Really sad news

Completed it last year, great day in lovely weather. However the numbers were well down on the previous year – where I guess a lot of people had been put off by the atrocious weather

Reverb
Garmin 800
Giro Athlon

And, of course, a 29er

Thanks – hadn’t spotted that thread !

I also did it last Sunday and whilst the climb (from the north) was dusty, I was suprised at how soft and boggy it was on top.

Had a reverb for 18 months, and have now sent it off to SRAM for a service.

I miss it so much !!!!

It really improves the flow of a ride

On my ride on Sunday I was even pressing the handlebar where the remote should have been !

Good point, well made

I like the fact that Singletrack isn’t so blatant in peddling the “here’s the kit you must buy this week” myth. (Trail magazine is possible the worst – “What kit you need to climb Everest(even though you are only going up Snowdon)”)

But the occasional buyers guide would be useful

Is this the kind of route you were suggesting? Think I found Clough Lane
http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=547348

Thats a good route, but if you are feeling knackered by the time you get to LadyBower you might want to consider a shortcut – get onto the A57 (it’s bit grim admittedly) and go east for about 3 miles until you can reach the Bridleway that goes round the reservoirs. Follow this up the hill (i.e. right at the fork) and you’ll rejoin your original route

The loughrigg route mentioned above is excellant, though I’d allow yourself an hour first time around

I’m another one in the “set it and forget it” camp, particularly with my forks, although on my hardtail they have a nasty habit of locking themselves.

I occasionally lockout my rear shock on a long climb, but invariably forget to unlock them on the next descent

I can highly recommend the maps from Bike maps

You want the ones for macc forest/wildboarclough and Gradbach

But if you can follow the details posted above you’ll have a cracking ride – I did an extended version of it a couple of weeks ago and was gob-smacked at how good, how quiet and how dry the trails were. Why haven’t I ridden them before?

It isn’t party policy though is it? Just the view of an absolute tool.

No, they’re manifesto is very anti-cycling – including paying road tax, displaying tax discs and being excluded from various roads

You know those nutters who always post rabid comments on various new websites – the BNP in Blazers reflect their views

Not sure what consistitutes the Triple 8, but here are a few thoughts

From Hope Cross the direct route north is the Beast, challenging/fun depending upon your standard. Hagg Farm is a very tough climb – much better as a descent.
The north west option is a good XC bit then down Potato Alley, not quite as challenging, but still good and the climb up past Rowlee Farm is steep but easy.

At the cross roads where the Hagg Farm and Rowlee Farm routes meets, the northern track leads past Lockerbroke farm to a great descent, you can then come back up via Hagg Side (after a visit to the FairHolmes tea cabin). This section is sometimes called The Screaming Mile, but since it’s been sanitised it makes a much better climb than descent.

So if you want an enjoyable, rideable route, go down Potato Alley, up Rowlee, down Lockerbroke, up SM and down Hagg Farm. If you’re a hardman, go down the Beast, up Hagg Farm, down Screaming Mile and back up Lockerbroke. Extra marks for no dabbing!

Re the flywheel thing, it’s 30 years since I did my physics O level, but I got an A so that makes me an expert 😀

I’ve got a feeling that its not about the weight but the position of the weight relative to the centre

This and other factors explained better here
link[/url]

One of the key aspects of 29ers is that they are faster over less challenging terrain, which is why they are so popular for XC racers.

Simple flywheel physics – harder to accelerate, but better at maintaining momentum (there used to be a good article on the subject on chevin cycles website, but it seems to have disappeared)

Back in day TDF riders would drill holes in their bike frames to make them lighter, but didn’t use smaller wheels

The pic above shows the lower section which has been pretty smooth for some time.

It’s the section 400 yards above that which I believe needs structural work – collapsing wall.

Do we know if DCC intend to surface it like this all the way, or is it just to allow them to work higher up ?

Excellent ride in Macc Forest area, including Charity Lane, Cumberland Brook (twice), 3 Shires head, Gradbach and the Roaches. 37 miles, 1900m. Fair bit of road, but mostly climbs, and some really great technical singletrack.

