I saw a cyclist do this to another cyclist this morning near Waterloo. Must have clipped him as he went past and the poor guy and his bike went cartwheeling through the air into the opposite lane. Luckily, there was only very light traffic or it could easily have been curtains.

He shared a few choice words.

A ray of hope for you: I had a suspected broken scaphoid which they splinted and re-x-rayed after a week or so, at which point they told me it was fine. I was sceptical cos it still bloody hurt but it was fine in another couple of weeks so I guess they were right.

I’m going to be selling my 18in SS-specific Inbred 29er frame plus Swift rigid fork in the near future. Any use?

Thanks Jonestown 🙂

Just ordered a purple. Excited.

Now where are all the Gryphons?

32:16 = 2:1
2:1 is 2:1
2:1 is harder on a 29er than on a 26er

Do what you want to do.

First ride for a couple of weeks as I’ve been on family hols. A lovely couple of hours on Leith hill and then a surprise front wheel washout in a puddle and a twatted knee. It’s left me almost unable to walk and wondering whether to go to A&E. Bugger.

Aha! Those Kris Holms are new on me. Look like a good toe-in-the-water option. 36 hole, though… the hub I have is 32. Hmmm

Thanks for that. Useful info re Syntace. At the moment, Dually seems the best option for me but I may hang on for the Hugo or whatever else appears in he coming months.

Oh, and if you want an early hours adrenaline rush, I recommend bivvying in the forest with the wild boar 😯

We did this last weekend. Ride the red and blue, ride the downhill trails (riding up the push-up path is quick and easy), then follow a map to other high ground in the forest and scout for cheeky trails. You will be rewarded.

I don’t think following a GPX will give you a better result than this but locals may know different.

Bumpety bump

I have a Neo air x-lite and am very happy with it. I’ve used it down to -2 or so and was toasty warm with a Lamina 20 bag. I’m sure it would be fine a few degrees colder, too. It’s very comfy and I don’t roll off the sides but I have slid down it a bit when on a slope.

Far too hot for cycling. Have a glass if beer and a lie down instead.

There’s the Wildcat harness.

I made a seat pack out of pu coated cordura from Pennine Outdoors. It was a bit fiddly but works very well. Not as smart as a Koala but definitely functional.

Eeeeeeeeeeew!

If anyone challenges me I simply have my valet glower at them. If that fails we have a picnic and a bit of a think.

Useful info on ticks and lyme disease

No. It’s got an EBB to fit a standard BB. I dare say someone could machine a BB30 EBB for you but it would make more sense just to get another crank.

Or a Kona Unit

And no one’s mentioned a s/h Fortitude or High Latitude yet…

I’ve got a Swift (old model) and an SS-specific Inbred 29er and have ridden an El Mariachi. They’re all great. The differences are pretty minor and all the chain tensioning systems work equally brilliantly IME. I think my favourite is the Swift, by a whisker.

However, the Inbred is incredible VFM and doesn’t look or ride like a cheap frame IMO.

If I was buying now, I’d buy a Stooge.

There was a fat biker called Trout
Who purchased a Puffin – so he thought
But the weeks went by and not a frame did we spy
Not a Puffin, not nuffin’ . Nope, nowt.

Yes, well done all – very inspiring! I did a tiny part of the route last month and I’d love to have a crack at the whole thing. Not going to kid myself I’d be up to racing it though.

Badger strikes are quite common round our way. I’ve had one thump into my ankle and run between the wheels. A couple of mates have been de-biked by them. In all cases the badger has run off seemingly no worse for wear, flicking the Vs as it goes. Tough little buggers.

I am soooooooo not interested. For me there is zero benefit. Just give me a bike that works and that I can fix when it goes wrong.

This is just another opportunity to spend my weekends trying to convince a robotic customer service operative that, yes, I have been through the online troubleshooting guide and, yes, I have checked with my ISP that the problem setting up my gears is nothing to do with my router settings or the browser I’m using.

This is pretty much what I ride bikes to get way from. I dread the trickle down.

The weight isn’t bad at all for the sort of bike this is. My Buzzard is a couple of pounds heavier with a reasonably similar build. If you want a race bike, buy something else. (Not aimed at you, OP)

Pour and store bags are great. Make up individual portions of porridge with dried milk and sugar for an easy hot breakfast with no washing up. Also works for noodles, smash, etc.

Sachets of black bean sauce etc are great for adding flavour and cals (to noodles, not porridge).

Smoked tofu is a good source of protein (as well as flavour and texture) and keeps OK for a day or two without chilling IME.

I tend to pack related bits and pieces together, so sleeping bag, mat, bivy and tarp on the bars, spare clothes in seat pack, food and cooking kit in frame bag and tools and snacks in a small top tube bag. I like to ride without a rucksack but have used a Camelback bumbag to carry water and a waterproof.

I like to have plenty of dry bags in varying sizes to organise stuff so it’s easy to find. This also helps to keep wet stuff separate from dry stuff. Packing a couple of supermarket carrier bags is always a good idea.

funkhouser, we ride from Nirvana in Westcott every Wednesday at 6.30 and we’d be happy for you to tag along.
http://dorkingcocks.freeforums.org/rides-f3.html

tasteslikeburning, not sure I agree. There’s no doubt the stretch from the end of what used to be Chicken skin review to the Deliverance area is a bit pedally but actually it just drives you to pedal harder because it’s smoother and a more defined trail. There’s plenty of interest before and after that.

If you’re about this evening there’ll be a bunch of us riding from Nirvana at 6.30. You’re welcome to join us.

There will be plenty of slop about on Leith Hill but the new stuff seems to be pretty good in the wet (so far) and there are other techy trails that drain and ride well if you know where to look.

Harrumph! I, too, was hoping for something with more width and sweep.

I’d agree that if you’re interested in improving technically and being able to use the best system for any particular ride then it’s worth trying – and persevering – with both. If not then just stick with what you like.

I agree that the speed advantage of SPDs is marginal. But it is real and noticeable when riding hard.

For me, the advantages of flats are marginal, too. When I use them it’s because I like the feel/experience, not because they are ‘better’.

Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant Brant, etc

More info on the OG, please

Like most things, it’s largely fashion.

For me, SPDs are more efficient for flat-out XC speed. Lots of the guys I ride with are (unfashionably) into sprinting about all over the place and I find keeping up with them on flats is a pain.

I prefer flats for those (fashionable) technical, downhill-orientated rides where you’re not rushing up the hills and along the flat bits.

Crikey, Mamadirt, that’s a serious habit!

My MTBs:

1988 Rockhopper
Big gap while I got into climbing
9 other MTB purchases, starting with a 2002 Hoo Koo E Koo and ending with a Singular Swift. Still have – and ride – most of them.