After 40 mins there’s a total of 240 entrants: 48+(2×34)+(4×31)

al.

Yes, I’m in =) solo again. 4th year for me.

Solos now showing 46 entries – how many are they allowing this year?

Now to persuade someone to look after the kids 14-17th Jan…

Cheers, al.

Wow. I just put a zip-tie on the stay/fork and cut it so it’s dead close to the rim. I leave it on too, so I can fix spokes out & about.

al.

Oh, I do love these… So why does it take years to buy one? Money? Availability? Or does it take that long to pump up the tyres?!

😉

hehh heh. The lesson from today: It keeps insects in as well as out. If you leave it with one side open, suicidal bees and various little minging things will fly in and get stuck. Yuk. Conclusion: keep it shut.

al.

Which part of the "countryside" is not man-made? Any "wilderness" riding you do in the UK is on man-made trails, albeit maybe very old ones and most likely kept open with landrovers.

I regularly go up & over the Lammermuirs from Dunbar. That's mostly the Herring Road, a drove road to Lauder. It's man-made.

I also go to Glentress etc (and last weekend Contin for Strathpuffer!) and it's man-made. Just happens to pack more into a 7-mile loop than you'd ever get on a 50 mile all-dayer.

Both are good, that's all.

al.

I've never understood these damn things, other than it's skidding that causes them. And skids, as we know, are for kids.

I think it's a bit of all of the above. Beginners going too fast, panic-braking creating a groove, rain pooling, repeat.

However we need beginners or else we won't get investment in trails. So, a bit of education and ride wide if they annoy you.

al.

Oh yes. Possibly the most obvious reason!
Doh, al.

Actually the valve should be at about 4 o'clock, and give it a bit of a flick. So that any fluid in the valve can run out inside the tyre, and the fluid in the bottom can't reach the valve.

Another reason to use removable-core valves. I use presta and it's Schwalbe tubes for me as described at
http://www.tubelesswheels.com.

Reasons to use removable-core valves:
[list=1]
[*] You can clean them (I like the vaseline tip, never heard that one!)[/*]
[*] You can replace the core if the stem snaps – much easier than re-doing the tyre + strip.[/*]
[*]If you're having trouble getting it up (ooh-er) in the first place, removing the valve can improve the rate of air ingress and get things seated. Then let the air out, careful to keep the tyre on the rim, replace the core and re-inflate.[/*]
[/list]
Cheers, al.

Hi Brian, No advertising, but what about getting STW to attend? Free promotion via Facebook, here, other forums. I can setup a promotional website no bother – let's have a think.
I just checked and strathpufferlite.co.uk, .com, .org, .info etc are all available.

Cheers, al.

Here's the link back to the other thread. Brian says the event isn't breaking even. I think it was the best event I've done, and I REALLY hope it happens again next year.
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/strathpuffer-lite-results

al.

I won!??! Wow. Am I now Scottish Veteran SingleSpeed Champion 2010? Can I wear rainbow stripes, quit my job and get a big fat sponsorship deal like Steve Peat?

😉

What a blast, thanks for making that happen Brian. And congratulations to you too!

Cheers, al.

Well Steve who I dragged along is itching to re-enter. It needs a mag to come along. STW at Puffer Lite next year – the campaign starts here!

BTW, I twittered the event via my mobile, my last lap tweets on the move! http://twitter.com/allankelly

Cheers, al.

PS Thanks for the "thanks" – much appreciated.

Yeah, I hardly recognised parts of the course. That's my 4th visit, the first 3 of them to winter Puffer. The slippiest winter parts were transformed into hardest, fastest parts. That final descent is kamikaze, bunny-hopping the drainage bars kept me awake!

I needed lights for longer than I expected, from about 1030 to 0330 in the woods. I mostly turned them off for the climbs, it was never really dark in the open.

al.

I just rode 'Puffer on an Inbred with carbon Pace fork and 29er WTB 2.55" tyre. I like the setup a lot.

On the way there we saw a bike with a Larry front tyre, on a car in Aviemore Tesco carpark. Seemed to be a normal rim not a wide one. I'm tempted but I reckon the tyre would flop about on a narrow rim. Opinions?

Larry seems to be £85. Larry tyre at Ison Distribution

Cheers, al.

The bike shop at Glentress told us that they have a drawer-full cos they don't use them when they fit a Hope headset. So, ask them if you want one.

al.

Thanks, that's the idea. We sat on the arse-o-meter (a bit of cardboard!) and the sit bones are easy to see. Mine are much narrower than hers – she's had 4 kids so not too surprising really! The wide saddle and low nose do the job.

al.

The way they're made (pinned/welded/whatever) is irrelevant, it's the innertube + tyre + fluid that makes the seal. Turn the tyre inside-out for half an hour before fitting to push the bead onto the rim, and keep'em at 40 PSI for a while.

al.

Jedi – and you are … a lady?

These are not the saddles you're looking for.

al.

