It is Charlie yes, he is an exceptional (multi class champ) but no real surprise, his father is a former POW winner.  He has always been very, very good.  In fact it was him, who got me back out in July to sail his Solo at an open.

I could talk all day about whats wrong with dinghy sailing.  Unfortunately some of the politics, tribalism and questionably corrupt business and Olympic selection processes ruin (for me) what is ultimately an exceptional pass time.  I stepped away a few years ago as the nonsense that comes with the sport was ruining the enjoyment.  The Moribund sailing clubs and class that litter the country, too fixed in their ways and not willing to change to suit modern lifestyles.  Hamstrung because dinghy sailors, by and large are cheap.  A second hand market where people believe its their right to make a profit on a used boat.  A sport where people find it acceptable to commit insurance fraud to obtain new kit.  Obvious gerrymandering of the handicap system by builders.  A self policing sport, where everyone is too polite to point out the cheating if it breaks from the club/class pecking order. A sport where its governing body rapes and pillages is long standing class Associations to attend a “Show” in central London with exhibition rates taxing the class coffers, only to be branded a “Dead” class if you cant afford to pay for the stand.  Unfortunately i allowed myself to become too entwined with the sport and its infrastructure to see it first hand.  I would always urge others to really take time to consider the correct sailing club and equipment for them.  But remember one of the purest joys in life is sailing a boat and not to get too bogged down with club racing, national and international racing like I did.  Really the sport needs some consolidation…IMO

….So if you are looking at a Laser, please don’t waste your life loosing into whats happening with that class from a politics perspective.  Just enjoy it for what it was meant to be.  A simple, cheap, fun to sail boat.

Isn’t it ever!

No it’s not Steve, don’t think he is or was sailing a blaze at that time.  He used to sail a 300 back in the day, believe he is tossing around in an aero sporadically now?  But i have been out of the game for a few years now, excluding a dusting of the old hikers in a solo earlier this year…

I have a Neat camera being fitted Friday after my wife got lucky with a Facebook competition.  I’ll report back once fitted and I’m all subscribed.

To be honest I don’t hate on the blaze, not keen on some of the prominent characters in the class but that’s not for consumption on here. I have to say I never had a time when a 300 wasn’t faster than a blaze and most of the blaze fleet were not every launching at a particular windy Bloody Mary a few years back.  Like I say my mate was Blaze national champ in 2018, he is an exceptional sailor.  But still prefers a 300 if pushed.  Just his local club had a fleet at the time.  He sold it for a solo…because the competition was better.

The best thing about 300’s, people buy them because theyre not a blaze, then buy a blaze.

Thats really not the case, I owned 3 Rs300’s and frankly it’s a million times better boat than the blaze!  I think my very good mate and former helm who won the blaze nationals in 2018 would agree!

As for Aero, they have created a real storm. Which is not unusual for RS.  Its a very popular boat at present, very fast and simple. designed by Clive Everest (who also designed the 300) Personally (I am biased) I preferred the D-Zero.  Which is like a much calmer Rs300 in a point and go kind of way.  But like I say I’m biased as I helped set up the class association and am good mates with the designer!

To be honest you can get some fairly light wheels which are more than capable of ‘Enduro’ certainly in the U.K.  I run DT Swiss XM1501’s.  I’m not a light rider by any stretch and have been known to clatter through.  Biggest difference for me is tyre weight/speed.  I will say that having run my ‘big bike’ around my local XC loop it is a massive fun sponge.  Even with lighter tyres.  Where as in my xc/hardtail it’s bloody good fun!

Depends, normally a mix bag of stuff scratched in, official DH and off piste stuff around Cannop ponds & Worcester lodge sort of area.  Generally no big features just muddy rooty standard FOD stuff.

I struggled my way through first episode…will persevere.

In my view the 2.6 MM is a fantastic tyre, in fact I would go as far as to say the best front tyre for U.K. riding!  The 2.35 was good but the 2.6, is better still

Looks like you skidded the shit out of it!

Yeah my local so planning to enter tonight

But that’s nowhere near Ogmore! And just to be pedantic, it’s mostly Somerset coast not Devon 😁

Weston isn’t directly opposite either… it is absolutely in Somerset.  Commuting from Cardiff to Weston was mentioned which is not a million miles from cleavedon, portishead etc.

You see plenty of sailing in that area, with at least 3 sailing clubs at various points before and after the bridge.  Thornbury, Cleavedon and Portishead.  I have sailed at all 3 and they are great fun, but completely subjected to massive tidal ranges!  My office is also at Portbury docks.  To be honest it’s an interesting idea, but there are a couple of well known bridges crossing that stretch of water, now the tolls have been removed I can’t see any reason or benefit for a water based commute.

