Thanks. I’ve put one in and it seems OK. Was just worried they might be specifically designed for narrow road wheels.

Gap descent wasn’t even in it! The course was awful. First event I’ve regretted being on a singlespeed. So much road…

I inherited a pair on some new wheels and I’ve had mixed experiences. These are the Protection version run tubeless on an XC race singlespeed.

I’ve had no sidewall tears or holes that don’t seal or problems burping air, which is good.

On the rear, there is much less traction in the wet than Rocket Rons, and then after a while whole side-knobs just kept getting ripped off on loose stony descents, about 8 went before I binned the tyre, and I’m skinny and by no means a fast descender. Maybe I was unlucky and it was just that particular tyre. The air stayed in though!

I still have the one on the front, and it gives me confidence on rocky stuff as it’s so tough, and it rolls OK. Cornering grip seems OK too.

Big caveat: This has all been during a very dry summer.

Rocket Rons/Racing Ralphs are stickier and give me more traction on the rear going uphill but are maybe more fragile going downhill. I think I’d go for them if I was doing woods and trail centres rather than rockier rougher stuff.

I second everything Mad Pierre said
Descents easy in the dry, more of a challenge in the wet, quite rough so take an extra tube if you’re a heavy rider
Absolutely loved the final descent

Never quite made it up the Devil’s Staircase (Powys) on the singlespeed
Nearly made the top 10 on Strava pushing though 😉

J-R – Member

So a positive effect of Strava will be that in about 18years we will have definitive evidence to apply for thousands of FPs round the country to be upgraded?

🙂

I did the long route last year and there was “only” about 1800m climbing, which really isn’t that much for 80km in Wales. Due to quite a lot of road and flattish stuff in between climbs. That said, I was really knackered by the end.

Will be singlespeeding the short route flat out this year, making sure I line up early and start front row rather than halfway back – the road lead-out was very crowded and slow last year.

Really enjoyed last year. Last two descents were magic. Hope weather stays dryish.

Hopton – way too hilly!
Merthyr – will have to see what’s there once it’s open
Trallwm – I race there regularly, again too hilly
Rhaeadr – brilliant but hard to loop back and session
Pendam – yes, forgot about that

It’d be good to have 2-3 trails in one place, so will look into FoD, but maybe we’ll do a road trip to several centres, we’d pass 2 or 3 on the way there and back anyway

Thanks. NyA and other “family trails” are too easy, but FoD is a good shout, I’d forgotten about that.

Anyone?

My Hope freewheel has gone from quiet to almost silent

Might mean the pawl springs need replacing… I’d give it a service if I were you, the pawls are reasonably cheap so it could be worth replacing them to be sure.

Thanks, will look into it

My Hope freewheel has gone from quiet to almost silent… Does this mean it’s about to die?

Try Simon Frith 07896 895366, he has quite a big fleet at Llanerchaeron and would probably be able to meet you, he often takes a trailerload up there

I bought a S/H Garmin Forerunner 305 with heart rate strap for £80 off Ebay after smashing my bike-mounted Garmin.

Accuracy has been very good for both running and riding, battery life is good (charges off PC), v happy with it. Not as easy to see info as on larger bike-mounted versions but still fine IMO.

klumpy – Member

If offroad wasn’t harder than onroad, we wouldn’t actually HAVE roads.

🙂

Official word is that all trails are open all weekend. There will just be some vintage motorbikes using one fireroad on the Saturday.

My best tip for a full day out at Brechfa is go out on the Black, go round the Red, and come back on the Black (3-5 hours), then do the less technical but still fun Green/Blue loop (1 hour) if you still have enough puff.

Alternatively do the red and the black separately with lunch inbetween.

All the trails are fun and the black isn’t very black.

Have posted it on FB on your behalf 🙂
With luck someone will contact you here

I don’t know if I can get out next weekend or not at this stage, but you could ask the local clubs on Facebook if anyone wants to go out and you may get some takers:

http://www.facebook.com/sarnhelencyclingclub
http://www.facebook.com/BrechfaBC

What kind of ride are you after? Fast/slow, trail/natural, scary/easy, long/short?

Quick update:
Put on On One chain tug (after grinding it down to fit in the frame) and Halo Hex skewer and went to the Dyfi Enduro and… it’s holding perfectly!

Thanks for all your input!

Nice pics acejoy
I put one in my blog

ir-bandito that was probably me on the first descent
i whizzed up the big climb and then lost all air in rear tyre repeatedly for the rest of the ride
thanks everyone for all help offered and given!
got home eventually in 433rd
great course
i’ll be back

Thanks. So how far is it if you do the extra loop?

