Thanks for all the ideas here folks. Much appreciated. I was taking time to gussy up my Five ready for sale two days ago and had pretty much the train of thought put by Stevemtb and shinsplints.

I do enjoy my Five (even if it is ain’t no wagon wheeler). But I just won’t get the use out of my Swift anymore,its just too rigid.

So my plan now is to flog the Swift and use the cash to pimp my five (1×10, better brakes and a reverb) and keep her going for a while. Familiar bike makes sense in so many ways. Then take stock at the 6 month mark.

Thanks for the words of support regarding the injury. It was always always going to be a long road ( getting ready for op number 6) but it’ll all come good. I’m thrashing myself on my road bike working on the fitness so when I’m back on the trails it won’t be my legs or lungs that hold me back!

I have a large swift for sale in great nick. Would you like me to email the details?

Thanks for all the rapid replies there folks, plenty of food for thought

As an aside, here’s what I’m coming back from
[/url] Photo0023[/url] by mattbibbings[/url], on Flickr[/img]

[/url] right1[/url] by mattbibbings[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Anyway this is not about me. I am just exploring why folk resist Vs early adopters, using wheelsize as the theme.

Charlie, “early adopters Vs. resistance” is simply “optimists Vs. pessimists” IMO. People being people. If you try and convince a pessimist you are right they resist harder and you get called foolish, gullible, or worse….

As soon as I saw SingularSams very sexy looking advert for a Swift few years back (wish I could find it but I can’t, help me out Sam!) it spoke to me as a bike that simply looked ‘right’. Not a ‘game changer’. It just looked right. Lots and lots of you will know what I mean. Certain bikes just give you that feeling (my Five gives me the same feeling). So I built one, hoping for the best but prepared for all sorts, a bit ‘Optimistic’ you might say. Turns out I was right, it not only looked right, it IS right. Is it because it’s a 29er? or just a sorted bike?

Who knows, but it rides damn well.

Doh, should have read StuEs post, Sorry for the double up.

Here is the recent history of who owns what and how it all came about
http://chevinforest.co.uk/chevin-through-time/timelines/late-20th-century/%5B/url%5D

It’s all owned by Leeds city council by the look of things.

I’ve been ‘local’ for a few years and it all seems to be a highly mis-managed really. The general view is No Cycling on the Whitehouse side and stick to the bridal ways only on the otherside.

In practice I and almost all the riders I know and have seen ride all of it with care and so far without incident. I’ve never been challenged by ‘authority’ for riding what can be some really rather good little trails.

I believe the Friends of Chevin were approached by singletraction (or a similar group) to discuss maintained MTB trails on the chevin and basically told ‘You’ve got Stainburn for that’

If I had a spare grand kicking about (i wish) I’d be on it like a fat dog in a butchers bin.

It looks so wrong but I just can’t kick the idea that it would feel so right. I too thought about the weight – for about a second = if you are worried about how much these things weighh you shouldn’t be even thinking about them!

Call them, ask to speak to disconnections. Tell them your story and then say you want to move to another provider. Disconnection departments normally have the lee-way to offer discounts to encourage customers like you in order to make you stay. You may well find that you end up with a discounted connection fee/line rental fee.

If you just ‘complain’ they will try and say sorry, then write you a letter saying sorry then nothing.

It’s all about customer retention. It’s just a shame they don’t it through providing the service they say they do in the first place.

I like white wheels. But that doesn’t count – it’s your bike, you do what the hell you like with it.

I think your on to a winner with that build.

M numbers are just Shimano Group set designations.

Check 2 main things.

1. Top pull (cable runs along top tube) or bottom pull (cable runs along down tube)
2. Clamp size

Apart from that it’s up to your budget.

Also, see hear for Oranges advice on this

How long is the stem? Looks a touch short to me. Could be wrong though.

. It can also help the less able-bodied to access “wilder” areas.

This works. Ok, not quite wheelchair ‘DDA’ standard but easier than boggy trails.

Love that. How does it ride?

A and E. NOW!

I’ve always been a fan of the Shimpanoloramcompe Box-in-the-garage groupset. Needs a little fettling but works a treat.

