HD Trauilstar front and Pacestar rear here, not tried RQ’s but followed a mate on some whilst he squirmed around the other day…..granted could have been, pressure/skill/speed related, but I’m no wizz and felt pretty smug 8).

They run tubeless fine, not noticed any real air loss and are hammered on the sharp limestone around the Peaks with no issues.

65Euros the pair from bike-discount.de (or something like that).

HTH

Trekster:

What do you have that tows a 6 berth caravan and still returns 30-35mpg!? I want one……less the tin tent ;O)

Think it was Jonny Dawes (climber) who once said he peaked for about 4 hours every year and when he did it was spretty pecial. It’s just knowing when its coming. Think I can remember about 3 occasions when I either climbed or ran completely out of my skin. Awesome feeling. I’m convinced it’s a mindset rather them a physical conditioning thing, but my mind is my weakness and we’re all different.

Good stuff, I played on a few loops today, spotted driving from Chesterfield to Matlock, a quick dog walking recce and first ride on it today…….some people have been working hard in them there woods. Love finding new local stuff, especially when you were starting to think you’d found it all.

Not privvy, but I assume you’re keeping it cryptic for a reason? 😉

ark1 – how you finding that hammersmidt? I read that the chainline was all wrong for it? Would be keen on one though!

SLX 22/36, 170mm, blackspire guide and an SLX double specific fron mech, old XT 3speed front shifter, works fine.

Pic on here mould suit me please! Sorry to hijack, Tony, but a mates having the same issue.

Kev

Race Face ambush again (the d30 ones with shin protection). Been through the wash a few times as per instructions/website so far so good.

Wagg, that’s the posh “KFC” stuff they get when MacD’s have run out 😉

What the hell are people feeding them. I got a 8.5 stone Rhodeshian Ridgeback and a 10kg whippet cross. Insurance is 24 and 12 quid respectively and food is 7 quid a MONTH for the pair of them! Get a working dog monster bag from Makro, 15kg is 7 pound and lasts about a month. That said if you listen to a vet endorsing their sponsors food at ridiculous prices and then over feed them buy reading the packet I can see how people end up spending the figures above.

HTH

Another one for the Alpine. It’s built around 160 forks, the 5’s not so it climbs and handles poop. I demo’d 5, 5AM with the big forks and an Alpine. 5AM was the worst of the lot, so unbalanced. If you’re going to the alps and the uk venues you mention it sounds like you’ll be seeking the sort of terrain that won’t make you feel overbiked anyway.

HTH

Kev

Although I do suffer from aching hands due to vibrations, I don’t really suffer from arm pump and I think this is due to my climbing. Therefore, I think climbing type exercises would be good as there’s an obvious crossover where bikers and climbers try to delay “getting pumped”.

Things I’ve used include; Power Putty, Gyro-balls, Black Diamond Doughnut (a rubber ring you squeeze), reverse curls (arm and wrist), squeezing a punctured tennis ball, and “Hectar the forearm correcter” which I made from a rolling pin, sash window weight and length of cord. Wind the weight up in a very slow, controlled manner (elbows locked into your side), then unwind and wind up in the other direction. This is the best exercise I’ve found.

HTH

Kev

+4 Warheads. Apparently the Koreans like do too.

Mine are fine – less one of the end caps has come off, but hasn’t affected anything.

The Sycamore is my local, dog friendly and does decent food with good ales at a excellent price. 5 min walk from town centre. Maazi is a cracking Indian and Viva a good Italian, both priced well but not dog friendly.

Dogs**t. Like the worst, super smelly, two man lift, won’t fit in a poo bag kind.

Seen lots of broken spokes, only one not on the “J” bend. So I went for SP, hope ship their wheels with a few spares front and rear too. And they is pimp innit!?

Don’t go 5AM, it’s too compromised. It’s not designed for those forks so the seat tube is too slack, making an Alpine better on the ups. But, as always, that’s only my opinion after demoing the pair…..you might love it!

