Bit muddy on the diversions and usual suspects as far as puddles concerned other than that all was good.

Another vote for the Jazz, better half is on her second. It is blue and that is not where similarities with a tardis end. Brilliant for putting bikes in, fold up rear “cinema” seats, doors open to 90 degrees, wheels off bike, in it goes. All off about 30 seconds.

Reasonably comfortable and frugal on a long run just don’t expect to be ragging around in it.

Three lots of pedals here:

1) Vaults – lovely wide platform, nicely shaped with more pins than the hedgehog. Feet stick like the proverbial. Very nice to look at.
2) Nukeproof Electron – wide platform, for a plastic pedal they seem remarkably durable, not many pins but do the job well enough. Bright yellow may have been an error of judgement.
3) Hope – smaller platform than the other two which takes a bit of getting used to. Initially pins don’t seem as grippy. Combine those two facts and they seem odd. However, get used to them and for the most part there isn’t much difference. Arguably nicer to look at than the Vaults.

My “desert island” choice would be Vaults.

There is a green and blue route, see here for map:

http://www.chasetrails.co.uk/maps/

Easy to shorten it back to the car park.

Just spoken to the manager and explained the problems. He says it will be sorted as a priority if I take the bikes back in. As to an explanation he is going to look into it but suspects the only answer is “stupidity”.

Busy season it is, which is why I took the bikes in last weekend was clear there was no rush but would like them back for this weekend to ride. I know the headset job was completed Tuesday because they called to tell me. Fork fitting on the other bike followed and was completed yesterday.

DIY is the default setting, it went in this time because of the new headset and matching everything up to allow the fork swap. Not having done that I thought it would be easier and probably quicker for them to do it “properly”.

As I said, calm is the way forward but I does now look like I won’t be able to ride that bike this weekend as I probably can’t get to the shop till tomorrow morning. Double annoyance.

I anticipate it to be sorted without a great fuss, shouting, or swearing. I would also like some sort of explanation for what is a complete cock up. If they had ridden either bike for 50m they would have found the problem.

Not Evans or any other of the big chains.

I am a regular customer, both bikes were originally bought from them. What I find astonishing is the catalogue of cock ups on this job, none of which should be a challenge to get right.

I paid a considerable sum of real money.

I will remain calm while making my displeasure quite clear.

Issue 88, page 20.

Endura clickfast work for me and the BFe, don’t bother with the click thing.

Not done Dollywagon descent but up Keppel and down Sticks is a terrific route.

Too late to edit but that should have been Knox not know, DOH.

Know stuff do the job here. On longer rides they will slip down a little but are easy enough to pull back up and retighten (gives me an excuse for a few seconds rest at the top of a climb).

Where’s the link to the one where one guy turns up with an inadequate bike?

Blower and the Hardrock

Thanks for that always provides a bit of inspiration to get out there and be one of the “oldest child’s”.

Big place Scotland, care to narrow it down a bit?

Had a quick rummage this evening. Should pass a couple of decent length train journeys. No problem with the van article, carting bikes and bodies about the place is part of riding. Might be in the market for new chainset soon, so that review is timely and some potentially interesting main articles.

+1 on the Editorial and International travel which seems to have been a bit overdone of late.

Another vote for Car Gwyn,remember pay a couple of quid and they give you aloft to the pub return is gratis by the landlord.

Was there yesterday, despite the rain it was good value. First bit of Lawsons Park descent was a bit muddy but the rest of it a hoot, if a bit damp.

There was a closure that included the Black Push Up, The Black and The Riverbed routes.

Sticks Pass last February

Chapel House Farm at Rosthwaite in Borrowdale. Lovely setting a bit basic but has what you need.

Conveniently located for “The Bash” and access to the high fells. Walking distance to a couple of pubs and guaranteed early morning call, they collect the rent about 8 am.

This one is a bit out of town but good:

http://www.bunroy.co.uk/

I have DMR Vaults on one bike and F20 on another. The main difference for me is that the Vaults offer a wider platform rather than grip from pins. I happily ride with either but if I could only keep one pair it would be the Vaults.

Not directly related to the original questions but I have bottoming out problems with the DRCV shock on a 2011 Trek Remedy. Contacted Trek about it and one option they suggested was quote:

Alternatively you can let all the air from the shock, unscrew the DRCV air chamber and put a large dab of grease in there to reduce the air volume.

I haven’t tried this yet was wondering if anyone has?

My BFe is set up with a 140mm Fox Float. It is fine although not the stiffest.

My son has also has a BFe with a Dual position Revelation (130/150mm I think) and that is also fine. The Rev is stiffer.

If I was to change either fork it would be for 34mm diameter than a different length although the two tend to go together. Think X Fusion Slant or Pike.

I have a green one coloured matched to the BFe.

Have had for about 6 weeks and ridden a good few hours on it several times. Best thing I can say about it is, I don’t notice it is there.

Cannock is fine there is not much wrong with the main trails and there is plenty of scope for some off piste. Biggest “problem” last weekend was large puddles in places.

I doubt I’d drive 150 miles to only go there. With a week off you could stop there on the way to or from some other venue like North Wales, The Peak or The Lakes.

Where it likes to be:

The key question is what paw size is the dog, clearly quicker than the bike.

Saturday out the tent and on the bikes before 9. Pleasant pedal up Langstrath Valley in glorious weather with the whole valley to ourselves. Pushed up to the top of Stake Pass then round to Angle Tarn with no one in sight and the ground surprisingly dry. At the Tarn we got tangled up with about 400 fell runners who kept us company on the push up to Esk Hause.

Lunch and fine views at the shelter and the fun began. Long rocky descent to Sty Head (rode most of it bar the odd step). Push through the boulder field after the tarn and then the long, rocky and now steep descent down to Stockley Bridge. Right good value. Up the road to Seatoller and onto the “Bash” bridleway for more rocky goodness down to Grange. Back to tent at Rosthwaite on the road with an excursion to the Bowderstone. Packed up the tent and drove home for 10 pm. Excellent day out.

2013 BFe small sub 28 pounds.

Fox float 140
Hope pro 2 with ZTR FLow Ex and Hans Dampf tyres
Hope X2 brakes
Hope 50mm stem, Nukeproof bars and ODI lock on grips
SlX shifters 2*9 and Hope Bash
Nukeproof seatpost and Charge Scoop perch
Hope BB
DMR Vault pedals

Cotic BFe here, age 53 (me, not the bike), not particularly big on jumps but everything else from playing in the woods to Antur via Lakeland rock descents is fair game.

I’d go for SRAM.

bb, have you got Fox 32 Float Supa Noodle forks?

Hope Evo brakes on one bike love ’em. Mix of Shimano Deore and SLX on other bikes, love them too. Prefer the feel of Hope but that might be because I ride that bike more than the others. To be honest as long as they done have Avid written on them I don’t really mind.

Are these still 203mm rotors only or have the 180mm compatible landed on our shores yet?

Freeriders are fine for walking round in and for uphill pushing/portage especially on rockier stuff.

I do ride in mine and it is not a problem for riding. However, there are a couple of things to consider:

1) I struggle with trail side fettling when when wearing them and having to fiddle with small bits. I really need the reading specs for that. Minor problem.
2) Your lenses, like mine, are probably an expensive bit of kit so be careful wiping grit and crap off them on the go, resisting the temptation can be hard. It is for this reason ride in a pair of distance reactolite sunglasses just in case.

It took me about a week or so to get used to mine in the office, but worth the hassle in the long run. The only minor problem I now sometimes have is occasional artifacts in the transition from oncoming headlights when driving at night.

You should let all the air out via the valve on top of the leg before undoing that big nut.