Yeah no worries mate, imagine that around Spooky Woods… 😯

I think James-o has the right idea. I think ss bikes feel indestructible, they feel tight and non-stoppable. I think they make great big mountain bikes. Give it a go. If, after trying it, you think you'd prefer a geared bike in the mountains, then that's a great lesson learned.

You don't know till you go.

I have flat pedals on my Simple. I always ride flat pedals and have never found it a problem. It may not be maximally efficient or whatever but really who cares? I live in Scotland, ride 32/16 and don't think I suffer particularly from not using spds.

I use Kona wahwah pedals, which are great, and 5.10 shoes. You can get 5.10s at CRC and I would really recommend them, the grip is so much greater to any of the skate shoes I used before. I think the ability to move your feet on the pedals much more naturally will probably help with your ankle pain.

I hope that was helpful. Good luck.

LOL @ Mogrim

But, no.

Just human.

**** nationalisms of any kind.

No borders.

Clubber, how have you modded that Cateye ABS light? I've got a pair of them, one with a 15w spot, the other with 10w flood, and I was wondering if I could rig them to a dynamo as their batteries don't hold their charge anymore.

I'm afraid I've never been to Morzine, but I do think this is a really good idea, taking an iconic design somewhere new. I don't know if it would be practical or not. Well done, see where it goes.

That's excellent. I would love to have the skills to make one of these. I'm saving for an Epic one instead. If you do start a business for them up, make sure you post it on the forum!

Do whatever you like and to hell with the establishment?

I have one mountain, one road and one bmx. Can't imagine having less than that really…

Funny thing is, reading the article, I thought he sounded like a pretty reasonable chap, accepting his own stupidity!

Tribalchief – you're quite right, football's crap too without even looking at the violence and tribalism.

But two lots of environmental irresponsibility don't make a carbon neutral world.

I'll probably get flamed for this, but…

What is the point of any 'sport' that is so massively un-ecological and environmentally destructive?

Land laws are insane, archaic leftovers of feudalism, presided over by knobs in 'their' countryside. Just push your bike on it everyday to piss him off.

Old Man Mountain make some excellent racks. I have a front and rear Cold Springs. Carradice sell them in the UK, and they have great customer service.

http://www.carradice.co.uk/categories/omm

The best thing about them is the mounting method means they will fit anything. They use an extra long wheel axle and then mount to canti/v brake posts or just using clamps around the seatstays if you have a disk only frame. They have a very high weight limit and have been extensively used for years now. I cannot recommend them enough.

I don't like it really, though it is very clever. It feels too cinematic, too unreal. I think it would be easy for drivers to just think, "Well, I'm never that distracted, I'm not a bank robber…"

I have to agree with Kuco here, whatever you decide on, take out the extra Applecare warranty. It only takes one thing going wrong to pay for itself.

Because riding a bike is the best feeling in the world. Just rolling, feeling air rush past you, feeling non-stopable.

All bikes are great, but mountain bikes are the best. Because you can't have a better freedom vehicle than a mountain bike. You can ride anywhere, roads, woods, hills, iced over roads that cars and motorbikes can't drive, you can heft it over walls and across streams.

Mountain bikes are liberation vehicles and we are free when we ride.

Is that fixed too mike? 😉

You can find any old dog for £40 that with a few mechanic skills you could have running fine. Budget for some slick tyres, maybe some new cables and you'll be away.

Cotic Simple can run up to 130mm, is that big enough?

Arkel make an excellent one:

http://www.arkelpanniers.co.uk/uk/all-categories/seat-bags-trunk-bags/seat-bag.html

It has no zips, is totally waterproof and dead easy to use. Perfect.

Five10s 😀

I am really interested in the Vibram Five Fingers idea. I had a foot operation in November, so I had to wear Birkenstock sandals since then and my feet have widened and spread. I'm not a runner, but would be interested to wear them for normal day to day use. I like being barefoot.

I find my 5.10s really big and clumpy now, and while the grip is great, I wish I had more feel of the pedals like I used to with thinner soled skate shoes. Anyone think the VFFs would be good riding on flat pedals?

I don't think we are great country at all, in any sense of the word. We have a lamentable attitude to our environment, to sustainability, and to land access and ownership.

Once upon a time more than half of Scotland was covered in forest. By the 1660's 90% of it had gone, leaving just 5% covered with native forest. It is now 1% of Scotland.

Brazil has one of the worst patterns of land ownership in Latin America, with 1% of people owning 45% of the land. But in Scotland in 2000, 1000 owners controlled nearly two thirds of the private land. These owners represent one-fiftieth of 1% of Scotland's population, many of them not even living in Scotland.

We have consistently pushed forward the idea of endless growth, and still equate GDP with quality of life.

We aren't even secular, we still have Lords FFS!

There are some good things about Britain, no doubt. But we have to quell our collective ego, arrogance and violence for Britain to be in any way 'great'.

A fair few of you sound quite war-mongering.

Tidy!

I don't understand someone riding a singlespeed and then worrying about gears. That's the whole point. Just run what you normally do and say "F*** it." 😀

Singlespeed mtb with big risers, Schwalbe Big Apple tyres, full mudguards and a huge metal basket on the front.

Coogan, and Jon, I agree!

However, these videos inspire a riding style that may actually be fairly destructive when us plebs start doing it on mass on our normal trails. I dunno.

Do any of you watch the DH videos they post on Dirt? Loads of the riders are doing cool looking skids around the corners, and it seems very trendy at the moment to get the biggest baddest roost you can. There are good examples of this on the Peaty/Miami video up there now.

How do people feel about this?

When I want chocolate, I want chocolate, not chocolate and nuts, or chocolate and coconut or somesuch rubbish.

Just simple Dairy Milk. The bestest.

I know that I get up most hills faster on my SS now than I used to with gears. That is purely because I hate walking and so I'm forced to ride faster, grind my way up, rather than be lazy and sit and spin like I used to. I have no idea if that makes me fitter.

I think riding my SS works my upper body more because I'm forever hauling on the bars trying to get uphill.

Also, I think it has made me a better rider as I concentrate on flowing about more, I don't break really hard at corners and then pedal away, because it's normally the wrong gear so I'd rather not pedal… I could have done that on a geared bike, for sure, but SS just pushed me in that direction naturally.

Jumping is great. Bunnyhops, jumps, drops, they're basically the best things in the world.

Absolutely not, DezB surely that's what these new-fangled internets is for?

Maybe coogan, but a driver is in a one tonne or heavier metal box at 30+ mph… A cyclist is not.

Don't let bloody car drivers overtake you. Make them wait till they can overtake properly. Your safety always comes first, so make them wait!

I'm sure Cy would too. 😉

Cy, I agree with Clembo, can you please not do anything crazy to the Simple, just keep it…er…simple! I ride a small, so I suppose that makes the frame stiffer (is that right?), but I have to be honest I've never really felt it flexing like that in a bad way, even when grunting up the steepest climbs. Get it CEN compliant like the Soul, ready for 140mm forks and release it to your adoring public.

I have a Simple. Mine is all stealthy black, with Pikes which I have set at 125mm, hope disks, 2.35" tyres and a Gravity Dropper.

I love riding it. It is really fun, light and easy to move around. Uphills out of the saddle are easy because it is lightweight, and with the saddle dropped going down, I love flicking it about, hopping over things. It encourages me to pump and flow and ride smoothly. It is an excellent ride.