Couldn’t believe that such good riding was so deserted – if this was in the Eastern Peak it would be mobbed. Only saw about 6 other riders.

Well worth the drive from Sheffield, and the Peak View Cafe has the finest cake selection I’ve ever seen!

Theres quite a few interesting BWs on the South side of Rivelin valley (and a bit of cheeky stuff too), meaning that from Crookes you can get out to Stanage with only minimal use of roads. Or alternatively you can just drop in to the valley and head towards Hillsborough on-route to Wharncliffe/Greno. And despite living at Hunters Bar for 20 years, I’ve only just discovered some of them – it’s well worth exploring.

After going through the allotments and crossing Hagg Hill, you probably went straight over at the first junction, but a bridleway crosses there that is both a challenging climb and a fun descent. If you go left there are a couple of options to get you up to Crosspool. Theres an excellant (quite technical) descent there from near the top of Hagg Lane (BW).

On the other side of Manchester Road is Coppice Road(easy), but that links up with that permissive BW that takes you most of the way up Lodge Lane. From the bend on that road are two BWs (and a third linking the two) heading west to meet a newly redesignated BW down to Rivelin Dam. A bit muddy at the moment, but rideable.

As mentioned above, surely the solution is for UCI licence holders to ride unsanctioned races under false names – nobody at the UCI would think of that

Can I suggest they all pick the name “James Burns”

Pat McQuaid in South Africa

Another vote for Parkamoor/Nibthwaite, although I was told it has suffered badly in the last 6 months

Yeah, they’re light and go up pretty easy (tubeless) but it seems, on all sorts of terrain, they’re naff!

I’ve never had such a struggle getting any tyre to set up tubeless as I have had with NNs. Eventually managed it after several goes over a couple of months (left it with a tube in for a month, then tried it on a different rim, then inflated it with a tube again etc etc)

So I’m hoping it will be worth the effort and that disagree with the second part as much as the first !!!

Have to say I’ve been very disappointed with my TrailDropper. I probably need to spend a bit of time checking out what the problem is, but at the moment it doesn’t lock in the down position, and needs a tug to get it back to normal position. Very stiff cable too.

The fact that I’ve got a reverb on my other bike, and had no problems with that, probably doesn’t help.

I’ll never forgive Juicys for the hassle I had changing pads on my first attempt at the Kielder 100. Half an hour in the pouring rain with freezing fingers trying to get them in. Eventually had to remove the caliper.

Been much happier with Elixirs and the blled kit makes that job very easy

Just been checking the L2A website and they have an event called Crankworx on from 6 to 14th (or possibly 15th) of July. Alpe d’Huez stage is 18th.

Pardon my ignorance, but anybody know what Crankworx is and how would it affect things ?

Your post has got me thinking….

A couple of my friends are going to Alpe d’huez, but road riding up from Nice which doesn’t appeal. Going to L2A does.

Does anyone know if there is a more “interesting” route to Bourg d’Oisans from L2A than going down the road. I drove this last saturday and doing it on a bike in either direction doesn’t appeal either

Am I missing something ?

Is there any difference between the Working Man’s series and the This Is Sheffield[/url]series ?

AFAIK, there have been no fatalities on the BWs around Sheffield this winter.

If you going to ride like an idiot because you have a GPS on your bike, your going to ride like an idiot anyway. But for most of us Strava is interesting, not because we are trying to be the best, but to see how far behind the best we are.

56 miles on Saturday. Sheffield, Rivelin, LadyBower, Lockerbroke, Fairholmes, Hagg Farm, Shatton, Eyam, Baslow, Blacka then straight to watch films at SHAFF.

Plenty of exciting descents but the climbing was getting tough near the end – 2300 m in total

Pretty dry apart from the top of Lockerbroke and Offerton Moor

The mountain biking is superb – have a look at the Arran Bike Club website linked above. Did some lovely stuff on the East Coast – I can highly recommend the Laggan descent, Clauchlands ridge, Glen Cloy and the stuff in the woods above Whiting Bay.

