Whereabouts in Cardiff? I’m lecturing in Carmarthen tomorrow but will be passing back through mid afternoon.
Oh and it’s Paned for tea ;)

Og08’s Daytona.

chaos – Member

Anyone tried one of the lighter weight Buffalo tops as a single layer for winter?

e.g. http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/Teclite_Cycle_Top.htm

I was wondering if it would still be too hot (the standard Buffalo definitely would be)

Yes, I have the Teclite shirt, not the cycle specific one. It rocks. But then I am a massive Buffalo fan, and still have and use my Belay Jacket I bought in 1996. I think during the proper full on freezing snow part of winter then I’ll be digging the DP shirt out for riding in.

Um, ok…
First bike was this RM80 big wheel which I bought for £80 with paper-round tips at the age of 14.

It went well, and I crashed a lot.
It’s also on this pic, along with my first road bike, a TS125ER, then a CB250RS that I won a trophy for second place paint in a show in ’98, and the TR1 I inherited after my Dad died in ’98, with my first effort at making pipes (no laughing at the back, I was 18 and didn’t know about preformed bends!)

Haven’t got pics of the KR1-S or FZR600 Genesis that passed through my hands.
Here’s the Transalp I bought in ’99

Here’s another of the TR1, in streetfighter stylee early ’99 I would guess

Then I bought and built a DR600 supermoto, this is at Cadwell in 2000

Then I had a break.
Got back with a GPZ500, then a Speed Triple which I still have, but with a few tweaks, at one point I painted it yellow with an R90 fairing (lurking in one of the other pics.

Firestorm I had for a while which went well but the small tank spoiled it.

My £150 winter bike-

The Guzzi V11 Scura that was lovely, but not the most reliable, though better than the Aprilia I had later..

SR500 street tracker I built

The Hayabusa I had for a while and had flat out twice

The Caponord which put me off Aprilias for life

And the Tenere

which I still have along with the DR600 I’m building in a hot rod style

Sorry for the massive post…that’s all the ones I have pics of and can remember.

Girlfriend’s Octavia vRS; open bonnet, unplug stuff, unscrew stuff, remove headlamp, work out which bulb is which (bloody H7 faff), change bulb, replace headlamp, reconnect loom, screw stuff back on, close bonnet. Probably 10 minutes at the outside.
My Partner spaz chariot; open bonnet, unplug connector, undo spring clip, change bulb, spring clip back on, connector back on, close bonnet. Ah oldish stuff…just as easy to do as on my old Mog traveller.

neilsonwheels – Member

306 estate here and a 1 minute job and that’s taking a wee break half way through.

Either your wee must come out at a heck of a rate, or you might want to get your prostate checked..

Thanks BB.

I penned the route linked in my post above from Aust.
Still working on attending. Knobblies have gone on the Ten ready for winter so it’ll be the Triumph if I can wangle it.

aka_Gilo – Member
If we go up the Talgarth Rd we can stop at the Honey Pot cafe – good food and cracking homemade cake.

Agreed, I normally stop there on the way to the Dragon Rally each Feb.
What date is it? 29th/30?

ir_bandito, how much was the service if you don’t mind me asking?

