I’m 50 and riding as well if not better than 10 years ago. I take less risks now so that I can ride twice a week plus once with my 11 year old son. I still enjoy it and even on a bad day I’m happier on the bike than sitting at home!

Main issues are injuries which just take a very long time to fix, I’ve started to realise that gentle recovery rides when injured are better than riding through the pain!

@4130s0ul I think that’s the point, bad positioning of headline and unrelated picture!

I’ve got 1×11 (SRAM X1) on my Whyte running a 32T at the front and the only downside is that I spin out a bit on the road. I really like it mainly as it’s so simple and doesn’t drop the chain even in horrendous mud!

As far as trendy I’m guessing I must be as I’m considering an oval 34T for the front!

Yes a few years ago I with held a deposit when I discovered the tenant rebuilding a motorcyle engine on my lounge carpet!

@molgrips – but it’s not a race as unless it’s classified as one it’s illegal to race on the public highway. :-)

That said It’s dangerous when less experienced riders take the best/wrong line so even if you’re not racing it can be an issue.

I always just try and deliver any ‘advice’ in a friendly and jokey way to make it less hassle.

A few years ago (I think it was 2010) I was offered a job that paid 50% more than I was earning and I was about to accept when they mentioned that in addition to 1 week a month in Germany (not a big deal) that I’d need to install the code we were writing ‘in the field’. As the software was for military use I asked what ‘in the field’ meant and I was then told it was to go to Camp Bastion and install/monitor the software for 1 week every quarter.

I then asked the obvious i.e. “how safe is it” to which the reply was ‘very, no real issues and we’ll pay you a tax free bonus every day you’re at Camp Bastion and an enhanced bonus when you’re at the forward stations”.

At this point I asked them to be 100% frank and it turned out that of the week 2 days were at Camp Bastion and 5 days were at various front line command posts travelling by armoured car between them. At this point I turned it down.

Just out of curiosity I asked what the daily bonus was, it was £1k a day at Camp Bastion and £3k a day at the command posts! Still turned it down!

Did the Gap 2 weekends ago and loved it. We were also very lucky with the weather (maybe same weekend?). the climb is mostly doable, easily navigable and the descent is loads of fun.

It’s a classic route with a big hills feel so for the OP not a bad choice IMHO.

Didn’t take any photos on Monday night’s ride but here’s one from 25th May 2015 @ 16:22

Mine are Guide RSs but I thought that the only differences between them and the Guide RSCs was additional tool free adjustments? i’ll take a look at the pads tonight and see how the front and back wear rates compare.

I got one of the first Airshot when they were released and I’ve done 6 sets of tyre and it’s just really easy to use. i did consider the flash charger but I’ve already got 2 decent trackpumps and my LBS couldn’t give me a shipping date for the flash charger.

Either makes tubeless super easy. I’m sure the homemade ones are OK too but I like nice kit and also as I’m now 50 I’m a wuss around garage/workshop safety!

Wear with unlined baggies
No cold back, no visible crack.

Been wearing them for a while now ~30 years and would never go back. On the very rare occasion I ride a bike without bibs under baggies it just feels wrong.

Winter riding is usually bib shorts with bib tights over the top keeps your back, kidneys and bits nice and warm but peeing is a bit of a pain but you get used to it.

@johndoh +1

Been running a set for a few weeks on my Whyte T130-Works, I’ve done 173.94 miles of which 67.36 (the joys of having a Garmin and being in a tech job) were on the annual boys weekend away in mid-Wales. Overall they feel great but I’ve had to adjust the bite point/lever reach for the rear twice as it started to get really close to the bar. The rear pads seem to have worn quite a bit although there’s a reasonable amount of material left. The front has been fine and seems much less worn, as I’d expect.

They have plenty of power, good modulation but are really horribly noisy in the wet or when muddy. I’m swapping back to my Hope Tech 3/E4s this weekend as I prefer the feel of the Hopes and I’ve barely worn the pads in ~300 miles of very wet/muddy riding on sintered pads.

I’m not sure if the Guide RS ship with organic or sintered pads? I’m guessing by the wear rate that they must be organic but not sure what the codes for each type are to check?

I have an original pebble and my pebble time has arrived this morning! The Apple Watch wasn’t on my buy list once I realised it wasn’t waterproof and the battery last a day maybe 2 whereas my original pebble does 5 -7 days depending on how much I use Runkeeper!

@Ambrose good call I’ve only done it the other way i.e. Strata Florida to the Devil’s Staircase as part of a circular route starting from Rhayader.

Clive Powell has route cards in hsi shop in Rhayader so you should drop in there.

We were there last weekend and the ground is really good at the moment. We did Dyfi valley on the Fri afternoon, big loop from Rhayader on Sat, the Gap Road on Sun and Cwm Rhaeadr on Mon and it was all running really well especially Cwm Rhaeadr. HTH

Have you sent the box yet?

Unfortunately my experience is that you just have to suck it up and get used to it. Been told as much by audiologists and ENT consultants.

