Maybe get the mtb fitness plan and do the body weight version if you don’t have kit? Or for a quick burst I use joe wicks’ youtube videos- warm up 10 mins including mobility, 15 min video, 5 min cool down

After 7 hours on the road bike yesterday I did a 30-35 min gym workout following the mtb fitness plan. Wouldn’t have bothered were it not for this.
All my activity seems to have vanished off the strava group?

I’ve used the mtb fitness plan which you pay for and download. The 3 sessions per week might not work but you can adapt it to suit you. You also might need to change a few exercises to suit what kit you have.

I also like the StrongLifts app for a simple barbell plan to get you stronger, and WOD generator app where you put in what equipment and skills you have and it develops random CrossFit workouts.

This starts on the 16th right? The strava group seems to be logging rides already but I’ll take it as I do more early in the week and less as it goes on

Do the Columbia boots size roughly as normal? If I normally wear 11 in most shoes will a size 11 fit with thicker socks or go up half a size for winter socks?
Thanks

I’ll message you my email address in case you need help with this, I’ve a lot of experience in this area. What the school are suggesting is wrong, tell them to read the SEND code of practise instead of trying to offload problems!

Can I ask which event and would you share any experiences of how you did it etc for others who might be thinking of giving it a try for next year? Finding a venue must be the hardest bit? I can’t think of anywhere big enough and privately owned near me

There’s normally the Scott series but that’s not on this year or last. I feel marathons have stopped due to Covid and land owners not being compliant this year.

I asked this somewhere else and the feeling was it’s a bit of Covid and a bit of a move away from as much xc. Weird really as you’d think the average getting into mtb rider could manage an xc course but might struggle with enduro or marathon?
Is getting venues the issue? There never seem to be any in the Sheffield/ high peak area which must be lack of venues?

There was a fella riding the new spark at Yorkshire marathon today, he didn’t hang about! There was also a Scott van in the parking so maybe he’s a Scott rep. Wasn’t Nick Craig but must be someone connected to have one already? Looked pretty nice though I think I prefer the old style that there were plenty of

It seems like the prices are the same or similar to the old model too? Still get a 970 bottom spec for £2200 which I’m sure is what the old version cost

Ive just got a Scott scale, basic spec, but has 12 speed, lockout for the fork and rides great. I’m no downhill loon but it’s seems to handle rocky, muddy stuff quite well in the peaks, doesn’t mind going up steep road climbs or gravel climbs, and can handle some woodland twisty bits too. I’d think any reasonable xc bike would be the same?

Is the hope one the ride for Charlie marathon? I didn’t know that was happening this year, you’ve cheered me up! Is it the usual organisers?

Mtb&b in Macc will do guided test rides of Scott full sus and alpkit in Hathersage do test rides for £50 for weekend collected or delivered. Might be worth £50 to try both bikes back to back.

Did you come to any conclusions on this? I fancy a spark as I think being a former track racing luddite I’ll enjoy the twin lock- I don’t like the feel of climbs or roads on suspension. Can’t find an XL in stock though at present but I’m planning to wait for stock rather than buy something compromised

How is the plus bike going? Do you think it’s worth it or would the standard size be easier? My kids do a bit of mtb at the moment but mainly the sort of stuff I wouldn’t need + size for so I can’t decide if it’s slowing them down for no gain?

There’s so few bikes like this now, I was looking to change my arkose Ss recently and kept it because it’s basically genesis flyer (downgrade on what I have), find second hand day one, singular, kona, pompino etc, older steel frame but then no discs or custom

Real shame as it’s such a good bike. Single speed, hydro discs, rack, guards, dynamo= bombproof and never needs working on. Mine managed 400m climb and 40km a day but gets tiring after 3 days in a row!

If you don’t fancy the local stuff there’s surely some none Chinese options made in other more well behaved places. That said I bought some nice scandi design centre plates and they were made in China.
A lot of cheap stuff also seems to be made in turkey and I’m not sure they always behave themselves at the borders either.
Maybe find someone independent to make them for you?

I’d not do peaks if I had one year. It rains a LOT and you’ll spend most of that year cleaning kit!
Edinburgh is a good shout. My sister run on the beach, rides out to real hills and has the city nearby on a Boris bike thing. Good buses too.

