No?

Ok…8 mins to edit then…THINKS!

Any excuse…lol
It’s a structure that certainly controls an aspect of the environment 😉

I can see that stoner. 🙂

But would it work if the chain was routed onto the smaller sprocket first then around the jockey onto the big one?

Pedaling backwards seems to me a touch less efficient, which during it’s original design wasn’t i suspect, a big thought..

If you dropped the chain running from the front ring down to the smaller rear ring, then it would alter the gear ratio..Early 2 speed?

Insinuating that i look like the little alien? I do hope not! 😉

Andy, can you put a link to the page the image is hosted on?

Take a Scoot, no chain and fully ridged is the way to go.

I read that in a coaching book i got for a tenner so it must be proper good.

Good to see and ride with/be a part of scaring ya both on the dartmoor gurning trails 🙂

As for thew pics.. Mmmmm, milky nipples and i’m glad i crouched a little to look even shorter in the pic..

Good times and a cracking(ooops!)ride.

As Grahams probably half asleep i’ll start the suggestions with….

Standing next to a tree, a really big tree.
Tree must be wider than the length of the bike..

Jedi, more than just a bike coach?

I had a sex therapist advise me just the same.. 😛

No case build up intended 😉

Was that IanMunro’s voiceover in the vid of 5lab?

The bit when he’s on the floor groaning, Ian that’s a sneaky way toi slip in your bedtime talent vid 😉

Snapperchick was snapping all weekend and will have free to upload pics linked from the bonty site.. IIRC.

Good to see ya Andy x

No don’t get him banned.

He’s here to provide a feeling of importance for those who think he’s a douche bag.

Alternatively, he’s making his own opinion known whilst still promoting UK bike skills.

If people keep reporting posters every time someone fights their corner right or wrongly, we’d end up with out the characters that make this place what it is and also feed the trigger happy mods.

Was he sweeping up the swarf coming off your gear shifter Dez? 😉

Ah yes the RAVE.

Oh how i mocked them when at at 4am i climbed that hill again and all was silent over there and at 6.30, not a sound..

Just no staying power have they, not like us ravers lol

I was not the only rad skilled whippet in a team of bumbleing nonces. Others were putting in respectable times below the hr mark. And with that pressure, i may need to borrow something lighter than my CXDHAMXC bike 😉

😛

Ride on the moor this Weds?

10am at yarner?

No?

Arse!

😉

Enjoy your new found lack of free time, though it’s good to know all that fitness and weight loss will return to more user friendly levels..

Might see you at the weekend if i can break the cuffs here.. 😉

What a great theme.

Only recently have i been indulging myself in the delights of pollen providing nature.

Orchids and bleeding hearts have always provided me with a ‘How wonderful’ thought.

Now the close i look and more flowers i look at, i just think WOW!

Healing vibes mate.

All the cool kids have broken their Collar bones.

A discussion i had with Bullheart this weekend.

Some people fuelled by hype and media promotion think nothing on spaffing hundreds of pounds on a bike/product thinking it will make them a better, faster rider and when new five hundred pound 140mm forks don’t quite do it, they sell them for 250 and buy a new set with a further 10mm, maybe even a new frame, brakes, wheels..the list go’s on..

In this world, it’s thought easier to buy a material product that’s considered right to improve your ability in lifes adventures and in some cases that’s certainly true.

How many riders on bling bling sex wee machines, have been out ridden on trails, by someone on a shonky old HT?
They have two options to change this IF they wish to..Buy a better bike/component…well that’s not worked? Or be a better rider and learn better technique, change bad habits. How you go about gaining that knowledge/ability is up to the person.

I take it the person who say’s they can learn it all from the internets, watches pron to improve his performance as a lover, as opposed to those who pay for great tuition from those who ARE great lovers.

Shameless plug.http://WWW.UKSEXSKILLS.co.uk 😉

Loved the random soft toys dotted about the course, wonder who stole the gel from the squirrel!

+1

Hamish, the results pages works, but for me took ages to load up..

Always offer to help.
I was even fixing bikes during my walk around the coast.
Best moment was years ago when i gave a forign tourer a wheek as he’d worn his down, not only had he gone through his tyre, but he’d worn his whole rim (rear wheel)away 8O.
Hopefully the old wheel got him to his next destination/bike shop.

