Dunno about The Dog cos I don’t bother but The Monkey should be fine.

Re size: I’m on the crossover point on Speshes size chart – my 26 is a large but that ruled out a dropper due to saddle height. My 29er is M so I do feel more upright but not cramped.

Yesterday was my 4th ride on my Stumpy evo 29er alu coincidentally on a Peak route I’ve a couple of decades familiarity with. My previous rides were all trail centres and as I was getting used to the bike and they’re not taxing for a 140 travel bike it was hard to judge its benefits over my Stumpy 26. Sure enough it could do everything the old bike could, including getting the front up and getting both wheels as far from the ground as I’m happy with, but I was unsure of it’s advantages.
All that changed yesterday when I recorded my PB’s – by quite some margin – on the descents of Roych & Jacobs. Even bits I thought I was slower on turned out to not be so. I’m sold!

You don’t need a fancy bike to have a cracking time.

Agreed.
But a ‘fancy’ bike can/will enhance the ride. Not the amount of bling it has but the way it rides.

Have a go on the Stumpy.
I got one – it does everything my 26er did. Still finding out what it’ll do the 26er wouldn’t after only 3 rides. Which means the only downside being a bit more weight.
More riding required as soon as things dry out a bit.
Probably overkill for trail centres but the 120 Camber comes with a lesser quality fork and no dropper so for 300 quid more the Stumpy is the better buy if you want something in reserve for more rugged stuff.

watch do you think?

Yes, I think it’s a watch.

I like the battle scarred look. Reminds me of all the fun we’ve had. While I appreciate others want max return to invest in the new bike when they sell it reminds me of those people who cover new futniture in clear plastic 🙂

I see a sign warning cyclists to keep clear stuck to the back.
I caught him up at the next set of lights and suggested that having the sign on the back wasn’t much good if he was going to run the cyclist over before they’d had a chance to read it.

Love it 🙂

The trails are weatherproof inasmuch as you won’t be bottom bracket deep in mud but there will be thin surface gloop in places, and the odd puddle, so you will get dirty.
As it’s a forest it’ll be far less exposed than not being in a forest:-)

I went smaller as that’s how the bikes came. My 26 Stumpy fsr is size L & came with 200/180’s. My 29 Stumpy fsr is size M and has 180/160.
No problem stopping now after brakes were bled by LBS but ate the rear (organic) pads before completing lap of Dalby. Sintered now fitted!

I did a photshoot once with a rider who rode it all in bits. He’d previously done it all with no dibs though.

This fella.
Nick Craig. I read an article in Another Magazine about him clearing Jacobs.
Saw him riding there last year – least I think it was him, not many people riding there on drops 🙂

Did Penhydd a few weeks back – hard to imagine it being affected much at all by wet weather. That was followed by The Wall which was fine except the odd wet bit – to be expected – but far, far better than the previous weeks ride in Dalby whose reason for being, fast singletrack, was compromised by slippery mud in places.

Another vote for Panaracer Trailrakers. A bit draggy on fire roads but most excellent for mud and slippery Other Bits.

Ridden Jacobs both ways many times but going down is a hoot while trying to climb it just frustrating.
Re The Peak compared to Nant y Arian: trail centres are great but climbs are designed to be ridden by all but the most lethargic – the Peak trails were designed to be ridden by pack animal so present a different challenge. F’rinstance Nants Legburner is just a long road climb, Jacobs & many other rocky climbs are technical. The climb out of Coldwell is a biatch as is the approach to Jacobs.
If you’ve never ridden the Peak you really must!

Rusty,
Do you sell tyre knobs – the ones around the centres are worn but those on the edges are ok so I don’t want to replace the complete tyre.
In future I’ll ride with the bike banked over to even out wear.
Also..if I buy tires from that America will they fit my bike or should I stick with tyres?
.

Velocipede, gpx emailed.

I phoned these: http://www.sierracycling.com/
They were quite happy for me to join them for a day using one of their bikes (obviously for a fee) meeting up in Fuengirola.

