seconded the Mechanix gloves

non-padded palm which i like, bombproof, a retro throwback to what you bought when ‘proper’ mtb gloves weren’t available, lots of colours, and cheaper if you buy them via mx websites
there’s a Vent version that’s good for summer use

why so many repeat items? (pumps and CO2 gubbins

The pump comes with a Co2 canister hidden inside it, as the pump is small volume it would take a while to get a good pressure manually pumping so having a spare Co2 cartridge makes pumping it to 30 psi quicker/easier, in a worst case scenario that i use both Co2 cartridges getting one tyre to 30psi and then i puncture again i can just pump using the pump manually albeit it will take a while

Spare Co2 head takes up little room so i just chucked it in just in case the pump fails for some reason

i’ll repeat my recommendation for one pump that actually works then :-)

there’s an old hiking adage of “You pack your fears”, you appear to have quite a few

why so many repeat items? (pumps and CO2 gubbins)
that’s more than i would take on a XC ride, and by XC i mean crossing an entire country, or two :-)

Multitool with chain breaker
2 tubes
Hand pump that works (CO2 is heavy, bulky and a use only once option)
Tyre levers
Gaffer tape (wrapped around pump)
Spare links
Valve core remover
Tyre boot (coffee bag is light and durable)
Zip-ties if absolutely paranoid, i’ve taken these on many multi-day rides and never used them mind

i was put off by those tubeless tyre plug things (Dynaplug) because of their expense but they have been a tyre/ride saver more than a few times so you can ditch a lot of your excess kit and replace with something like this

i’ve tried it with a syringe, it clogs

OP, why have you put BG insoles in, is it just to give them a try or to resolve a specific issue?

if the former, maybe some time, maybe never
if the latter probably immediately, assuming they’re the correct solution

i use the full fat green ones after seeing a physio and working out that these would straighten my leg whilst pedalling and save my knees and notice immediately if i haven’t got them in

if it’s just tools and bits and bobs and you have a spare bottle mount put them in a tool keg (Fabric or a bottle-cage tool pod)

one of those Velcro frame strap things (Backcountry Research, Louri)

phone, wallet and keys would go in a pocket, it’s really not that bouncy

soy, oat, or almond milk, normal milk with a bit of flour to thicken, greek yoghurt

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Trimix
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This is when marketing wins and we lose.

We live in the UK. Not the US where they do have hundreds of miles of gravel roads.

there aren’t many mountains in the UK either, and yet…

phew, in light of the current situation i thought we might miss the weekly mountainbiker thinking they’re going to upset “roadies” by going out in flat pedals, baggies, peaked helmet and Camelbak but it’s good to see the 25 year run remain unbroken :-)

you’re overthinking this

degreaser of choice in a jam-jar applied sparingly with an old paintbrush, clean, drip oil of choice on chain

i’ve had a BOB Yak for years and i don’t use it enough really

the plus sides are…
you can carry A LOT of stuff, probably too much (the trailers do have a weight limit though)
there’s a small adjustment you need to make to bike handling but it’s mostly just like riding a bike
you can ride some quite techy off-road with them if you want
you can easily unhitch them and just use your bike as normal
once you know how you can balance the bike and the BOB without needing a wall to lean it against
they make people smile

the minus points are…
you can carry too much stuff, if you’re going touring on your own you’re probably taking too much stuff, on a tandem they make a lot more sense
they’re heavy. even unloaded they weigh a lot
they’re hard work on climbs, aside from the weight being all in one place (unlike panniers/bikepacking bags where it’s spread over the bike) unless you have a perfectly smooth pedal stroke they can pull back in the pause between your downstrokes which gets tedious quickly
the odd ‘front end going light’ moment makes it fun, you learn to heavily weight the bars on corners
the mounting can be rattly

it depends what you want to do with it really, i’ve had great fun with mine doing proper mountainbike rides and enjoying singletrack whilst the rider behind me laughs their head off and keeps a respectful distance

philjunior
Member

I find she comes across as trying to be emotionally powerful about relatively mundane stuff.

may i suggest sir tries Victoria Wood or Pam Ayres?

eat a little and often, try not to rely on gels and have proper food. have a decent stop halfway-ish at a cafe for a refuel if possible, in fact break the ride down into manageable chunks and plan some food around them. there’s no need to pack loads of food, do some research and look for garages/cafes/shops where you can refuel. as well as being good for you energy levels this can help psychologically as it’s just the next place to get to rather than the finish miles away

if it’s not raining and the roads are okayish, ditch the mudguards and put the fatter tyres on

hand pain could be anything from position on the bike to tyre pressure to your bars actually being over-padded

knee pain could be lots of things as well, if it was windy it could just be pushing a big gear into a headwind for a prolonged period

if your neck hurts from being in the drops practice being on the brake hoods with your forearms as horizontal as possible, this can be more comfortable over longer periods

if your shoes and pedals feel fine then leave them, i’ve done thousands of miles on carbon soled mtb shoes and spd pedals with no issue, it also makes walking into cafes easier :-)

i’m 5’10” and usually ride a nominal 56 in whatever and ride a 55.5 AT, but with a 10mm longer stem

i’m always surprised at how upright some people have their gravel bikes though :-)

thinking old school out the box cheap, fit a bar-end shifter?

edit – Dia-Compe do the lovely ENE Wing Shift Levers that sit inside the STI lever body but they’re £150 a pair :-/

i’ve done the same as Bez, using a bar-extension positioned straight down to help support a handlebar bag and stop it flapping about against cables and stuff, seems to work well although i had to immediately replace the bolts as they were made of the softest cheese

just get two SS chains, they take seconds to remove with a connecting link

half-link chains are ridiculously heavy and somehow really hard to remove pins from

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MoreCashThanDash

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Was only looking to see how long it was before the Lezyne haterz came out.

