Doug, I'm speaking about XC trails here. But I know one of the chaps who used to help build at Foel and it sounds like if you costed up all volunteer time, it wouldn't be cheap.

But the point is that there are plenty of people willing to build quality trail for free reducing the initial cost of a trail making the limited numbers it will bring worthwhile.

The same goes for black grade XC trails. One of the reasons given for the closure of the older trails at CyB is that they are unsustainable however after a year or two closure and a bit more rain erosion the old trails are running better and far more natural than they ever have. It's just a shame some of them got bulldozed to make way for the new trails.

I'm pretty sure Foel, Hopton, Bringewood, Caersws, Rheola, Mynydd Du and even Moelfre etc didnt cost hundreds of thousands to 'build'. They also get more interesting as they wear meaning minimal repair costs. There may be a smaller market for advanced trails however the setup and maintanance costs are minimal.

I gladly pay many times the asking price of Welsh trail centers to ride these venues due to the quality of these 'budget' trails. even without uplifts. Add in a weekend of uplifts or racing for around £70 and you've got a sold out venue for the weekend.

I have deliberately left out Cwmcarn BMX track due to it bein designed to be maintainable to an easier standard that will attract a wider range of riders to make the full time uplift service viable.

What gets annoying is when decent trails at trail centers are blocked off, destroyed etc in the name of progress then you get asked to subsidise their tame replacements. I can understand the risk management aspect of these trail but I'm never going to agree with it.

When we were in Bourg it was bouncing all week due to the French National Kayak Champs and the tour rolling through. As has been mentioned before, stop in Bourg and you've got uplifts well into the evening via the funicular and free busses. We did the high up and off the back stuff in the morning and afternoon then had a break around 4-5 ish before hitting up the trails under 1600, 1800 and in the Malgovert for a few hours as the sun set.

How about a different approach. I got a 180mmFSA X-drive BMX style crankset from CRC for £30 instead of over a ton. Sold the ring and spider for £22 on that auction place then bought a couple of BMX chainrings at £5 a piece in different sizes and a few spares.

They also have 170mm on offer.

Fitting is a bit fiddly as you have to get all the axle spacers in the right place but it is mega strong and stiff.

The FS version with an RP32 is a bargain at £400 for taller riders.

Monkeyboy. Hips, shoulders and eyes pointed where he wants to go, Weight on the dropped outer pedal. Pressure on inner grip and pulling up on the outer grip.

Basic Cornering
Advanced Cornering

Think about the corner coming onto the off camber section. Is there any way you could exit onto a higher line?

Also look for any compressions on the off camber section where you will get extra grip you could use to get further up the hill.

As Jedi says, turn your hips and shoulders to face uphill in a similar manner to cornering. Drop the downslope pedla and get all your weight on it. Pull up on your outside grip and push down on the inner one to get even more pressure on your outside pedal. Ride neutral by moving your body weight over the cranks rather than hanging off the bars and over the back wheel. In general riding your weight should be nicely centred over the cranks. Bring it forward for corners for extra grip on the front and move it back to help the front wheel over trail obstacles. Keeping your front wheel tracking is more important than the rear so if it starts to slide get some more weight over the front.

If all else fails, really weight up the front by moving your weight right the way over the bars. The extra grip will get the front end up the hill enough to just miss the tree. Allow the rear to slide low.

You'll still hit the tree with your body but as the front wheel is past the tree and your weight is forward you can push the bike forward under you and around the tree using your elbows against the tree for leverage. If you've come to a complete standstill, apply the brakes and pull yourself up ;)

KMC Z9000 from Ribble. £7.75ea or £6.95ea for orders over £50.

It looks like the bus driver made a recognised error called a foot placement error. After you've stopped you put the handbrake on. When you are ready to pull off you put your foot gently on the footbrake then take the handbrake off. Very rarely a driver can put their foot on the gas by accident. The bus moves forward as the handbrake is taken off. The drivers reaction is to press the 'footbrake' harder which usually results in panic. You can see where this is leading.

In this case the driver appears to loose rational thought at the prospect of hitting the bus in front, steers violently to the right to avoid it then tries to steer back to the left.

After the initial error the driver just reacts to the situation until the immediate danger is reduce to a level where tyhere is enough time to rationally work that his foot is on the gas.

