Since moving to Rotorua from the UK 4 years ago, I’ve never made it to Crankworx… 😂 What am I missing? Is it actually worth going to? Stuggling to feel all that motivated TBH 😂

FWIW, I went to Red Bull Hardline a while back and it was like… ohh.. kay.. I suppose. Walk up the hill, see riders, walk down the hill, see some more riders. Get back in the car. Drive home.

Does it help to be drunk and with a load of mates rattling cow bells? With me not having any friends into MTB*, and not drinking anymore, that is maybe problem also.
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* Actually, don’t have any friends at all TBH anymore, but that’s a bit off-topic – might just be a mid-fourties thing 😂

I’m trying to get to 4 MW/g 🐜

I really love Shimano model names, they are so memorable and intuitive. For example, I just can’t wait to get hold of an RD-U8020.

I have a 2019 T-Series Lunch Ride, equipped with 170mm forks that I had travel reduced to 160mm. I’m 5′ 10.5″, with long lengs and I ride a size Large, which is perfect from me.

Coming from a 26″ 2012 Yeti ASR 5c and 26″ 2013 Orange Five, I immediately found the SB5c to be like another world. It is superlatively confident and fast on the sorts of typical rapid flowy rolling descents we have here in Rotorus, NZ. Great on technical, rocky or droppy sections too.

I found the front end to be a bit high compared to what I was previously used to – I ride the stem slammed against the headset, whereas my older 26″ bikes have multiple spacers. Maybe that’s just the way newer bikes are supposed to be now? It’s definitely a bike that you feel you are riding ‘in’ rather than ‘on’, which again I suspect is just how modern bikes are supposed to be now, with long, low, slack geometry that has become popular over the last 10 years. Again, I think this SB5 geometry just builds confidence, but does give a different feel to my older bikes (I still ride), which by contrast feel a bit more lively and flickable than the SB5c (but slightly less confidence-inspiring!).

In terms of reliability, I had the infinity link unit come slightly loose from the frame within about a month from new. Once tightened up by my LBS, no problems since. The Reverb dropper has shat its pants twice, but a quick service at the LBS has sorted that both times. The press-fit BB went through a few episodes of creaking every 6 months or so, which I got the LBS to sort – apparently it is a problem with dust getting into the BB frame interface, which had to be cleaned off. Strangely, though, this hasn’t been a problem again for a long while. Servicing the infinity link with new grease is pretty straightforward and easy, every 20-40 hours riding time.

One thing I will say though, is that my SB5 has never seen mud! The trails are dusty dry here even in winter, so it’s not hard here keeping the bike only riding in the probably Colorado-esque conditions that it was likely originally designed for. I’m not sure I would trust the inifinity link unit being ground into the dirt through a winter of UK gloop. (I’d use other bikes for that, and save the SB5c for nice weather, if it were me).

11 bikes

– Yeti SB5c (2019)

– Orange 5 (2013)

– Yeti ASR 5C (2012)

– Ibis Mojo (2012)

– Ibis Tranny (2011)

– Giant Trance Advanced (2007)

– Giant MSM Team (1996)

– Cannondale Hooligan (2016)

– Kona Jake the Snake CR (2016)

– Kona Major Jake (2007)

– Cannnondale MTB Tandem (1996)

They all get regularly ridden too…

L

I used to do it regularly all the time. It was easy, piece of cake, etc.

Then, after doing a lower service my Fox FIT bladder burst because I did something wrong, I stopped servicing my own forks at that point. I think I was told I’d forgotten to purge the air or something. There’s too much that can go wrong with modern forks. I just leave it to the pros now.

The mould issue is all the more pressing now the Welsh Government have put through healthy homes legislation for Wales landlords. I suspect what has been done by the letting agent’s builder is only a temporary fix for this.

I wish I had some clue as to what ‘insulation is bridging from the back of the tiles/felt to the ceiling” actually ment though. I thought bridges were only something you ever drove cars over 😂

Isn’t my roof likely to have plenty of air gaps? Couldn’t more of these be simply added with an electric drill if necessry? 😂

(I’m guessing not!)

