Or don't go that far and come here http://www.forestfreeride.co.uk

The 2.4 folders seem pretty big to me, certainly seem bigger than +.2 over the 2.2's

I could understand it if you were southern 😀

Nasher I don't use owt, I just rely on the fact that the pain is only short lived … before it becomes total numbness 😉 I'd ignore most of what I say though as I am the kind of person who'll strim 5' high nettles in shorts, trainers and no socks.

I imagine (as ivnickkate says) any half decent warm gloves should help.

You can always come and do the Welsh Ride Thing as seen in issue 54. Sounds like it should fit your criteria pretty much to the letter … 3 days riding, 2 nights under a hedge and all in the middle of nowhere 😉

If you want proper details email me forestfreeride@aol.com and I'll send over the details

Stuart

When I use the strimmer (big one) in summer I do about 1/2 acre at a time. It's not uncommon for the feeling in my hands to go, takes an hour or so for it to return. Chainsaws never given me any trouble but I imagine I pick it up and put it down quite a lot when I'm cutting wood.

Enjoy it!

Conti' race kings in tubeless guise here then.

I use a mattock a lot when building stuff here … we've a lot of gravel in the soil and I find it much easier/quicker than a spade. Good on roots too if you need to clear any. Whackers are worth their weight in gold too if you're building a lot but I recall mine was over £300 and that was a cheap one.

Stuart

LOL @ ScottChegg

Slowjo … could well be. I'll have to do some digging around. If it is it'll explain why he survived 😉

No idea fellas, sorry.

Slowjo his name was Henry Wright if that helps any. I know he also served on the Iron Duke for quite a spell.

Grandfather survived the Hood sinking … don't know much about it though. He died when I was a kid and my dad died a couple of years ago, so I've no one to ask. I do have some pics of him in uniform when he was serving on the Hood.

I think we're bloody lucky to have people who want to turn a out a magazine like ST month after month, going off some of the comments here it's a thankless task.

If you think there's something missing from the content then set to and do something about it. ST is one of the only magazines that seem to welcome submissions from non journos. So if you want to see an article about uphill tandem racing … write one. If people put more effort into 'doing' rather than moaning we'd all be better off 😉

Sorry but I feel better now.

The one on my PA is still going strong … It's got a chainstay cover over it, it gets cleaned every so often and for the money I can't really fault it.

Stuart

I've just had a look at the GF 14" inbred … tyre clearence should be fine, plenty of room.

I also just realised that Conti' do explorers in 24" so she wouldn't need to be lugging the heft of jump tyres or high roller 2.7 super tackys!

Get in touch with Gil off here … it's what he does.

gil@thecycleshed.co.uk

Stuart

If you have (and I'm not saying they have) the land owners permission then anything is fair game. You could ride your mountain bike down all the footpaths in the world if the land owner says you can.

I sometimes get MXers coming through here. When I ask them what they're doing they tell me they have the owners permission … when I reply that I don't remember them asking me they often get a little arsey 😉

Can't see it causing any real problems. It'll drop the BB but that might even improve things (not that there's owt wrong in the first place), otherwise the relationship between the wheels remains the same as with 26".

I've flitted between 24 and 26" wheels before and to be honest haven't had any problems or even noticed that much difference. The only problem I found with 24" wheels is the weight of the things … but they are built for a certain purpose. I must say there is a certain 'directness' with 24" wheels which I like.

I've got stuff with various incarnations.

• NS Bitch 1×9 (36 front, 11/26 rear) It's pretty DH biased though.
• PA 2×9 (22/32 front, 11/34 rear) it's the bike I mainly use for instructing on.
• Banshee Scratch 1×9 (34 front, 11/32 rear) Mainly trail centre type stuff.
• 456 2×9 (22/36 front, 12/36 rear) Gets used for guiding duties … the 36 rear is a handy bail out gear just incase 😉

I've got one bike with a big ring, an Inbred that gets used as an off road tourer/workhorse. I'd miss the big ring on that.

Stuart

Don't know if it helps. I've just been and measured mine.

69 degrees unsagged running a set of Marzocchi 130mm travel forks that are 510mm axle to crown.

Cheers
Stuart

'Tis always nice when there's a happy ending … and there's also the warm glow the instructor gets seeing someone accomplish something, it's a win win.

Well done.

Me too … UK 10 in 'normal' shoes etc. Got both high and low 5:10s in a UK 10, fit fine.

Not got one but I've been looking … you might have put me off now though 😉

Have you bought one Earl? If so, what's it like?

