Can’t see a singlespeed category listed on the SSUK website…

What’s actually happening at SSUK? Is it all about dogging or is there actually any riding planned? Won’t everyone be too drunk?

Thanks guys, maybe have to wait for Bristol in October then.

I frequently race SS against geared bikes which is fine but it’s normally only me, and I really fancy a proper race against a load of other SSers.

(@scotroutes – three hours is hardly a short sprint!)

None at all? Really?

Thanks for all your suggestions. Still unsure which model does exactly what and whether it does it adquately, so I copped out and bought another second-hand Forerunner 305 on Ebay the same as the old one, at least I know what to expect 🙂

The only thing I don’t like about my Alfine hub is that I tend to puncture a lot

I don’t really understand why as it’s not that much heavier, especially when you factor in my bodyweight

Did I understand it right that we get to do timed runs on the first two stages on both Saturday and Sunday?

PS Andy, I see your point but is it actually a problem? After all, I’m doing the Empire gravity enduro next weekend and the Dyfi 60k enduro the following weekend, and I plan to descend as fast as I possibly can in both of them 😉

Me!

To anyone undecided about coming, I’ve ridden all but one of the descents before, you don’t have to be a downhill god (I’m certainly not!), they’re all within the capabilities of the average rider, nothing intimidating (all rollable), pretty varied with something for everyone, the faster you go the harder they get I guess.

Expect a friendly informal low-key vibe. Nice café half way round.

Fingers crossed for the weather!!

You’ve got to do the gap descent, it’s the law 🙂
Llangors is fun if you like sheep track

Dunno if this works but here are a couple of routes in the Crychan:
http://app.strava.com/activities/98090516
http://app.strava.com/activities/104218946

Or try the Real Ale Wobble routes in the Irfon

Coed Trallwm is mildly diverting, Cwm R is worth a few laps

Depends on how you get your kicks!

I am also a qualified but very competitively priced MTB guide if you’re that way inclined

Loads. Explore Crychan and Irfon forests – loads of enduro trails etc. Manmade trails at Coed Trallwm.

Given your already high level of activity, the question is whether you have any fat to lose?

If not you’d have to shed some unwanted muscle, which I have previously managed to do quite successfully by not fuelling properly during long hard rides…

Either way, ignore fad diets, just eat better/less and ride longer/harder.

Chances are you’re not consuming as few calories as you think (says nutrition expert wife).

OK, *hardly* anyone is making 26″ race bikes now.

When I finally kill my Whippet, am I really likely to choose a relatively old and low-tech second-hand 26″ frame over the latest all bells and whistles 29″ or 650b option?

But for the time being, a second-hand 26″ racer makes very good sense VFM-wise!

On balance, I think my 29er is slower than my 26er but makes me faster. Make of that what you will 😉

It’s all individual. Matt’s test gives the results for Matt. If I did the same test with my skills, the results might well be very different!

And there are many other variables (geometry, tyres, weight, forks etc) that can have just as big an impact on speed as wheel size.

But ultimately nobody’s making 26″ XC race bikes these days so the decision isn’t really ours any more.

brilliant tip Kcal, really useful, cheers!

@Freeridenick – Brechfa was OK to ride on Monday but I don’t know what happened in yesterday’s storm, things were OK in the bits where I went today but I didn’t go down to the trails themselves. I’m sure it’ll still be fun!

Quite a few trees down at Brechfa at the moment. Not impassable by any means but messes with the flow a bit.

Blaengarw is fun but short and quite a trek up the valley.

Number 15 and I thought I could type fast!

Any ditherers can find out more about what the Dyfi was like a fortnight ago here (shameless plug for blog):
Dyfi Winter Warm Up report

Yes!

I run 36/18 in Hillville, Wales, and for me it’s about right – don’t spin out too much on roads, bottom gear will get up anything (tho admittedly I do say that about my SS too)

Thanks. To clarify:

owl type lamp

versus

ordinary looking lamp

From what I can see, the first has 2 x U2 which is brighter in the first place than the single T6 in the second – is that right?

Should I have brightest on the bar and less bright on the helmet?

OK, I tried the two-layers-of-superglue and ride-the-first-time-with-a-tube method, and the tyre has now stayed up tubeless for a couple of rides.
Whether the patches are still on, or the superglue or sealant are doing the job, I don’t know without my X-ray glasses.
Thanks all for your input!

