Last weekend I cleaned mine using a plastic container, brush (Asda, as in the thing that comes with a dustpan) and water from a pond (after breaking the ice) Does that make me a heathern?

Good race overall. Let myself down on stage 2 but only due to lack of fitness/effort. Need to get the burn on a bit more often. Good overall series format. Sadly working for last race but might try to swap it.

Had the same problem recently. Search forum for ghetto inflator. Was easy to make and worked a treat on tyres I had failed everything else on.

Towards the end of any of the few races I do when I am trying to achieve gas exchange using my arse then I wish I had done more. When thinking about leaving the house for a dull ride i want to do less. Still recon the reduction in drag that I would get from keeping my remarkable ear hair short would make as much difference

Was 250 for a new swingarm for my heckler. Took so long to get here (Was prepared to have any colour) that I ended up having a slight accident and buying an ex demo blood by mistake

Top of dollywagon pike to grisedale
Descent above slate mines at elterwater
Arret de berrouir (sp??????)
matadora
Mega race course (as it was this year without 20 min snow plod)
Mega quali
Pleany
Another vote for Garburn in the Ice (Possible the best ever)
Watendleth to borrowdale
Flaine to Stix

And all the better ones I forgot about

Grizedale
Grizedale
Grizedale

Murray

If considering getting a coil installed I would make sure it was fitted by a gynaecologist if possible and failing that your GP. Not usually best attempted in the home.

Great frame but a bit steep (69 degree head angle with 140mm fork) Mine has got a set of float 150s with a works offset headset and a set of offset shock bushings. Less steep with a lower BB. Works a treat.

Lycra is a privilige and not a right! If your name is not Pendleton bare lycra is simply wrong. While I come from Lancashire where most of us are still scared of electricity (work of the devil) most villages have clubed together and bought one of those new fangled mirror things. A mirror and functioning eyes should be all that you need to decide.

I did make the mistake of trying a set of egg beaters a few years ago but luckily snapped one really quickly so didn`t have to hate them for long. Lost count of the number of snapped joplins I saw at the Mega this year. My mates snapped 5 mins off the very top on the day we practiced the galcier (what there was this year)so he got to ride with an arse spike all morning.

In contrast I still have a fully functioning old red set of shimano DX SPDs that I have had since about 1997. They are still ace but sadly weigh a little more than the rest of the bike (with me on it).

Another for not being too keen on starting in the rain but once I am a mile in it all good. Some of my best days have been in the mud but have usually been lift/uplift assisted. Wet rock is usually fine except for the green slimy ones which are death on a stick.

Suspect taylforth was taking the piss again.

Have been thinking about this for a while but never worked out a route fully. Could start ambleside and head over the bridleway to stonethwaite (bottom of borrrowdale) Then over Styhead to Wasdale head (Could also go over the Honister and via Ennerdale and Blacksail sp?? to Wasdale. Overnight stop.

From wasdale you could take the bridleway over to Eskdale (I have never done it so could be a mare) then take the bridalway from the bottom of the hardnott over to duddondale and then over the walna scar and back to ambleside. Would be 2 very long days. Would need to have a look at a map to really work out how long it would all take.

Suspect taylforth was taking the piss again.

Have been thinking about this for a while but never worked out a route fully. Could start ambleside and head over the bridleway to stonethwaite (bottom of borrrowdale) Then over Styhead to Wasdale head (Could also go over the Honister and via Ennerdale and Blacksail sp?? to Wasdale. Overnight stop.

From wasdale you could take the bridleway over to Eskdale (I have never done it so could be a mare) then take the bridalway from the bottom of the hardnott over to duddondale and then over the walna scar and back to ambleside. Would be 2 very long days. Would need to have a look at a map to really work out how long it would all take.

Heckler does ride well. Run mine with offset bushings and a 150mm float. Lower and slacker than before.

Could I suggest some sort of a blindfold if the sight of bikes upsets you. Tweed one might be a bit itchy though.

Yep Team Huntmore is out of date. There are thousands of miles of footpath in the lakes (and elsewhere) which should be free of bikes. Many of the higher peaks of the lakes are bridleway free. It really is worth getting up high on the bike as long as you know what you are doing (ie would do the same route on foot)

And with that young hart becomes a legend! Destroys the field at the worlds by 11.6 seconds. Still time for that massive whip. Real shouting at the telly stuff. Like the best of hill, gwin and c g on a flier. Hope freecaster is with us next year.

Oh and Ride On.

Consistently good for the last decade.

Orange!

Had a slight issue with a Blood outside warrenty. Couldn`t have been more helpful or speedy sorting it out. Even got a bit of a wander around orange towers. Suspect I will be owning one of those new patriot things at some point so I guess good customer service pays.

If you have a change of heart and decide to go for an air shock then I would go for a DHX air rather than an RP23. Never got on with mine before the change. If you are running anything shorter than a fox 36 on the front I would consider offset shock bushes. Run mine with Fox 32 float 150s with maximum offset to slacken things off a bit. Keeps the BB good and low too.

Not really sure what all the fuss is about. Dual ply worth having (at least on the back) but other than that as long as you don`t try to run skinny XC tyres you will be fine.

Terrain so variable out there. Gully Run in the wet Vs Swiss National in the dry would need totally different rubber were we all aiming for the top step of a world cup podium. Doubt that will be the case.

