Just off to get the ferry. Get the kettle on!!

Rob

Mmmm, now having a tyre dilema. Keep the usual Fire XC 2.1's on, or swap 'em for the Fire DH 2.3's hanging in the garage …….mmmmmmmmm…….decisions decisions…………..trying to remember how rocky it is at Kirry, don't want any snakebites spoiling tomorrows ride.
Might just bring both!!

See ya all tomorrow.

Rob

Looks like it'll only be me coming from the Dunoon outpost. Should be there about 10.15, green Mazda 323F with a silly loud exhaust. Looking fwd to meeting up.

Rob

Spongebob, in summary……
Mark has a top woman called Meg, who is shortly to become his wife. As we can't all fit at the wedding, next summer when he's beaten the big C the entire STW massive is meeting in Yorkshire for the largest riding/beer drinking session the world has ever seen.

Have I missed anything?
Rob

Amos, where abouts are you? Definately recommend a test ride before you part with serious amounts of cash.
If in Scotland there's us and a few other tandem teams up here who am sure will let you have a go.
If you can get to Ilkley then JD Cycles mentioned above are the dogs danglys and have a range of demo bikes.

For an MTB tandem specific forum, have a look here..
Double Forte[/url]

or any other questions just post 'em up & TJ, SSS or myself will be along with (hopefully) useful advice!

Rob

Can we be the first tandem team to sign up for the 'reverse stag-do' please?

So impressed with how you're both tackling this. Sandy's father was a long-term diabetic and in his later years lost his eyesight, stomach, and both legs. He still went skiing, sailing & rock climbing. Takes a huge amount of guts & determination to keep going in such circumstances, and an incredibly strong partner by your side. Sounds like you have both.

With metta,
Rob & Sandy

As an apprentice at RR Hucknall I spent many a happy day at East Midlands airport polishing the company Spitfire.
When one of the BBMF pilots took it out for a spin they'd often do a flypast over the Hucknall factory, which is based on an airfield. They'd come in so low over the airfield I'd swear they had to pull up to get over the perimeter fence!
Nothing beats the sound of a merlin screaming over your head 😀

Rob

Room for a few more? Me and possibly a few more from the Dunoon STW outpost are planning to come down to Kirry for Saturday. Our first ferry on a Saturday is 7am, which should get us there just after 10am, and ready for a cuppa!
Did the red route on the tandem last year, it about killed us! Will be solo this time.
Looking forward to a good gathering. Do we all have to wear name badges with our real and forum names so we know each other?

Rob

A 1996 Mazda 323F.
Always wanted one, and now had her for 10 years and 170k miles.
Also happens to be the ideal tandem transporter, as the roof is pretty low!

My RaceFace BB that came with my Evolve cranks died in about same time, typical life expectancy I believe. Time to go to Hope!

Rob

Guessed so.
I was Config Control Project Manager for Trent 500/700/900 in my previous life. I ran away in 2003 for a quieter life!
XWB looks interesting.

Rob

Had half written a reply, then checked back and found Col has written my words for me! How did you do that Col?
You sound like another RR bod in the STW massive.

Rob.
An ex-RR bod!

The action pics are utterly brilliant, love it. Personally not sure about the last one, but if we were all the same it'd be a boring world! Good on you for doing your own thing.

We celebrated out 10th aniversary this weekend, and yes the wedding dress is still in the wardrobe. Will show Sandy this thread, might tempt her to get the dress out for some anniversary photos on the tandem!

Congratulations and best wishes for a happy marriage.

Rob

Ditto most of the above. The difference from 9mm QR to 20mm bolt through is incredible. We went from QR Judy XLC triple clamps to bolt through 'zochhi 66's and the increase steering control is remarkable, even going from double to single crown.
DJ's are a favourite. 66's are awesome but the later ones are a bit too long. Ours are early 66 RC2X's which are coil with air preload, so very tuneable.

Rob

A family friend embarrasingly ran into the back of my mother in law. He was driving in flip-flops & it got trapped under the gas pedal & he couldn't brake. Fortunately only 15mph in traffic, but his Imprezza needed a whole new front end. Mums Yaris had barley a scratch!

walking, eating cake, and having the first aid kit ready!

Predictable but…..

mountain tandems – cool.

How else can 2 very average riders bring the Glentress freeride park to a jawdropping standstill? Must be cool. Or just comical prehaps?

20+ years and still try like I was a kid again.
Agree SSS, given up trying the tandem, can barely unweight the front enough to get through all the sag in the forks!

Would say use a hacksaw with a nice sharp blade and go gently.

