I wish – it's one of those moves that I know if I could crack it my riding enjoyment would quadruple overnight.

yes

I guess it's a similar question to "why are there so many judgemental people on the trails who care more about what others are riding/doing than the joy of riding itself"

:)

blimy that's awful :(

hope they all get fixed up and back on the roads asap.

Me too!

*waits*

Not got it yet, but will have shortly…and will give reviews once I've broken my ears with it :)

because we don't have proportional representation……..yet

I don't care much for accuracy, climbing prowess or whether someone has done slightly more or less than what their watches claim…..but just thought I'd add that my Garmin regularly gives readings of between 800 and 900 meters of elevation gain for rides around 13 miles.

I've also seen people finish one of our tours feeling and looking like they have done double the mileage we actually covered.

So whether altimeters are dodgy or not, it sure can be hard (but very fun and rewarding) work :)

EDIT: we tend to take the easy route up if there is one! So if you are climbing the steepest options everytime I can easily see 4000 ft of climbing adding up in a very short time.

Glad you had a good time!

It is good here, especially if you know some of the more techy descents.

It's amazing how quickly the meterage adds up over a short distance too. It's like interval training every time I go out the door!

Those Ibis frames look really lovely (although, if I am honest, I like the 'Guinness Foam' paint best)

One thing to think about – Malvern gets horrendously busy at the weekend, especially on Bank Hols so prepare for lots and lots of walkers.

A bell or Hope Hub works wonders ;)

Yeah – there are a mix of trails, but the majority of them are pretty well drained, especially up the top. :)

jedi – Member

lbg, take it easy eh and let me know how the riding goes

*nods*

Will do :)

First ride back after a week and a half recovery so an easy cruise round Malvern today.

Maybe FoD or Bredon tomorrow if I am feeling OK.

Working Monday, but hopefully will get a day and a half in lieu to make up for it – to be used when I'm back 100% and can make the most of it :)

guybe – Member

Klein Gator Adroit, stunning

That's the best one out of the lot

geetee1972 – Member
Yep – I can definitely empathise with that. Ironically, it's because I'm heavy that I have always thought riding wet muddy roots is going to be harder for me. I've always figured that lighter rider have less weight on their tyres and therefore are less likely to break traction on a wet root.

Maybe visualising that could help you? So when you're riding over roots, think about being as light as possible. In thinking it you can ride like it then you will have an easier time.

The other tricks to riding wet roots is to stay off the braks absolutelty as much as possible, certainly stay off the front brake. Then try and aim for your tyre to contact the root as much at right angles as possible. You see pro-DHers at places like Schladming carefully looking for the line that allows them to do that. The lesson here I guess is taking time to stop and look and think about the best line, rather than just riding through it and trying to find the best line while you're on the bike. I've always found that hard to do because I've always been having too much fun! Plus it's harder to get going again once you've stopped.

Overall I've always found that the standard of DH riding in this country is just so high and the courses tend to reflect that. It makes it really hard to get good as you're riding such demanding courses from such an early point. I spent about five years trying to get good and in the end I had a baby and figured that the opportunity to do so was now pretty much over. You have to be riding regularly and you have to really commit to your riding, with all the risks associated with that, even if you're not racing. It's great when you're in your teens and twenties and have fewer commitments but there comes a point when you end up sacking it off and just having local type fun!

Ah, thanks for that reply :)

Yeah, I wish I'd started DH in my teens and not my thirties, that's for sure!

I tend to, on the whole, right them at right angles, try and pop over the roots and clear them, or avoid them altogether, but it only takes missing one of them and you're off! Of course, on the proper courses neither are usually an option as they just seem to be a big root fest. I also had a nasty off on a steep slippy slope so that's always in my head. My biggest problem is not actually the roots, or even the mud, it's the trees. I ride open/felled trails much better and can focus on the trail ahead easier. I find tree lined trails really claustrophobic. My brain just seems to want to process all the information including the trees and overloads itself!

That's brilliant!

Great vid and yes, I am very jealous!

Jerome – Member

16 for me
Take an ADD test aswell.
http://psychcentral.com/addquiz.htm
J.

I've never read anything that summarises my head better than:

My brain feels as if it is a television set with all the channels going at once.

Oh :|

zangolin – Member

Jo – Flows are spot on. Stickers come off v.easy – just a quick warm up with a hair dryer + mine peeled off in one piece. Bit of surgical spirit to clean glue marks – easy.

whoop! :D

geetee1972 – Member

I'm about 8 and a half stone

I think my todger weighs more than that

Sorry, I know that was a crass remark. Hope it's not too offensive. I really ought to loose some weight anyway!

The best line to take is the one that allows to get through a section without falling off. For many people that's not always the absolute fastest line and the fast boys will make line choices the rest of us can only dream about.