Guys, it looks like I might be spoken for that weekend. Either way have a look at this route and see what you think. Some clichéd bits are in there like the A466, but there’s ice cream at Tintern abbey…The Rockfield road out of Monmouth to Abergavenny is a nice one, in Aber there’s the bus station for tea and wee, out of Aber head through Crickhowell and then take a right on the A479 Talgarth road. A nice set of bends, but watch yourself on some of them. I deposited my Ten into a hedge here. After Talgarth loop back on yourselves towards Llangors lake and down to the A40 at Bwlch where there is a wicked long left as you leave the 30 limit. Don’t ramp it up too much though as you will be taking a right, though it appears to be straight on) off one of the bends towards Llangynidr. This road will take you down and across a beautiful narrow bridge and then up and out of Llangynidr where you briefly rejoin the B4558. Keep an eye out for the sign for Beaufort off to your right, and swing up there into possibly my favourite road of the route. As you climb up Mynydd Llangattwg the road opens up and you get great vistas, but watch out as there are sheep, and also delicious well surfaced hairpins. Several places to pull in off the road for admiring the view, or taking a leak. Back on and take the left towards Llangattock. This is a fast piece of road, for those that think they’ve got balls. Blind rises and bumpy surfaces will have you questioning if you want to wind the throttle all the way back. I’ll leave that choice to you…
After coming down into Llangattock and cresting the canal bridge, hang a right by the traffic lights and head to Gilwern on the A4077. Enjoy the gloom under the trees and swear at the nanny state double whites. At the roundabout with the A465, head to Govilon and then once through Govilon take a right towards Blaenavon. The road climbs and the surface is not the best in places, but it rewards commitment. Again once up top there are places to stop and take a breather and drink in the views.
As you come back down into Blaenavon you pass the old Ironworks site with it’s forboding furnace buildings, and the restored cottages that were used in the BBC’s Coalhouse series. If you like hot chocolate, take a left at the traffic lights and visit Choc’s Away on Broad Street for a delicious hot choc and cupcake. Otherwise straight on and towards Varteg. After passing under the restored railway bridge the road swings left, over a cattle grid and then opens up. Like the earlier section to Llangattock, this is a quick bit, but with blind bends. I love charging along here at the ton, fighting the wind as it blows through the valley.
Slowing for the 30 there’s a few bends and then a chippy on the right if needed.
This part is probably the slowest and dullest, head down into Abersychan, hang a right to Pontypool, down onto the A472, then a bit of the A4042. Take a left into New Inn, a right up Jerusalem Lane at the yellow old folks home, then at the crest, right to Llandegveth reservoir. A few cheeky bends and then down to the dam. Across the dam and hairpin right takes you back up the hill. Stay straight through Coed y Paen and keep going straight on, including through the strange bend junction, until you come to a Tee Junction. Take a left to Usk. At the bridge by the petrol station take a right. Pass through Usk and then before the A40 take a left to Chepstow. Stay on this road all the way to the Racecourse garage, where a right will take you back out of Chepstow to the M48.
Enjoy.

PeterPoddy – Member
Is that a Mk1 Raspberry Riple? With a single headlight and 2 exhausts? Is it all black? If so, bring it! I luuuuurve those!

Yes, but wearing the top half of a Daytona fairing with a light blanked off in an endurance stylee, and a few other tweaks and fettles.

AndyRT – Member
Shedbrewed: I’ll leave the details up to you, but remember a few of us will be doing a couple of hours before we meet and then to get home again, so it’s more of a social than a marathon. If the blackstuff is as good as I hope, then we can go again in the summer, to do more, for longer.

No problems. I’ll google map it and then people can have their own copy too. It will be more of a scenic quality route than a head down thrash route. Incorporating tea, petrol and ice cream stops.

MKCHRIS, don’t sweat bike choice I’ll either be on my Tenere or old Speed Triple.

What about head torches for those of us who prefer not to ride with a helmet? Any worthwhile tat out there?

I’ll get on it then, presuming we’re meeting at Magor Services just off M4?
Duration?
Distance?
Lunch/tea/ice cream stops?
Sat or Sun?

Fitted six of these 60 LED bulbs into my kitchen when it was redone. They work well. The light is a little strange being so white/blue/cool compared to the natural light, but it’s fine for cooking with and all that. Fitted some of the 21 LED bulbs into the bathroom when that was done, and they aren’t really bright enough.

I’d be keen to tag along. Just North of Newport. If you read Bike magazine, October issue has a bit on a Welsh road. I guided the author that day. There are some beautiful bits of road and scenery near me. I can put a rough route together if people want it?

But hey, don’t worry-

Tsunamidave guarantee’s the Ruby’s used in these products are genuine and of a high quality.

It’s very good, but it does make me think of this-

from 0.45 on…

Another tip; before you go to put it in gear bring the clutch in, blip the throttle, clutch out, then back in and into first. Makes all the difference on my Tenere.
On my Speed Triple I just rock the bike forward gently and I snick first and that helps too.

Going back to 2001/2 and after a motorbike whoopsy left me with a pined left wrist I had to put away the Mongoose SGX and ride something with suspension forks. Check out the Lovely Judy TTs (still in the shed), rear brake only, big-ringing it…

The frame snapped by the seat tube/top tube about a year after.

My friend Phil had one of these-

Which I borrowed after one house party to go and get some bacon and milk from Morrisons on. After nailing a set of footbridge stairs my foot spun on the pedal at walking pace and I’ve still got the scars on my shin today.

Slipped in the bladder part of my Kriega R20, or documents section of R35.

Went to watch the welsh CX at Risca. Bugger me it was warm. Well done to all those that competed.

CharlieMungus – Member

me, and i wanted to see Wolverine too.

Yup, gonna go for a poo instead.

