cheers

sorry its LYCRA shorts for wearing under winter tights on their own in the summer depending on how manly I feel…

lusso it is then again

thanks

paul

hello

my 2ps worth Bontrager Jones ACXs or the mud xs are superb tyres

paul

Hello Sue,

I had this PVFS then CFS since april / june and still making a slow recovery. Most people just do not understand how bad this illness can be and that attitude can be evident in the nhs too…

It totalled me physically and mentally- I gave up cycling / hiking for 4 mths ( = mental distress at being a coach potato ) as I just couldnt function anymore – I had a lot of time off work and spent a lot of time getting fobbed off by the nhs who just seem keen to diagnose PVFS / CFS and dish out anti depressants which I refused rather than treat whatevers casuing the illness – I strongly suspected Lyme disease and even had a test = negative but 2 of my outdoorsey mates had similar symptoms but they got a rash and tested positive… I am still not sure if I copped Lyme or not after a ticktastic time earlier in the year…

I am now getting out again on the bike at a much reduced level to when I stopped but even that is a vast improvement. Now I am prone to picking up anything thats going around – off work now with a nasty chest infection…

I took a lot of supplements and rested and found info on web – I was scared to death it was the onset of ME,as one doc thought it was…. Seriously take some time out and let your body heal – it maybe a few mths or a couple of years – dont push it as recovery will take longer.

email me snowpaul at hotmail co uk if you want any info / websites

Take heart,it will get better in time and there are far worse afflicted CFS/ME sufferers out there !

paul

thanks guys

rab / mtn equipment for real down jackets – would avoid NF stuff myself now

paul

Righto,

I dislike in no particular order

MBR mag = OVERHYPED marketing / magazines that pander to such bollax and the trendzzzz ie : for ever 'extreme' kit for the all singing middle manager : All mountain bikes which weigh a ton and just arent needed by most uk riders – ie full face helmets / goggles etc for normal trails which some have ridden quite happily on for 20 years with retro tech !!! 🙂

as to comapanies

PACE stuff – forks were /are shite / old square frames poorly made coupled with sublimely shite customer service then and now – thats based on personal and friends experience within / out biketrade

Orange – were brilliant – not as good now…

SSC kit for obvious forum reasons – and my pads always falling apart

Endura stuff used to be fantastic – not impressed last few years…

ISIS bbs and Crank bros pedals = dont last

FOX forks re unacceptable wear

Specialized bikes and their dismal own brand shox – but their customer service is top class to be fair

Sram gearing and chains = shite.

Shimano shadow mechs = shite.

Companies I love

Hope / Trek = ace support. I do like hope brakes too… I havent owned a new bomber so I have no prob with 'zocchi

I like Giant bikes…

I actually really like maddison for their service = top class – dislike their prices for stuff though !

I rate King despite high costs…

thats all folks !

i got done on both my visa and debit card earlier this year – diff banks each… got cash back eventually. I used the above online people ( plus a roadie shop up north ) on one card and on the other card i used 'them' and the dvla for a tax disc and local petrol stations plus that well known roadie shop up north..

I think its either the roadie shop or the well known southern uk shop that i got hit at… no probs since mind you

paul

Haha so true !

I used to crap myself with fear when sleeping in BC on a 14 week cycle tour with a mate…First few nights you dont sleep and when you hear snuffling / rockfalls / noises outside the tent – times like those you really do taste fear and feel a deep kinship with your hunter gatherer forefathers….

We had bear bangers / bear spray and hung knives in the tent entrances so we could cut our way out of the tent in case one decided to come visiting one night… we hung / caged / hid our food / petol stove bottles / bike oil / toothpaste / food / sunblock to prevent any temptation for a bear to visit us…

Would love to repeat it!

paul

I liked my K18s – munched through pads very quick and had to rebuild the levers ( known prob – now sorted )

I liked my Hope Minis / Mono minis – pads last amazing and dead easy to service / rebuild in event of a crash BUT seem to be more susceptible to heat fade I found….

My shimano deores = amazing – my shimano 4 pot Xts = sublime and teamed with Hope M4 pads last forever…

I would get newer hopes if you want to buy british and have spares or stick with cheaper shimano as unless you crash you wont be rebuilding them….

Hmmm not much help am I – on balance I would go for shimano re cost but hope for the bling…

paul

Bike tent is rather pants… see reviews…

I have toured in scotland and stayed at hostels / b+bs and bothies and much nicer…

My experience of long distance bike touring is to always take a tent ( dragged a BOB across Canada / Nz and Iceland x2 summers – you can store kit and at a push cook and eat in it if you are careful… Plus you can read / sketch / play with camera in comfort

I have a bivy and find it a bit cramped and best saved for scrambling trips…

Serious note

Midges are HORRID. Tent gives more protection. Ditto re Ticks. Be carefull. Have a great trip – am envious !

paul

Me too – mentally I want to ride / body wont let me!

