It’s a sliding scale of harm, but drinking heavily, smoking or doing drugs whilst pregnant in this day and age is just plain f&ckwitt skanky and is the preserve of the same type of people who let their dog’s crap on playing fields, or drive without a license or insurance.

I don’t subscribe to the ethos of let people become as fat, or lazy or skanky as they want, as it’s their business – the end result often means the rest of society have to pick up the bill, either financially or otherwise.

The 3rd party oil that is consistently recommended for servicing Pikes is Maxima Maxum4 Ultra Ester 100% Synthetic 0W30

fwiw I’ve serviced my pikes using it. You can buy it in 1 litre bottles for approx £14

Buy here http://www.24mx.co.uk/maxima-maxum4-ultra-ester-100-synthetic-1l-1

HTH, cheers

Julzm, good info, thanks.

I think I will try and give one of the pmba rounds a go and see how I get on.

Thanks for the views, advice and feedback guys,much appreciated.

thanks Ian, I could (try) and compete in XC from a fitness perspective, but the format, culture and courses just don’t appeal to me. I’d rather give competitive road cycling a go, if that makes sense. Again, no disrespect to XC riders.

I’ve no doubt that the riders who would win an ‘easier’ Enduro event would be those with the best skills, who took the most risks and were fit. My point was that such an event would allow less skilled riders to be able to have a go at Enduro and enjoy the experience and learn, whilst as a secondary point, hopefully avoid injury (no guarantees on that though)

Have the bike/gear deviant and have done BPW, trips abroad, skills coaching, etc, but I’m just a bit wary of biting off more than I can chew and ending up on a stage with drops or jumps that I can’t handle.

Sheer steepness is less of an issue, it’s when things become non-rollable that I reach for the eject handle ;-)

Hebden bridge, so PMBA would be ideal for me, but I’d been put off from entering so far as I believed most of their rounds were pretty full-on gnarly. I.e. The most recent round at Lee Quarry and Cockhill.

If PMBA Gisburn will be ‘easier’ then perhaps it might be worth a go, although I appreciate that the speed the top riders will cover the stages will be in a different league to me (and that’s fine, I’d be there to have fun and learn)

Thanks for that info. Yes, Enduro1 looks like what I’m after, but don’t think we have a series like that ‘up north’ yet (?)

@ninfan, I’m not really suggesting any differences to the existing Enduro format, just making the timed downhill sections technically easier.

Thanks. I’d like to think that for every hardcore capable Enduro rider on the current UK scene, there is another Joe/Jill average who would very happily pay to spend a day competing in a friendly competition where their skills would be tested and improved but without having to try and tackle the same extremes as the top riders.

Maybe a bad example, but the Ard Rock events seem to have been very popular, not just because they are set in amazing terrain and well organised, but that the courses are not mega-gnar and are rideable by Joe average.

According to BBC weather forecast (for Reeth) it’s going to be 43mph winds tomorrow afternoon…. Eeek!

Hannah Barnes once bent over in front of me to pick up my lift pass I’d just dropped at the Fort William cafe

Ahh, the old ‘damn, I’ve dropped my lift pass’ trick, works every time. Classic.

By bending over, was it a full touch-her-toes type move, or the more subtle (and boring) bend zee knees like a laydeee crouch-down ?

….crying at the steep and gnarly bits and sweating on the other sections…

now revised to ‘the tears in my eyes from the howling wind will disguise my crying at the steep and gnarly bits and sweating on the other sections… :-)

Just got some POC bone VFD leg guards for uplifts and the more gnarly stuff (or where there are lots of thorns etc) good product, very comfortable, although I had to cut he last 1″ or so off the bottom of the plastic shin guards to make them fit me 100%

Edited to add – online review at http://www.basquemtb.com/long-term-review-poc-bone-leg-armour/

+1 Ciclo

It just isn’t possible to get any better ;-)

Can’t wait to go back

Agreed

I went to CC for the first time recently and despite the current closures, had a fun ride round the dog and monkey loop. Worth going if you are in the area. The only two comments I’d make are

– quite a few of the decent sections are plagued by really bad braking bumps, not the end of the world, but it would be far more fun to ride without them.

– I’ve never visited anywhere before, natural or trail centre, where the trail is routed through so many narrow gaps between trees. It’s like they’ve tried to route the trail through handlebar-wide gaps between trees repeatedly on some sections. Don’t get it, it spoils some sections and it gets a bit of a pain after a while.

Has anyone tried the Camelbak KUDU as an alternative?

Thinking that the 18l version looks like a great size for Big Days Out.

