I thought all the problems with the FC had been sorted out on the premise that they followed certain rules when building the stuff.
I hope it does continue as it is a great place, but I’m not sure if its worth the 180 mile round trip to just ride the dual slalom, lol.

It wasnt the xc bit I was concerned about because, although it was harder to navigate than normal, I found the majority of the xc route.

I mainly go there for the chickshore and dual slalom and then do a few laps of the xc to finish off with. I did notice that most of the easier stuff had been taken down: I agree that they should build to suit all skill levels.

I would love to help build, but I live 90 miles away so not really practical.

I ended up getting rid of the Poplock on my Pikes because it was too fragile: I had one minor crash and broke it.

I’ve been out riding with people who run tubeless and stood there, in the dark, while they’ve struggled with them, only to end up putting tubes in.

Holiday in Spain: Only members of group to get punctures: People running tubeless.

Not worth the hassle. Anyway, I dont want to turn this into a debate on tubes vs tubeless, so back to the sub 1000k bikes please :mrgreen:

Tubeless is a waste of time IMO, especially as he is a newbie to bikes in general.

Thanks, that Genesis looks very good.

DD: He wants to be able to try it out first, which counts wiggle out I’m afraid.

[/quote]So would it be unreasonable for car drivers to have to wear a helmet, given that this would probably save more lives?

Yes it would, as REASONABLE precautions have already been taken, there is no need to go overboard, but something as easy as wearing a helmet on a bike or skiing is not too much to ask and, for very little effort and cost, can prevent so much.

To quote from the BBC: “However, leading neurosurgeon Chris Chandler said a seemingly minor blow on the head can cause life-threatening injuries.

Mr Chandler, from King’s College Hospital in south London, said the effects of a blow to the head may not become apparent until several hours afterwards and, if untreated, a patient can fall into a coma.

“A blow to the head can cause a bruise or rupture a blood vessel that slowly swells, causing pressure to build up inside the skull,” he said.

“In the skull there is nowhere for the brain to move to so pressure continues to grow and that swelling can cause the brain to malfunction because it can limit circulation.

“If that pressure is not relieved it can kill.” ”

Given that THOUSANDS of people are killed in/by cars every year, these precautions are not really working are they.

How do you know? Perhaps many more would have been injured without them.

But that doesnt make the argument pointless, only this thread, lol.

Why is it pointless?

“I do wear a helmet when snowboarding but why on earth should it be compulsory?”

Because of the effect that your injury can have on other people. Don’t be so selfish.

“But people still regularly suffer head injuries in car accidents, so a helmet would make them safer. Same for pedestrians.”

But reasonable precautions are taken in cars: No one said that helmets, airbags etc, will stop ALL injuries, but they help prevent many. Pedestrians do not deliberately put themselves in danger (except the stupid ones). They are catered for with pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, subways etc

Do you wear a helmet when driving your car?

Yes I do: It’s called the crumple cage that completely surrounds me. Plus I have airbags, and a soft headrest behind my head.

Lots of people think its a stupid idea, even with a helmet on – maybe we should ban it?

That is a typical over reaction: No need to ban it, just doing this one simple thing (wearing a helmet) could prevent you from suffering serious brain injury, or worse.

I, for one, do not want to be the person who comes across you lying in the middle of a ski slope, or bike trail, having knocked yourself out because you weren’t wearing a helmet.

Don’t you think strapping two planks of carbon/kevlar to your feet, then hurtling down a slippery slope, with tress, pylons, other people around, without a helmet, is a pretty stupid idea? Cause I do.

[/quote]Why stop at wearing a helmet? More common bike injuries are surely ones that could be prevented by wearing full armour?!!

That is a pretty stupid argument because the injuries that knee/shin pads, elbow pads etc protect you from are not generally life threatening, whereas head injuries can cause brain damage or even death.

I can’t comment on that saddle, but I like the Selle Italia saddles. I have the Flite Gel Flow on my roadie and my full suss. I am thinking of replacing the one on my full suss with the Signo, as the Flite has a hooked rear which snags my shorts

To be fair, I don’t think GNARGNAR is looking to debate the pros and cons of full-suss v HTs, more to debate whether people think that full-suss will make them better riders.

