I've not heard of them. You? 😉
Some Chinese junk 🤣
Was there any consensus on buffeting/screen solutions?
I went back to the TET- MET today. Of course there was no way it could live up to yesterday and it didn’t. Average speed was 24mph which shows how little trail there was. There were a couple of fun bits. Annoyingly I double-pressed the auto-start/stop on the GoPro for the best bit of the day at Leith hill. I did realise about 20 miles later but thought it was a bit sad to go back 🤣🤣
Scored about 85 miles so that’s 138/210 ticked off and I reckon I’ll finish it in one long day if I can organise things at work.
TET, MET, WET, PET... I can't keep up.
Sounds good. Mtb is great in the Surrey hills so I imagine motorbiking might be too.
I mean, I’m sure you’ve all received the notification bell and that 😉
But just in case…
Liked it. 😊👍
I reckon you need a mic for on-trail commentary 🎤
Was there any consensus on buffeting/screen solutions?
Not as such really. I'm sticking with the standard screen for now and have upgraded my earplugs.
If I do a long journey, I'll stick the screen extension on and enjoy wind -free travel 👌 then take it off when schralping the chunder, as they say.
Yeah, I’m not sure whether people want to hear me screaming “arrrrrggghhhhh!” to myself when I’m constantly convinced I’m gonna lose the front 🤣🤣
Trying to keep the momentum going and ride to the beach with the paddle-board later. I have finally done a couple of hours cycling this week, so am more tired than I have been, but it’s a long dark winter so I ought to make the most of it!
I did think it would be cool to have a second wheel set with road tyres on for the beach trips but once I wear these out, TKC’s should solve that problem 🤣
I did think about blasting out the last section of Middle England Trail but I think that might be a job for Sunday.
Both my helmets (HJC and Caberg) are 19 or so years old so I thought I’d upgrade that too. I ended up getting an HJC C80 as I find my existing HJC really comfy.
It’s pretty feature packed. It has a peak, a visor, an internal sun visor and came with a pin lock!
It is also flip-up (although not certified to be ridden with the visor up), has cut-outs for glasses arms, room for Bluetooth speakers and has vents.
It’s just about big enough to wear goggles with but I’m not sure how much air flow there will be as they almost fill the gap.
On the downsides, it’s quite heavy (although not noticeable on your head I don’t think) and you have to use a screwdriver to remove the peak and/or the visor.
Because I’ll keep the other one going as well, I think I’ll leave the new one set up for the trails.
Plain black was £152 and the fancy ones a little more.
That's a good price for such a helmet.
Looks good 👍
I'm determined to ride my mountainbike this weekend I reckon.
Just been looking at more Mx boots actually.
Tried AS Tech 7s which are comfortable, but I think that's because they lack rigidity and overall protection.
Had some Gaerne Fastback Enduro delivered to me the other day. I usually size up a bit but they only had the size my shoes normally are in the colour I want.
Yup, too small...
Getting sick of it now, hence why I need to get back on the push bike 😂👍
Turning into a right pain in the foot for ya 🤣🤣 🥾 👢 🥾 👢
I caught a PB bass this evening 🎉
Would have turned around and gone home if I had been in the car- traffic was bonkers.
Bike is fuelled up and the pouch is locked and loaded with sweets and red bull!
Hoping to finish the MET tomorrow. It’s going to be largely a road riding day but I plan to just settle in at a reasonable cruising pace and take my time.
It’s a 73 mile section remaining so potentially doable in 3hrs. That would be ideal as I could be at the forecast rain then 🤣
I found out my old one piece rainsuit from 2007 and stuffed that in the dry bag just in case.
Sadly I don’t think we have any carrier bags for my boots left 🤔
Finished the MET today 🎉
It was actually a really nice section. Lots of trails and a few good rocky climbs.
I think I’ve been lucky with the weather on the MET- it would be a different proposition all the way along if the chalk was wet like my first day on the Plain.
I messed up quite a lot of filming. I got a Hero 10 so I can leave each in a different mount and both were playing up at times. Either with mounts getting knocked or slipping or it ending up in time lapse mode.
My riding was better though- something definitely clicked (I mean, it is about time to be fair 🤣).