Not only are we all cyclists and need to help each other, we’re all of the same species and share the same land.

Be good to others and enjoy it when it comes back to you.

Also as always, it was ace to meet new and old peeps.

Help a sticken solo rider carrying no spares 😕 i loss precious minutes on what would of been my sub 50mins lap. 😥

And also glad the lady rider got her phone back after i stopped to pick it up on the course..In future, if you are a lady rider, and you carry a phone with you then go on to win the category, please could you keep your phone charged so when i go the check through your numbers(to notify someone i’ve got your phone)i can stalk you easily and get your number 😉

Thanks for the mention at the end, it was my pleasure. 🙂

What we had there at 24/12, is what i believe to be a proper MTB endurance course.

The ascending wasn’t so bad as to be soul destroying, as the fun interesting section there after, where rewarding. Other than the two main big climbs, the others shorter sections of height gain, provided us with challenging bit of technical climbing and more sections of woodland fun.

During the night laps as the air and and ground got moist, conditions were said to have got slippery, however i felt them improve as the once tacky ground felt quicker with less resistance, as for the roots, well roots need to be tackled in a way to prevent them affecting you. A technique i feel alot of riders would do well to learn about. Avoidance and speed/power management was key for me for anything where the roots were anything more than about 45degs across the trail. Which means if you need to ride over the roots, don’t brake or pedal hard whilst on one. Anything else was just hit at normal speed. The bomb whole section was fun and momentum was important here, grip was always good, but a run out was needed so not having a rider in front helped in easy problem free progress through these area.

Moor riding: Such fun, fast and swoopy, however the sharp change in pitch on two tight corners did catch me out a more than one occasion. Then there’s the rock sections up there, Stay upright, have a low centre of gravity and straight line it the best you can, FUN!

Entering the shooting area was a chance to utilise my rather notchy bashring, which is like a 44th chainring, but dartmoorised 🙂 It’s all wide and smooth down here so lets wind up the speed a little a get this bit done and get on with the second half of the lap.

Across the bridge and into Plasticine alley, plodding in here means your in for longer, work hard on the tacky sections and the less tacky bits will feel better, the challenge along this stretch was that rooty section and only once did i almost clear it, stooling on the big root at the top, all other efforts were twarted by bikes and bodies or lack of momentum. 🙁

Now to climb two, keeping the sections turning i think broke it up nicely, instead of one long straight climb, we climbed a little, turned sharply, climbed steeply, levelled out, climbed, decended, climbed gently, then levelled out again before another steep section.

Final sections of woody rootland meant a little down, a bit of up and some across taking us to the grand finish.

Cottage return, Just sodding awesome, after all the ups, downs, up downs, etc as i dropped than that cheeky right hander over the low wall and through the last few bombholes, i knew just what was around the corner, a short wide gravel track, then that left hander across the rocks and rapidly heading downwards, jink left, right, jump rocks, avoiding pinches, maintaining rhythmic flow, i’m back in the 44th bashring and winding up momentum, a clear run again..blisss! left, right, left… powering up the slight rise and into the big roll in, still clear ahead YES! 🙂 A few big turns and speed increases, twisting, carving turns, mind the roots, this is super fast…tree step or straight line? Hell yeah, left, step, land, POWER!! go go go, stay right past that root, cut left, relax, rattle over braking bumps, GITS! right, left, right, scrubbing off speed down to the road, over the bridge and into the campsite. HELLOO, Oooo, still more fun, is it clear? hope so, left around barrier tape, roll in, step up over roots, back end twitching, left, up onto last straight and under the arch. Lanyard off and now somelses turn…Who’s up next? ENJOY 🙂

It was great fun, an exciting course and topped off with great company.

Thanks to all concerned.

I never got on with them, either pinch flatted them alot or tore the side knobbles off, great race tyre, poor trail tyre for my type of riding IMO

Kindness, support and friendship, shared, given and made via this very place..

On the whole an all round good community,with some fit women riders too.

Awesome!

Just had a nice wet un in the cleave.

Looking good for the weekends giggles.

Before you come up the ramsbottom combe, you’ll of passed a small carpark on your left, with a small bridge over a stream.
The chimney comes out opposite this from the south.