I split a steerer tube with a Head Doctor. My fault I should think, but I was just trying to get the damned thing to not slip when trying to tighten the bearings. Which is _all_ it's for (Once your stem's tight you don't need the top-pressure). This is like 7 years ago. So, I put the damned thing in thinking it's complicated therefore good (idiot). Tighten with 8mm Allen key (I think I had to buy one). Put on stem, try to tighten bearings – slips. *think*. Aha! Tighten stem. Loosen HD and push down. Tighten HD. Loosen stem. Tighten bearings a bit. Repeat. All is well!

Much later: Remove stem. Boof! steerer cracks as over-tightened HD bursts out, Alien-style.

Oh, crap.

a.

hi, my "yes you can" site:
http://www.tubelesswheels.com

Crossrides are very successful in tubeless guise. I've ridden countless puncture-free miles, Strathpuffer, 10 Under the Ben etc etc on mine. Currently they've still got the Schwalbe Snow Studs on from January (I'm lazy) and they're still hard without being re-inflated.

Recipe: BMX inner tube, Stanley knife, CO2 cheap from tyreinflators.co.uk, Stan's fluid. And off you go.

Cheers, al.

Well, hello again!

We bought one of those armchairs Mark was talking about. Arse-o-meter, madam would fit this one, and Lo! and behold it's firmly (but supportively) Mrs's bike not Mr's.

That saddle is like an underwired bra – an incredible feat of engineering disguised as a bit of a joke =)

Cheers, al.

Cynic: well, it's not likely to be getting a pounding! This'll be treated as you'd treat any restored item, with pride and respect 🙂

Cheers, al.

So, there's the specialized arse-o-meter and there's Marks's Slovakian Bum Mold. Both sound like a great laugh after a lunchtime jar. Let's see if we can farm the kids out and have a wander round Edinburgh this weekend…
And while I'm in TBC I can show her the Ibis CX bike with the SRAM Red build. Whoo. What a bike.

al.

> slovakian
Well, she's very nice whatever planet whe's from.

Fitted saddle links? Hmm?

al.

Paul G: Spesh Windie XC

It's gotta hole innit. Which seems sensible. (Although Brooks also claim to have invented that 100 years ago!)

Cheers, al.

TBC: Fitted saddles eh Mark? Paws off you randy bugger! Get your German BMX Fraulein to do the fitting I think…

😉

Good idea. Any links on tinternet?

al.

trail_rat: But it's so nice!

You're right though. She tried a Georgina Terry a few years back and didn't like that either.

al.

The Bike Chain Edinburgh has loads of Laps in, we were in yesterday. Get in touch: The Bike Chain, manager@thebikechain.co.uk
http://www.thebikechain.co.uk/

Cheers, al.

Well, that's me and Stevemcnalls in. 🙂

It's 8pm to 8am so we'll travel up Sat morning, potter about a bit, eat a lot, ride the bike round the forest for a bit, have some breakfast, sleep a bit and be home for tea on Sunday…

Solos selling well…
https://www.sientries.co.uk/list.php?event_id=333

Cheers, al.

How good do these look when you're old and fat?

Permanent fashion. Hmm.

al.

Nice! How do you do the black border thing?
al.

What are you using? Sounds like UST with bolt-on valve, as opposed to rim-strip or BMX tube methods.

al.

853 Inbred.
6 months ago:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allankelly/sets/72157622343213717/

Yesterday:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allankelly/sets/72157623416716482/

Also Pomp, Dad Bike, various others over the years.
Cheers, al.

c_g: "Spinal Tap, currently residing in our 'Where are they now?' file"…

Mick: how would that work then? You have air (various very small atoms/molecules) in a container made of a metal rim and a thick rubbery tyre in current near-freezing temperatures. So, you expect the air to stay in there!? Some sealant will seal the gaps. Not much required, shake it all about.
al.

Amazing isn't it that in this crowded little island we still have great big wild animals? Up here in East Lothian the roe deer are all over the place and I see them in small groups in fields on most long rides.
The other evening I came down a familiar rural road with a ford at the bottom – always sketchy due to run-off gravel spread down the road so not full-speed – and as I got to the ford a deer sprang up and ran across my path missing me by about 1 metre. Eek! We were both spooked!

Cheers, al.

They haven't even started yet.

Watching these Vanderham etc vids I'm amazed we haven't had many deaths in our sport. "Are we crash test dummies?" is another quote from the article above. Well, you'd have to say "yes" to that.

al.

Oh great. Middleburns that wear out after a few rides.

Once again: What is wrong with square taper? I moved back after years of ISIS/external BB rip-off money down the drain. Sq taper is just great.

And there's a bolt in the middle of the drive-side crank there. Every other manufacturer has the bolt on the LHS don't they? So again, why? Or is this an axle with bolts on both sides? So, double the Truvativ problems. Shimano uses a pinch bolt. Yes. Correct. Bearings are still cheese though.

al.

several teams had raised concerns about the safety of athletes, who regularly exceed 90mph as they compete

The lad hit a steel pole after being ejected from the final turn at 90kmph ON A SLEDGE.
😯
eek.

al.