Unfortunately I didn’t allow for the Monday morning traffic approaching Malaga and missed the ride so can’t tell you much else (doh!)
****’ monday mornings eh!

Wot puddle-rider said.

Just noticed that – effin hilarious!

And if it doesn’t hurt you it can leave you stranded.

They waterski a lot.
Or at least they did on the telly recruitment ads when I were a lad.

You can disassemble Shimano freehubs, clean & reassemble.*
I used to.
Then I decided it was easier to buy a new one.
That was before I decided Shimano rear hubs are shit & best avoided.

*Lots of stupid little ball bearings will roll all over the shop if you’re not very careful.

Highlight of todays ride – 3 laps of The Monkey at Cannock – was the final 2 descents that make you want to go around again! So I did!
But the whole ride was fun – it’s nearly all absorbing singletrack so the murkyness of the day is irrelelevant.
Winter riding can be great – last week I rode the local lanes which being frozen were the same as in the summer – complete with cloudless sky. Then there’ve been a few Peaks rides under clear skies with frozen mud and snow covered scenery.

The Monkey then.
Thanks,

Sending stuff back to CRC is a doddle – presuming you don’t live in the boonies.
There should be a form with your order which you fill in & then take along with your goods in the original box to a collection point, details of which are on the form. And it’s fee!
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Help.aspx?HelpTopicID=10

I asked that question 4 hours ago and haven’t had a reply.
Maybe folks on this forum don’t actually ride 😈

I’ve always been boring & miserable but took years to become old.

epicyclo,
It hasn't died. Contracted, yes.
The days of whole families being out on plastic nasties on calm sunny days are no more, but there's still quite a following.
And while the general skill level is much higher than a couple of decades ago so the kit is much improved.
Learning kit is much improved – now rather than go out, drop the sail, fall in & then expend great effort getting back on board & hauling the sail up again nowadays you'll likely stay on board & the rig is lighter to pull up.

Having said that it's still quite a hard sport to go from beginner to getting the buzz of blasting across water – whereas anybody can punch buttons on a joypad in their armchair and almost anybody can go 'whee' on a bike – so the early stages are more suited to people with the character to gain satisfaction from achieving small success's on their way to their longer term goals.
And the sport is always like that – no matter what level you reach there's always more to achieve so not only can you get the buzz from just simple 'groove riding' (blasting across water, turning, blasting back) there are always challenges and rewards beyond.

But either you get it or you don't – and for me the first sight of white water will give an adrenalin kick.

I'd better drop the subject now as I'm coming across as a bit of a zealot 😯

Hope you all have a good ride this weekend and get back reasonably unscathed.

I still windsurf – in fact looking forward to going tomorrow.
After taking up mountainbiking in 1990 (after an article about it in 'Boards' magazine) a couple of years later I gave up windsurfing in preference.
In those days I had more family & work comittments, weather forecasting wasn't so easy and as I only got my rocks off at the coast found mtbing more convenient living in the heart of the country.
Some years later I re-started windsurfing as a 'thing to do occasionally' – until the bug bit deeper of course.
I now still do both, I find them quite complementary even as a weekender.
September saw me windsurfing at several coastal venues as well as Rutland & I rode High Street & Grizedale, Cumbria, as well as local trails on my Wolf Ridge.
On a good day windsurfing equates to riding your fave st & descents without the climbs and injury risk.
And although the sport is far more at the mercy of weather windsurfing kit is long lasting and barring accidents virtually maintenance free – contrast that to parts attrition and hours of cleaning/servicing from winter riding in the Peak District.

I think one thing that's happened is windurfers are not only fewer but more likely to congregate at better spots rather than be highly visible in day-glo wetsuits at every pond & beach. They're more discerning and able to be so due to advances in IT.

But each to their own – and for me I consider myself lucky to enjoy both 🙂
(My dark secret is that I also ride a ghey Cannondale road bike, a man's got to have an excuse to get into Lycra)