I have tried others because of the price of assos, but they are not as good (gore were just bloody awful, they are a very specific fit designed for a set sitbone placement). IMO the assos mille shorts are worth it if you do long rides, nothing else works as well for full days or multiple days riding.

Yeah, I’ll qualify my first reply with an agreement with this statement.

I resisted for a while due to the price, but should’ve dived straight in as I’ve had my assos kit for years and it’s still fine, but I spent loads on cheap shorts which I just use for commuting now.

Tried: Endura, Gore, Exte Ondo, Northwave, halfords(!) – all fine but nothing like as good as assos. First pair of Mille shorts in 2006 – not used so much anymore as they’re a bit ‘hot pants’ ie short in the leg. Roubaix 3/4 bought in 2008 (still fine, wore them last week), newer design Mille bought in 2009 (still like new, longer in the leg, brill).

I can also recommend the Intermediate Evo jacket, and the knee warmers. All bought as part of presents and before the price hike of course. :wink:

Ditto coolhandluke; I would think it’s the same engine in the missus’ 170 TDi Golf.

Schoolboy grinning at the ludicrous amount of torque, and 45 mpg. Drinks a lot of oil though.

Shimano sq tapers on both the SS Inbred and the fixed Roadrat.

Mate bought some HT2 BB cups/cranks for his road fixed and the bearings died in about 6 months. Went back to sq taper for fit & forget.

Middleburns are flexy but light. White Ind Enos are stiff, shiny and heavy! I’ve also used some Stronglight Impact cranks (the old Sugino XD) on the Inbred, just because I had the right size chainring. They all work well enough.

cheeezzy24 are you getting the idea? :D

I have Mille shorts, and some assos roubaix 3/4s. I wish I could afford another pair, they’re fantastic.

I got a load of lifeline hooks off a (non-STW) classfieds last summer and lined 7 of my bikes up the wall in the garage, thereby leaving space to actually work on the 2 other bikes and 3 unbuilt frames… :oops:

Your seatpost appears to be worth more than your frame.

If you’d have sold the cassette/mechs/chain guide/shifters on the classifieds you could have got a SS frame for double the price!

@ slugwash looks like the same alpkit one strapped to my bars upthread. The rubber loops make them excellent for strapping to bars. And only a fiver!

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16469&category_id=295

@Vortexracing I’m in email conversation with buggybags.co.uk at the moment about a framebag. Will keep you posted what happens.

I’ve warned Jon at Buggybags that he might get a few more orders in the near future.

I find it a bit annoying having to undo the mudguard stays to get the wheel out

Can’t really see it on my Roadrat photie, but I’ve got the quick-release ‘SecuClips’ on both the front and rear stays. That means I can yank the rears out when I need to remove the wheel. Not my idea, but a good one (although my rear stays are pretty bent from it).

How many running fixed?

Just me and retrodirect (courier/polobike must be, right?)?

My point: I 1×9’d mine for a bit of cyclocross in september, and the horror of rear wheel removal with the mech hanger things…well, it would prompt me to buy a vert dropout bike! Did many of you buy a bike with track ends knowing you’d always run it geared? If so, why?

Back in the early 80’s I did the 600km “Wessex Star”

Last year three of us did Shawn Shaw’s Wessex-based Hellfire 600. Hardest thing I’ve ever done on a bike. Climbing big welsh mountain roads is nothing compared to relentless Dorset/Devon/Somerset 20%ers.

2 years old. perfect winter bike. never knowlingly cleaned. Looks wrong without mudguards, clearances are too big.

large short so I can run bullhorns
Fixed 40×16 – long wheelbase and high BB makes it stable when spinning out and keep the spectre of pedalstrike in the corners at bay
BB7 front/Paul Racer rear using centre mount (mate had the racer going spare, ran it front BB7 only for a year no problems)
Goldtec hubs/open pros
Brooks for the 200k winter audaxes

average of 13mph

you’ll be middle of the field if you can average 13 mph in January.

You’ll find half the field don’t wear a helmet at all (I don’t when audaxing), but none will make a comment about your MTB stylings.