To find the top of the trail, you’ll need to find triscombe stone and ride east along the road from the carpark(or better still find the trail to the right of the road, it run parallel to the road. On a right hand corner, a farm track heads of to the left and a barrier blocks traffic from going straight onto a forest track..You go around the barrier and continue on the forest track, pass a turning to the right and look out for a grassy track on the left, there’s usually a few puddles on it. Go down this and it turn steep for a short section. The chimney is the obvious gully dead ahead.

Was going for the social, but it now appears that team Bullheart want me to do all the laps so that can all get rattered 😉

I haven’t the mental ability to ride to race and not necessarily enjoy the riding i’m doing.

No amount of training and support can make every rider a racer IMO.

I’d rather be having a laugh than coming in at 120th place with all the training and support.

As they will not be ridden till practice on Friday(I think) the trails will not be heavily affected by the recent weather. The forecast is great for the next couple of days, so any surface water(other than that one usual damp area) should dry up and make the course dry and fast..

If it rains on the day, it might get a touch greasy, however with the weather looking on the whole dry, i’d say it’s going to be a fast grippy lap or 20 odd.

I was the taller of the two in that pic. Summer 98, so i was around 26.

My CV is about as good as it’s ever been if not better.
As a teen i was playing a lot of county standard badminton and doing athletics at the same level, 100, 200 and 400m. These were both high intensity exercises but for short durations only.

Back then for me cycling was just a means to get places, then once i left school it became a means to get to and from college/work.

Somewhere along the line my body craved what i believe to be a chemical release, meaning i needed to ride bike, so by the time i got into my early 20’s, i’d be riding after work, to work, and over the weekends..Nowhere specific, just places, random ones, but as i now know, that’s me!

During the 90’s i was at my most physical fittest, i’d bulked out by intense efforts on building sites, but around this time my partying life style had increased therefore cycling lessened a little. Then i fell into a mind warping marriage where the cycling ended and work increased so i looked very fit but wasn’t as fit in terms of CV.

At around october 2004, i was introduced to mountainbikes and once again i felt that chemical release, i needed to ride and ride lots i did. I’d leave work and grab a couple hos intense riding, i’d get out before work if necessary just for that kick, the more i rode the less i wanted to be with mrs mindwarp, so whenever she was about i’d clear off out, meaning us splitting, hoorah! However, i was burning more calories than i was taking on board, and with no fat reserves, my upper body bulk was absorbed reducing me to a now svelte racing machine, or scrawny **** depending on your own thoughts.

I was now free to ride everyday and that i pretty much did for 4 years, sometimes just a couple hours, but mostly for 4 or more. I was barely eating, not drinking enough fluids but still i charged around like a mindless, crazed biking machine, running on empty became normal for me.

My life style isn’t exactly great for sustained cycling efforts, but somehow i feel i’m better than ever now, stronger in the legs, good recovery rate and heart rate in a safe area. Yes the body aches from time to time, mostly the damaged areas knee, shoulder, but at 39yrs old, i do feel fitter than i did 10 15 years ago?

Yes, but could i party and chase women every night? Maybe..

About 14years ago when i thought i was fit.

Last summer when i was fit but not feeling it at times.

However, i think fitness is within. For me cycling plays a big part in maintaining my fitness, that and a healthy outlook on life and of course a healthy diet.

Technically not as you’ll not be insured and it’s private land,so the race organisers are liable whilst event is on.

Borrow a race number, plenty of teams will be after a rider i’m sure, wear a begging T, i am..

Fanks guys!

Elfin, send me an E-mail and i’ll attach you a some like this one.

As for the weekends riding.

My commute to work..

Waiting 😉

Almost there..

Nice weather up top and not a bad view.

Fowl likey bike 😯 (top left :wink:)

Nooooo kissing please!

Commute back..

Not such nice weather or views up top..

And a funny fish.

Thanks again all.

Sorry i couldn’t attend the full show CB, One could say i ended up working that weekend and as you know it’s about time i did some real work.

Logistics to get back in time for the Monday weren’t in my favour so missed out on that one too 🙁

Still great to see ya’ll int the sunshine outside the pub at lunch time, i must say you had a handsome b’day ride group there.