Thanks all. I’m still looking forward to it, albeit could be better prepared. I’ve never ridden cyclocross before so thought I’d try this because its so close to home.

Thanks chaps.

@Garry_Lager – I rode to and around the forest yesterday (I live on the Delamere side of Chester) and it was alright. There were bits of slop for sure, but overall it’s fared pretty well. Having said that, rain is forecast for this week.

Thanks @tthew. How much actual skill is required? I can keep pedalling for three hours – I did last years Dirty Reiver – but I’d imagine this will take a lot more than just stamina.

Yes, you will die. It’s bloody knackering.

Bugger. I was fearing that.

I had the email through earlier and it looks as if most of the other riders are from clubs and stuff. That’s a level of professionalism I wasn’t expecting :-)

Oh well. I was up around Delamere yesterday and it was a bit boggy, but ok-ish. We’ll see.

Thanks chaps. i can live with a bit of patina on the outside, and I’d imagine a light coat of Dinitrol inside would do the job. I only really asked the question because Planet X draw attention to it in the description.

We use whosoff.com, works very well indeed.

To the Squirt users – do you use it year round? I used it in the dry(er) months, but was advised to use something else in the winter so opted for Extreme Blue.

Me. A least I think I am.

I’m not sure why, other than being from a completely different background to my wife (her family are pretty well off), and having opposing views on a lot of stuff. I’ve worked hard to get to a position now where I run a fairly decent business, I supported my wife through four years of university, and now we have a daughter I try be the best dad I can be for her. It never seems to be quite enough though.

I used to be pretty handy at ignoring the situation but it does tend to grind you down a bit over time.

@mrwhyte – I have indeed, until I recently sold it. I had a MK1 version, fully rigid, with both 29er and 27.5+ wheelsets. It did a bit of everything from long distance loaded up type stuff through to red and black at Deggy.

I’d have kept it without doubt had I not needed to free up the money. Alpkit are great to deal with too.

Sonder Frontier.

I think it would have been a nice – if somewhat sentimental – ending to have a ghosted revisit of Luke from A New Hope on Tattooine as Rey surveyed it.

How do they fare off road? That’s what drew me to the Pompino originally.

Awesome, thanks all I really appreciate it. I was erring on the side of sizing down, as I generally tend to do, and that’s confirmed it.

Generally how do you like the Day One? The spec looks pretty good but for the cup and cone hubs. I have a weird thing about them, probably irrationally.

What @schrickvr6 said, exactly ^

I’ve helped with rescue centres before and if you’d consider that then you’ve a problem.

Don’t relocate it, have a heart.

Fitting a catflap – and a microchip scanning one at that – is the simplest and best solution. We were in the same boat recently so I fitted a replacement Sureflap, problem solved. My eldest cat was struggling with stress-related wazzing which has now fortunately cleared up.

Me too, for what it’s worth. Have been for a few months now. Oddly though, if I can battle through it and make myself get out on the bike or for a run, I’m fine.

Otherwise I’m flat out on the sofa by 9ish.

Apropos of nothing, but that Shand is lovely @rOcKeTdOg.

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the replies.

It’s more my fitness that’s a concern, certainly more so than the capacity of the bike. I’d not like to have to stop every ten minutes to rest/push.

I did just over 90km on mine yesterday including over the Horseshoe Pass.I found mine took a bit of faffing with stem length, seat setback etc to get it really comfortable, but now it’s pretty much perfect.

Yup, mine is ace. It’ll do pretty much anything within reason – from the Dirty Reiver, to Llandegla blue/bits of red, to long road rides – I’m just about to head up around the Horseshoe Pass on it in a bit. Running the Apex/mechanical brake option with 650b wheels and Byways.

I couldn’t recommend it highly enough and Alpkit are great to deal with and dead helpful.

My Charge Spoon did me right on the Dirty Reiver this year, although I’m trying a WTB Volt at the moment that seems ok too – a completely different fit, more of a platform almost.

I’ve always had a hankering to try a Brooks for distances, but its a load of cash for something that might not work.

That was a great watch matey, thanks for posting it. I love it up around the Glyders, it’s usually fairly quiet too.

My Frontier before I ditched the Jones Bars ..

EEE6EFB0-6F50-491C-9B3A-115E8CEEA43B by Carl Elston[/url], on Flickr

What size are you looking for – much as I like it, it’s getting no use these days. Mine’s 60cm, black. Frame. fork, good wheels, a few bits and bobs.

