Errrrr. Pike & Fox 32 all sub £1000 RRP.

The one I had a feel at felt better than a SID for a very marginal weight difference but it’s going to be preference. Not sure about OEM giveaways not hearing of any deals and only seen 4 in the flesh (3 on Pro’s one a former world champ)

Cube seem to have the best accountant in the business it’s the classic look here skip the rest bit of marketing

£1400 RRP fork on a bike retailing for £2000 and you don’t think the OEM price is peanuts?
Weight difference is pretty big, 300-400g over a lightweight SID or Fox 32 100mm.

SRAM will make sure that every team they sponsor uses the fork for obvious reasons and it will be on all the top end bikes. Great bit of marketing.

Had our hands on one?

Yeh. Feels great at first, very supple.
BUT.
Its heavy for a XC racing fork. It lacks stiffness despite what RS say and the real killer for me is what happens when you have to remove the wheel, to fix a puncture or maybe when travelling. Probably why its always shown with the hub in place on promo shots.

It’s a big marketing success, but no way would I ever use one. SRAM are probably selling it very, very cheaply OEM to bike manufactures to try and increase the appeal.

Depends if you think the RS1 is a good fork or not.

Cadair Idris worth adding. 820m elevation difference.
https://www.strava.com/segments/2105083

Well what is the best for £50, or something close.
It is a last, final deterrent and not for a push bike.

Mach 429SL isn’t a replacement for the Mach 6.

One is a XC 100mm travel 29er, the other is a 150mm 650b enduro/AM bike.

Just seen the “Big Dog” with 4000m of “pluck a figure from thin air” climbing.

Yet another sportive using inaccurate software and publishing climbing figures.
I’d put lots of money on that route being way less than 3200m.

Bwlch y Groes is tough, no doubt about that but has very little else to it & I don’t fancy riding on the A470.

I’ve got a Gelert Solo and for £30 its amazing.
Its in one of the pictures near the start. Around 1.3kg I think. Pegs can be changed to drop the weight further if needed. It’s not bulky and easily fits between the hoods on a road bike.

I think it was always designed as a one-off, with plans if it was successful to hold a World Championship there in the near future.

It’s an anti-tardis. Looks big outside, but is tiny inside. Especially the boot.

Yak Attack has never been won by an overseas rider and probably never will be. I don’t like even Nino Shurter could beat little Ajay! It isn’t just the altitude, its avoiding getting sick, which is very hard.

Not seen it yet, so don’t spoil it for me :)

Last 30 places.

benw – is that Mark Fenner?

You are close to Wingello as well – nice trails there. Some of it is waymarked, but not in the same way that British trails are. On the coast, Nowra is nice and has some riding.

Canberra is a mix of manmade (like Stromlo) and more natural stuff like Majura and Bruce ridge.

Filling up fast. Less than 100 places left now.

Canberra has lots of really great riding, one of the best places in the World IMO.

No mooman. First entry came in within 1 minute.
That is going through the entry form and paypal. Fast fingers.

If I’m not number 001 then I don’t have the fastest fingers out there. Mind, remembering my paypal password took a while…….

Unfortunately you were not the first!

Entry now open ;)

http://www.battleonthebeach.co.uk/

I like the sound of the epic cymru but what sort of bike is suitable for this type of event, 100mm full sus ok?, I’m a bit worried when i read ‘timed downhill sections’ and ‘bike park wales’.

100mm full sus is fine.
BPW sections are on red runs – which you can ride on a hardtail, but I would say much faster on a full suspension.

There are timed uphill and XC sections as well, not just the timed downhill.

Elan Valley.

Matt.
WTF do you know about sitting outside the pub?

Very true! ;)
It’s also good for stop/start group rides.

I have a GORE insulated gilet that is perfect for things like that.
They don’t make it any more, but any other slim, insulated vest would be fine. Synthetic best if there is a chance it will get wet.

Not the route I would choose, but its something like this I think:

Squirt here, works a treat. I doesn’t pick up any sand and keeps the chain clean.
Works well in wet/winter too.

178km done. Pretty windy out there, but nicer weather than last year if I remember right.

£26, including camping & the park fee.

Charge Bikes did a nice little video last year, which gives some idea:

You never know… there might be a tailwind ;)

Last year we had record rainfalls and floods. In an average year, then it isn’t like that… plus it was only knee deep unless you are a hobbit! :)

Most of their test bikes will be 27.5 or 29, so it makes sense to test those sizes.
Any new tyre for 26 will also be made for 27.5.

Have a look at IronMan triathlons and you start to realise that MTB events are actually very reasonable.

Bizarre. I was loading routes in via GPX – but it wasn’t working.
If I loaded with the “show elevation” already showing then it was loading.

We have the bog standard seats and I find them super comfortable.
We drove to Italy and back in a weekend, ~2000 miles. Most comfortable seats I’ve had in a car, but not as supportive as previous Recaros – but that is given.

We have the hatch. Great car.
1.6 diesel gets 65+ MPG all sorts of roads. Magic seats are ace.
Drives well, a bit vague in the steering feel, but its not a sports car at the end of the day.

Looked at the tourer, but it was new at the time and deals were non-existent.

FTP can never be linked to HR.
FTP – Functional Threshold Power.

You can not have a “FTP HR”.

If you train by power, then HR can still be useful – but it becomes a secondary figure, usually used to check for things like over training or changes in fitness over a long period.

Anything over 4 w/kg I’d say would be someone pretty fit.
Over 5 w/kg you can start mixing it with Elite racers and over 6 w/kg you will be looking at international level riders.

FTP is just a number and doesn’t really mean too much. When you start training by power and have a curve, from CP5 (5 minute power) to CP120 (2 hour power) or even CP180 (3 hour) thats when you can see your strengths & weaknesses.

Your (anyones) FTP will hit a ceiling and for many people its impossible to get above it, without very focused training.

Snow studs are good to catch a slip, generally stop you falling – but traction on 100% ice is iffy. You have to run very low pressures. Perfect for commuting as they should prevent crashes on black ice.

Ice Spiker pros are amazing. They grip on everything…
They work fine on roads – but they do make a bit of a noise.

Actually very jealous of you living in Canberra. Such a great place to live.
Quite possibly the best place in the World to be a XC mountain biker – except for all the snakes!

If you are near Fyshwick, the guys in Pushys are ace. Shane the owner is a top guy.