yep! Just doing the biking part, mind :)

What tyres for the stinger….?

Has anyone done this before? I don’t even know what the course looks like!

any excuse…

Orignally grey, had a respray from ABC in Nailsea.

Was out early today in Leigh Woods on it. Love it!

ta :)

Anyone been out today? Thinking about going tomorrow…

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What a great day – really enjoyed the loop and the whole ‘feel’ of the event. Nice touch having the band playing away in the village hall afterwards (great bacon butties btw!)

Thought it was pretty well organised and everyone was really chatty on the way round. Considering it was only £20 and for charitee that’s really not bad is it?

I went the other way to Chris and pootled round the linking stages so could have a proper go at the timed parts. Did OK (19.25), could have pushed harder on the first descent but really didn’t want to bin it!

The only downside of that approach is you didn’t get that ‘mid race, pushing on a bit of singletrack, running down the guy in front and then heading for you next target’ type feel which is always fun if the legs are game.

All in all excellent day out and would be up for doing it again.

In on this!

Not done much pedal time this year so should be a shock to the system.

Ghost AMR, Nic and Ralph. Rather be on quickish tyres and ‘deal’ with any tech descents than be hauling sticky rubber up the climbs.

Looking forward to it. Not so much the early start :)

Want to ride a natural trail 5 minutes from Clifton, head over to 50 acre or other parts of LW. (Or this north somerset stuff that I am not exactly sure where it is.)

Wet? Winter? Ride the man made stuff at AC or LW.

Dry? 50 acre, plenty of stuff in LW of old and the fun bits like paradise bottom, picnic table.

Wealth of opportunities for the discerning Brissle biker. What’s not to like?

Like others have said yes the new trails maybe don’t have the rooty challenge of old but the quarry was goosed with multiple lines and parts of Leigh woods were going the same way.

Some winters it was a gloop fest for several weeks at a time which meant either not riding offroad or 1:1 cleaning time and the knowledge that really the trail should be left to dry out.

And you know what, the new stuff is fun. Especially at night with a bit of pace and a few friends in convoy!

Yep, bought a £30 garden weed sprayer thing a couple of years ago. Works on a hand pump.

Take it with me when going on a day out the will likely be muddy and no other washing option. Brilliant for getting the worst off / sorting a bike for day 2 of a weekend.

One of the best buys of recent years.

Quite possibly, was going to take a closer look but then got warm and dry and it was peeing it down again!

Did a wet and windy lap of the red yesterday. Was going to ride the black out to the masts and cut over but wind meant that staying amongst the trees was the right move.

Bit cold and grim but 5 minutes in was all forgotten. Big grin all the way round.

Carpark busy, trails quiet, top car park open. Sad to see the hub in it’s current state but the new warm loo and shower were VERY welcome as a place to change at the end. Bike wash with diffused spray is a nice touch. Spooky is ace as always.

Points to the guy with the M5 touring and Thule triple hanging off the back. Questionable choice of aftermarket alloys did somewhat blot his copybook though.

All in all good day. Washed out on the final blue section on way back in, side door exit into a bush. Nice to be kept honest :-)

Will a Clio be acceptable? *gulp*

Thinking of going for a spin round GT tomorrow. Anyone else heading to the Audi fest?

Dialled PA
Ghost AMR 7500

chaps, is all of Brechfa open again defo?

Bought a ghost AMR at the start of the summer.

Absolutely love it, ideal trail bike for just getting out there and riding up and down UK stuff. Pedals well rear suspension works great and the fit 32 on the 7500 is sooooo smooth up front. XT brakes are more than enough too.

Done all sorts on it from hacking about to tour de ben nevis. So far all ive done is had to replace the headset (that did get grindy really early) but apart from that its been a delight. Tis not my only bike so doesn’t get ridden every week but I still grin like a loon everytime I get on it.

Can you tell I like it?

All the kit/bearings barring the headset are holding up really well. Had a seal service done on the forks a couple of weeks ago because of fox paranoia, apparantly they were fine.

2011 good value right now in the sales.

Yerp, Ashton Court followed by beers in the mall. Lovely stuff.

Sad times indeed.

doffs cap.

