Canyon is a “big” brand, just not in this country!!!

How sanitised has the free ride section become?

Gotta be Spain if you want “decent” weather compared to the UK

Trying to loose weight and exercise (hard) regularly is difficult to get right. It’s case of eating enough (on the bike and afterwards) to recover but not enough that the exercise is pointless. Your lack of lustre may simply be down to the wrong or not enough energy going into the tank to ride on, and this effects mood as well as physical performance. After about 45 mins of riding I start eating on the bike, not huge amounts but enough to maintain energy.

I stopped counting miles and speeds off-road as there are too many variable facotrs (I used to be slightly obsessed with it when I trained on the road) and tend to count hours and effort now. A HRM will give you a rough idea of calories and effort if you don’t already use one?

If you are riding regularly, its best to follow some sort of plan that has hard days and easy days and a rest day(s) as well as a low level week 1 in every 4 or 5.

Can’t tell the difference between X5, X7 or X9 other than in my wallet. On my XO shifters it’s much more of a definate click up and down, more definate engagement. Now, is it worth the extra money – reckon that’s a personal choice

Both my Specialized bikes I ride in a large size, so went for a large sized Nerve XC and it size wise it’s comparable.

Awesome ride, and cust service was 2nd to none. Don’t know about returns as I wouldn’t want to give it back

Wrong on many many levels

“i have a portable 7inch” too and this is why I don’t need a TV when camping

Thanks Elfinsafety, as it’s only down the road I might just ride from home!

Is the camping tents only or is one allowed to bring ones camper van?

The snow at the top that the fool-hardy ski on is grey, slushy mush. As Marko says, snow at the top if you take the blue trail down from the Jandri – sketchy in places 8O I personally found the blacks a bit hard to handle on a 6″ bike, reds generally OK if I rolled them 1st, the blues and green were full on boingy boing boing

Do the red from Les Deux Alps back into Venosc, scared me witless ’till I did it a few more times. It was my first real intro to “Alps Riding” and I was on a 140mm bike, my back end was twitching a bit and the bike was all over the place too – managed to get down in one piece, went up and did it all again

Nice mushrooms!!!!!!

Sits back and waits with baited breath

Am having the same issues (except sharp,gritty, sandy New Forest) and must fix at least one flat every time I ride my CX bike, to the point where I spend more time on the road riding it than off road.

By contrast, rode the SDW a week or so ago and had 0, zero, nada, nil, zilch flats on cheap Smart Sam CX tyres.

Same everywhere but the pass is valid in Alp D’huez -you can buy at the bottom of the Venosc chair lift, it’s very quiet there also so could avoid any possible queues.

There is a Go Ape thingy at Venosc / Les Deux Alpes that is awesome – hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Walking locally is pretty awesome too – pretty well signed and great views

There is luge, pump track and carousel at Les Deux Alpes

Both my kids loved the chair lifts, cable cars and you can get to snow at both resorts.

Oh, and both good for riding too

The brand is owned by the same Co. that make Peter Storm (I think) – if you look on an search engine for Dare2B then it’s one of these companies that’s a brand stream of a bigger co – think Avid, RockShox and SRAM

The look on beardy-mans face at the top of the poster – you’d think he had something trapped

Brakes grip funny in the wet – a bit like braking on ceramic rims on a CX bike – as the rim dries when the brake blocks grip, the braking force goes from nothing for ages to full on skid in a very short space of time – not much modulation (well none!)

You need to do it specific to you and the riding you want to do.

Generally about 25% sag for XC and anything up to 50% for DH stuff.

Sit on the bike, see how much the shock sags, and then put in more air or take some out – seems a bit numpty, but this is the way to do it.

Make sure you have all your kit on, helmet and if you take water with you on a ride put this on as well. There’s a little rubber ring on the shock to help you to do this.

Same for front and rear although I don’t think I’d run my shock on the front @ 50%

How far off the ground, how much of a run up, what’s the entry / exit like? All depends really, not one technique will work all round.

ET was OK on the front in a basket, and they did amazing jumps, so it must be ok…………

Service @ 100hrs, oil change after 30 (if you believe Fox)

How did he even move after that impact! I’m convinced if that had been me, I would have needed the air ambulance

£5.00 and sex?

http://www.bikely.com :D

Aim to build your gripping hand up slightly with various extra curricular activities 8O

Back from Chamonix then?

BMX wheels too small, and forks not bouncy – stil very watchable though… :D

Only one way to go……..SB8’s

Had a pair on my CX bike for the last 5 years, had plenty of abuse and riding and I love them…..thay are totally awesome for a CX bike and recently surprised myself by riding my favourite off-road XC trails on my CX bike and they performed exceptionally well.

Bike shop fitted them at the time, it’s not like I hand picked them myself, just grown to love them

As long as you wear something that keeps the wind out or off (ie arm warmers, leg warmers etc) – then the wet’s no different than sweat

Find a hill locally to you that takes a while to climb (by UK standards at least) and use this for hill interval work. ie ride up as hard as you can, coast down, turn around – repeat.

It’s a case of doing as many as you can, and doing this session regularly. It should be part of an overall training plan, and based on a good base.

Banaboat (from boots) sports cream and sprays – SPF30, more importantly is sweat resistant

I’ve put mine in the washing machine before now, on a low and non-spinny quick wash, and it’s worked a treat with no damage to helmet etc. Whilst the pads can be removed and washed often it’s the straps that end up smelly.

I put it inside a pillow case with some other bits and pieces as well…..just in case

You (generally)get what you pay for (excluding Rapha stuff) so the more you can afford the better IMHO. Worth setting a budget and then looking, at the more expensive end ordering from the USA with current exchange rates can save a few ££’s even with VAT and tax this end.

Chamois cream makes all the………………………………. difference……………………also……………mmmmmmm…………….comforting………………..

+1 with Njee20

Crest rims a bit like soft cheese on the side walls, ok for XC racing and general XC stuff or depending where you ride, everyday stuff. If it’s rocky, or mega rooty, or you are leaving the ground then Crests no good IMHO. I speak from bitter, bitter experience as I’ve replaced my Crest rims a couple of times now, and am really torn because I like the way they ride but Mavic’s have much stronger sidewalls.

At the top by the Bridleway, nr Dunvegan Drive – the dog walkers park there.

Once unpacked, keep going up the fire road until it narrows to a muddy path and take a left turn into the trees, which takes you to the top of steep hill – 3 or 4 good lines down the hill, fire road on left takes you back up to where you parked.

Have you got a GPS – I can send you a GPX file that would give you a good 2+ hours

Trails are littered all over the place, nothing official. If you go too far south you cross a bridleway, so turn back up the hill and find another line……

Clip on’s?