The second time a Lezyne pump unscrews a valve core, it’s probably not the fault of the pump

the fact that no other pumps are famous for doing this means it’s probably not the fault of the owner, and Lezyne mini-pumps now come with an integral valve-core tightening tool ;-)

another vote for Silca

there’s 260 square miles of South Downs area, which bit are you in?

hmmm, proprietary parts, lovely :-)

i had a quick google because i miss a good bit of canti brake bodge research and it seems this is not an uncommon problem, even when people used cantilevers

the answer might be in some “Avid Shorty Ultimate Holder and Brake Pad for Carbon Rims”, like the pad holders you have but a shorter arm and fewer washers, spendy mind

if it was me i’d be looking at cartridge pads that have a threaded arm that might fit through the hole with an allen bolt that doesn’t need to fit through there either, the Tektro ones look suitable (if i was feeling carefree i’d Dremel some off the Avid pad holder arm and bolt to make it fit :-0)

i don’t have a set of these but i’m not shy of a canti fettle. looking at pictures have you tried swapping the spherical washers over so the thin one is closest to the pad? that should give some more clearance

the hole in the canti body for the pad holder is just a hole so any road pad should fit, finding one with spherical washers will help with the pad hitting the rim square and toe-in though

stock pots are nicer than stock cubes, but it’s super easy to make your own stock should you be inclined, it will make a big difference to your risotto, it will also help with a fuller flavour allowing you to use less butter and parmesan (although why would you)

add any vegetable to this, peas are easy, as are mushrooms (a nice robust shiitake one is amazing)

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Rubber_Buccaneer

Subscriber
Lezyne

they come with a built-in valve core tightener now

Is this true or are you joking?

it’a part of the hose now

Lezyne

they come with a built-in valve core tightener now

andykirk

Member
Or as a friend said buy the 6 cup and put any leftovers in the fridge for later?

ditch this friend

as others have said, smaller capacity Moka and top up with water and milk as desired, the bigger ones also really eat through your coffee

i’m always amazed that people recommend Sudocrem, it’s thick, sticky and as it’s water repellent it blocks pores rather then helping things breathe, it’s specifically designed to treat nappy rash rather than prevent any nasties down there

udder cream is a frequently suggested cheap alternative (only available over specific counters though)

set the rollers up inside a door frame so you can balance yourself both sides if needs be

don’t focus on the front wheel but look up at the far end of the room

think about your core muscles holding you steady

it won’t hurt if you fall off

as above, not so bothered by the extremes of gear range but the gaps between cogs can really piss me off and quite often want to be in a gear that’s between two on the cassette
this may bother you more or less depending whether you have a steady cadence or not

ah, yes, there was 50 metres of new trail at the very top but not enough to make a difference :-)

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Did anyone else think the course was a bit longer than previous years?
I’m not as fit as I have been, but one of the guys I was riding with definitely is and both of us were doing longer lap times than before.

the course was exactly the same as last year, you’re both just a year older :-)

thank you everyone for risking it on a day that could have gone either way weather-wise, turned out to be a good one…

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convert

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person who has no idea of the subject nevertheless feels free to offer their learned opinion

Where did you get that idea from? Don’t know who those characters are but that does not make me clueless.

i’m afraid to say it does, the world of ultra-distance racing is very different to any other kind of cycle sport. for starters there’s nothing to win (we could argue the toss about the meagre sponsorship deals and whatnot but that’s by the by) aside from crossing the line first and up until this weekend the quiet plaudits of a very small amount of like-minded cyclists, so the temptation to take any kind of enhancement isn’t there, or if there was it would be a futile and purely egotistical gesture
an incredibly large part of this kind of riding is bound by a code of honour. if you wanted to break the rules it would be incredibly easy to do so and bar a very few examples no one does, there is level of mutual respect and trust here that doesn’t exist anywhere else in cycle sport. Fiona took the self-supported rule of the TransContinental to such a degree that she refused someone putting her rubbish in a bin for her

the people that are good at these things are not normal, they’re very different, both mentally and physically, they can knock out mile after mile consistently on very little sleep and live on shit petrol-station food for days, i know because i’m friends with quite a few, i’ve raced against them, and done badly

convert

You’d have to tell me who Lachlan Morton is and what the GBDuro is.

Who is James Hayden? Was not remotely suspicious because his exploits were not brought to my attention.

person who has no idea of the subject nevertheless feels free to offer their learned opinion

BruceWee

Member
So you’re fine so long as you only ever install BBs directly from the box?

this is going to be the case in the vast majority of cases though isn’t it?

unless you’re like the OP and come to fit a new bottom bracket and not noted which side the spacer goes on the old one, which is a lack of very basic mechanicing skills

PJay

Member
For my Deore BB-M52 the cup with the sleeve is drive side which makes it fairly clear (I assume that this is standard for Shimano bottom brackets).

this
out of the same box those instructions come in a Shimano bottom-bracket always has the sleeve attacked to the driveside cup, it’s not hard

the Pyrenees isn’t really assisted mountainbike territory like the Alps is, heading to Luchon would be your best bet, google says it’s 48 mins drive away

you can have half a mug made from several cups of espresso

espressos doesn’t need a apostrophe, it can even just be “espresso” (or “espressi” if you want to be a purist) :-)

the clue’s in the ‘Espresso’ bit in the name, half a mug is not an espresso ;-)

protein is available in far cheaper and more palatable ways than bars and powders, i favour chocolate milk and ‘still fresh’ discount pork pies

base layer under bibs ?

this is entirely normal

Muddy Fox had the crackle paint, although not as vibrant as that