If you get separated from your mate (who I’m guessing has done this before so knows the ropes), just drop in with anyone who’s riding at your pace and start a conversation. They’ll be as interested in the trail centres you’ve been to as you are in how audax works. :-)

I’ll be fresh from my triumphant (possibly SS) victory at Kielder…except 17/18th is my missus birthday weekend :(

Brooks don’t take kindly to being covered in mud, so not great for MTBs. Plus, you gotta love the look, cos you’ll get a lot of stick from those that don’t!

I’d put one on my Tour Divide-spec 29er, and use a B17 Ti on my ultra distance road bike.

For day rides or less, don’t bother.

I rode some of the snow roads route on our Scottish 1300. Amazing roads, fantastic scenery and you’ll never be afraid of a hill ever again.

I got the audax bug in 2005 when my father-in-law talked me into a 100k involving 2 pub stops. Better than time trialling!

Since then I’ve done SRs (200, 300, 400 and 600k in a season) in 2007 – 2010, PBP 2007, LEL 2009, Mille Cymru 1000 2010 and an excellent DIY 1300k round Scotland with a couple of mates (19000m climbing!). 8)

I’ll be at PBP this year, and qualifying doing at least the Dorset Coast 200, Dean 300, Brevet Cymru 400 and Bryan Chapman 600. Also (cos I’m a bit bored with road riding) I’ll be doing the Welsh Ride Thing, a 24hr or two (probably Sleepless +1) and Kielder 100…8 days after PBP. :?

What do you want to know? :D

There could be a big problem with mechanical doping…

Is it ‘classic’ track size? I’ve got miles of old track.

If you can buy Hoy and Pendleton in 1:32 scale (oo-er) then I could probably build a to-scale 1:32 track!

Must be a bit dull though. Banking on the track always decreased the skill needed to keep them in the slot.

‘Large’, claimed as 2.7 litres, but with the roll-up end and some bulging I reckon there’s more capacity that that.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ortlieb-large-saddle-bag/

The bracket is a bit lightweight – I’ll put a strap around it and the seatrails probably, but it tapers away from the legs nicely.

New to this ‘adventure racing’ malarky, so had a bit of a test-fit of some kit planning for some 2-3 day trips this year.

3/4 mat, sleeping bag and bivvy bag in the drybag under the bars = 1675g. Otrlieb saddlebag ~330g (probably use for dry clothes – will force me to pack light!).

Full frame bag in progress at the mo, then probably strap a bottle cage under the down tube to augment my 2 litre Camelbak.

and a real nice 29er to do the Tour Divide on (cos if I had all this money I damn well wouldn’t be working!)

My mate’s father had the 7.2 when I was at uni in the 90s. Don’t think he ever got up to 10 mpg.

Not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate a classic.

Spacemonkey – gotta get me some of that Malt Load. Sounds calorific.

Peanut M&Ms
Any sandwiches with a bit of ‘moistness’ to the in case you’re getting dehydrated (I usually slice tomatoes into mine, but you gotta learn to love squashed, soggy bread)
Sesame Snaps – sesame seeds, sugar & glucose syrup. 550 calories per 100g
Chug a can/bottle of coke if you’re near civilisation (I can’t be bothered to carry 1/2 kg with me, but always buy a bottle if we have a shop stop).

http://www.fenixtorch.co.uk/led_torches/fenix-ld20-r4.html

With a lockblock mount, all you’ll ever need. I have the older Fenix L2D which has done tens of overnight audaxes, as well as 3 winters commuting Dorset lanes.

More lumens aren’t necessary – it’s all about optics otherwise you’re no better than a car with it’s full beams on.

Spend the spare cash from your £100 on half a dozen high-capacity NiMH rechargeable AAs and a decent charger.

Alfa: all good info, thanks!

Just don’t mention those extra inches – I’m really sore I bought my 26″ Inbred just because I had the wheels salready hanging in the garage spare. One day I’ll crack when an XL Singular appears on the classifieds, then the missus will utterly crucify me… :oops: Very jealous of the Niner.

I think I’ll spring for a 20T sprocket for the March ride and see how I get on.

I can already sense the dreaded 9spd cassette/rear mech/thumbie smirking at me from the parts box. :lol: Doesn’t help that my SS-til_I-die mate I’m doing the WRT with has already 1×4’d his 29er!

Thanks Ian.

