I used to race the odd CX years ago as a youth/junior when it was unfashionable as part of my xc racing. I hated it. racing round muddy fields is shit. If it got into woods it became interesting and more wooded courses I’d use my mtb to my advantage. It was a hitter version of XC racing.
The only use I can see is using roads to connect bridleways.
MTB’s still rule off road.

He spoke in a weird way.

Good to see some bits of the downs I’m not familiar with (being at the western end).

the group that hired the astro after us yesterday were there to play frisbee!
I wouldn’t usually mind or care but no one usually books after us so we get to play for an extra half hour…

Today is shit. It would have been his birthday today and it would have been nice to go for a meal or something. I miss him a lot and I count myself very lucky I had him for a dad. He’s the reason I ride bikes and it was a shared passion (was a forum member too).

He was killed a couple of years ago by some **** treating country roads like a rally stage. Not just sad for my loss but for the rest of my family and of course him whose life was cut short (not as short as others but still). There’s a hole now that I struggle to explain.

sorry to piss on OP’s thread – needed to vent. Enjoy your having your dads if they are good dads or even not quite so good.

I figured he would have made some aero mods to the bike?

Construction was hit badly in 08 and a lot of civil engineers etc just aren’t there anymore due to retirement and lack of recruitment in that period.

There are big tenders out there for some of our road schemes but there aren’t enough contractors out there.

I do wonder if the employment figures are made to artificially look good by unskilled, low pay and zero hour contracts.

If you plug it into a pc you may see a drive/folder in my computer/finder come up.

As with any old bike you have to decide if you are comfortable with spending cash to keep it alive knowing that it could be money to a newer and better bike. Some point you may want to make the jump. Newer bikes will be much better than what you have. Bikes have certainly come on a lot (controversial view on this forum) since your bike was new!

I wouldn’t waste money on anything substantial like frames/forks anyway unless its second hand and far better than what you have.

Brought a knife to a gun fight

I watched them then read the book hoping for something but the tv only followed it loosely and way more stuff goes on in the tv series.

I had to google the ending as I was still confused. It’s suggested that the characters are fictional characters in an alternate fictional world such as a book, with some characters becoming aware of it. But the struggle of the characters could still be the same in either reality.

Looks great. Shame about bottle cage placement. Numbers look good too. Not sure TT measurement is all that relevant. Seat tubes have got steeper. Wheel bases have got longer.

OP – better to have too much rather than too little. At least you can cut them down to size.

Other manufacturers should do the same.

I have the super enhanced one. It’s my first GPS and only got it for xmas so not sure I’m best placed to answer but I find I quite good.

Lots of battery life. a 3 hour ride uses less than 10%.

Easy to load routes onto it using the app and website page.

Not sure what else to say about it.

Done a few hundred on mine now and seem ok. Great for the price. Can see them lasting for a while.

Grand tour riders use race bikes. Guess the important thing is fit.

Take it back and get the bike shop to sort it out. If they don’t email specialized.

Since when are stumpys slacker than Enduros? 67 vs 65.5 on the enduro.

Great bikes tbh and competent all round. You need to size up though. If you usually ride a medium think about getting a large

Agree!

What are you training for? If it is just to keep fit it’ll be soul destroying. Got to look forward to something you’ll enjoy for motivation.

If you don’t race pack in the training and just ride your bike how you want and where you want. Burning out is no fun and what you are doing is pretty pointless…

I think you are wise to adapt the bike as well as coaching. It’s a simple thing that may help make the most out of coaching. It’s not costly unless you start changing forks!

You can only run one off set bushing though which may give you half a degree. You cant put in an angle set.

Can you put a shorter stem on to help move weight back?

It may just be more sensible to buy another bike!

limits on transition time are fine but tend to go to shit so needs good organisation.

Timing any uphill stage would be shite and I suspect you would get sod all entries as I’m not sure who you would appeal to. If I wanted to be timed racing up hill I’d just race XC as that is the proper test of fitness. If I didn’t want to ride uphill I’d race DH.

Enduro works as it is in its own sort of way. Enduro is just meant to be a race that mirrors how most people ride. Up then go fast on the downs.

No problem with introducing technical downhill stages as it should be progressing peoples riding. Even the odd piece of flat sprint.

I own a SWB. Haven’t bothered putting anything in it. Can’t see how it could hold two bikes with two sleeping on a normal size bed with a partition. I actually like it’s carrying ability at the moment but I may put one single bed along the side. It would act as storage too. It may even fold down off the side. you may get a 4ft wide double in with two bikes along the side but it wouldn’t be partitioned.

Used to own a LWB high top transit. Built a bed over the bike garage which could hold bikes built up (big attraction of owning a van IMO)and have living space.

I’d ask yourself how much you intend to use it and when you do use it how long would it be for? Is it a daily vehicle too?

If you wanted it to be a camper and you have a car I’d suggest getting a bigger van so when you are away you have a much better experience.

An M1? Lucky

Since when did big loops put people off? It never did at UKGE.

IMO having two uk series **** things up as riders would choose one or the other.

There was enough interest nationally pre 2015 and there is at regional level so who ever takes on a national series needs to consider what draws in the racers.

Which is why a national series needs to be set up like the EWS with different regional organisers hosting a round or even having one of their races as a uk point scoring event.