Nukeproof Mega’s are coming in XL soon…… And with that budget you’d have change for some Flows on Hope hubs and a dropper £££

5’11, have a mega demo’d an 18 alpine, mega felt (and rides…but that’s not your question) better, more agile yet more ‘breathing space’, if that makes sense. In Matlock if you want a spin…..

I did no training, quit the booze for 2 weeks, 3hrs19. Done some more marathon and super-marathon (80km) since, at this stage of the game, rest, stretch, eat well, no booze is all that can be done. A 5hr walk is worth more than a one hour run. Get used to being on you feet for long periods of time. Learning to eat on the move is useful too….sounds odd, but true.

HTH

Kev

Roll in steady, keep off the front break, weight centre/back a little, chin up.

You’ll look back and think WTF was all the fuss about.

Most likely all those about to appear on tonight’s apprentice.

Self discovery types, as above. Especially when all they really discovered was the ability to smash daddy’s credit card, whilst travelling the globe to “find themselves”.

5’11 on a medium, 50mm stem, nukeproof low rise 760mm bars, Thomson set back post. Bob on for me.

HTH

Cheers guys, sounds like typical German efficiency! 😀

A top guide like this on the 1×9 should do:

http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=56&products_id=362

If you’re losing the chain on a SS I suspect its more of a chain line issue…?

Cheers guys, thinking Superstar, and they’re cheap!

Demo’d a 5, Alpine and Mega. Bought the Mega. Absolutely no regrets. Beats a 5 on the downs, matches the Alpine on the downs and way better on the ups.

1x XTR rear mech, I’ll let you know where to buy it from when the total is revealed. 😀

I’ve got an 08 Mitsi Outlander 2.2, it’s fantastic. Get 40mpg if driven sensibly (that was with a full load, 2 bikes and a roof box on top too), £240 to tax per year. Has an additional 2 foldaway seats too, yet a low load bay despite this, lower than the toyota, honda, peugeot freelander versions – I checked for the dogs jumping in and out. Drives like a car, good vis all around, a bit noisier than the BMW 320d it replaced, but that’s expected, 4×4 is very capable also. Absolutely no issues to date. It gets a bit of a slating for being expensive compared to the competition but the horrendous depreciation of Jap motors should see you right there.

HTH

Cheers

A hamsters terminal velocity is not enough to kill it on impact.

I got one of these. Breitling Colt GMT. Best purchase ever, looked at plenty of others since and still love it over all other contenders. It’s nicely understated, can be worn with anything and is absolute quality.

I was approached at Clackett Lane Services whilst eyeing up the new M Series BMW’s; “you look like a man with style, blah, blah”. BMW marquee, brochures top of the range vehicles, all very (and obviously) official. Was told that each vehicle was delivered with posh his and hers watches. If they deliver to a him, they keep hers and vice versa, hence he was flogging some. Spent £110 on the pair a xmas gifts for the parents. A year later mum’s battery went so she took it to Ernest Jones and they refused to change the batteries as they weren’t qualified/insured/whatever. Mum was referred to the manufacturers store on Bond Street, she went there for the batteries, I braced myself for the worst and the first thing the dealer says “very nice watch madam”…..Kaching! They were more of a fashion brand rather than a Breitling, Rolex etc, but the pair retailed for around £4k!

Matlock.

They are cheap, especially for hope hoops and hope parts. They took ages to come and sent me the wrong axle conversion kit 3 times!!!! So my nice, nearly complete (less a 12mm hub spacer) was stood for 3 anger inducing weeks in my lounge. Ended up going to my LBS and sent everything Winstanley back. Will never buy from them again.

Skywalker, you change you shock more than I change my pants! ❗

Go to justgoride and look at my profile “climbingkev” a few gpx’s on there. There’s some real good stuff if you know where to look 😉

Cheers all credit card at the ready…