Cougar – Member

I’d expect that the obvious solution would be to buy an extinguisher that doesn’t use animal products.

What he says ^

But also note that:

VEGANISM may be defined as a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as possible and practical, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose

Letting a building burn down and potentially killing other animals (humans, pets, invertebrates etc) when you could just pick up a fire extinguisher would also seem a little silly, and not really practical.

Avoiding leather footwear is easy, maybe avoiding fire extinguishers not so…..but ultimately (wherever you chose to draw the line) doing what you can is better than doing nothing at all.

droppinneutron – thank you sooooo much for putting this up. :D

I was hoping someone had got a pick of my not-so-successful attempt at the gap! I knew I was gonna struggle in the wet cos I barely cleared it a few weeks before in the dry, and that was when there was a pallet in the landing, but thought stuff it, gotta at least try in practice cos it would’ve definitely given me a few more seconds on my run if I could pull it off.

Would you mind if I use this as my facebook banner pic?

Oh aye, that’s me – ta Tracey :D

Nope that is my good friend Cath!

I wear a neck brace, have a black TLD helmet and only wear knee pads (not full armour) :)

But thanks for looking and I’m sure Cath will appreciate the photo!

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you

for the review on bikes for the vertically challenged….couldn’t have come at a better time as I am in the market to get one :D

I love the Verderers, particularly for a group ride as it accommodates all levels with the quicker riders off to try and get as low-as-possible on the berms and the less technically competent still able to have rollercoaster style flowy fun without worrying about tackling trail obstacles.

It’s frustrating when better riders forget it is a blue graded trail though. You just gotta accept you’re not gonna get a clear run on a weekend unless you are lucky. I was getting photos on the last descent when a nervous lady (who wasn’t part of our group) came over the brow of the hill….next thing I know, two guys overtook her on one of the steeper sections and scared her half to death. They didn’t even slow down and it was so close to the end of the trail.

LGB

I will look through Katies pics tonight as I think ther is one of you

Thanks Tracey :)

Sorry LGB, I’ve been through my pics and I must have missed you (you were probably going too fast for me)

Thanks for looking anyway :)

I’ve ended up buying one off roots and rain, partly because the profits are going to Woodhead mountain rescue. Good cause and one we all hope not to need!

Pook – Member

what were you riding/what number were you?

I was number 84 and riding a blue n white giant glory. :)

One of these Deuter Race X rucksacks

Does exactly everything I need from a rucksack without loads of stuff I don’t. The straps are brilliant as well. Would recommend 100%

What a fabulous event! Mainly because I got to meet Peaty who is quite honestly one of the nicest bike ‘celebrities’ out there….and who does SOOOOO much for the riding community.

Well done to all involved with putting it on!

pinhead – Member

And you won’t see many if any dh bikes there today either so all the ‘overbiked’ comments are out the window too.

well hopefully theyve learnt from last year not to bring the big bikes eh

I was on a DH bike – mainly because I don’t have a different bike….other than a HT, and I’m not very good at riding that over rocks without flatting. Oh, and because I didn’t read the write up before entering that said ‘suitable for mid-travel bikes’…

…..and yes, I’m sure I could’ve been quicker on a short travel bike without spikes…..but second isn’t too bad ;)

However, people up there ^ who are rattling on about it not being technical because it lacks gradient are talking nonsense. Trying to keep any kind of flow on a track like that requires so much thought on lines, pedal strokes, speed maintenance. Totally different skill-sets to just controlling speed with brakes….as I found out when I ended upside down in the gap from not being able to judge such things!

It is something different, suitable for a range of abilities, great family day out and clearly enjoyed by loads of people. Would I enter again? Maybe not, but that’s because I’m too lazy for all that pedalling, not because I would say the course is ‘easy’ by any stretch of the imagination. If anything the lack of gradient made it hard.

I ruined my wrist last year (dislocation of lunate, cracked scaphoid, ligaments torn off = long op) and was told it would be months off the bike. I was riding in the cast within a few weeks and I honestly believe it helped healing loads by increasing blood-flow (disclaimer, obviously I wouldn’t recommend you do anything as stupid – maybe waggle your fingers regularly or something). Recovery has been way better than anyone predicted and movement is better than I ever thought it would be. Still noticeably weaker in my right arm than my left atm though, and am doing dumbell training at the gym to get the balance back.

Interesting thread – I’m test riding a 5 soon so will be watching the responses here.

Question to all those who say it is better with the 140 mm up front – is that only because it climbs/handles better on the flat? How much difference does the 160 make to the descents? Significantly better? Not-much-in-it? Still handles awful on the descents?

When a man dies in a bike race, where is the out cry to ban cycling?

It was his choice to be there.

I have teeny child-sized hands and love these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24772

It’s been sold off and privatised to an unwelcoming land owner as far as I know.

Gutting, was some fun stuff there. Big drops n jumps, some lovely singletrack leading to Woodbury.

I has one :D

Comfy, protective, airy, relatively light, hides my ugly mug…..all round good choice!

Except that they aren’t that resistant to being bounced….I have been through, erm, 4 or 5 now. Although I do have a habit of hitting the deck hard, I find that they tend to crack very easily. And the crash-replacement offer is barely worth it by the time you include postage.

Blimy, that’s quite a wound!

Hope it heals up soon.

Brilliant, that’s what I like to hear! :D

Thanks!

Thanks Legend – does Mrs Legend have any good points/bad points to say about it?

