Haha, I was sooooo jealous of your poorly bike!

I finally got around to editing what footage was useable (ie, the brief moments when my gopro wasn’t covered in crap). If anyone wants a reminder of just how wet it was…

Ground’s wet, sun’s out. It rained all day yesterday but has been pretty dry the last couple of weeks. No major issues, and definitely not as bad as it has been the last few months! Enjoy!

YGM

It was my first too, and I had an absolute riot! Loved every minute (ok, I might not have loved a few minutes on that long draggy techy climb through the trees) and can’t wait for next year. We started near the front and planned to hit the road at a decent pace to beat the queue for the first descent, ended up repairing a broken chain before we got to the forest while several hundred went past! Got around in 4.45 which I wss chuffed with, took a nice leisurely pace and rode with a couple of mates. The climbs were longer than I imagined they’d be, the descents though more than made up for them!
Coupled with Dazh and mintimperial showing us the Climachx trail on Saturday, it was a top weekend all round.
I’m knackered now though!!

I was looking for a raptor too, ended up getting a zealot 15. It’s got all the features of the raptor, just doesn’t come with a bladder. It is quite a bit cheaper though

I’ve got a LWB T5 as my daily driver, wouldn’t be without a van now! Fit’s the 5 of us fine (I’ve got the bench seat up front so can seat 6 if need be). LWB will take bikes in the back without wheels off, so there’s room for 6 bods + bikes and kit for days/weekends away. The rear seat is on a quick release so is a 2 minute job to remove should I need to for work, I’ve also made a bolt in camper unit and bed for weekends away camping. we have slept all 5 of us in it on a few occasions (no pop-top or awning), which is snug but doable for the odd night, usually when travelling somewhere, although we’ve now got a decent driveaway awning for the kids to sleep in. Drove to Greece and back in it last year and it was pain free. Mine gets 600 miles per tank (T32, 105ps), no matter how laden or seemingly how I drive it, it’s always 38mpg.
Make sure any that you get (if going 2nd hand) has full service history, they’re long life service intervals which need to be kept to apparently. Cruise is an easy an fairly cheap retro fit if you want that and find the right van that doesn’t have it, air-con on the other hand is a fortune, so if that’s important make sure you have it from the off.
I prefer barn doors for loading, but a tailgate would make a bike rack easier. If you end up with barn doors you’re pretty much restricted to a towbar mounted rack.

Do it, you won’t look back!

Anyone selling places has to do so by midnight tonight to have the names changed on the entry list, unless you’re happy to ride as someone else I suppose

I’ll remind you of that when the jager comes out on Saturday night

Doing it for the first time and really looking forward to it. Been trying to build up some miles with climbs the last few weeks, think I’ve only succeeded in making myself knackered! I’ll get round one way or another, but it might be dark by the time I finish. Main worry at the mo is sandwicheater sorting a bike out, I need someone to talk to at the back!
I haven’t heard anything from dyfi or stuweb, but our names are on the entry list on the site so should be all good, I’m planning on just following dazh around all weekend anyway to make sure we’re in the right place at the right time.

On a more social note, is the fri/sat/sun night spent wholly in the beer tent, or do we need to bring beers / whiskey / jager and campfire equipment?

Great ride, thanks chaps. I thought the rain over Easter would’ve wrecked some of those trails, couldn’t believe how dusty it was on the tops. I’ve just about finished cleaning the dust off my bike. The council just phoned, they want to know why the river needs dredging again already…

Cool, see you there, I’ll be on a black switchback

Room for one more? I was going to head out from ludd foot on my tod tomorrow morning but I could get to the square for 8 if you don’t mind a tag along?

Yep, Oban for the weekend, then over to Mull for a week. I’m selling it as character building! The kids still think they’ll be building sand castles, I reckon it’s more likely to be snowmen…

If the kids don’t piss about at bed time I’ll be there

I’ll be there, think Billy’s coming again too. Saw the forecast last night, it’ll either be lovely, dry and frozen, or we’ll be riding in a blizzard…

Never been to Cragg, I’m in!

Mine both wear Bell Factions, and I can vouch for their quality. My daughter went head first into a stone wall when she panicked going downhill and forgot about her brakes, it split the inner of the helmet in 2 but she walked away unscathed (put her off hill for a while). My son happened to be still wearing his when he fell backwards off the top step of the big slide at the park, again, came away fine. They fit well and come with differing thickness pads to use as they grow. I wouldn’t put mine in anything else now

Or you could get the Thule easy base for pretty much the same price. It’s already got lights and plate mount, and doesn’t look like you’ve made it in your shed…
https://roofracks.co.uk/thule-easybase-949/?gclid=CjwKEAiA58a1BRDw6Jan_PLapw8SJABJz-ZWTTq9jPElIW-dwtk0quBTXEAbDpUbs2_zpks2S3u8BRoCo2jw_wcB

Thanks for last night Daz, it was certainly one of the more interesting rides I’ve done! At least it didn’t rain…

I’m in! See you at the pub

Well I’ve got 2 worldpay receipts, each for 3 entries, and no names on the list. I emailed Stuweb and got an email back from Stuart himself, as long as I’ve a worldpay receipt my names will be on the list by tomorrow lunchtime. Here’s hoping! If I get 3 places confirmed, I’ll probably have another 3 to either return or offer on here.

