It’s not the latex that buggers the tubes, but the ammonia. Dugast recommend caffe latex as it is ammonia free.

I would still try and keep the tub inflated at all times though to ensure that the sealant doesn’t stick the tube to itself.

Cove Handjob XC is a very nice fast steel frame.
I love my Decade Virsa as it has quite “tight” geometry but it isn’t the lightest.

Pedantry fail Zokes. Voucher’s -> Voucher is. It’s a contraction, not a misappropriated apostrophe.

Yet another great Big Dog. The course was hard on a singlespeed but at least I walked up the chalk climb! The descents were flipping great, even if I was spinning at Rollapaluza revs at some points. I think if you didn’t clip a tree a couple of times you weren’t trying hard enough…
The fantastic atmosphere and organisation is matched only by the prizes; I was almost embarrassed by the swag we got for winning the singlespeed pairs!

I’ve entered singlespeed pairs. I enjoyed the mudfest a few years ago! I’ll chuck on the Spesh storms if it’s wet and enjoy the slides…

Let us know how you find it please. I’ve been there in winter a few times and have often though about a bit of MTBing come summer.

Can’t believe how little press this is getting!

I really hope this happens. I don’t live locally but the more velodromes the better!

It could be a showcase for good value indoor velodromes, Calshot being the only other I can think of but the building for that already existed.

American BMX companies always seem to have skateparks at one end of their warehouses, I don’t see why Hope can’t have a velodrome 🙂

46/38 with a 13-26 cassette and 175 cranks. With a 13 smallest cog I find I’m in the 46 most of the time, keeping the chain tight reduces the risk of rear mech explosions.

Grum and Ianv, there are 2 permanent DH tracks from the top of Maupuy above Gueret one of which is often used in the French national series.

Saladdodger, my parents have a place NW of Bourganeuf so a lot of my riding is based on the trails around Benevent, Monts d’Ambazac or Gueret but often includes sections of GR4. Other end of the H-V from you by the looks of it!

I haven’t ridden in the Correze but I love the riding in the Creuse and Haut-Vienne areas of the Limousin.
Seriously quiet trails that range from fireroads to French national DH tracks with literally thousands of km of natural but marked singletrack in between.

Have a look at here for starters:

http://www.creuse-oxygene.com/france/cartographie.php?circuit=rouge&valeur=27#carte

I’m going riding in the area with a few mates at the end of May and I can’t wait! we should be meeting up with Stratobiker from this parish for a tour of the Monts de Blond too.

Original mini. Loved mine

I always go for 540s as I find 520 bearings don’t last anywhere near as long. My SPDs can have a hard life on my cross bikes being regularly jet-washed though.

There’s a Lower Dicker too

Triple clamps on a hard tail can never be explained

I enjoyed the trip to Culham but that course really was hard. Even though it was pretty dry there was no real rest and the wet sand was so draggy! I want to race there when the ground is hard and fast, it would be great.

Sorry that you got shoved off OG

Jealous, I love racing in the snow and ice!

That video is ace, doesn’t show how how steep it was but the crashes are hilarious!

John_I the brighton/morvelo crew love PORC, always good to see them at races.

PORC as well for me yesterday. I absolutely loved the fact it was so technical but MTBs were still a disadvantage. 23PSI for me, seemed to work well on the frozen bits as well when as the ground thawed out a bit.

First one this season, I did the December Hillingdon race last year too.
My dad was in the VCL red and blue. Perhaps the bloke in orange was the rider he landed on in that first lap crash, he had no where else to go!

Results are up now:

http://centralcxl.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/IRC_senior2012-v2.pdf

I really enjoyed the Central CXL course, much more technical than it might have first appeared. 5th place for me, 4th for my team mate and my old man did well too after a massive crash on the first lap so a good day out all in.

Don’t forget that all regional championship entries close in less than a week, get entering!

Well done Sheldon and all who raced and watched. It certainly was tough out there!

I use KMC SLs of one form or another for years on most of my bikes and never had a problem *touches wood*

Because a sportive for a load of gurning MAMILs doesn’t feature too highly on ASO’s priority list right now…

16 Vets will be gridded at Muddy Hell.

Have fun guys! I’m injured this year but will be heckling from the beer tent when I’m not running errands

Forecast is for a dry (but cold) evening 😀

It will be slippy under tyre though 👿

See you there aP, hopefully I’ll have the course built by then!

That’s Phil”The Horse” Moore of the Kinesis Morevelo Project.

You don’t need a CX bike, especially for the Novice/MTB/SS race earlier on. Give it a go!

The rollers are special bumpy MTB ones, but there’s no requirement to partake 😀

perfect warm-up 🙂

2. Check out the Vendee coast centred around Les Sables d’Olonne. I prefer the southern bit, they’re beach breaks mainly with the occasional reef/slab break but not as full on as where you mention. Get yourself the stormrider guide, worth it’s weight in gold!

I agree with this. I’m heading to this area hopefully in a couple of weeks as it’s a closer drive from the UK than Bordeaux-Biarritz, has a bit of variety and I haven’t been in the water for a few months so don’t want to spend my time pooing myself on the beach if it’s big/punchy from the first day…

EDIT: I spy some astro-turfing

If I’m lucky it my annual trips are a bike holiday with the boys, surf trip with the GF and ski trip with GF and/or friends.

We went on a sun lounger holiday once because I was in a sling and she was on crutches. Couldn’t understand why an able-bodied person would want to do that, yawwwn.

Rhinos only for mud! The tall knobs fold and drag on anything else.

Challenge grifos, FMB SSCs and Dugast typhoons are all good general conditions tubs depending on your budget. I haven’t tried the Specialized tracer but I’m looking to get some this season, meant to work very well apparently, grippy but fast until the courses turn properly muddy. Don’t get terras though, they are rubbish.
Planet X currently have some Schwalbe racing ralph tubs on special which should be good, I am a fan of their clincher version.

nope, my sister is the one who gets sent off to crash a different type of bike each week!

keeping an eye on the pistadex?

yep. short anything campagnolo pista is my tip

we sell our stuff on ebay to hipsters to maximise what we can get for stuff. The prices I’ve got for my old track stuff in the last couple of years has been double what it’s worth to a trackie.

I am a bit biased but I do think it has improved massively and the one hour slot works well. My “occasional commuter” girlfriend enjoyed it and I think she is more of the target audience than us Xtreem freeride gnar-heads.

BTW, the budget is tiny but they do actively ask for suggestions on FB and twitter.

Anna will be doing another non-London MTB piece soon and there will be Lizzie Armitstead and Dani King and their medals on the couch next week.

Now the forecast is looking good, I’ll be taking up an offer of a ticket saturday.

Given the time they dedicate to what they do, who else are they going to cop off with

innit.

don’t sturmey archer do a 3 speed fixed?

Third Big Dog in a row for me, I love it!

Great course, great atmosphere and standing on the top step of the retro pairs was a big bonus 🙂