This is what I’ve been told, had mine about 10 years after a severe ear infection, started in the infected ear but soon got it in the other which my consultant said often happens.

Just did my main bedroom 2 weekends ago, 50/50 mist coat and then 3 coats of white followed by 2 coats of colour!

Our plaster said use 50/50 as she’d used a plaster with a ‘sealant’ in it to prevent any stains/damp showing through.

Some useful comments here 1 x 11

120-80 Resting pulse 45 aged 50

I rode in Mid Wales at the weekend (2 full and 2 half days) with a 1×11 setup and it was fine, I got up all the hills I’ve previously got up using a 3×9 setup. I’ve trained a bit (and shed some excess weight by eating less and riding more), some climbs that used to daunt me were easily doable.

My setup is 650b running a 10-42 cassette with a 32 front ring. I took a 30 tooth front ring but after the first day decided to not bother changing it. It’s very odd when I go back to my 3×9 setup on the HT as it just seems inefficient especially the gears that are ‘duplicated’. Total bike weight is 13Kg for my FS whereas my HT is probably nearer 12Kg but the FS seemes to climb really well.

Unless you have stupidly steep hills locally I’d think 1×11 would be fine, as someone said early to get strong
just ride more!

I’ve got 740mm wide bars on my HT and 780mm wide bars on my FS and both feel right so I guess it might be related to the bike and it’s intended use.

I have a CamelBak Mule which over the last 2 years has gained more and more stuff in it. Most of my riding is a max of 10 miles from my house with ‘big’ trips a few times a year.

I have a ‘big’ trip to Wales this weekend so will probably carry everything plus the kitchen sink! As there’s 3 of us I’m planning on us pooling tools and only taking one of everything so we are not all carrying unnecessary weight.

When I get back I’m planning on striping the pack down to the bare essentials and maybe returning to a minimalist approach for my twice weekly night rides.

I’ve also started to carry less fluids with me on my Monday night ride so this week I took 1 litre for a 33 mile loop and I used every drop but arrived home just as it ran out.

This thread has inspired me to lose some weight out of my back pack so thanks to the OP for starting it :-)

+1 for Spur Cycles Better Bell.

Never thought of myself as a hipster but do like nicely designed and engineered stuff :-)

OK cool PayPal OK?

My SRAM Roam 40 wheels are UST and my Maxxis Ardents TR 3C blow up and keep pressure with no sealant BUT if you then get a thorn they will go down, the sealant is too stop thorns etc from causing a leak.
So far, except when I used a CO2 canister and froze the sealant, this has worked really well for me.

Heading off to parents evening followed by decorating!

Did do 23 glorious miles last night though :-)

@chakaping what width tape does it need? I have some Stans yellow which I think is 25mm so hoping that’s wide enough? If not can I use it and wrap additional layers of electrical tape?

The guys I ride with will ride in just about any weather provided we’re not riding solo, we take the view that riding as a group allows for some safety but solo means you might be putting the rescue services at risk if it all goes pear shaped.

Mind you our usual trails around Winchester aren’t highly technical but severe weather does up the risk somewhat.

Did ~18 miles last night on my new Whyte T-130, mostly a shakedown ride plus fiddling with suspension settings but fun anyway.

Route was round Marwell zoo near Winchester so under the trees for the most part, did consider heading tonto the SDW at Cheesefoot head but it was blowing a hoolie by 21:00 so just headed home.

My Kinesis Decade 2 has a few small nicks that have surface rust, have just got a (insurance from car hitting my bike rack and hence my bike) replacement for my Whyte T-130 so time to strip to the bare frame and give it some attention before I reassemble it to be my winter bike. Mind you looking out the window, near Winchester, maybe I should just ride it now as it looks like winter out there!

Also saw the Damned around 1981 when they were excellent, did get a good kicking that night because I wouldn’t surrender my leather jacket to a couple of guys who were ‘collecting’ them at the exit!

Has the same happen when I saw the Clash in the same year but turned out that I knew one of them so avoided a kicking the 2nd time! Did get chased by a bunch of skinheads through Paddington though, ahh the memories of youth!

Hi Rockhopper

I’ve sent you an email. How much do I owe you? £3 + postage? PayPal? Some other payment method?

Cheers.

When my house was burgled in 1997 they used my wheelie bin as getaway transport for the computer lkit they nicked. They even burnt it out afterwards!

Have you checked if you have more than one DHCP server running? On my home network my son set up his RasberryPi and enabled DHCP on it and all hell broke lose (networking wise rather than the gates of hell opening in my lounge).

Yes please I’d like it

Ah OK my bad misunderstood :-)

Enjoy!

End of year discount,

the SWAT thing is cool

Is it a 2016 model then? I thought he SWAT thing was only just announced?

Try and hire this guy? Bees

Wouldn’t take you long to do a flush, fill and bled, if that doesn’t resolve it maybe it’s your pads? Are they glazed?