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  • Issue 157 – Norway Hans Rey
  • merynella
    Free Member

    Mix the standard Southern Comfort with dry vermouth for a Manhatton, adding a dash of Angostura bitters. The cherry stuff you’ll have to pour down the sink, I’m afraid.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Or another approach, spoil yourself with something special, e.g. Aberlour 18 yr old.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Tested:

    Lapierre Spicy
    Trek Fuel
    Transition Bandit
    Mondraker Foxy XR
    Cotic Rocket

    Trying to buy the Cotic. Loved the Bandit, but wanted a bit more rear travel; loved the Mondraker but wanted easier tight cornering. All three felt great in the air. The Cotic is everything people say about it plus felt great cornering. With the Spicy and Fuel I was probably getting used to full suss, 26″ wheels and hydraulic brakes: all new to me at the time.

    merynella
    Free Member

    There’s a more accurate version of that map now, easy enough to find online. 15k, 500m or so of climbing. I was very disappointed to find it as I thought I’d done the 24k in 1 hour 40.

    merynella
    Free Member

    I could care less… FFS

    merynella
    Free Member

    I’m thinking of doing the same.

    merynella
    Free Member

    And while I’m at it… soldiers deliberately shot themselves in the foot to get off the front line.

    merynella
    Free Member

    A friend of my wife… ‘You’re about as much use as a teapot’

    merynella
    Free Member

    Up a gum tree without a paddle

    merynella
    Free Member

    Haven’t some people reported problems with the shifting from 36t to 42t?

    merynella
    Free Member

    If it has, was there a particular moment for BBT?

    merynella
    Free Member

    Dunno what it’s like normally but on the Saturday a week ago my mate and I got on the BPW uplift at about 10.30 and 12.30 or so without having pre-booked. The vans seemed to turn up in pairs. The weather wasn’t bad enough to have kept people away either, I didn’t think.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Yes, depends on you. The blues are no problem on anything; the reds I did on a 29er hard tail a couple of weeks ago and they are do-able and enjoyable if you are capable/comfortable on rocky but not too steep descents and know to keep your weight back on the bike for one or two places. Tyres: I’ve got lightweight 2.0 Maxxis Beavers on mine – they need about 30 psi to avoid pinch flats on rocky routes – that may be why I found the reds a bit harder on the hands and forearms than I expected – bigger tyres would be more suitable.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Does no one else take a hip flask?

    merynella
    Free Member

    One of the good things about the place is you’ve got options.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Yep, I can imagine it was a slog. I think you’ll find it a lot better now it’s dried out. I’m betting once it’s had a spring/summer/autumn of riding it will stand up to another winter a lot better. Similar terrain and woodland to Twrch, so imagine it will react to bad weather in a similar way (i.e. not too bad).

    merynella
    Free Member

    Rode it today for the first time. Loved it. Really cannot understand some of the mediocre reviews it’s had from some people. How can anyone find the descending boring, it’s as demanding as you’d want from an XC trail, and beautifully varied, I thought, mixing rooty singletrack, almost DH style sections and a little bit of smooth, swoopy, bermy stuff. The climbing was long, and steep in parts, but I liked the fact that that gives us something a bit different from other trail centres in S. Wales. I also like it being in two halves, like Twrch, with most of the climbing in the first half and the descending in the second.

    Even though it was busy today I didn’t find it a problem; not difficult to pass and everyone seemed aware that there would be people coming up behind and were pulling over (as did I a few times; I’m not particularly awesome myself).

    Did it in 1 hour 40 today – quite pleased with that – then up to do the final bit of Twrch descent.

    Beautiful weather made a difference; maybe it’s been the crap weather that’s caused some of the underwhelmed opinion.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Thanks. Will be interested in how you get on this weekend.

    merynella
    Free Member

    The first time I did the White’s first climb without the trees it was disappointing, partly due to the absence of the familiar woods and partly due to the extreme muddiness; the next time was better, partly because the trail was drier and partly because I started enjoying the trail again despite the absence of trees. I think the ratio of ascent/descent is the same as it ever was, isn’t it?

    merynella
    Free Member

    Could try contacting Summit Cycles or Beics Brenin, sister shops to Holy Trail.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Thanks nod. What do you make of the Slants after the Lyrics?

    merynella
    Free Member

    Aaaanyway, anyone else got a prospective build to share, or a current build? The extra wait gives me a bit more time to change my mind over details.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Too rough and climby for a sixer.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Veteran. It’ll be just 10 months for me. I console myself with the knowledge that I should be getting a better bike than if I’d got one last June. It’s also been spared a shit winter.

    merynella
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    I’ll be delighted if my Rocket comes in as light as 29lb, but with both the Reverb and CCDBA I’ll be happy with 32. That would still be lighter than my Gary Fisher 29er hard tail, though.

    merynella
    Free Member

    I haven’t ridden a Covert but I did test a Bandit. I felt they were quite similar to each other but found the Cotic a bit more easy to throw around and liked the extra 20mm on the rear. Not sure that really helps draw any conclusions re the Covert, though.

    merynella
    Free Member

    The firm lined up to bend the seat stays not able to deliver due to terminal illness.

    merynella
    Free Member

    They seem to have been rather unlucky. I’m going to convince myself that it will be good for me to wait, and in the meantime make the most of the bike I’ve got.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Anyone who loves Blood On The Tracks should try and get hold of the earlier versions of most of the tracks – similar but a gentler, more melancholy mood to most of them. Some are on the bootleg series.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Highway 61 Revisited
    Slow Train Coming
    Christmas In The Heart
    Planet Waves

    Love And Theft

    merynella
    Free Member

    Well his heart is in the Highlands.

    merynella
    Free Member

    The blues certainly are. I did them on an 80mm hard tail and I’m nothing special. In fact, the blues may be most fun on a short travel hard travel. I expect to be doing the reds on next visit.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Shame, thought I’d missed a new trail. Orbited sounds like fun.

    Y Wal and Penhydd in one day would be a good alternative to W2. Probably not take as long as W2. Cafe stop half way round either, just a different cafe.

    merynella
    Free Member

    2×10 for me too. Slants to be at 150.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Orbited?

    merynella
    Free Member

    Nice. What size tyres are those? I’m thinking of 2.35 Maxxis Minions, no wider.

    merynella
    Free Member

    It can be dropped to 140, 120, 100 by moving the ladder pin; for 150 you’ll need to make an extra hole. Suspension service providers will do this for you if you don’t want to do it yourself. Perhaps try at 140 first?

    merynella
    Free Member

    White rims are just wrong, unless you have white tyres. Does anyone do white tyres? White wall MTV tyres could be classy.

    merynella
    Free Member

    Don’t forget you’d be changing to 27″ not 27.5, so not quite the difference you think. If there’s a marginal gain in one area there’ll be a marginal loss in another. What is it you want different from the performance you’ve got. Riding 26″ bikes last year after owning a 29er, I preferred the obvious improved manoeuvrability and didn’t notice worse climbing (though my 29er is a short travel hard tail and the demo 26s long travel full suss). I’d want to try one first. It should be easy to get and Orange demo.

    merynella
    Free Member

    The new trail at Cwm Carn is due to open on the 19th according to the Cognation Facebook page.

    The Twrch trail at CC is as good as ever, just the free ride area at the top has changed in the last few years, not necessarily for the worse, but the three jumps and the pipe have gone.

Viewing 40 posts - 41 through 80 (of 105 total)