I have used the superstar one and not had issues..

Although you could use a N gauge Jump Stop ..

http://www.cremacycles.com/epages/62539014.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/62539014/Products/1000JS001/SubProducts/1000js001-0001

(apologies for non UK link I just knew this one quickly)

then a bash ring on the outer to stop chain going that way

Still wouldn’t mind a gpx file … save buying 20 maps :)

I knew that was gonna make me sick with jealousy before I watched it .. but I still did :(

Great vid

http://www.ctc-maps.org.uk/routes/route/1372/summary

http://www.rsf.org.uk/routes/uk01.htm

2012 mass start ??? :)

Saleem, For Van Dessel availability and pricing in the UK contact ..

info@beardedman.co.uk

They may be a little busy with the Black Mountains 3 Day this weekend but will get back to you asap … I know the WTF frameset is in stock.

I have a Van Dessel WTF on the way .. frame and fork…

Unsure about monster cross set up but might give it a go :)

Where are people likely to be staying tonight and is there a planned pub outing ???

Joe, only place to get the Fred Wright Roughstuff guide is to buy it from him direct… drop me an email i’ll give you his details … Should hopefully receive mine tomorrow :)

For those struggling to get bags after obviously trying Wildcat there is a guy in America I just used…

http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,2005.0.html

From order to delivery just over a week and very well priced..

Seat pack and Bar Harness shown here …

I had already ordered the tangle bag but if I hadn’t I would have had him make me a similar item

On top of your normal long day riding kit .. I guess a bivi bag and sleeping bag and means to carry them.

A lot of tarps and tents.. no one just going for a straight up bivi bag ??

I have a Kinesis Tripster…

Used Avid BB5 road brakes to work with 105 levers and for wheels I just had a set of DT470 rims built onto hopes so I could switch wheel set between Tripster and 29er..

Fork wise the Kinesis DC19 forks that comes with frameset is carbon and disc compatible… great bikes… raced all winter CX on it and now only selling as I will be getting a more race orientated cross bike for next season.

Before I got my mountain feedbag I used an insulated bottle holder… I used this for arrowhead race to hold my trail mix..

… only has one velcro strap on bars but I looped a little strap round the head tube and round bottle holder to hold it steady.. worked a treat

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/site/water_bottle_parka.html

sorry can’t find a UK site for it but I bought mine from Wildtrak in Newcastle.

Yeah its an expensive tool for sure.. I have one spare as no longer have cranks if you wanna buy it when you need it :) just mail me

Dinner with a view…

Nice little spot at Rookhope.. just off the Sustrans C2C route.

Anthony, one thing you should add to your harness is an additional strap with buckle for strapping jackets etc to … wish I had thought of it before I had mine made but made sense today

Just got delivery of my new bags so loaded up and ready for some testing..

Revelate Tangle bag
Cleaveland Mountaineering Saddle bag and Harness
Mountain Feed bag

Heading out tonight for a little tester and start the refining process before Grenzstein Trophy in June.. and of course hopefully the WRT :)

Loving the Fargo :)

Cable down the fork leg is for the dynamo front hub… its crazy low temp grade cabling.

If that is Billy’s that owns Arctic Cycles it may be ugly but it will be totally sorted for winter racing :)

.. I do kind of like it.

Hmm .. maybe WRT would be a better use of my time than racing round Kielder for 12 hours .. don’t count me out just yet :)

Think a whole new forum section is needed for bikepacking.. this thread is getting more traffic than bikepacking.net.

First bivi of the year tomorrow night somewhere up near Kielder… hoping next week I will have a delivery of bags from Revelate and Cleaveland Mountaineering to start the prep for Grenzstein trophy.

Great thread :)

I like the idea of a more ‘local’ route with a mass start…

I think as soon as you start marketing or publicising extensively then you run into issues.. too many people on the trails, people signing up and not being prepared etc. (quite a nice debate starting on Bikepacking.net about the future of the TD race)

What about looking beyond the UK .. must be European versions of this forum.. stitch a gps route through to maybe southern france from a start here in UK.. publish a start time and place.. away you go.. alot of the trekking trails in France .. e.g GR5 would make excellent riding but wouldn’t support alot of traffic.

