I broke my ribs & damaged abdominal muscles about 8 weeks ago & they’re only just getting back to normal. Second week was the worst for pain (my wife had to pull up out of bed as trying to sit up felt like someone was stabbing me in the chest), noticible improvement after 4 weeks. Co-codamol prescription from the docs helped.

I continued to commute throughout. Haven’t been back on the mtb, but only as the weather’s been rubbish the last few weeks. Restarted gym work 2.5 weeks ago with only minor aching afterwards.

Looking forward to seeing what crazy lines the Claw will be a shredding. He’s won it the last few years for me – sadly the judges seem to favour the big wooden jumps (which i’d ban from the rampage if i was in charge).

Also keen to see how Pilgrim gets on.

Claw’s out with a disc extrusion. Pilgrim failed to qualify.

If Zink flips the sender and lands it, its his title imo. If he doesn’t land it…

Could be the first time we see a complete spinal injury live on the internet.

Bumping a slightly related thread; I’m after a helmet mounted light for commuting & winter training road rides, so it needs to be bright enough to see with in country lanes, without blinding other car drivers in the city.

Joystick & Axis (400 and 550 lumens respectively) look about right, but not sure if the top-end of the Joystick is bright enough to see by on unlit roads? And reviews or the Axis seem a little thin on the ground, so has anyone got or used one?
Beam shot comparison on the USE website imply the Axis might have quite a lot of spread & therefore likely to blind oncoming drivers?

Good stagging opportunity given the recent media hype, imo. Long-term I’m not so sure.

If you’re running a single ring up front, consider the Zee too.

My Hilo developed a leak from the main seal within 6 weeks of use, where oil would migrate (in fairly significant volume) on to the outer surface, and then down the seat tube & seat stays, whilst in use. It’s back with Wiggle to see if they believe me or not. Hopefully they’ll replace it & we’ll see how the replacement does.

Am separately saving for a Thomson though, just in case.

IPA & some lint-free cloths, with a length of dowel to poke the cloth back out again.

My wife managed to install her rear mech the same way after we got back from france. It’s not the adjustment screw, you need to have the black bit of the mech that’s attached to your mech hanger horizontal.

Thanks Mangatank & Simon.

Any ideas what increments the travel on the Vengeance can be reduced by (internally, rather than the DLA version)?

anyone know if it’s possible/how easy it is to change the Vengeance to 650b? Their website seems to imply that it can be a 650b fork, but there’s no “how-to” guide that I can see.

So pleased I’ve just bought a set of these

+1. I’ll go for the cheaper RT76s next time.

2 weeks of Alps riding did for the Betty I had on the front of my bike this year. I’m not sure they’re designed for mud though; spiel says they’re a dry/stoney trail tyre (hence using them in the Alps for me). I’ve bought a (very cheap from Germany) muddy mary to try out for UK-based gravity riding this winter.

I’m not sure the longevity issue is specific to the Betty; my wife’s Hans Dampf this year & my Fat Albert last year were similarly worn by the end of two weeks. I’d guess that the good grip is a product of softer, & therefore less-durable, rubber?

After the famous issue of a cheaper manufacturers’ pad material occasionally separating from the backing a few years back, I only buy Shimano. Buy in bulk from one of the German shops & it works out significantly cheaper than buying in this country.

Sounds like you’ve been supplied with tapered steerer to me.

Does the steerer look like this?:

or this?:

There’s no remote & it’s not a mic; it’s where the single cable splits into 2.

One thing that isn’t immediately obvious is that each headphone cable is the same length, meaning you can’t run one around your neck. T’was the only thing I missed when switching from the Sen CX300s.

And a note on their waterproofness; I managed to put my E10s through a 30 degree wash in the rear pocket of my cycle jersey & they still work perfectly. YMMV.

Will second the La Thuile recommendation. Well worth the trip.

Pila was also good fun, but would have liked to have had a proper DH bike for the top trails. The 18 km “enduro” descent down in to Aosta was fantastic though.

A friend broke his collarbone on the ladder drop at tignes. Lifties wouldn’t let him take the lift back down so he had to walk & a makeshift sling was constructed from my gopro chesty harness.

My hilo is pissing oil from the main seal after 3 months use on a hardtail. Just about to raise a return with Wiggle to get it replaced. If only the reverb came in 27.2; I’ve had no trouble with the one on mine or my wife’s FSes!

The Big Betty on the front of my FS is UST (with the logo an’ evryfink). Weighs a lot more than the tubeless ready ones, so I assume that includes sidewall reinforcement. Hans Dampfs now come in “Super Gravity” compound too, having more sidewall reinforcement than the snakeskin ones IIRC.

Jimjam’s right though; although the sipes on the tread are still visible, the side knobs are all coming away from the carcass on Big Betty & Hans Dampfs (snakeskin, not super gravity) this year, and Fat Alberts last year, after 2 weeks in the Alps. No issues with sidewall damage on either.

small amount of personal

LOL. 384 lbs of personal.

Varies for me. When they’re on the ball it’s quicker than UK retailers (with the added bonus that they use DPD, who tell you the hour of the day your parcel will arrive). Other times, usually when stock is “low”, it takes a bit longer.

I’m about to place another order with them; 2 weeks in the Alps has taken it’s toll on a number of components.

Just tuned in, who was it that went down?