Wanted a soul, couldn’t afford the £.

Bought a 2nd hand PA frame and sprayed it a pretty colour. Stuck some bling on it with nice stickers. Very happy.

Have done 40km* plus days on it fine. Most at home hacking around local trails

Still want a soul though…

*fear not o forumers I do have a suitably niche rich man’s bike too for longer days. Bouncy bouncy.

have a ghost AMR 7500, bought from the guys at Sunset.

Absolutely love it! If you can stretch you could do worse…

>voting for own bike content<

This is a deal.

2011 Ghost AMR 7500

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/ghost/amr-7500-2011-mountain-bike-ec026446?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle

£2400 to £2k.

And its ace.

Gary, thats totally fair doos…

but this guy was so close to the point of sometimes actually overlapping front wheel along side the back of the rider in front and at other times being a few mm’s away, all without saying a thing.

Not much fun for either rider really.

Had great fun in the pairs!

Tried my very best to be one of the ‘polite’ overtakers and all seemed to go OK. Said and got thanks as went passed. (Also got scalped by a few lycra clad 29ers too!)

I do remember following a guy down beggar bush who was pretty quick but then silent when he came up behind slower people – had to shout for both of us! Surprised that someone who could obviously ride then kept quiet and sat a mm from the person in front’s back tyre. Wierd.

All in all, great day out.

Are there any more photos? The guys at Rightplace have lots of lovely action shots of my team mate but none of me. Ego me up!

yep Mr DNS pulled off a massive move on Friday night by trying to down a bottle of single malt off the bar!

What a day!

That was proper fun and also (for me at least) a real challenge! Really really enjoyed this and defo doing it again.

Had man flu all week so dipped out of the latter carb load session on the friday (i think i met some of you guys by the sounds of it :) )

Got round in 88th which is no too bad, well up for trying to crack 6 hours next year. Got massive cramp on the way round.

How on earth it was done in 3.47 by the guy out front I will never know, massive respect.

Well done the nofuss guys!

Dialled PA @ Brissle Ashton Court :)

whats the route finding like?

Oh no.

I used to ride conti vert pros.

And now.

FS – Nobby Nics 2.25
HT (hard core, natch) – Advantage 2.1

And I have thompson seat post. And pro II hubs. And a second hand Chris King headset.

And I’m in my 30s.

Fark. Does that make me a STW-w*nker?

Been riding the new stuff in AC a lot of late…

my 2p is its great.

Yeah sure its lost the rooty tech of the old layout but it really was the case that trail was getting wider as time went by.

The new stuff is also fun! Did a lap of 50 acre for the first time in ages yesterday and I don’t know if its me but it felt like it was in better nick for not being hammered as much as days gone by. Only saw 1 other person and that was 11am on Sunday.

I really think its great to have so much on the doorstep. When its wet, ride the new stuff in AC and when its open, the new stuff Leigh Woods. When its dry go ride all the old stuff in 50acre and Leigh Woods. Paradise bottom, rim trail*, picnic table etc Win win, non?

Oh and 1 for the turbo geeks… I am now the foursquare mayor of timberland trail. Come and get me! :)

*hee hee i said rim.

so come on then,

you guys who have done this before, what do you know now that you wished you knew this time last year…?

I’m in for this :)

somewhere between excited and bricking it at the moment!

Duno if its best but I love my Ghost Amr…

tell me this is a joke? Stopping at Haymarket – thats not actually what is going to happen now is it?

This is worse than the parliament.

I used to run 2×9 and a bash, found the Blackspire setup much better than E-13. Shifted better and felt like less friction when pedaling.

Good news! Thanks guys :)

I waited to long. (18 months regular use)

Wore the stantions, had to get the top end replaced by mojo and it cost lots!

Depends how often you clean the sponges I think. This is the key to eeking out more life.

Lovely forks but the Fox regular servicing thing is a bit of a PITA!

Another set of pikes here :)

I went to uni there. Had an absolute ball, house parties FTW!

Dialled PA (sufficient gnarr to comment?)

Spds with cages.

yep riding on Sunday in the 6 hour team. Have a feeling a pal who is solo’ing at the same time might beat us ;)