Just found a direct mount SRAM steel 28 tooth chainring on t’interwebs so have gone with that! Figure I can always up it later on as fitness comes back if I want – but I tend to be a winch and plummet kinda rider anyway.

I have mass on my side!

Cheers folks!

Just popped down to take a look – 2017 GX uses direct mount chainrings, not spiders… this should make life easier 🙂

Hmmm – so if I go 30T I don’t need to mess with the chain… I may give that a go then!

Still tempted by 28 mind 😉

I am just trying to work out if the GX cranks will take a direct mount chainring! The websites are about as clear as mud… and I can’t quite be bothered to remove the crankset at the moment to have a look!!!

SRAM GX cranks.

The 32 feels a good couple (or so) cogs in on the old bike! The tyres may account for some of the extra drag (Magic Mary/Hans Damph as opposed to Nobby Nic mk1), and the brakes may not quite be as well aligned as yet.

I could just stick with the 32 and see how I get on? I was chatting to someone that has gone to a 28 t’other day which is what got me thinking!

I went to flats after many years clipless to, was the best thing I did when I moved sooth to the Lakes. Riding on my own clipped in – and usually at very quiet times on the trails – I was finding The Fear seeping in on anything technical. My ability to ride went out the window and I started mincing or walking bits that really weren’t that hard.

Switched to flats and everything was good in the world again 🙂

I have quite a few of those things… but I work manually most of the time, and in person poo.

Does the latter counter the list???

😉

When my Jura dies I am so having a Sage… the Oracle is in my sights, just depends if I can justify it when the time comes (or it is on interest free like the bike!)

I was one of the recipients of the charity bit – went to one of the >£10k/term (todays prices) schools for nowt 😉

But I do agree with you, I went as my local comprehensive was utterly crap at the time. My brother was getting bullied there so he went on a scholarship and my parents let me have a go a couple of years later to see if I could get in on one too. They didn’t think I could… but I surprised them.

Whether there is really a place for private schools is another question, and whether they should have charitable status. For me it was difficult as all my friends were considerably more wealthy, I was the poor kid! It has furnished me with a slightly different outlook on life, it made me hugely independent, rubbish at talking about feelings and emotions, gave me the idea that I could do anything and probably opened my eyes to different possibilities than a state school would have.

The crux is – would I send my children to a private school?

No.

Being at the poor end of the spectrum at a place like that is no fun, it is damn hard. The charitable status is only granted because they provide kids like me with a free education paid for out of the money generated by the stupidly expensive fees. I would much rather see additional money pumped into the state schools and a much broader range of social backgrounds mixing, than have an elitist subset that think they are somehow entitled to more than everyone else mainly as they never have to mix with the lower strata of society.

Fantastic trip!

I would love to to something like that – but commitments! Envious and impressed in equal measure – what an adventure 🙂

Best I managed to do was ride my 1200cc motorbike from Cumbria to Shetland this year, and that was bad enough through the torrential storm that decided to hit on the way up!

I never really had any problem with tubeless back in the day! That was proper UST rims and tyres too!

Then again, I was very probably just lucky – I recall the threads on here at the time of tubeless disasters most days 😉

I just had a look on Memory Map… off with a knackered back so trying to entertain myself with plans for all the riding I can since we moved house….

15 mile circuit taking in Parkamoor from the door… that will do nicely 😉

To be honest though, before we moved almost all my riding necessitated some car time, which didn’t entirely bother me. There were local trail “bits” around the old place, but not enough to really bother with. I never really resented the time spent driving to somewhere better (it could be as little as 15 minutes) but it annoyed me I hadn’t checked out whether there were any local trails before I moved!

We only moved 10 minutes away, which puts us in range of some pretty good trails – but I will still keep the bike in the back of the van for playing elsewhere 😉

Tubeless was definitely around in 2008, I went that way in 2005 when I got the Yeti 575 with coil pikes.

Things have changed massively since then… to be honest I think they have changed a fair bit since I switched from the Yeti to the Whyte T129 which taught me 29″ wheels were actually a great idea. To me, last year and this year (2017 model year) have been a really big shift in mainstream bike makers, with slacker geometries/wider bars/shorter stems etc all shifting to the norm.

