To be fair michaelmcc, that bit of the raven is bloody good but it’s hardly representative of the whole trail

I think there was a few sections like that. One even better that i can’t find where it felt like you were carving up the side of a half-pipe with each turn. Iv’e only ridden it once, felt like a dream though. You just need to attack every section. I didn’t go big on those table tops though not knowing the landing etc.
I know theres a few places we could have easily taken a wrong turn, but still ace.

Followed by the same logic

It’s steel, it will eventually crack some time if you ride it hard, possibly during a race. Ive seen a cracked steel frame

It’s aluminium, it will eventually crack some time if you ride it hard, possibly during a race. Ive seen a cracked aluminium frame

etc

Its different, you get more warning with alloy or steel, and often they bend or dent before cracking. Little to no warning with carbon, they just snap straight through.

I don’t believe in hours of long slow base work. My training is a lot different anyway, and it seems to work quite well. Ive learned its more about the overall volume, rather than thinking about doing one long ride a week. For example a week with 18 hours or so riding can be broken up into several 1.5 – 2 hour rides, two short rides a day if you feel like and have time. I often do this on the turbo to save time changing and getting ready. Most of my training is 1- 1.5 hour rides with intervals, through -out the whole year. Taking a slight break at the moment though. The shortest “training” ride i do is about 40 minutes, and i race 24’s.

A long ride every so often is useful (4-6 hours would be my max). I just like to use them to figure out my pacing and nutrition. If you use watts its even better, you can aim for your highest wattage output over six hours, you’ll be tired after that!

I don’t really think about carb zones or fat burning zones, you’ll burn fat anyway (if you need to lose weight) just be riding a lot. Iv’e read recent studies show that you burn more fat at a higher heart-rate, don’t have any links or evidence to back it up though!

The cyclo-cross will help with your speed work. You probably have a good bit endurance from it, more than you think. It really depends what your weakness is as to what type of training to do. You might need to work on climbs, sprints, sustained efforts, could be good to make a chart and mark out your strengths and weaknesses. Also the length of your races and when you want to peak more, that will change what type of training you do and what type of year.

Wondered why the frame had dimensions marked up on it….

Pronghorn, really nice bikes.

More a question of – are there any snapping frame / stone impact type horror stories?

Haven’t come across any, but haven’t looked previously.

It’s carbon, it will eventually crack some time if you ride it hard, possibly during a race. Ive seen a cracked Scott full sus before, snapped at the head tube.

When you learn how to turn without the ‘aid’ of berms or skidding to a stand still you’ll find most trails are much more fun.

I like lots of man-made stuff that doesn’t have any berms, and i try to avoid major skids. I wouldn’t be able to direct people to the good natural stuff, ridden loads of it but wouldn’t be able to find any of it myself.

Rorschach – Member
“riding with no real quality berms or anything, which can get boring at times”
Shirley not….

As in there doesn’t seem to be many sections where you can flow continuosly from berm to berm. It’s more like -blast in a straight line, break for sharp corner, brakes off and blast in a straight line again until next sharp corner-.

The Whites level trail is prob the best one there, i agree the final descent there has me grinning a lot, its a bit of an all up then all down trail though.

Rorschach – Member
“riding with no real quality berms or anything, which can get boring at times”
Shirley not….

As in there doesn’t seem to be many sections where you can flow continuosly from berm to berm. It’s more like -blast in a straight line, break for sharp corner, brakes off and blast in a straight line again until next sharp corner-.

The Whites level trail is prob the best one there, i agree the final descent there has me grinning a lot, its a bit of an all up then all down trail though.

How can you say this lacks flow????????? :roll: :? 8O

We was thinking Cwmcarn and afan??

I’d say drive for an hour longer and do Cwmcarn with Brechfa.

The Wall trail at Afan felt pretty dull when i rode it the day after the Raven trail at Brechfa, which was only about a month ago. Maybe the other loops there are better at the moment though.

I can’t recommend Brechfa forest highly enough!! The best trail Ive ever ridden in Wales, possibly.

Afan is good but feels terrible compared to Brechfa. Its more brakes off go for it type riding with no real quality berms or anything, which can get boring at times. It was my local riding spot for years though so i got a bit bored of it..

In Mid Wales, Machynlleth is a must go to stop, the Climach-X loop is unreal, the last descent makes it so worth while.

Check out the LOOK and TIME hardtails, my dream HT if i was to buy a high end one. They have the seatpost as part of the frame like high end road bikes, very swish.

To me aggression means kicking the side of a car or banging on their window if they try and cut you up, which Ive done a few times before rightly or wrongly. I agree with assertion, not aggression.

I think its pretty pants as well, especially in the snow with no chicken wire, when you’re racing.

I use a six pack with a joystick and love them for racing, both on medium setting. A Six pack with the Diablo might be a bit overkill.
Don’t think the Diablo has a long run time setting though? Only problem with it.

Sub Focus, Ed Rush and Optical, Roni Size (he’s old school but still amazing.

Dj hype, Andy C…

List could go on……… :D :D

Altura pocket-rocket. Lightweight and breathable.