Grenzstein Trophy is in its 3rd or 4th year… I had no idea it existed and found it by chance… off to do it this year…

… low volume of riders and big miles is the appeal in these events..

I loved my IO … I do admit that I somewhat upgraded the spec but was always the bike I prefered to ride and take on trips..

I realised the bike pic wasn’t the spec at the basic price..

I was more looking at the cost of the frame alone compared to cost of complete bike… when you look at it like that its a bit of a deal :)

Entered in the 260km

Gonna be a good days riding for sure :)

New bike is coming out rain or shine :)

Bought 54 plate Vw T5 2.5tdi .. after 66 miles of motoring it died with a worn cam .. 77k miles on the clock!!

Cost me £7500 plus vat .. luckily I got my money back

Bought a Vivaro 54 plate for £2500

Vw definately felt better quality but worth over £5000 more ?? no chance.

Vivaro better driving position.. 40 mpg.. bigger internally than VW..

Every car has horror stories .. in my experience i’m happier with Vivaro.

124,000 …

Well I heard the same about vivaro/trafic gearboxs so originally I bought a VW T5 .. cost me £7500 plus vat and it died the day after I got it with a worn cam :(

I think now that any running repairs I have to do are worth it as it only owes me £2500.. already decided that I will buy a new one when I can afford it.. driving position is much higher than VW and still drives like a car.. plus they have more room on inside.

If you are near Newcastle come take a look..

Vauxhall Vivaro.. had this a few months back when I wanted a VW Transporter and was bored of looking at rubbish vans for top money

Vivaro does 40mpg.. actual mpg not manufacturers figures .. cost me £2500 for 54 plate .. spent £300 having side windows fitted and £200 having a rock and roll bed fitted ..£3000 for a useable camper :)

Race kings are quite versatile.. ran them at Whinlatter at weekend so not as fragile as people think even supersonic version

Kenda small block 8’s

.. or I picked up some Specialized Renegade tyres at weekend.. like a small block 8 tread.. 1.9.. and really light.. can’t comment on durability yet but at £25 a tyre for folding seemed cheap enough to try.

Looks good Grant :)

Hairychested , so just pay Brant to design you one then take design to a builder … if there is alot of interest then get a few made and bring price down.. you could probably get a chinese builder to knock a bike out in ti from a Brant design at a decent rate especially if you go in as a group buy.

So what this boils down to as there are many options available for fat bike frames is that you want Brant to design a bike…

as Brant doesn’t build the bikes himself would a design suffice so just pay the man to design you a frame and go to a builder and have it made.

Apart from geometry there is no real other comparison you can draw between a fatbike and a 29er .. especially projected volume of sales :(

Hairychested, define huge numbers?? :)

Persevere .. buy the products that are out there.. create events .. blog epic trips.. create a bigger market place :)

I think its an overly simplistic view of a very small market.. I love fat bikes.. I can see the endless possibilities for bikepacking with them but the market is dictated by the buyers.

Biggest producers of fat bike products are mostly based out of Alaska where these guys get perfect conditions every year for riding and racing fat bikes… European market is barely embracing 29ers so I have no idea what they will make of Fat bikes.. I know Conrad at Sandman is having to take a long while perfecting not only his product but his marketing..

I think the market has to be further developed with the existing products that are available to start bringing costs down and to encourage other manufacturers to get involved… the Puglsey has been available for a long time and snow races have been going on in the states pre dating the specialist fat bikes.. this isn’t a niche market as such as these bikes do have a good scope of possibility.. its just a small market place… an example of this is that there are still only 2 real fat tyres available after all this time and before last year there was only 1 !!

epicyclo, I’m not doubting Brant’s ability to turn out a bike but how cheap can he make a low volume product ??

Alu Zero frame is $500 which is great value for money.. and as I said earlier the frames aren’t the end of the cost with plenty of specialist parts needed..

Yeah i’ve ridden a few fat bikes although when I raced the Arrowhead 135 sponsorship dictated a non fat bike.. which rode pretty good too with a few carefully chosen components.

Brant, add up cost of R&D time plus manufacturer set up cost then actual cost of frame manufacturer divide it by the number of ST users that want one and everyone is happy :)

Hairychested, Lol … Its an interesting concept :)