@davespike1981 an Aber ride meet up would have been possible 10 years ago. I live in NZ now, close to some pretty amazing trails though. I’ll DM you for a list of builders in the area (I haven’t the foggiest – from this side of the world – who is recommended in Aber).

Cheers all..!

@Ambrose cheers buddy. The house is in Aberystwyth, so not a milion miles away (as the crow flies!) from Aberdyfi. Would appreciate some advice from your friend. Probs best to DM me on here, I guess.

Sounds, anyway, like I should get a second opinion.

Cheers all..

RAW is for when you want to have all the flexibility possible to implement your complete photographic ‘vision’ with the image you take with a camera (phone). It gives you maximum capability to use post-processing software of some form to recover shadows, sharpen, saturate, shift black-point etc. whatever you like. Without it, you are somewhat limited to the decisions the native JPEG processing alogorithm on your camera (phone) bakes-in to the redered image you see on your phone. Luckily, most phones (particularly now) are spectacularly good at having very well-enhanced JPEG image processing that will bring the best out of your images without any photographic post-processing needed. RAW phone images are really for keen amature-enthusiast or pro photographers, who are looking to have the most flexibility to get an exact look they want with the images they take. RAW also takes up a great deal more storage capacity.

The difference in megapixel count you mention, though, is fairly significant. Perhaps you could try turning RAW on for very special images – and learn the post-processing skills, or use some downloadable presets? This said, the real-world difference in image quality between 12 MP and 50 MP on the absolutely tiny sensor on that phone cameras have is likely to be surprisingly small.

@thepodge axle to crown is 365mm on the Hooligan.

@thepodge sure… will do after work, laters.

I haven’t time to read all of this thread, but at 45, after competing at national-level cross country running when I was a junior, then getting properly back into running, cycling and swimming seriously again when I was nearly 30, and spending the past 16 years doing between 6-20 hours exercise a week often at a very high intensity, I developed an episode of attrial fibrulation 6 months ago while swimming. It’s probably due to genetic factors, combined with (long-treated) essential hypertension, but also the level and intensity of exercise I’ve been doing, oh and age of course :lol:

Being admitted urgently into the Emergency Department and ‘shocked’ back into normal heart rythmn was frankly an absolutley terifying experience and definitely not something I wish to repeat again.

As a result, I’ve now cut everything down a great deal, reduced my exercise intensity down to mostly aerobic ‘zone 3’ using a heart rate monitor, and as a result am finding I’m actually less stressed about exercise and actually enjoying it more.

I had to do something similar to this on my 1.5″ steerer Cannondale Hooligan city bike a few years back. I used a steerer extender kit similar to this, plus some custom-bodged aluminium shims and Chemical Metal.

I’ve jumped off kerbs with it. It’s been absolutely bomber for the past 5 years.

Not so sure this is relevant to this thread, but when I bought my first house and was paying the mortgage on my own in Aberystyth 10 years ago, I never once put the heating on. The house got as low as 6c inside in winter at one point. Sleeping with a hat and gloves on. I saved money on heating and electricy bills (to spend on bikes), but it was absolutely f’ing miserable. I still have the bikes though.

One whole day trekking through rice fields, two whole days in rhododendron forests where you can’t see anything but the nearest tree. Day or so of scree and then finally you might get a decent view

… sounds like precisely how I would describe the ABC trek! AC was a world of difference.

Thanks again for all the advice.

I had an amazing time in Nepal and the trekking experience was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I settled for my original plan in the end – walking the Annapurna Circuit. The Circuit was a real adventure, particularly as the monsoon rains hadn’t shut off by the time I started, so the first 3 days were precipitous landslides and mud. Eventually, however, the weather cleared and the mountians began to reveal themselves. The Annapurna range is jaw-dropping in scale and rawness. Heading up over the climax – the 17,770 ft Thorong La Pass – at 5am with a headtorch will stay with me for the rest of my life, at times unexpectedy overcome with emotion and welling up at the thought of how much my late dad would have wanted to have expereinced this.