I always think these things are cyclic. There is a pretty big change, then everything settles down to little shifts for a bit before another big change comes along a few years later.

Depends entirely on the situation – I live just off the outfall from Coniston Water, in a village that floods. My house has a stream running down the side of it, which goes through a culvert and into the river, I think we are on the flood risk map too.

Usually this would put me right off a house, but the way ours is converted mean that the ground floor is essentially a basement (there is a spare bedroom down there, but nothing too critical).

Whilst the house purchase was working it’s way through we had some heavy weather and flooding in the area. Every day I drove past, checked out the stream and how much more capacity there looked to be through the culvert and figured that if it ever got bad enough to flood into the house we would have much bigger things to worry about!

So all is good!

Check out the house position, relative flood risks that you can determine and whether the risk is satisfactory to you – the flood maps are a good basis, and will have an implication on your insurance premiums, so weigh it all up and come to an informed decision 🙂

I have the Fuel EX8 sitting downstairs right now… not that I can ride it until my torn back muscles rebuild themselves – so it is brand new and unmuddied at the moment. From my brief tests and just looking at it… capable is the word that springs to mind! I was torn between the aluminium 8 and carbon 9.8 (which is so sexy it hurts) but went with good old aluminium in the end for a mix of cost savings and perceived abuse proofness (my bike tends to live on the back seat of the van!)

Just uprating a few bits on it today whilst I am healing… pair of 29″ wheels should be sorted later today, Hope Tech3 E4 brakes going on and rotors upping from 180/160 to 200/180 🙂 It is going to be fun!!!!

But just look at the 9.8…..

Tres sexy no?

Damn, missed that!

Then again… I did get a good price on the Hopes 😉

I would have thought the LowePro Photosport 200 or 300, depending on how much you want to carry. I keep looking at them myself!

Although a smaller system is not a bad suggestion either! I have moved to micro 4/3 for taking on the bike and hills most of the time, the full frame is for planned photo sessions!

I would think 19.5″ would be right – I am 6’2″ and run the 21.5 on the bouncy Trek and 19.5″ on my old 29er Stache. I went bigger on the new one just to give a bit more length to be honest!

Depends where your height is, and how you like to ride! You would probably be okay on either!

I could see that Hob Nob – the Whyte T129 felt a much bigger bike than the 120mm travel would have you believe.

Can’t wait to get the new Fuel EX out on the trails… damn knackered back! 130 rear 140 front should be perfect for pretty much everything I will need.

I would say lessons.

Guitar wise – probably best to go to a GOOD local guitar shop and see what fits them comfortably. 1/2 size is probably going to be the one though.

I switched to auto this year having been a long time hater. Injury forced the change though, I couldn’t operate a heavy clutch anymore!

I love it.

Merc 7 speed auto in the vito – does everything just so nicely. I has a manual mode, but I rarely use it. Sometimes chip it down in advance of an overtake, but otherwise leave it to do it’s thing.

My next car will very probably also be auto.

I was seriously tempted, but discussions pushed me towards the Fuel EX instead – the Slash was just going to be WAAAAY too much bike for what I need! Plus I ride on my own a lot, the idea of going as fast as that bike would encourage – and having a “moment” would be terrifying 😉

It does look seriously sexy though!

Frame is a 21,5″

Just going with Hope Tech4 Enduros for the other wheels – I specced up alternatives but the cost was getting silly, and funds are tight as it is!

Plastic thing – something they put on bikes in stores, and which I usually end up removing at some stage (though it may take a while before inclination catches up with me!)

Interestingly… flipchip is in high at the moment – the folks I have spoken too tend to leave it there too (Lakes based). I will probably have a try both ways and see what I think!

We discussed tyres and the conclusion was that these were “summer” rubber only. Perhaps the odd frosty day too. I was toying with ordering some Minions form the continent in chubby size, but they are scary expensive at the moment!

I think they alluded to that in the article Scotroutes, the difference between more comparable tyres became less of an issue.