Check the video feed from the 1 hr mark. Nasty.

http://live.redbull.tv/events/227/uci-mtb-world-cup-2013-vallnord-downhill/

I don’t usually notice them on me until the morning after in the shower (hence why I’ve now got tick twisters in my locker at work), but as I’ve found quite a few on me from riding Bristol’s trails of late, I’ve been a little more fastidious in my post-ride checks. The problem is they can be really small until they’ve started harvesting your blood.

I’ve also started using DEET-based insect repellent & since doing so haven’t been bitten.

Look like this?

[/url]
Spider[/url] by ronnie101[/url], on Flickr
[/url]
Spider & a coin[/url] by ronnie101[/url], on Flickr

It might be one of these http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segestria_florentina

It does do something, but it requires the brakes to be set up perfectly to make much difference. And then it’s not much.

When you pull the lever, it actuates a cam to then drive the main piston. Unscrewing the freestroke screw means this cam moves diagonally before then moving to the vertical alignment it takes when screwed in.

What this means is that if the caliper is centralised & the bite point early into the lever stroke, when the screw is unscrewed the lever needs to move more in order to produce the same movement as when it’s screwed in. I think the idea is that this would give you more modulation.

“Big tree”

Yeah, i know! As a wood, it’s full of ’em. And few other features of note!

There were 3 other trails you passed. The one with the steep roll in I’ve never tried as it appears unridden of late. The well-ridden one is a less-gnarly version of knicker. No idea on name; someone on here called it “distinct absence of berm” which is quite apt. The other, which is easy to miss, starts between the two & has some of the tightest, steepest switchbacks I ridden in LW.

So, ride down from the Picnic bench, turn left at the bottom and climb the first part of the track up, before it gets rocky. Turn right for an easier climb at the first junction (there used to be a log across the trail, but it’s gone now – pretty bad in the mud). Isnt Knicker Trail a short distance up there, off to the right?

Follow that path up, it turns a slight left, then slight right, follow a bit further up to where the path turns sharply to the left. Knicker starts on the right, next to the big tree.

See Sheldon. If it’s a FS, let the air out the shock & compress it first.

Rode most of the steep stuff on monday night; a good mix of the old and some of the new lines that have popped up of late and it was all riding pretty well. I do need to find a different way back up than the picnic bench climb as it gets pretty tedious after the 4th or 5th time.

AD – Knicker trail is the opposite side of the gorge from Picnic Bench, starting on the apex of the LH corner of the climb back out & finishing with a drop off a wall.

If you want a guide to point you in the right direction, let me know; I’m always up for riding the steeper stuff & my wife tends to be happier if I’m not doing it on my own!

Nomad next? Or has than already happened & I’ve missed it?

Cheers for that Bland, videos blocked at work but will check tonight. By the look of things I think I might have most of your Les Arcs trails, and some more, on my map so I might be able to reciprocate! There will be 4 of us for the second week, look out for an Estate Passat.

Will be interested in the La Thuile stuff as we didn’t venture that way last year. Did find some nice trails from La Rosierre and spent a day in Tignes (where the lifts are free again this year).

We are out the 19th to 28th July and camping in Bourg if that fits in, more than welcome to join the group.

Are you camping at Ley Versoyen? We’re there from 13th-27th, might have to raid your map knowledge to add to my covered-in-highlighter IGN map if poss?

There won’t be enough fittings to do 2 brakes; there might be enough hose, depending on how big your bike is and what travel forks you’ve got.

From memory you’ll need one of these http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=20446

and two of these:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=20453

Use the shimano banjo bolts & o-rings.

Check Rose bikes & bikediscount.de as they’re much cheaper. Even with the postage from Germany, they’re cheaper if buying a couple of pairs.

http://www.rosebikes.com/article/shimano-xtr-disc-brake-pads-g01a/aid:486716

Buzz_lightyear of this here parish and a few singletrackmonkeys are considering rolling out an STW Mendip Group ride – whatch this space.

Good news! I’ve been unable to attend previous ones due to other commitments. Did a bit of exploring last weekend & discovered some gems, but would be good to be guided by someone that actually knows where they’re going!

Right, this is probably the best thread to ask this, hope you don’t mind…

I’m trying to put a new route together as a bit of a variation from my usual Rowberrow/Blackdown loop. The bridleway that runs along the top of Cheddar gorge on the south side; is it much good to ride from SW to NE, descending to Blackrock? (I’ve ridden it the other way, which was great fun) And is it advisable to ride around 9.30am on a saturday?

If it is on both counts, what’s the best way to then get back to Blackdown? There looks to be a bridleway heading towards Velvet Bottom which abruptly stops where the 3 footpaths converge. Ideally I’d like to head north from there to meet the bridleway that comes off blackdown. Possible?

Protip: to get even better sound from your minirig, place it 6 inches from the corner of a room/garden wall etc. I guess it reflects the sound back at you, but certainly appears to give it more depth.

what versions of the compound?

Trailstar/Pacestar (softest on the front, whichever way round that is) on both Fat Alberts & now for the HDs.

Rose are £13, I think Bike discount are little more expensive. Both have postage charges of ~£6 IIRC.

I ran Fat Alberts (non-suer gravity variety) tubeless for 2 weeks last year in Les Arcs with no problems, other than that they were ready for the bin when I got home. I’ll be running HDs this year as that’s what they were replaced with.
But then Les Arcs is more “AM” than “DH” IMO & if you’re going more gnar you might want the added protection of the super-gravity carcass.