I ordered some stuff late Wednesday (probably after shop hours) and paid by Paypal. Got an e-mail first thing this morning to say it’s been dispatched. Can’t argue with that service really … maybe I’m one of the lucky ones!

I use Elete drops in my drinking bladder – seems to do the trick in reducing the chance of cramp occuring in the first place.

Only place I’ve seen them for sale is CRC – they look expensive but a medium bottle (270ml?) lasts me almost 6 months.

A friend of mine swears by a single paracetamol when you start to get that ‘slightly crampy’ feeling just before a full-on leg seize.

I really like my Endura Helium – it’s light, reasonably priced and seems to be quite robust. I think it errs on the side of breathability rather than waterproofing although it’s kept me dry enough in some pretty foul weather. Rolls up to the size of a windproof shell so it tends to live in my pack most of the year.

When the weather warms up a bit I just go for a gilet – North Face Puddle has done me proud over the last summer. Just wear a l/s base layer or l/s base + short sleeve jersey underneath.

I remember a couple of years back our lap times were over 2 hours because of the mud – way way way beyond anything remotely fun. There were riders ditching wheels in the transition and running round quicker just carrying a frame. At least those guys were putting the effort in – a lot of teams ‘took the night off’.

I’d do the Wiggle 6 hour event again (the course was great in the dry) but never a 24 there again.

Endura Helium perhaps?

Generally don’t like wearing waterproofs but this one’s light, really quite breathable, good fit and material seems quite robust. Probably errs more on the side of breathability rather than waterproofing which suits me fine – saying that it’s get me pretty dry in wet-all-day-rides.

Looked at mirrorless/interchangeable but then saw this[/url] which probably would suit me better for the sort of stuff I want it for. Only previews currently – no reviews as yet …. not sure what the release date is.

Lost count of the number of pairs of gloves I’ve given up on because of this – latest casualties were Seal Skins Winter gloves.

Best winter gloves have been Aldi ones from a couple of years back – but they’re getting pretty tired now so I’m out looking for replacements.

Thought of the Endura Deluge review here[/url]

Also Gore Countdowns (review here) are on the list as a waterproof option or maybe Alp-x (review) as a non-waterproof option.

Struggling to find a shop where I can try them on though …. don’t want to blow more cash on something that doesn’t do the job I want it to.

Any other recommendations?

Got a pair on my hardtail and love them although I tend to use them mostly at 150 then drop them to 120 for road bits (great for the commute) and long climbs.
However, I’ve gone into downhills forgetting to extend them after a long climb and they’ve done pretty well – plenty of support but still nice and supple. The bike does feel different but I put that more down to the change in geometry of the bike.
Worth checking the user manual (on the SRAM website) – I vaguely remember seeing some warning about using them in reduced travel mode but that might be my memory playing tricks.
Cheers,
Simon.

…. and a couple of Cavedale from Saturday just as it was starting to snow

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IMG_5940[/url] by Simon_R[/url], on Flickr

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IMG_5934[/url] by Simon_R[/url], on Flickr

Didn’t see many people out at all – almost had the trails to ourselves :-)

Up the Roman Road towards Hope Cross

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IMG_5964[/url] by Simon_R[/url], on Flickr

Looking back down onto Jagger’s Clough

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IMG_5982[/url] by Simon_R[/url], on Flickr

Heading back into Castleton for tea and medals

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IMG_5993[/url] by Simon_R[/url], on Flickr

Rab Meco 120 …. all the benefits of Merino but dries and wicks much better. Sleeves are a good length too

Been looking for similar … came to the conclusion that a Rab Generator pull-on would do the job I want best (low weight, small pack size, warm when damp) although couldn’t decide whether I’d miss the hood so the photon is a close second. Haven’t yet hit the purchase button though …….

I recently had a similar issue on an RP23 – except I think mine was on the compression stroke. Sounded like pivot or rear wheel bearing clunking. After replacing bearings, checking for cracks etc then noticed I also had about 5mm of very undamped travel in the inital part of the stroke. As I understood the explanation, air had got through a seal and the oil was foaming (don’t quote me on that). Service c/o TFtuned sorted the problem.

Neither really offer that much in the way of long downhills but I prefer Cannock for the rocky black-graded bits, the switch back climbs and the opportunity to do a few runs of the downhill tracks over at Stile Cop (about half way round). Cafe at Cannock is appalling though …..

Llandegla does make a great breakfast stop on a weekend run to North Wales :-)

I’ve had nothing but good experience from Wiggle’s customer service department – had to return a few items in the past under warranty which were dealt with quickly and all items exchanged without any issues at all. I guess being the original purchaser meant I had a genuine claim ……..

Another vote for the Osprey packs …. got a Raptor 14 which does for the 90% of rides and a larger Manta 30 for “big days out”. They’re very stable, comfortable and easy to pack – pockets on hip belts are dead handy for getting a quick feed.

I was told that Cavedale is home to more than 100 species of slug …. maybe that’s why it’s so slippery :-)

Endura Superlites for me – great value at about £50

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/clothing/baggy/product/superlite-short-33068?_brc=1

Hey billyboulders – nice bike!

Don’t see too many of them around :-)

…. and ‘my ex’ ….

