Oh joy. Looks like my current run of living in good places to ride (Sheffield – Surrey Hills – Bristol – Sheffield) might be coming to an end then…

I use wider rims than you, but I found I have to put a few wraps of electrical tap, a rim strip AND the tubeless strip (BMX inner in my case) on the rim and then use CO2 cartrides to get steel Maxxis to inflate.

A friend of mine uses neat washing up liquid and a track pump. He's a better man than me!

That's why I now use Specialized tyres…

It's where you were the first time, and it leads to – the 'footpath' of flagstone steps (not actually stepped though and definitely not called Jacob's Ladder.).

Turn L as the main track bends right. Follow the track towards the edge and then around to the right by the fence, parallel with the edge. It's probably hard to find if you don't know where it is, but as it gets closer to the edge, it gets more technical and then drops down around a wide left hand hairpin.

Four things I've realised in three solos with ok results:

1) Do everything you can to enjoy it. Make this your main aim and you'll not only have fun, but probably do quite well.

2) Make sure that when you stop, you're doing something useful (eating, fixing etc). If not, get up and get going.

3) Before you start, accept that you're going to feel awful from time to time. You'll feel like you're done, going really slowly and that everything hurts. Then you'll realise there are still 16 hours to go. Don't worry – you aren't done, your lap will be no slower than normal and the next one will be much better. The knowledge that you're going to feel this way helps you get through it!

4) I can't handle energy products AT ALL after the first 5 hours or so. But a combo of tea and jacobs cream crackers with honey and bananas works a treat!

EDIT – oh, and one more! The whole 'start slow and go slower' thing doesn't work for me. Start at a reasonable pace and try to keep it going. Make sure you never push it into the red (don't race team riders except on descents!) and it seems to work out fine! (I like to ride at least one section out of the saddle each lap as well, just to reassure myself that I can).

Cotswolds are doing helly hansen 'dry' top and bottom sets for £30. Think they've got the warmer ones cheap too.

Yeah, I'm using them. Well, I've got one on the front and a Purgatory on the back.

I got them because they're one of the only decent tyres you can get for £20 easily and they'll go up tubeless. On that note, I'm planning to keep using them because they're much easier to inflate than the High Rollers I used to use.

Compared to High Rollers, they're not QUITE as grippy, but pretty close. The sidewalls are thinner (I kept pinch-flatting (tubeless!) on my Prophet, but have no problems at the lower speeds I reach on my hardtail) – but they weigh less. They're nice and big and they've lasted well too.

Overall, I'm a fan. I'd rather use High Rollers or Minions, but these are a bit lighter (which is what I wanted for my hardtail) and I find them better for tubeless. Nice tyres.

Cotswolds

If the clubhouse is where I think it is, keep going down the hill towards Bakewell from it. A the T-junction, turn L and then park anywhere on the left.

There might also be a free carpark if you turn R at the T-junction, but I'm not positive. I always park on the road when I'm working in Bakewell.

If you're coming in from Hathersage/Sheffield, turn L on the road corner just before the bridge. Drive up the hill and park on the right. It's a five minute walk back down into the town.

EDIT – This is Station Road

A big fat sodding 2. Maybe a 4 tomorrow if I'm lucky. Fingers crossed.

And then there's an annoying (for me) off camber drifty left hand bend which I always spaz out on!

Go high and over the roots. (Assuming we're talking about the same bend.)

Oh yeah, and, to the OP, you'll be fine as a 28 year old on a 5 inch travel bike. (Speaking from experience.) The XC loop is fine on your own, as is the DH.

I miss my MX like I used to miss marmite when I was abroad riding it.

Yeah. No luck.

Er… yeah… 😳 Best ignore that bit!

Double post!

Might be the most over-hyped film ever made

its good but wouldnt go that far

Pah. Philistines.

Let's not forget No Country for Old Men. Might be one of the finest films ever made.

Need to keep the staff happy and motivated as a priority….opening until 8 every night and all day Sunday is not the way forward in that respect..

Nope, your priority is making money by selling things to customers. Assuming you want to stay open, of course.

Opening until 8 every night and all day Sunday can often be the way forward in that respect

It sounds like you'd be a great manager to work for as you're thinking about your staff. They'll realise and appreciate this. But they'll like you less if you cut their shifts/sack them/shut down due to low takings. Customers, not staff, come first.

Cotswold are doing top-and-bottom sets for £30. Seemed good to me.

A lot of stuff that was rideable last week (Houndkirk, redmires-stanage track) have huge drifts blowing over them now. Where people/ 4x4s have been out it's still ok – blackamoor was great yesterday).

It's melting slightly in sheffield at the mo – the temperature rose everywhere by a couple of degrees yesterday.

It'll still be there in the Peak at the weekend, and the wind is due to drop – if a few more people/walkers/cars get out and about it'll be good at the weekend I reckon.

I should be heading out to climb on Kinder tomorrow/wednesday – I'll let you know what it was like then.

Sorry, should have said – it's a pro II

Another vote for charge saddles.

I've done two 24 hour solos on my current one and not had to resort to two pairs of padded shorts (at the same time) in either race. That settles it for me.

If you want more convincing:

They#re probably just a rebaged cheapo generic saddle but they come in a nice range of colours, aren't particularly heavy (I think, not actually checked…), are ridiculously cheap (£20 – cheap enough to try without worrying if you're going to like it or not) and are, for me, very comfy.

