It is worth remembering that the days are short and the distances often long (longer than you might think). In all probability you will be doing part of the route in the dark. Plan to do the dark bit in morning and get through any difficult ground/tricky navigation bits before it gets dark in the afternoon. Wandering around the Leanachan forest trying to find a parth back to the Gondola car park, to give a harmless example example, in the pitch black is not a good end to the day even with a headtorch.

Still got a Sub 5 that has been rebuilt and is still now regularly used.

From Shimano:

“The disc brake rotor requires the best balance between heat radiation, strength, weight and stability. Higher end rotors are constructed of two pieces; the stainless steel braking surface and the aluminum carrier. The use of two different materials allows for quicker heat radiation and a weight savings over one piece stainless steel rotors. The addition of holes in the rotor braking surface allows for greater heat radiation, weight savings, pad contact surface cooling and rotor stiffness.”

some great material geekery guys

And Martensitic steels have different thermal properties to the Austenitic steels which is beneficial for discs. Martensitic will tend to expand less and conduct better.

I read somewhere that higher end rotors have a stainless braking surface and aluminium carrier to make them lighter and conduct heat better.

QR skewers can sound like a BB creak. Undo & redo them, even if they’re already tight.

+1 took me about 2 weeks to find it on my 5, your description is very similar to the problem I had. Took out skewer bit of lube on the shaft and silence.

Have a read of this:

http://www.road-bike.co.uk/articles/cyclinguphills.php

When I started riding a roadie again about 4 years ago I got a compact with 27 on the back. Recently I put a SRAM Apex mech on the back and a 12/32 cassette for really steep hills.

You get better by riding more hills. I mix training up by riding up a long gentle hill trying to spin, then back down and do it again repeat several times. Also short steep sections in a gear too big to spin. For long hills the trick is to try and keep you heart rate down and breathe deeply. Forget speed and don’t attack the hill low down, keep for the top.

I’ve used combination’s of water/detergent, Muc off and Halfords equivalent on my carbon road porn for several years. No problems.

I only really get this problem when winching myself up a hill, the associated puffing and panting seems to induce fogging. Solution in this case is to increase air flow by moving glasses slightly down the hooter.

Have you still got at least one V brake on board?

You get a bonus point if the lever(s) come from circa 1995.

You have just taken the first step or two down a delightfully slippery slope.

As a slight aside, if one carried on west from the Beaclach Dubh along the side of Uisage Labhair it would give access to Loch Ossian and beyond. Is the section by the Labhair rideable or an unremitting few klicks worth of bog?

Ignore that question worked out what you’d done.

Oh and should have said excellent photos.

Good effort, looks like a right blast.

Did I spot of picture of The Boot Inn in Eskdale? Seems a bit of detour off the usual route.

I wouldn't assume that a full sus will automatically solve the problem if it caused by position and/or gear selection. I quite often get back pain when I ride for too long in too big a gear, doesn't matter what the bike is (Roadie, Hardtail or full Sus).

For example last week I did a ride off road with the kids on my hardtail, in order to ride with them I dropped to the lowest gear and spun up the hills. No pain. A couple of days later I did the same ride on my own with a full sus and on the same hills soon had back ache due to a higher gear.

carbon, cheers

cinnamon
Follow bway south from Broadstruther, passed spot height 356 at the Ford you tend south east. At spot height 377 head west towards Broadhope Hill, track turns 90 degrees to head south after 250m or so is the track (I think).

One other thing, any recommendations for local bike shops for those essential spares and repairs?

You seem to like it up there Stranga :-)

Thanks for that I'm pretty sure I've got it on the map now.

if you head from Wooler to Broadstruther then head to the valley you might stumble upon this descent

That looks really good. I've found Broadstruther on the map but can't quite decide which way that track goes. Is it generally East finishing on the road near Carey Burn Bridge or South then south east to finish on the road near a spot height mark of 216m?

To everyone else, thanks for the suggestions I feel a bout of OS map and exploring coming on.

Yup loads, Ingram Valley and Alwinton are the main places. There's 3 routes in the next issue of ST which should be out this week.

I knew there had to be something, any chance of a few Grid Refs for start locations so I can have a look at a map before the mag comes out. Cheers.

I took the rear wheel out of my Gringo of similar vintage and measured the distance between the drop outs. Internal dimension was 140mm, due to dodgy tape measure and eyes allow a tolerance on that of a couple of mm less.

You'll look even more stupid limping back to the car park if a hamstring pings :-)

Have you raised you saddle a bit? If I pull mine too high for a climb or road section I can feel it in 'strings.

See

http://www.tftunedshox.com/faq/tips.aspx

I'd call that running away. He's not much cop at running downhill either, needs to get his weight on his heels and lean back.

Always been fleetfor me, but I do like the Overdraft suggestion. It wouldn't really apply to my collection of mongrels but how about a Bling.

You need to know what day of the week it is so get a calendar

http://www.cyclepassion.com/

You should have asked if she would like to get her leg over….

…the bike, you could have admired both. :-)

But you might not want the volume full on!

Currently the hardtail because the kids keep taking the FS before I get to the garage. I am trying to work out a scam to get a new, steel, long fork HT but The Boss tends to scowl at the mention.

It is straightforward but note the following. After the first down switchbacks you turn left, cross the railway and main road then turn right along a forest road. The next section starts on the left.

It has been a while but from memory of riding with my twins in the back:

1) I didn't feel any different than if I was riding the same road on my own. Although I did perhaps have heightened hazard awareness.
2) Not really, often they would nod off. Once they had worked out how to escape the harness they would a) scoff the picnic b) try and push things in the back wheel. You get wise to this as you can feel them moving. Regular stops help.
3) Can't remember but one could easily do a 1/2 day
4) Generally no, the weight is low down. Hills require a low spinning gear. Stomping in a big gear induces a hinge effect.
5) Don't know
6) No

geetee1972 & Rickos, thanks sounds perfect we'll try and head down during playtime next week.

Any suggestions for a boozer or other place for an evening feed before heading home?

Cheers

geetee, that makes it sound very inviting, you said:

It’s the perfect beginners DH venue or the perfect, ‘messing about in the woods with mates in a chilled fun atmosphere

Does that mean that (in general) people are not going to get the hump with someone trying to introduce their 13 year old son to the fun? Not a complete beginner having been round places like Whinlatter & Nant y Arian without too many problems, if a little slow. Also from what is said on this thread I assume a combination of a Orange sub 5 and Rockhopper would be ok, we tend to swap bikes (I'am short arse, he has long legs).

Cheers

The problem is the Nags are paranoid and think we are out to get them, see:

http://www.pushbikes.org.uk/advice/horses.html

It was only a yard or two from several tons of burger-with-hoof convinced that I was the source of the next meal.

You would have been OK, post BSE they have gone back to be veggie.

They make me distinctly nervous and I prefer to give 'em a wide berth if possible. In the situation you describe I'd have been in behind a tree/bush long before they got close.

When riding on the Dark Side and approach nags from behind I do sometimes rather enjoy the view of the other backside astride the beast :-)

Orange certainly used to have a guide to this for their bikes on the website.

They still do under the geometry section, gives max, min and optimum travel.

As I ride a motorbike most days I find it hard not to nod or wave to them when riding a roadie or mountain bike! Equally I tend to forget when riding the motorbike and wave or nod to cyclists many seem quite puzzled!

All your old bikes look so bling, here is mine its a bit more ming!!

No bling here, not much ming either but definitely mongrel.