I’m a slightly more diminutive 5’9, so too big for me I’m afraid. Have away @moe_szyslak !

Thanks chaps, lots of ideas there. I like the look of the Crosscheck, but they appear somewhat pricier than the Pompino/Pompetamine.

Is it possible to convert 9/10/11spd rear wheels to single speed?

@whitestone – thank you, will pm in a sec.

@uselesshippy and @captain_bastard – thanks chaps, I’ll look into those. I remember someone screaming past me at the Dirty Reiver on a Crosscheck, so it’s certainly got form.

I can see both sides of the discussion above – you’ll undoubtedly get the odd basket case knocking you down on price to do something to a bike that’ll be dumped back in the shed next week, but you’ll also gain a growing amount of regular customers that are switched on to the real cost of parts and labour (if you market yourself well).

I’m reasonably handy with a spanner, but use a chap local to me in Chester when I just don’t have time to fix something – work or family taking up the week – or I just don’t know how or have the specific tool for a job. He’s usually very busy and judging from his Facebook page, he deals with some decent bikes. But he also puts time in to helping at local events, free checkovers etc. He deserves the business he’s getting because he’s good at what he does, is honest, accommodating, and a really nice guy.

I had the same issue with Apex, coincidentally on the same bike. If you pull the lever and look down the gap at the top, you’ll see the hinge and there’s a washer either side – that’s the rattling. I tried injecting grease around them which cured the problem temporarily, but it came back. It annoyed me so much that I forked out for a new lever.

OK, I have an answer from WTB – no.2 is the rearmost saddle position.

@johnners – it is a setback post. As it happens, the most comfortable position after a bit of trial and error is a bit past position 1. The bike is a Sonder Camino, and the fit is pretty much bang on in all other areas.

Thanks @tthew – i had heard of that route from a couple of chaps I met on the Old Pale hill a couple of weeks back. I was hoping you’d discovered an old disused railway track from Chester to Delamere, which’d be pretty handy.

@tthew – where is the disused railway line near Delamere? I ride to and around the forest quite a lot, and the railway line sounds interesting.

Is the Plug Grinduro fixed, @krixmeister?

As an aside, do you use SPDs on fixed? I’ve had a Charge Plug fixed before and enjoyed it immensely, but used straps. How is clipping in on a fixed gear?

@Tracey that’s a fantastic post. Family goals for sure!

I got into cycling relatively late, and I already had my daughter. She’s now 7 and loves coming out with me, albeit for relatively tame rides. I’d take a bimble around a cycle path with my daughter over no riding at all for sure, as I fear that one day she won’t want to come with me. That day will be heartbreaking, so I make hay while the sun shines.

The Camino runs either Orbit or Volution wheelsets as standard from Alpkit. From their website:

“Sealed wheel bearings so they are easily serviceable without the need for specialist tools; adaptable for 100/135 QR or 100/142 bolt-through setups; supplied QR.”

My Camino is 100/135 QR. It’s a great bike, and the one I use the most. Like Wally said they’re great to deal with, and Neil the bike guy there knows his stuff.

This is a very interesting thread and it’s something I’ve been struggling with myself for a little while. I’ve a good job, great family and while I’ll never be rich I’m not starving either. Just feel a bit … flat.

Oddly I’ve been speaking to more and more people that feel similar. I don’t know if it’s because we’re of an age where this sort of thing kicks in, or if there’s suddenly more people that feel like it.

The wear on chainrings pretty much depends on how early you replace your chains. Steel does resist the wear as your chain wears better though.

Thanks @philjunior – so keeping the ring on won’t further wear the chain, but just deteriorate and eventually start skipping?

Thanks very much. I put a new chain on and cassette, and left the rings alone. Everything seems to work pretty well and there’s no skipping. The only minor issue is shifting from small to big ring but I think that’s an adjustment rather than wear issue.

Thanks for the thoughts all, they are much appreciated.

I’ve gone through two chains (the first one stretched past .75 on the gauge, this one just between 0.5 and 0.75) in the last 18 months of having the bike. I thought a chainring would last a little bit longer, certainly if the drivetrain is cleaned and lubed.

Thanks very much. Just found a couple of replacement rings on Planet X, so I’ll do the whole lot. I’m a bit gutted really because I’d expected a chainset to last longer.