I followed up the AC with Annapurna Base Camp, somehow managing to tick that off in 2 1/2 days, having become well-adapted to the altitude by this stage. ABC had a completely different feel to it from AC. The tea houses seemed much less hospitable and commercialised, the experience felt less genuine and less of an adventure, the valley gloomy and steep, but maybe I was just in the wrong headspace comparing it to AC. I also wouldn’t recommend walking ABC in 2 1/2 days! I was pushed for time so had to do it quickly, but it was a pretty brutal packmarch for 8 hours a day. I got very sick straight afterwards.

My one piece of advice (something I hope to take on board next time – and I must revisit Nepal aagain!), is to take things a bit slower, relax and enjoy things. The AC was over almost too quickly, becasue I was so focussed on where I had to get to, rather than appreciating where I was. A lesson for life there, I think also.

Thanks all… some useful pointers here! I will give this some further thought. Cheers!

Thanks for the tip @el_boufador with the ‘Haywire Heart’ book. That really looks like a must read! 👍

The Haywire Heart: How too much exercise can kill you, and what you can do to protect your heart

I’ll have to see what this book says, but for the moment, I’ll stick to consensus advice I’m seeing on various heart health websites – which for my age – seems to suggest I shouldn’t exceed 149 bpm (85% of maximum).

I’ve bought a HRM for the first time – and am trying to figure out how the bloody thing works! It will be good because I’ve only ever trained by feel up to now – and the ‘feel’ I have tended to go for more often than not for is ‘completely smash myself to pieces’, which is often probably far in excess of 149 bpm!

It looks like the cardiologist appointment will be a long wait here, so even if I could get to Papworth from NZ, it will be a while before I can get an expert opinion.

Nevertheless, my GP told me today that I ‘shouldn’t stop exercising’, so I’ll just have take things cautiously – with the HRM as my guide.

Thanks all!

So it sounds like it’s bad news, that could turn out to be not so bad maybe, or possibly get worse long-term. It really helps to hear other similar A&E experiences, glad I’m not alone here in feeling scared shitless. Taking it easy will have to be my plan for now until I see a specialist. Trouble is, I’m so bloody competitive (with myself mainly!). But walks with my camera it is for now then.

Fingers crossed!

Pork scratchings. Seriously amazing pick-me-up on really long rides. Salty, fatty, protien-y goodness. Mmmmmm.. The smallest Mr Scratchy snack bag is a perfect size for a jersey pocket too.

Thank you again all. I have really valued the honesty in this conversation, which at the very least, has given me an impression of what parenthood could be like – both the good stuff and the tough parts.

I may have to step back from this for a while now. We are going down a counselling route shortly.

Some of the comments have really made me laugh – ‘you put food in one end and wipe the other – and you’ll be alright’ – ‘If you don’t drown it – then the bath is considered a success’ 😂

Even the apparently ‘insensitive’ comments in this thread have been very much appreciated. I’ve found these insightful – and I’m tough enough to take it.

Although, I too did cry in the cinema watching ‘Up’.

Thanks again all. Some really useful insights and debates here. I haven’t had time to read through all this, but I will later today.

Reading through the first two pages of comments yesterday, opened my eyes to some of the more profound positives that could come. So I feel more-or-less 50/50 about where we are at.

I thought maybe it would be useful if I share this thread with my GF. Interestingly, the comments she read just seemed to confirm her worst fears, that the lack of money, lack of time, lack of sleep, will become everything in our life. That ‘you will somehow cope / adapt’ etc, is just not good enough for what she wants out of life. (And perhaps it isn’t enough for me either?). She is concerned with actually ‘thriving’ as a person in life rather than just ‘coping’. She’s beginning to freak out about the initial subtle bodily changes already taking place – just a few weeks in. Today she seems almost completely convinced that a termination is the right way out of this. It’s strange, because she was really the one instigating all this in the first place (albeit perhaps without thinking things through fully).

I will totally respect whichever decision she makes and will stand by her with it.

One of the comments I read yesterday really stood out to me. Someone said ‘you are both overthinking this’. It seems that there really are few rational reasons to have a child, and there are a million very, very rational reasons to not have one. So perhaps we are overthinking this? But does any one ever have a child and regret it? Maybe they do?

