[img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/5863661311_3bec74fa0e.jpg[/img]
DSC_0036 by nichola.davidson, on Flickr[/url]

The ‘won on Ebay’ frame came with the Tiagra triple chainset already attached but with hindsight, I’m happy with the gear range (12-25 on the rear) as it will be ridden off road in the Peak District quite often. Going up mostly and shouldered going down.

It needs some more knobbly tyres than the tour’esque tyres it has at the moment but for a complete build of new and second hand, including a final odd touch and fettle from Jon at the excellent http://www.bicyclesmithy.co.uk/, I’m really pleased with it for a total cost of £427.38.

I’ve been given the day off from domestic and family duties tomorrow so I’m riding to, from and as best as I can in Delamere Forest. I’m really rather excited!

Not my garage, road, weeds etc. so I’m not bothered about the state of it all.

😀

Fancy coming out with me?

That looks a nice build! For the price it’s spot on!

I like that 🙂

Very nice. I want one. 🙁

Thank you very much. Does anybody know how to get the wheels out without letting the tyres down?
I have Planet X Frogleg canti’s that don’t{/b] seem to have the diconecting side to the cable.

I’m around if you fancy a midweek ride btw Monksie.

Fancy coming over to Delamere tomorrow Sambob? I’m full time carer to my wife from Monday next week for the foreseable unless I’m allowed back in work so tomorrow is my only chance for a full day out?
I’m planning on setting off around 9:00am and being back about 5’ish.
I’m going to take the quieter lanes through Hazel Grove, Wilmslow, Knutsford, Winsford etc. and coming back the same way.

monksie – Member
I’m full time carer to my wife from Monday next week for the foreseable

What’s happened? everything OK?

If you need some tyres I have quite a selection in the shed & I’m happy to send you a set.

Cheers.

serious bargain there! ride it!

If my dad hadn’t taken his cross bike to the 3 Peaks Yacht Race I would join you, but I’ve only got my FS with big soft tyres so i’ll give it a miss, thanks anyway.

Hi Martin. How’s things? All good I hope?
Nothing too dramatic (now anyway).
A small op. a rampant infectiion (not MRSA thank cripes), two big further ops. and she’ll be off work and imobile for a few months or more. No doubt she’ll be directing hospice operations by conference call 🙂
She’s not much speaaking to me at the moment. I wrote her Micra off the week before she went in to hospital. Our daughter was in the car at the time as well. Flip, that was scary. No other cars involved so it had to be all my fault.
If you have some big, knobbly, 700cc x (upto) 42 tyres for sale, I’d be very interested mate, thank you.
I will Kevevs. it looks good doesn’t it?
A shame Sambob. BWD has invited me out for a ride. We’ll have to synchronise diaries etc. for another date.

You don’t want to go riding with him. He fell off and blamed it on the ground. If you didn’t know him you might think he was insane too. I’m free until the 31st of August excluding the 2nd half of July so if you get a chance to go out let me know 🙂

Looks brilliant Monksie!! I like it a lot!! If I still lived in hale I’d come out with you tomorrow. Hope your keeping well.

He! There’s a certain kind of genius logic to that :-). It’s not the fall that hurts, it’s the sudden stop at the end of it.
I certainly will shout up if I get some free time.

Cripes! Ay up Chris! How the devil are you? Still the purveyor of various pimp bike items (if not complete bikes)?
Have you departed the exlusive suburbia of Cheshire for sunnier (or the East Midlands) climes?

To be fair to him the narrow bit of peat he was riding on gave way, but still, excuses excuses…..

I always do my best and the fleet is ever expanding as usual!! I’m over in costa del Nottingham these days but still miss sunny Cheshire!!

I’ll drop you an email

You don’t want to go riding with him. He fell off and blamed it on the ground. If you didn’t know him you might think he was insane too. I’m free until the 31st of August excluding the 2nd half of July so if you get a chance to go out let me know

Good job I don’t read this forum eh… 😕

Steve, I’m good thanks, give Nicky my best & wish her well for me, make sure you take care of your fine women.