So my local loop is a bit of a classic xc MTB ride, in fact I used to ride the same trails as a lad in the early 90’s. The Solaris in standard form is epic for this.  It’s an 8miles loop straight out my front door. I know the same loop is soul destroying on my HD4 with proper tyres.  Climb is hard work and the decent is fast but bike makes it a fun sponge.

I think a Solaris on steroids could be a middle ground compromise on a budget.

That’s what I wanted to hear Chrismac!  I’ll get ordering the bits

Thanks Cy, ultimately I probably need ‘another’ bike and keep the Solaris as you intended.  It’s fantastic really, just some of the stuff I ride…quite rightly it wasn’t designed for.  That said one of the reason I bought the bike was so I could hit my local XC loop, ride with the kids and do some longer distance events.  Basically I want one bike to plug the big Gap beneath my enduro bike.  Reality is I probably need another…something like a BFE.  Longshot geo works for me, just as a second/third bike I’m pushing my luck with the wife.

Thanks Brant, so we are looking at October delivery? Any chance of that being moved further back!? Happy to click BIN, just want to make sure it will be October

As above, before I hit the buy button…will it run 27.5+ as well as 29?  Quite keen on having a light weight xc wheelset and chubby trail set.

So, I’m going to try lifting the travel of the forks first.  Albeit the BB already feels a bit high, so I was hoping the angle adjust headset would bring this back down.  With the added benefit of giving me a slightly slacker front end…well benefit as I see it as I think the bike would benefit from being a couple of degrees slacker.  Wouldn’t want to over cook it, ultimately everything is a compromise.  Really wondered if others had done the same, fully prepared to be told I’m a twit and if I wanted a harder hitting hardtail I should’ve bought a BFE

Anpther issue with running 2 deg over 1 is the reduction in reach as mentioned.  Plus with a longer fork I would be dropping the ha back even further which is really detracting from its designed numbers.  I really don’t want it to compromise it too much in any one way as it’s a lovely bike.  Better I change to something more trail orientated if that’s the case.

But I do agree there would always be that ‘I wonder’ itch

Thanks Swanny, out of interest what Slackset did you use? I was considering just a 1deg set with a 20mm increase in form travel to give me an extra degree.  Which should make the HA around 68deg? And a BB not too far from 100mm travel height

Good luck taking on W2 then if you found the Twrch tough going.  Some good climbs in South Wales, a shame more people head to BPW now and miss some of the best riding around at places like Afan and Cwmcarn.

I have no issue with Superstars products, or the service.  But I do get put off by their passive aggressive posts on social media and forums.  I would suggest it’s one of the reason there are ‘haterz’ otherwise they offer some great products are very fair prices.  So not sure what’s not to like….that said I haven’t bought anything from them for a while, eagle jockey wheels are on the list mind

Been running these for the last month:

https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/7-idp-transition-knee-wrap/rp-prod142322

Initially they felt bloody uncomfortable but first ride they broke in and have been amazing since!  Proper protection, not too bulky with loads of adjustment.  You do have to size up though! I had to change mine to XL despite following 7idp sizing guide and I’m far from a tank of a bloke

POW’s on now…

Think it starts Sunday or Monday through to Friday?  My mate is racing, so looking forward to daily updates from the very front of the coal face

Ah ok, so I believe there was a trial with win wires on a 505.  14’s went twin string in early 80’s I believe.  Happy to be picked up on that.  Either way our club at the time had a fleet of both single string versions in fact we had one of the biggest fleet in the county and a POW winner….nothing strange there but for it being a very, very narrow river! Completely unsuitable for boats of their speed.  But they were races week in week out.  We tried our modern 14 there a few years back and did about £1000 damage in about 30 seconds.  Ha

There was a period when on of the paint companies (IYE?) used a photo of a 505 with both guys on the wire as their ad. Looked totally amazing. We all wanted one. Not a boat for inland sailing, even on Farmoor.

505 is a single trapeze class? Do you mean I14?  They are twin wire and have been for a long, long time now.  Interestingly I have sailed both at Farmoor over the years.   In fact joined as a winter member a few years back in my D-One

Forget the BB is that a pair of Navy crocs with matching socks? 😉

I spent a year crewing in modern 14’s.  Great boats. Expensive and I have to say full on, but the cutting edge IMO.  I am currently taking a break from dinghy racing, albeit I was dragged out of retirement  for a 6hr race this summer.  Over the years I have helped establish some new classes, raced all over the country and parts of Europe.  Favourite ever class is the 505.  Single handed is the D-Zero, albeit I’m biased given I helped set the U.K. class up and my mate is the designer.  My absolute favourite event is the Lord Birkett @ Ullswater.

You know when you have really caught the bug when you are chiselling ice off your boat trying to get the main sheet thawed at the Bloody Mary regatta.