(On the flip-side, I know that my mother desperately regrets a termination she was – most probably – coerced into by my father many years ago)

I agree also that we both need to seek professional counselling help and I’m looking into this. It seems our situation is really unusual though. Here Down Under, There are plenty of web pages offering support for unplanned pregnancy counselling, pre-abortion counselling, post-abortion counselling, etc. but very few for stable-committed-couple-with-a-planned-pregnancy-that-you-maybe-suddenly-want-to-get-out-of, counselling. I’m not sure I even know who to call or how to start that call on the telephone. “Hello, erm… yes, I’d like some help..”

Wow. Thank you all so much for all your replies. Even TJ’s viewpoint is appreciated. It’s useful to hear such a spectrum of views, experiences and feelings on this. It’s also very reassuring to understand that I/we are not the first or alone in feeling like this.

I have been deeply moved by some of the replies here – thank you.

Anyone?

Soooo…. Orange Five was the choice ^thanks to kiwicraig^ and what a great Rotorua choice that was. The trails here are utterly superb. It’s the first time I’ve actually enjoyed mountain biking in years! Riding in shorts and sunnies a couple of weeks off the shortest day… sweet!

Sweet.. Thanks guys! Good tips.

Excellent responses guys! Yep ^ them’s the ones…

Altrincham Bike Shak, eh.. Hmmmmm.. I’ll have to look them up.. :)

I’m gonna be in Oxfordshire until Saturday at the least..

Okay… thanks guys. Some sage words that pretty much confirmed my own sense of sensibleness. On the wall it goes then… :(

But hey, at least I get to keep all of my teeth, etc. :)

BTW – that Fibrefix ad is hilarious!!

Hey Guys… just thought I’d update after several months of radio silence. :-)

There’s been no happy ending to this unfortunately. I have pretty much accepted that the bike is long gone. Anyhoo..

Thanks to the overwhelmingly kind support of you folks – and my persistent searching for replacement stuff over the last 8 months – I have pretty well managed to replace most of my bike kit and clothes now.

Somewhat understandably, I’ve been a little reluctant since to visit trail centres and leave my car parked in far-flung places unattended for hours, so the mountain biking this summer has taken a bit of a hit, but local rides on the road bike have taken its place.

After several years floating about on this forum, somewhat incognito (so I thought!), the sudden attention attracted by this thread, combined with the fairly stressful experience of having my car broken into, meant that I decided to take a bit of a break from everything, including this forum. Hence the radio silence.

So thanks again, to you all for your kindness and support. There isn’t a happy bike-shaped ending here, but life goes on – and that is the main thing.. :-)

What an astonishingly confused article. Please don’t give up the day job… Or is your day job actually supposed to be journalism? That was quite an excruciating read.

And to you too.. Merry Christmas.. :)

Thanks guys – and thank you so much to the kind STW people who have helped out by sending stuff too. I am pretty well overwhelmed emotionally by these acts of kindness, so thank you.

Things are getting back together I suppose. Got out on the road bike at the weekend, which cleared my head a bit nicely. Having a pretty rough time at work though now – never rains it pours, eh – so here’s hoping for a better 2017.. :)

^ Cheers buddy. Very nicely put – echoing my similar thoughts along these lines. This was indeed quite a shock. It was so far from my frame of reference of what it means to be person – to do something like that.. that I kind of struggled to see how someone could actually do that, if you see what I mean.

The bike’s up on stolen-bikes.co.uk here:
https://stolen-bikes.co.uk/stolen-bikes/orange-five-13/%5B/url%5D

Please circulate these details on social media (if poss!) Thanks.. :)

^ Cheers guys..!

brasneck – just messaged you – apologies for my slow response as I’ve been travelling.

bueller – thank you so much for that offer. I haven’t quite put my toe in the 27.5 water yet – and my helmet thankfully wasn’t stolen (as I was wearing it). I am a total 661 fan boi though… but it’s okay – I have a good lid. Thank you..

^ Cheers bud. Angry / depressed about it sounds about right so far. I keep feeling bad about myself for feeling so upset about it! As some of my F & F have said, it is only stuff, but hey.. I do still feel pretty beaten up about it still – and now a bit alone in sharing this with anyone. Glad to hear this is a ‘normal’ response.

I thought I would respond to a few people who have suggested sending cash donations, above. I am deeply touched by this – and this is a very kind suggestion, but I know there are far worthier people out there than me for this kind of support.