I was wondering the same so I know how much water to take

There’s also quite a long road section at the start, so how long is the actual offroad bit?

Rocket Rons front and rear for me

OK, I’ve ordered a Halo Hex skewer from CtheBM and got a QR-specific tug off here and I’ll let you know how I get on.

Thanks everyone for your input!

APF, you’ve got a deal, it’s got to be worth a shot, please message me your details

Maybe try a Halo Hex skewer with it

OK, let’s try another angle: What kind of chain tug do you have on your Whippets etc?

wwaswas – not much, about 2 mm, you think it could be popping out?

kinda666 – I see what you mean, but isn’t the issue more the QR not clamping hard enough? Why would it help having the tug yanking on the QR rather than the axle? Shouldn’t it work either way?

Sorry, I’m a mechanical dunce and this is doing my head in!!

The chain tug is one of these from Charlie the BM: link
As you can see, the thread and nut naturally align slightly outside the line of the dropout. This can’t help.
Now I think of it, I used to have the tug inside the stays but LBS wanted it on the outside, which is when the trouble began. Could that be it? Does it actually matter?

And yes, I only have the one tug. Charlie the BM says you only need one…

PS I’m not incredibly strong so it’s not brute force that’s shifting the wheel, just clattering down descents.

I’ve got four pages of the things, a few home-made but mostly proper climbs or trail centre loops, partly cos I’m impossibly quick and partly cos I live in the middle of nowhere.

I don’t get these really short urban segments. They strike me as a bit pointless and rather dangerous and likely to piss people off. Perhaps it’s cos I’m just a yokel.

No, 4h26 was Gareth Payne way out in front on the 80k.

I was on course for second or third in the 80k but opted for the 60k (which turned out to be only 9k shorter!!) so I came in before Gareth. Glad I did as I bonked big time at 50k. Not surprising, never climbed anywhere near that far before. 2300m! Brutal!

I reckon I lost about 15 mins due to signs and marshals. OK, the enduro detour was partly our fault due to colourblindness, but when I got to the feed station the second time they wanted me to go round all over again and then had to ring up to try and find out where to send me… I might have seemed a little tetchy… Sorry…

But then it wasn’t a race 😉 And I’m still smiling now!

But the descents made all the climbing worthwhile, much more fun than the marathon events

As the first rider through on the second half, I thought the signs and marshalling could have been better

Overall, a cracking course and a good day out

Fun loop: Go on road towards Femes climb. Turn right at last house before roundabout for killer technical climb up to goat farm, then whizz down long doubletrack descent pretty much to the sea and turn right onto round-island MTB trail which winds up and down all the way back to the resort.

For a longer loop, do the Femes climb on road and go a mile or so down the other side, then turn right at the traffic lights opposite the helicopter and whizz right down to the sea. Again turn right and follow round-island trail.

There are faint tracks all over the show and you can ride anywhere you want so you can also just make your own fun – pick the nearest mountain, ride up it and then, you guessed it, find a way down!

It’s bare and barren and mainly doubletrack, not “proper” MTB trails, but guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Well it has for me the last two years, I’ve been out 2-3 hours before breakfast every morning!

Short loop
Long loop
(the inland bit on the second loop was where I missed the trail (easily done)

They are. Indeed they’re also mud-free and mostly sunny, it could be California.

Thanks guys, that all looks very useful!

Timing was still very hit and miss at round 5 of XC (rounds 4 and 5 both reviewed in my blog), but with the Devil’s Challenge that shouldn’t matter – it’s all about the riding not the times, and I think Neil’s strong on course selection.

The course profiles look pretty hilly. Might take gears to this one!

I have heard good things about last time and I’ve enjoyed the same organiser’s XC race series this winter, so I’m going.

Go for it, I think it will be a bit more technical and less road-based than the MTB Marathons.

I’m coming from a singlespeed so any gears would be a luxury!

I thought about converting but the cost of chain ring, shifter, derailleur, cassette, chain and chain guide comes close to the value of the bike, so I was wondering about getting a whole new bike. I thought someone like On One might do one but can only find a very pricey Stumpjumper.

FWIW my Gravity Dropper turbo post weighs 450g including cable and handlebar switch

My understanding was that the turbines at Brechfa East where the Gorlech trail is haven’t been approved yet, only the turbines in Brechfa West where there are no official MTB trails???

If the Gorlech does end up temporarily closed/shortened it would be a pain, but it’s not like we aren’t spoilt with loads of other good riding locally!