Can’t believe that period are still moaning about dropper posts and 1x drive trains! Two of the best things ever as far as I’m concerned.

Like Ben_H and his coffee I can take it or leave it.

1×12 I have because my new bike has it, but it’s worse in almost every way compared to 2×10. the chainline in lowest gear is just bonkers, 2x gave a narrower cassette and a variable chainline up front! Even 1×10 worked well enough.

I have a dropper post because it was a £50 bargain. There is no way my reverb was worth £200. I’ve survived the intervening 3 years without one. I just don’t seem to ride in a way that needs it, either I’m off the back of the saddle, or I’m off the front of it, or with the cranks level there’s a good 7″ clearance anyway.

Endura, I really want to like them but pretty much everything I’ve had from them has been unfit for purpose. I’d disagree about droppers, I didn’t get them before I had one but now I’d be a bit lost without one. Not necessarily for really steep stuff where you drop the saddle at the start and keep it there til the end, like at the Golfie, bit for trails like Drumlanrig at the weekend it was great to start with saddle up and just drop it when needed.

Alexa and other similar devices and all the internet of things. I do not want my fridge to tell alexa that I am out of butter and to order some more for me!

Innerleithen red. For ages it was cool to knock Glentress and hype up inners, but it’s short, dull, lacking in variety… We should dig up the handful of good bits and move them down the road. It is a very convenient set of climbs though.

whitestone

Member

For me, and I realise this is going to wind some folk up, it’s trail centres. I. Just. Don’t. Like. Them.

OK, it’s your opinion but there’s so much variety between centres, how do you end up disliking them all? I mean, you can go for a lap of the red at glentress or you can go for a circuit of the official offpiste as possible and the only things really similar are where you park, you could even avoid sharing the climbs. Or you can go bouldering at Laggan, or climbing at Golspie… BMCC has a load of the finest of squiggly singletrack anywhere AND tractors. Even inners has 4 distinctive, characterful and good bits.

It’s like when people say “I don’t drink alcohol, I just don’t like the taste”, as if creme de menthe tastes like tennants. I don’t get what one thing can apply to them all?

Margaret Thatcher.
Christmas(bloody awful
Charity.
Hardtails.
NHS.
The English.
Universities.
The good old days.
British Policing.
Heavy Metal music
Foreign foods.
Most pubs and their clientel.
Guinness.
New years eve celebrations.
Capitalism.
etc etc etc.

@northwind – surprisingly you are the first to bite!

I certainly haven’t been to all trail centres nor ridden every trail at those I have been to – I think the first one I went to was the original Coed y Brenin nearly 25 years ago. I have no desire to visit any trail centre, Gisburn is the closest to me (about 30mins away) and it’s probably three years since I’ve been, I’d sooner continue the extra hour to get to the Lakes.

@monkeycmonkeydo – crikey, you’re a bundle of fun aren’t you?

Fixies are great for a commuter bike. Wouldn’t bother otherwise. Rode one for 7 years until my back got busted by a driver – bike was fine. Fixie with two brakes. Wasn’t a cheap bike as it cost north of a grand specced up – probably more like £1,500 with panniers.

Great intellectual challenge of my ideas there whitestone.Oh and Geoffrey Archer and Margaret Atwood could and should have been shot at birth.Vodka-Russian bilge water.

To be fair if I lived an hour away from the lakes I wouldn’t ride many trail centres but when you’re away somewhere and there’s a trail centre nearby then it would be rude not too.

Dracs iPad ?

monkey – I suppose Piers Morgan was too obvious.

Oh, hang on, someone has to say they are great, Piers Morgan grate, hmm. Of course the definition of “countryside” is the killing of PM. 😉

Long low and slack.

Otherwise gravel bikes wouldn’t have been a thing…

I just love riding my bikes.

One of the great things about riding is that every ride is different, even the same trails change according to conditions and where my heart, mind and body are at on the day.

I remember a few years back I did a couple of rides around the Dark Peak, then called into Sherwood Pines on the way pass.

Enjoyed The Peaks but welcomed the variation of Sherwood Pines.

One better than the other…. maybe but I enjoyed both.

As for changes in mountain bikes and kit over the years, I try lots and keep what works for me…. no drama.

