SCHWALBE BLACK SHARKS 2.1; better than Trailrakers if encounter rocky sections too, clear mud very well, pretty good on other surfaces too.:)

Mmmm easy to follow classic

so what`s terrain like seems mix of woodland , singletrack or wide tracks, and moors, rocky?

I wouldn’t be doing a 4 hour Exmoor route the day before riding the Beast. Good on you!

Thanks :)–was fine last year with this sort of setup, Tour Peak District Sportive then next day 20 miler MTB around Kinder Downfall area.

Want to make most of the weekend away

Did LEJOG a few years ago, camping supported trip; absolutely excellent took 15 days—no days off– but enjoyed greatly and saw lots of GB country. A route designed to be a challenge (1050 miles), use country quiet lanes and get a knowledge of UK scenery etc. Highlight bits were:

Cornwall coast
dartmoor and Bodmin
Somerset levels
Wye valley / Monmouth areas
Trough of Bowland > Yorkshire Dales edges
Devils Beeftub @ Moffat
Rest & Be Thankful pass
Beauly Firth area
Caithness moors in the rain
Dunnet Head
Duncansby Head —the real NE tip of mainland UK

If you coudl manage to take longer time youll see more as 7 days probably wont let you see much more of a challenge IMO

As above.
Weight is massively over-rated. You are the heavy bit…

+1 I`ve found more effect this yera MTB and road riding through my losing 10 lb than any difference in bike weights; lighter may be nicer / feel betetr to ride but it is mostly in teh mind, unless you are race orientated. Now prefer my heavier HT as it feels more stable / secure / planted.

Like my super lighweight carbon road bike v slightly heavier all ppurpose Audax type road bike more as it feels nicer to ride, timing wise on hilly rides very little in it

The bridleway that starts (the one lined with hedges either side)just after that gate at the bottom is actually more fun anyway.

although it now looks rather overgrown and issue would be bars tangling in the bushes

Lol – where have you been hiding?

only go out in that arae once in awhile !!

sorry if its old hat topic

If you have a route (OK, course) in a figure of 8 it would give no idea which way to go when you reached the crossover point. Courses only seem useful to me when you already know your route and just want to track your time against it rather for following a trail you’ve not ridden before.

yes just found that on a trial run, as my gpx route way out and back crossed over teh 705 was telling me to do a U turn :(.

However away from that it worked very well indeed, so maybe this is just a glitch involved near start / end points on a circular route, I hope 😉

and waht is difference between a .crs file and .tcx one in terms of navigation?

Fully updated version 3.30 off web updater already installed; have checked settings (avoid unpaved roads ON, avoid major roads OFF) howver still ignores first miles I`ve put in avoids A44 and uses circuitous country lanes route; thereafter looks OK 🙁

Ive managed to update Anquet now so that it recognises my 705; Im not wanting to transfer maps themselves to teh 705 (Ive got a GB Isles sd card on it) but just the routes Ive created using Anquet. HOWEVER I have now found that teh route created in Anquet, which is a gpx file, when on the 705 is modified, ie the 705, after much calculation time, minutes, produces a revised route which has actually now used a derelict byway instead of a road route I had selected 🙁

HOWEVER (again 🙂 if I change the gpx file to a tcx course file then I get the correct route shown on the 705 map base 🙂

SO am I correct in summarising that the 705 is a not very accurate sat nav navigation tool but a perfectly acceptable training tool with a reasonable base map via extra sd card ?? From my further readings on various forums it seems that the 705 has soem odd behaviours 🙁

Thanks, Bike Hike looks what I need at moment seems to fit the bill 🙂

My question is what mapping software, with OS database quality, can I use with Edge 705, ie I can draw out maps on and transfer to GPS

Yes they seem to exist, got some very nice wheels from them recently 🙂

Very happy with my Van Nic Yukon, takes mudguards for all year riding, stripped weight is probably 18-19lb (campag centaur build). Very comfy, only slightly slower uphills than my carbon road bike as flexier BB area. Buy one ride it all year 🙂
Have used mine for winter riding with cheap end Fulcrum wheels, sportives, C2C Pyrenees, training, enjoyment riding
You woudl be well under budget too, frame + forks+ headset ~£900

Re clothing choices:
Met Office has a Mountain Weather Forecast site; on day in question I checked Brecon forecast as it is a good indicator for the area. Under section of hazards , Hypothermia –Moderate risk, particularly if inadequately dressed was noted for Sunday. Many found this to be true it seems.
The organisers have always also put warnings on their site about how inhospitable the hills can get even in summer, and need for waterproofs even if slightest hint of rain

I was talking to the lad in shorts & T shirt as we rode on Hergest, he said he was quite warm enough, maybe that changed by Gwaunceste. In full leggings and a buffalo type smock I was just warm enough, last ride I needed such kit was mid February 🙁

b r well done,
maybe my 35 psi was cause of problem on my Ardent (I have run it at 25 psi but felt it was draggy) ; but felt OK with my tyres too although at 35 psi (85 kg rider) maybe lower would have helped but might have increased floatiness. HR was quite drifty on some of that gloop

IT RAINED–about 30 mm at home a few miles away; it was also very cold, 5c on Gwaunceste. Just did short route as tracks were exceptionally slippery on all singletracks on the moors, sort of a liquid chocolate mix over hardpack, so went with discretion and survival instinct to cut to short route at Glascwm—still 2200m climbing by my altimeter watch !
Hope those injured were not too badly hurt, many spills seen.
Worst weather of all running of event (8 years now??)

