warpcow

Thanks!

Thanks I found the sizing chart. I’m halfway between the medium and large sizes on the Kyle Strait knee pads. Is there a bit of stretch in them or should I get large?

❓ 🙄

I asked the same question a while ago. I ended up getting some DC’s from TK maxx. Any skateboarding trainers are supposed to be good for flats and will probably cost you less if you go to the right place.

I’ve not ridden abroad but I sometimes wonder that the UK climate must seriously limit the places you can cycle. I live in Scotland which is of course amazing for MTB but I like to create new routes and the extreme wetness can make things tricky.

I’ve scoured my local area for new options but always seem to be hindered by a huge bog or miles of bracken. I’m not complaining about the UK conditions at all because that’s what makes it the special place it is. There must be dry places abroad though where you can just pick a hill and select an awesome way to ride down it without encountering huge bogs etc.

Sorry for double post…connection prob.

I’d imagine that someone you meet and ask to build something is going to be more dedicated than someone sitting in a factory somewhere who might only do the bare minimum they need to do to keep their job. I think I’m willing to pay the extra for that.

OK thanks. I think the XT is a bit lighter.

I always check the sellers previous posts to get an idea of what they’re like. If they’ve tried to rip people off before then it would probably be evident in replies to their posts. It’s no guarantee but it helps I think. So far I’ve found sellers to be very helpful and true to their word.

Wheelcraft

Do you think he’ll have some made up?

I’ve had the same problem with these peel and stick patches. I thought my housemate was letting my tyres down overnight because they were fine straight after the ride but flat by the morning. It took me ages to discover what the problem was.

I found that if the hole in the inner tube is big enough the air pressure will slowly push the patch off over several hours. This doesn’t happen during riding because the tyre is pushing the patch against the inner tube and preventing it from peeling off.

I found that these patches were only successful with the smallest of holes and useless on your average pinch flat. I don’t use these patches any more. Hope this helps.

Never too cold but watch out for ice. I cycled to work most days last winter. It was so cold that my wet hair would be frozen solid after a ten minute cycle to work.

The only problem I had was with a section that hadn’t been gritted at all and was icy.

What about sausage and chips. It’s a good one to go for if you can’t decide between a kebab and fish.

Where did you get it from ton, or is it a secret?

I know what you mean. They always seem to appear just when you get to the technical bit that you’re a bit unsure of. If you were lucky enough to be in the ‘zone’ then you instantly come out of it and think ‘omg I have an audience’ and if you’re me you attempt that technical challenge and crash amusingly.

I was doing a very demanding downhill the other day right on the edge of my ability and as soon as I saw some downhillers pushing up I instantly lost it right in front of them. Then I tried to get back on and my saddle was twisted round sideways. 😳

I just did a careless ‘mmmbop’ google search and ended up with Hanson 😯

Yeah I expect they’re designed to cope with it. The shed is dry so hopefully they’ll be ok.

I would definitely say ‘think twice’ about entering this scheme now. I was lucky because I only had to pay 5% at the end but my employer was stalling on it saying I might have to pay a ‘different’ amount. Might not be worth entering the scheme now especially if you’re intending to spend even more cash on upgrading parts like I did.

Tomato soup and garlic bread rocks!

According to the contractor the council are paying for it. I’ve emailed them just to ask them what they’re planning and what their policy is on path maintenance in the area. I think it’s good for them to get differing opinions on these things. Maybe they’ve been getting pressured to do the work by folk who like a very smooth man made feel to their paths. Hopefully it’s not just to use up the underspend.

As I said I’m trying to be philosophical. It’s a path and it’s in Scotland. It needed some repairs that’s for sure but not with a bulldozer. There are way’s of conserving and repairing paths without destroying their natural character. One good thing is that It’ll now be suitable for zimmer frames, wheelchairs and prams oh yeah and tandems too.

Not extreme but fun all the same.

If they’re on bikes and don’t look like wanting to stop I would probably stop for them if there wasn’t room to pass. Walkers (in Scotland) is a tricky one because SOAC states that you should give way to them in any situation if you’re on a bike on a path but more often than not they’ll just stand aside as they laugh at you. If they look grumpy or unwilling to move then I stop and wave them on. I’ll often stop anyway as I have a habit of falling off my bike as soon as someones watching :lol:.

The petition is laughable. Is the small amount of information provided supposed to persuade us to sign it? I see no links to other sites providing information so I can make up my own mind. I suspect the people writing this petition have done little research also.

