Dan you are very welcome on the Stop Crashing course on Friday 7th May. Just get a train to Todmorden station and I'll pick you up on my way past. I'll drop you off at the end of the day, no worries.

Send me an email and we'll get it all sorted out.

ed@great-rock.co.uk

Singletrack test pair going very well so far. Were on Ragley Ti, now on an Intense SS. Review to come in the mag but not for a few months to give time to evaluate longer term reliability.

Hoops Pro 3 SP-AM4 has 20mm bolt through

Here

jimmy – It's a 16" frame with 160mm Marzochhi 55 RC3 Ti forks

Just look on a map. You'll see the bridleway marked from Pecket Well (near the garages). When the trail forks you can go left or right. Right is more muddy and more rocky. Both are ace. You pass under mini-Stoodley if you take the right fork. Right drops you at the toilets by N.T. car park, left drops you further towards Hebden at the dyeing works.

Woops

Sorry

Lee Quarry is covered in snow. Higher ground like Blackstone Edge will have plenty and as it's a bit windy it's drifting.

Pretty much sums up the vibe of our spot.

Rusty Spanner – OOOPS. Sorry! Was that when you fell on my shovel?

Good to see you all, shout at you all and give you all a good blow! My voice it a bit Barry White now.

Thanks to those who actually said who they are. It always helps to get a name.

scotabroad – Details for me are on my site which is linked to by clicking on my user name. Roughly £60 per person in a group or £180 for a one to one day.

elaine anne – middle(ish) 40s more than welcome. Certainly is some bad mud up there in the top part of the loop. I was there with a group on Sunday.

Not me.

Gisburn Forest, Lee Quarry and Calderdale for me.

Everyone has got plenty to learn. Even the trainers. Often it's just fine tuning or noticing something that the rider themselves are unaware of doing.

Flats will make you relax your legs because if you don't you're screwed!

Give them a go Mick, but build your confidence in them by getting used to them gradually. There will be lots to re-learn.

I'll be asking people on the Flow and Black Magic courses to bring flats for part of the day.

stumpyjon – Liked your new postcards. You need to drop some off with Tim at the Dog and Partridge. Loads of people in there yesterday and the pub will be an ideal place for putting out the word on how to get involved with dig days.

Saw a Tawny Owl perched close up in the trees at Gisburn today, right by the side of the trail and with a mouse in it's beak. Lovely.

It's on the track that comes from the Dog & Partridge, passing the quarry and start of the Red route top loop on the right, past the downhill track with drop offs on the left. Just after that you'll see the roll in on your right.

If you don't get it, just ask Tim at the pub to give you directions.

Photos here[/url]

Here a video of Nigel riding up the roll in at Gisburn. Great to see you all at the weekend, I'll edit up more of the video asap and I'll post a link to the photos that I took as well. Expect to see more collaborations between Nigel and me in the future.

Nigel going up the downhill track!

Good luck and keep your bikes. My wife has ME and we're keeping her bike in the shed, so that it's ready for her again, when she is ready for it.

Nigel at Gisburn today. Looking just a little cheeky….

Great shot JC

The pub, because you can have a well earned drink when you get back there. Plus free bike wash and parking and advice and a warm welcome and soon a bike shop and local knowledge……….

Dog & Partridge[/url]

Yes it is the new building work. I'll be starting work there next week as part of the team and you can expect regular updates through the Blog on the front page.

Not coming out to nail some drops splatz?

I'm going to be there 😉

Neither Nigel nor me are staying at the pub, so as to avoid getting leathered and being good for nothing on Sunday! Looking forward to an end of the day pint though and to seeing you all for a good weekend of progression.

I really didn't get on with the jacking of the rear suspension on the test Moment that we had at the magazine last year, especially on big hits and slow speed, steep riding.

B54s on my Ragley Ti at the moment. Very impressed so far with the price (CRC £25) and the grip.

5.10s and grippy pedals

This is what I've got on my bikes at the moment. All Maxxis.

Ragley Ti. Front 2.4 Ardent 60a. Rear 2.25 Crossmark 60a – great fast rolling combination with decent volume. Brilliant on trail centre terrain and trail riding, rear is not that grippy in mud but fine where there's a rock / gravel base. I've been running this mix for a couple of long xc rides in Calderdale and South Pennines as well as for running skills courses at Gisburn Forest and Lee Quarry.

Ibis Tranny. Front High Roller 42a. Rear Crossmark 60a. I put the 42a tyre on the front for some steep and slippy tech riding round Hebden Bridge, it needs to come off now for something faster rolling, probably a 60a Minion.

Ibis Mojo. Front 2.35 42a Swampthing – brilliant winter tyre for the slither, also good on wet rocks and roots. Rear 2.35 60a Minion DHF – plenty of grip and fast enough rolling.

Come on. They're saying that Ambleside has all the facilities of a trail centre – parking, eating, great bike shop – and loads of great riding. It's the same way that Dales Bike Centre in Swaledale is a trail centre, or at least a centre of trails…..with all the facilities.

No snow up there. As people say there is the odd patch of ice on the Red. Not too much of it and you can ride over most of it, with care, or because you don't see them in time!

The Black is well iced up.

The rest of it is dry, hardpack. really nice and fast rolling. You could just imagine what it's like in the summer with dust in the air….just about imagine.

Skills training at Gisburn tomorrow. DH with Nial Sunday, probably at Wharncliffe.

This should be a news story up on the front page of the site!

Don't forget that the new sections of trail will be ready for racing on at the Singletrack Classic Weekender on 3-4 July. Tickets are already on sale in the online shop, linked above.

Ian – I started up with the intention doing a bit of work guiding people in Calderdale and maybe doing a little bit of skills training as well. My business is now predominantly skills courses and maybe 1% guiding. Not many people are looking for guided riding in the UK these days because there are so many trails where you can just follow the arrows. Good luck with whatever you plan to do.

Ed-O
Have you come up with a plan from Saturdays site meeting?

We've got a plan. There's some tape gone down even! More details to follow soon….

On the 'off the back' thing….

On way steep slopes you will be off the back to keep a good balanced position on the bike. However lots of people ride off the back as a default position every time the hill goes down, regardless of how steep it is. They also do this when riding over rocks, at any gradient, or when riding berms. The result is often a lack of control and the inability to turn the bike. A slack bike will allow you to ride further forward on the bike. As Brant says you can keep your elbows more bent like this and you can steer the bike better. Sweetness results!

Or a bent mech hanger, or cables need replacing.

It's all good now, I was there yesterday and today.

There's some mud and some slither, but it is a mountain bike trail so I think this can be expected 🙂