plus 1 for Specailized 2bliss mounting well, also Bontager TLR’s inflate ghetto tubless, with hardly any swearing on my part too :)

Ordered some Sidi insoles from Rose on Friday night. Parcel arrived on Tuesday, a massive cardboard box! Shades of C.R.C. :) Can’t knock the delivery time though.

think you missed one massive factor…….the WIND, head wind for the whole race

Fair point. :) I did have a few issues with the wind at begining, now I think back, but by CP2 I’d pretty much “tuned the wind out” and I didn’t feel much affected after that. Anyhow I was a good 12-13 minutes under the time I’d set my self. Just need to lose 25kg of flubble for next year…..

Yes, retro-fitted one to my CK H/S. Now holds the top of the steerer with a proper split collet, much better than just floating around inside an ‘O’ ring. I’ve had none of the problems some people report re- scored alloy steerers (using Rockshox Revelations).

keep the king and get one of these:-

http://www.aspirevelotech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=AVT&Category_Code=CK-CONVERT-TO-GL-18

In a bizarre twist, I have now signed up for the Holme challenge, as well as the Hope challenge. Just have to make sure I turn up for the right one one the right date :) (I’m number 237 on the first, and 19 on the second, see you there!)

It’s really poor draining so expect wet socks and shorts for most of the rest of the way round,

Will I get away with Maxis aspens or do you recon I’ll need to put on the Bonty mud x’s?

It it’s wet, take a spare set of brakepads (or maybe two) yes really :0

What tyres for a 259 mph headwind?

These were designed with steel steerers in mind, the sidewalls of which are thinner, and uniform. If you are using with an alloy steerer, the extender that the op mentioned will not fit down inside the steerer tube as the walls are thicker, and are tapered internally.

Sorry :(

and Yes I am speaking from first hand experience…..

The two Yeti’s in dickie’s post, are they the same frame, but different sizes? They look very different around the seat-tube/ back end of the toptube…

Here you go:-

http://www.parktool.com/documents/2d2ba91d39ecfcda6c4f83a5ec95f152e9c886d1.pdf

Lol at shakedown of new lights

Well it went ok. Happy with lights. As rOcKeTdOg says it was warmer that you might think.

Ahhhhh ummmm well :oops:

You are in the clear Garry! for some reason I read this as the Hope valley Challenge

TOTALY different event Sorry! LOL! :lol: Good luck though!

My mate Eddie has just talked me in doing to this. Looking forward to this a lot, as Jacob’s ladder has been on my to do list for sometime! Goes to check route map ….just hope it’s going down it:)

Yup, in an hour or so, going out round the local loop to shake down my new 30 quid bastid helmet light. If all goes well, off to do a night lap of dalby red later this week.

This one?:-

Looks like **** all from this pic, but as a pronounced l/h camber, and lacks any grip tape/chicken wire, aways nip my cheeks on this when it’s been raining, but then I am very jey lite :)

Maybe a Softie Chrysalis Tera?
http://www.snugpak.com/index.php?MenuID=114-119&ItemID=143
around, or just below budget.

Are the plug/sockets on this the same as the old p7 bastid light?

Good job a Tesco’s is just over the road, you’d never get any shopping in the boot :)

If you have a branch of Greenwoods near you, deffo try them first :-

http://www.greenwoodsonline.com/store_locator/

no-nonsense, and good value IMHO.

I’ve just recently (re)discovered some of John Carpenters stuff,

So I’d recommend digging out :-

Big trouble in little China.

Very old school, but brilliant IMHO.

Freemasons = Scouts for old men

Best advice would be to hook up with the locals. This lot are fairly harmless :-

http://www.flickr.com/groups/cycopaths/discuss/72157626331814300/

Not a great pic but you get the idea, have brown/natural grips also.

http://jerseybin.co.uk/

the ultimate in niche bespoke sandwich bags

see this thread:-

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/strangest-thing-that-has-happend-to-you-or-that-you-have-seen-while-biking

:D

Daddy?…

Yes, son…

Why’s that green bike playing piggy back rides with the grey one?…

I use KMC shimano 10 spd compatable links with no problems, it’s re-useable, AFAIK the SRAM 10sp link is a one use only. I balked at the price at first, but you get two (pairs) in the pack….

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=25439

http://www.thecyclejersey.com/shop/

These guys do custom stuff, and do freeride jerseys. However they’re a bit swamped at the mo’ with everyone wanting new club kit, so you might have to wait a bit.

Merlin are doing full XT sets for £200 and slx sets for 170 on the the ‘bay.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Merlin-Cycles-Ltd/Brakes-Disc-Brakes-/_i.html?_fsub=12227794&_sid=131452877&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322

A.F.I.A.K it has a lot less to do with width of a tyre, and more to do with how easily the tyre carcass deforms/changes shape/recovers at the point of contact, as it rolls along. Someone will be along in a minute with the link to the study that schwalbe did a while ago, all about it.

Great pic ^ Here’s hoping I’ll be smiling as much as your good self, after my ride :)

Well I just got off the ‘phone with Giant. They recommend a 32c minimum size tyre for the P-XC 29 rim (19mm internal, 24mm external).

They have no problems with me putting in whatever the tyre manufacturer recommends for this size, which is going to be anything from around 45, to 80 psi. So there you go…. just thought I’d share.

It is supposed to be just a social ride out. When pressed further, the figure of “ohh i’d say an average of 15mph” was mentioned, which I think is a pedestrian pace.

However I don’t want to hold them up unnecessarily, so with that in mind, I was already eyeing up some slicks (28c Conti Grand Prix 4 Season’s on my 24mm ex/19mm int rims?) flipping the stem, and on with some ergon’s w/bar-ends.
Just have to deal with the faux-pax of turning up with a camelbak, baggies, and a helmet with a peak. :)

You will need a 10 speed specific MTB rear mech, as shimano changed the pull ratio (diferent from sram 10 speed and shimano’s own 10 speed road stuff) from 2:1 to 1.8:1

Cracking deal on full slx drivetrain here:-

http://www.actionsports.de/gb/Components/Groupsets/Shimano-SLX-660-10-Komplettgruppe-3×10-fach::28904.html

I think they also do an XT one for a little more. Dunno if the above is your thing, but it’s an option.

Stay on the road! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDRwZ4Pf9rM

Here’s a map of the WC 2010 IMHO there is not a lot of it that follows the red at all.
There is a good bit of it that goes round adderstone rigg that is not even on the main black loop.

Here’s a bit of the red, and the main black loop at Dalby. It sort of shows the area of the WC 2010 loop as the above map, hope this helps!

I use KMC 10 speed Shimano compatable ones. They are re-usable.
You get X2 links in the pack for your 9 squid. They have worked fine.

awwww crap, I seem to have something in my eye after watching this…..