This race is won by the strong who can pedal best. Look at the quali’ splits, Troy belted to the first split beating all names (I think) but the power needs to be laid down soon after cloud 9 so I’m guessing that Minnar, Peaty, Gee and Gwin are all in the top 5. Smith is just getting better and better though…
My 2002 Scott Octane. It’s lovely, wide bars, 150mm travel, single pivot lushness. It even has a head angle of between 68-67 degrees (adjustable of course). 😀
Warner on Vital MTB said it will be recorded replay of top 10 women, selected highlights of qualified men 80 – 31 followed by live coverage of top 30 men.
Better than nothing.
Thanks but WTF! It can’t be this bad? can it? Last year was great live coverage, can it really go backwards?
I haven’t done this recently BUT I agree. If it’s enough to get you just a little tipsy then I think that it boosts confidence and helps you relax.
I know that reaction time will be down but I think that just maybe it’s levelled out by the care not attitude it gives you/me…
My mate has an 08 Rockhopper and I ride it quite a bit. Very light build and talas to boot. Even though it’s ali, it’s quite flexy (in a good way) I think ‘they’ term it forgiving.
I’m sure you’ll like it if you want speed. Oh, his has my old sunline v2 720mm bars on and a 50mm stem – much better because of it.
Hope Head Doctors are a good idea but I think that:
A) They’re easy to get wrong – loads of posters moaned about them on here (STW).
B) They are no where near as light as a star fangled washer/nut?
The only ‘upgrade’ you’ll get is colour choice and a ‘HOPE’ badge. All of that said, I only use Hope parts where they are available and I love them, I’ve got three Head Doctors, ner ner 😉
Didn’t realise, well done! XTR is the best in my opinion and I’ve tired a few – not Middleburn though.
I tried the Middleburn Duo but found it to be really bad at changing, so binned it and settled on the Cannondale CX-2 44/29 Chainsets which I’m just about to sell as I’ve moved to XTR.
smiff – Member
Someone mentioned Arch Ex. the problem with Arch Ex is they’re not available on Hope factory wheels (nor is the old Arch), so you end up paying approx £50 more per wheel for them. which is ridiculous. Merlin should start building wheels with them from mid-March (spoke to them today) which should help a bit as they’re cheaper than most builders.. real PITA i’d be all over the Arch Ex now if I could.
james – Member
“DT EX500
Mavic 521
ZTR Flow”
Stans Arch EX are as wide as the Mavics, but about 140-150g lighter for a pair of rims?
smiff – Member
ok, but best deal on ArchEX is £340 at Moonglu? i’m having trouble justifying the £80 more when they “should” cost the same as the others (if/when Hope build them).
Well, I’ve got Stan’s Arch EX on Hope Pro2 Evo’s and I can’t praise them enough. Moonglu – go for them, excellent service and the best wheels I’ve bought. For note – I’ve Got Mavic Crossrides, Mavic Crossmax SLR’s and Bonty Race lights.
Nothing beats my Arch EX on Hope Evo’s. Just my opinion – good luck mate!
Have you thought about Arch EX? They’re between Arch and Flow. I’ve got them on Hope Pro 2 Evo’s and I love them. Really light but tough. I’m sure they’d be a good option for you.
That depends on how hard you ride. I really can’t tell between my fox 140 QR and rs lyriks with 20mm. I’ve tried too! I’m no fairy but maybe its to do with body weight or style? I’m 12 stone and pretty smooth. No riding god mind.
I’m sure you won’t feel the weight difference mate. I run 760 renthals and there’s plenty of room. So, go wide is what I say… Go with Raceface if they feel good.
Getting on the train, go up the west coast and get off at (the Trainspotting) stop… that starts you at Rannock moore, bookeletiv mor. Maybe up Stob Ban (pointy mountain) and over the ridges to Anarch more nam beaan. Plenty of bothies etc. lots of riding to be done but you’ll have to shoulder too, a lot… I will post pics if you like?
one tip: take a radio with long and medium wave. No radio signal in them parts I know of…
Sorry if my Scottish is really bad, well, Gaelic, ye na….
epicyclo – Member
robsoctane – Member
Op: ride, don’t think – it all comes natural with some practice….
