This thread continues to give mature and useful advise.If only the rest of the forum was as helpful :-)
Well done all.

I bought some Sealskinz ultra grips on manic Friday for £22.
Used them for three rides in 0 – 8 degrees. Hands felt warm and dry, and surprising where dry to the touch at the end of two hours.Bar feel was, as mentioned above, first rate. They don’t have any additional padding in the base of the palm like Specialized BG does if that could be a problem.
For me, they could be a bit too warm over 5 degrees but otherwise an excellent purchase.

Well if you’re going to be slow you may as well have a laugh doing it!

Exactly! A Christmas messsage right there.If you’re not having fun you’re doing something wrong (and I had noticed out climbing the guy behind)

Nice to see a matching frame and jersey!

and cap and socks and crash helmet :-)

Sealskinz ultra gloves fit all the criteria listed. Plus they have a very trendy knitted look just right for the discerning teenager.

The advise about coaching and lessons is the most important lesson to take away from the above replies. Swimming is an unusual sport in that technique is so much more important than any cardio vascular fitness. Its a rare sport that a good five year old will beat a poor 20 year old.

You should do it. You’ll fit in perfectly in the triathlon world. The potential for angst is immense.

I was going to give this Karrimor one a go for running. I know its a crappy shop but it just might work

http://www.sportsdirect.com/karrimor-trail-running-gilet-mens-451159?colcode=45115990

If you did your first run last Saturday and you’ve run almost every day since I can only assume you are going to feel the pain pretty soon.
Just got in from an hour off road run in North Devon. All of the benefits of running listed above are spot on, but for me running will only be an adjunct to riding, never a replacement.
Keep it up though.If you enjoy it that much do more,do longer and do harder!

Thanks both – I didn’t scan the GFBD list closely enough!

Can someone post a linky to the list of events UK please(if there is one)

Thanks

There is a quite extensive response only 10 threads below……

I used a Hagloff micro fleece with a full zip and two pockets for that very purpose this morning. Got mine in the sales at Cotswolds.
I have a few similar fleeces but find the Hagloff the best. I use it off the bike as well.

Just to whet your appetite

Looks like the Bishops trail from Heddons mouth to Valley of the rocks?

I’ve been using Screwfix degreaser, at £6 for 5 litres, and a Parks Tool chain cleaner. Works fine although I’m unsure of the environmental credentials of the degreaser!
Next a spray of GT85, leave and wipe off and finish with Finish line wet lube. Would use Muc Off ceramic out of choice but its quite spendy.

I’m not doing it this year. Wife and her friend have decided they want to do it so me and junior will be standing by the side of the road with a cowbell at various parts of the moor.

I’m in on a priority entrance from last year. Will try and use the hills of North Devon as proxy training.

Jambo – trying to get Knottie to enter so we’ll look out for you and the young ‘un.

’twas a great day for it.

That Turner Czar is easliy the best bike I’ve seen on here for a while!

Mud X is a great mud tyre, possibly the best out there when it turns really bad but I found after using them for two years I didn’t want to put up with the low tyre volume (constant crunching rims) and sluggish feel.
Now on Specialized Storms which I thought was the mud race tyre of choice. So far have been faultless.

Tikka RXP user here. Better than the Lenser I had previously (although it was an old version) Love the reactive brightness capability.Comfortable and stable.
Used on some proper rough night time running on Exmoor and Dartmoor.

Well done Grant.
I think you were the first person I ever saw riding single speed! I’ve still got a Roberts DB in the barn(and its ss) . 32 years for me, but then I’m quite a bit older than you whipper snappers.

have been doing some calculations and the XT really is great value, and from what I read as long as you run front/rear mech the same as MTB or Road you can mix

So,does this mean I can use RS785 levers with Di XTR rear mech on a 1X11 set up? ‘Cos my lbs said I couldn’t.

This was my hoped for set up on the V2 ATR when it becomes available.

Dalmation pelican at Helston Loe pond!

Also, second shout for Minnack theatre (dress warmly)

Go to the Scillies for a day?

MT Zooms for me with the extra thick ESI grips

MT Zoom on all my bikes now. 9 degree sweep 720mm.
Get mine from XC Racer.

