Body armour (well knee pads anyway), helmet?

I’ve been there and it’s a bit hilly!

Alpin

There’s not a lot in it as far as which way round, there’s pros and cons for both. (I’m talking about the JL ride on mountainbikerides.co.uk)

The JL climb is a classic challenge but the decent the other side is a boulder field and not much fun IMHO, plus the decent of Rushup Edge has been surfaced and a waste of altitude.

If I had to pick, I’d ride it as shown on the map. I’m assuming you have all day, that’s a big ride. I’d allow about 6 hours including a couple of stops.

Plenty of camping opportunities in Edale too if that’s your bag.

Plus just a point, Llandegla ain’t up North ;o)

Check out
mountainbikerides.co.uk for clips.

and here for stills

I’m familiar with Parkin Clough, but in the other direction (pushing and carrying obviously).

I have to agree it is very technical and I am genuinely impressed how fast the guy in the video is riding it. Although it was posted in a ‘I’m a better rider than you, ner, ner, ne, ner, ner’ kind of way. (well actually it’s his mate who’s a better rider, we didn’t see the poster riding it himself)

As far as the Roman Road goes, I’ve ridden the main trail flat out on a hardtail many times before the ‘chicken run’ even appeared but I confess I do now use it even on my Five because it is more fun, faster and flowing. The potato, fist, and head-sized rocks just aren’t that rewarding anymore.

Ploughing through them just for sake of it seems pointless, it’s not ‘technical’ in the sense that Parkin Clough is, it’s just ‘sketchy’ which isn’t the same thing and doesn’t offer the same reward or kudos in my book.

Ooh, it’s a magazine :roll:

Never heard of it, and given clubber’s post I’m not sure I’ll bother searching it out.

Why is what called Privateer?

It’s it your knees?

I have never found a cure for what I refer to Pritt Stick poo. You know, when no matter how many times you wipe it just won’t stop marking the paper?

I’ve sat for hours trying to get rid of the last little bit, it just keeps on giving.

I have a large flanged wedding ring to prevent inadvertant over insertion.

I concur with Harry’s observation. Plus the probability of n+1 occuring is increased if a healthy layer of chamois cream has just been applied.

How old is he if you don’t mind me asking? A classmate of my youngest (who’s 5) still can’t do it himself and his last attempt at our house had it up his back, over both hands and just about every surface in our downstairs bog. :roll:

Both of mine can do it themselves now, even if it is using 29 sheets of bog paper per wipe!

I use an outside to inside spiral motion centred on the bullethole.

I then insert a papered fingertip (just the tip mind, I’m no perv) just to make sure it’s all gone, I can then fart confident in the knowledge that no errant little pellet is going to pop out.

Can remember the exact year but roughly in chronological order:

Raleigh Lizard
Marin Nail Trail
Marin Rocky Ridge
Marin Mount Vision
Whyte PRST1
Kinesis Maxlight HT
Kona Lava Dome (still own)
Santa Cruz Superlight
Specialized Enduro (the ’05 one)
Specialized RockHopper
Specialized Stumpjumper
Turner 5 Spot
Cotic Soul (still own)
Orange 5 (still own)
Another Santa Cruz Superlight (still own)
Norco A Line DH bike (still own)

All but the Lizard, Nail Trail and the Stumpjumper have been built up from frame only.

Not in Lancashire but I can recommend them, plus their website explains everything including costs.

Bob Jacksons in Leeds. (Google them, can’t get linky thing to work)

I know it’s not big or clever but I’ve driven with the following (all on seperate occasions):

– broken wrist, twice
– 1 week after a double compound fracture of left forearm
– next day after fractured right shoulder blade (in fact I drove to and from A&E)
– 2 weeks after fractured right collar bone and fractured right elbow (this was tricky especially changing gear whilst turning the wheel).

Driving with an arm in pot, especially the left isn’t that bad, putting the handbrake on is a pain, but you can normally do without it if you’re quick on the pedals.

I was also driving 6 weeks after a fractured/dislocated right ankle. To be honest this was a bit dodgy cos hitting the brake pedal quickly was a bit of a problem.

As long as you’re careful and don’t do anything daft you should be fine. Plus a commute from Bradford to Sheffield will only involve crawling along in traffic anyway.

How the geoff does one ascertain the sexual orientation of glazed wall openings?

I guess it might be possible if the opening lets wind through easily when it is supposed to be tightly shut.

LMFAO :lol:

I don’t get it?

I did the same as molgrips when I had a bike stolen, just listed all the components and got a local bike shop to print it and sign it on headed paper. The prices were all approximate but loosely based on CRC to keep it under the figure I had quoted when I took out the policy. It was good enough to get a pay out anyway.

I was told my neighbour has a personalised plate:

AM07UZA

I didn’t get it at first but his name is Algis Motuza. 8O

Noone would ever work that out though.

@TJ

If you read the link you posted it says:

Parental leave might be taken simply to enable you to spend more time with your young child.

It does not have to be emergency cover.

You are entitled to 13weeks unpaid leave if you have a child under 5 (under 18 if disabled). If you invoke this right for all the instances where you were looking after your child you may be able to justify a number of the absences, which in effect will reduce the overall absence they can complain about.

However, there is a strict process for requesting this unpaid leave therefore I suspect you may struggle to do it retrospectively.

With regard to seeing your sick Gran and looking after your wife who has flu, you’re on thin ice I’m afraid. I would have expected my staff to cover this with holiday.

I’ve currently got 7 (including a joint one and a work one).

2 of the personal ones are in regular use (one for misc spends and one for car expenses).

1 is on a longterm interest free period (with my new bike and Whistler flights on), 1 offers regular 0% offers which I use occassionally and the last one is for emergencies.