I usually ride 34×18, and have been considering a 20 or maybe a 22. I’m mindful of how much I already hate spinning down road sections on my current gear though.

I’ve got a kit-test weekend around the Elan Valley planned for March to see how I get on on SS. From this I was going to make the decision from what I learnt.

With my heavyweight Inbred, I doubt very much I could thin my kit down enough to manage 34lb… :(

Alfa: Had a look through you photies. I take it that’s your bike in the pics?

I have been considering going SS for this but can’t decide whether I’d be doing too much pushing once I’d got a load of mediumweight kit strapped to the bike.

How did you get on SS, what gear did you use and did you gear down for loaded welsh riding?

middleburns (!)

Am I missing a joke here (thought they were nice and light?), or do you mean middleburns using sq taper or ISIS are too old hat for a frame like this and will be replaced by some HT2s forthwith?

My imediate thought was are you happy with drop bars offroad, or like riding flat bars onroad?

If the former, go for it (and sell the Swift to me if it’s XL!). If it’s the latter, isn’t the Gryphon setup for drop bars?

Searching for ‘cordura’ turned this thread up.

My better half is handy with the sewing mchine and has recently consented to having a go at a frame bag for my Inbred using that MTBR thread.

However, a couple of metres of Cordura is going to cost me about £25with postage, so I’m very interested in what BuggyBags can do for a tangle bag.

merlintheyogin you’ll have PM in a mo to get some contact details so I can go to BuggyBags with the start line ‘you did this for X, can you do the same for moi’ :-)

To the OP (from a roadie-turned-parttime-MTBer)

Get a drop-barred, geared road racing bike.

For a basic idea, put the measurements into this fit calc. It won’t give definaitve answers but will give you a rough range of top tube lengths to go for. Top tube is the important measurement for a road bike.

If you’ve never had a road bike, go and sit on some in a shop, don’t buy one online until you know more.

Don’t be surprised if you feel like you’re diving over the bars, you should be forward more than an MTB and you’re never going to need to hang off the back of the saddle.

Don’t be afraid to go up to 130mm for a stem, and ceratinly avoid less than 90mm – fast twitchy handling is not a plus on a road bike.

Get a compact double (50/34) chainset if you live in the flatlands – triples are for touring or climbing 25%ers at the end of 150 miles.

Crud Racer guards are now good enough to use one race-geometry bike in all weathers.

do roadie forums tell roadies wanting to go off-road to stop calling it the darkside?

On roadie forums the darkside is more likely to be recumbent riding or something way more niche than MTBing.

No creaks or cracks – gas pipe forever

Danger, roadie moonlighting

This is my granny gear

Watch me for the changes and try to keep up

Diadoras all sold out on the ‘bay in my neanderthal size so I’m eyeing up a pair of the Lake MX140s.

I’m thinking as they’re a bit thinner/lighter than the others I can use ’em from now until about April with or without my winter socks.

Problem: nobody near me stocks ’em. I’m a 46 in the Diadoras I’ve just killed, and a 47 in my roadie Sidis. Comments on Lake sizing?

Hi Cy

I’m well interested in this ‘1lb lighter than the RoadHog’ fork. Will it be avaiable to buy on its own, and will it drop straight into my Roadrat?

Don't lower your seatpost, you're on the bike on a mostly flat course for 99% of the time. You must be in lycra already if you've bought the bike, shirley?!

I can't remount particularly well yet, but the best advice I've had so far is practice doing it in one motion whilst stationary, then work up to speed. Stepping 'into' the bike with the left foot on the last step also helps me.

Try watching a few of these:
http://www.cyclocrossvideos.com/cx/misc/1999_dismount_slow_motion.html
http://bikehugger.com/2008/09/huggacast-56-cross-tips-1.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2mQJkllTKM&feature=related

and one to dream about – the fixed cross dismount!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2gwN_kDLmA

Singular's Kite looks nicer (read 'more like a proper cross bike') than Cotic's X. An email to Sam the other week told me there might be a disc version as well thanks to our friends at the UCI.

But…they're all soooo heavy. I can't see the X being much lighter than my Roadrat, which I can't get below about 21 lb even with stupid lite parts and SS.

The market for these steel cross frames is people who don't race cross.