I ran beartraps on my Tricross for a year or so, because of these reasons-

ahwiles – Member

off to work? – there’s the bike, no gimpy shoes needed.

off the pub? – theres’ the bike, no gimpy shoes needed.

poppin’-off-the-the-shop-anyone-want-anything? – there’s the bike, no gimpy shoes needed.

and if I bailed off in the woods it was easier than being clipped in.

xiphon – Member

Josh Bender’s monster…

I was about to suggest anything Karpiel[/url]

hels – Member

Would I look like a normal size person standing next to one of those Van Van things ??

I dunno? I’m 6’2″ and make an Enfield Trials look small;

but I don’t care, the VanVan is so awesome I must own one at some point. I particularly like the purple colour scheme, though it would have to have a brown seat. They made a 200cc version for the domestic market, same as the Yamaha TW…

The hub would be fine. I raced (my first, whoop!) on the weekend with an Alfine hub and had no problems

Probably overkill for that usage surely?

I picked up a can of Barbasol Aloe Vera when I was in the US last. Probably the best fizzy shaving product I’ve used. I also used Lush Razorantium as it meant you legitimately got to go into Lush and talk to hot girls. It worked well as a shaving product too.

Then I gave up and grew a beard, and will leave you with this message-

:)

Some Merrell trail shoes that I got from Blacks for £35 18 months or so ago. Stiff enough sole for pedaling, grippy enough for having to deal with walking/pushing up sloppy trails. I give them a coat of nikwax after they’ve been through the washing machine and they work fine. Foam rubber insoles too which come out easily for cleaning.

Ok, well 125s won’t wear the tyres so hard as larger bikes; less weight, less power, less wear. Keep an eye on the tyres for the cracks and punctures etc, but truth be told you will probably get another 6000 miles out of them just fine. :)
Bigger bikes are more fun, but that said I REALLY want a VanVan, and I’ve 6 bikes in the shed and used to have a Hayabusa!

Hels, first off what is the bike, and what type of riding do you do?
The legal limit for tyre tread on motorcycles is 1mm over 75% of the tyre’s breadth.
You also need to be aware of any perishing or cracks and damage to the tyre.
What you will find though is that the rear tyre will square off if you are doing long periods of riding on motorways or dual carriageways for example where the bike isn’t leaning through corners.
The front tyre may also start to do some funny things such as develop shoulders and low spots.
Start with the legal depth and then see how the tyre feels when riding.

Thanks for the replies peeps. I’m happy enough that the bike is light enough; 853 inbred, Recon race fork, alfine hub. Yes I could go and buy something lighter but I’m around 14 stone 6’2″ so not wanting to go too light and fragile.
I pre-rode the course on the Saturday and made it up all but one of the climbs (the really boggy wet grassy one). On race day though sheer numbers of people meant I couldn’t keep momentum up so was off and pushing/running with the rest of them. I’m not very good on the technical sections, so will see about addressing that. I was passing people on descents purely by going for it, no real skill there.
I will look into interval training; I currently cycle around 50 miles a week on road and hopefully will be doing CX too, to take on board your point Ollie T about racing helping.
Oh and I thoroughly enjoyed it. No cramps but I did feel a stitch coming on in the early parts.

Sweet, my Tricross is the 09 with the zert forks, and apparently perfectly fine to continue abusing.
Thanks for the heads up.

Just to add I doubt it was anyone from here, but I handed something in to the registration tent that someone had lost in the first wooded section. If you lost something within the first 5-6 minutes then shout.

Yup…moist and muddy…

tollah, where were you placed for pics? In the foresty section with a Dean bike?

Have to say I, and the rest of Team Stoned Fish, thoroughly enjoyed it. Big thanks to the organisers. Boy was it muddy.

Please, for the fire risk you are looking at, use parafin instead.

Yup, first race so looking forward to it. I’ll be easy to spot as I’ll be riding tentatively so as not to do any more grief to my sciatica. Alfine 853 inbred, sporting beard…

Gotama – Member

Shedbrewed – Do you commute all year round?

Yes, the Tenere gets covered in waxoyl/acf50 around November. Prior to me having that I used a DR600/CBR1000F/GPZ500.

Good warm gear, handguards/muffs and a bike you feel confident on are my method. I did a 650 mile trip a couple of winters ago on the Tenere from South Wales up to the Lakes and then across to Durham and back to see family. It was in the week between Christmas and New Year and I can tell you this; when you are riding along the M6, there are warnings of ice and it’s -6’C before you factor in the windchill from traveling at 80mph you are really glad of good clothing.