I guess it depends on your definition of “fast”. The RX7 was sub-4 seconds 0-60 and had the power and gearing for 170mph+.

Does internet 0-60 abide by the same rules as internet bike weights?

Aw jeez that green Spearfish looks lush. Flux in danger of being sold….

I’ll sell you my Merida 96 carbon team for £500 for each lb it’s lighter than your Yeti. 😀

I don’t but am interested. If you search you’ll find a post from me about 6 months back with a reply from a member with a 650b XC custom build from them – it looks stunning.

I didn’t order my 29er. Unfortunately they wouldn’t answer detailed questions like – how many bikes do you make, what tubeset, is it butted, where is it made etc so I bowed out. Pity as I’d really like one.

Carbon spearfish coming soon! Also 2015 Specialized Epic?

Going west which is the grass hill nearer Eastbourne that seems the steepest and comes almost immediately after a right turn next to a farm and after a mile of farm track that is surfaced with builders rubble?

The Blur is used – it’s not cheap IMHO (in fact I think it’s way expensive) and it’s half an inch bigger than what you already rejected.

Flux fits your bill.

Not sure incremental weight loss is worth it, things don’t feel much different in my experience.

Big wheels seem to overcome slight weight penalty but how much is something no one wants to answer (and I’ve asked) but I’m seriously considering a 24.5lb Spearfish over my 21.5lb Merida 96.

Just about to buy spokes and nipples for my 29er XC LB rims.

Rose bikes have a warning on the DT alloy nipples not to be used on rims without eyelets – is this true – can they be used on these rims?

…….and then you sailed past me at the bag drop 😀 Congrats on 2nd!

Wow!

Second job pays for mine. Part time gamekeeper – all parts are measured in deer carcasses. Light bicycle rims with DT240s = approx 10 large deer or 15 roe. The 2015 Sworks Epic will take some earning 😀

Sorry to hear that but very good skills! I had a slower speed lorry crush 3 years ago except there was only a wall which I was scraped along franticaly trying to stay away from the looming rear wheels. Apparently overtaking on a blind village A road bend in rush hour is driving without due care and attention not dangerous driving…..

Will you change your route? I sold my summer road bike and now use a mountain bike on small lanes. That’s not without it’s own issues but I tend not to see lorries.

Feels inadequate technology/complexity of training…..

2x CO2 weighs more than a pump. Add in doing something like fixing one puncture only to find there were two and you’re stuffed.

Carrying hard things in pockets near your spine is really dumb and uncomfortable.

What’s on the 10th?

Shouldn’t you be tapering for 24:12?

Thanks for the tips. Feel much more positive about that route than the whole thing.

Yes it’s easy to navigate.

However a word of warning – I haven’t wanted to cry on a bike since the last Brass Monkeys but I did feel a slight moistening around the eyes for about 2hrs at the end yesterday – it’s just relentless.

I used my Garmin – it was a help but not strictly necessary. It’s essential to look at the finger posts anyhow though as some of them are weathered you have to stop to examine them.

Conditions yesterday from Amberley to Eastbourner were nearly perfect despite rain in the morning. It really does dry very fast indeed.

Only 1 tiny non avoidable puddle, some very limited excuse for moist soil under some trees but very greasy in one spot about 4 miles from Eastbourne up a steep bit under trees where the surface appears to be compressed rubble.

Did Amberley to Eastbourne and return yesterday.

Ouch, they don’t make hills like that in South Oxfordshire. 11.07hrs or 10.36hrs moving for 101miles and 3,780m ascent. Wet on way out, baked on way back.

Definately fitted the bill for easy to navigate with lots of hills 🙂

Wonder when the first bridleway rage will be reported.

I believe though that it’s far better to road-ride your MTB than to do MTB training on a road bike. I seem to use a completely different set of muscles to power a road bike and therefore there is very little crossover. For reference, I can average 18/19mph when at peak fitness on the MTB and very little more on the road bike.