I don’t even have a trail bike at the moment so that’s no problem!
So conclusion in my head is go for a 26 or 24 inch old cheap jump bike, build it single speed, use the bits I have in the garage and get riding.
Compared to my carbon cross bike it’ll feel nuts but that’s ok!

I agree that the voucher system is a pain to administer for schools and maybe occasionally puts food in the wrong pockets, but it’s much more effective than the alternatives.
Amazingly my local MP William Wragg voted against the original plan even though he trained as a (not very good) teacher with teach first and worked in a school where kids routinely only got one meal a day. He now obviously tweets about how fantastic it is and how well boris did!

Rash Ford is 23? I feel ashamed of myself, just like I did when my wife pointed out Roger Federer is the same age as us!

That looks absolutely filth, love the purple.
I can already see my budget is going to get out of hand

Trail star is the dream, that was always on my want list as a kid.
Definitely going for rigid, and I reckon 26inch so it can swap wheels with my wife’s bike and my shopping bike if it ever needs to.
For me it’s got to have maxxis tyres too

That’s helpful thanks. This is what I’m aiming for, something fun and close to a bmx in feel but just slightly easier to ride and big enough that I can ride to the track. 24inch wheels might look nuts with my size but would make it easier for the kids to get on it sooner.

I guess newer bikes are longer, but is there not a point where it starts being too long for bmx etc? I figure if I can manage on a tiny bmx race bike I can probably do ok on a slightly bigger bike?
Do you find 26inch wheels are ok?

I would avoid the tiny plastic wheel ones. Go for one with proper bike bits and it’ll ride better and you can fix it when it has problems. We have a great Hoy but all the obvious makes like pinnacle, Isla, frog, early rider look good

Try Ben Badger in Glossop- on Instagram and has a website

Did you tailor them in yourself or get a pro to do it? I’d worry about wrecking the waterproofing etc

Someone on here made crayons with their kid out of sticks and old melted crayons. Can’t for the life of me find it. Anyone able to help or have a link for a how to? It’s clearly not super complex but might be some good tips to avoid mess!

Yeh water tunnels for the old mill. If you google there’s pages about people going down them.
There’s also a rumour of a huge one from down near the garden centre lights right under half of Marple and coming out near middle wood way. Not sure I believe that!
On a hot day you can feel the cold air coming out as you go past

I’m going to restart a week behind. First I had a virus, now I’ve got vertigo. Finding something you can do with vertigo is challenging! In the last 2 days I’ve nearly fallen in the canal walking the dog and fell off my bike when I stopped at a gate riding home the first day it came on!

Good luck everyone starting today. I’ve joined the strava club but will be only doing a long slow walk as currently coming to the end of a virus that has slaid my energy! Gentle build up and I should be fine

This is brilliant thanks for sharing!
Myself in Manchester and brother in law in Leeds are going to learn together at distance.
I could see this sort of coaching working for me in the future too, little and often practise is much better than a one off coaching day

Have you ridden a tri spoke and disc? Not in any way comfortable or easy to handle, and makes your bike a lot more noticeable. I don’t think any of those bikes are especially aero if that’s what you’re after?

Do any of you Manchester folk know what night the Manchester series is on usually? Or if details are out for 2020?
Thanks

I’m sure one of the outskirts films was about this on YouTube

Here it is https://www.thereabouts.co/the-big-land

The bridleways round Mellor (that aren’t weirdly surfaced) are in an incredible state after all the storms. The bottom is like a sand dune, the middle a rock garden and the top just mud. Making the uphills a bit more fun!

You don’t **** about with the guardia civil! They must have known he was from a left wing voting family

I’m not an amazingly experienced mountain biker at all, but every time I ride suspension I think ‘this feels a tiny bit faster but weird’. I never get used to how it moves under me- too long on rock solid track and tt bikes- and I find rigid makes me go more sensible speed downhill, which in public trails with dog walkers etc is probably good

I don’t know why people are so sure shanaze would be any good at any other discipline besides bmx and track sprint? She’s pure power fast twitch.
Sagan yes- there’s a video of him side hopping up stairs on road bike and of course he rode a xc recently.
If love to see this, often muse about the format on way home. A multi discipline grand tour