Brill, hopefully join you on Tues 21st. I'll be the lost looking bloke on the black P7! Will ensure jelly babies come too.

Great pics. Am on holiday in the Lakes in a few weeks and bringing the solo. Are strangers allowed to come along on the Tuesday evening rides?

Rob

Grumm, YGM.

Rob

Am reading this with interest. Staying at Ings in a few weeks and taking the solo with me. Had this on my ‘to ride’ list for a while now. Only problem is I’ll be on my own (bit too much for the tandem!), so if anyone is free midweek from Monday 20th July and wants some company, I’m up for it.
Rob

Nice one Joh. Shame Cotic don’t do a tandem? Though think Elaine might not agree!

Rob

Try Sainsburys bank. Got our bikes worth £2k & £4.5K on the house & contents policy,less than £30 a month the lot.

Rob

Yes and Yes.
I run Hope QR and NukeProof Warhead post. Impressed with both.
Rob

Meet Nancy……

She’s not a fan of roads, though is ok with propedal on. She lurves rocks though!

Ditto scu98rkr, loose the gear windows and start experimenting with positions. Ooo errrrr missus!

I’m in Dunoon and not caught it yet.
It got our little town on the BBC news though. Come to Dunoon, marvel at the scenery, enjoy the hospitality, and get swine flu. Great.

Rob

Sneeze…….cough…….cough…..sneeze……….

Is Chuck Norris on this forum, masquerading under the name JonEdwards?

Some great photos there downshep. I’m just down the Clyde at Dunoon and have often wondered about the trails up behind Dumbarton. Might have to come and give them a try.
If you want a change of scenery ‘doon the watter’ then give us a shout… cowalmountainbikeclub@yahoo.co.uk and we’ll show you some trails over here.
Cheers,
Rob

Heres’ a full size Ventana……..

ECdM’s have the quad bearings as standard, and if it’s stiff enough for a pretty hefty tandem team like us, then can imagine the solo’s are plenty stiff.
And we run 300psi on our RP23, but that is with 2 of us on board! It does pedal very well and climbs rocky trails brilliantly. And plenty of tyre clearance too, another ECdM team have managed to get a 2.7 on the back.

Rob

It’s still perfectly possible to use all combinations, including small/small, and it rides fine. The chain runs a bit slack but the mech guides it onto the cassette ok.

I just prefer to have as little slack chain as possible flapping around on the fast n bumpy stuff, with the intention of reducing the risk of the chain coming off. Some may prefer to run a long mech to tame a longer and potentially ‘flappier’ chain.

Each to his/her own, if we were all the same it’d be a boring world!

Rob

Ever since my original Clockwork back in 1990 I’ve always run a short cage XT mech, and do now with 11-34 and 22/32/44. As long as the chain is long enough to do big/big incase you accidentally select it, it’ll be a bit slack in the granny ring and the smallest few sprockets, but how often do you ride in that combination?
I find that by the time you’re in granny and 5th or 6th sprocket the ratios start to overlap, so it’s time to go back up to the middle ring.

Guess it’s a personal thing, depending on how you shift.

Rob

Will admit i bottled it. Went back round and did Swirral instead, though that was hardly a walk in the park! Perhaps I need larger testicles.

Was at Derwent for the one of the anniversary flypasts. Awesome sight. Luckily as an apprentice tinbasher at Rolls-Royce Hucknall, I got to do some work for the BBMF at Coningsby, and spent many a happy day polishing the RR Spitfire at East Midlands airport. Happy days, but will never forget ‘the few’, and all the other flyers.

Indeed, lest we forget.

Had a USE Alien on the back of the old hardtail tandem. Worked ok, just watch the seat clamp. The idea is good, two clamps sliding on a curved rail to offer infinite adjustment, but its held together with a wee bolt with a 3mm allen head. On more occasions that Sandy wishes to remember she had the seat tip up, and once it came right off. Not nice while steaming down Falla Brae at GT. Ended up using a long allen key and getting it so tight I was scared of stripping the threads. Checked it was super tight before every ride, then no more problems.

It worried Sandy so much (understandable, a seat post up the bum is not much fun) that we had to buy the the full suss Ventana so she could do away with it!

Rob

Joxster – if you have a large hammer you may indeed be an engineer. If you also have a LARGER hammer then you are most certainly an engineer!

Rob

Engineer – BEng Hons – tick. But not at the moment, left RR in 2003.
Downhiller – nil qualifications. Though hanging onto a gravity induced tandem might qualify.
Driving Instructor – tick that aswell.

Rob

As you say Repack, so what. Intact head wins over vanity. Just!!!

Rob