Is it easy enough to follow for someone who’s never been there before?

Sorry for anyone who had planned to go on thursday – my welsh trailcentre rainfall curse has struck.

Thank god they are out of large.

26 or 29?

Try QR closure, greasing the 12×142 threads if that, cleaning the drop outs and axle stubs with a toothbrush, clean and retorque the front mech band, pedals, give the cable stops a wiggle and a squirt of WD40 or invest in headphones.

What are the trails like as I’ve never ridden there.

Rooty and natural or smooth and manmade hardpack or a combination etc?

I had a 90minute loop that took in about 500m of A road.

I got crushed against a wall by a lorry on that 500m four years ago. I now have a 60minute loop with no A road.

My son wanted to get into road cycling at 16 – I actively discouraged him and am glad I did.

Indolence might have a long term effect, it’s not going to suddenly remove your daughter tomorrow.

Frames are quite light too, significantly lighter than my Superfly. Tempted to swap

Add to that the weight and hassle of changing hubs 😳

There are nobs on both sides just as in every walk of life.
On a recent surrey hills ride I had the temerity to join the road in front of Dulwich Paragon. A short while later they had to overtake me. Oh the awfulness.

Agreed – things have improved in the last 6 months. Considers cost of swapping Fox for RCT3……….

double post

I can’t believe Turner have now jumped on the G2 offset wagon.

All I can say is good luck finding a cheap 15mm qr fork. All I could find in RCT3 (lovely fork) was 9mm.

In the end I had to buy a 100mm Fox direct from the US. It’s no RCT3 with poor small bump sensitivity and yet bobs like hell.

The split pivot is heavier but very very good. I don’t feel it bottoming nor moving around much. Basically it feels like riding a comfortable hard tail.

I was there today and spent most of my time thinking “I wonder what he would be have been thinking at this point….”

Red 25 or Kevlar has always scared the hell out of me. You gather speed very fast indeed and if you are not used to air things get out of hand very quickly.

^ +1 for the Syntace P6 shockpost

Moves about 2cm at the top if you have a decent length showing. Takes the edge of hits and is definitely a lot more comfortable. Even a USE sumo carbon moves a bit. The alloys stay rock solid.

Respect to all who did it even if their event was shorter than planned.

Fizik Gobi Kium from Wiggle about 2years ago.

Like this

http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/fizik-gobi-kium-rail-saddle-fluo-green-limited-edition-p216094

The bad news – I can’t see any on the net.

The split pivot Spearfish is a superb bike.

Ridgeway double by adshools[/url], on Flickr

Ivinghoe and back in (relative) comfort 😉

If anyone wants a torchbearer entry let me know.

#notdriving500milesformud

If you can wear a chainset out over winter you’ll be wanting new linkages first!

Wish I was able to join in the fun at Bontrager…….

Can I afford the diesel to get up to the Lakes? I have the time, am fit and looking at that just so want to get exploring!

Sorry to hear you had a bad day. Hope things improve!

How many metres of climbing on Cafell?

I use a 26″ Simple to train on when it’s really muddy and also as something fun and different to motivate me to get out when I’m feeling meh.

I started with 32:19 and am now on 32:18 which just allows me to get up some pretty steep and long Chilterns hills in the dry. It spins out on the flat tarmac.

I’m getting used to the hovering grind but I’d not want it for Cwmcarn!

I have an entry for Torchbearer but now jobless and can’t really justify the diesel. May do the Ridgeway double ITT instead which will cost me nothing but pain.

I have a long standing tendency to inner thigh strain though not as high up as yours sounds.

When things start to go wrong I move to z2 steady efforts and try to ensure rides are circular or on the turbo so the minute I start to feel more than slight discomfort I can sack it.

I also use ice, ibuprofen, hot baths and gentle stretching.

If you are a vet then ignore the above and try and sort it through KOM sessions 😉 😆

Z2 is deeply unfashionable but great for maintaining aerobic fitness when knackered.

6hr vet solo – supposedly at the end of a 2 week training camp. Could be interesting!

The cost of runnning an air ambulance is mainly having it and staffing it. Using it adds fuel and additional maintenance but gives staff experience. The additional number of callouts helps justify existence and you never know how busy the normal ambulances are.

Tried to use Summer Monkey 6hr to launch into a 2 week speed phase block, a slight rest week last week and now a 1.5/2 week long distance/training camp (not much intensity) followed by a week taper for Bontrager 12hr which is a training event for me.

Summer monkey TSS 300,

Week 1 TSS 450- Z2, Z3 and a light Z5 interval session

Week 2 TSS 685 – Z2, more Z3, 5x15minutes Z4 intervals, 4x5minutes Z5

Week 3 TSS 400 – Z1, 5x15minutes Z4 intervals, 4x5minutes Z5

Week 4 – started with a 4hr Z2/3 ride

I can’t post my TSB chart but suffice to say it lies, feels like week 3 didn’t allow any recovery. Legs were gone after 2 hours today. The Z4 intervals session is a killer that really takes it out of me. Also under quite a lot of stress and not slept well etc

What to do – persevere with a very hard week and have a 2 week taper or rest for 3-4 days restart and stick with a weeks taper or MTFU and stick to the plan?

I dnf’d at last years Erlestoke with a turner flux and 2.1. I ran out of sticks to poke the mud out. It would have taken proper muds, HT clearances and no front mudguard.

If it’s proper mud at Bontrager I’m not going. Lightweight but I do like to enjoy myself for a 500 mile return trip and associated costs.

Curtis XC9 (I have one)

Ritchey P29 new tapered HT and standard vertical dropouts

Check the rear tyre clearance on all.

I prepare my own low fat flapjacks and eat them fresh – is this what you mean?

I mustn’t allow one experience to sour my view on the Ride it Events

I think they’re great. Well organised, good routes, friendly etc.

My one bad experience was going the opposite way on some single track bridleway when not taking part. Being on the receiving end of riders choosing to forget they were on a public track used by other members of the public made me think about the validity of the concept. Then I did BORS the next weekend (#hypocrite) though in their defence they don’t publish times (a good thing IMHO).

I’ve hurt my arm so can’t ride much off road. The long road ride on Sunday maybe just what I need. I wonder if it’s the same course.

Note to self – avoid area

Now I’ve got the curmudgeon out I would say the fastest tough tyres you have. Trails are dry but flinty.

All mention has thus far been about accidentally remaining clipped in.

My experience is that inadvertently unclipping while riding is potentially a lot more serious so once you’ve got used to them do them up a bit.

Coming unclipped as you fly into a bombhole or other such manoeuvre is ‘unsettling’ ie you have a good chance of falling/hitting something.

Based on what I paid to learn rather than what has been successful for me (cos I’ve been on a podium once) I would say the Sunday and Wednesday high intensity sessions are far too long to taper for a major event.

My taper intervals are 2x10minutes Z4.

I’d also put a Z1 recovery spin for 45minutes on either Thursday and Friday

Plus recovery drink etc after your Saturday sprint starts

Good luck

Would like to do some of these long distance paths on an old boneshaker so as not to get obsessed on distance/times etc

Once a week my programme has me doing 5 minute hill repeats until I nearly chuck. Being able to see if I’ve improved is a good motivator when I want to throw in the towel 3 minutes in

+1 for Mojito – only issue is incompatability with many glasses. Also have a Giro which is better for that.

That’s the superfly off my list of frames. New hub standards and mega expensive g2 forks.

Sort of wondering if it would be a good way of building a 29er XC trainer with proper mud clearance!

Website makes it look as if there’s stock. Would love one but is it possible to have an EBB that is consistently creek free without heaps of TLC?