Turns out I am suffering post viral fatigue / Chronic fatigue and docs are saying take a break ( already 3 mths NO riding ) or it could lead to ME. Thats scary. Thought it was maybe Lyme disease – test says negative BUT WTF has ruined me???

Paul

I offer this to you : You will probably HATE the first few lessons if you are a skier – dont give up at this point… it will take time – I hated my first few lessons with a biblical passion – that was 10 years ago and I then went on to do 6 seasons all on a plank all around the world – go for it !

wear padded shorts and wrist guards…

paul

bald and proud here !!!

more hair on my ass than my head…

paul

Dead space was brilliant and quite scary – difficult on harder settings

paul

hello

I am often in the area riding – used to guide there many years ago ! I would seriously echo the tick warning up on rowborrow / blackdown area. I have had a few on me there ( that i found ) as has the trail hound ( lots ) and also my girlfriend…

I am now suffering CFS / ME and fighting the nhs re taking the possibility of me having lyme disease seriously. I would love a night ride there when i am fit again – not been on a bike in 2 mths!

Personally I wouldnt bivi there unless in a tent !!

paul

hello

I did a whole season there in 2006 – was rather good… Its friendly and chilled with a lot of good terrain – aimed at everyone however better if you are of a reasonable standard… I also love Kicking horse in golden – that would be my bet but thats because its quiet and challenging – not that great for newbies… terrain park at fernie was insane and way too hard for me – i am more hike a plank and the powder was superb in canada but as always it depends on the weather. If you want some challenging stuff theres plenty if you are prepared to hike…

I would go canada over europe any day – as long as its affordable. Kit is cheaper out there too. If anyone in the group is proper good in pow then I would highly highly recomend a day trip to the fabulous Island lake resort for some cat skiing – i did both 'powder cowboy' and 'island lake'…

happy times – email me if you want a proper in depth resort review…

Hello

I am TOTALLY in agreement with OP – I am sick anbd tired of clearing litter up from my local wood on the biking trails – its gels / tubes / drink bottles so most likely bikers…. seen it in the peak too which is worse from a PR point of view as its a national park with a lot of potential anti biker walker types seeing it…

Trail centres which are bad for this are afan / marin. I rode across wales last year and one of the Xterra tri races had been run at afan a few days before = the place was LITTERED with used / unused gels / tubes – i was most unimpressed but i managed to find 6 unused tubes for the rest of the trip…

My local chav scalextric centre – llandegla is particularly bad for litter too… So yes i agree its often urbanites in their tracksuits from liverpool / chester / wrexham who are littering. It is really frustrating… however some farmyards are far from litter free too…

we as a community should stop littering our trails…

paul

Good luck – my best wishes

paul

I would say that as a keen photographer that anything in occuring in public is fair game – it was prob an excuse to try out a new lens / camera or to enter a photo comp !

I wouldnt have a problem at all – I would ask people if possible but again apart from waving you down mid trail what could the guy do? He sounds like he was wearing a bright coloured shirt – if it was for nefarious reasons I would have thought he would habve used a camo shirt and a long lens from a hide !!!

If it was on a cheeky trail then maybe you have cause for concern… if not chill out and enjoy the fact someone thought it was worth recording the moment…

society / people are getting far too paranoid !

paul

The peak simply kills drivetrain. I use 3 chains – rotate them and clean them lots – use wax lube there too – i have given up using alloy chainrings – i have steel deores fitted to an older style octalink xt chainset as way cheaper… tacx jockey wheels are good for replacements…

just wait till winter !

paul

sorry to hear that

paul

hmmm

done a lot of backpacking and being bitten by stuff in Australia and NZ and Japan… who knows what it is – read that sandflies can vector stuff like lymes etc – have become an internet bore re ticks now…

dont think i have exposed myself to malaria…

I am so frustrated by it all i find myself getting in a strop at stupid things – litter / bad driving / friends not returning calls n texts etc !!

paul

Glandular fever was a negative test – been tested in the past too..

nzcol

many thanks – can i email you re some questions?

