Actually, can't download the routes from track logs; this address http://www.tracklogs.co.uk/routes/trl/0513BeyondHamsterley1OxenLaw.trl
just takes me to a page that isn't a download page. Any ideas? Do I need to log in?

Nice one. I've found GPS tracks for all of the Beyond Hamsterly rides; can anyone advise one which are the least technical etc?

I run on those railway lines a bit, looking for something a bit more out in the wilderness though.

Yo, my milkman brings me three pints of flavoured milk every week. Sorted.

Do it from Thirlmere, park at the bottom of Sticks Pass, do the climb that comes out between Dollywagon Pike and the next one on the way to Helvellyn, up onto Helvellyn, then descend to Raise, Whiteside, left and down Sticks Pass. THis is awesome.

Of course the bigger brakes have a higher maximum force, but when you're slowing down do you:

a) Pull the brakes on as hard as they'll go.

b) Apply as only as much power as required.

If you choose option b) then you'll squeeze the levers with a bit less force and exert the same force on the forks, when compared with less powerful brakes. Not a problem.

I can see how option a) would pose a threat to some forks, but if that's your choice, your forks are the least of your worries.

BTW brake force is proportional to how hard you pull on the bars, not how big your rotors are or how many calipers you have. HTH.

That Fox are interested in supplying after-market forks rather than just getting as many forks on OEM bikes as possible.

Rushup Edge, Chapel Gate, Mam Tor, Cave Dale.

Awesome!

Nothing wrong with heavy bikes round Whinlatter, you did remember to go up onto Grisedale Pike of course?

Hilarious Nick. As someone that hasn't ridden the other side of Sticks, it would have been entirely on your head had you ended up stuck on the wrong side of that lump of rock. It's those sorts of gambles that makes a man!

Back in the day I rode from Buttermere, up Honister, over Dale Head, down Hindsgarth and Scope End into Newlands. Then it started to pour down, the mist descended etc. I suppose either Whinlatter or Newlands would have been a good option, but I thought Sail, Wandope, Whiteless Pike would be more fun. I was right. Must confess that I was a touch scared going over The Scar though!

Ok, sounds like I need to go to Rossett Gill to pick up some penalty points. No idea what that means, but it sounds like the sort of thing I'd want to be involved with!

Glad you enjoyed Sticks Nick, I forgot I'd advised on that, though when I saw your pictures I did think that was one of 'my' rides!

Re Causey; are we both talking about the same descent? I'm talking about the summit towards Rowling End, with a left halfway down to circumnavigate Rowling End. I don't remember the top section being 'steep singletrack' more steep wide slidey rock-fest, it was all back wheel locked, slide down with some ridiculous angles of slip.

You say Rossett is the hardest thing you've ever ridden. As someone who hasn't done it I'd like to ask, whether you've tried the descent from (just below) the summit of Causey Pike and, if so, how that compares. Causey is the hardest thing I've ever ridden.

OK, Peaks tonight for me!

I have some shiny green Six Pack Driver 780s sat up stairs gathering dust, light and very wide!

Boats?

Engine Filters?

MTFU?

Weight further back or bigger forks.

It sounds like you're hitting rocks hard and the bike is slowing abruptly and you're carrying on forwards. If you can't anticipate it better and push your self backwards as you hit the rock, then maybe you're at the limit of the bike.

I had a knobber come in and spend an entire day poking round my place on the basis of being him being able to get me an interest-free loan to pay for replacing all the lights with LEDs and then saving more than the cost of the loan in electricity. Couldn't make the numbers work at all and then sent me through the worst quote I've ever seen. Didn't seem to be able to get his head around the fact that I might not want to replace all my expensive fittings with his ugly boxes. Complete idiot!

I'm sure they're fine though.

But not always?

You make it sound like this happens every few years!

I've never understood widescreen Satnavs, they show you more, but they show you more of what is left and right of you. You want to see more of what's ahead of you 95% of the time don't you?

Now widescreen + Portrait I understand. I use TomTom on my phone and have gone from a Touch Pro2 to a Touch HD2 and the difference is that for the same 'size' of everything onscreen I can zoom out 3 clicks and see a lot further ahead.

Anyone done the path from Helvellyn summit over Brown Crag?

Been on the list for a while, I expect it's very steep though and I'm always a little wary of losing altitude too quickly!

I can imagine you wouldn't enjoy climbing out of Thirlmere up Sticks Pass, would be very heavy going underfoot in places. Patterdale is rockier though isn't it, so would be a better climb. Hence my modified route above!

