One problem with cycling in terms of musculature is that all the effort is in one plane and exercises the primary muscles like the quads and hamstrings. What don’t get exercised are the secondary, stabilising, muscles like the inner thigh.

If they don’t get used, why do we need to exercise them?

On a similar note, I’ve spent this year riding and racing enduro rather than XC and my upper body is still now down to skin and bone. How come all that manhandling the bike round corners and over roots hasn’t turned me into a bronzed adonis?

Odd that you only have to pay to park at places that already have a cafe and bike wash to make money off you.

Parking at Brechfa, for example, is free.

Why don’t you ask the hotel?

Any hotel woirth its salt will sort something out. I’ve had mine kept in various places over the years – in my room, in a meeting room, in the garages, in the restaurant, behind the bar…

Watch out for customs duties. I remember them doubling the price of some spares I ordered from the US.

Might be the cable is sticking so the lever doesn’t spring back far enough. Temporary solution is to help the lever out by pulling it back with your thumbnail. Otherwise as Northwind.

hora – Member

6 hours running in heat? Abit different to guzzling 3lts of water in 2 hours spinning a bike round a trail center. After all a bike is a very efficient mode of transport.

Sorry, I was unclear. This was on an MTB. But still pretty intense.

My point, badly made, was that if in testing conditions my thirst doesn’t compel me to drink much more than when sat at home, you’d have to be overriding your instincts on a massive scale to guzzle 3 litres in 2 hours of gentle riding.

But on reflection I’m not quite sure why I’m even making this point.

Still dehydrated from yesterday maybe…

Yesterday I did one of the toughest races I’ve ever done (marathon champs), humid conditions, drinking to thirst, and consumed 3 litres in 6 hours.

Yet in 6 hours sat on my arse in the office I would normally consume 2.5 litres of tea.

I suppose my question then is whether you really can overhydrate while riding. You’d have to be drinking ridiculous amounts, no?

Far worse IMO is all those people who give you kudos and you don’t know who they are but you know you ought to.

I’m at the quicker end of the mtb spectrum with pages of koms but although I’ve tried really hard to average 20mph on the road I just can’t. 18 mph no problem, but a sustained 20 requires power I just don’t have.

I sometimes disappoint myself in similar fashion. However, I don’t conclude from these situations that *all drivers* are arseholes, just some. So if he was the type to come away thinking *all cyclists* are arseholes, he probably thought that already…

I could meet you at 9. Weather’s looking dodgy, mind.

All open

Always wet and windy

You can ride it any weather though

Brechfa has more climbing than Afan because the descents actually go downhill top to bottom

But none of the climbs are technical like White’s Level

I’ll probably be there Sunday if you fancy company

How about a decathlon-type format that combines all the different disciplines to find the best overall rider? Up, down, across, long, short, trials, road, the lot?

This is why the UK Enduro round in Sheffield at the end of this month has had to be switched to Wales.

Luckily the manager in the Crychan Forest is a great guy and OKs pretty much everything, so it’s still going to be brilliant with lots of great steep techie natural tracks. Only a fool would miss it.

(Yes, I am part of the UK Enduro team, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true!)

The one we did was this one

jam bo – Member

Brendog? Built by Brendon fairclough?

Probably the steepest, hardest track on the quantocks by a long shot.

Ah, that explains it. Feel quite proud for riding all but one tiny bit of it.

OP, I wouldn’t do that one on a 100mm hardtail, but it was quite hard to find anyway 😉

We did one called something like Brent dog and I struggled even on the enduro bike as it was very steep and slippery, but you can always stop and try another descent, there are lines everywhere

jam bo – Member

http://labs.strava.com/achievement-map/

KoM map.

Didn’t know you could do that – cheers.

Never knew I had a KOM at Bike Park Wales!!!

Shame it’s on the climb.

My carbon Foxy R 2016 is very very good descending hard but I wouldn’t say it was great climbing, it’s too heavy for that. Also bear in mind that the frame and bb bearings don’t last that long as very exposed, and the other kit is a bit basic (brakes and mechs) and I’ve replaced most of mine with xt. And gone 1x. Both of my team mates have cracked their frames. I love it for enduro racing and socials but it’s hard work on xc-type rides (bear in mind I am an xc rider at heart though!) If I wanted a trail centre bike I’d go for 110 to 120mm. Well actually I’d get a hardtail but that’s another story. 140mm is ott on trail centre stuff imo. I do love my foxy for hammering downhill stupid fast but wouldn’t pay retail for it. Hope that helps.

