Id be happy to go ride stuff in the area – yes.
I dont need to be led around
and looking at the cable car descent Id have sessioned that for the rest of the day.
In fact I hope that is what we do in December.

So not a problem.

Ill be out there over Christmas and despite all your rambling moaning about the trip, I can still see me and my friends having a cracking time.

And re-reading your complaints, its still nothing that would have bothered me on the trip.

Ill let you now how we get on.

I wonder why you cant recommend the region as you are the only person Ive ever heard say that.
In fact Im going because of the region and that my friends keep going back to train through the winter.

Im going at Christmas and cant’t wait.

I’ll let you now how we get on.

Side Boob – sweet! :)

Bradford Royal are freekin amazing.
I went in with leg cramp and swollen ankles – turns out its kidney failure, they did every test under the sun and Im so grateful.

Those are BB30 which are not the same

Problem with Press-fit Shimano is that removing the cups from the frame will destroy them.
Its not an option to replace just the bearings.

Not sure if FSA ones have replaceable bearings.

Sorry but you need awesome service and low prices on certain kit.
We have one, try to be competitive where we can on the other and are looking at ways to get stock at better prices.
Then I hope it will be a win win situation

Im not following this.
So it seems its ok for a manufacturer to flece the UK with over priced bikes.
Yet the LBS is flamed for trying to sell at RRP.

Its a tough industry alright.

I think the distributors have done a great job over the years, but the industry is changing and Im not sure how they will get on.
Look at Kona pulling out of Paligap and now distributing centrally in Europe.
The prices are still the same.

I think Evans are the main shop that is doing what you say along with Edinburgh.
It would be a shame if the UK goes how you describe in Australia.

But m interested to hear from distributors on what they are trying to do in this as they could be the biggest losers.

The industry is a mess and the traditional LBS is getting a poor deal.
They dont have the cash flow or buying power to get bulk deals, they have to go through UK distributors for key stock. (warranty backup being one reason)

I see the rise of big companies like CRC, wiggle etc dominating the high end market and the LBS being lost apart from the shops where selling bikes isnt the main business model, or selling cheap family bikes is profitable.

Im re-evaluating our approach to our shops and looking into possibilities of dealing direct with manufacturers in the far east, and selling our onw branded kit, amongst other things.

One thing is for sure, that a lot of people are merely driven by price and the LBS will do ok if it can compete on key items.
Also CRC often only discount 8-10% and matching this is ok.
And this is often from their wildly over inflated RRPs anyway.
(Yeti ASX RRP £1899, it never cost more than a grand.)

Its a realy tough business to be in.
But Im lucky, the guys in our shops have politeness and customer service by the bucketful.

sixteen quid, thats a bargain, Im currently working in Norway and paid ten quid for a 33cl bottle of beer last night.
Pizza was twenty quid for a simple pizza and side order of chips was ten quid.

I thought that ABS was standard on bikes from Halfords or is that they set their brakes up not to stop you.

Horsforth, Meanwood, Adel, Roundhay, Esholt, Thackley, Calverley,

If youre staying in the centre of Leeds then dont drive go from the city centre to the canal and head to Esholt from there.

Plus there is a great route back Through Headingley and the university if you like urban tech like stairs and drops and stuff like that.

205 GTI was a sad loss, but sooooo much fun, used to enjoy racing mates on the moors

theres a guy in Roundhay who is brilliant with stickers and there’s Peateys Coatings in Rawdon.

alternatively I know an anodising company

We need you man

Are you riding this Sunday, I need to blow the Norwegian cobwebs off, Im tired of meeting tall blonde beautiful women all day it gets tiring.

I thought of dropping a line through this v going round and losing a minute
http://forums.mxtrax.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=57907&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1291022010

AH I like your thinking

As always but having an alternative line that could save you a minute compared to a chicken run that will cost you a minute, that would be excellent.

Clearly some will see it unfair but then that will balance out peoples choice of bike or skill.

Ive got something coming together will you give me a hand designing the course if you ever get a chance to come to Leeds.

how do people feel about this;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8aUQVidVDg&feature=related

I mean I think its great

the good riders gained a massive advantage.

We ran an uphill race for the first time ever this year in January.

It was fifteen minutes of pain for me, just over ten for the winner, but was a lot of fun and then we had the ride back down.

Keighley gate: from Ilkley college to the masts if anyone wants to join us un future

Hoopdriver I know what you mean, and for me.