The Fuel EX was designed to work with either wheelsize (as have a few other frames now) so I don’t really think it is such an issue. My 29″ wheels should arrive in the next day or two with some Hans Damphs/Magic Marys on it is going to be interesting to see what the difference in ride is!

I am more concerned about threading the braided hope hoses through the frame than the difference in BB height to be honest!

I don’t think it’s ever going to be mainstream, but since you can design a bike that runs on either 29″ or 27.5″+ why not provide the option 😉

I used to love Conti Diesels, think they were somewhere around a 2.5 weren’t they?

(I may also shrink the front chainring to a 30 or 28… going to see how I get on with the stock 32 first though!)

Bikeradar had an article up last week saying plus size tyres were pointless and going to disappear before they had started.

Today it seems to have vanished!

Something to do with 2.5″ 27.5 tyres being better… or something.

Have some 29er wheels coming for this anyway with some more aggressive treads for winter! Brakes are upgrading to Hope Tech 3 E4s with 200/180 rotors too. Think that is all I intend for the time being!

Can’t wait to get it out on the trails, just got to get my back a little more healed up first!

Yep – EX8, I couldn’t justify carbon!

The leaves need beyond raking!

lol – slightly portly bike 😉 Kinda suits me!!!!

I backed away from uber flash for something a bit more workmanlike (and that I can abuse without worrying too much!)

I was looking at that Smuggler in Wheelbase too, just a week or so earlier. Very nice it is too…

I went for something else mind!

I love 29er wheels around the Lakes though, regardless of your size they just roll over stuff so much better.

Worst midges I have ever encountered were at St John’s Head! The Orkney ones are bloody ferocious too, but they have very limited time to get out and feast!!!!

I would personally go May – June. Best weather of the year around then (usually)! The midges won’t be out either, they tend to start making an appearance late June into July.

Got to take the family up there soon, my boys are 4 and 5 and haven’t been home yet 🙁 Alas they are now at school so we either go Easter or brave the midges – although with a bit of a breeze they aren’t that much of a problem 😉

footflaps – if that offer is open to anyone I wouldn’t mind taking you up on it. Other camera is a Nikon and I am kinda curious about playing with one!

Actually… that makes a lot of sense scotroutes. Miss out all the dull bits of driving 🙂

Oh – and get some Dark Island Reserve from Orkney Brewery, elixr of the Gods, and if you like port go to the Orkney Wine Co. and get some Dark Portent. Yum 🙂

Tips – all the archaeology! Get into Tourist Info and pick up all the leaflets at the start and see where takes your fancy. I love Birsay, Yesnby, Skara Brae, Maeshow, Brodgar and the Old Man of Hoy/Rackwick myself but there are plenty of others. Museum in Kirkwall is worth checking out, and I quite like the wee one in Stromness too.

I usually stay in Stromness, sometimes Kirkwall… loads of places outside them though that are worth looking at, just depends what you want really! I would probably plan on staying on Mainland though for convenience!

Don’t underestimate how far it is between places in terms of driving time! When I was young I used to cycle all over the place and it took for ever 😉

Remember to try the Highland Brewing Co beers as well as the Orkney Brewery stuff – you are missing out if you don’t get stuck into some Scapa Special IPA and Dark Munro!

Options of getting there are either fly up and hire a car, or drive up and take the ferry from Gills Bay (Pentland Ferries[/url]). The drive up is half the adventure, especially once you cross the Dornoch Firth!

New bike time on Monday, so despite my ripped back muscle preventing me from using it I thought I would revisit some old times and share here! Can’t wait to get riding again, been waaaaay too long!

CRW1474 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr
(Old time subscribers of Singletrack Mag may recognise this one!)

10th May 2011 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

25th October 2012 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

30th October 2012 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

16th November 2012 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

23rd September 2014 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

10th February 2014 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

1st March 2013 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

18th February 2013 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

22nd July 2013 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

8th June 2016 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

30th April 2016 by Rob Sutherland[/url], on Flickr

I keep toying with the idea of trying one too, just justifying the expense! The Lensbaby ones look a fun way to experiment without complete bank destruction, or my alternative is one of the Olympus lenscap fisheyes which are dirt cheap, very basic… but actually look a lot of fun! Alas that option is only available on MFT.