I'm with cynic-al – I run a float on my heckler and it's just dandy for most stuff – I wouldn't say I'm 'rad' either. There were options on the shock when I bought the frame though and I chose the Float over other air and coil options because I was tight on budget, but I'd imagine most manufacturers would give you an option on the shock for an additional cost???

I'm a razer fan too – love em to bits, except when it gets really manky then they're a bit sketchy, but strangely that makes it more fun :twisted:

Ach man I've jist bin on yon Aldi website and i cannae see it ken! Far aboot wis it?

just make the consequences of taking performance enhancing drugs much more severe. Before you compete you sign a disclaimer to say I don;t use performance enhancing drugs and if I do you can –
legally strip me of all titles and wins I've ever had,
ban me for life in competitive cycling,
ban me from attending competitive cycling events,
all sponsorship to be revoked for life,
break my legs,
ok maybe the last one's a bit extreme :twisted:

I had some speccy enduros which I thougth were on the weighty side – I might be wrong. I think rolling resistance trumps weight, so better to have a lighter wheelset IMO.

I'm 16 stone and ride pretty much the same stuff as you – I run hope pro xc hubs on Mavic x719 rims, and they're usually shod with Conti Vert Pros. They're also 5 years old and still going strong – although I'm looking to get a new set next year.

After every ride just good lube where needed.

Then when it really needs it, it gets hosed down, wheels off, everything washed with hot soapy water and a sponge and brush, wheels back on, drivetrain degreased and cleaned up, everything dried off, grease up seatpost and pedal threads etc, then everything properly lubed up with finish line ceramic lube which has proved to be quite good so far and GT85.

Just what I do of course – i used to use carplan triplewax but have loads of AutoGlym car shampoo so using that now and its pretty bloomin good :D

Jason that is exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for, cheers

Thanks for the tip for the book cookeaa! I'll be getting them some baby clothes anyway – saw some nice stuff in M&Ps and next.

the last defence if you have enough space to carry is a dozen cans of Lynx and a few lighters – flame throwers do the trick and you can watch their charred little bodies float silently to the ground in a sort of black snow :twisted:

They will smell you out, track you down and bite you heaps if they get a chance. I take both ASSS and Jungle Formula. Use the JF for when I'm riding it's in a wee can that ways nowt but the smell!!! Once youre off the bike, showered/cleaned up and sitting having a pint its ASSS all the way!

If you find you're getting eaten alive – apparently marmite is good although I've yet to find out if you eat it or spread it on yourself – personally I'd rather cover myself in cheese and lie naked in a cloud of female midge than go near that rot!

Great tips all, many thanks – can;t wait to get going now!!!

Monk – Great idea on the merino socks! Will pop out and get them today :o) sorry to hear of your wet feet travails!

From Ardnamurchan would have been great but I don't thave enough holidays left for that :o( boooo My mate whyter's done the same trip but I think he started at the far end of Skye not sure where though. Totally excited about it now…

Just a question how have people got from Braemar/ballater to Aberdeen? Am I missing a trick by looking to the old railway line?

Cheers
D

I'll sort out pics of the trip and post em up when I'm back! :mrgreen:

hmmm hope the weather gets better for Fort Augustus – metguess says minus figures for the whole week before!!! Eeek

bump

Hmmmm lets hope the sun continues for a while before then! I'll take my waterproof socks in case! No way of predicting so I'll hope for the best and prepare for the worst.

Cheers!

I'm hoping for nice weather but prepared for everything weatherwise with the exception of -16C

Sounds like a plan, I'd need to stop off for water at various points anyway.

Route is train to Fort William, great glen to fort augustus, corrieyairack pass, laggan, newtonmore, feshiebridge, glenmore lodge, ryvoan bothy, glen brown, tomintoul, south through a glen I can't remember the name of to Gairnsheil Lodge, Ballater, Dinnet, Aboyne, Banchory, Aberdeen to the beech. The latter bit from ballater to the beech is a bit ropey at the moment but I reckon I could get onto the old railway line for the majority of it – I'll be wrecked by then anyway so a flattish route to the beech will be welcome!

Should be cracking four days :o)

Offroad for me! I had wandered about a frame bag or something like carradice but they're pretty expensive too :o

Will check out OMM though – Could always ebay a few things ot get the extra cash :D

Cool lots to look at folks! Many thanks
Let the testing and buying commence!!! :D

Yep I'll give the TT a miss though Junkyard LOL :evil:

Thanks Finchie, yep I've been there and watched as road riding MTBers flew past me on climbs – it's very upsetting. I'll check out the Trek this week…

I haven't really looked at Boardman bikes, but will check em out thanks Grim!

