Are there plans for massive path development up there now then?
Thats new. Certainly not what the FC were saying when they ran all their public consultations on the Kilpatricks.

don’t go lower than the 2 unless you budget for fork replacement, the sectors are not very good.

This is simply not true. Going into my 3rd Summer on a set of DPC Sektors, and they have not put a foot wrong.
Cracking budget fork.

Sorry for slight derail. As you were…

Not in my opinion, the ones I had as a teenager were fantastic, I got a pair about 10 years ago and they were awful, felt like some kind of cardboard rather that leather and the soles just vanished. Crazy money these days.

+1
I had a few pairs when I was at school and I remember them being great. Recent pairs have been uncomfortable and cheap feeling. Certainly not worth the eye watering price tag.
Is it just me, but did the shape of the boots change at some point? The 10 hole boots I had way back in 1985 were definitely a different shape from what you get now.

Dan, we do a fair bit of XC up there, but Gordy is your man for that. He knows the trails really well.
Most of the stuff once you get well into the hills, away from the main trails, is really boggy at the best of times.
Had some day long nightmares up there on bikes…

I wouldn’t really welcome any professional trail development up there. I don’t think it needs it, and would detract from the feeling of remoteness. It’s bad enough already with all the additional access road that the pylon contractors have put in. IMO, of course, and I’m probably just being protective of my home turf.
In any meetings and conversations with the FC I’ve had, they’ve never said they had any grand plans, or budget, for MTB development up there anyway.
The proposed Kilpatricks section of the John Muir Way is more likely to open up the interior of the hills for MTB access, I reckon.

I went 1×9, then 1×10 on my SLX double crankset back in March.
1000 miles later I am fascinated to find that it hasn’t been working all that time.

I bought a mark 1 456 EVO off them just over 2 years ago, and I’m shocked to report that it was delivered with no fuss and is still going now.
I bought a set of Sektors and some merino socks just over a year ago and they are all still working fine, after a trouble free order and delivery.
Shocking, don’t know how they get away with it.

I started Judo in my early 30s and did it for around 10 years. Got to 2nd Dan and competed a little. I packed it in last year for a couple of reasons.
I started developing arthritis in my hands and particularly badly in my feet. I put this down to all the grip fighting that goes on and the accidental stubbing of toes on edges of mats and partners shins. I didn’t want to end up one of those almost crippled old players, held together with tape and ralgex, so felt it was time to stop. Gave me more time for MTB and my riding has came along a treat in the last year! :D

Go for it. I loved it for a long time, but I’m going to be brutally honest and say, I reckon its a young man’s sport. It’s the hardest sport I’ve ever done, particularly if you compete, and I’ve also done Karate and Thai Boxing.
At your age, you need to avoid teenage competitors and other adult white belts like the plague and train with experienced people. Relax, listen to what your coach tells you and relax more. Don’t force technique and in Randori, relax, go with the flow, don’t stiff arm. If someone gets you on the end of a throw, go with it and take it. Don’t resist and try to block it. That way lies busted knees and shoulders.
Learn to fall. Practice it a lot. Technique is key. Relax.
Did I mention relax?

Enjoy your Judo.

Smidge seemed good, but since my local stockist doesn’t carry it any more, I switched to Jungle Formula Natural, which you can get in Asda.
Seems fine. Even like the smell!

Smidge.
Which reminds me, need to buy some more. Whatever it was that bit me on the knee on Tuesday night has left me with a swollen calf and ankle, as well as a course of antibiotics to get through.

Hainman’s video is of the Kilpatrick Hills.

To be fair, it doesn’t usually look like that. That was the one day we get a year without howling wind and horizontal rain.

Go out with locals for the best trails.
Kilpatrick Hills pub ride, every Friday, weather permitting.
Lots of great lines up there away from the obvious stuff. Let me know if you are interested.

Steel or alu?

26″, 29″ or 650B?

What fork travel is considered long travel these days?

FYI – I’ll be clearing out the last 725 and 853 frames for silly prices (about 30 frames in total) when I get my arse in gear and put something up on the Dialled Bikes website.

Like!
My brother has an Alpine and loves it. I’ll keep an eye on your site for bargains, I reckon.

Anyone on here got, or had, a Dartmoor Hornet?
They look like fun and are also really cheap. Was wondering how they rode.

I took my 11 year old down to Unit 23 on Thursday night. I’m still in considerable pain. Had been dicking around on the tabletop all night and on the last go, really gave it a push. Completely cleared the top and transition and landed front wheel first on the flat.

I’m after a BMX myself. Prior to this obsession, I wanted a 24 inch DJ type bike and had a shot of one on my first trip to the unit. As soon as I sat on the BMX I hired though, that was it.
They are incredible fun. Bombproof and so cheap compared to MTBing. As someone else said, it’s simple, fun biking with zero skills compensation. Pretty dangerous though!
Another thing, if you have an indoor park near you, it’s gives you another bad weather option.

I had a Strika too! Cracking wee bombproof bike that weighed a ton and would probably still be going today, had some swine not nicked it.
After that, the Christmas morning all my mates were waking up to Raleigh Burners, I woke up to a Raleigh Arena 5 speed road bike! That bike had a hard life, going off all the same jumps my mates BMXes did. I still used to ride around on it before I learned to drive though. I think it’s still in my parents loft. Must go have a look.