Forestry Commission tend to be seen as a huge landowner unsympathetic to the environment but from what I’ve seen that couldn’t be further from the truth these days. They’ve changed so much. I can’t see them just selling off the woodlands for destruction. Such woodlands are protected anyway (unless your the government wanting to build a new motorway or airport or something like that). Apparently they’ve not even decided what they’re going to do with it all yet.

A lot of public sector organisations like FC are having to make money at the moment in order to survive. If selling off some of their land helps them continue doing the good work they are then maybe that’s a good thing.

I did a big route in the Glencoe area the other day. I got soaked in the first half an hour. I ended up cold, wet, hungry and exhausted. The conditions made what was already scary, challenging, technical riding (for me anyway) much harder but I finished the day with a huge sense of satisfaction and look back at it with very fond memories. I think that’s what mountain biking is all about amongst other things.

Ok thanks. Do you have any more info on proposed trails? Thanks.

If it’s a new shock it might be bedding in a bit and getting softer? I find my newish shock starts to feel softer a few hours into a ride without any loss of pressure but it’s a Giant shock. Don’t know much about Fox ones.

6’2″ and a shade over 12stone.

(1m85 and 77kg)

i’m a lanky streak of p155.

Same as me. My freakishly long arms are often called upon at work to fetch things from hard to reach places.

ounds like she doesnt want someone breathing down her neck (who does)

Maybe that’s it. I tend to make more mistakes or fear of making mistakes if there’s people watching. Maybe take her somewhere quiet where there’s some techy stuff to get her confidence up but that won’t hurt too much if she falls?

Blimey. Looks amazing!

OK thanks everyone. Don’t need lockout anyway but pro pedal would be handy.

OK thanks. I possibly have the chance of buying an RP3 which is the right size for my bike which has an unusual eye to eye length etc. Are the RP3’s a bit ancient and not so good or would it be worth getting it for a reasonable price? I’m not too bothered about pro pedal as my bike doesn’t bob much anyway.

I agree with everything Buzz lightyear says about it pretty much. I’ve put 2.35 HR’s on mine and clearance seems fine. Best upgrade I’ve made was 140mm U turn Pikes which made the bike feel twice as capable especially on descents.

Sorry to hijack your post hear but I’d be very interested to hear any advice anyone has on rear shock choice. I’m still running the Giant own brand one and would like to upgrade to one that would work better and that I could fit an Enduro needle bearing too. Cheers.

Hi

Not sure. I’m looking for one myself. I have the own brand one that comes with the X5 and I’m thinking a fox would be an improvement. Make sure you get the right size as it’s a funny eye to eye length. Try the mbr Giant forums there’s threads on there on this subject. I’ve had issues with the top bushings on my first shock sticking a little. If you get a Fox shock you can get some Enduro needle bearings that will apparently make the suspension much more supple. You can get the shocks ‘PUSH’ tuned also which many say is worth it. The Fox RP shocks have good reviews and you’ll find them on most bikes but there are different types like rp2 and rp23 etc.

That’s about all I know about it. If you find a shock the right length but you don’t want it please let me know.

Cheers.

Which begs the question, can they migrate between favourable areas, or have they always been there?

They’re all over the place now and can happily live in commercial pine forest. I once followed a Pine Martens tracks in the snow out of a commercial pine forest and up a mountain side. I think it must have been hunting mountain hares or grouse cos their prints were about too. I’ve only ever caught glimpses of them though, they seem very secretive.

Pine Martens

Was your affair with a bicycle? Or was she just called the local bicycle?

Wow lucky you! I’ve seen a lot of impressive wildlife but never a wildcat. Seen wildcat poo but not wildcat. I suspect (hope) they are more common than we think though. SNH have asked everyone to report their sightings to them for their survey so that might be a good plan.

I found it to be quite a useful magazine when I was looking for a bike as it had lots of reviews and reviews of bikes I could actually afford. Don’t buy it anymore though because I don’t really agree with giving a bike marks out of 5 as it’s personal preference largely.

What does annoy me about some mags is how they want to rate absolutely everything. Like helmets for example. They’re just a lump of polystyrene with a chin strap ffs. What do they do, get someone to hit them over the head with a sledge hammer then rate the headache?

This Morning

This Afternoon

As Brian Lopes say’s in his book: ‘become a smooth rider before you become a fast rider’. This has worked for me. I recently decided to take his advice and stop trying to go fast and just ride everything as smooth as possible by pumping and stuff and it’s really helped. I think I’m starting to really get the hang of the pumping thing now and it has in turn made me faster than before. I see what he meant now.