i'm registering a late interest in this, if i can! Fancy both days but i'll only be able to manage one (as long as i get time to fit my new granny ring, you can guess where I sit in the pack!). I'll have to leave making a decision until Friday night probably so i'll keep an eye on this thread.

what bar mounts is everyone using for these DX torched?
I've got the fenix ones here: http://www.fenixtorch.co.uk/led_torches/bike_mounts.html
but is there something better?

Since you are the fitting shop foreman could you not recommend to the management who the "Lazy" ones are and therefore help the management in making their decision?

Don't know what your management are like but some i know quite like it when others make their decisions for them, gives them less to do ;)

Thanks Tom, that's a fair bit then! well done.

Anyone know what the total ascent is for the whole of the WHW? Is the route mostly flat with the exception of the Devil's Staircase and leaving Kinlochleven?

Hoping to do this at the end of October and not sure whether to do it in 2 or 3 days…i'm not hard enough to do it in 1 day!

Advice – try it and see. :-)

A fried works in Velo Ecosse and he has always built my wheels, road and MTB. Of all the wheels i’ve had, most have required no attention. They are a roadie shop too if that makes any difference to you.

Makes me sick. Absolute disgrace.

Ignore me, i can’t read.

I’d be interested in doing this but i’m Edinburgh based so would be looking to start from Edinburgh and then get the train from Glasgow back. I’ll keep an eye on this thread though and see what the plan is.

I agree that responsible cycling is required. I avoid the area when it’s busy and if there is a walker approaching, i’ll either slow down to a crawl or stop to let them past.

Stay away from the radical road and only use the path that goes up through the middle for ascent. There are loads of paths that are hidden with very few or no walkers. It’s all on narrow well worn single track and IMO not adding to the erosian or creating new paths.

Couple of recommendations:
For ascent to the pond at the top, instead of riding up the road, head to the small car park at the Meadowbank end of the park. In the far corner there is a path that takes you all the way up to the back of the pond at the top of the hill.

From here there are various options but an easy one is to cycle round to the roundabout at the bottom of the hill near the commy pool. head up the hill on the left (if your heading towards Hollyrood, the big hill on your left). Here there is narrow and fast singletrack that takes you all the way to the Scotsman building. Where you can do another loop on different tracks.

These sections are very quiet as they are “out of sight” of the masses and i’ve never seen another cyclist on these paths.

Think i preferred riding there when i thought i was breaking the law… :)

STW Aurther’s Seat meet?

Drove through the park last night and didn’t see any notice boards etc at the commy pool end.

Not sure about the west coast but from Dunkeld area, there’s some good landrover tracks that take you right into the cairngorms, definately multi day stuff with a few bothies along the way. Very wild.

See here for inspiration: http://scottishmountainbikeguides.com/guided-holidays-scotland/tour-of-the-cairngorms

I’ve been cycling off road around Aurther’s Seat about twice a week for the last month, some really great single track if you know where to look. I live beside the park (and work in Murrayfield!) and i’ve never seen any No Cycling signs or any regulations posted. I was stopped several years ago (maybe 8 or 10) by the park rangers and asked to leave.

Also, the Rangers stop working at about 5.30!

Pentlands are in good condition right now, very dry.

Sounds like we’ve got similar ones then. It’s my GFs bike and she needs all the help she can get on the downhill sections so we’ll just see how she finds it.
Cheers

Rude Boy, and any others, what headset did you fit. I goy a FSA one from CRC but now that it’s fitted i’ve removed about 2cm of cups/ruducers/headset between the forks and the bottom of the head tube. I’m thinking that this will have altered the head angle by a degree or so.

The FSA i installed in basically internal and has about 2mm of stack height, think i might want something with a bit more stack height to it. What’s everyone running?

Thanks

Ha ha, all done now. Length of copper pipe is quite handy for gently tapping something out, it’s soft and deforms.

Thanks RB, i’ll get a bit of wood and a mallet!

Just checking how you got on with this? I’ve got a CAAD5 hardtail with the reducer cups, they don’t fit very well and there is a lot of play felt through the steering. I’ve bought a FSA reducer headset but it doesn’t fit. I have the alloy cups still fitted to the frame, the SI cups? do i definately have to knock these out? i don’t want to ruin my frame?

I have a Marzocchi MX Lo that is sitting spare in my shed. 100mm coil sprung with remote lockout. Only 2 rides old, purchased last year for my girlfried who then bought a new bike. Let me know if interested. Looking for £75 posted.

Only ever used a Fire XC Pro on the back and i changed it to a Vert pro as i was running one on the front. I found that the Vert had slightly less grip than the Fire XC but the Vert did roll faster.

Just took the freehub off the rear hub and thought for a second that there was lots of copper slip inside. It was a nice grease and mud mix! Quick clean out and re-grease and all is well. Bearings all seemed well sealed and in good nick. not much of a seal between the freehub and body though. I’ve had a lot of filthy rides(!) in the last year so maybe it is nothing to be suprised at?

Don’t know if i’ve ever ridden it when it was dry! was raining heavily last night so maybe not. Might be heading up that way tonight so if i find out i’ll let you kow.

Panaracer Mach SS. haven’t used them properly off road only canal paths and the like.

I currently have an ongoing issue with SBR. i won’t use them again.

This what you’re after? http://www.mtb-borders.com/routes.html

Love mine to bits. not got any pics online though. Anyone had issues with the lacquer peeling or bubbling? mines had it since almost new and i’m awaiting a warranty replacement.

The chain bridge that is shown in the last photo is still there and looking in good nic. The new bridge in the top photo has been there since last October at least. Stayed at the bothy for a few nights last october and the recommended route was to stay right and keep to the shores of Loch Pattack. Keep to the landy track and don’t head left into the boggy ground.

Get the OS map for the area, trails everywhere!

Been running them since the summer on my Cannondale Rush. They’ve stood up to huge amounts of mud and still spin perfectly. The only small issue is if they’ve been caked in mud and not cleaned before the next ride, the freehub body can be a bit sticky but after a couple of pedal strokes they are perfect again. This has only happened twice and is probably true of most hubs.

Foolish i belive would be the best description!

Where is this yellow brick road you speak of?

I did the theives road last winter starting from Little Vantage. The next few KMs were awful, could only ride a few metres at a time before having to carry the bike over heavily rutted groung. I’d wait for dryer times personally though it might be easier doing it from the other direction.

On Tuesday, went form Bravelaw to Nine mile burn via monks rig. Had about 3-4 inches of snow, icy patches and thick mud underneath. Then from Carlops over to lintonshiels and back to bravelaw. Great day out but hard goinr in those conditions!

Will be very muddy right now!

Shimano XT here and so far 1 year of muddy rides. took the seals off last night for the first time and squirted in some more grease. not much crap under the seals but there wasn’t much grease either.

Got a Carbon Rush 2008 with the fox forks (actually swapped for Rev u-turns). Great XC bike but i’d say it’s not a great trail centre bike. Something like the Rize or prophet would be more suited IMO.

Did it at the weekend. Trail was in good condition.

I didn’t rate the ride as that good but if you’re not far away then why not. Not technical in the slightest and very up down up down.