forecast rain and rain, and cold; moors aren`t that wet though (live locally). Ardent on front 🙁 no way, last time did that with a 2.25 Ardent completely unsteerable, alongside Gwaunceste hill peaty trail, just went everywhere.
Using Maxxis HR 2.3 F, Adv 2.25 rear—lodsa weight but comfy

Try putting a couple of 1mm thick washers between PM and caliper unit; Ive done this in past and all seems OK, mechanically as long as majority of attachment bolt in PM, which with length bolt it should be, a couple of washers doesnt seem to affect integrity of setup; you may also just need 1 , try it and see

Daverambo–SNAP–here`s mine bottom of Long Mynd 🙂

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P4300032[/url] by jamesld8[/url], on Flickr

+1 for Lezyme high pressure job, compact, looks smart 🙂 and does the job. To avoid excess energy in using it fit good tyres too!

Easyrider;
no, no thoughts about entering a real race I just do Sportives as a challenge and a target for getting fit. Just like to trundle along at my own pace; did a few TTs / short road races back in 80s when at univ, didnt enjoy them as much as Sportives---anyway Id be super vet category 🙂

Easyrider;
so what if some used carbon wheels today at Forest Dean, why should it matter ? I rode around on a winter Ti bike with full mudguards and Mavic 32 h Open Pros, thoroughly enjoyed it and being passed by / or passing those with carbon wheels did not in the least make any difference to enjoyment of the ride 🙂 —and I nearly got Gold standard (9 min adrift) too which pleased me 🙂

TBH the most annoying type of riders are those who are intolerant of others doing different parts from their selected niche of the same sport that we all participate in in its different forms, ie riding for fun / competing / riding Enduros / sportives. It is up to each what and how they kit out; if riders get pleasure from shiny expensive bits so be it and its up to them

Go with the weather forecast, whichever is best area ! or stay on Long Mynd?? 🙂

The Gap road though benefits at this time of year from a total restriction on motorised vehicles; last time I was there top of Gap was snarled up by motorcyclists falling off as they tried the rock steps, rather spoilt the downhill experience for me 🙁

Very happy with my Assos ones, excellent fit and IMHO worth teh money; have tried Endura ones and they are nowhere near as warm nor as good fitting…your choice 🙂

Scotland April 2010 Munro bagging trip access up landrover track, Blair Atholl region; Van Nicholas Zion Ti

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MTB Beinn Dearg access[/url] by jamesld8[/url], on Flickr

Depends upon how accurate you want to be WCA ++1 in general me + bike + bathroom scales; more accurately go to LBS and use their digital spring scales

Road riding Id think most of energy is required in pushing aside a wall of air, MTBing probably hills and rolling resistance; I average about 2 x average speed on road as MTB so would if all else equal (which it isnt) use 4x the energy on a road ride at 2x MTB speed ; BUT of course all else isnt equal :( however Id still reckon that allowing for MTB hills and extra drag I`d use much more energy road biking for an equal time than I would MTB ing, even if latter was half the distance.

Lusso at £20, bit basic and boxy cut but OK for MTB ing in; however far better fit and performance from Assos Lightweight gilet, very breathable, good fit for road use but costly almost to extreme unless you find one in a sale 🙂

happy with my Hope Hoops pro 2 on Mavic EN521s good strong wheels and not too heavy either; have stayed true for 1000 miles XC / trail centre riding 🙂

no-one has yet mentioned Bwlch Y Groes from Dinas side ! or Devils Staircase, and Coal Rd from Dent? or for a good long steady climb Milltir Gerrig across Berwyns 🙂

Enjoyed riding summer road bike for 4 hours in sunny Wales 🙂 out to Rhayader via a few moderate hills, back home 64 miles, 1400 m climbing; Thought about also adding on doing circuit dams at Elan Valley to add in but have slight chest / head virus so cut it short

Taken in Spanish Sierra Nevada a couple of years ago:

at about 500m asl :

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RB slowdown warning[/url] by jamesld8[/url], on Flickr

soem 20 miles later having followed this advice…

we reached:

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La Ragua summit JB[/url] by jamesld8[/url], on Flickr

club name says it all about that climb 🙂

Does this bridge the divide between MTB and road biking?

superlight carbon Viner Road Bike on top of highest peak in Sierra Nevada 🙂

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Viner Veleta summit[/url] by jamesld8[/url], on Flickr

check this out for the webcams pictures http://www.winterhighland.info/snowreports/index.php?resort=cg
looks gorgeous but windy and colder weather returning middle of week–make the most of it if you`re up there.

From my experinece although my Ti HT feels livelier at 25lb ish I reckon that for getting around a trail centre or even a natural XC route my heavier, 29lb ish BFe will overall be quicker despite extra weight due to faster down hills and more easy to ride latter through rugged stuff; too light a bike can be knocked off line too easily, wider tyres will roll through rough bits more smoothly—or at least thats what I think / find from these 2 bikes. Doesnt mean to say teh lighter bike isn`t fun to ride though

R&R Gold Ive found to be great on winter road bike sthough :) May try it on MTB in summer now Ive finished large bottle of excellent White Lightning