The descent south from the end of the Clauchlands ridge is one of the most stunning bits of riding I’ve ever done – a steep path heading towards the sea with a rather unnerving drop to the left

Claife heights and kentmere were stunning at the weekend – much less of a mud fest than I was expecting. Frozen in places, but looks like there hasn’t been as much rain as the peak – or it drains better

ESF are already offering the service in Morzine (I think), only 34 euros per head for an afternoon’s guiding with strictly no teaching – posters appeared the day after the ruling , as I understand it.

Seriously ?
£25 for a couple of hours of on-piste guiding

Not very technical – some sections of red, but generally blue or fire road.

I do remember one very steep grassy descent – I think most people walked down in the rain in 2011, and those who tried to ride it seemed to regret it (though providing much needed light relief!) – but it was fine last year

Is there much snow left in the area ?
Thinking Claiffe Heights or Garburn Pass

My only concern is keeping the MXers and dog walkers off the trails.

Agree re the MXers but we should expect and accept walkers and dogs on trails such as these. If you can’t stop in time for a dog or a walker then you can’t stop for a fallen rider either. Plus we want to prove we can co-exist with walkers.

Like many others I tried it in 2011 and failed (missed the 78 mile cut off by 20 mins), mainly due to disk pad problems (with a huge element of incompetence), but also suffered chain suck throughout.

Finished last year (in under 12 hours) and really enjoyed it. Not sure I’ll do it again, as I found the training made me a bit too intense and grumpy!

My tips:
Use the bag drops, but only for a few things (i.e. a couple of packets of shot blocks and a flapjack). Dont have too much of the same thing.
Carry several spare pairs of brake pads, but make sure you bed them in first, and get used to changing them.
Carry a sock – it’s great for cleaning your chain – and some lube (don’t rely on the tech stations – they ran out quickly in 2011)
Try to get a good start – the route crosses back on itself after 6 miles and this causes a jam on the first real climb
Carry midge repellant – they were fine for most of last year, but when I punctured at 95 miles I got eaten alive

I camped both years – I don’t think I’d get out of bed if I was anywhere cosy!

Another vote for shot blocks, just about the only food I ever carry

Admittedly that packet of flap jacks is making my mouth water, but the box wouldn’t fit in a pocket, nor would it be as easy to open whilst riding !

Attempted 2 years ago and got eliminated after 78 miles. Weather was awful, had brake pad issues (didn’t everyone ?) and didn’t enjoy it at all.

Stubborness made me give it another go last year, weather much better, completed in just under 12 hours and really enjoyed it.

It’s almost entirely off-road but much of it is fire road. However there is a suprisingly high proportion of interesting singletrack and some nice swoopy sections.

Not sure if I’ll do it again this year. 2 years ago I really enjoyed training for it, meant I went exploring and discovered rides from home I hadn’t done before. Last year the training felt more of a chore, particularly with the rubbish weather.

However that current jingle where Paul McCartney says through his dentures “we play music – we don’t work music” is the worst – I am close to emailing in and complaining, for all the good it will do.

We may disagree about GP but I’m right with you on that one!

Mind you I do want 6music to play some music I hate, or find a bit challenging. I want diversity, and no other radio station seems to give me that

Amazed that people like Giles Peterson – the one show I have to turn off.

Also disagree that it has changed or gone downhill the closure scare (anyone go on the protest?) – IMHO its as good as ever.

It’s USP is simple – good music. 50% current, 50% over 4 years old. Plays loads of old favourites (assuming you have decent taste) but then throws in stuff, old and new, that you might also like.

Which shows did you listen to ?

I’m a huge 6music fan, and the only shows I don’t like are Sat afternoon and evening. My problem is that I end up buying music I hear, and then never listening to it cos I’m listening to the radio.

I would say persevere, as it may be an acquired taste, but if you were listening to RadMac (or Sean Keaveny) and didn’t enjoy their wittering or interviews, then you probably beyond hope. Though I suppose Steve Lamacq witters less than most.

Oh, and the “shout outs” tend to be ironic, but only if you have a sense of humour…

Oh, and I’ve just noticed the live tracking feature, another reason

Having had a quick glance at thisLink
I’d be inclined to say its worth getting the 810

One of my big bugbears with the 800 is that you can’t connect wirelessly, or to an iPad, iPhone etc.

I also like the easy way to set which bike you’re using