Unlike many STWers I’m not a riding god with super powers. I do things like hit an innocent puddle at speed only to find that since I last went over it the river has scoured out the bottom, thus my wheel gets instantly stopped, or I get forced aside in a race and hit a rock offline with the same results, and other such incidents.
Thus I think about such things.
That’s where you are going wrong – don’t THINK, feel!
I think that I’d try to stop him and politely tell him that I’m worried for his saftey. It seems odd that he’s not worked out that it’s dangerous, so therefore he porbably knows. BUT, some need a reminder. He’s not JUST a danger to himself.
I say that because if was driving and saw him swerve a pothole I’d probably swerve to miss a cyclist. 🙄
Just going by the info on this page alone, it seems strange that every documentry you see on British big cats always say there has yet to be proof of their existance in the wild. Also the government denies that they exist even after the following proven cases:
Captures, road kills, shootings and skeletal remains
“Felicity the Puma” was captured by farmer Ted Noble at Cannich, Inverness-shire, Scotland in 1980. Her capture followed a string of sightings from the area, and they continued after her capture. She lived out her days as a tourist attraction at the Highland Wildlife Park, Kinguisse. There remains some controversy over whether she had ever been “wild” for any period of time. After her death she was stuffed and mounted and is now on display in the Inverness Museum, Inverness, Highland.
In July 2005 a farmer in North Devon discovered a skull belonging to a large cat, and has since been identified as that of a Puma. It is currently being examined. It follows many reports of cats in the area (Beast of Exmoor), and even a report of a farmer shooting and later burying a Puma.
A Eurasian Lynx was shot in summer 1991 near Norwich, Norfolk. It had killed around 15 sheep within two weeks. The story was only reported in 2003, and the Lynx is apparently owned by taxidermy collector in Suffolk. For many years the cat was considered to have been a hoax, particularly by the hunting community. But in March 2006 a police report confired that the case was true. It was a probably escapee from a facility in the area that bred animals including Eurasian Lynxes.
A Clouded Leopard, a rare cat species from the tropics, escaped in Kent in 1975. She was shot nine months after and had fed on rabbits and lambs in the meantime.
A Jungle Cat (presumably killed by a vehicle collision) was found at the side of the road near Ludlow, Shropshire, in 1989. It was rumored that the cat mated with farm cats in the area and produced offspring. One cat, called “Jasper” had all the characteristics of a hybrid.
A Leopard Cat was shot by Stuart Skinner on the Isle of Wight after mistaking it for a fox taking his poultry. However it was not reported immediately due to their fact that he thought he had shot a protected species.
A Eurasian Lynx was captured in Golders Green, Greater London in 2001 after a witness reported “a leopard sat on her garden wall”. The Lynx was captured and later taken to London Zoo.
Another Caracal was shot by a RUC marksman in Fintona, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland in 1996.
A Puma was shot in 1987 by police officers near to the Greenwich Observatory, Greater London.
Another Jungle Cat was killed as it crossed the road at Hayling Island, Hampshire in 1988.
Also in 1988 a Leopard Cat was shot and killed by a farmer at Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Dartmoor, Devon.
In May 1980, a dead Lioness was found in a lake near a disused railway quarry in St Helens, Lancashire.
In the late 1970s, a Puma was caught near the Civic Centre in Barnstaple, Devon.
I think thats proof enough, although the case in 1980 of the dead Lioness in the lake did turn out to have had something tied to it and it had been drowned.
@mtbmarkymark: You seem like the person to ask after your post! Have you an idea on the weight of my wheels? please!
I’ve recently upgraded from Mavic Crossrides to Hope Pro 2 Evo’s (both QR for now), laced with DT competition spokes to Stan’s Arch EX (bloody great rims). I’m hoping that you’ll help!
the same on all 5 bikes – ODI/Troy Lee flange type thingy… Lovely! The flange is why I bought them and I fit them all backwards because they offer more comfort that way – other way round is great in real mud though.
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