Particularly on the downhills- I was more likely to ride them down under power and only brake when I actually needed to rather than start off at the top like if the bike gets away from me- that’s it gone until the bottom. Once it backfired when I accidentally found neutral but I managed to stop with the front brake 🤣
3.5hrs of motorway was a bore but the bike is great at it for what it is.
I won’t say a peaked helmet and goggles is a revelation- at times it was better, at times it felt worse but I’d say probably kept me cooler.
Next project is chipping away at the GWT some more and then maybe have a craic at the dreaded GCT 🏴
No pics?
Is it all in the incoming video? 😊
We were riding in Wharncliffe and a shed load of Enduro bikers were blatting about making an incredible racket, despite the anti motorbike gates.
A local was complaining about them, saying he'd blocked them from riding an mtb track. 😡
There's definitely places where motorcycles don't really fit in.
Sounds like you've done a big amount of the trails you're wanting to do now.
You're going to have to start casting your net further and further!
I'd be up for doing the Peak again at some point. 👍
No! 😞 I was a bit time crunched sadly and it was a bit of a funny old day view wise. Whatever there was was always kind of behind the trees.
I do have about an hour of trail footage but it’s just hard trying to make an interesting narrative out of it.
I would love to choose a good bit and actually just spend a day making a good video but the thought of leaving a tripod set up, riding back down, riding up again then riding bike down again just seems ridiculously intensive for an extra ten views 🤣🤣
Hope you had a good day 👍🏻
There was a load of crossers in a wood today and some old boy on an e-bike said he’d just enjoyed watching them 🤣 One of their mates came hooning down a byway and we nearly went head to head!! 💥 😬 🤣
Oh yeah ref trails- yeah I’m running out of local options. I can juggle work so I can skip a morning or skip an evening now. So last night, I went back in the dark and did all of the work I should have done this morning but then had to be back for 17:30.
Alternatively, I can do my evening stuff around 10:30am (long winded to explain 😴) and then have all day to play. But I can’t quite skip both yet.
With the days getting shorter, I think the Peaks may have to wait until next spring sadly. March-June I can stay away on a Friday and Saturday night if needed.
Nobody riding!?! 😭
No fishing trip this week for me although I did just ride it to Decathlon 🤣 Got lost in Reading so ended up going miles out of my way to get home. Wore a mix of old and new gear and was musing that I feel pretty happy with my set up now. I've got quite a large range of options. My only regret was throwing out the quilted, thermal liner for my old textiles (both bottom and top) about 5 years ago. My RST ventilators did come with a lining that everyone says is waterproof so I guess I can always throw a pacamac on under my old textile jacket.
Most likely destination this weekend is Sherborne in Dorset to follow the GWT North but will have to wait to see how things go to pin down day/timings.
Nobody riding!?! 😭
No!
Torrential rain almost every day and now it's dark by the time we get junior down to sleep. I'll have to start getting up and out early on weekends.
I was out last Wednesday when I finished work early. Got totally lost in the Peak district, found some closed roads, backtracked and looped around all over the place. All with the fuel light on. Managed about 27 miles of tickling the throttle before I found somewhere to fill up. So that was my first proper taste of range anxiety. I have a fuel bottle which I didn't think I'd need yet as I'm not that far from home but I'm going to fill it and stash it in one of the frame bags.
I have stuck to my promise to not spend a penny on bike stuff this month though so my funds are slowly recovering.
Yeah it’s amazing how easily summer melts into autumn 😞
The awesome range is one thing I miss from the Himmy. Hence having to take a mower can everywhere 🤣🤣
I grabbed one of these from the local Go Outdoors, https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15893142/trangia-1l-fuel-bottle-15893142
It must have been stickered up wrong because I paid about £7.50. I'd like a nice solid mounting point on the bike but for now I can drop it in the Lomo frame bag. An extra litre should be enough to rescue me in most situations. I'm not going into the desert yet.
Mountain biking today at Cleeve Hill near Cheltenham.
Brilliant ride and back in time for a little spin on the Himmo. Such a beautiful evening and I knocked off a few cheeky little lanes.
Wide angle lens makes the bike look contorted.
Currently sat watching the tv wearing Motocross boots I'm trying on, trying to pretend they're not really uncomfortable. 😐 Had enough of trying to find some that fit now.