The tube just says “superglue” on it
The patches look the same as for tubes to be honest
I’ve been playing around this evening and they seem to be holding maybe, will run with tubes for a ride and pray!!
Gotta go celebrate now though

Thanks. I’ve opened it up and the tape is fine but the valve has rotated 90 degrees and that is probably the problem (DT valves don’t have a round rubber bit on the inside like Stan’s valves but kind of go along the line of the rim, so if they aren’t in line there could be a gap). Still at a loss as to why it happened 2 hours into a ride though!

Everything in Wales

Also looking at the Lanzarote stage race in January – anybody done it?

I did an XC race on a rigid 26″ SS with no front brake the other weekend and it was definitely the front brake I missed most

You should be fine as long as you’re not a baby…

That thing’s been doing my head in all morning.

You’ll have to work hard to get the front low as it’s got a very long head tube – check forks have long enough steerer!

I’m 6ft, mine’s a large, good fit, 100mm forks

Head angle is very steep (73??)

Raced it last year and loved it, but gone over to carbon for that and using Duster for no-fuss winter training

People always talk about pacing but I’ve found that if you don’t fly off at the start you never catch up

Fast on fireroads and slow on singletrack sounds like a good strategy to me, comes to me naturally!

Uh-oh, more conflicting information!!

Njee – shame, I need a straight 1 1/8″ steerer

Ha! In my defence the forks only came off while I spend the winter riding rigid singlespeed, is that STW enough for you? 🙂

But no, I don’t need £800 forks. I certainly can’t afford any. I think I paid £200 for these ones two years ago. But I do race XC and endurance regularly at a reasonable level so I could do with some half-decent forks that actually work rather than just add weight and take the occasional big hit.

I just wondered whether spending £300 would get me the equivalent of new £800 forks. But it looks like I’ll be delving into the lucky dip of the second-hand market once again 🙁

Thanks everyone
DezB – they have everything except what I need 🙁
Freddie – these forks were also cheap S/H

I suppose the question really is whether refurbished forks are as good as new ones???

When I got a dropper post, I found I was squatting/hunching down really low on descents, I thought it was what you were supposed to do, but it was probably equal parts fear at the new speeds I was attaining.

As I understand it now, you just want to be able to let the bike rise up towards you here and there rather than be permanently crouched low on the bike, which may well be what’s putting strain on your knees.

Now I have a bike that fits me and I can do all the same descents without the seat down, but that’s another story.

Re Raven
It is muddier than the Gorlech and there will be a lot of puddles if it has been wet, but it is still rideable in all weather conditions, and if you can ride the Gorlech comfortably then you can ride the Raven. It’s not a very black trail. I think the blackness has more to do with the physical effort required than the technicality (everything is rollable bar the dropoff at the start of the double-orange bit, which you can just ride around). Definitely worth a shot, and if it’s not your cup of tea you’ll find out soon enough on the first black section and then you can carry on around the green and blue trails which are straightforward but still a real hoot.

It’s only the bike park that is closed 11-14 November, not the XC trails

Wall, White’s or both – all lots of fun even with a few closures

Never heard of it…

After trawling through three gazillion overwrought posts I finally got it – tosser, tossing the tube. Very good, OP. Good job I’m not quite as slow on the bike.

Lots of photos here

It generally takes a few days for the snappers to thaw out and get their pics uploaded…

That said, my experience is that only about one in three ever put their pics online. What do the others do with them???

This might not be such a problem in this case, though, as those steps at the very end of the Beast aren’t my strong suit and I was probably gurning with concentration 😉

Yes, the Tywi fords/puddles really bring out the inner child. Especially when overtaking the 4x4s!! Not sure I’d want to take my new bike through them though until it’s a little less shiny 😉

The Llanerchi woods descent from the weather station is also a cracker, and the bridleway along to the Claerwen dam is like a mini Tywi Track (wet feet guaranteed). Coming down off the moor from Drygarn does it for me too. It’s all stunning on a nice day, and a bit spooky when the mist is down. Love it. All of these are segments on the following ride I did recently: http://app.strava.com/activities/77985352

It’s a great area to ride in. Next time consider taking the Claerwen reservoir track across to Strata Florida and do the Tywi Track (Splashes). Best fun ever IMO. Makes a big ride though.

32/22 sounds very low-geared for the 8-speed hub. I used to spin out frequently on 32/20 on any road/flat sections.

I’ve currently got 34/18 which is about right for me but then I am stupid fit these days.