GW – Yeah, I know, my forks are labelled R, but they definitely have compression adjustment! Don't know if I have the 'wrong' lowers, the 'wrong' stickers or the cartridge has been added later, or whether all three of those options are the same!

Ok. The RCs have different rebound and compression cartridges and no other physical differences in assembly.

Looks like the Rs could possibly be adjusted with the spacer, though might still be limited by the rebound cartridge, but the RCs definitely need new cartridges.

Wonder what they cost?

Ok, starting again with the RC manual……

On the exploded diagram the 170s have a part 34 "Sleeve 30mm" which isn't on the 200mm ones.

I presume this reduces the travel.

maybe both are right; I can get the 200mm by removing part 34, but the rebound cartridge will be out of whack? What do you think?

Part 34 is on the left leg, which could be an issue as I have a compression adjustable left leg, which doesn't appear on my diagram!

Aaaargh – Now you've edited your reply GW!

Confuzzled!

Part 33 on the diagram, the rebound cartridge rod thingy is "703690KM/C – Rebound Cartridge 888R-170 04" for the 170mm and "703688KM/C Rebound Cartridge 888R-200 '04" for the 200mm ones

???

Thanks!

Aaaargh – conflicting advice!

But I fear the latter is correct – different part numbers on the rebound cartridges.

The swines!

If you were writing a manual would you:

a) Pretend you ad two forks the whole way through?

b) Point out at the start that they're the same apart from spacer position and halve the size of your manual?

You could even sell the adjustment as a feature!

Hmmmmmm, the diagrams are the same for the 170mm and the 200mm versions…..

Actually, confusingly I might have these forks:

http://manualer.happymtb.org/marzocchi/2005-888-r.pdf

That website doesn't list a manual for the 2004 888s, so less sure that they exist. The pictures in that manual look more like my forks, but the 2005 forks look different on the Marzochi website. Anyway, pretty sure those are what I have, though my lower-legs say 888R on them, yet I have the compression adjuster too – possibly the previous owner upgraded?

Anyway, currently comparing exploded diagrams….

But if you go to Whinlatter, you should really do the Hobcarton descent off Grisedale Pike (so you can do Whinlatter and Grisedale!) Top of SOuth Loop, head off piste to the fence then head upwards, can't go wrong.

You should try Swype, it's free (www.xda-developers.com) and you might find it works even better. Instead of tapping away you slide from one letter to the next keeping your finger on the screen, it gets the word right a lot more often than the standard guessamatic keyboard.

Yeah, get three quotes, send them to him/her, let them know what you're doing, just to be on the safe side. I think one of my friends had this and their landlord was in fact dead.

It's awesome. I use Swype to type with, everything else I find a little fiddly. If you want something for lots of typing with, there may be better options. I had a Touch Pro 2 before the HD2 and that was very good for typing with the slidey keyboard, but doesn't compare tot he HD2 in other areas, such as performance, ease of sue and that huge screen of joy!

Stonycove Pike down Raven Edge to Kirkstone Pass? Anyone tried that?

If you're marking up the map, mark the descents then see how you can loop them together into rides, but I'd recommend checking with STW before embarking on a blind adventure; it's very easy to spend a lot of time between descents if you underestimate some of the climbs.

Eg; heading up from Newlands between Barrow and Causey Pike is NOT the best way of getting to ride Wandope and Whiteless Pike and Gasgale Gill is NOT a great climb to get back again. There isn't any alternatives, but while this looks like a good ride on the map, it's rubbish value for money when you try it!

I haven't done Dollywagon myself, but it seems to get mixed reviews since it was slabbed over. I can't help thinking that if you're going to all the trouble of getting to the top of Helvellyn you'd want to head North from the summit rather than South and fill your boots with Sticks Pass. Those runs into Patterdale from Grisedale Tarn, Fairfield and Hart Crag etc are on my list of things to do though.

Hello diplomatt, yes that rings a bell, I probably told you that I've only done Ennerdale to Wastwater and that I didn't think it was that good, but it was a long time agao and rider + bike are very different now, so might be ok.

Yeah, PM me when you know what you're doing.

Cheers

Nice one, I ran down there in a barely conscious state once and forgot to make my usual MTB notes. Yes, that would work.

I'm not sure 'best' is a sufficiently negative work, but the 'least pain' option must be the road up to Honister than the push up Dalehead; gets the hard bit out of the way quickest I think.

Parkedtiger, you seem to be on the same wavelength as me. I'm riding in the Lakes Easter Sunday and possibly Monday, weather dependent obviously, no one to ride with at the moment, if you fancy something long and extreme and starting at early o'clock and lasting until the last summit has been conquered and some, let me know?

