zelak999
Don’t blackspire also do a ramped version?

Yes, I’ve just bought one – see clicky
The coloured ones were the same price as the black ones when I ordered, that’s why I went for blue. No other reason, honest. I’m not all form over function, promise…

Yep, off to do some downhill at Macc Forest. Went up to the tracks yesterday afternoon to check them out and they looked perfect – let’s hope the rain/snow hasn’t changed that :D

Also thinking off going to Hayfield tomorrow morning, so any updates on the conditions today gratefully received :-)

What an entertaining read :D

FYI, I was the numpty in the Freelander who couldn’t get up Winnat’s Pass on Saturday lunchtime. Ice and snow mode my arse!!
I blame it on the 235/55 x 19″ wheels that I sensibly specc’d up. Form over function anyone?

Of course, it could have been my complete lack of driving skill and mechanical sensitivity….

Am currently researching 16″ wheels and winter tyres so that I can carry on (taking my bike to and) riding my bike in the snowy Peak District.

I use mine on the helmet, a bit puzzled by the settings as all the second and third settings seem to do is switch on the second and third LED – doesn’t seem to add much extra power, it just spreads a bit more.

I just bought an extra battery pack and a ‘Y’ splitter cable and, with both batteries connected, get 2.5 hours plus from mine now.

OK, so it’s a bit of extra weight in the Camelback…

DJ Mosca’s “In new music we trust” set on Radio 1 from 8/1/13:

http://www.livesets.at/2013/01/12/mosca-in-new-djs-we-trust-bbc-radio1-08-01-2013/

Quality tuneage to cook dinner to (after 3 pints of Stella Black at the pub, early doors) :lol:

Yep, out in the Peak District starting off at The Grouse Inn near Froggatt.

Just sorted out some old ski-glove liners to try inside the bike gloves, might help stave off the finger pain :-)

As this is the view from the Cat and Fiddle Webcam right now:

I think discretion might be the better part of valour tonight and it’ll be a pootle around the fire-roads of Macc Forest rather than a slither and slide down Charity Lane…

After I bought myself some G-Form Elbow Pads and was very impressed with them, Miss P bought me one of these for my iPad for Xmas:

G-Form Extreme Sleeve

Pretty pricey but an impressive demo video!!

Bunnyhop

Regarding holidays in March – We’ve always been lucky in European resorts in the last few years, having had plenty of snow.
Even in April you could stike gold with the white stuff. Not sure what will happen this season.

Agreed, but whenever we’ve gone in March we’ve gone high with glaciers (Tignes etc.) just in case, so mildly concerned about going lower (Serre Che) – especially with all of the warm weather in the Alps at the moment.

But hey, no point in worrying about what you can’t control – it’ll be what it’ll be :D

CFH – thanks, sounds just what we want; snow and sun.

Cheers for the tips – can’t wait now. Too long to wait :(

We’re in Chantemerle (following your recommendations again), staying at chalet Les Marmottes.

The address is “22, Rue du centre” – so my rudimentary French says that’s pretty central then :wink:

I know that this is the eternal question, but will the snow still be OK in March? Seems like most of the skiing’s above 2000m, so my experiences in Tignes in March say it should be fine – agreed?

Just booked a week in Serre Chevalier for w/c Sat 9th March :-)

CFH, your recommendations for my New York trip were spot-on, so let’s hope they are for skiing as well :lol:

Started using Strava at the beginning of May and I’ve done 51 rides, 70 hours and 549 miles (but take off about 30 because I forgot to pause it whilst on uplifts at Antur Stiniog and Cwmcarm).

All on the MTB with as little road miles as possible – just joining up BWs etc.

Pathetic total compared to most of the above – target for this year is 1000 miles, first ride of the year tonight :lol:

theendisnigh
I’d also buy second hand, 1500-1800 gets you a brilliant dh bike only a year or 2 old

Or if you’re as lucky as I was, the brand new, shop-display, never ridden, 2012 Summum pictured above :lol:

JAG
Room for 1 more at your place tomorrow?

Looks very tasty

No good coming here, it’s got to endure a 200 mile trip down South tomorrow!!

Mondraker Summum – here’s my 2012 model, that arrived the Tuesday before Xmas, before its first ride:

Apparently all 2013 models, even bottom of the range, now come with Fox 40’s

DrP
I’m sure iMovie can only do video shot with the iPad though?

DrP

Nope, it works fine with my GoPro footage :-)

Yes, as above – loved it.