I have narrow feet. Got some Mavic’s recently, they’re sweet. Really close fit. Can’t remember which ones i have, they have two velcro straps and a ratchit.

Punjabi MC :D .

None of that talk until the summers over :twisted:

It should be illegal.

but the kids & radio 1 like it!

I don’t think radio 1 play propper dub step really. You need to hear a live mix of it.

Yeah, cuz Mr Page is also dead slow over 4 hours….

I didn’t say that in the slightest, duh!

I meant quite the opposite.

I think its quite similar to drum and bass but a bit slower. I know what it sounds like but not sure what makes it what it is.

Chase and Status are a big dubstep group, i think.

Sweet. I prefer the red and black colour combo though, looks meaner and faster.

Out of interest* who you applying to?

*i’ve done quite a few seasons

A few different resorts around BC and Alberta. So far I’ve applied to Hidden Valley, Hemlock, Powder King, Silver star and Whistler (that’s all the ones i remember). I need to take a look at my sent emails and take note of who’ve I’ve applied to.

I’ve done a season in Italy, want to try Canada though.

Thanks good help. One page, but what about the font size, standard size 11 or 12?

Anyone sampled these yet?

No i tried their chicken spicy meals though, pretty nice.

Kettle chips all the way for me. I don’t eat crisps too often so don’t mind the price.

Rough. I imagine that beach is a lot quieter at the moment.

Btw did you know that in the US they’ve smashed long term heatwave records this year? And they had Tornadoes in Wisconsin in April?

Or is the OP being deliberately thick?

I already mentioned that i heard about the heatwaves in the US :P .

Don’t think i’m the thicko so, clearly…

isn’t auguust technically a monsoon month in the UK?

And wasn’t May/June fantastically warm and dry? Quit yer whinging!

I’m usually the last person to conplain about the weather, i hate talking about it. But i think this summer is taking the p!ss really!

I though april and may were alright, the rest have been a bit meh.

I’m in Ireland. I think we act as a barrier for the UK in some ways, taking the sting out of the bad weather before it heads over to you.

Newsflash to the OP.

Just because you are cold and wet at the moment does not mean the rest of the world is.

Yeah i heard there was a heat wave in the US this summer, but still. We seem to be getting a bad deal.

Ok global warming climate change, tomato tomAto.. yoghurt yOghurt, whatever.

Any type of Vango tent is what i’d look at.

I use Madhur Jeffrey “curry easy”. Its a good one.

blanche – Member
I’m just a rider.

We train hard, a lot. But if we didn’t like the training, then we couldn’t do it. Up to 3-450 miles a week depending on the time of year, and this reduces as we do more MTB obviously.

It’s horse for courses come raceday. Some like short races, some like long. Some of us have a VO2Max as great as the short course and pro roadie boys, and just use it differently. If you train for a specific event you get better at that event, and others suffer, generally.

If you spent any time with any of the racers at the 24’s or 12’s you would see no inflated ego at all (not any more). That’s why we’ll race each other one month: knocking ten bells out of each other: and the next, we’ll be supporting each other. It’s a very sociable scene and almost remiscent of family values.

I haven’t raced this year as I have had other things to do, and I’ve missed it. But a fair few of the 24hr and 12hr crowd came along to support me and make sure I trashed myself properly. Thanks guys, I think.

Most of our hard training is done in the winter, and is based on increasing our Threshold power, basically by working hard and breathing out of our arses for parts of our 20-30 hours a week, plus job. We already tend to have really good base engines from a season’s racing (or long distance riding). Heart rate, Power meters (brlliant) and Perceived exertion all play a part in what we do. We love gadgets.

If you can train for 10-15 hours a week, then you’ll do fine. Just practice not stopping, or being able to do daft things like put on arm warmers and changing gloves etc whilst riding. Small things make a huge difference. Go ride when you really can’t be arsed, or are “too tired” now and again. This will toughen you up.

One long ride a week and two interval sessions a week, interspersed with a couple of easy recovery rides. The evidence still doesn’t support the use of recovery rides, but we like ’em. They make you feel better.

Cross train a bit for the first couple of years, then at least make sure your core and upper body can take the massive hammering you wil get on a 24hour course or point to point challenge ride. It’s usually the upper body that gives in once you’ve got reasonably strong. Power meters can’t take account of the input from your upper body (which is massive) so that’s one reason why they haven’t caught on in MTB as yet, amongst others.

If you want to improve at the best rate you can, then invest a bit in a coach. They can see things that you can’t as he/she will be more objective about what you are doing.(Matt is the odd one here, as he can). Coaches needn’t be more than about 30 quid a month and there are some really good ones about.

If you need any help then just drop me a line. I’m not a coach, but if I can help someone along a bit then I’ll gladly do so. You’ve already been on my webby.

This is good advice.

numplumz.co.uk is the best one i know (maybe its dot com).

That one doesn’t look too bad actually. I think the graphics on some of the Meridas are a bit hideous. The newer ones I think mainly.

It can be a laugh riding in the mud at times. Not sure i’d like to live somewhere really warm and dry, i’d miss the mud :( .

I think they feel better with age, like a foot moulding in to the shape of a leather boot.