@MFCat – I doff my cap to you. That is genius! 🙂

You can pick up the Fox Flux for less than 50 notes now. I love mine, very comfy. The rear spoiler is removable.

LOL – Thanks aP

Wow, they look nasty!

Think I might give them a wide berth as I don't want to dissolve my bike.

Did anything happen? Just found this thread and after riding SP for the past two weekends I reckon most of the Kitchener will be swamp by the end of the autumn.

Very pleased with my white Goodridge ones. Very slick shifting and fully sealed.

Another vote for Middleburn here.

Been super-ghetto tubeless for 6 months now. No punctures and no burping for me. Definitely wouldn’t go back to riding with tubes. Too many brambles and too much hawthorn around here.

The only reason I would use tubes again is if I wanted to run my tyres at some insanely low pressures as you are asking for trouble then.

I second snotrag’s comments on 2Bliss – Run Eskars ghetto just sealing the rims with tape (no BMX tube faff). A little Stan’s solution and they sealed first time and lose no air at all. Very impressed and would certainly buy them again.

I used to run Enduro Pro’s but prefer the Eskars as they have much less rolling resistance and they are not as ridiculously wide.

Knocking sound – I’m not saying that it is this but, make sure it’s not your main pivot bearings that have gone. Mine disintegrated and ended up wrecking my ’07 frame. The only way to be certain is by dismantling them though as my suspension felt fine. If they have collapsed they will cause the rocker linkage to rub against the seat tube which made a knocking noise on my bike as it wore through the tube as the suspension compressed.

Glad to hear you are enjoying the Trance though. I hope to get down to Swinley again soon, I will let you know.

Reign X. I only say this because I have an 09 frame and it makes an absolutely amazing bike. I use it for everything. It won’t build into the lightest bike but with sensible component choices it will go anywhere you need it to as long as you MTFU and just get on with it. Highly recommended.

I had it back in 2007. Luckily got treated reasonably early with antibiotics. Very unpleasant period of my life really, took the best part of a year to feel ‘right’ again.

I never got a positive result from the “Western Blot” test that is used to test for Lyme in the UK but it’s notoriously unreliable anyway. I was treated based on clinical diagnosis and had the classic Erythema Migrans rash around several of my bites.

Good luck with it!

@dawson – I usually get there for something like an 8am start before the trails get like a long precession. At this time I am not sure on timings though so not really in a position to organise a ride. We have visitors this weekend so may start later if they want to tag along (they won’t be riding though). You are welcome to join but my fitness sucks at the moment so it will be far from fast.

I will be there Sunday morning 🙂

I use 2Bliss Eskar 2.3 “super-ghetto” (just tape, no cut up tube as rim strip) on non-UST Halo Freedom Disc wheels. They are superb. Inflate easily and have no air loss at all using Stans Sealant.

Yeah, that’s mine.

(not really – It’s a 460 seen it there before)

@righty – Exactly the method I use. I use Speccy 2Bliss tyres (Eskar) with Stans sealant and they work a treat. I only need CO2 to initally seat the bead of the tyre, after that a track pump is fine.

Been evangelising about it ever since as it feels like a new bike.

I use CO2 to inflate mine. The 12v Car compressors wont work as the volume of air they deliver is too small. If you shop around online you can buy CO2 cartridges very cheap.

Use the tape method, it’s easier and better IME.

pmsl @ Pook – unlucky mate.

You racing on Sunday then adey?

Doh! – Sunday afternoon is off then. Will have to be a local ride. Thanks for the heads-up guys!

Nice one. It’s the best feeling in the world. My 4 year old has been riding since he was just 3 and now rides like an old pro, there’s just no stopping them once the training wheels come off! My 2 year old is next but I feel it will be a while yet.

@matt_outandabout – I agree, the geometry is spot on, they have done a proper job of scaling the bike down for little dudes. The brakes are the best thing about it though, easy reach for him and very light action. He was really struggling with his brakes previously. Easily the best looking of all the bikes we saw as well IMO.

@scott b – Bought it from the nice folks at Rutland Cycling. It’s RRP is currently £280. It’s a great little bike, very light, great brakes and the scaled down forks are superbly plush. Looked at several options and felt this one suited him best. It really is a proper MTB in minature and he loves it 🙂

Pook – That’s a damn fine idea.

Next Wednesday also be an option for me 🙂

Superb ride there yesterday morning. Kitchener drying out nicely. Had a good few blasts down the dual desceder as well. It’s all good 🙂

Shame there aren’t more berms (and less gutters!) so you can carry more speed as it’s quick at the moment.

@adey205 – Early for me too but the only time I can get a pass from the wife at the weekends. If I get there at that time I can get a good few hours in and still get home for lunch.

I’m riding at 8am Saturday with Jon. Going to check out some of the new stuff we were introduced to last Saturday. 🙂

9th from the left, right at the back. (overkill-mungus Giant Reign X) 🙂

Great ride today folks, even though I was feeling crap and had to drop out early.

Would be good to make it a semi-regular thing as I have now found a load of new stuff to ride that I never knew was there!

Big thanks to Pook for suggesting it.

What tyres for tomorrow?

😉

On my second Reign X 🙂

Love em!

The plan sounds good to me Pook!

There were 20+ at the Swinley NYE ride and it was a fairly informal affair with the route chosen more by consensus than anything else. As long as most folks are willing to ‘go-with-the-flow’ then it works well. The main thing is to stop at the main sections where there is a choice of trail. (…he says selfishly as he will need time to catch up.) 😉

I am happy to ride wherever as long as it includes that lovely first section of the Kitchener.

I’ll be quite happy at the back as my current level of fitness won’t allow for any other position I’m afraid.

Light rain forecast. Might have to bring the hardtail so I don’t get my new bike muddy 😉

Wow, If everyone turns up that will be 27 currently. That’s more than the new years eve Swinley Forest ride I was on!

So how many are riding this Saturday so far?

Me and two buddies will be along. I will be on a gold Giant Reign X and answer to “Daim”, “Damian” or “Oi!”

Sounds like it’s going to get busy 🙂

@twang – Nice summary of the best bits, your descriptions are spot on. I know exactly the sections you are talking about 🙂

Hope it dries out a bit before the weekend. A buddy of mine rode their today and said it was very muddy in the muddy bits. Either way I’m looking forward to it. (The riding and the obligatory fat-knacker breakfast bap in the cafe afterwards)

Has anyone actually spoken to ‘whoever-is-in-charge-of-the-trails-project’?

I wonder if they are actually aware of the concerns of the riders? If not, then maybe it will never be completed correctly.

abductee’s comment about walking with a chainsaw is spot on. There is no trail in those sections, just a path through the trees that get’s ever more unrideable. I reckon there is a very real danger that it could all end up being a missed opportunity for Pines. The scope is there for some lovely flowing trails and singletrack but if the trail design and build is just left to Clixby’s with no close rider/trail designer input and feedback then it will end up being mediocre at best.

I might be calling this too soon as it is clearly not finished yet but when will it be too late?

@adey205 – so I hear.

They need to do something about having gutters on the outside of bends as well, They are bleedin’ dangerous IMO. On the outside of a fast bend you expect a berm, not a drop off.

That’s it. I feel better getting that off my chest 🙂

Been for a blast around Kitchener trail this morning – The dry bits are bone-dry, the wet bits are still very muddy. On the whole, a pleasant ride though.

I just wish they would start work reinforcing some of the muddier sections as they just continue to get worse.