There have been instances where buses have travelled several hundred yards before coming to a stop after hitting buildings or other large vehicles often with the drivers foot still planted on the gas pedal. The driver has just been panicking about avoiding as many vehicles/pedestrians as possible as he can't stop due to his 'failed' brakes all the way down the road.

It depends on the conditions and whether you are experienced enough to read them correctly. I've taken a bike up there in nearly horizontal rain but turned back at Clogwyn on a crisp sunny day due to there being fresh snow over ice from the night before.

Is it right that the new style Alpine is rather like the new style Alpine in terms of geometry etc?

Almost identical I'd say. :roll:

Black 8
Vernettes Chapel

A few more vids of trails in the area to download in a slightly higher res here.

3 Bikes on a towball rack and one in the boot with it's wheels bungied to the bikes outside with a bit of padding to stop them rubbing.
3/4 on the roof and one in the boot using the same wheel trick.
2/3 on the roof and 1/2 on a normal boot rack.

If your going a long way take the forks and mech off the one in the boot to get it to fit across rather than folding a seat.

Check the rear tyre doesnt hit seatpost under full compression when running a 200*57 in the FR position. Unlike running a 57mm shock in the XC position, the swingarm will be passed it's designed range of movement in the fully compressed position.

have been riding dh xc and freeride on insert free alloy cranks for many years and its never caused me any issues

I'm 18st and like big drops.

I'm guessing because is marketed as a cheep XC/trail crank, not as a freeride crank?

I'm not convinced that steel inserts are nececary. I've got burgtech PHF's on the old design XT crank, if any pedal was going to rip the thread out, its those badboys!
I suppose it depends on how heavy handed you are. I'm also not the smoothest of riders.

No steel pedal inserts is the main thing IMO. Not something you would consider until you've ripped a pedal out the crank arms whilst doing something stupid.

Wear a helmet.

Whilst on holiday in the Alps.

Check for two air valves on the top of the left leg. If there are, add air to the one in the middle until the fork drops to the required height.

The High Roller is on the wrong way round as a front tyre.

It's not too early for beer is it?

Depends if you've been to bed or not. ;)

The person in 4th only missed 4th by 2secs. Gutted.

Now, new frame, pretty new forks (just had a extra firm spring put in the Lyriks too)

Top support from The Cyclery and Yeti. Now replace the frame with something more suited to a big guy with 6"+ forks.

Never assume.

"Assumption is the mother of all f'ups."

The fork has got 2004 Z1 internals. The damping is circuit is from a time before forks got so complex. If you pour oil in, I don’t think it can’t not go into the damper.

Yes but if you don’t cycle the damper before measuring oil height the oil height drops as the damper fills on the first couple of strokes ;)

Follow someone slightly quicker than you. When you get as fast as them, find someone else to follow.

200*57mm shocks are fine as long as you don’t try to run them in the FR setting.

Did the shop have one of these in large in the sale?

Depends on your riding style, your weight and what your putting it on.

Run both 2.35’s and 2.1’s SP tyres with no bother.

There’s always plenty of front OEM Aksiums going on eBay as they tend to get replaced with lighter wheels pretty quickly however rear wheels tend to be kept for use on the turbo.

You’ll be left with a spare axle, bearings and spokes.

Does it matter?

While quite a few riders flew past on the descents without warning the only one I remember was in a green t-shirt and y ddraig goch pisspot helmet. I only remember as it was distinctive.

I’m sorry if I surprised you. I shouted “on your left/right” when approaching everyone I passed however understand that it can sometimes be missheard or not heard at all so also waited for a passing place that riders only had to hold their line on rather than move out of the way.

great atmosphere, brilliantly organised – but could we have some “along” as well as straight up and straight down?

Can we have more straight down and a few uplift shuttles on the longer climbs?

A massive thanks to ‘The Holey Trail’ for the use of a QR 20mm axle for my Zocchies.

I thought I wasnt riding after forgetting to put mine in the car but a longshot trip to the bike shop paid off.

I swear I was getting sucked along by the air pocket created by those tyres on the lane up to the first climb.

Some BB7’s to keep it all simple and easy to service whilst out touring.

Coil sprung and open bath, it’s the future.