Come on then Adrian, how are the bikes?

Have the UK trails lived up to your Spanish experiences?

If someone is going to spend £100 quid in halford I’ll give you £25…nay £30 for the Garmin! Would be mucho grateful.

Mr potatohead – Not a bad idea. My final act from the grave could be to make all you mugs walk up that ba5tard hill.

Brilliant, my last hours are to be spent tapping out e-mails that no one will read and moving numbers between speadsheets that no one understands

Sorry Harry, I’ve made it known that my bike will be buried with me.

Well I went out last night, and what a lovely night it was too!

Saw plenty of people on the trails (though never congested)

Not an axe murderer in sight….

I take paypal gift 8)

….Santa Cruz have now updated their website

http://www.santacruzbikes.co.uk/news/santa-cruz-demo-days-13/151

Just to let you know after a fairly lengthly twitter exchange with LeisureLakes, and alerting them to the dates published on the Santa Cruz website:

THERE IS NO DEMO DAY THIS WEEKEND AT LEE QUARRY

There is one at cannock this weekend, with Lee Quarry to follow in April.

I intended on posting something today.

For full twitter shenanigans search ‘BristolManc’ (that’s me) and see the LeisureLake exchanges.

This is a lovely little place

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g186447-d617241-Reviews-Swn_y_Dwr_Guest_House-Betws_y_Coed_Snowdonia_National_Park_North_Wales_Wales.html

11 post, I wasn’t far off.

I like the idea of little shelter coming off the front in order to do work. As said above, don’t think it’s possible to have any number of bikes and a small tinkering area in a shed that small.

The first 10 posts or so always discuss the security issue, then some hero just wades in and posts a shed. The shed-floodgates (shedgates) then seem to open.

I would if I had one, but people of here get funny with posting pictures of where they keep bikes / security set-up.

Only ever been down to Phillips with mates and wouldn’t fancy it on my own. Had dickheads drive at us a couple of times

vs.

Plenty out and about at philips during the week, never had an issue

It’s the consistency that keeps me coming back to STW :D

[double post]

Thanks for all the reassuring comments guys. Brilliant…

Binners – thanks. Due to the fact i’ve sold out to the maaaaan, I struggle to get away from the office before 7pm. But if you run a 8-11 slot that would be ideal…?

I’m going to try and get out at least 2/3 times a week until the end of March. I’ve signed up for the Afan enduro, and apparently some people train for it :?

MTFU soft lad.

It is the Hurst Woods werewolf and the escaped axe murderers that you should be worried about.

HTH

Awww disaster, my shoulder’s playing up…. From the feel of it, probably won’t be much better until March 31st (that’s when the clocks change right?!)

Terrahawk – quite right. I need to sort myself out / stop listening to scare stories. I’m not originally from Manc, so just didn’t want to be naive. For instance there’s places in Bristol (where I grew up) I wouldn’t head out to of an evening.

Rustyspanner – Pass on my thanks you to your lovely wife! It will be my first ride after 10 days out of the saddle. There’s only one way to get over a fall, that’s head straight back to where you did it!

Brilliant. You’ve effectively doubled my initial concerns…

Craig’s a good egg. It’s a shame HH is the other end of town otherwise i’d use them more regularly.

I agree that skills matter more, and the importance of bike choice is over estimated.

Though not sure that unless you’re aiming for top 10 you should just rock up for a bit of a larf. People will have put a lot of hard work, training and money into entering and we should be careful not to diminish these efforts by saying ‘ah, it’s only a bit of fun’.

Obviously it should be fun, but for some putting in their best performance will be just as important.

I’m always tempted by a night ride there, but have been told horror stories of feral youths gouging out BBs etc.

It be safe then?

Sounds ideal, but got the old man visiting from Spain / shoulder is recovering from Saturday. Let me know if it’s a regular thing as I usually ride sole. Thanks

@Harry, @chrisman – Thanks. My grasp of local geography is, well, crap.

@hallz I must say I thought that was the same Phillips Park as well. In fact the guys at the cycling car-boot style thing at the velodrome last month led me to believe it was the same park.

I was excited, now I’m a bit confused!

As we’re indulging in an Evans love-in I had a nice experience on Sunday in the one on Deansgate, Manchester.

Only a little thing and only cost less than a few pence, but when I asked if they had any cable ties, I was asked small, medium or large and how many I would like. Had a nice little chat about enduro and then off I went.

Like I said only a very small thing – cable ties and friendliness – but still a nice touch.

I did 4 @ 171st if that helps?

I was 204th and did 4 laps if that helps. Looks like a LOT of people did 4 laps

Of the large number that finished with 4 laps I very much suspect I would have finished toward the back. I did 3 laps, all of which were around the 32 min mark before having a delusional Danny Hart moment on the jumps :oops:

Sorry not in China town, nbt Manc geography (and memory) is obviously better than mine

Chaophraya is pretty good and in China Town so walkable

I crashed out :( Anyone know what position the cut off between 3 and 4 laps is?

I was on for 4 and just interested so I can try and improve next year.

Is it on the classifieds? Just someone I know is in the market for a Soul.

Massive thanks to all the organisers, marshals and (especially for me) the St. John Ambulance. The course was epic, brilliant down bits and crunching ups!

Unfortunately for me I decided to show off on the jumps and just got back from A&E. Dislocated shoulder and a few cuts and bruises. MASSIVE thanks to everyone who looked after me (especially the chap who pushed my broken bike back to the car park and the lady who first helped me). Although rubbish for me, it really showed the spirit of the event!

Was on my 3rd lap and like to fool myself that I would done 4. Thanks again, great morning.

That’s just what they want you to believe….

Bristol?! I won’t say Manchester is the best, but I can say (being or Bristol blood) it is certainly better that Bristol.

If I had to say somewhere, North Wales probably.

Mrs Sox got a bunch of flowers and a card this morning – we don’t usually do Valentines – “oh, what a lovely suprise”, she said.
“Not as much of a surprise as the new Synapse that I’m going to wheel in on Saturday”, I thought

Classic. I’m off for a pint in the local (Cask, Manchester if you’re passing) and then having a Waitrose meal for two with my buddy. The Mrs. is planning a girls holiday with her friends.

Valentine’s Day…..pffft!

http://elbry.blogspot.co.uk/

He seems a nice enough chap

Is there a full-susser category? Even I don’t think I can out-“last” someone with a hangover and 2 hours sleep and I would like to finish last in at least one category.

Always found them to be top chaps in there

Fantastic place, Shame i’m not allowed back after an incident with Snow, an uppy downy bollard and fireworks

Pictures or it didn’t happen :D

Sharkattack – very jealous, your trip sounds amazing.

I would say anywhere in the Alps, probably Sauze d’Oulx

But given that money might be an issue and it’s so damn cheap I’d like to give Andorra a go. I went there skiing last month – bloody lovely.

Might have trouble convincing the mrs…