I don’t know if they are tough but I haven’t had any punctures yet with the Smart Sams yet on the South Downs and have now bought 3 different sizes so impressed with them. Roll really well on rode too. Think they do a puncture proof version? Cheap on Next Day tyres.

I’ve found the Avid Shorty 6 really good as well. After trying to get some new ones for ages and having to live with short on the front and Tektro 720 on the back, pleased to have found them at On One for £20!

Hey Scotroutes what’s your bike? Sounds nice.

Was a bit sketchy last night over wet roots, fun none the less.
On 29er Nobby Nic front and Ignitor rear.

Well done gribble! It was gusty up there yesterday!

I don’t know if you were in the group I met at Devils Dyke a couple of years ago and rode with part of the way before peeling off back to Lewes in what were disgusting conditions!

Planning to ride the SDW in a couple of weeks. Out of interest how many hours riding did it take you and what was the accommodation at Truleigh like?

Thanks.

Thanks for the info Rewski. Have ridden the Downslink to Guildford and it was possibly the most boring ride ever despite 2 punctures and one shredded tyre.

I know that path by the school, my folks live by it! Weird or what.

Rewski is NDW rideable all the way to North Downs Link?
Folks live in Caterham and I live in Lewes so been thinking about this for a while.
Thanks

Yes was just having this conversation with my mate who did some work on my Peregrine. If the ATR had an EBB and slightly wider (yes wider) tyre clearance I think I’d sell some bikes to fund one in a shot! Looks beautiful.

I only ever rode a cross bike and road bikes so for me a 29er felt natural and I can swop wheels between bikes. Apart from that I don’t care. Wouldn’t mind trying a 26er though just to be a bit niche.

Thanks for the advice, will give it a go.

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Mud One[/url] by Birdage[/url], on Flickr

Ergh….

Surly Cross Check is comfortable, good for commuting and gives you lots of options.
Been looking for something steel and more road orientated that isn’t too bling and haven’t found it yet.

Just ditched my front and got 39/11-32 which is a bit of a struggle on some of the hills but generally feels great. Thinking of bodging a 11-36 on the back and maybe losing a couple of teeth on the front.

Thanks for the feedback btw. Some good stuff there.

Like the look of this one

http://www.lock-7.com/

and someone was telling me about Skinny Erics in Hackney that sounds good.

If it happens I’ll post here first!

I’ve got road and mountain ones and have been messing about with them for a while. Found this good for both http://howtosetuptheavidbb7.weebly.com/how-to-set-up-the-avid-bb7.html

There’s also a Volagi you tube vid that’s ok.

They do take a while to bed in (longer than you think) and definitely need new cables. I think the MTN ones are better than the Road on balance.

Don’t think they are that much better than my avid cantis but and a big but, they do still work in conditions where the cantis would have been rendered useless long before.

Doing the bit between Lewes and Petersfield on Saturday and hoping for a light breeze in my favour. Will let you know if there’s anything worth worrying about!

Definitely spend much less time cleaning a very muddy SS than a less muddy geared bike cause I don’t have to worry about those nasty derailleurs and cassette. Find it more important to have a sparkly chain on the SS cause a dirty chain slows me down. It’s the disc brakes I find a pain. Always seem to be hiding a bit of grit or clay. Singlespeed is much more fun in the mud!

32:18, sometimes feel the need of a 19 in the mud and then forget to change it. Probably try a 34 upfront when the chain ring dies.

Singular for touring and mud, now in 1×9 guise

[/url]
IMG_3409[/url] by Birdage[/url], on Flickr

Surly CC for everyday riding and country lane jaunts. Dreaming of something more road-orinetated in nicer steel like the Enigma! Have thought of the Casseroll but not sure it’s that different to the Cross Check.

[/url]
Surly SS[/url] by Birdage[/url], on Flickr

Great, that’s swung it. Mech’s coming off now!

Thanks. Had it in middle ring for a few weeks now and it’s all been fine but think I’ll load up some panniers and see how some hilly miles feel.

I always feel like the gears are partly terrain and partly legs, different hills and even hoofed-up bridleway demand physical responses from my legs. Makes me feel very connected and yes quite zen.

Went out with gears the other night and kept on fixating on the trivial things, noises, wrong gear selection etc. Zen was the last thing on my mind.

Just remembered this one………..genius

I have this combo and think it really is about making sure that the tyre sidewalls sit completely in the wheel well. Had the same problem with Racing Ralphs on Crests but since I’ve made sure verything sits in the well, no problem.

There’s a youtube vid of road BB7s being fitted to a Volgai that I found useful.

Feel happy and lucky at 4.

Monstercross does the faster rough stuff and doubles up as tourer and almost road bike
SS hardtail keeps me riding through the mud and cold
SS Cross Check does the everyday and shorter road loops.
Folder does some touring and train hopping

All but the folder get used throughout the week. If they didn’t they’d have to leave the house. Hanker after something a bit faster and lighter titanium or steel SS to replace the Cross Check but haven’t seen what I could afford yet. I’d probably worry about locking it up places anyway.

Yep we just lost one, Future Cycles in Lewes with the sister branch in Forest Row also closing. Suddenly with no warning on Valentines Day!! Presume they went into liquidation but no explanation.

Real shame cause they were nice people, genuinely passionate about bikes and up for being involved in community cycling initiatives.

The other LBS we have, whilst good in its own way seems to be mostly Bontrager and Trek. Which is fine if that floats your boat and it is what some people want. I couldn’t argue with them about singlespeed versus fixie though!

Better sleeping bag? I have a frontier stove but wouldn’t use it in my nylon tipi.

Bad Company and Halo Jones from 2000AD or Zenith? Loved the early Zenith stories.

Agree with the Dark Knight Returns comment. They kind of got elements of Batman Year 1 in Batman Begins so go to the end of his career. Or The Killing Joke?

There was a Marvel (I think) title called Haywire about an out of control robot which I have fond memories of?

Just got back on my Peregrine after slogging through deep mud along the banks of the River Ouse and then zipping through the country lanes when I got sick of it. It is a mud muncher and a tarmac blaster. Fun belt or chain and a good way to enjoy a sneaky day off work!

Have fitted SKS raceblades which kind of worked but possibly not for anything wider than 32mm. Off-road I’ve just found Crud guards or similar less faffy for my cross bike.

Tricross. Had a non-disc version and was excellent.

The road?

Here’s another vid from the same rider

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbvbroRQgks NSFW etc (swearing content)

Nuff said

Fascinating!

Gets annoyed cause he can’t open the package with one hand and utters the immortal line ‘for anyone with an aversion to pure water’!

I’ve had 35mm with full guards no problem and rigged some odd looking half-wrap guards for 1.75s.
Weirdly seems lighter fully-loaded and handled really well. Discs were a bit of a pain with panniers but definately a bonus performance-wise.

The Swift is for when it gets really muddy. So you got the Jones then Tim, good build. Will it make it out the garden?
Bordeaux was St Malo down. Great ride and some traffic-free parts. Was under a bit of pressure and did it in a week. Would definitely take longer next time.
Jameso is that 2 Jones? Very nice!

Making sure you get sidewalls in the well of the rim one side at a time helps. soapy water if really tricky and a long metal lever.

I like my CX bike cause I can have a roll-up while waiting for my mountain biking friends to catch-up, mind you it’s a bit monster, now there’s an idea for an article?

2.25 Nobby on crest rims on the front and Muddy X on the back which seems good enough for South Downs slop.