I do think that a full-suss can improve your confidence and therefore make you ride a hardtail better. I experienced this recently when I took my hardtail out after nearly a year of riding my full-suss.

Is there a general perception within mountainbiking that full suspension is needed to progress ones riding

In a word? NO.

Is there a perception that people with hardtails assume people with full-suspension bikes aren’t as good riders?

It does appear that way.

Personally I have both, including a road bike, and you learn things from each of them.

In the end: Ride whatever you want and enjoy whatever you ride.

Mike is this the same one that went phut in Whistler last year?

Yes mate, it has never really been right, but it has got worse and needed replacing.

I will try the one they sent me and see what it’s like.

Thanks but that’s what I thought I was ordering. Now I have this one I’ll give it a go, just annoyed by CRC.

Damn they look nice. Shame I bought a Banshee Rune at the end of last year :0), wouldn’t want to swap it though, as I love it.

Cheers Hugh, think I’ll give it a go then.

Wish CRC would sort their stuff out though.

So did mine. But they have obviously changed them for ’09. I have just taken it out of the packet and it seems ok, except for the fact that the mouth piece no longer twists so it won’t go through the hose guide down the shoulder strap.

Cheers folks. Perhaps I will give it a try.

I am still a little annoyed though that it is not what I ordered from CRC, but I’ll get over it, lol.

I agree, they do make good products, but before I open the package, which will mean I can’t send it back, it would be useful to see if anyone has used them, and what their experience was.

Hugh: Just saw your post after my comments above: It does say on the packet “manufactured for Dakine by Hydrapak” so it sounds the same. Is the slidey top easy to fill and close?

What’s wrong with Easton?

I agree to a certain extent, but having said that, the last couple of weeks I have been riding my hardtail (Kona Explosif) after almost a year of riding a full suss (I now have a Mythic Rune 6 inch travel), and the level of confidence I have gained from riding my full-suss has really improved the way I ride my hardtail.

Just a thought.

Drink more water: Dehydration can also cause you to feel lethargic.

Are you using anything to measure performance? Timing, heart rate, cadence etc. Measuring your heart rate will tell you how hard you are working and you can compare it over a period of time time see if it, relative to your speed or cadence, is improving.

“Continental gravitys have the least “square” tread pattern I can think of? the treads are little triangles? I agree though they’re rubbish.”

I didn’t mean the actual shape of the knobs, I meant the sectional profile through the whole tyre.

Oil or lube doesn’t keep the chain clean, cleaning it does. Sorry, that’s not meant to be controversial, but I’m sure we’ve had the waht lube Q before and I think lube is just lube.

You couldn’t be more wrong: Some lubes attract more dirt than others. Finish Line dry lube, for example, doesn’t attract as much dirt as the wet version, but gets washed off easily.

Anyone used Rock n roll lube?

Another vote for the Dakine Nomad

I have already made the trip to Stainburn from here and loved it. I was going to ride Dalby as well, but the weather was sooo bad I didn’t bother.

If not then its proof that nobody south of Yorkshire needs any form of suspension on their bike.

Have you never heard of roots?

I do fancy going to Cwm Carn again, but I am always looking for new trails to ride. As far as I am aware, there is absolutely nothing like Stainburn or Lee Quarry in, or around, the south-east, or the south for that matter.

erm Hello

Lol, thanks. Justy weighing things up at the moment. I do fancy having another go at Stainburn.

Has nobody said… watch your shins!

I agree: I can strongly recommend some knee/shin pads. I use Troy Lee Designs Lopes pads for all day rides and they are great.

Your feet shouldn’t bounce off the pedals: Mine don’t, even on my hardtail.

Remember to position your feet further forward than you would with spds so the widest part of your shoe is in contact with the pedal, for maximum grip. Also, on steep descents, drop your heels down.

I actually find I can bunny hop better in flats that in spds. Flats will teach you to bunnyhop properly, i.e. lift the front wheel first , push the bars forward, and unweight the rear.

Dehydration seems to be the general concensus then, lol. I’ll try and drink more and see what happens.

Well I wasn’t going to drive all that way just to ride the quarry, I was going to stop somewhere else too, maybe Stainburn on the way back.