Id like the downs to be wide enough with line choices that the less fit rider can gain some advantage.

And again trying to equalise the balance between skill and fitness.

I know that the fastest riders will be both fast and skilled, but the best bit about racing is the middle order (where I usually race) where people are racing more closely and any slight advantage gained through skill is rewarded.

Im not sure on what you mean by unfair.
the idea being that if you cant ride a section then you go back and take an alternative slower route or try again.

Having done some xc racing the complaints ive come across are that riders run sections rather than ride them, simply because its quicker, but if you were penalised for running then the whole idea is that a more skilled rider gains advantage. thus equalizing the skill/fitness a bit.

Im still not sure on how it will work, but any helpful ideas are welcomed.
not the Biftas thing please.

Hoopdriver, I dont understand why you are being a cock about this.

Im simply looking at ideas to make a simple XC race a bit more interesting and to make skill a factor in the race rather than simply fitness.

no its not penalising, its line choices to gain an advantage.
its pretty common in lots of other events.

the skill factor comes in to it over and above simply fitness.

yeah, Im just mulling ideas over at the moment, maybe save the retry rule for the uphill sections.

If after all someone crashes going down then first aid might be a higher priority

just had a thought
If you cant ride a technical section then youre sent back to either try again or do the chicken run.

Its a bit like in motorbike enduros where riders cant get up a muddy hill, its brilliant for the crowds as riders keep battling up the hill.

I just think it might work out as a bit of a fun spot for spectators but a key point in a race where skill can save a few seconds in a lap and thus prove the difference between a fit rider and a skilled fit rider.

and as far as Ive ever seen, the XC whippets are usually the most skilled riders too. I remember doing gisburn on the 575 with Scott Thwaites he did two laps to my one on his Carbon Lapierre hardtail and rinsed me on the descents too.

Rock sections that are technically challenging to ride up and very steep with drops on the way down, rooty wood sections on steep descents that are difficult to ride with drops and gap jumps.
But always with an easy option.
Ive been riding a lot of motorbike enduros and the line options are an excellent way of gaining an advantage for the skilled rider and Id like to replicate that.
Sorry didnt give a full description on the last post.

problem is that running a technical section is often the fastest option up a hill and sometimes down, and I dont want that to happen so need to sort a way of stopping this.

what Im hoping to achieve is a course that incorporates fire roads tech rooty woods, rock sections and some fast flowing singletrack.

my plan was for multiple line choices based on skill level
the more skilled rider obviously getting an advantage both up and down, and for riders wanting to carry their bikes through technical sections there would be marshalls on hand to give you a ten second stop – go penalty for being a pussy.

Personally I think it will be great. Like I said I have the private land with all the above so sustainability is not an issue, just need to get organising.
different weeks will see variations of the course and could include less technical events for pure xc. or cross.

In exactly the way you just mentioned
the take up is better and smoother so accelerating out of corners is smoother down shifts smoother etc so the quality of the ride is improved.

I packed mine with thin Brass strips seemed to work well and improved the ride.

They are implementing SAP at the moment and the training for the staff is shite, so I dont think youll get sorted very soon

I think there arent enough local events.
But who’d bother organisng something.

I suggest two races and get flamed.
Maybe it comes down to the attitudes of mountain bikers..
Ill still be doing my road events but may put off the mtb stuff in favour of cross.

I think there are enough people on full sus bikes who’d like to race to fill an event, not all events are about persuading newbies to race.

Racing isnt all about inclusion, its about competition.

Oldgit, I agree with you as I want to organise old school XC racing where the lightweight hardtail with the fittest rider is king.
However I also want to look at new formats where the current mountain bike that is ridden by a lot of people is the ideal machine, currently there is no format for that at the moment.

And I dont mean gravity enduro where ex downhill racers clean up.

As for the velodrome, a lot of road racers want to race track but have no facilities in the north East, so the Leeds veleodrome was intended to develop grass roots track racers.
As Manchester is very busy and not that accessible for a lot of people especially schools.

As for BC supporting grass roots events, they are happy to take your money, but dont provide much in the way of support – not even a Gazebo, the TLI is easier to deal with.

“The only way to get something done is to do it yourself”

couldnt agree more.

As for comments on the British not being good at Marathon racing.

Did you see Neil Cramptons result at Cristalp this year?

17th!! and that is a result and a half.