A great event yet again.

Thanks to all the folks who organised, participated, held up banners, taped the course, blew into pipes, banged drums, shook noisy things and offered words of encouragement.

The Field of Despair on the last lap almost broke me too.

Roll on 2014!

Nothing to hate that I can see, that’s a lovely looking push bike.

I considered a Vaya and a Fargo but settled on a Gryphon, coincidentally also from Tim at Sideways Cycles.

I have a Gryphon with Flow EX rims, 2.2 Schwalbe Rapid Robs pumped up to about 60psi (=massive and fast rolling), BB7 road, 1×10 and On One Midge bars.

It gets used for riding to work (30% rough path and the rest road) and riding off-road at weekends too.

It’s very, very comfy on road and path, allegedly a bit more supple than a Fargo (its closest ‘rival’) so probably not as assured when carrying the kind of payload that the Fargo was designed for. The Gryphon’s more of an MTB than an adventure bike but it will no doubt be good enough for an occasional loaded-up tour. I plan to test that theory this year.

It’s ace off-road.

Would you be better off with some fat slicks (Big Apples?) on MTB rims rather than 32mm CX tyres, especially if high speed’s not your goal? I have nothing against a bit of tyre-drag when offset with comfort on-road and more grip off road; having said that big slicks or hi-volume, small-knobbled CX style tyres at higher pressures don’t seem to drag much anyway.

If the chainkeeper that’s on its way to me works OK I’ll be on my Singular Gryphon, else Solaris.

John Hegley – Very Bad Dog

I took Rover over to the park the other day
I met another bloke with another dog on the way
his dog was an alsation
my dog was not
he said is that dog an alsation
I said no
and he said why don’t you get a proper dog?
and I said Rover
ignore this copper
and I pick up a stick
and I hold it over Rover
and say Rover jump out of the clover
and get stuck into the stick
and Rover jumps out of the clover
and bites me in the arm
ALARM ALARM
my dog my dog why hast thou mistaken me?
I am not calm
my dog has done me harm
in my arm
I show him the toothmarks
see Rover where the skin is mauver
Rover sees these nasty marks
he barks
and he begs
for forgiveness
yet I know I must break his legs

LOL at bwaarp

Thanks for sharing your day’s episode Sharki, I’m sure that all those who read it will take something positive from it.

That looks gash!

Bought it, listened thrice, like it v.much.

For those familiar with mbv it’s nothing ‘new’ but the sound is different to some of what’s gone before …better production I’d say.

Would recommend.

Off to see them next month. Last time I saw them (ATP Minehead) the sound was ruddy awful.

Sleeping States – Gardens of the south

Frustrating that he hasn’t made much more music as he has one of the nicest voices I’ve heard and the album’s great.

Yep, I bought an Ergoflex in this month’s sale @ £400 + deliv.

I’ve slept on Tempur before and the Ergoflex feels as good but for 25%!! of the price.

They delivered very quickly too.

The mattress comes vacuum packed, rolled up and in a box.

Would recommend.

Joanna Newsom
Aidan Moffat & Malcolm Middleton aka Arab Strap
Bill Callahan
Howe Gelb with or without Giant Sand
Ryan Adams
Stephen Malkmus
Sufjan Stevens
Will Oldham

I just measured my XL Sultan with 50mm stem, it’s 670mm from centre of handlebars to centre of seatpost.

I’m 6’2″ with 32-33″ inside leg and ride an XL Sultan with a flat 50mm stem.

Very comfortable for me and a really lovely bike to ride.

I have 29 Flow EX with Rapid Rob 2.2 folders and they were very, very, very tight going on.

I don’t know if that’s typical of Schwalbe tyres on Stans rims.

North West Mountain Bike Centre usually have a spring demo day at Roman Lakes, Marple.

That’s where I first rode a 29er, in fact I rode 3 (Orange, Santa Cruz, Specialized) back to back.

Give them a call.

Aldeburgh, Suffolk. I hear it’s nice there but a long way from most other places.

I’ve got some Stans Flow (not EX) on Hope Pro III SP-AM4 and they’re pretty light AM wheels.

They’re for sale if you’re interested. In very, very good condition, totally straight, correctly tensioned, de-stickered, Stans yellow tape fitted and complete with 203F & 180R Hope rotors. Front is 20mm, rear is 10mm DT Swiss RWS.

Email in profile if you want to discuss.

I’d say a Solaris is plenty slack enough with 120mm forks.

I ride my Solaris mainly in the Peak and it has been fandabidozee and feels much more stable than the geo might suggest; perhaps the effect of a steel frame, 29″ wheels and 120 Marz forks combined?

If you want to try mine out I’d be willing to accompany you to let you ride it. It’s a large with dropper post, 50mm stem and wide bars so if you’re 5’10” to 6’3″ it’ll be comfy enough for an hour or two. I’m 6’2″ so almost need an XL.

Mail in profile.

The forecast is poor for today up until 3pm, tomorrow looks better.

Not a Lev but I have had a KS950 for the last year or so, bought 2nd hand but like new, and it has been no bother at all, totally reliable and was good as new internally when I took it apart today for the first time. A wipe and a quick application of new grease and it’s back on the bike and runs as smooth as can be.

I suspect the Lev will be as good.