Better than the flites I used to use, way better than the soggy mess SDG saddles turn into in the wet and much better than Spesh's BG stuff. Awesome.

In theory, don't do it. The boot is likely to be too flexible, meaning less security as it flexes more than the crampon and possibly moves inside it. You can fiddle about with a C1 crampon to help with this a bit, but – no offence – if you need to ask about this, you probably shouldn't do it.

The other problem is that the upper is probably too soft. The straps are likely to dig in to your foot which is a) uncomfortable and b)possibly leading to cold feet. As you may well need to do the straps up bastard-tight to hold the crampon on to the flexy boot, you'll exaggerate this even more.

Basically, you could bodge them on for short distances on easy terrain, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you were particularly experienced, in which case you probably wouldn't need to ask (again, sorry, not trying to offend!).

Try something like the spikes mentioned above, or a grivel Magic Spiker instead.

I don't I'm afraid. But it is in the VG book, named 'Stanage'. Didn't know it until now, but that's the exact loop we did. It's was all rideable today and absolutely brilliant. Fair bit of road I guess, but it's my local loop, so I don't care, and the roads are covered in snow, so they're pretty 'interesting'. We didn't drop down the plantation today (marked shortcut off stanage)as the causeway was looked great, although friends did and said it was brilliant. Certainly looked fine.

Hope that helps!

Stanage/Burbage/Blacka Moor absolutely spot on.

Looked much snowier over towards Hope – we were going to head that way but thought better of it. From what I've heard, it's not great, but I've not actually been per se. Like I say though – Stanage – brilliant!

Let's get it right then…

There's no 's' in PEAK!

How much do you want her to stay at your company?

Nice. Followed your youtube link and found this too.

I can also smear and use features on the walls as long as they aren't other coloured holds.

Only with your feet now!

I reckon the best set stuff is at the Climbing Works up here in Sheffield – aretes, volumes – everything's in for hands and feet. Much more interesting way of climbing.

It seems a bit silly to disallow palming and smearing really as one's just for balance and if you weren't allowed to smear you'd just have to drag your feet up the wall in places!

Have fun – it's a great 'sport'. Every bit as good as riding.

is that willy waving or a quote from somewhere else?

WTF? It's called 'giving an example'…

(And seeing as there are 9b routes around, I'd be waving a pretty small willy if I was…)

Woking/Guildford area? Trains very quick (better from Woking), great riding close by (better from Guildford). Guildford's a nicer town… Right by the motorway too.

Never lived anywhere else in the area, sorry.

is that hardest move thing french or english grades?

French grades give the overall difficulty of the route. So a 7a route could have twenty moves of moderate difficulty in a row, or be absolute piss for 90% of its length with the other 10% being really tricky.

English technical grades (the numbers) tell you the difficulty of the hardest move on the route. However, they don't tell you how many moves at that grade there are – you need to add the adjectival grade (ie. VS, HVS, E3 etc) to give an indication of that. However, as the adjectival grade also takes other factors found on outdoor climbs into account, they aren't really applicable, or often used, indoors. For that reason, English grades aren't really suitable for use indoors, even though some walls like the Castle insist on attempting to use them.

Basically – you're on the right track with So a 5b english on a slab wall with just the one hard move may be just a 6a french, but a 5b english on an overhanging route with nowhere to rest maybe a 6b or 6c french for example.

As for what you use, smearing an palming are always in. It would be ridiculous (and make a climb feel unnatural and odd) to suggest otherwise. For hands, as everyone else says, it's only coloured/tagged holds unless you're told otherwise. Feet generally use features and coloured holds – again unless told otherwise.

Cool! But be aware that some shops are funny about exchanging climbing gear (it's personal protective gear and all that. When I worked in one, officially we weren't allowed to change it – I would, (provided no-one above me was around) and I was happy it was unused), so get the size right!

For helmets, if you're buying without her and aren't sure of the right size (just check bike helmet size for a rough idea)look at something like a petzl ecrin rock – they're massively adjustable, albeit slightly weighty.

Have fun!

These are superb. My girlfriend got one this summer – elasticated webbing (greater reach between wires, less tangle) with the slack held in a pouch (not catching on anything like my petzl zyper). Absolutely brilliant. I've not seen anything better, although there are plenty of other options.

Harnesses – worth getting her to try a couple on. If it's only for via ferrata then you don't particularly need anything fancy. Maybe look at adjustable leg loops as via ferrata are the sort of thing you can happily do in all weathers. If she does a bit of trad climbing too then look for at least four gear loops (although you're looking at pretty specialist harnesses before you don't get this). The shop should help you out.

Helmets. I use a petzl elios, my friend swears by a black diamond half dome and lots of people I know use camp rock stars. And the new wild country stuff looks good. Again, get her to try some on. You want something with a hard shell for via ferrata as you're in big mountains and stuff could well be coming down from above.

Hope that helps.

Check out Andy Kirkpatrick's psychovertical[/url] site for some good advice on this sort of stuff.

Thought as much…

The only permenant fix for this problem is generally known as 'Rock Shox'….

Yeah, let's all replace our fox forks with something just as expensive that has worse damping and doesn't last any longer!

Cheers for all the suggestions

uplink – just about to contact them!

Sorry – should have clarified. I'm self-employed and skint and we have three phd students with us… Ideally, we're looking at under £20 a night.

Cheers for the suggestion. Not exactly cheap though!