Guy Kesteven was one of the fallers, I suspect it was trickier than it looked.

It was fairly treacherous – but I got down it and and stayed on :)

To answer the original question. You won’t die. You will have fun and probably do loads better than you fear.

not that with a hairy yorkshireman with a penchant for tea and graft,

Guy Martin is from Lincolnshire

I’ve done the uplift loads which is great. I also think the XC ain’t that great – only done it once and the best bit was the climb. Bit short and pretty much one up one down. Done the XC last descent more than once (cuz you can do it on the uplift) and it’s a bit boring compared to the proper DH run.

CaptainFlashheart – Member

Oooh, I didn’t know you could even look at OS maps on Bing! Had never bothered looking. Now firmly bookmarked!

Yeah – ever since they bought multimap.com donkeys ago.

You can draw routes, import .gpx files, pinpoint places and save them and link to ’em etc but most people don’t seem to be aware?

PRETEND you’re Alex Ferguson by retiring then going into work everyday to stare at the bloke who got your old job

You can do it on Bing maps. Though it’s not obvious you can! Click on “My places” to display the window with the tool in it.

rogerthecat: your initial post now re-produced on my web site and Facebook page. The site gets a lot of hits from folk looking for Peak District routes so will hopefully get you plenty more supporters?

Yeah. Can see what you mean. Their web site says they use YKK zips – so you’d expect them to be decent.

I’ve ordered some 46 (normally a 45) Fasterkatt so we’ll see how they go. Found ’em for 180. Expect an end to all this wetness and unusual dry/warm winter to commence as soon as they arrive….

Nice one rogerthecat. Shared on my Facebook page and I’ll get something up on my website[/url] later too as it’s very Peaks related!

Cheers for the info. Would like to try some on but it’ll probably have to be internerd purchase….

Yeah I defo don’t want to waste a couple of hundred! Found some reviews where other people have had zip issues too…

Cheers. What do you recommend sizing wise Tim? I’m usually a UK 10 but obviously with a winter boot might want to wear a thicker sock….?

NBT – zipper bust or just temp problem?

I’m 59cm and medium fits me fine

Just found the Fasterkatt by the same – look like they might be a bit more appropriate (and cheaper)?

To contradict all the usual STW experts who don’t actually own one: I’m on my fourth Zafira and have had 1.6, 1.8 petrol and currently have a 1.7 TD.

They have all been great cars – hence why I get another every 3 years!

I have had no major mechanical issues on any of them. The best thing is they are like having a small van when it comes to biking but can switcheroo to carrying a load of people in seconds. I’ve looked at other similar mpvs but price and design have yet to match the Zafira on any I have seen.

Brits, moaning about the weather… there’s a surprise! Just go for a ride:

Good reply PG.

I’ve been following this with interest and am as amazed as everyone else that they think they can just get away with doing this!

I’ve linked to the article on the front page from my FB page (https://www.facebook.com/mountainbikerides to help spread the word. If I can help with anything else there – please let me know?

I can’t imagine wearing any of my cycling kit for more than one ride. It gets washed every time.

It’s not rocket science: buy more clothes and do more washing!

I’ve got a set of dual air u-turn. I agree with doncorleoni about ignoring the recommended pressure.

Also: always run less pressure in the -ve chamber (I find about 10psi works well) than the +ve else the fork will suck down and you’ll loose travel without turning the u-turn knob!

If maxle etc is all spot on it’s new bearings time. Easy to change.

I’ve never struggled getting any UST up with just a track pump and I’ve had plenty of different tyres in a dozen years of UST use. Can’t say the same for tubeless ready hence my bias.

Cheers for some ideas. Hmmm…? I’ve just spent half an hour failing to get a “tubeless ready” tyre up so am not currently keen on anything other than proper UST. The Geax sound interesting and there’s some on the classifieds…

It’s always been cool to be uncool

ransos – Member

It’s not a case of riding to and from trails – my ride was (is) bit of trail/bit of road/bit of trail repeat lots.

Then leave your commuter light on permanently, and just turn your main light on and off as needed.

I don’t know why you’re making this out as difficult.

Anyway. Sod it – I’m off to put my lights on charge so I can be a tit, struggle with easy tasks and dazzle unsuspecting road users again tomorrow night.

Well, it was pretty clear from your OP that consideration for others isn’t important to you.