Whenever I want to buy something big and a current card isn’t offering any deals I just apply for a new 0% card. I must have had at least 20 over the years without it seeming to affect my rating.

Mine on 30th April!

It probably says a lot about STWs demographic.

A van was not practical for me with having a family and that, so I opted for an MPV, which I beleive gives me the best of both worlds.

In the end I got a Ford S-Max diesel, it has 7 seats so very flexible when you need it to be, drives like a car and is pretty rapid when you hoof it.

With the seats down theres LOADS of room and I have on many occasion gone away for weekends and kipped in the back on a full size airbed. It’s very comfy with enough room to leave the airbed pumped up and get two bikes in the back plus all your gear like tool boxes etc.

Only down side is you can obviously see into the back when you leave it with stuff in it. I’ve got the blacked out privacy glass fitted which helps but it’s not as good as a van in that respect.

As Zoolander, I’ve not ridden the Anthem butI have got a Superlight. Only bought it a couple of weeks back and I’m very happy with it. Should be a decent winter full suss too, with only having one pivot.

Did consider a Flux, CRC had a shop soiled medium in white for £1100 last time I looked (had a horst link 5 spot previously which was good), but too many pivots for a winter bike, plus they’re a bit heavier.

cynic-al – Member
I see the al-haterz are out in force

I don’t hate you, I don’t know you, I have no opinion of you, I have no experience of you as a person or your posts on STW.

Me thinks you doth protest too much.

My guess is you sold the skewer as new but it is in fact used and you’ve been rumbled.

MTFU and either offer him a bit of cash back or at least admit it and face the music, but don’t start calling him the numpty. You numpty.

wwaswas – Member
So, was there dirt around the QR?

You haven’t answered the question. Why was there dirt around the QR? We demand to know!

Nah, the sluttier the better :twisted:

??

8O

That’s two cryptic for me tazzy. Stop interupting, it looks like we have the beginnings of a threesome developing here.

Carry on you three!

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Beef-Jerky

The internet’s a wonderful thing.

Flat bars and bar ends? 8O

Are you sure this wasn’t taken 10 years ago?

Not sure what it’s like to live there as I’ve never been but:

Check this

Which looks promising.

What you just said was shit.

EDIT: Not quick enough!

Not really, you can get statistical significance from relatively small samples, 10 would probably show some sort of relationship, just with quite a wide tolerance.

I haven’t read all the thread so I might be getting wrong end of t’stick but, I think there may be some mileage in some form of online community thing where everyone logs there rides (with suitable variables like weather conditions, hardcore XC or light pootle down a railway line etc) but also logs what components and when they are changed/repalced etc. You could also put in a description of the failure mode etc.

Then the clever bit would be for all this info to be analysed to give realtime, real world, genuine reviews or ratings for components. You could then use this info to make informed decisions about upgrades, service intervals etc etc.

I would be interested in something that told me that a (on average) a pair of Avid pads lasts about 20hrs riding in the Peaks in the winter but a pair of Superstar ones last about 15hrs, for example.

@flyingmonkeycorps – did you ride Sunday?

If you followed my suggestion and rode up Hope Brink, I apologise, I rode it Sunday morning and it was dreadful :oops:
I’ve done it many times in the wet and mud but the thin layer of slush/snow was in places unridable :(

Rode the Beast and the Lockerbrook decent, which were relatively unaffected, which made up for it though.

The SX Trail would be perfect.

You can still to some pedally stuff even with the lift assits.

If you do chose Les Arcs, talk to Rob and Coolbus about his 50km epic from Val d’Isere. He shuttles you to the top with the vans and it’s a mix of proper wild singletrack decents mixed in with some uphill pedalling. A fantastic day out. Some the hardest XC/AM riding I’ve done. Awesome.

I’m sure a quick search will bring up loads of previous threads, in fact there’s one about riding in France somewhere on the front page I think.

However, my advice for first timers.

Drive v flying
Can be cheaper to drive if there’s a few of you in a van. 8-10 hours from the tunnel depending on luck and weight of drivers right foot.
We have in the past taken a van packed with bikes and everyone else fly out. Again depends how many are going.
If you are flying check out http://www.thecoolbus.co.uk and http://www.alpinecab.com for transfers. Used both before and they are recommended. Rob from Coolbus also does guiding in the Les Arcs area, top bloke.

Where to ride
Chamonix – very rocky and technical, less man made stuff, quieter trails
Morzine/Les Arcs – very popular, loads of DH and XC stuff, decent(ish) night life, loads of digs options from crap hole self catering to luxury hotels, trails take a right battering in late season especially if the weather is shitty, extensive lift system, massive full day routes an option
Les Arcs – good mix of riding, mostly hardcore XC biased though, quieter trails in better condition, a guide is highly recommended to find the best bits, most trails are off just one mountain/lift network so can be a bit samey. Less options for digs then Morzine although I would recommend http://www.chillchalet.com
Verbier Switzerland – similar in some respects to Les Arcs but maybe a bit more technical, small town consequently not much night life and cheap digs are hard to find other than ‘the bunker’ which is a dump. Again a guide is highly recommended, I’ve used http://www.powderanddust.com before and they were okay.

When to go:
Stick to mid season if possible, trails are less likely to be shagged and you’ve got a better chance of decent weather (although this is the mountains it can piss it down at any time). Plus the more people there means better apres ride atmosphere. ALthoug of course it will be dearer.

What bike:
Unless you are going specifically to ride DH an 150mm-160mm bike will be fine. Last time I went, I was on a Turner 5 Spot (the old type) and it was just the ticket for pretty much everthing including most of the DH courses, if a little bit slower ;o)

I’ll be on a grey Orange 5 with a CCDB shock. Have good one!