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IMG_2470[/url] by Simon_R[/url], on Flickr

My Ragley Ti …..

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IMG_4190[/url] by Simon_R[/url], on Flickr

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IMG_4187[/url] by Simon_R[/url], on Flickr

I replaced a Gore Phantom with one.
Really like mine – great for cold/dry(ish) and wet/mild(ish). Comes into it’s own if the weather’s showery or drizzly. Don’t expect it to keep all the water out though – if it’s cold and proper wet I’d still use a proper waterproof.
Nice big reflective bits on it too for intentional night rides and misjudged short winter days!

Nice – I’m interested too.

Might be a dumb question but how do run-times compare before and after the XML upgrade?

Another vote for the Osprey Raptor. I’ve got a 14 litre one and seems to do me for the bulk of my riding – nice and stable, comfortable and seems to hold more than the 14litre capacity suggests it should.

Neoguard, front Crudguard and a pair of waterproof shorts for me. Lost count of the number of rear guards I’ve broken so given up with them.

(LOL @ cheez0 :-) )

Review of the Teva Links here …..

http://www.sicklines.com/2011/12/12/review-teva-links-shoe/%5B/url%5D

Anything that dries quicker than the 3 days my AM41s have just taken has to be a good thing! Think I’ll be giving a pair of the Tevas a go this winter ….

Just had some stuff done (forks serviced and a rear hub rebuild) at Buzz Cycles in Belper – seem to have done a good job for a reasonable price and great service – very friendly too.

They’ve also got a few nice looking Lynskey frames hanging up in the shop ….. maybe I’ll treat myself to a Christmas present!

Not used them for a while but I know people who regularly use Holts and they’re always pleased with the service.

Used the Swinnerton’s shop at Cannock Chase a couple of times now – they seem pretty good.

5’10” and I ride an 18″ Five and a 16″ Alpine 160. Five has a 60mm stem whilst the Alpine runs a 50mm. Bars are wider on the Alpine so positions on both feel similar – certainly after a few minutes riding both feel pretty natural.

They might look a littlt bit ‘shell suit’ from the front but I like the Endura Superlite shorts. Long-ish cut that doesn’t seem to bunch too much. Got two pairs on the go that have managed to stay waterproof through 2 winters – we’ll see if they last a third.

My dual position Revs have been going strong for about 6 months now – still feel smooth and no issues with air leaking between chambers. Less faffing than the dual air versions plus I like being able to reduce the travel.

We’ve stayed a few times at the Chill Chalet and camping at Le Versoyen doing the DIY trail-finding thing. Also did a guided trip with the White Room.

Enjoyed all options although it was great to have the White Room guiding to find the less obvious trails and sort out shuttles, etc. Food was amazing too and you probably can’t beat the view from their chalet.

I’ve got both the RP23 that came with my Alpine and a custom tuned Pushed DHX5. Depends what I’m riding but 90% of the time I prefer the RP23 – seems to pedal way better and easier to push into corners – I guess there’s the small weight advantage too. The only time it seems to struggle is repeated big hits particularly if it’s warm (think Pila tracks at the height of summer) – performance is fine to start but seems to get very inconsistent as it warms up. RP23 also seems to need a service fairly regularly – perhaps smaller oil volumes and not as good heat management means that the oil breaks down quicker?
Granted the DHX is way plusher and great for fast, rough and sustained tracks but that plushness makes the bike harder (for me!) to jump and manual.
Cheers,
Simon.

I’m 5’10” with short legs (!) and originally had a 16″ for a lot of the reasons given above (smaller, more manouevreable, etc.) – this was a great fit and I did all sorts of biking on it. Unfortunately frame cracked after about a year (weld on top of top tube at junction with seat tube) despite having a well fitting and long (~420mm) seat post. My LBS and Orange thankfully looked after me with the warranty and replaced and rebuilt the frame free-of-charge. However, I was advised that I had too much seatpin showing and this was likely to have been the main contributor to the crack. So, I was advised to go for an 18″ replacement. I went for the bigger frame and it’s been a perfect fit – no loss of ‘chuckability’ and probably easier to get more grip out of the front end – don’t miss the loss of standover really either.

Incidentally, I’ve got a 16″ Alpine and by playing tunes with bar width and saddle adjustment the riding positions feel quite similar.

Cheers,

Simon.

Used to be a BMX track over in Mickleover too – not been over that way for a while so not sure whether it’s still there.

Yep – they can crack. Mine has just gone at the weld between the seat tube and top tube. Not particularly impressed seeing as it's only about 15 months old. Haven't had a chance to speak to the dealer yet …. that's a job for next weekend.

Had a problem with waterproof shorts delaminating – similar to most of the above stories they had been washed at 30degC with Nikwax washing liquid and were always drip dried.

Dealt with Wiggle and they returned almost by return of post. Replacements seem to be going strong so far.

…. not found any pads that don't rub but another vote for wearing some thin knee warmers underneath

The 5 is great up hill – steep seat angle, long-ish back end and bags of traction means it's my lungs and legs that give out first. I don't ever bother winding down the forks either (a set of coil Pikes). Slightly odd feedback through the pedals in low gears but you get used to that after a few rides and it doesn't affect how it climbs.