I’ve got the 76 projects Piggy, with the bag. It’s great. Looks tidy, and is really secure.

Pretty sure that Schwalbe have discontinued the Rock Razor and replaced it with the Wicked Will?

Yeah I noticed that, so I popped a Wicked Will on my enduro bike to see what it’s like. Ultra Soft Tacky Chan upfront and SpeedGrip WW.

Rolls very well, as expected grip in loose steeps isn’t great but it’s predictable.

I’ve recently given Ultra Soft TC super trail a go. Similar to you, Magic Mary lover (think I’ve had about 6 in different versions).

Didn’t notice any difference.

Still great, but I doubt blindfolded I could tell the difference in any area. Probably just me though.

Basically, Morzine doesn’t have a lot of rocks or even that many roots.

Super Morzine main tracks don’t but pretty much everything else in the area does. Linderet is rocky, Pleney is rooty, most of the off piste is rooty etc. etc.

I’ve always used new or nearly new beefier tyres when I’ve been out. 2 reasons:

It’s a holiday, and I don’t want to lose half a day walking down a mountain with a slashed tyre. Also tyres tend to be ££££ in the Morzine shops.

It’s a holiday where I only ride and do nothing else, vast majority uplifted. Therefore tyres wear out much much faster.

I have some 2014 Deores that are still going and never had any issue.

Had some XT M785 for about 18 months with no issues.

Then had 3 sets of XT M8000, first 2 leaked (about 6 months and 18months in from memory) and replaced under warranty and so the 3rd set I just immediately sold on.

The M8000s were used probably 4 times a week.

Great photos as well by the way.

I’ve signed up.

Saw on the Facebook group and the stages look fun.

I’d avoid Okeford if you don’t like steep stuff because the whole hillside is really rather steep!

The skills training is done on the top section which is flat. There are a series of corners, berms , small jumps and drops which are not on the steep parts of the hill.

Had to do similar recently.

Used Macrium Reflect . They have 30 day free trial.

Morzine July 2023

Okeford Hill Bike Park – Rocket Line

Is it one photo per category per person?

Thanks for setting this up!

I have a Fox DHX RC4 on downhill bike. I think it’s one of the best shocks I’ve ridden and nicely tunable with the air bottom out shame the newer Fox coils don’t have this.

I’ve had the Cane Creek DB Inline Coil, apart from the first one having a knock (which was fixed by TF straight away) it ran perfectly for a few years with zero servicing. Performance was very good.

Have an EXT now and it’s brilliant. Spendy though, and if the frame is progressive enough, the CC Inline is close in performance. Only got the EXT as it was during lockdown and nothing else was availalbe that fitted new bike.

Got tickets for the Friday and Sunday. The tension on the countdown!

Great pics!

I was up this weekend for the first time ever in the Lakes doing a running race in the Ambleside area, kept thinking to myself “OH MY GOD THIS BIT WOULD BE SO GOOD ON A BIKE!”

Need to get up there again on 2 wheels.

OP which was your favourite area you rode you think?

His recent stuff is really sad. I can’t watch it now, I really hope he gets some help soon.

I don’t think they make the Rock Razor anymore. Shame as I really liked it.

I’ve used it upfront for some XC racing in the winter when it’s been wet and soft and I didn’t have anything else.  Worked well enough, didn’t die.

Think I had an Ikon Race on the back at the time.

Maybe the epic is a time for the whole loop and the fastest few actually win something?

I believe that’s how it worked in previous years, I’m doing both the Epic on Friday and the Sport on Sunday, as I thought they would be different style of races. From the website though the description for the Epic is:

The Ard Rock Epic event is timed using an ‘Air’ timing chip system which starts and stops when you pass the timing beacon. You will be timed on stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 and your accumulative time will give you your result. To start your chip make sure you scan it at the start flag and return your chip to get a result when you get back to the event village. Failure to hand in a chip will result in a £50 fee. If you withdraw from the course, you must return your chip for safety reasons.

and for the Sport it’s identical:

The Ard Rock Sport event is timed using an ‘Air’ timing chip system which starts and stops when you pass the timing beacon. You will be timed on stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 and your accumulative time will give you your result. To start your chip make sure you scan it at the start flag and return your chip to get a result when you get back to the event village. Failure to hand in a chip will result in a £50 fee. If you withdraw from the course you must return your chip for safety reasons.

I can’t see any mention of anything that says it’s not exactly the same as the Sport.

The timing slip usually gives an overall elapsed time and individual stage times – I think an aggregated stage time also

That’s what I thought as well but there’s no mention of that at all on the website.

Of they used to work but now don’t, it’s possible burnishing isn’t going to help. What forks are they?

Cane Creek Helm coils.

Puddletown is just follow your nose random short fun trails.

There’s good loops to be had around the Purbecks, plenty of stuff online about that.

Okeford Hill bike park is just near Blandford.

Wareham forest has trails as well, mainly collected around the Gore Heath area. There are some flat wide waymarked routes round there as well

Just scrolled down the email and noticed there is a map of the stages.