Thanks again guys..

Hey guys thank you so much for the generous offers of stuff. I keep saying this, but I have been deeply moved and touched by this support from you all.

Thanks curvature and others above – will PM you later.

I’m okay for SPD shoes thank you (as I was thankfully wearing them while riding), but I’m generally a size 11 foot-wise. Having unpacked my mind a bit now and gone through things, there’s a few specific trusted things that I’m looking to replace, which now appear quite difficult to track down. Frustrating how the particular items that one uses for cycling or other sports – and seem to work ‘just right’ – then get discontinued. If anyone can point me in the direction of the following bits, I would quite happy to buy them off you, or if you can find them anywhere online anywhere I can pick them up from..

Specialized windstopper vest (M)

Old style Helly Hansen Lifa thermal (M)

661 Storm Glove (2014 edition) (XL – XXL)

Apologies for the super massive images.

Hey Guys,

Apologies for the radio silence. I am once again totally overwhelmed by the responses on here. This is genuinely a lovely community of people.

I seem to have slipped into a bit of an emotional slump over the last 24 hrs and have been trying to get a bit of headspace from all this – at the same time as trying force myself to pull together and get on with it, but not succeeding brilliantly well at times. Gota MTFU a bit harder.. Still, I got new locks fitted to the house today and got my BP meds replaced, the car window is still smashed in though until the fitter eventually arrives

I will get back to your emails shortly, so yes – apologies if I haven’t managed to yet!

There were a few things left in the car that the b-tards didn’t manage to find – one of which being the 20 year old pocket radio I mentioned. I was very relived to find that, as it is one of the few things I have left from my late dad. So – thanks – CFH for the kind offer of your radio, but thankfully I won’t actually be needing that.

As for other Qs – about whether the bike, etc were out of sight. I had covered the bike with a mass of blankets, so that it was out of sight. I always do cover stuff like that up.

I’ve got some photos below of the bike, taken in its just-finished-build kitchen photo state. It’s not a common colour, nor probably a fairly common build. The frame dates from 2013, whereas most the rest of the components are 2007-8 era. Eerie to see on that FB that there someone has seen a similar bike described already. It has a destinctive 1.5″ scratch on the top tube that I’d carefully spent the last few weeks touching up with a mix of metallic green paints.

Thanks again guys.

Morning guys.. After a pretty dark fitful night, I am truly and deeply touched by your messages of support and help here. I really wasn’t expecting this kind of response to my thread at all. It’s humbling..

I’m a 32-34 waist, probably usually a 34 in most clothes. M/L on top.. I’ll respond to your emails, etc. once I’ve dealt with all the other stuff today.. Replacing car windscreen, replacing locks to my house, etc.. That sort of stuff..

Many thanks everyone..

Cheers chaps.. Overwhelmed with the response on here.. And still feeling pretty overwhelmed generally about it. The car was indeed parked just at the start of Monkey Trail beside the pump station. I deliberately put it there cos of various signs at that spot warning of CCTV coverage. They are just signs though, it appears. Strange thing was, the way I parked the car – it was parked in front of – or rather obscured by – a large rental van. It’s here say to suggest whether that had anything to do with it, but my gut tells me so. Van was driving out of the car park as I arrived, but I was in too much of a state of shock to consider reacting quickly to do anything. Almost makes me wonder if the van had been hired for the purpose.

No house insurance though, no form of insurance whatsoever. I’m normally pretty god damn careful…

Thanks for the very generous offers of support! I’m a M / L.. clothes size. Will need to let this all sink in before I really know what to do next. Might PM you guys later.. I’m at ajones(at)earthwatch(dot)org(dot)uk

I’ve got a few t shirts and a pair of crappy holed and ripped casual trousers at home, plus my GFs gone out and bought some random crap, albeit warm and comfortable, clothes from Primark. They left my shoes, which is a bonus. And my free MBUK hat from 2013, which was nice of them. Running kit gone, swimming kit gone, blood pressure medication gone, toiletries, jeezus.. Even a small pocket radio that my late Dad bought me 20 years ago. Going through an inventory of it all in my head is pretty f’ing upsetting to be honest..