Grisedale Pike off Hobcarton End is fantastic, especially as since thy put the trail centre into Whinlatter Forest you can pedal a bit higher and avoid the near vertical slog onto the Grisedale Ridge that I ahd to contend with as a kid. From the top of the South Loop, yes you are going up there (!) but it really isn't that bad! Total ride of 60-90 mins. Not sure if it's the 'best' descent, but I challenge you to find better value from such a short ride?

Only got an hour? Barrow Summit, down the ridge towards Braithwaite – Fast grass, steep, grin.

Hardest descent I've done – Causey Pike summit (well actually, lower yourself down the cliff before you get on the bike is probably wise) East towards Newlands. All the others I can ride on a bad day, Causey I'll if I'm not riding well I can't even get on the bike to get started!

Helvellyn? North off the Summit onto Raise, then hang a left on at Sticks Pass. This is epic! First time I did this I was parked at the bottom before we set off and we couldn't reconcile the map with the terrain; "We can't be riding down THAT??" We were.

Coledale Hause into Coledale is pretty good, especially now that there is an actual path with switch backs and everything where there was once just foot-long grass. Don't try it the other way, a world of pain awaits and it's a time-consuming affair. Lesson learned.

Skiddaw – The lost descent, still gutted they put that motorway up there a decade ago. Going to do the Ullock Pike descent soon, and there *looks* like there's a good descent off Carl Side in the Keswick direction too that is on the list.

Scarth Gap – Nuts at the top, but gets tamer as you get down and full of walkers, so not sure it's great value for money. Haystacks into Scarth Gap is a death-trap, ask my mate about the scars….. I've always fancied the run off High Cragg down Gamlin End, very steep, very loose, almost certain death. (ANYONE DONE THIS?)

Wandope onto Whiteless Pike and down to Buttermere – very technical in places, Wandope is probably the best bit, but if it's windy you *will* get blown off your bike and it will hurt. A lot.

Hindscarth down Scope End I remember being good in places, but a little underwhelming, but that was a long time ago and it might be a load better now I'm a better rider with a more capable bike.

Watendlath into Borrowdale – Very good, a little short, but good value for money.

Honister into Grange – Very very good, shame you have to pedal up Honister Pass first though!

Blencathra – Ge to the top and you can't go too far wrong, so long as you avoid Halls Fell Ridge

Garburn Pass – Good, but not on the same level as some of those listed above. I suppose it has the benefit of being a bridleway, if you're into that kind of thing.

Looking to broaden my horizons a bit this year in terms of the Lakes, so if anyone has any suggestions along the lines above, add them below:

parkdtiger knows the score.

I was biking home from work a year or two ago and saw a car run a red light and nearly clean up a cyclist, it amused me greatly that the car behind him was a Police car :-)

How do you know when to change your pads? You've just been for a ride in the Peaks…… it's time for some new pads.

Zikula is your friend here I suspect….

If you had a 1998 carbon frame you wanted jazzing up would you be more wary of shot blasting and powder coating, or would there be nothing to worry about?

Cheers

Keep it quiet George!

Nice one. For some reason I tend to treat trying on bikes and clothes with the same contempt as instruction manuals. Must be a man thing.

Tried googling the Dilligaf Ruling, and ended up back here, which told me to google it, so I did and ended up back here. Now I'm stuck in a bit of a loop!

Depends on the company a lot what the best approach is. I got a job with a small consultancy, sent them my CV and left in things about my hobbies etc. If they'd had a HR department and I'd been interviewed by people who were trained at interviewing I might have been grilled about things in my CV that were relevant to the job. As it was we just talked about mountain biking and running for half an hour, job done.

My point is, as well as putting all the relevant stuff in, give them something to talk about that they might find interesting too.

gpx2crs is the program you want – google will find it for you. It will convert the .gpx file as a .crs for you to upload. Then you'll find it in your triaining folder.

Someone should design a machine for this, like one of those things they use for doing the roads. A little mechanical train of genius to automate the process.

Crashing is also fun if you can manage it properly. It's good to feel right on the edge of the bike's capabilities as often as possible.

Definitely over-biked at the moment, but sometimes you need something to slow you down on the hills. I have found that for a lot of what I ride a lighter, less bouncy bike is just as quick though, I just need to own one….

If you're a tax payer, you really don't want to encourage the Council to go down the contaminated land route on this, it's massively expensive just finding out what's wrong (if anything) with the land, let alone getting it fixed.

The way I see it, we tax payers paid for the maps to be made in the first place, so buying them is just another tax really….

Doesn't attract crud???

GT85 is a bike-related product? What do you use it for?

Pedros for portable, if you want some manly efforts though, there are some good ones on ebay; I have two aluminium ones that are about 30cm long. Might be for cars, not sure, but sure are man tools.

The Lancaster classic Policy accrues no NCB, I've had one for the last two years. Good job it was cheap.

That's a classic policy if it's Lancaster. Be aware that it won't accrue NCB, so when you decide to get another car, you'll get shagged over still.

My battery lasted one ride, no sealing on it at all. Will get a new light ready for next winter…