I’d consider using your Cx on the road. Lovely, mostly open and relatively flat riding round there. (compared with South Wales anyhow)

Probably claggy though.

Agree. You’re in the middle of the stickiest bog in every direction.
Shame really as there are some really nice xc routes in the area, but not with the current wetness.

The only SP bike I’ve ridden alot was my GF’s Santa Cruz superlight. That certainly bobbed like a pogo stick on the ups and had terrible brake jack issues going down. The firebird was better by a long shot in both directions.

The only reason I mention mud clearance is that the front part of the rear triangle is crowded with a whole lot of stuff compared with an Orange.
Pivot were demo-ing these bikes a few weeks ago in the quagmire that was the Bonti 24/12. That would have been a great test.

The saddle always draws attention its just the Selle SMP. Looks ugly but the most comfortable I’ve used which is important for my long distance all day bikes!!

They are beautiful bikes. I have owned lots of pretty nice bikes but the Pivot climbs the best by a long shot.
I’ve ridden this thing in 100km events as its climbing efficiency is comparable to 4 inch race bikes but it descends like the 6.5 inch travel machine that it is.
Here are pics of my 2010 Firebird. Things have changed a bit since then but I put this together initially from some bits from older retired bikes.
I haven’t ridden any Orange bikes to compare but I have owned Intense, and currently own a Niner. This bike climbs better than any other bike I’ve owned. 29ers are my thing now and if Pivot made a 5 inch 29er I’d be there.
My only concern is mud clearance. My bike is back in Aus so I can’t measure it up for you but I’d suggest you check this with your rear tyre of preference.

The idea of sleeping outdoors is so much better than the reality IMO.

I suggest you enter the events anyway.
Like the gay nightclub analogy I doubt they could refuse your entry.
Just in case they ask for proof have a prepared man-gina handy!

If you ride popular trail centres on weekends you have to expect to be slowed down as much as you would be slowed down riding a multiuse urban path.
If he rolled his eyes its his problem TBH.

can’t be bothered to drive for 2.5 hrs to get soaked and not get the camera out!

+ 1 for me but I will be driving closer to 5 (from Cardiff).
Will there be some good riding too – like a reasonable distance?
Never ridden the peaks but always wanted to. I’m happy to come down Friday – have a decent ride Sat with somebody and the photo thing Sun?
I’m Australian, dont know anybody, or the trails but I’m going home in 2 weeks!

Periodontitis. Its extremely common. It leads to premature teeth loss. Look it up and go see someone to get treated.

I’ve conned him into believing that if he makes me a roast dinner the satisfaction he’ll get for achieving something will wipe away his post booze blues

You might find him getting hammered and hung over every weekend now.

That red bike above looks fantastic.
I’m amazed this thread hasn’t turned into a chinese carbon argument yet!
Exploding frames, catastrophic failures, carbon splinters in the heart! eek!

That Injury study linked above was a very interesting read.
With most injuries going to one medical centre they’ve got a great opportunity to collect good statistical data which may shed some light on the protective value of lots of equipment.

GoPro Hero 2. You can set it to take pictures at whatever time interval you choose. It takes spectacular 11 MP pics too much better than my Panasonic Lumix FT2.

Wow that doesn’t sound like a good day at all. Having spent loads of time pushing my bike on moors looking for non existent tracks I get where your coming from.
It sounded alot better than that in the brochure I picked up.
Might look for something else in the area. Thanks.
Such a nice part of the world though.

thanks – great advice! Might save the trip for winter when the trail may dry up a bit. :lol:

I enrolled in the 80. The weather was coming in quick at the 80/50 junction and I took the 50 option, also receiving the blue dot of shame on my number plate. :oops:
Great event. No idea what the quickest time was though.

456 summer season hardtail as I’ve just cracked my Niner RIP9. Fairly noticable difference in ride quality!

Nicolai do some good looking ones..

The blue at Brechfa is heaps of fun even for experienced riders.
Its a pity there aren’t more like it.

My Mrs wouldn’t challenge my relationship with my bike cause she knows her place. The closest she came to this was last week.
My bike rests against the back of the sofa in the lounge. We were watching a chick flick on TV and at one point she turned to me expecting some sort of intimate interraction. As she got closer with her eyes closed, she hit her head against the handlebar and brake lever, the bike fell to the ground with a loud bang, and she retreated. She said “typical really isn’t it!”. Fortunately the levers weren’t damaged by her head or the fall.
I think this was an expression of her disapproval of my relationship with the bike.

