tyre boot
2x tubes
pump
punture repair kit
spare mech hanger
brake pads
chain links
multi tool w chain splitter
survival blanket
laa’l bit of lube.
sknackitos.

I only pack the porn on looooong rides. :D

“What do mean by gore cut offs?”

army issue gore type waterproof trousers cut off into shorts.

get them on flea bay.

I got some of the endura waterproof arse shorts as the part waterproof/more breathable thing appealed.
After 3rd/4th ride the seams leaked – badly.- quite disapointed.
I had washed them as advised.
Back to Gore cut offs with braces me thinks.

Have you tried Swinley?
I occasionally go there when the Somme (Epping) gets too much.

The Chilterns are good fun ,not as muddy as Epping.But still muddy!

For me though the Surrey Hills are best darn sarf during the Winter.

I’m going epping later though :?

Do a langdales adventure -iron keld/loughrigg etc etc.
My fave “all weather” ride.not muddy.

I’ve got a 2010 p7 with 140mm forks.
It’s so good I sold my full suss!
’tis a keeper.

that’s easy , TURNIP. :D

Had the same problem and used the ideas mentioned above.
Look ahead , outside pedal forward ,push the bike away etc.
But the one that made the difference for me was to consciously drop my inside elbow. Once I built my confidence up it came natural/automatic.

16″ here. I’m only short ,so they look bigger! :D

I find that in winter/cold conditions i get tired more quickly than in the summer. I’ve always put it down to the simple fact of ground being softer therefore its harder to maintain momentum as in the summer. Also i suspect my body is using more energy keeping me warm.
Don’t know about air thickness , but it does take me longer to get my lungs working when it’s cold.
I agree with trail rat –
I find it best to start off winter rides cold.

A few years ago i was riding a snakey bit of singletrack in Epping.
I came around a tight bend and some tosser had pulled a tree into the centre of the trail.
They had also snapped branches off ,so it was like a tarzan style jungle trap.
I wasn’t able to get out of the way and hit a spike on my shin ,skewered my leg – into my calf.
Left a bloody big hole in the side of my leg which needed quite a few stitches and ended my leg modelling career!.
It could have been much worse.
I’ve always stated that if i ever see a cowardly tosser leaving trail booby traps I would have a couple of “friendly” words in their ear!

That is very amusing and thought provoking.Thanks.
10/10.

Smart.
Fair play to the riders – some of those stacks hurt.
Plus ,the straight was steep.
I don’t think they pre rode the course either.bonkers.

Ta for the vid.

Hungover Epping bogtrot on Saturday(it’s not that bad actually)
and a Surrey Hills and a North Down Adventure on Sunday.Early doors.

^^^^^ as above

Plus,it will be harder than you expect it to be.
Definitely worth doing.

Depends on location/conditions –
36/38psi lakes , 38/40 psi darn sarf in the dry, for instance.
Too high a pressure i find I just bounce off things.
If there was a lot of tarmac/fire road I’d go higher pressure.

sierra nevada/alpujaras (spelling!)
you’ll love it.

ciclomontana time!

Putting dry under crackers and warm clothes on when you’ve finished! :lol:

post ride Banger & cake.

I drove 1hour3/4 to get there.
I had fun. I’d go back again.

Do ftd and the monkey twice and you’ll feel like you’ve been on a bike ride.

10/10.

I could happily watch hours of that.
Ta.

north london village.

:oops:

loved it. ta.

i like the brewery driver with the “mountain bike”
or cowhorns as I knew them.

I hope so,though sometimes it can be hard to get motivated.
Although when I’ve had time off t’bike I didn’t even lurk on singletrack.
Now i loath losing what little fitness I have, so that also spurs me on.
You know that feeling when you’re climbing a hill after 3 months off the bike? – horrible.

Have a couple of weeks off.
Then go somewhere you love riding.
ride with different/some people
Don’t sell your bike.

depends on the shift pattern I’m working.
prefer the long one one the way home though.

done

cowboy junkies – trinity sessions.

Nice bike – maybe too much rear brake cable. :D

“Is it only in Northumberland that they hang dead moles up on fences?

Why is it done??”

My grandad used to catch moles for alot of the local farms – West Cumbria.
He would put them on the fence to show the farmer how many he had killed.
more moles = more cash/ale .

As a child I used to go with him ,
you put the barbed wire through their lip.
Horrible I know – I always felt a bit sorry for the moles.
Got to see some amazing sunrises though.

My local shop is ace. :-)

Wind .

and setting off in a wind assisted monsoon.

I’m either going to epping or t’chilterns. – You’re welcome to join.
noonish tho’ – got to work first.
J.

Bet they have a stall at cycle show next year. :D

mental!

Kbrembo – ace film & Big Country .Smart.

no problem here.

It was cold yesterday and windy –
I always swear by my windproof gillet to keep the cold off my chest.
Also getting warm & dry clobber on v.quick after stopping has helped my snivel ratio.

stumpy01 – thank you , but no gps – compass will do.
Basically -if i hit a road or run out of trees I’ve gone too far! :D

I plan to explore and do the marked routes after.

J.

Thanks all.
Just the type of advice I was after.
I’ve been planning a visit for a bit so i thought i’d better do it before the D2D. :D
I’ll park at BCP
– the best singletrack – is that in the quadrantbetween A1065 & B1106? I’ll take a compass.

Looks like tuesday now tho’.

Cheers,

ciclomontana.

accept no substitute.

I went up a couple of weeks ago.
Very impressed at the use of the terrain.
The effort that has been put in for the lovely switchyback climbs alone is obvious.Clearly designed by people who know.
Fair play .

There was a post a while ago about driving long hours to get there,
I drove 4 hr round trip and did monkey/dog twice , I was glad I went.
A nice alternative destination.
The locals were v.friendly too.
J.