Trouble is that would mean bivvying in south London. Not my first choice :D

OK, an update: A great first bivvy, helped by a roaring fire, Tallywhacker, Jaegerbombs, sloe gin and Jack Daniels 8O

All went well, our fairly basic kit did us proud and we were warm and comfortable. Riding home soon after first light with mist hanging over the fields was great.

Now to plan the next one, perhaps a bit further afield and on a night when I don’t have to work the next day…

Cheers for the tips. Fuel for tonight is sloe gin and veggie black pudding. Will try to remember to take some pics

I rarely ride my road bike but really enjoy it when I do. A solo night ride away from traffic on a clear night can be a magical experience. I did a quick circuit of Leith Hill last night and didn’t see a soul.

I definitely struggle with being smooth and I know I stand up and mash more than I should. Guess it comes with practice.

I’ve got the old N2S one which I believe is a bit thinner / cooler than the new ones. It’s superb. I wear it virtually every ride from autumn to spring. You can wear it on it’s own or with a layer or two underneath. You can partially unzip the sleeves to vent it or take them off completely and it’s fine for an hour or so in proper rain or pretty much indefinitely if it’s just a bit damp. Best bit of cycling kit I’ve ever bought. I think the new ones are pretty versatile too from what people say.

I use the latest Shimano ones. I prefer them to 5.10s – they’re not as grippy but I prefer it as I didn’t like having to lift my feet right off the pedal to reposition my feet. Never get bounced off the pedals, either. The soles also feel thinner than Impacts and that was another positive for me. Overall, I rate the Shimanos. Would like to try some Tevas too.

Nice. You’ll have fun with that. Seatpost?

I’ll second Samoens. It’s a lovely little town and there’s lots of superb waymarked(ish) xc routes. Pretty sure there’s a map available from the tourist info office. Top tip: check out the almond croissants from the boulangerie near the gondola

A man swinging his dog around on its lead
Assorted nudity, partial nudity and suggestive behaviour
Barak Obama

There’s so much cobblers talked about ‘compliance’ and ‘softness’. The clue is in the name – hardtail.

Samoens lifts are seasonal. Details are online from memory

There’s some good routes a short drive away at Samoen and Sixt Fer a Cheval – everything from waymarked technical xc routes to full-on downhill. It’s not got the riding culture of Morzine or Les Gets but there’s some really good ‘natural’ riding which can be easily accessed from the main cable car at Samoen. I spent a couple of weeks there and rode both there and Les Gets. It’s a very different vibe and a nice contrast to the more popular spots

It’s definitely a 10mm on my Revelations if that’s any help. You can get a packet of 10 off ebay for next to nothing

:roll:

I ordered a Reverb yesterday for a frankly amazing price. Said there was limited stock on the website. Had the same thing – they took the money from my Paypal but no confirmation email. Got in touch with them today and they said it was out of stock when I ordered it. :cry: Bit of a bummer but they did respond quickly and efficiently to my email.

oi, speak for yourself!

Now Matt, I know you’re one giggle away from a big white shirt that ties up at the back but you can’t deny there’s a sprinkling of grumpy old gits in the ranks :lol:

If you’re after a night ride and don’t mind the company of miserable old men :wink: there’s a regular Weds night ride from Westcott (outside Nirvana Cycles). We meet 6.30ish, ride till 9, pub for an hour, back at Westcott 10.30 or 11. It’s a sociable ride but can be quite quick. Check out the forum at http://www.mtbsurreyhills.com

Dorking FTW

Out of stock for me too, now. They’ve accepted my Paypal payment (£125 delivered) but not had an order confirmation. Hmmm :?

I’ve used them in the Surrey hills for two or three years. Good and grippy, not too draggy, good all-round, winter-biased XC tyre. Come up fairly small but I’ve never been troubled with pinch flats. Bit of a sod to do the Stans thing with though as they’re pretty porous.

Cheers for the replies. Still undecided. Those ones of Loco’s look interesting but a bit of an unknown quantity.