Very nice looking bike!

Quick update – my LBS has finally got a date from Orange for the test ride (4th May as the bike is out until that date) and I’m pretty excited to see how it rides. :D

Unfortunately Orange have said no to testing it with 36’s on the front and also confirmed the CCDB will definitely not fit :(

But hey ho, it may be a good thing, I need a trail bike for all dayers in the UK, trail centres, pedally stuff and what-have-you……

….although my heart is saying maybe I want to be looking at building up the Heckler with kashmina talas 36’s up front and a CCDB on the back, lighter wheels and components, 2×10 drivechain, get it powdered-coated nice…maybe then I might like it a bit more ;)

Cougar – thanks for posting both links.

Well worth the read and very thought provoking.

I am at the point where I pay more to get goods from elsewhere than go with CRC now.

just because I take a different viewpoint to you or make and alternative suggestion does not mean i think that you are unable to make decisions and are a complete idiot.

Two adults should be able to discuss things without taking an alternative viewpoint as a personal insult and attack!!!

Any one else suffer with this or just me!?

Yes, I had an boyfriend a long time ago who would totally stomp his feet and behave like a defensive child if I even queried his viewpoint. It was hard work.

Funny though, I never started a thread titled ‘men’ over it.

Road drop at Cwm Carn is waay less scary that it looks, although the take off is quite sketchy

Road drop at Cwmcarn has been tamed to kerb size as they had to underpin the road.

Cor blimy, before they backfilled it, it was my big head-block and it took me a fair few uplifts to finally hit it properly. The chicken run was all too tempting. The day I finally did it will be etched in my memory forever as a proper milestone crossed. It wasn’t even that big after all the fuss :lol:

Good ol’ Stile Cop

2012 was supposed to be my year of the slow speed giant huck – I have yet to even start to fulfil this goal :lol:

Hey cinnamon_girl

Sorry to hear about the crash and lack-of-mojo. I don’t know anything about road riding, but I do know about loosing confidence through a crash/injury.

It will come back, because you want it too (you wouldn’t have posted here if you didn’t want it to!). The suggestion of riding with a ladies group is a great one. As is the one about crashing. I had a nasty off this year, which was worse than my first break+op….but it didn’t really phase me as I had already been through the broken-fixed-regain confidence cycle. The first time I had a break+op it scarred me mentally for probably 18 months. This time I was hitting the big stuff within a few weekends of being out of cast.

Good luck (and ignore the WTFU comments!)

Definitely mechs n shifters n cables…..dull as dishwater and I hate spending money on them.

If only I was fit enough, or lived somewhere flat enough, for singlespeeding.

tpbiker – Member
interestingly, what would you consider the definition of a rider with good skills? Genuine question…maybe I’m much better than I thought;-)

Someone who can hold flow down a trail whilst riding within their skill level, who brakes at appropriate times, who can corner and keep speed whilst doing so, who looks ahead and not at their front wheel, who picks the best lines and who, despite not necessarily spending their time airbourne, can get down trails smoothly and quickly.

hugor – Member

Awesome now we’ve gone from willy waving to fanny waving!

Heh :P

bobbyg81 – Member

Are you his girlfriend?

No, I don’t date men that can’t huck as much as me.

No disrespect, but if you bottled it twice going off a 3 foot drop then I’d say you were at a fairly basic level skills wise.

Pfft, utter tosh.

Being able to do a 3ft drop without bottling it is hardly the cut-off point for basic skill level. I know loads of riders I would consider ‘reasonable’ to ‘good’ who would struggle with a 3ft drop-off. Certainly a lot of people who are way past ‘basic’

There seems to be an awful lot of ego-fuelled typing on this thread.

Hi bedfo – thanks for the response :)

I have the LBS on the case to try and get me a short Diva hire bike in, and the guy did say he would speak to orange to see if it could come with a 160 on the front. I’m not too hopeful I’ll get that luxury on a test bike, but it was worth asking so fingers crossed!

Thanks for the offer of measuring up the CCDB – tbh, I may as well wait until the hire bike comes in now and I’ll be able to check with the OH’s, but kind of you to offer.

Yup – whole week off here too :D

Hope the guy is OK and that the damage isn’t permanent.

So sad to read these threads, a reminder of how lucky the majority of us are.

Thanks :) How does it handle? Is there anything you would change? Do you think a 160 on the front would upset the handling seeing as the frame is so compact?

elaine anne – Member

I own a five diva pro took it to Stainburn forest today. It’s, a 2009diva tho…..my son has a ccdb on his orange alpine..loves it. Duno bout the five tho…. But I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that orange are trying the ccdb on the five. Drop them an email..

Thanks Elaine :)

I have a feeling I met your son at Lee Quarry a few months back….on a purple alpine?

My OH has a CCDB on his 5 and it really has turned the bike into a total beauty – I swear he was a quick down Cwmcarn on it as on his DH bike, if not quicker. 8O

Is yours a short or long Diva (or did they only do one version in 2009?) What fork are you running out of interest?

Thanks :)

cruzheckler – Member

how does the five differ from a heckler?

It’s slacker as far as I can tell from the specs.

It’s got a tapered head-tube so I don’t mind spending out on a new set of blingy forks. ;)

Ta, that was pretty much the decision we came to. :)

So I guess no-one here actually owns a Five Diva then?

Just show’s,a bit of time away can really help

Confirm this statement when you return on Saturday, eh? ;)