Stage 4 looks like it uses the start of the new one that was built last year then heads all the way down to the bottom of the hill. Should be epic!

I’ll be on a green Banshee with silver forks and coil if anyone wants to say hello.

I’ve never even been to Minehead, let alone to the particular trails

It’s a really nice place to ride. A lot of good trails in the area and some stunning views.

I’ve done Southern Enduro at Minehead before and they’ve stuck to the trails Deer Stalker side. If they use those they aren’t steep or long, but rooty and a bit awkward.

As said, no FC stuff so no Quadzilla etc.

I’ve not ridden there loads but know the area a bit.

There is some new(ish) steeper stuff though near enough and off FC land that they hopefully use.

Same cat for me.

Was looking like I was going to have to race on the DH bike due to catastrophic mechanical on the other bike but I’ve been saved by a friend.

Should be fun.

The opposite is true of Coal not Dole, entry has no qualifier,

Coal not Dole has that slightly awkward double rock step qualifier?

This is only for this year though, and im guessing that next year it will back to Saturday and on the 60km xc loop.

Makes sense, but that’s a shame. A point to point race including the full enduro stages would be SO good!

I’m also confused about this:

PS – anyone know the difference between the Epic and Sport?

Epic was one timed loop. the sport is still times stages (ish)

The friday epic 60km xc loop, was actually the 40km enduro 7 stages,

The website states for the Epic:

“In 2021 the Epic will take place on Friday and on the Enduro route, with it’s infamously flat out and technical descents, 2000m of elevation and over 40km overall length. The downhill sections will be timed”

and for Sport/Enduro:

“A SPECIAL 45KM LOOP – covering around 2500 meters of combined climbing and descending”

So from the website it’s hard to work out what the difference is? If you look at Roots and Rain for the Epic then it shows only stage times, not total loop time?

https://www.rootsandrain.com/event8605/2021-aug-8-ard-rock-ard-rock-swaledale/results/filters/course1/

First time at the event this year. Really enjoyed it.

Did the Sport on Sunday, seems we got pretty lucky with the weather, Stage 1 and 2 was a bit greasy but that added to the fun to be on edge a bit. After that the stages were grippy and dry for us, we set off pretty early though.

For tyres I went 2.6 Mary snakeskin front and near bald 2.35 Mary Super Gravity on the rear. I’d say that was a pretty perfect combo, in the dry a Super Gravity Rock Razer would be good I reckon.

Only minor complaint really would be it would of been nice for Sport riders to maybe to be able to practice stages 1 and 2 on the Saturday afternoon after the Enduro riders had gone through.

I’m in for £100 ( ticket and camping), had to take a day off work and am thinking of not bothering.

Forecasts have been wildly off these last few weeks (at least where I live!).

Really fun race.

Have some 2 year old well loved tyres on which I’d left on as the race was going to be on the trail centre so thought would be fast. Couldn’t be bothered to change them then it rained. As it turned out the tracks dried quickly but first run down each stage was pretty wild.

Got 11 runs in but only 2 on stage 3 as the queue was so long I couldn’t be bothered to wait.

Great atmosphere even with the restrictions, and was nice to be out chatting to people again. I really like the mashup format,Can’t wait for next one.

Thanks @alanl

Voices like this are needed on these threads otherwise it reverts to the same circular arguments.

With regards to this mindset:

People arriving illegally on boats, ….. less commonly, but not unusual, sink the boats and let them drown.

I find this view utterly abhorrent, and would never ever consider voting for a party that even hinted at taking a view even close to this. I’d like to hope I’m not alone in thinking that.

What do you think is the best way for Labour to get through to people who think like this and turn that opinion around?

Was talking to my wife about this and she’s adamant that Labour need to leave the working classes behind

No. 100% no.

How’s targeting the middle classes working out for the Lib Dems?

Simply giving up on the section of the population that would benefit the most from you being in power because they currently don’t vote for you is Labours problem to fix, not to ignore.

Well that all went roughly as expected then.

😂

So what’s next?

Shadow cabinet reshuffle? I’d like to see some louder voices, Yvette Cooper, Clive Lewis and Tan Dhesi would be nice mix to add.

Who else?

See Mandleson is blaming the 2 C’s: Covid and Corbyn. I hope no one listens to him because with that stubborn insular mindset “things can only get worse”. More flags and less immigration shouts will just end up with an increased hemorrhage of votes to Green and LD and more confusion about who Labour are.

Funding professional representation to oppose development would win you a marginal seat in some places – whatever.

For me the important thing isn’t so much the funding but the having the membership take part enmasse to work on a project that helps that community.

What you’re proposing is illegal I think. It’s pretty much why Johnson is in trouble with the electoral commission.

If it is, then side step that by getting the membership to donate to charities or local groups who are working on some issue locally and then flood them with bodies on the ground to work on it.

For me something like this would ignite the party and really get people to see Labour in a different light. It would help with the “they are all the same” mindset people have of politicians but most importantly it would bring people together within communities and rebuild bonds that both left/right remain/leave whoever would benefit from.