You’ve obviously got a deep love and respect for your subjects.

What a wonderful thread …fantastic!

Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel.

I’m half way through and it is excellent, a brilliant account of a very crucial period of our history. I was in doubt that I would enjoy it but she is an exceptional writer.

I will be reading the sequel.

I believe, or am told, that it’s not an umlaut in this application, it’s a dieresis.

Makes the e into a diphthong so sounds longer and more like an e than an eh. As in the pronunciation of Zoe, as opposed to toe.

Brrrr, a stiff and chilly northerly and wet feet do not go well together.

Great ride, and thanks to D0NK and Junkyard for organising / leading.

Hope to see some of you at Macc forest next weekend.

Ooo, that looks nasty.

I don’t think that my suggestion of an Ilizarov would necessarily have done the trick, it looks pretty complicated down there.

I had a fracture blister on my leg just above the ankle but I was lucky as it didn’t pop, it simply dried up and withered away after a couple of months. It’s weird as it seemed to me at the time that the thing the doctors knew least about was the cause of fracture blisters.

I know you know this but keep everything as clean as you can, I used chlorhexidine twice a day to clean the places where the wires entered my leg etc. Bone infection is something that you really do not want!

Best of luck, get well soon.

I had an interesting week there some years ago.

One day we had a walk along to Carsaig arches. It was blistering hot, we saw deer, I stood on a snake, we happened across a beautiful woman stripped to the waist collecting cockles/whelks whatever on the shoreline after the tide had gone out, had some of the best fish and chips ever from the van on the quayside at Tobermory and in the evening went to the pub and watched Engerland playing wendyball and half the cast of Balamory turned up.

Can it only be mended using a cast?

I had a comminuted fracture of the distal tibia (just above the ankle) in 2000. I was 80% of the way to amputation of my left foot but a brilliant surgeon fitted an Ilizarov device and 6 months later I was back to walking about and 12 years on I am ‘normal’ and have no metalwork in my leg.

Basically the device is used to stabilise the fracture site by means of wires that are drilled through the bones, skewering the biggest bits if it’s smashed, and then tensioned and clamped either side to carbon fibre rings that go round your leg and are held apart using threaded bar.

You follow a program whereby you begin to weight-bear on crutches and gradually put more weight through your leg, which promotes the fracture site to become sticky and the bones begin to knit, until the point where you’re walking around and ready to have it removed.

See here for more info.

Best wishes & get well soon …stay +ve.

Oh my, that looks lovely, speshly in the raw with the weld discolouration.

And that headtube badge … 🙂

There is a good deal of choice now in the steel hardtail 29er category. And they all have individuality, which is nice even if choice becomes more difficult!

As suspected it probably “depends” even if there is a standard …thanks very much for all the replies, it’s helped me make my decision.

Think I’ll get me some wheels from Merlin.

Cheers.

I haven’t tried these but the Specialized Purgatory look suitable, have generally reviewed well and at £54 for a pair of tubeless tyres are pretty good value.

Think I’ll be putting these on my yet to be built Turner Sultan once I’ve taken the plunge and bought a pair of wheels.

Dunno, I’m not familiar enough with the trail naming conventions. 😀

Glad that the new bits have survived the deluge

They’ve rebuilt alot of the road bits that got washed away, ie the bit round by the large white metal gate …it’s totally new. Lots of the rest of it has a fresh topping too.

Sorry, I should add that the trails aren’t open yet, there’s still some work to be done here and there and they’re not signposted.

I thought we agreed that we wouldn’t tell anybody else? 😀

Two new fun loops of about 1 mile each that can be ridden as a figure 8.

Combined with the trails in Waterdale park it makes a really great addition to local riding …a mini trail centre in central Manchester. Who’d have thunk it!

I should be there too. I’m rarely late, so if I’m not there at 8:15 I ain’t coming.

It’s a totally non-committed maybe from me Harry as it depends on whether (a) my neck is still blummin killing me after a day sat at my desk and a ride home and (b) I might go to a Pilates class instead – see (a).

If I’m coming I’ll post again when I get home, otherwise don’t detour.

Cheers,
Iain (blue Cotic Solaris)

Apols for the hijack but I have a lovely Nicolai Helius AM that I am selling, but it’s not advertised yet.

Apart from its brilliant climbing and descending ability, and its lovely, bombproof feel and build quality, it has adjustable rear travel ranging from 170 down to about 140 so you’ve got at least 2 bikes in 1!

Mine is a size L (height range 5’10” to 6’3″ I’d say …I’m 6’2″) with tapered headtube, is a 2010 model and has just been completely re-bushed so will feel like a new bike. It’s not been ridden since the re-bush.

It comes with an RP23 and Hope headset and I have a fork and wheel option too if you’re interested.

Mail in profile if you want to get in touch. It will be priced it to sell.

Fab piece of climbing documentary and historical record.

I’m going to watch that now, cheers.

Yep, that’s what I’ve built mine with.

Nice forks, I think mine might need a service soon.

I find them very good in actual use. Don’t be alarmed if you sense that they are fluttering a bit under braking etc, I guess their length works against them but they feel plush and stiff enough. The first part of the travel on mine is a bit ‘sticky’ when doing a carpark test. I think a service might help with that. 7/10