By the way OP, you’re a grockle.
Emmit is a Cornish word and we don’t like that sort of language around here!
Lynton has lots of little bits of trail, but not anything to string together. I’ve always thought its perfect rough stuff riding – bit of road, bit of off road.
Q’s are not very far away :-)

I would also recommend driving down to Braunton burrows. Try and find the Sandy Lane car park (its about half a mile before Braunton if you come the Croyde/Saunton way. From that car park you can ride all over the Burrows on the sandy trails( keep off the dunes as thats fat bike country :-) ). If you take the main trail west from the car park it’ll take you to the sea (fabulous reveal as you push the bikes over the north dunes)Lots to do in that area to keep a young ‘un occupied without being too hard.
If you feel like a 1.5 hour drive you could always go to Haldon forest and their prepared trails.
I would not recommend Keypits myself. I thought it quite awful(imho obvs)
If you get stuck email me and I’ll try and help.

Haldon is one of those places thats pretty easy technically but gets much more fun the faster you attack it.
Personally I prefer the Blue as it has a bit more “flow” (swoopy) than the Red which is breaking up quite a bit.
Woodbury and the Q’s are great, as mentioned above. I don’t like to say one areas better than another, they are just different and you have to accept that.Thats why we rotate our riding areas (Q’s get used the most this time of year) just to keep the variety and interest going.
If you decide which spot you want to ride, give me an email nearer the time and I could try and show you some trails (Haldon you obviously wont need a guide)

Are there some cheap purple crockett frames out there?

How about a decathlon-type format that combines all the different disciplines to find the best overall rider? Up, down, across, long, short, trials, road, the lot?

Done that in the ’80’s at the Essex Winter series. Well sort of. I remember trials, time trials, uphill, downhill and xc. I was trying to organise something like the TdF.

Thanks Wilko

I couldn’t finish one of those huge scones once so I put it my back jersey pocket for later. Bad move, had to empty a thousand crumbs later.
Is this road or off road you are after because you are quite close to the Q’s. I’m sure Dibbs will come back with some good advise ( mine is don’t miss Frog Combe)

Fully Sussed based near Plymouth do various skills courses.

http://www.fullysussed.co.uk/skills-courses.html

Volagi Viaje XL

Ticks all your boxes and is as beautiful as hell.

That’s the one getting my pension fund money. Although I would say a CX bike is not the same as a gravel bike. But perhaps that’s me splitting hairs.

woodbury!? ye gads man!

Knottie and I will be riding there Saturday if you think you’re man enough Del?

haldon isn’t worth a drive.

dartmoor is.

book an uplift for gawton.

quantocks is closer.

that ^ almost word for word is what my response was going to be…

that ^ is spot on.
Although Haldon is fine if you understand its limitations and ride it flat out.

Ceepers – must have past you somewhere today surely. I started at Braunton and went off road up Castle Lane and then to Ossaborough. From there down to Woolacombe, across the Warren and along to Croyde. Road around Down end and then across Saunton golf course and Braunton Burrows.
Nice spin on the rough stuff bike to warm up before tomorrows Sarsen Trail on Salisbury Plain.
I live in Bratton by the way.

Can’t help with the electrics sorry. I can also suggest using on airplane mode and a circular halo charger (taped onto underside of bars) which has got me through a nine hour event.

Loss of salt or dehydration is no longer considered to be the cause of cramping. A simple google search to a decent training site will explain this.
Although the cause of cramping is not absolutely clear, most sports scientists will suggest overuse, high training loads or riding harder than you are ready for as the most likely cause and the increased levels of synaptic activity.

40mm Nano races in my rough stuff bike. Been great in everything I’ve done on them – 60 mile road ride to red section trail centre (well Haldon so it would be a blue everywhere else). I’m 75kg and run 45 lbs in all conditions which has included cx sportives and “gravel races”

Bit of a squishy rear end………………………….I’ll leave now!

Rode Saturday. A bit of slime here and there, but generally ok ish. I’ve certainly known it better. Climbing Bicknoller the sun came out and was proper hot as it always is.
I would love to have helped but I’m otherwise engaged.