Oh dear, I guess this is what happens when you start a thread with ‘knob’ references in it.

@poly – Geees – It’s just a bit of fun, calm down dear.

I don’t know about knobs helping you land jumps, but once my bollocks helped slow me down when I hung up on a double and they got sucked in between the tyre and the saddle. I had to check for blood. Beyond eye-watering.

Shit the bed.

Yes, road cycling has a dirty past. Yes, some of it’s Champions have been dethroned but the sport is bigger than it’s failings. The races still hold their lure and and young kids still dream of winning them. Christ, the other day I heard 10 year old boys in the street arguing over who was better, Sky or BMC, like they were argueing over Man U Vs Chelsea.

Lance without the drugs? Top 10 I think.

To the OP – That is some sage advice Jester. I suppose that you can consider that Insurance is the ‘correct tool for the job’ but what you present here is the Knowledge to use it properly, which is utterly essential in these circumstances.

You can end up feeling stuck in Blighty too though! I smashed my wrists to pieces in April up at Mabie on the little bit of Orange jumps near the start. I was stuck in Dumfries and Galloway Hospital for a week because Leeds PCT wouldn’t give up a bed! The Orthopedic surgeons in Dum And Gal couldn’t fix me and the sepcitalists in Leeds(Rob Farnell and Doug Campbell – Legends!) could. But because the wrong person in Scotland requested my transfer, Leeds wouldn’t do it! Pure Protocol, no consideration of the implications. Ok, I know it was only Scotland but when your stuck, your stuck and you may as well be on Mars for all the good it does you.

(nearly) mended now. 2 more ops maybe?

Bike videos are damned hard to make well. I have go-proed (is that a word?) a few shorts up over the years (climbing, kayaking and biking) and biking is defo the hardest to make look good. I think it struggles in 1st person unless you are following someone good or going really fast or doing something dumb/crazy (for dumb see 5:50 ish here

Like most things you defo get better as time goes by. Eg – 4 years ago and 1 year ago

The editing is pretty slick in the your videos. The shots are way more creative in the second vid. First vids? your doing well.

A little bit Off Topic but bear with me.

Walking down Scafell the other day (i’ve got 2 broken wrists right now so no biking :( ) Everywhere was dense fog with perhaps 20m visability. Out of the gloom came 4 lads who looked underprepared for the pub never mind the Fells. They saw I had a map tucked into my belt and asked where they were and which way was Seathwaite! (We were just below Lingmel Col if you know it).

I showed them (I teach Outdoor Ed), explained it would be tricky finding their way without map/extra help etc. Then wished them luck.

Heres my point. They asked for advice. They got some. Would I/should I dish out the advice otherwise? Hell no. Unless they were in genuine mortal danger.

We are very lucky to live in a country where despite what is said we largely determine our own actions in response to hazard – Riding a bicycle at speed without a helmet being one of them – and we largely carry the reposnsibility for the consequenses of our response to hazards. Long may that continue.

In other reading – Helmets and risk compensation (Do it like a Dane and be safe!)

Crashed myself just like that at Mabie 5 weeks ago. Now have three metal plates holding each wrist together. At least they are Titanium but after 4 ops and 10 hours of surgery it will be a while before I’m off road again.

He was lucky.

Sporting 2 broken wrists myself right now so i feel your pain (otb at mabie). 4th and hopefully final op tomorrow. I say thank god for my wife, iplayer/4od etc and the interweb.

Get well soon dude.

Thanks for the positive replies.

I will definatly check out the POC. I live in yorkshire so heat is not a problem! If i’m lucky Giro will have some new designs out by the time i’m on my mtb again!

As for the type of riding, i do all sorts. I’m a mountain biker, i don’t like to pigeon hole.

As for who wipes my bum – thankfully I can still do that.

If your interested, the crash was due to over-jumping a double on the mini-x at mabie. Nose heavy landing, OTB and here I am.

Helicoil? I’ve just googled it and it sounds like it might be a solution. Coatesy, are you the man for the job? Whats the process/cost etc?

Thanks for the posts everyone