Posted 20 hours ago # Report-Post

FFS! :roll: I give up!

So you can’t fit a commuter light on to your bars for riding to and from the trails? What other simple and easily accomplished tasks do you struggle with?

It’s not a case of riding to and from trails – my ride was (is) bit of trail/bit of road/bit of trail repeat lots. And what I don’t want to do is mess about switching between different lights, moving them about etc etc. to keep other road users (and all you “know it alls”) happy. Not too much to ask of a modern light manufacturer is it?

Anyway. Sod it – I’m off to put my lights on charge so I can be a tit, struggle with easy tasks and dazzle unsuspecting road users again tomorrow night.

ransos – Member

The problem is – it’s not easy to dip or dim any of the lights we have.

Then don’t use them on the road. You were in the wrong.

If you’d like to come and build me a few 20 mile completely off road loops or sort out the rights of way so that’s possible I will gladly stay off the roads.

As I said it’s not practical to switch lights for a short bit of road. We need a proper designed light that’s good for off-road and on and easily switchable between the two.

Working fine for me. The copyright police have deemed it not available on mobile though…

BadlyWiredDog – Member

What a charmer you are. You dazzle the hell out of someone because clearly your lights were apparently in his face then sneer at him because he was ‘ using a bike to get from a to b rather than a mad keen idiot like us’ . Nice.

The anti-cycling, cycling forum strikes again.

I didn’t dazzle him on purpose and he was quite sweary, offensive in his comments (the mods have removed some of that) I wasn’t sneering at him at all. I was more sneering at us! I couldn’t be arsed… well because I couldn’t – it would have involved stopping or turning round for both parties and all this happened in a second.

ahwiles – Member

Mad Pierre – Member

He … had … no helmet

what has this got to do with anything? you tit.

turn your lights down when you’re pointing them at people, you tit. It’ll save your battery a bit, you might see some starts, and it’s a nice thing to do – so you should do it.

I was actually trying to point out he was a “normal” person rather than the type (of tit it would seem) that hangs out here. On a seperate note there is no need for to be so insulting. I don’t think you’d be so impolite if we were discussing this man to man?

Back to the real discussion:

I didn’t know I was pointing my lights at him until he shouted – he was that hard to see in the dark even with our portable suns!

The problem is – it’s not easy to dip or dim any of the lights we have. They cycle through modes including blinding strobe mode and the only way to dip is to physically move the light – not exactly practical for two lights in two places when you’re popping on and off the tarmac for a short distance here and there.

I reckon bike lights need a re-think now they are so bright? We need a quick dip – so you can operate in a split second like you can in your car.

Why don’t you ask her what she wants?

I have eaten there. Remember a mediocre curry house and ok pub grub…. was a couple or three years back though.

The post ride and evening boozing went well. We tried most of the pubs and they were all ok. Even found some live music on the Sat night.

Viking Challenge[/url] annual local charidee ride on Sunday

We used to make home made brake lights for our bikes as kids. Mechanical switch made by adding bits of copper and wires and stuff to U brake calipers… Eeee I remember when….

Someone did it to me once. Fortunately for them they just got through the lights just down the road before I got there..

It’s not funny from the receiving end. I had to go home and get changed and be late!

Forgive my further ignorance of roadie stuff but: what does “half wheel” mean?

Yes. There’s one on my commute that changes the way it points every few weeks to try to catch everyone out that knows its there. They wouldn’t bother if it didn’t?

Some of my road riding mates use these signals when we’re out on the MTBs. Unfortunately they are about as much use as a chocolate fire guard to me as I have no idea what any mean! I’d rather just stick with shouting “car”, “dog sh*t” etc etc…

Fill void with expanding foam and shove in plasterboard fixings before it sets. once set you can finish nicely and attach rail

Having said that, the work done at pines has hugely improved what was there before and the builders should be applauded for that.

Hmmmm…. quite a bit of what is now 10 foot wide motorway / mud / puddles (depending on conditions) Kitchener Trail was once nice singletrack only ridden by those prepared to find it.

It was basically built (or in several places not actually built but just bunged some signs on existing trails) badly to start and they’ve been trying to bodge it ever since… I agree they should take a look at other centres especially Cannock to see how it can be done before they p*ss away any more money.

As others have said there’s loads of other good riding in the area, particularly when the rains return. No arrows and sign posts on it though! Thank god!