Whatever you choose you will probably have a self made semi-slick on the back by the end of the week so don`t worry too much. Some of my best ever days riding have been sliding about in the mud around Morzine. Have a good week.

Second vote for Alpe d` Huez. Trails are proper big mountain affairs and open other weeks than just for the Mega. Starting 3300m and descending to 800m is a blast and probably rather more fun if you take your time rather than breathing out of your arse/trying not to vomit for an hour.

Good looking DH tracks as well especially the one obove Oz. Main thing is the variety of trails from high and exposed to twisting through the trees.

Have only ever been Mega week but if you don`t fancy the race then still a top venue. Only problem is you might be back next year in July once you have seen how good the course is.

Would go with rubber mallet. If you dont like the idea of hitting the rim of the cups then three external bottom bracket spacers (those little plastic rings that you didnt use but never threw out) will sit on the bearing surface and give you a guilt free area to hit. They do keep jumping out but who can blame them.

Oddly was standing in the Orange factory on Monday looking at racks full of painted frames deciding which black to get my new front triangle sprayed. Disco black is dark and shiny. Pearl black is much ligher and has a (as the name suggests) pearly effect. Didn`t look at the other two.

Not sure where you are based but you could think about doing an uplift. Varies a bit from week to week but there are often loads of non DH riders at innerleithen. The amount of descent you get in a day can really bring on your skill level and confidence. Probably best to go with a couple of mates to get the most out of it.

Agree that MTFU is not really useful and testosterone is never really going to be the answer. IMO however there are lots of riders who easily have the skills and ability to do a move and can break it down and visualize all the sections. At some point a hand, that is not theirs, grabs the brakes on the run in. Think that in the right, well considered situation, you do just have to get on with it sometimes.

Just investigated the same to try to cut down on kit to carry in the mega. Got the genuine innovations one and it seems to work well. A 16g cartridge inflated a 2.5 minion to about the right pressure so no need for the bigger cartridges.

Like the red. Might go for it if i get my blood re-sprayed. I have a 60mm stem on mine which seems about right. Heading off to the Mega to race on it next week. Used it last year and although it is a bit heavy it is so stable it more tham makes up for it. Enjoy

Been a while since I did any physics but seem to remember that the gravitation attraction between 2 objects is proportional to each of there masses. These fat birds are just drawing us in like and tracter beam. Maybe it is the excuse needed to get a lighter bike to reduce their draw on us.

if you don`t like the munster looks of the five tens then think about the guide tennie approch shoe. Also be five ten and not quite as secure as the bike specific ones but very good. I use both.

Also had 2 sets of superstar pads drop the pad off the backing plate. It was in 2008 but as one of them caused truly arse twitching moment and, less bad than could have been, crash have not bothered since.

Not riden an anthem but the Mrs has a medium juliana (Superlight with a different sticker) with the 20mm rebas on. Weighs about 26 pounds without trying too hard. Have put in a lot of miles on it from XC to the Swiss National DH run. Simple, effective, reliable. Not changed the bearings in nearly 4 years and no play. Really rate it.

I’m using my husbands log in but here goes.

I mountain biked up until the day before I went into labour. We live near the lake district and continued to mtb on our favourite trails there then when I got massive we went to more trail centres as I could go round the red-black runs once then have a sit in the cafe while my husband went round for another loop.

We had to move the saddle forward, raise the stem and put some more air in the rear shock nearer the end. The shock has been tf tuned since. We managed to bottom out my husbands shock when he gave me a backie around my village.

I really love mtb and continuing kept me healthy and fit for labour. I had a very easy home birth.

I also kept walking and swimming.

Since my daughter has come the biking has tailed off (sadly) but the walking continues and the weight has come off a lot easier as I kept my fitness up in pregnancy. We have a tout terraine single trailer now so we can get the little one out with the bikes.

Mtb is part of who me and my husband are and something we hope are daughter will enjoy when she is older. It felt very natural to continue throughout pregnancy.

I mostly stopped doing drop offs when I was 6 months (the odd small one didn’t hurt) and would push down anything I thought I could possibly fall on. I did get lots of funny looks from people when I was out, nobody was rude to me (which I was worried about) and lots of men were very shocked when a heavily pregnant lady passed them on the downhill/uphill sections of trails.

It was the red at Llandegla that I rode the day before I went into labour. I know its an easy trail but it was no problem at 38+2 weeks pregnant.

Good luck and keep it up.

Do a bit of both. Dont agree that you lose it that quick in either though. Dont climb at all in the winter as I have never really felt the love for the wall. Much of climbing is a head game so if you stay reasonably fit it seems to come back pretty quick. Don`t get above leading E1 with the odd E2 with a following wind.

I think biking is much more dangerous but I guess that is a very personal view based on how I climb (or reasistically place gear) and how I ride. Both are in fact by far the best sport!!!!!!!! Err

dual ply minions all the way. nuff said.

Rather depends on what I am riding. Hardtail is about 70 degrees through to 224 at 64 with a spectrum in between. Horses for courses.

Have a set of TALAS on my hardtail from about 2003/4. Still about as smooth as when new and all the knobs and dials still do what they should. They do take a bit of looking after but it isn`t hard to do. I would make the investment if you can.

Orange Blood. Simple. Not as fast down as a 224, not nearly as fast up as my Ti hardtail but can go anywhere and I dont think Ill snap it. It just gets on and does the job.

Cheers Ambrose. That would be a right!

2.35 – 2.4 seems to fit the bill most of the time.