No I haven't, I've always just seen it as the most efficient way of getting to the top. To be honest, I've only done Helvellyn the one way, I guess whent he first route you try is *that* good it's difficult to risk all that effort getting to the top for another way that might not be as good.

I also haven't been up for 5+ years for various reasons, but my memory of the way up was of large sections being paved and it generally being a bit dull. Could be wrong though.

To the OP, my route would be as I suggested, but go RIGHT at Sticks Pass, down to Patterdale, then push back up so you do both Sticks descents. Real-man route.

The halfing the line length thing; if you're trying to make things as safe as possible for yourself on the road, surely you would be leaving enough room for a car to overtake you and pull in between you and the bike in front?

It's better training for you anyway not relying on someone else to tow you along isn't it?

For balance, I ride on the road myself, and don't have any particular objections to the way people ride their bikes, but I can see that in plenty of accidents the cyclist is guilty of contributory negligence.

The stops dangerous overtakes line is bollocks. It might stop some, but then it makes as many safe overtakes dangerous by narrowing a road that is wide enough to pass one cyclist. Drivers will still go for it. All you've done there is make the consequences worse as the first thing that will happen in a crash is the outside rider will go through the inside rider.

If anything it will have a negative impact on safety as you'll piss more (ignorant) motorists off, who then go for the dangerous overtakes.

But at least it gives people something to complain about on the internet on a Monday!

Start your ride at the bottom of Sticks Pass, but at the Thirlmere end. Head along the road for a bit, then in to the forest at High Park Wood. When you pop out of the forest, sharp left and up Comb Craggs onto Birk Side, then up to Helvellyn. Head down to White Side, then Raise. Left at Sticks back to your car.

This last descent is brilliant!

Yeah, find out how to reset the immobiliser first, otherwise you've no chance as your fuel pump isn't working until you do!

Epicly bad present. As above, genuinely gutted for you.

The really useful bit is that you can plot a route on your PC and then follow it on the ground, no messing about trying to find your route etc. Everything else is just window-dressing, ie how much of a geek are you?

I have an Edge 705, love it.

Thanks for that link, the question now is, do i *need* a winch on the back of my car? Probably.

I logged on this morning and they'd reset my password to a load of gibberish! The swines!

You can park anywhere on the road at Whinlatter, there are no parking restrictions. What's the problem?

Oh yes! Nearly there with that pic, but what I saw has you beaten on two counts:

1. Budget frame
2, Dangerously installed forks.

I'm sure yours will snap too though one day!

Re those Treks; first one, if I catch you I'll bloody kill you for doing that to such a specimen. Second one, doesn't look too mental, just a mishmash of bits, but nothing overly wrong. Those are the road forks that RS did aren't they, not Mag 21s? They had 15mm travel I think.

A bit off topic, but I'm surprised there aren't more suspension forks available for road bikes. For training long miles I'd have thought plenty would find a benefit, especially the way the roads are round here. I suppose you'd get bullied to actual death by the road equivalent of STW though.

Yeah that Big Hit is close, but those aren't Super Monster T's are they?

You can't ride that road without dragging your brakes a bit surely? It's bloody steep! We did the same run off Walna Scar and after doing that road bit I've just looked at the map and was wondering about that other bridleway as a better option? What's it like to ride?

Yeti, Ian is ok, had both cuts glued up and should be ok. He has a very black eye too.

Yeti Man, do you have a black Yeti, did we (Group of 10 that became 7 after a crash)speak to you by the road near Torver? I was on a blue/green Santa Cruz Bullit with green wheels.

Cheers

In summary. No.

I wanted to make them longer because more is better right? I have 160mm Lyriks on it and was going to swap my Bombers on for DH stuff (Santa Cruz Bullit), but it seems a lot of effort for an extra 10mm and an extra inch or so of fork length. So I thought maybe try them longer for more of a difference between the two forks.

Not necessarily about making me faster though, more about getting me out of more trouble.

That's ok, unless the exploded diagram is wrong, it's new cartridges. UKBikestroe want £85 just for the compression cartridge and don't have the rebound cartridge listed, but guess a similar price, so not really worth it right now. Probably more cost effective to sell what I have and buy some longer forks.

Gutted:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Marzocchi-04-05-888-RC-200mm-Comp-damper-703689KM-C/250578192534#ht_500wt_1182