Is it a shimano chain and if so when you split it do you put it back together with a new pin? If not that’s your problem!

Get a quick link in it

Hopefully the weather will settle down some soon. Don’t actually think they have had much summer yet there, next week looks a lot better here!

It was 35 degrees when we got there last year!

Hi Neil, The google map is what i have gpx files for so probably not much use, however i have a load of trails marked on the paper map below 1600 and 1800. You will be able to get to 1800 fine, just turn right off the lift and follow the well trodden path into 1800 and then basically just take any path down you see. All the trails there will take you to the river and then its just a few mins to the fenicular.

There is some interesting hidden trails off White 8 (which doesnt exist) but its a trail off black 8 that goes silly steep in places. You will see it to the right of you if you do black 8. You can go under the hydro pipe (second bit of pipe you see, not the first obvious looking path under the pipe, keep going till you come to it again) Its pretty shady in places with berms made out of branches actually leaving the hill side and shady jumps and drops but fun. Also lovely trail if you carry straight on the path that leads you to the north shore stuff.

Awesome achievement James. Mike had a lot more experience but you did amazing for a rookie and such a different race with the others so that must have added a whole different dimension for you than just being out on your own!

someone has obviously taken offence at him doing more miles than they have! Im sure strava will actually review that one in person!

150,000 calories in 14 days!

A clue is in the time since posted

Jay Petervary, You just lost your KOM on the Tour Divide Segment to Mike Hall!

Better get back out and try harder!

Male it look secondhand and don’t carry receipts, think SC Warranties are universal no?

For stuff around home and something to hang on the wall, the os site does maps centred on your home location for £17

If not then call bob at goldtec BETD and he will no doubt machine one up provided you can supply a template for him to produce them from

I can’t be bothered to read it all but I believe he bought a wheel building machine but left the loctite on the shelf in the shop.

Mine were the same, front ok, rear csme loose and has since been tensioned again, not great but for me not the end of the world as I spent time when I was a child learning to true wheels so it was a 5 min fix.

I put it down to them being machine built and no loctite! I’d happily pay £220+ for the skf or fag bearing upgrade too, but hey the hubs are free at that price so can’t complain too much and it hasn’t cracked yet like my DT240 did!

Mike got kicked off the road in Croatia on the RTW by th police due to the wind threatening to blow him off the cliff edge but still cracked on, then mastered sleep riding on the nullabor, you think a road closure will put him off!

The man has beer and Yorkshire tea on his mind, not much going to slow him down now!

Also, did you hear he is riding to the airport after, Austin I think but may be mistaken. Anyhow, not just a quick ride to the shops!

People wonder why the peaks eats new pads when they put new ones in mid wet ride and they are gone by the end of the ride

Mike hall baked his in the oven prior to winning the puffer, only changed them once in comparison to 6+ times for competitors!

You need to know that by heading further south in the alps the weather and riding is far better than in the PDS!

Seriously consider your options, with 1 week to go and still snow at 1700m its either going to be a mare to get any where, or you pray it goes in which case you need mega rain!

Take your winter riding kit and a lot of optimism

Kees toe clips

They help keep your feet in place and aid pedalling in circles!

A bit like stabilisers. Why not just leave work shoes at work and wear spd’s?

A new presenter…..

It’s all down to postcode!

Look at This and see what your postcode falls under, then replace with a postcode in cat A and see what prices you get! This is playing a big part in where we will move to as moving from current F* to A will save us over £100/month on two cars which is a lot more mortgage!

I thought he said he had exhausted his quota of big racing days so to speak

When mike set off he was allowed reasonable time in ports to transit where the clock was stopped. Afterwards it was changed to include transit times and someone else did it a day quicker later in the year, supported! That was the other bug bearer, they wouldn’t differentiate supported and in supported!

Either way you look at it his time of 106 days or 92 riding shat all over the other guys time of 105 days supported. I think the next closest unsupported time is about 150 days. So he is the people’s champion if nothing else!