That’s what I found too (the muscles, not the average)

Hmmmm it’s tempting as I live in the Chilterns and really do quite a lot of ‘gravel’.

But I like higher volume tyres on my HT, found 1.9s painful, can’t imagine rigid fork as find some bits too harsh with a fork locked out (and that has an inch or so of give) so a light HT works better for me.

Anyone care to do the Ridgeway at some point from Goring to Avebury and back – about 90miles and nothing more than ruts.

You already do a LOT of riding. You could perhaps improve by reducing quantity and increasing quality. It’s quite likely you do a lot of mid paced riding? Think of a couple of very hard high quality interval sessions a week instead together with longer base level rides which will help you aerobic fitness and give you riding to do when your legs can barely turn because of the intervals you did earlier in the week.

IMHO using Strava to time rides isn’t a help as when training you should be measuring time and effort – speed doesn’t matter at all. As an example if you’re doing a base ride (say Zone 2) then you are probably going to have to pedal against your brakes when going downhills to maintain your heart rate in Zone 2.

Then again I’m mid pack after 3 years riding (only 1 racing though) so who am I to talk.

^ precisely. It made me think which is why I stated this:-

a near incident which made me realise the risks I was inadvertantly taking

Oh and I’ve riddent it every week for 2 years with no gates put across and I stopped in time.

It’s not a question merely a reflection on a near incident which made me realise the risks I was inadvertantly taking and the threat to kittens.

Not sure what happened there but in summary.

Very steep descent on bridleway. Farmer puts metal 5 bar gate across the bottom hidden to move cattle. His precautions being to sit in the tractor on his mobile. The gate is hidden from the top by tree foliage. I descend and luckily am slow as the surface is rough. On the other side (this is a valley) the surface is smooth and most descend very fast (30mph).

I realise that I often ride with a view not to braking to a halt but with a view to controlling speed and avoiding ie cannot stop within the distance I can see.

I commute on my Soul with a shagged racing ralph on the back and a cheap ron on the front. High pressures 45r 40f. I’m only about 3minutes slower over 17miles than my road bike and it’s much more comfortable on crappy lanes.

I suspect I’d prefer 36 than 44.

I plan (as in have a vague idea) on doing Amberly to Eastbourne and return on Friday and poss. Amberly to Winchester and return on Saturday. If I do any of this I’ll let you know what I find.

Had Salsa Ti 26er with 2.35s and Ti post. Now have Whyte 29c with 2.25s and syntace p6 flex post. The Whyte allows me to wear one pair of bib shorts whereas I always use 2 pairs on the 26″ bike. The biggest think I noticed moving across was the comfort. How much of that is down to the spooky seatpost which moves visibly I don’t know.

^ Very nice! The Torq frame without the Torq decals… mind you (with XX1 and that fork) it’s £1,500 more than the old 29C Team no?

Regularly do a 5hr+ ride at the weekend starting at 5am. I eat cornflakes and banana plus a bagel and coffee. Start eating immediately on the ride.

Always been an early bird.

Where do you put it?

If you don’t have them and aren’t going to get any why would you give a sh*t? If you have them and are happy why would you care if a bunch of cheapskates knock them?

I cant afford them and dont care if they give 10% or fold like tissue.

How many walks/hours of training does it take for them to learn to walk to heel?

My labrador 50metres walking along a fence line – incredible. My German Wire Haired pointer – (think hooligan Vizla on crack) never.

The only criticism I would level is the Sky kit is not very visible.

IMHO a triple gives a lot of benefits which surpass any aesthtics or rules. The 16t gap on a compact is horrible, standard is awful for climbing and the ability to maintain cadence a real performance booster. 53/42/30 with 13/29 here. The 42 is a great ring and 30/29 good to have in reserve.

Late for one of the brass monkeys starts. Pedal up, slow down, cross rutand fall off in front of the entire field……