Nuke – saw the cheap Joplins on a French site – xxcycles or something.

schrickvr6, those look like a good deal. Any idea how those size up? I’m somewhere between a 9 and a 10 usually and don’t know which to go for

I’ve had this once or twice, with a Conti Speed King. Sorted it with w/up liquid around the bead and blowing it up to 60+psi. Doesn’t always work though.

The jumping on to the bars thing. Gulp. 8O

Yep, I’ve had the rubber ball thing happen to me. Quite impressive actually but it didn’t cause a problem and the tyre stayed inflated. When I use CO2 now I just get the tyre seated and then let most of the air (CO2) out and pump it up with a track pump. Not a problem

Had mine six months. Love it. It replaced a steel 456 which I also loved but the C456 is lighter and less harsh. Mine’s gloss black, no decals, and I think it actually looks great. No probs with the finish on mine. Can’t see how you could do better for the price but I know some people hate the look of them

Noticed the Fluxient Fluxient 4x XP-G R5 mentioned above by Z1ppy is now for sale on Ebay from Big_f_d_d (Torchy the Battery Boy). His blog makes the beam look much better than MJ872 but then he is selling them…

FWIW I use an MJ872 on the bars and a Stoner torch on my lid and it’s a superb combo. Easily equals or betters mates’ Exposure, Hope, Lupine, etc

Nice one. Only built one wheel before but it’s lasted a couple of years with no problems. :-)

I’m now in the middle of making a truing stand following the Wheelpro book, as I need to rebuild another wheel and thought the proper tools would make it easier.

Anyone any more experience of these? Looks interesting…

Got Hayes Stroker Trails on mine and have run old LX in the past. Both fit fine

I’ve had the Exotic carbon forks on my SS for a couple of years now. They’re great and have taken the odd jump/drop with no problem. I wouldn’t want to land hard on them from a height but they’d probably be fine.

Is there a giant testosterone cloud floating over STW or something? Seems to be a lot of hilarious willy waving and many pairs of twisted knickers on here of late :-)

I’m running an 872 on the bars with an XML torch on my helmet. Total cost: £110. It’s a great set-up. The 872 gives loads of flood and the XML just adds a bit of punch for fast sections or twisty bits. The 872 battery came in a rubber covering with a bag and velcro attachment. It’s been out in all weathers with no probs so far. Loads of light for 3-hour plus rides.

Ta for the replies. Sounds good. Also looking at the Convert soft-shell but worried I’ll boil. Anyone got any experience?

I swapped to 170mm (from 175) on one of my bikes purely to avoid pedal strikes. It worked brilliantly and I really don’t notice the difference when pedalling.

Enjoyed that. Caught the feel of a night ride. What’s the tune?

I’ve run a Conti Speed King 2.3 on the front of my rigid SS for the past three years in the Surrey hills. Very light and doesn’t appear to have much tread but what’s there works surprisingly well in all conditions from dust to mud. Reasonable volume too.

Had a similar thing today. Little used footpath that ends in a gravel road in front of several houses. Woman reversing her car down the road went absolutely mental. “****** private road ***** no cycling ***** blah blah blah.” Now, technically, I’m sure she’s well within her rights to tell us we’re not allowed there but I’m just baffled by the attitude of people who’d rather have a row than a) just see sense or b) ask us politely not to use the path again. I simply asked her what harm we were doing and then calmly pointed out that she wasn’t doing her blood pressure any good by working herself up over it.

Bottom line: if someone can show me that I’m doing harm (and that includes environmental, financial, inconvenience, invading privacy, etc) by riding somewhere then I’ll take notice. If not, I’ll ride pretty much where I like thanks very much.

Try Doug at Basque MTB. Not been but it looks like the perfect spot to combine family and riding holidays and he’s a very helpful chap.

Nice. I’ve got a 2008 Reign 1 and it’s a great bike. I’ve added big forks etc as I mainly use it in the Alps and for uplifts and it’s the biz. You need to get a shorter stem on there ASAP – they were specced with silly long ones and it makes a huge difference