Upon reflection, I’d agree with your comments on the mud – none was sticking to our tyres at all, so that definitely helps.

or embrace the sliding/drifting

Was one of the boundaries that I pushed and it was great fun, that and convincing myself to get more weight over the front wheel to help it grip, dig-in and turn.

Well, I’m glad of two things:

1. I kept the Wetscream on the front, could probably have done with one on the back as well.
2. That I went!!

Some great trails – steep, rocky, rooty, wet, muddy and bloody good fun.

It seemed almost more like trials riding rather than DH sometimes – and I’m not sure how suitable a full-on DH bike is for that – but it was also like an extended skills session, with some of my boundaries being pushed lots of times.

Well done to all of the trail-builders.

Can’t wait to go back – even more so if it stops raining :-)

Not raining here today, although it is pretty wet. But we’re not made of sugar are we? Great fun..

Just back from a 15 mile loop around Macc Forest, as soon as I got half-way up to Charity Lane I disappeared into the cloud. Found a new bit of Singletrack through the forest that one of the DH guys had told me about – it’ll be good when it dries out :-)

Pics from the ride:

Friendly Ram

Some Deer – alright, they’re not wild but they were nosey!!

Three Shires Head in full effect

Thanks guys, fastracks it is for most of the day then :-)

Thanks, sounds a bit like Macc Forest DH then – I find that I need the Wetscreams for the middle and bottom sections which are muddy and slippy at the moment, but they’re not ideal on the rockier, dryer, top section. It’s all a compromise isn’t it?

Oh yes!!

Just about to start cooking chicken risotto using the carcass from yesterday’s roast and then we’re off to the pub from 4 til 7 :lol:

Happy Christmas everyone!!!

Not riding pictures but took the new bike up to Macc Forest DH tracks – great fun, far more bike than rider :oops:

stevied
I think we got 15 or 16 runs in yesterday. Great value IMO

You got more runs in than me because I had 3 pinch punctures and missed 2 or 3 lifts – DH tyres all the way for me next time :oops:

Agreed!!

Did Innerleithen in May then have just done Cwmcarn and Antur Stiniog in the last month – BTW Antur is great value, I got 13 runs in which, for £26, is unbeatable.

Uplifts have proved expensive for me though – a brand new Mondraker Summum is arriving today :lol: :lol:

Two proper, out-loud LOLs at this :lol:

Don’t forget:

sent to them till someone cottonseed on….

10 cans of Warsteiner to work my way through :lol:

Predictive text anyone? :D

That’s for federalski BTW

Bagstard
Specialized clutch sx are 1.5 ply and good middle ground, never had a flat with them, even on rocky DH tracks.

I thought that until I went to Antur Stiniog with my Butcher SX up front and a Clutch SX on the rear and had 3 pinches in 4 runs. I’m a slow learner, they were all at the same place.

But this:

buzz-lightyear
On that note, rear braking through rock gardens exacerbates rear pinch flats.

makes sense and is probably what I was doing :oops:

That’s a good one of you on that drop isn’t it? Bet that was one of the ones you bought….

My edited vid’s now online – see Antur

Yes, I had a look last night and there are some good ones – there’s even one of you pushing after your puncture :D

http://wayneshakell.smugmug.com

Good footage Alex, I’m surprised how smooth it is from the bars – I should’ve tried that as well. Great day wasn’t it?

But isn’t that the black? I expected to see Mike in a heap on the floor after messing up that double – see Bambi

I’ll get mine edited and posted tonight.

My Freelander 2’s got the ECO start-stop on it – I asked the Salesman when it would save fuel and he said that studies had been done to show that if you were stationary for longer than 30 seconds then the fuel saved by it switching off would be greater than the fuel used to start it up again.

So now I play the guessing game when I’m at traffic lights or in queues, do I take my foot off the clutch (that’s the trigger for the start-stop) or keep it in???

Antur Stiniog uplift booked for Saturday – hope it’s not too icy…. 8O

slugwash –
There we go, fixed it for you proutster

Pah, 2 slices……

allthegear
Even better if you start up iTunes playing in DJ mode and then people with iPhones can send songs to it to be played in turn…

Rachel

Not tried that, will have to try it that way next – so iTunes off a laptop in DJ mode and then people can queue songs?

With Airport Express you need speakers or something with speakers (we use our TV’s surround sound system in the Lounge) that can have an airport express plugged into them (to feed them with music).

The only wires for Airport Express are mains to power the unit and a lead from the Airport Express unit to whatever’s got the speakers.

Yes, you can send the music from iTunes from laptop, iPad, iPod or iPhone.

Whatever solution you choose you’ll need speakers in each location – how else will the sound get out?

This and this[/url] should help to explain.