Here’s mine.

I’ve since changed the bars. Those old road drops were just too narrow, particularly when I needed to get out of the saddle for hills. Frame, fork and wheels came from Freecycle and everything else from my spares box so I treated it to some nice (Nitto) track bars. Not for the looks – we don’t have enough ‘real’engers where I live for me to be a fakenger – but because they put my hands where I want them.

ChrisE – yes please to the offer of your route.

My email’s in my profile.

I’d worked a route out anyway to do with a group. I’ll know how suitable it is when I’ve done it, I suppose.

The tour companies (not surprisingly) don’t publish their routes in great detail but all seem to go clockwise. My route goes anticlockwise but I’m pretty confident in it. I’ve worked it out based on the maps, the walking guides and, mostly, a couple of Google Earth routes I found including a route done by Gareth, Sian etc from endlessride. I doubt the folks at endless would do a duff route.

Stockport? That’s not the Peaks.
A hat museum is not enough!
Not enough!!!

So do ‘559 Bikes’ sell 29ers?

Yep… actually just spotted it myself while trawling Lee’s Ride559 site:comes from the ETRTO size of a Mountain bike wheel – 559mm

I knew the number was familiar from somewhere.

Out of interest, what’s the significance of the number ‘559’?

Apart from Lee’s Ride559 and Sarah’s (completely unconnected) 559 Bikes, there’s a ‘559 Active’ in Brum. I know it’s a South California area code so maybe linked to the early days of MTBing or iconic bike companies but the area code itself was only created in ’98.

Just wondering really.

Opt1cal – what forks did you have on the 4X?

I’d decsribe my 4X with 160mm 55s as a ‘downhill weapon’ too. If the Tracer is markedly better it must be pretty damn good indeed.

Someone must have?

Some good names so far but none top the mighty Dido.

Also consider the Kona Paddy Wagon.

(I am)

More info here: http://www.santacruzbikes.co.uk/bicycles/tech-guides/blur4x_tech.pdf

I’ve done it once. If you follow the instructions and have the VPP Press Tool it’s pretty straight-forward.

The Blur Pro-Pack Includes:
(4) 6901SM lower link bearings
(2) R6 2RSMAX seatstay end bearings
(2) 6800 2RSMAX upper link bearings
(2) lower pivot axles with caps and M8 bolts
rear shock shaft with caps and M6 bolts
upper link pivot axle with caps and M6 bolts
front shock shaft with M5 bolts and washers
sample pack 680 loctite
(4) lower bearing inner seals

The Blur Bearing Pack Includes:
(4) 6901SM lower link bearings
(2) R6 2RSMAX seatstay end bearings
(2) 6800 2RSMAX upper link bearings
(4) Lower bearing inner seals

My advice?
Let her sort it out for herself. Women can think and act for themselves these days.

Google Hal Higdon for a training schedule.

for now.

Nice build.
I love mine.

Now thrash it.

Last night I had gears but the cable outer for the front mech collapsed so I only had half of them.

Today I am commuting on a bike that not only has no gears, it has no free-wheel. It is steel.

I have no beard.

What am I?

Is it open at lunchtimes? I’m sat here hungry and just seen those pictures. Now even hungrier.

Called in there on the way back from Manchester on Sat night – Kingsize Mixed with a starter portion of halloumi split between two. We live next door to a pub so I nipped in for a take-away pint to wash it down while the wife plated it up. Not a bad end to a good night out.

Looking for different routes in the Peak apart from them in the VG books or the classics…

Charlesworth to Chinley via Lantern Pike on the way out and Rowarth on the way back.

although its likely to be a bit moist at the mo

You reckon?

I have some sympathy with the ‘lifetime ban’ brigade. If nothing else it simplifies things. If an athlete is caught taking anything banned, under any circumstances, ban them.

I don’t think for a minute it will prevent more than a handful of athletes over a 2yr ban, simply because they don’t expect to get caught.

I saw the thread title and was all set to recommend Lamasil :?

Look at footballers for example … when the testers phone to say they’re on the way the blokes taking drugs are sent home and removed from the playlists until the testers have finished.

Rot.

I’m happy to give anyone a second chance, but only if he/she is properly sorry and shows it by actions instead of words.

So it’s down to how good an actor he is?

Why should he show contrition? Who would be the judge? If the ban is x years, then at x years + 1 day he should be free to carry on.

I’ve not done it but I’ve stayed in Alpe d’Huez for a week’s mountain biking and we were on the route – one of the chalets on the edge of town. people were going up in road bikes from before we were having breakfast to late in the evening.

We drove up and down the route a few times. In the mornings everyone was fine. In the evenings everyone was fine. In the mid-day, the road was littered with fat Belgians in cardiac crisis trying to find enough shade to sit down and have a cry.

My advice – do it early or late in the day.

6’1″ here on an 18″ – it’s never felt too small.

I use an 80mm stem and a layback post. But then I use a layback post on all my bikes, road or mountain.

.. I was there a couple of weeks ago … some of the rocky… some of the descents are steep and twisty

I’m a big fan of Llandegla. I don’t go there often but when I do I always enjoy it. If they’ve added rocky bits and steep, twisty descents I’ll enjoy it even more.

Is that ride559.com website any relation to 559Bikes.com?

I doubt it – 559bikes.com looks like a legit operation.

There’s also http://www.559active.com

See the review of the Titus FTM (Full Tilt Moto) in the current mag. Seems to back up much of what’s said above – bobs, not slack enough, tight for tyres, good for crossing maps but not a ‘fun’ bike to ride.

Despite being a very different bike it has a lot in common with one of my bikes (Whyte PRST-4) in that regard – often the first bike out of the shed if I’m doing a long day in the saddle, not used much for evening rides blatting round local stuff for fun. If/when I replace the Whyte I may look at a motolite (I like the brand – got a Titus road bike) but only ‘cos I’ve got other bikes to compliment it. One of which, by coincidence, is an on*one 456.

My LBS charges £20 inc. decent Sapim spokes. Or £25 for black.

Call me biased (I’m from Macc) but given that the requirements here are (i) access to central MCR and (ii) getting to Buxton by car I reckon it’s got to be either Macclesfield or Buxton.

Macc: lots of quick direct trains to MCR, drive to Buxton is pretty good (unless it snows)
Buxton: train to Manchester but stops at every lamp-post, car is already in Buxton
Poynton: is just wrong on so many levels.

Both Macc and Buxton have plenty of good riding on the door-step as wellas the obvious access to the Dark Peak, North Wales etc. In fact I’ll sometimes ride from home to Buxton and back.

Anyone from the lunchtime crowd care to offer a view?

Wings?

Any of these things available with an I-beam head yet?

Ride559’s back up and running now.

Wouldn’t let me post a comment though – apparently I can’t add 8 & 4!

Interested in this route as (by chance) we ended up camping outside Sedburgh from Sunday to yesterday – I didn’t have a bike with me but looking out of my tent up Brant Fell I was sorely tempted to go back and get one.

How would this route be going the other way round? Looking at the map I think I’d prefer the long drag up Bowderdale then the steeper fun down Brant Fell. But that’s just based on looking at the maps and I’ve been in this game long enough to know that the maps aren’t everything.

fatbloke said… Still waiting here, just trying to sort it out without having to drive over 600 miles to get it back.

http://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk

For shaunthesheep it’s got to be this one.