Daz, I’ve either got no tickets or 6, I need 3. i managed to put payment through and got a reference number, but it didn’t direct me back to Stuweb so i tried again. Same result but different ref

If you’re out of pocket £230 I’d at least try and chase them for that, they can’t retract their offer of £2070 as far as I’m aware so you’ve nothing to lose.

Ignore Sandwicheater, I think he’s lost his bike recently ;-) ! If ever you fancy a ride around Hebden Bridge give us a shout. Can do the odd weekend, but mostly ride Tuesday nights, there’s also a few of us try to ride most Thursday nights meeting about 8.30. Could also look up Calderdale mountain bike club on Facebook, they ride on a weds night from Salterhebble, probably only 10 mins drive away from you, nice friendly mixed ability bunch

great video, googling that pub it appears to be filmed near Keighley.

The Guide might be near Keighley, but I’m pretty certain most of it is filmed above Hebden Bridge around Blake Dean hostel

How much????? ;-)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FAD-New-Bicycle-Sports-Red-LED-Rear-Light-3-Modes-Waterproof-Bike-Tail-Lamp-/171975184037?var=470862795163&hash=item280a850ea5:m:mgQ85nDPUp1MGk2jcowMetg

Only ridden the Stoodley Pike side of the valley since the floods and that was wet, very wet! There’s also a MASSIVE landslide right over London Road pretty much directly below the pike. It’s impassable unless you want to get knee deep in mud. Another cheeky trail we were heading for was also closed due to a severe landslide. The canal path between Hebden and Tod is also completely closed. That said, if you want a ride I’m sure you could easily find one, and the cafe’s of Hebden Bridge would definitely welcome you!

Our youngest has one and loves it, she’ll be 2 next month. She’s gone from wanting to walk everywhere to wanting to ride everywhere. Nor sure how much I can review it other than to say it seems as well made as our other Frogs (very), and it’s light enough to carry on the odd occasion she doesn’t want to ride it. She knows the brake makes it stop, but doen’t use it at the moment. I’d rather have one than not though.

Thanks for last night Greg, and for showing me that rock I’ve always ridden around instead of over! And yes, Daz did crash on every descent, well, Blue Pig he just kind of fell over sideways whilst looking at the root…

I picked up a pair of Five Ten Diddie Schneider in the sale from CRC earlier this year, and have been really happy with them. They’re ideal for the ype of riding i do, have been pretty much waterproof (as much as any shoe can be with a massive hole that your foot goes in through), are toasty warm, and feel pretty much indestructable. Online reviews said they were heavy and uncomfortable, but I’ve not noticed either of these at all. They seem to be out of stock most places now, but still available in a few sizes on amazon US. Think I paid about £35 for them.
http://www.amazon.com/Five-Ten-Mens-Diddie-Schneider/dp/B008XES5QQ

I’ll be out tonight in Hebden, if my fingers don’t drop off before the end of the day. 8.15 at the old gate or the car park?
Lee.

Decent ride last night, cheers Daz. I really need to remember a change of clothes for the drive home next time, I think my arse is still drying out! Hopefully I’ll be along for another soon. (ride, not arse).

I got a pair of Endura MT500 last year – absolute crap. The arse lasted about a dozen rides, of which I’d probably class 3 or 4 as being wet. It’s a shame, as the rest of the shorts still look brand new, and they’re comfy as hell.

Does anyone have any recommendations for some of the iron on type patches or tape? Would need to be fairly big, think the biggest hole’s about 3″ now!

This is the way I’d come off the moor and head down Peckett Well, so where your track crosses mine, turn about there
http://www.strava.com/activities/394375724

There’ll be descents, but I’m afraid there’ll be as many climbs…

How early? A couple of us will be in Hebden about 8.45 Sunday morning if you want to tag along?

Midgley Moor was a bogfest 2 weeks ago, and it’s rained a lot since. Rest of route will be fine tho. Looking forward to it!
I might struggle to ride past the weavers and climb back up to Sowerby though!

You went the wrong way off the front ;-)

From bottom of blue pig, I’d head up past house of shit (bridleway between the car parks at hardcastle craggs, go straight and keep climbing, you’ll know it when you see it!), follow Haworth old road till you get to tarmac, then head right, back up to Peckett Well then drop back down Peckett A or B to midgehole road, then back into Hebden.

Mattyfez, although I love your drawing of Stoodley Pike, do you realise how much great riding you’re missing out on on that route?