Be happy people.

My problem with walking is that it’s frowned upon to bring a bike for the fun bits.

And the problem with mountain-biking is that it’s frowned upon to bring walking boots for the steeper uphill bits

This must be why I walk and ride solo 99% of the time
#foreveralone

People who say”Be happy people”.Have we become Americans?Have a nice day,Neil.

1x gearing instantly springs to mind!

Sports personality of the year,the Brits,Oscars etc, all total overhyped empty shit.

Have we become Americans?Have a nice day,Neil.

It’s an ongoing cultural assimilation which began in the 1950s and is now deafening.

‘Can I get more relish on that, buddy?’

(Overheard in W Mids Subway shop, I mean store)

‘Con I get moower relish on thah, budday?’

I’m still rocking 3×9! Twas an upgrade from 3×8 hahah..

I like the thought of riddence of the front mech, but I’m not really feeling the need. And chain line lol.

You hate the NHS?
Interesting.

Dracs iPad ?

….and Molgrips’ car….😀

Football
Religion
Eggs
Waterproofs

@monkeycmonkeydo
I saw you at my local,go on which one are you 😉

Cyclocross.

When it takes longer to de-mud your bike than it does to race it, you know you’ve been had.

I have FIVE fixed wheel bikes (road, TT, two track and a folder). I ride more fixed wheel than geared. It’s a purer form of riding, but you have to have the right gear. Too low and you are just ambling along or spinning silly. Too high and you never get on top of it. Just right and it’s wonderful. And ride 81 inches in medium group rides that average 20 mph. Always the smoothest in the group and normally keeping it together preventing surging.

You hate the NHS?
Interesting.

And capitalism. Interestinger.

Is there anything you do like, monkey? Complaining, perchance?

Eggs?!

Eggs?!

Eggs are great! What could anyone possibly have against eggs? There are very few foods that cannot be improved by putting a fried egg on top. The reason for this is obvious – you now have the same food, but you also have a fried egg!

This has upset me so much I’m going to have an egg and chip butty to calm myself.

Cyclocross.

When it takes longer to de-mud your bike than it does to race it, you know you’ve been had.

Came on here to post just that.

Also I have sour grapes because I’m really terrible at CX. But it’s mostly because it’s a cursed discipline.

It’s a purer form of riding

Dry boak.

Most pubs and their clientel.

you must go in some proper **** pubs mate.

Gin. Tastes like a bunch of flowers.

1x gravel groupsets – in what world is this actually a useful combination of gears?

40t chainring and 11 speed sram cassette on my gravel bike. Gets me up everything and never spins out on road. What more do we need?

Beer. It gives you tits and a preggy belly.

Learn to read grumpygit,I never said I hate the NHS at all.Tom Howard,where did I say I hate Capitalism,just because it is utterly destructive,unsustainable and has no future does not indicate hatred on my part.Ton,your terrible health challenges are just one of the reasons why I think pubs are a problem.I dont think it’s done your health any favours.Am I wrong?

Ok, but you did list both of them in a thread of things you don’t think are great. You might not ‘hate’ them, but you do dislike them, no? Given that they are fairly opposite ends of the same spectrum, it’s interesting that you dislike them both.

Why don’t you like the NHS? Would you prefer a more capitalist, private healthcare model? Obviously not… or do you just like arguing with both sides?

Taxi,incredibly I don’t look like either of them because I’m to thin!Never thought I would be able to say that.

Where did I say I dislike the NHS Tom?Dont put words in to my mouth.Its obvious Tom that it is you who likes arguing and cant even read the title of a thread correctly.I happen to think the NHS is a cornerstone of our civilsation(what’s left of it).I felt ten or fifteen years ago it was pretty good.Now it’s on its Knees.Thats fick all to do with hatred.

As for late Capitalism, if you cant see the disastrous state it is in I would recommend a trip to Specsavers.

I happen to think the NHS is a cornerstone of our civilsation(what’s left of it)

But you lump it in the same boat as things you think are…

utterly destructive,unsustainable and has no future

Like I said. Interesting.

I didn’t lump it in with anything.You did in your own mind.I made a specific comment about Capitalism which was totally unrelated to any other suggestion.Inthink your making a real fool of yourself mate and should go to bed.