This is also useful to keep abreast of discussion

Mike has blown stapler apart, broken man, came to win and couldn’t, he must have gave his all!

Really stoked for mike, this race is really what he needs after the highs and lows of last years RTW and Guinness messing him about with the rules.

I liked Cjell’s description of mike at the golden spoke as being like a scared bunny too! I suspect he was just apprehensive to get going again after hanging around a while for C$ to get there!

I had a specialized road tyre delaminate when doing close to 50 down from windy hill by the side of the M62, rubbed on the forks every time it passed, took me a min or two to figure out what the hell had happened

We had a knee pad off last summer and the results were

Nuke proof, just too big and bulky
661 ks’s slide down all the time
O’neal dirt pads, simply great, stay put all day and comfy!

Try calling surosa in Oldham, preferably deal with the woman as the bloke can be a right miserable …. But she is nice and was well good on her day!

Probably got strava on!

Sounds like a plan, however there is a lidl for bargainous beers!

We are, hopefully in the back corner by the gate to the forest track to the fenicular

pymwymis – Member
By my reckoning, Mike set off from mile 1190 where he kipped the night before and finished his day at around mile 1490 – chuffin’ 300 mile day.

Gooo ooooonnnnn my sannnnn !

He is nails !!

@bland 300 mile days – really?

I know Mike is capable of 200 mile days which he did on his round the world record but 300 miles off road is simply mental.

Obviously Mike’s first stab at the TDR resulted in him picking up an injury, plus his recent blog on facing his demons makes me wonder whether he’ll push hard until some way after the half way mark.

Who knows. To my mind he’s definitely the favourite.

Dont like to say i told you so……….

Lets just say the scenery is an added bonus!

Mike clearly wanted distance an his good night sleep the night before was clearly in preparation for a long old stint to put in some distance between the two!

I always remember mike asking if I fancied joining him and TT on a 24 hour ride, basically see how far you get. Where you planning, Leeds, Scarborough, Blackpool way, into dales and drop back down to Leeds

Yeah I’ll pass at but have a good one

Ha ha! You should see the stuff we hide from southerners!

You would cry!

I prefer to sell them on eBay whenever a deal on new ones comes about, made £30 swapping the 2 year old 32’s for new rev’s

Neil is with me Doug so maybe come find us in the campsite on sat night, bring some hand grenades with 1664 wrote on them and all will be good! See you in a month!

I’ll drop you an email closer to the time

Or a broom shank, fits the stem better

Not a bad cv beckoning for mike at all, add in a strathpuffer solo win and bike design and its shaping up for him

It will sell for more than you think non ebay. I always thought stw had a big draw but compared to eBay it’s a pee in the ocean. Just stick it on and be surprised!

Try outside maps

Mike seems better, had a message to say he has some meds and flew up lava mtn so clearly feeling better, sure he has a game plan now. Stapler won’t be happy if he realises he is bearing down on him. However I read he doesn’t use electronic devices, doesn’t even have a phone with him so not sure how he checks on progress?

It’ll prob still be cleaner than the average travel lodge room, I seriously wouldn’t bother, just take a brush to brush the thick off

Craig had about 4 hours off the bike in Helena, Mike had an earlier finish and started 45 mins later than Craig, mike had 6 hours rest all told.

Craig is pushing some pace, mike reported dome breathing difficulty though over the last two days and quote

called it early last night to get proper rest, still can’t breathe right but seem to be minimising the damage

He is about 60 miles back now, nothing an all nighter wont fix. Maybe Mike is pacing himself for an attack once craig tires himself out. Only Mike knows his actual pace and condition but i suspect we may see an overnight position change in a couple of days!

I have peaty grips with superstar lockrings on one side and ODI lock rings on the other so they must do, just push them hard

Hang on are peaty grips Lizard Skin, oh god knows!

Why not just buy the equivalent normal fox forks and swap the stanchions, will take 5 mins, then sell on the originals with short steerer!