Ian fwiw I reckon it makes sod all difference. Go with the Ralphs.

I’d say in the title what the post’s about

Not new stuff, just repairs.

Maybe Abz is trying DH for his next show?!

It’s daft that Brechfa doesn’t come under the South Wales ranger. The forestry management there always seem really uncommunicative and unhelpful. You’d have thought they’d want to consult riders before making changes and improvements or at least put up some info on their plans. But I will try to find out what’s happening.

tywi track is my fave route anywhere, but both it and real ale route have to be classified as technical , red route plus, how easy does Mrs need? Doethie is fireroad and undemanding but scenic single track.

In this weather I’d do the doethie valley loop. My autocorrect wants to write “do this” instead of doethie, which has to be a sign! It’s only a short drive or ride away.

Can’t she just stick to being a mediocre Welsh “rock” band?

Very funny

Though not as funny as the aperitif joke at the start of the thread

Well they made it round… on time…

I was on an Onza mud tyre and super-soft trail tyre which were draggy as hell, but ultimately with slow-rolling tyres the difference is mostly in the mind (or ear) I reckon

Nothing coped with stage 3 but my teammates swear by their michelin mud tyres

OP – a fair bit of shared climbing but completely different descents apart from the very top of Dicko’s and a little overlap with the “bonus” section at the end of the XC loop leading into a way gnarlier finish.

It was good fun but effectively riding two Dyfis back-to-back in a compulsory full-face helmet in hot claggy conditions was a drag.

As I say I could still hear enough of whats going on around me

Actually you said:

People can shout all they like, I had headphones in so couldn’t hear them.

I wasn’t trying to start an argument or launch a witch hunt or hijack a thread which is supposed to be about having fun on a bike.

I just hoped you might take some friendly advice and not wear headphones on descents in future for everyone’s benefit.

No one is “getting in the way” they have every right to be there

Slower riders don’t have the right to hold up faster riders. Both sets of riders should use common sense and courtesy so everyone gets to have fun.

Riding with headphones on so you’re completely oblivious to others around you is both selfish and dangerous, and is banned by most events.

For one thing, there’s every chance that the rider shouting a warning is not an aggro eejit but a well-meaning novice who’s lost control and is trying to save both of you from impending doom.

Another way of looking at it is that they’re increasing the chances of people getting a decent pic as a memento of the day.

Headphones guy – no, no, no. On fireroads if you must (bit anti-social?) but not on the descents, it’s just plain dangerous for you and others if you can’t hear people calling!

I took my gnarpoon which was fine on the first climb but then had to be converted into a singlespeed hardtail which made life interesting. Descents were still fun though.

There’s another round of the UK enduro there in a month’s time. I hear it’s going to be even more technical so should be good. Techie Sunday will be proper mental unless Neil chickens out, he’s planning to include stuff he daren’t put in the enduros, including the quarry cliff plummet from Hell. The marathon should be good too, I’ve done plenty of red kite xc rides there, there’s fun stuff there as well as scary stuff. But make sure you have a gpx as there’s a hell of a lot of boring fireroad there too if you end up going round in circles!!

Agree. Even if you find the start of the enduro tracks from Strava gpx it may not b e that obvious where they go. You could do with a guide. I’ll be at the Dyfi otherwise I would offer to show you. I wouldn’t do them when wet unless you’re a seriously good rider.

You can carry all the food you need easily, I took water from the hafren ford which looked clean and didn’t kill me and by the claerwen reservoir, but could have got some bottled water from Rhayader and llangurig instead. I was racing and it was a hot sunny day, you wouldn’t need six bottles otherwise. It’s a tough ride in one day and I didn’t enjoy the last few hours at all so good luck!!

PS Hope you’ve already entered, I think it’s pretty much full.

Yes they are closed for lunch! Have a look at the rider briefing here. I think there are two separate loops from the HQ heading into different valleys. I imagine you could time it so you don’t actually have to stop for long.

I know the idea is for everyone to return to event HQ for lunch each day, so you only need enough for a couple of hours at a time.

I’ll second that.

I bought some S/H forks supposed to be VGC and they had a big gouge on one stanchion. They collected and refunded them without any problems.

Wouldn’t buy S/H from them again but new should be fine.