Surely the only compensation to be paid should be to the tax man if the VED was less than what it should have been?

fifeandy – Member

What. Then there wouldn’t be any races would there? Your expectations are unrealistic!

But are they, or is it that expected levels of infrastructure surrounding the events with marshals, super duper timing, first aid etc etc are inflating the price of the event beyond what makes sense for many people?

Don’t get me wrong, I pay to enter several events at varying price points every year, but every year I also see prices increase. Its becoming more and more the case that a weekend away for some events (including travel, B&B etc) is costing a small fortune.

It is getting more expensive but so is everything so they have to cover costs. A single day dragon race with uplift cost about £25 15 years ago but we pay nearly double that for races without an uplift.

I think if you want toilets, some form of electronic timing, marshalls, medical cover, land hire then I’d be surprised if you can get it much less than what it costs at say £15.

??

I wouldn’t want to pay any more than about that for a DH race like the ones at Cannock maybe double for an enduro because of the need for multiple stages, XC maybe up to £15.

What. Then there wouldn’t be any races would there? Your expectations are unrealistic!

Shame for BES. Wanted to do DYFI. Enduro does need something similar but maybe there isn’t the market with all of these smaller events doing well. Be interesting to see how many racers there are. maybe rootsandrain would know so we could understand how viable extra races are.

I agree to an extent with the above about not paying to ride stuff you can ride all the time. I really like racing and have done for decades. Get to go some great places but Part of the appeal of racing for me is fresh tracks and natural stuff. But I can’t stand trail centres so last thing I would do is to pay to enter it. Whatever happens any national series needs to think about what they race.

I have two scoop saddles. A shallow on the road bike and a radius on my mtb. Radius is for sit up so MTB etc and flat for aero road.

Seem durable and light. I find them comfy ish which is good as there’s relatively little that I do as I have narrow sit bones.

Best to read up on your planning authorities policies and local plan.

Do agree that if it was simple to get permission it would have been done. But I guess you’re talking about a plot that could fit several dwellings? If so fees for getting it through could be pretty damn big.

I don’t mind them. Last 6 months to a year. But at £25 to replace its not a big deal.

Easier to replace than a threaded bb which doesn’t last much longer.

Smack them out with a hammer, clean surfaces, Loctite and press in with a long bolt/homemade press.

I wouldn’t let it put me off a bike!

Can’t believe people are questioning the £7 fee.
For the work they put in it’s minimal.

It’s just £7 ffs. What else could you do with that.

He is going to fail at life. Or does discipline with advent calendars really matter?

You can ride up too. I usually do.

I agree to an extent, I was stating the obvious. There is some useful advice we can impart on here. but going into detail is probably the least useful. Key pieces of info such as ‘stay relaxed’ etc are about it.

The best advice is to get one to one coaching as its the most effective and quick learning route. Youtube is ok. We could write down the technique but when anyone tries to put it in to practice its probably long forgotten.

If you don’t want coaching or just want to hit gaps at your local.
then starting small and build up, building confidence and technique naturally. Your body will learn what does and doesn’t work in relative safety of smaller jumps.

A lot of you over think. I can only think this makes you tense, and once you start your roll in you won’t remember it all.

The best way to learn is to start small and build up gradually getting more comfortable.

Also riding with someone who can do what you want so you can get a tow in for a speed check is very useful

Would rather ride my road bike than ride swinley. Same thing…

Peaslake is way better. But then its usually down to what you’re capable of/interested in doing…

Her reaction is understandable and you should give her space. You just took a massive shit on her life. It’s not fair sending her messages giving her mixed signals and also wanting to keep in contact with her friends is odd. They should be standing by her rightly.

Even if you ended it for the right reasons as the relationship was going to end and you didnt want to prolong it.

Give her some space and move on. best.

Sounds similar to why I dont really surf much anymore.

I guess You’re hooked on chasing that moment when everything goes right and the wave is amazing. And if the waves are up then who knows when the next time is so you’re more inclined to skip the mtb for it.

Depends what you’re comparative level between the two is too.

Oh to live near somewhere with good waves and good weather.

I always pass others on the UPS and for ages I thought it was because everyone else was super unfit. It’s not though.
Oh, it really is – that and running tyres that have similar weight and rolling resistance to a tractor.

It’s because everyone is on 1x these days and it makes people slower on the ups.
Dont be daft, 1x makes people quicker up as A) it forces people to put in more effort to keep the larger gear turning, and B) its (a little) lighter.

Good point. The ratios are pretty similar with a 32t on the front so that is not the reason people are slow up hills. As pointed out it’s the combination of tyres and suspension plus a small element of fitness. Most people are in no rush to get up. It’s not XC.

To me the biggest things are. Less faff, less to go wrong, up is up and down is down sequential shifting.

I have a road bike. I really dislike shifting down at the rear and the front when starting to climbing. If I only shifted down at the front I’d be in too high a gear to start with. Must say I’m tempted by Di2 thinking about it.

As for being fashion victims I’ve been riding mountain bikes since 1990 or something as a kid racing sprogs. I’ve seen pretty much everything there has been to do with bike development. And I can honestly say we’ve never had it so good so to dismiss us as fashion victims suggests you must be riding on the first bike you ever had, as surely only idiots upgrade their bikes if it isn’t broken?

I’d love to see some people sprinting down steep hills in top gear with their 3 x 9 set ups. Hilarious. Who maxes out with that. Unless youre just bombing down roads in which case wtf