Are you just getting into the DH scene or are you already established? I have a (female) friend who rides a lot of DH and knows quite a few of the girls on the race scene although she doesn't race herself as her husband won't let her (don't go there, its a long and terribly complicated story). Anyway she is up at Gethin on May 8th doing the pracrtice day. Look out for a tall woman in red Dianese kit riding a bright red Intense Socom with older style Boxxer World Cups. She'll be with her husband in similar kit and on a similar bike. Her name is Sarah and she's lovely.

8 and half stone you say? Blimy. 8O

Been riding DH for about a year. I'm alreet on the faster stuff like Cwmcarn. It's the twisty rooty yucky muddy stuff I can't pick lines on because I target fixate too much (and seems to make up the majority of the DH trails in the UK). I keep riding them in the hope I might actually get good/enjoy them one day, but most of the time, I really don't like those kind of trails much at all.

There does seem to be a close knit group of ladies on the race scene, but racing isn't my bag so I don't know them myself. All the ladies are friendly when I meet them on the trails though :D

geetee1972 – Member

I know of a few guys who ride Expert level DH who have been using the Flow for racing. The consensus seems to be that for smooth riders on a relatively smooth course they are well matched.

I guess it does depend on how much you weight but then with a forum name like 'little girl bunny' I am guess not very much.

I used a rear wheel with a Flow rim for a weekend at Gawton without any problems and I weigh 105kg (17.5 stone)

I'm about 8 and a half stone kitted out so not much. But then I'm not an expert either and my line choices can be somewhat, ahem, interesting.

However, I run the lightweight Stan's Olympics on my HT which gets a regular battering – I've landed it to flat, badly, twonked the rims on big rocks and in general ridden like a complete eegit and they are still true 2 years later (slightly dented on the back, but true) – so I figured the flows would see me ok on the DH runs.

Cheers all :)

GeeWavetree – Member

the rims them selves are bomb proof, light and wide

That's exactly what I was hoping someone would say. I'm planning on using them on the DH bike cos I'm only light and tend not to be too hard on wheels. But they do have to survive a reasonably battering. :)

JEDI !

Super – I'll go with the 165 then :)

Cheers for the input :)

I'm 5'3" and run flats. They'll be going on a 2006 Glory (difficult to find actual spec, but looks like BB clearance is a little over 14" which is quite a bit I guess)

I was most worried about loosing power through the pedal stroke if I went with 165 mm – but it seems mixed whether this is noticeable?

nope

I'm happy to see the vandalised billboards, debates about spoiling ballet papers, discussions about the various minorities….

….any political voice and opinion, movement, release of strong feelings whether I agree them or not, is far better than sitting back in resignation of the system as it currently stands.

Nope – amazingly we managed to ride past a chemist on the way out and have the sense to get suncream!

First year ever I have managed not to get burnt to a crisp on the first decent day. I must be getting wiser in my old age afterall….

you really don't even wanna ask me that question

*resists outpouring of constant rollar-coaster of mojo availability*

The usual aim (if I'm lucky with work) =
Two evening rides of about 1-1.5 hours
Four to five hours XC on Saturday
Day pushing to the top on Sunday

Usually about 30-40 miles with around 2000 meters of climbing (ish) over the week

I've love to get out in the week more though…..and to have more time to run/do weights/sleep/eat

As Diane says – MM you have no idea what is/has/maybe going on. What matters right now is finding Sharki and knowing he is ok.

I'm just taking consolation that 'no news is (so often) good news' and if something bad had happened we would've known about it by now.

scraprider – Member

nice , great storey with a happy ending,so much shit going around these days, well done.all warm and fuzzy btw.

Yeah, guess it's gonna be a lovely ending.

Sunshine and blue skies at the FoD on Sunday

Music (listening to other peoples, I have no talent myself)
Walking the poochie
Taking piccies
Lifting weights n a wee bit of running

If I had more time I'd take up Muay Thai again, but can't commit enough to the training

Always say thank you very loudly. If they are nice, then they are grateful, if they are miserable, they never know what to do. We have a bell for Malvern now – most walkers are grateful for a wee warning. :)

To be fair, 95% of the walkers are lovely up here and I even get shouted encouragement when ploughing up to the Beacon (maybe because I'm a girl!)

Junkyard – Member

Commuting really helps as little time penalty as takes same amount of time as car more or less and you can do it gentle or fast as you wish.

Yeah, I'd love to commute, but it's just not possible with my job as I always have to have kit (ladders etc) with with me for work.

Wow, wow and more bloomin wow. 8O

I can't believe you guys have the time to get that many miles in. Wish I did! I'm lucky if I can get 50 miles in in a week.

Another question, if anyone fancies answering – how much meterage do you get through in that time? Is the riding pretty flat, or is it killer hills/mix of both?

I find it hard to get the miles in in Malvern sometimes as it's pretty steep – yesterday we did a 13 mile blast and ended up with nr 850 meter of climbing.

I was only thinking t'other day what a great little bike this had been to learn on. :)

3 for me, but it is a close contest between that and goes forth.

Had a 3 hour blast up the Malverns in the pouring rain. It was ace and now I am on here as I can't be arsked to move from the sofa