Hugor, never mind the crapness of your non-dropper post, what the blinking flip is going on with the angles of both the nose of you saddle and your hand grenade?

That always seems to offend people for some reason. That’s the Selle SMP.
Unlike my dropper post its not cheap.
The hand grenade is just my rear tail light for brief road journeys linking trails in South Wales.

This is the non remote version so the shifter is incorporated into the seat collar!

Asda bootlace. Costs 45p for the non-remote version.
Always goes down and returns to the correct height.
No maintenance required. Very light. Extremely reliable.
Cheaper than a pack of crisps.
Doesn’t look as bad as most posts.

Kona Honzo? They look great in the flesh but not ridden one.

I ride the beacons loads and there are some real nice descents around like Y Das, Rhiw Trumau, Gwyn Fawr, Sarn Helen but I’m not sure you’d have fun dragging your am bike around these loops as they all involve a reasonable amount of climbing.
Most of the best loops are published in the vertebrate series book on south wales.
I highly recommend this book and I’ve done almost every ride in it.

Commuters aside, I’d say many of them would struggle in city traffic: old boy in flat cap on a bone shaker, couple of families with young kids, some red-faced beginners on BSOs, couple of tourers with full panniers and backpacks, and a three folk in their fifties who appeared completely flummoxed by a simple gate.

I see those people on busy roads all the time. They really do not appear connected with their surroundings in any way. They swerve all over the place and never check behind them.
Amazes me.

You need advice from crispybacon. Thats his hood!

Will take some dry tyres just in case!

Forecast looks real bad for the entire day!!!
Been raining most of the day down here too.
Leave the dry tyres at home!!
I’ve just installed front and rear mudguards and will be wearing full waterproofs.
Good luck chaps!!

It’s frankly disgusting that some people here don’t want pedestrians getting in their way on ‘their cyclepaths’.
This is the same as motorists not wanting cyclists getting in their way on ‘their roads’.

Not really. If pedestrians walked on the left side of the lane nobody cares.
But when 4 pedestrians walk side by side blocking the whole path it gets a bit irritating. Still fuming!! Lol
Imagine the reaction if 4 roadies blocked an entire road cycling side by side.

There’s a solid-line, no-parking cycle lane down the road from where I live that merges seamlessly into marked parking bays. Not that it matters, like, cos all the local residents just park wherever the **** they like anyway. A genius bit of infrastructure provision, even by the epically retarded standards of our local council.

Roadside cycle lanes don’t work IMO.
This is James St Cardiff and I use this cycle lane daily (in red).
Even on this google image you can see the lane is just a carpark and its usually alot worse than this in rush hours.

And how long did it take you do get from Brecon to Cardiff on the Taff trail?

About 4 hours but I was stopping to take pictures every 5 minutes cause it was so beautiful! :D

I regularly do the Taff Trail between Cardiff Bay and Castle Coch – pretty busy particularly in rush hour.

Most roadside cycle lanes in Cardiff however are used as street parking. Really shits me! :evil:

This was my cycle route home yesterday evening from Llandough to Cardiff Bay where I live on National Route 8.

Whilst these routes are nice, they don’t make much of an impact on UK cycling IMO. West Wales isn’t exactly bedlam on the roads is it?

OK here’s National Route 8 from Brecon to Cardiff 85 kms long.
You can take the A470 which is a deathtrap for cyclists or you can take this route which runs parallel to it! You wouldn’t know it but.

Some stunning Sustrans routes in South Wales. These are from the Millenium Coast path from Lochor to Kidwelly. This should be on your bucket list.

I’ve used Non UST or regular tyres on them too as they’re often lighter.
Seal up real easy an hold pressure but its very tyre specific.
Maxxis Non UST tyres have worked fine for me.

I love my Stans Arches. I’m 100kgs and have been using them for 2 years. They have been faultless which is something I can’t say about the frame above them!

the descent into Minehead from Selworthy Beacon?

Thats the last 7 or 8 kms of the route link I posted above.
Its a quality descent.