Just done my first couple of rides using a new Camelbak Kudu 18, inc a 30+ miler across the Dales. Very impressed from a comfort point of view, the pack seems very well constructed. I’ve put a 2l bladder in there, although it will take a 3l size in the dedicated zipped compartment that also houses the Velcro sealed slot for the back protector.

It comes with a zipped tool roll which fits in a dedicated internal pouch, plus a soft-lined sunglasses compartment, as well as a small zipped pouch for phone/keys. The external strapping is good, which when combined with the two external side pouches enables leg and elbow armour to be loaded on, for long climbs.

The main waist strap has a pocket on each side which I used for gels/sweets.

The main backpack compartment also has a few netted compartments, which I put a first aid kit and a spare tube in. There is room for a jacket, sarnies and some space left if you wanted to take some additional clothing. Compression straps on the sides mean the pack can be compacted down once filled. Underneath is a pull-out rain cover.

All in all a nice bit of gear.

+1 for POC VFD 2.0 knee pads.

Great protection and comfortable enough for a day’s pedalling

I usually ride alone, or with 1 or 2 others.

Each time he was behind me i kept thinking i had a leaf or twig caught between my tyre/frame, but no, it was the whirr of his Bosch motor.

He was in jeans & jumper, long trousers, not breaking a sweat (unlike me).

Is this the future

Did you use his QR axles to nail his hands to a nearby tree, then short the ebike battery to light a fire underneath his writhing body in true 15th century witch-burning Stylee.

Fekin e-bikers, huh!!

^^ Absolutely fekin useless without the chain mail under suit ….Ffs please!

Just about to order one of the new Camelbak Kudu backpacks, which has an inbuilt spine/back protector and offers an alternative to Evoc and POC

As the post above points out, it’s probably a very good idea to not put keys/phone/etc in short pockets too…something I need to stop doing asap

Just out of interest Skydragon, have you ridden one?

no and I’ve no interest in doing so.

I get the fact it’s a modest power assist rather than press a button and shred. I also respect the fact that for some disabled people, an e-bike may offer a way of experiencing cycling which they might not otherwise be able to do so.

But I still stand by the view that if the average Joe starts buying an e-bike as a way to experience MTB riding (possibly fuelled by the belief it will be physically easier) then we are going to see a whole load of problems. If MTB e-bikes start becoming mainstream, I personally believe this is a bad thing as per my OP.

As already pointed out, when you get too old to pedal, there is the option of stopping riding (the route I will choose in the not too distant future)

“Allow mountain-bikes and next thing you’ll get motorbikes” is a common line of reasoning I’ve heard from the anti-MTB crowd, the appearance of E-bikes will mean that they’ll finally have something to back this up and you can well believe they’ll milk it for all it’s worth.

+1

Wake up and smell the coffee – They aren’t mountain bikes….if you want to ride a trials or MX bike fine, but go and buy a motorbike – an e-bike isn’t a bicycle.

I appreciate that some manufacturers will be pushing the press hard, with a glowing vision of bigger sales and a new industry segment, with more and more people taking up MTBing as an e-bike will be seen possibly as being more accessible for unfit fatties, but I find it really disappointing that the MTB media (inc ST) are promoting them, rather than questioning the wisdom of their usage in UK

Why – IMHO they are going to cause significant problems for MTB riders in UK coming years, as walkers and other land users/owners won’t tolerate e-bikes in the same way as they do current MTB bikers (barely in some cases).

They have a place, beside Segway hire, at places like centre parks….

Pedalling some dry and dusty trails in Southern Spain with Ciclo Montana….think the weather is about 20degC and sunny ;-)

Bringing up a young family is difficult Bedds, at the best of times. Add the pressures of work, money, etc and at times things will get frayed. Don’t beat your self up.

When people get stressed they usually revert to core behaviors and character traits, good and bad. It’s also normal to reflect our own fears, frustrations and aspirations in our children’s upbringing.

Perhaps this is about gaining a fresh perspective?

It might be worth breaking the cycle and trying to do something new together. Something that you can both do together and (the difficult part) something you can say ‘whatever’ to if he flips out whilst doing it.

Things often happen in phases with kids and you may find his behavior changes competely in time. You may have to go with the flow for a while though and be as patient as you can. Eventually you will both succeed together, if you put the hard work in.

HTH

Dezb – my thoughts are with you and I hope the coming time enables you, despite the sadness, to be in a good place, able to find closure and preserve positive memories that are important to you and yours for ever.

