Was a cracking day at Stainburn today. Ton, that was me and my son riding the pump track this morning.

I remembered just how good Stainburn was today :)

Assume you have already seen Benjamin Button[/url] ?

Great thread.

Now for something slightly less sunny but atmospheric – just above Les Linderets a couple of summers ago. One of the wettest weeks biking i’ve ever endured :D

I was belittling anyone – I just can’t be doing with the people who take a big intake of breath and sau “oooooh, you’ll need pads for Stainburn”. Do you bo11ocks – if you come off at Stainburn then its the same dirt and rock that you’ll hit if you come off anywhere and you don’t see anyone saying you’ll need pads for riding anywhere else in the area.

Now if you’d said ‘full facers and pads aren’t compulsory at Stainburn but looking at the choices being made by the individuals in the car park it would appear to be a popular choice’ then i would believe you.

Unfortunately the use of an exclamation mark at the end of your sentence implies you are [astonished by their choices and are therefore belittling them.

Pads and full facers aren’t compulsory but you’d not believe it in the car park!

Now now. Mock people who won’t stick to the line that’s been built – but to belittle their choice of equipment seems a bit presumptuous.

Some of the Warren Boulder Trail has been made a bit confusing due to people fannying around the technical sections and creating easier lines

What seems even more bizarre is seeing people riding just to the side of the big drop on the descent line when there is a perfectly good track a few metres to the side. And it’s not as if it isn’t easy to roll down the drop anyway !

I just use a pink bike bag – handlers think (i hope) that it’s a ladies bike and treat it with the respect it deserves.

Gets some odd looks when i collect it from the baggage carousel 8)

Do you mean Guiseley ? In which case the Otley Chevin is on your doorstep.

Or head to Stainburn, or Ilkley Moor. Not so many routes as such but plenty of BW’s in this part of the world.

Dirt is by far the best in terms of photography and layout. None of them are really great reads (but then it’s a bike mag – i should go to the library for literature), but MBUK is consistently more interesting and varied than singletrack. Not even looked at WhatMB or MBR for a long while but i am assuming they are sticking to the usual formula.

Just don’t try and polish it like you did with that Cannondale – black looks much more purposeful :P

Toilet seat down – it’s feng shui apparently

For someone who swore off Dh that’s quite a beast 8)

I like.

We have a climb/hike up the Ben and a ride down planned – can anyone comment on whether it’s worth it or is it a ‘because it’s there’ kind of ride ?

I want to see a picture of the Deore double and bash that Whatmtb allude to but can’t seem to find one……

Brains SA Gold and Marston Double Drop are my current favourites.

Waffle soled Vans from Tk-Max at £20 a go works for me – and they even do size 15’s :D

quite confusing that! 90% rideable but 1ft deep?? not the most decisive analysis!

I think you need to take issue with PJ’s use of of instead of off, rather than getting worried about trail conditions analysis. Grammar pedantry is so much more singletrackworlds’ style :)

Stainburn trail conditions…

Llandegla have to close when it is icy – not because of the trails but because of the access road, which gets pretty steep towards the car park and can’t be salted.

Last time i was there (early December) they closed the trails due to ice on them. Admittedly the car park was also a skating rink and when a biker slipped sideways in front of the trail staff manning the barrier to the first climb that sealed the deal :(

Maybe it’s the need to be negative about others choices whilst claiming their bike is ‘flashier’ is what bothers me the most.

Perhaps it’s time to stick to constructive criticism only ?

it’s an overpriced Transition Bottle rocket with a daft noisy front downtube and a shite short warranty from a company with a poor backup record. You’d be mad to but one.

You can buy a similarly aimed Nicolai frame for less money, which gets you a ‘flasher’ bike with 5 times the warranty. Go figure.

That would be a bike like mine, a Nicolai UFO. Available in short and long travel options. About £1.3k currently. You can get the geometry modified to however you like it for a modest cost! It’ll give you the frame you want with a far better warranty.

I still love the way all owners of any bike are prepared to defend their choices. I guess it wouldn’t be STW if they didn’t :D

I’ve got two. Eventually had the replace the bearings (£3 for a bag full to do both headsets) but they are still going fine after three years.

Doubt you’d find anything comparable at that price.

i used to think higher bars were necessary for tall chaps (i’m 6’7″) but since being ‘educated’ by Shaums March i now aim for a lower front end. I do however run 6″ forks, a 50mm by 25 degree stem and a mid rise 750mm riser bar so low is all relative.

Beg to differ (tis the STW way) but i wouldn’t ride in anything but Veggies (knee and shin combo).

I use an XL (am 6’7″) but mainly for the length – the Veggie shins fit round my calves but i wouldn’t say they are designed for larger calved riders.

Chaps from singletraction.org.uk have ridden Stainburn at night.

Route over the road is a mess after logging operations up there. Totally impassable in places at the moment.

V12’s with a pair of Vans for me (size 15 feet) and i’ve never really found grip a problem.

If all these other pedals are so much better i’m expecting spd levels of grip if/when i switch pedals !

My brother had two (but then he is indecisive and has a reputation as being a fence sitter :)). All three of them were really good mates so the best men speeches were more of a double act.

Up the Llanberis, done the Rangers to above the zig zags then go down Telegraph Valley back to Llanberis.

I rate the inner-city woodsy singletrack higher than anything outside the immediate city vicinity

sounds like someone confined to the city centre (and by that i mean within the outer ring road).

Once you get out the city you are surrounded by great riding. NW of Leeds has hills with the Chevin being plenty high enough to have a decent amount of up and down.

And Leeds Uni is great 8)

I would be embarrassed (personnaly and professionally) to have my written English corrected

So would I. :-)

Erm yeah – lots of bike ‘gods’ on here it seems

Not entirely sure what that implies – OP asked for opinions on a suitable bike for the route and got them based on real world experience. Or an i missing something ?

PS i have been up the Rhyd Ddu with a bike. Wouldn’t recommend it though.

The wall ride’s not necessarily just for young ‘uns (although my lad wants a go now he’s seen dads photo). Was cold when this was taken but fortunately not too icy…

At the risk of willy waving i’ve only ever ridden up/carried up the Rangers and Rhyd Ddu bridleways and ridden down the Llanberis track.

This was on a rigid bike with cantilever brakes (many years ago pre-V’s before i sound like a Luddite !) so i’d say any bike can cope with it. All depends how fast you want to go :)

750mm bars and a 50mm stem – great for wider shoulders and increased control/leverage. Not so good for clipping your knuckles but you soon learn how wide a gap you can squeeze through.

Hows that ?

Mate of mine ditched his air DHX (pile of poo which broke and couldn’t be fixed) in favour of a new Tft Pushed Fox vanilla coil shock. Coupled with some longer travel rockers it made his 5 spot a much burlier ride which then complimented the pushed Pikes he had up front.

I’m running just the arm and roller from an MRP LRP with a dual and bash chainset.

Blackspire Beaver is very similar and i know a couple of people running them.

Fraction of the cost of a DRS but (almost) equitable performance.