paul

I hate to admit i am stressed but more i think about it = prob is a major factor

A few of my co workers are on the sick with stress too and we all hate our jobs…

vicious circle = biking / weekends away = stress relievers but not riding re physical symptoms = making it worse…

paul

stay at edale yha if poss – better spot and secluded vs castleton – albeit nearer pubs…

camping site wise – all of a muchness – i like the ones in edale

route wise – get an OS and plot away – cavedale / pindale = very techy and fun – cut gate out to langsett and back is a cracker – jaccobs ladder too if your group is good ! Word of advice if using an mbr route do it t'other way round!! a loop up near stanage is good too

I would suggest doing a loop around ladybower and up to shatton moor as a couple of great descents on that ! cannot go wrong with the riding in the peak – only downer is the hordes of walkers and bikers at a weekend…

30 miles a day in the peak is quite hard on the body i find !

woodbine cafe is great if a tad expensive – i like the cafe at the fairholmes visitor centre too…

enjoy

paul

Hello

I use german ex mil trousers – a fetching green or a flecktarn camo – they have braces and a high back so perfect for biking – cut down they make wicked overshorts

I have a spare pair of unused Medium flecktarn goretes if anyone interested? they are goretex too….

paul

its shite

to paraphrase

'head out to orbit and nuke it from there, its the only way to be sure….'

or use petrol / diesel / gunk if you are lacking a nuke powered space cruiser…

re spec shox – having sold them in the past – most if not all spec own brand shox came back under warranty via the shop at some point,,,

garbage

paul

Sram is clunky = some like / dislike, but the rear mechs really dont last well and jockeys seize up in my experience based on x7/x9 – xo seems nice but i personally dont use it – seen a number of sram shifters bust too – on balance i prefer shimano i think… wouldnt touch anything with truvativ on it either…

I do find normal xt / xtr great as is deore. Fabled cable routing advantgae of sram is overcome by using full outers with shimano – suggest that on either system.

I am not taken with shadow shimano – flimsy despite marketing bullshit…

On reflection i would suggest – full outers – shimano shifters and mechs and use deore chainrings and tacx jockeys.

all this based on a lot of useage and bikeshop experience.

hi

thermarests rock – had them for years – easy to fix WHEN they puncture as they will if you use them a lot – mine have done countless camping and multi week cycle tours – patches are easy to use – small puncs repair with just the glue – def advise buying a kit when you buy the mat too – i would avoid alpkit ones as mates had issues with them…

paul

I would be intereted – got at least 2 saddles in the parts bin i would donate…

paul

noteeth

thats awesome!!! how about some onza rip n rails?>??

paul

hello

my 2ps worth – i owned a beautiful ti bike – a certain bespoke brand – i got it much cheaper than retail – it broke – they fixed it no bother under warranty – so i like that – ti isnt indestructible – it can dent – mine was well dented from 5 years abuse in lakes / peaks / somerset etc but so are all my previous frames…

Would i get another at full price – not on my poxy salary at the present – if money no object then yes – its light / comfy ( like my steel bikes to be honest ) – maintenance re finish is dead easy – polishes up lovely = wont corrode or fade like paint.

Ridden steel / alloy frames in the past – in comparison Ti rides nice – its light and i suppose less snappy under load than ally but I think its ace… Not had much experience of carbon – not that interested – i like metal…

In summary – its a great material but is it worth the premium – debateable – would say its nice but have ridden a lot of nice and cheaper frames – but it should last longer……….

its a law of diminishing returns… plus you hate yourself when you whang it whereas a cheaper frame it doesnt worry you so much… a lot of ti nay sayers prob would love to have a go / own one and find out !

paul

hello all

i had a 6300 – it was ace – then it stopped working after 3mins of power = went back to my old rubber nokia….just got a 6301 so heres hoping!!

paul

Its great riding down there – llangorse lake area and gap route are well worth doing.

We did a week down there and had a tick fest with the collie – so beware the wee buggers !

paul

hello

having done snowdon and cadair a few times in the past i reckon they are both great MOUNTAIN experiences either by boot or bike. I did both an a 80mm hardtail – glad i did as it was a slog of a push / carry as well as a ride.

Cadair BW is an up and down the hard techy frontside is footpath only….Its doable – even in snow – last winter we biked 2/3 up and walked last third – down was almost 80m % rideable..

dont underestimate either mtn re weather or potential for injury – rescue would be harder on cadair i think…

paul

i feel for you all

hot weather + cycling =spots for me too.. must be more hygenic = mental note to self

paul

i suggest in my most humble of opinions that it should be west to east – very rideable up and a nice rocky descent. T'other way is an emotional push and i love climbing but it does give you a nice long descent albeit easier in some ways but very fun at speed – agree avoid limefitt and take longer Bw

either way do and out and back and see which way floats your boat..

its great

paul