Ultimately what burned me out was the travelling for regattas and the monotony/politics of Sailing clubs.

I will say the simplicity and beauty of sailing a boat is a joyful pass time.  So enjoy OP

If I could find out how to post a photo again via STW I would show photos of my tyre wear.  I actually purchased specifically a SG RR in trailstar over the new compound recently as I personally believe it to be better made and longer lasting.  I would love a speedgrip 2.35 Hans dampf as I believe that compound to be a better all round rear tyre.  But they won’t/don’t make them.  Reason being ‘the soft rolls as fast and has exceptional wear rate’ was the answer I got when asked 😂

I have found addix soft compound to be fairly woeful.  My recent Hans dampf lasted a couple of months with side knobs falling off.  My Mary’s haven’t faired much better to be honest again side knobs starting to crack and rounding off very quickly!

Yes, Invisframe and no…In short.

Longer answer.  I would 100% Invisiframe all of my bikes moving forward.  The invisframe on my new (ish) bike is showing some marks from a couple of accidents i have had.  I will say i will plan on removing it after 18 months or so as i still struggle with the logic of protecting the paint for the second owner to enjoy and riding a beautifully finished frame hidden under tape (my frame is gloss and Matte finish so you lose the effect with Invisiframe)

Purchase direct from inivisframe, they will also sell you replacement panels when the inevitable happens.

In terms of fitment, it takes time if you want it done properly.  Make sure the frame is stripped and laboratory clean.  If the bike is used, or you have ridden it i personally wouldn’t bother as you will never get the frame clean enough in my experience.

Just to reiterate…it’s not the cassette that’s stuck it’s the lock ring!!! Don’t fancy heating it until last resort prefer to try some penetrating oil first.  Not really after advice how to remove it as I have done loads Before.  Pretty sure this will go with some plusgas and persuasive ‘flexing’  diesel is a good shout but will try a tidy can of fluid first.

Was after folks views on suitability of other brands of penetrating fluid other than plusgas, which I only seem to be able to buy online.  Also I don’t mean good old WD40.  I mean their specific stuff

I do indeed mean the penetrating fluid variants of 3 in 1 and wd40.  Not the standard shiz.  It’s also not the cassette stuck on the freehub it’s the lock ring.   Just reminded me I needed to stock up on penetrating spray.

I have completely ruined an addix soft Hans Dampf (new style) in a couple of months.  Side knobs ripped off, through to canvas.  My friend got a month longer but had the same issue.  Schwalbe won’t release the tyre in a slightly harder compound in 2.35 for some reason. It’s a shame as it’s a good back tyre and far superior to the old version.  Sadly the soft compound is woeful on a the rear in my experience.  It’s like they have taken a step backward to Schwalbe of old!!! I have Michellin Enduros fitted but switched out to a Mary 2.6 soft and Super Gravity (trail star – took some searching) Razor as a rear for summer duties as they role so much faster than Michelin’s.  I don’t like mixing tyre brands.  Much prefer the Mary to the Michellin front tyre.  It’s more forgiving and predictive I find.  Ideal setup would probably be Mary front DHR rear.  If I could just get over my OCD

Hmm, well I can’t say I have felt any obvious squirm on hard pack trails such as BPW.  Certainly anything that has ever caused any concern.  I even run the 2.6 Mary now which is more pronounced.   Certainly more confidence inspiring for me than any DHF has Ever been.  Now most of my riding is FOD off piste stuff, but I ride hardpack during regular BPW trips and have never ever had a problem with a Mary.  Bigger issues are rolling rear tyres off the rim, luckily rimpacts and super gravity casing helps with that

I don’t think you’ll notice any squirm from a magic mary.  It’s a fantastic front tyre across pretty much all trail conditions.  Personally I didn’t rate the DHF WT, found the tyre sketchy on the transition from centre knobs to side knobs.  Mary is much more predictable.

Could do with a follow up article by STW now…. some panorama style investigative journalism.  Basically looks like they have done a runner now!

Anyone with experience of both care to comment on Coed Y Brenin vs Staunton?

Yeah, people don’t really know Staunton and get confused when some says FOD.  Yes it’s in the forest but the trails are all off piste and about as far from the trails at PABA and cannop/sallow vallets as you can get.  Trails like bunker are far and away more technical than anything I have ridden at CYB I would also say they are harder on rims.  It’s not rocks that are the issue it’s square edge hits, things like dropping onto a pronounced root will do it and god there are plenty of them.

Like Alex I have trashed more rims in FOD than anywhere else, but bear in mind 90% of my riding is there! I can’t talk about the halo rims personally but it’s the first I have heard about them being prone to denting.  Like I say maybe raise your tyre pressures or run a slightly heavier duty sidewall to help prove the the rim bottoming