Cheers,
Stuart

PS. Won't the BB spindle length effect clearance more than crank arm choice?

Aye, same light as the dealextreme one … it all depends if you consider £30 extra worthwhile to get them quicker and (hopefully) have a full years warranty from a UK company.

As for the lights, I can't fault them so far, seem well made and an awful lot of light for the money … mine came from lumilite BTW.

Just to throw a spanner in the works … some jumps are that badly made, they're dangerous 😕

If something has a tendancy to 'kick' the back wheel up as it leaves the lip, I'd consider pre-jumping the thing instead.

Stuart

For normal riding a clipped in foot position on flats is fine, problems tend to arise on technical stuff particulary if wheels are coming off the ground … the problem (feet slipping off the back of the pedals) is often compounded in these situations by people riding too far off the back of the bike.

Stuart

Glenps dead right … infact I can't think of many instances where you'd ever want to be pulling up on the bars … one of the most common riding mistakes people make.

Oh and the second half of a bunny hop (moving your upper body forward, dipping your tows down and pushing back through the pedals) will more often than not result in a heavy front wheel first landing when jumping – never a good thing 😀

Stuart

People tend to lose their feet on flats for 2 reasons.

If your feet come of the side of the pedals chances are you've let your legs become straight (knees locked), If your feet slip off the back you need to move your foot forward on the pedal … this is very common when people move from clips to flats. When clipped in the ball of your foot will be pretty much over the pedal axle, on flats that position is quite unstable when you're riding technical stuff, so push move your foot further forward … somewhere around an inch should do the trick.

There is a 3rd reason which involves cr*p pedals and poor shoe choice 😉

Cheers
Stuart

I bought Tons off him … now on a single speed and I like 'em 😉

I've got them on an On One Inbred that I use for general riding / off road touring.

Very impressed with them. As you say, both pads move (as with hydraulic discs) so the disc doesn't bend as it has to with normal cable set ups. It's a semi- floating caliper design very much like some motorcycle set ups from the 80's.

I've never tried BB7s but these are certainly the most powerful cable discs I've used … they almost feel like they're not a cable disc. Very easy to set up too.

If I was in the market I'd certainly buy them again.

Stuart

It looks like there's 3 sorts.

• 'Normal' riser bar
• Flipped riser bar
• Straight bar

I've still got a Rock lobster 853 from many years ago … it's been a superb bike. For a few years it was my only bike so got used for everything.

I'd certainly buy another one if I was in the market but if you really want a Soul how about secondhand … your budget would go a loooong way.

Hiya Ian

Well speaking from experience I'd say if it's something you fancy doing part time then you've nothing to lose. If you're thinking as a full time job then you'll struggle. People don't seem to feel the need for a guide in most of the UK, once they travel abroard a guide becomes more accectable in peoples minds.

Out of everything we do http://www.forestfreeride.co.uk guiding only accounts for a small percentage. Often people want guiding on return visits because they've had a taste of the area whilst doing a skills course, etc and fallen in love with the place.

If you want to pick my brains about anything feel free to email me forestfreeride@aol.com

Cheers
Stuart

That's right DickBarton … that's what I said up there ^^^

I was sorting out some stuff with her 18 months ago. She was going to send customers to the Uk through winter to help extend her season.

She came over for a week, we rode, finalised details and costings, she went back, I've never spoken to her since … it'll be about the same time she vanished off here.

I've destroyed everyone I've ever had inc' 2 crank bros ones within 4 months and they come with a 5 year warranty … then I bought a Superstar one, it's still in and still fine after nearly 2 years.

I've had it happen … always put it down to 'newness' and extra grease.

Cheers … I'll get my machining head on 😀

Thanks for the info folks … I'll try to explain a little better.

Ok, the head tube with headset fitted is 120mm long. The thread on the steerer isn't long enough to allow the nut to screw down as far as is needed to clamp the headset. If I screw it down as far as it'll go (and pretend it's doing its job) I have a 30mm gap between the top of the nut and underside of the top crown, the steerer does reach the top crown … so, can I recut the thread on the steerer so the nut travels further down and use spacers between the nut and top crown as in stilltortoises picture (my spacers would be on top od the nut though)?

MaverickBoy surely the distance between the top and bottom crown is fixed as you can't alter the position of the bottom crown and the top crown / fork legs are tapered so the top crown will only go on so far … if I cut the steerer I'll still have my problem plus the steerer won't reach the top crown.

Cheers
Stuart