First proper MTB was around 92 or 93. A fully rigid, canti braked Scott Yecora. That got me riding trails up the local hills that I still ride today. The bike is still, mostly, with me, in the guise of a drop barred singlespeed bodge.

If windows, the built in Easy Transfer makes it dead easy.

There but for the grace of god though, innit?
Ton didn’t cause the incident and was simply going about his lawful business when laughing boy decided to get all up in his face.
How would I react? No idea whatsoever.

I’ve never met Ton, but going by the number of people that have mentioned that he’s built like a brick outhouse makes me wonder something.

Do you think that your road rage prone, cyclist hating driver thinks that all cyclists are puny weeds? Even when evidence to the contrary is stood right in front of them?
Thats quite some level of cognitive dissonance.

Report it.
For all you know, this tool might just decide to teach the next cyclist he encounters a lesson.

After reading this, and the seeming spate of road rage threads recently, I’ll be reporting any encounter that happens to me.

In your entirely hypothetical situation, I reckon you’d be well withing your rights to land one and claim self defence.
He’s blocked you, left the van and is coming towards you aggressively.
Course, if you decked him, took full mount and started pummeling his face into the pavement, the law may take an altogether dimmer view.

Attempting to punch on the hooter is unlikely to make contact unless he’s very slow. He will then have hold of your arm, and he being burly van driver and you being skinny cyclist, you are in big trouble.

If you must attack, gob copiously in his face and, during the second or so that you have as his arms instinctively try to defend his face, either deliver fierce blow to solar plexus / nether regions (or preferably) ride away tout suite.
Have you considered windmilling in?

Had a Hilo, broke it and got a refund.
The only thing I didn’t like about it was not being able to really slam my saddle for jumping etc.

On the way to visit In Laws with my wife and young son in the car.
We’d just driven through Arrochar and were on the A83, where it climbs parallel to Loch Long.
We were just reaching the top of the wee climb, approaching in the other direction was a BT van, when a tit in a wee sports car came flying out from behind the van.
I couldn’t swerve, with a 20 or 30 foot drop to Loch Long feet to my left, so just had to slam the brakes on and hope we didn’t hit. He flashed past within centimetres of my wing mirror.

A second or 2 later and theres no way he’d have missed, and that, I’m pretty sure, would have been it for us. A family of 3 dead because some tit in a fast car thought he was so special that he could overtake on a blind bend.

After a gentle Summer, my Tiagra pads got worn down to nubs in the space of 2 wet November rides.
I just bought some multi compound Clarks jobs off CRC. So far so good. They come with a spare cartridge too.

I had my first experience on an icy road on the road bike yesterday. Not one I’m keen to repeat.
Watch for ice lingering in shaded areas on otherwise clear roads. Maybe avoid the quiet country lanes too, busier roads are more likely to have been treated.

83mm only.

Wiggle have 68/73mm SS ones for £56

It’s sad that 20 years on we’re still hearing the same old stuff from naive people who havent bothered to educate themselves a jot before wading into the debate crying human cockfight. Next thing ypu know you’re explaing what a knockout is to them

Whats naive about not liking to watch defenceless people being battered?

Incidentally, though I’m less of a fan now, I wouldn’t be interested in seeing it banned.
I get that they are consenting adults, highly trained and medically supervised. Thats all fine. I just don’t like seeing additional punishment meted out to defenceless people.

Anyway, here’s one of my favourite highlight videos. The soundtrack is…interesting, but somehow works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatalities_in_mixed_martial_arts_contests
It makes grim reading, thankfully still very few deaths though.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the skill and the amount of work that goes into developing the skill and the fitness required. I know guys who fight at a decent standard and I have a long history in Judo and Muay Thai, so I appreciate the game, when it’s played well.
Just sometimes, it’s ugly.

I used to be a massive fan of MMA, but sad to say, I’ve seen too many late stoppages. Guys out cold taking even just 2 or 3 undefended shots is ugly.

Make sure the iPad is higher up than the router so that the zeroes can roll down hill easier.

Sorry.
What bandwidth do you get from BT? Do a speedtest.

Anyone do something like a Powerline adapter that supports HDMI?

Did you sneak into my house and take that photo? Got a set of Rebas in a very similar condition that I’m not sure what to do with.

I’ve got the DPC Sektor RL on my 456 Evo. Love ’em.
I wanted coil, adjustable travel and cheap. Cracking forks.

Don’t think there was an official Meetup ride out that night, although the lycra splinter group had a road ride in that area.
GMBC have a Wednesday night ride. Probably them.

Am hoping against hope that Squirt is going to see me through Winter for both road and MTB.

What I like is how everyone so far has ignored this gem:

twang – Member

I had a starring role in a porno on those very steps…

I miss the old style Bontrager XR4. The 2.35 was huge, loved it as a back tyre and haven’t really found anything to replace it.

Just get out there. Unless the weather is ridiculous, you should be able to get some riding in.
Get some lights, warm gear and ride your bike!