Cheers Marco I'll check out the Giant this week too!

Ta Dan

Booo I'm rubbish –

Week 1 – 101.7 kgs
Week 2 – 99.6 kgs
Week 3 – 96.7 kgs
Week 4 – 99.9 kgs – WTF!!!!

Keith those pics are brill! Well done and thanks it's good to see all the other bits of the course again!

Road will be fine tomorrow – just keep positive and singing this –

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

Keep movin', movin', movin',
Though they're disapprovin',
Keep them doggies movin' Rawhide!
Don't try to understand 'em,
Just rope and throw and grab 'em,
Soon we'll be living high and wide.
Boy my heart's calculatin'
My true love will be waitin', be waiting at the end of my ride.

Move 'em on, head 'em up,
Head 'em up, move 'em out,
Move 'em on, head 'em out Rawhide!
Set 'em out, ride 'em in
Ride 'em in, let 'em out,
Cut 'em out, ride 'em in Rawhide.

Rollin', rollin', rollin'
Though the streams are swollen
Keep them dogies rollin'
Rawhide!
Rain and wind and weather
Hell-bent for leather
Wishin' my gal was by my side.
All the things I'm missin',
Good vittles, love, and kissin',
Are waiting at the end of my ride

sorted it's the power of positive mental attitude!

It's no problem – A9 will be clear for travelling north on Friday.

By the power of greyskull – WE HAVE THE POWER! Shovels!

will try and post a piccie after I'm done mine – 2x conti vert pro with 200 12mm screws! Wife going out shopping so perfect opportunity! :twisted:

yippee! now I can even more excited – spose I should think about making ice tyres now :!:

The second weigh in is today. you need only send in your username followed by your weight (today) in kg in the subject line of the email. sent to fatclub@18bikesDOTcoDOTuk

You better check with Si at 18 bikes if you haven't emailed prior to his post earlier in this thread (page 6 half way down) as he's kindly putting this all together for everyone.

it's just name and weight.

It was me who said it would be interesting to find out the average height and weight of an average MTB rider. But we can do this at the end once we're all a bit more svelt :D

Weigh in today guys and gals!

Boxes of roses and pizzas and curries – no wander you're all in the fat club!

Thanks all!

Cullen much appreciated, I'll set em at 35 and see how I go and adjust for puffer next week :mrgreen:

Cheers
Dan

Seriously LOL I've been riding with pressures around 45-55 for years and never had a problem, but I'll try those lower pressures now! :lol:

Feel like a real dafty now!!! Although it does say on the tyres inflate to 40-60 psi?

Try SMOOCH wedding rings. They come round to your house with about 400 different rings, you can have each ring in either gold, white gold, platinum and can add diamonds etc too.

So you pretty much design it yourself.

Mine is Palladium (same properties as platinum without the name), wifes is platinum with 7 little diamonds. All in £600 and we didn't have to step out of the house – oh and we had a bottle of wine at the same time which was cool.

Check out their site smoochrings.co.uk

how about everyone who takes part brings a 25kg bag of sand – that's 400 bags = 10tonnes of sand = nae ice on fire road access? I've got three in the garden, its a start!

would be interesting to find out from the hundred or so people in the club what the average rider height and weight are when we're all finished

LOL just looked at metguess just now and it shows minus 16C for early hours of Sunday morning – nice!

Pack your goose fat peeps!

yo paul,

you forgot the puffer which makes for 11 this year!

REalistically for me it will be –
Strathpuffer
10 under, or 10 at, or 10 more
Selkirk (I'll do the 75 with ya)
Relentless24

If I can do more then defo, but it's these I'm aiming for.

Got quite a few munros in mind this year so could do a few of them too to take it up to the magic ten mark – if you fancy tagging along since you'll need walking legs for nevis anyway

Dan

18Bikes – please can I join tooo? I'll email over my username and weight to your email addy shortly.

In the mean time for all to see :o(

6foot 4inches
101.7kgs
42.5inches around my spare tyre

Dan

XAN – it's going to be immense don't worry

As long as we've got the marquee, space heater, tent, boarding garb it'll be toastie! You want to try CV on Sunday 3rd?

GO SEXFACTOR (the rejects)!!!

Oh aye and I've just about sorted the banner – nae hoodies this year though – due to the recession an all.

yep Bolles for me too – mine have a slight light enhancing coating too – screwfix for about £6 – £7

Perhaps we should all try and get banned for this weekend – maybe if we all bombard the swear filter it will become clogged and need someone like DynoRod to unblock said filter?

Just a thought of course – I don;t actually expect people to do it – or will they?