The tyres I have are all quite small, Michelin Cyclo Cross Mud 2, Michelin Cyclo Cross Jet S & Kenda Small Block Eight’s, your welcome to any of them if of use, just buy the wife some flowers to cover the postage 🙂

Cheers.

It’s only revenge BWD for your micky-taking of me on rides. We’re even now. I hope?

I don’t remember taking the mick out of you – but I definitely will now. Young people these days, tsssk…

Fair enough. A few of us are riding from Bamford on saturday if you fancy joining us? Unless you’re doing another silly 24hr thing?

I certainly will Martin. You should come up and stay with us. Eat fine curries in Rusholme, drink Nicky’s fine wines from the wine rack,(she’s a proper lush these days 🙂 ) and we’ll ride bikes in the Peak District. It will be immense. You’ll always be welcome up here. Come up anytime you want to.
I’d be more than happy to pay postage, put £20 in the tin in the hospice reception and send some kind of gift down to you in the sunny south for which ever set of tyres you’d recommend? I’m new to this cyclocross malarky and I can’t find a cyclocross website forum to pester people for advice so I’m kind of winging it with regard to tyres.
I’ll take any you don’t want and I’ll happily pay you for them Martin.

Schwalbe Land cruiser are alright, and very puncture proof.

Thanks for the invite, Sam, but I’m otherwise engaged and I wouldn’t want to slow you down with my incessant crashing, bits of Peak collapsing under my wheel and otherwise – have fun 🙂

And he’s back! 56 miles on the road 4 miles off road in Delamere Forest. I couldn’t find any nice singletrack of which I believe there is loads.
It’s noticably slower than my road bikes but felt…I don’t know..softer? on road and was great fun on the fire roads.
I’m looking forward to some more off road on it.
I don’t think I’ll be selling everything and just using this one but I can see me having a couple of less used bikes in the classifieds soon.
Cylocross bikes. I reccmmend them.

Well you were due a crash BWD so you’ll be fine for another 6 months 🙂 If you crash tomorrow it’s not my fault btw. Glad you enjoy it monksie. For fireroads i can’t think of anything better.

monksie – nbt used to ride home from work via Vernon and Woodbank park on his cx.
I’d take the bw from Marple garden centre into Bredbury and meet him at the entrance of the park. Follow the river and there’s loads of singletrack that’s good fun on the cx, of course you’ll end back up in the woods, then for you it’s a quick blast back to Holiday lane.

BWD – In falling off bike shocker 😉

BWD – In falling off bike shocker 😉

Yes, generally I ride too slowly to fall off, so slowly that by the time I hit the ground, the rotational movement of the earth has moved it out of my way. My mistake was to try and keep up with the STW speed crew 😐

I couldn’t find any nice singletrack of which I believe there is loads.

Its pretty damn muddy and wet in there on the singletrack at the moment so maybe not such a bad thing!

Monksie, sing out if you want to spin out on yer CX around Delamere…

Will gladly show you all the fun bits..

I reguarly ride in from here in Sandiway..

It’s all good.

Cheers Sambob. Roman Rd at Hope is going to be interesting, that’s for sure. I might chuck it over my shoulder and run with it.
J – that’s my commute before and after (depending on if I’m coming or going to work) Reddish Vale. Overbiked on my hardtail but I’d guess ideal for a ‘cross bike.
I was being properly mardarse about getting it dirty anyway curlie so tes, clearly for the best that I spent more time at the cafe at Delamere than I did riding.
Thank you Teetwo – I’ll take you up on that if I may.
BWD – got your email re: tyre recommendations. Duly noted, thank you.

I managed an hours ride on it today in the Peak District. It’s great fun but you know it’s been rough for a long time afterwards. The sticky outy canti’s on the back dug in to my calves going down silly steep stuff. Probably not my best idea.
Can I get leg armour for the back of my legs? I’ve never had any cycling armour before or do I man the hell up?