Thanks everyone, thats just the sort of stuff I was after.

Bump

Thanks everyone. Looking forward to watching all those.

A good solution ive used is to use the cheap panic alarms where you just pull out the pin. Tightly attach the pin to one point of the chain lock via a piece of wire (the wire has to be tight and at the point that the pin is about to come out) and the holder to another point so that when your lock is moved the pin will come out from the holder and the alarm will sound. Its a bit if a faff to set up, but once you have it dialled it only take 2 minutes.

I would say that out of about 150 MTB rides last year , only 10 were with other people. Generally due to a lack of friends who MTB and the fact that no one is free at the same time. My local patch is Bringewood DH area near Ludlow, so technically challenging, but I make sure I avoid the full on bits and ride within my limits these days anyway. The days of pushing myself technically are well and truly gone. Ive accepted that I’m never going to be Steve Peat, and now its just about the fresh air, exercise, fun and me time.

Thanks Everyone, ill order some of the Keelas.

Haha – its seems to be that way according to the trouser manufactures. I need to be 6ft to make 34 inch waist trousers fit my legs (im 5ft7).

Haha – Shimano

Bez – well normally you wouldn’t expect to leave A&E after a bike crash accident with a virus that could kill your nearest and dearest would you ?
Well if you haven’t seen the news recently, let me tell you that you can now.
That was my point FFS

I’ll keep you updated on here with the cassette. All I can say is that the guy who saw it happen also is a very keen cyclist and used to work at Pearce Cycles in Ludlow where I’m from. He dropped my bike back too me and said that the smallest cog in the cassette was separated from the rest of the block. This ties in with what i remember. until he said that I thought that my chain had come off the front , so all sort of ties in.
At the moment I can’t bend down and can’t contemplate examining my bike yet. Hoping to have a look tomorrow/Sunday though.

Thanks everyone, aside from a face like it’s from a slasher movie and bruised ribs I’m ok thanks.

Kimbers – the small cog decided to separate from the main body, which is what sent me into free fall. I haven’t investigated exactly why it separated yet though. Will have a thorough look in a few days.

From a thread I’ve just posted but completely relevant here ;

So two nights ago I thought I’d do my usual alotted 1 hour of exercise by having a leisurely hour out on my road bike. However two evenings ago on said ride, I was putting down some power to accelerate up a small hill when my cassette decided to disintegrate. Result was me over the bars , unconscious with road rash from hell and a helmet smashed into 3 pieces. Fortunately Someone saw it from their window and called an ambulance.
Long story short – ambulance came and as awesome as ever, they checked my vital signs which were all good and we decided it was safer for me to go home than to hospital at this time!
I now feel like a complete idiot for taking up their valuable time at the moment.
If you have Zwift , then for now please use it, as unexpected accidents do happen!

thanks all

Thanks

My local trails consist of a real mix (Bringewood Forest), so some national DH tracks, all the way to nice flowing smooth singletrack. I do like to ride the DH runs quite alot, although I roll the jumps rather than actually jumping them. Its been along time since my wheels were more than two feet off the ground 🙂

I have heard though that the Spark is no better at climbing than the Genius, but lacks the downhill capability, so you not really gaining anything from the Spark. Is that True?

I went to Tescos in my home town of Ludlow yesterday at 1530. I generally always go at that time because its normally dead, one or two tills open and a handful of people. Yesterday it was like christmas eve. Every till open, queues of 15 people at each one.
Its like the end of the world was coming.

WTF is wrong with these people!

Thanks all

Thanks 🙂

The two Ben Stokes moments of this year are probably in my top 3 greatest sporting moments of all time. The other one is Danny Harts first world championship win.

Thanks Welshfarmer, I’m in Ludlow, so not a million miles away. I’ll have a look at those.

Thanks for the replies.
Well I’m willing to give it a go.

Can anyone recommend any good events more suited to a first timer?

No offence taken, you’re right actually.
I’ve only ever seen a couple of enduros, all the EWS stuff , which I know isn’t typical of most UK stuff.

Thanks for your thoughts all.

Nobeerinthefridge/thisisnotaspoon – you have either completely misunderstood my post or you’re looking for an argument.
I have no gripe – I’m old enough, and long enough in the tooth to be comfortable with the fact that I would be/have been beaten by pretty much anyone. I’m simply voicing something that I’ve been pondering for a while and interested in peoples thoughts.

It seems to me that a downhill specialist arriving at the start of a timed DH stage , lets say 80% knackered would still ride a DH stage quicker than an XC specialist arriving at that DH stage 60% knackered, and also vice versa.

I think that a format where the timed stages include uphill sections, undulating sections and DH sections would be a better/more inclusive format. Or maybe have small parts of the linking sections as timed. Are there races like this ?

Great Idea – Thanks

Martinhutch – Getting the channel tunnel, not the ferry.

Thanks

Another tick for the Snowdonia marathon. Ive done it twice.

Shit shit shit !
I’m still running the liberator he sold me 6 years ago as my main light.
I remember I had no money and didn’t know if I could warrant the investment in a night light. But purely on the basis of a single message to him on this forum, he trustingly sent me out a light to try (which I of course did indeed buy).
I was touched by that.
He sounds like the sort of human being we all aspire to be (and an awesome engineer to boot).
RIP Troutie

Great thanks for the heads up. Set to record:)

a National Trust cream tea is the highlight of the week !

I feel all your pain, I leave the house at 7am and get back at 6pm; if I’m lucky. My job is physically easy but mentally draining.
My wife is a full time primary school teacher and home tutor so leaves for tutoring when I get back and tutors for an hour most nights. So I’m left with bedtime and dinner routine for a 3 year old and a 10 year old.
I struggle to fit anything in ! If I do it usually means I’m eating my evening meal at 10pm.
I manage to do karate once a week and ride Saturday and Sunday mornings, then hope that one day life will return to normal 🙂

I’m only 1 mile from Mortimer forest and Bringewood so can point you in the right direction in this part of the world 🙂
There is miles of quality trail fairy built singletrack, 90% of which is very hard to find unless you know where !

Chrisdw – yes I love the burger shop. I think the Burgers in the Beefy Boys are better, but the sides in the Burger Shop are better. A combo of the two would be perfect 😀🍔

So the verdict is : very underwhelmed!
It was really nice actually, but for me all burgers are judged against the Beefy Boys in Hereford, and the Oowee offering was a league below. It felt like a good quality BigMac.

`Yes Bedminster, that’s the one 🙂 certainly looking forward to it.

Will be going to the one that’s a restaurant. Coming from near Hereford with the family for the day. We are all burger fans 🙂

I’ve had mine for 2 years now. No problems with it at all. After 1 ride per week average (ish)

30 minute drive but what about here? It’s one of my favourite places. Just hire a pair of shoes and away you go.

http://Www.newportrock.com

Fantastic, not jealous one bit , no not at all , definitely not 🙂

Awesome 🙂 great photos. Thanks for posting these.

I used to hate Christmas loads because of the expectation to be happy.
Then I got married and I hated it even more because I had to spend more time with the wife’s family .
Then I had kids and I hate it three times more because it costs me four times as much, and I still have to spend time with the family in law !

I hate it !

Exposure Joystick for 89 quid from cyclerepublic. Not sure if it’s a Black Friday thing as the deal is still on.