Nothing ,not one thing*, at all can I think to thank him for, never mind great.

Hard as it is for you today Dez [ and others] at least you will have the memories. Some of us dont even have that

* I promised to not be like him with my kids, does that count? I had a similar experience. The legacy of my Dad’s behavior has caused me many issues through my adult life. I spent many years trying to rationalise and work out why he treated my mum so badly and why he left home when I was a kid and why I never saw him again, but as I got older I realised that simply he was a alchoholic, lonely and probably suffered from depression. It still makes me feel bitter now writing this, but it has helped me learn to enjoy people who genuinely have something to give and to move on from those who are a negative drain on energy and life

…..I tried gaffer tape and tiewraps first and that didn’t work….so I used the only two other tools I had to hand ;-)

Thanks for the feedback chaps

My mistake in describing the bearing arrangement – yes there is a metal lip between the two seperate bearings.

I’ll look into making/buying a suitable puller

If you go, don’t expect to get much sleep

+1

Went a few years back, with speedchills (good choice, Google for their website)

The 4 days was a blur of alcohol, sleep deprivation and loud music, with a bit of motor racing thrown in for good measure. There are a LOT of very drunk people there, but most are very well behaved and good humoured. It took me a full week to recover, which included my falling asleep in an management meeting at work….

The year I went was worth it if only to see Audi beat Peugot in the final laps…100,000+ frenchies with faces like a slapped arse….priceless ;-)

It’s a great experience and should be on everyone’s bucket list….but not the place to take an. 11 year old IMHO

I was planning on doing cut gate tomorrow, will it really be that bad?

I did it on Tuesday, the rocky parts are fine, but much of the route is hike-a-bike and you’d be better waiting for drier conditions. HTH

I like dogs (and most animals) but really object to those dog owners who are lazy, irresponsible and anti-social;

– Those who let their dog off a lead in a public place and think it’s acceptable when their dog runs up to and jumps up at people.

– Those who let their dog crap in public areas and not clear it up

you seem to be under the impression that a dog off the lead is dangerously out of control? A dog can be out of control but not dangerous and a dog can be off the lead and not out of control and not dangerous.

An out of control dog in public area is totally unacceptable. Just because it doesn’t bite someone, doesn’t mean it’s ok.

There is a distinct difference between a dog actually, genuinely being threatening and someone who is afraid of dogs thinking the dog is going to inure them

Sorry, but that just boils my piss. I wouldn’t say that I have a fear of dogs, but when a large dog runs at me and up to me without warning, it is frightening and unacceptable that the owner should not allow this. At best I don’t want someone’s slathering mutt putting mud all over my clothes, or having my jacket ripped, at worst I don’t want to be bitten.

It seems that the problem is getting worse, maybe it’s just my perception of it, but there do seem to be a disproportionaly large number of dog owners who cannot maintain control over their dog. The common theme is the dog is let off a lead, it sees something (walker, rider, other dog, etc) and goes running off. The owner has no control over the dog, the dog hasn’t been properly trained and just ignores the owners shouts. It’s only once the dog reaches it’s destination that you know what will happen – will it bite? will it maul another dog? will it stand there wagging it’s tail?

A month in a Mexican brothel, your pockets would be empty but the old w@nk bank would be topped up for the rest of your (probably shortened) life

Oh yea……

Photos?

@superficial – I can believe that Fox make products that can be improved upon. Just because they are a world leader in bike suspension doesn’t mean they don’t also turn out some products that are mediocre, built to a cost and with room for improvement.

It’s a bit like saying Vauxhall make motor cars that can’t be improved on…. or Apple won’t make a sports watch which relies on the GPS of a phone which doesn’t work at low temperatures…. making it not much use at all for some sports activities ;-)

It’s not rocket science and all Vorsprung have done is found a simple way (like the Debonair air can upgrade) of improving the standard shock performance.

Let’s not get too hung up that the corset will miraculously provide a cure all and somehow also in the process make you a better rider. For me, it’s made my rear shock feel a load better and I’ll settle for that thanks.

@ Edric 64. – no that’s the 650b gastric band….the ‘must have’ enduroesque accessory for summer 2015, available in neon yellow or dayglo blue ;-)

Got mine, works really well. Surprisingly ( to me anyway) it makes my bike climb better, as well as descend better.

Have a read of this thread here

Post up after you’ve had a play with the volume spacers.

A nice ride out in the Peak District today, confirmed that reducing my volume spacer from the mid sized one, to the smallest (ie. 2 sizes smaller) now results in the correct ramp up and full travel usage for me.