Update to this build. Up and running at Sweden’s only velodrome. This guys even got a meeting set up with Obree if he can get across to the UK!

http://happymtb.org/forum/read.php/1/1478155/page=5

Well worth skimming pages 5, 6, and of the thread for pictures

I’ll switch to disks once I can get STi integration with ultegra or similar. Problem being that is most likely 2 years away and in the mean time I want a new frame.

I had a FOCUS Mares before it, so Alu, but yeah… Love the carbon.. Great fun.

Did you not consider the carbon Mares as raced by the US Rapha team, they look super nice, but maybe not available as a frameset option?

Nice frame, how do you rate it? What did you have before?

I don’t use the drops that much as I’ve set my brakes up so I can use the hoods and feel in control. See panic stricken look:

Run two sets of wheels, one for road and summer off road, (same thing on the chalk), use the other set for winter off road.

I run a single 38 ring with a 12-25 block and that works for racing and road training. However I’d most likely use a double ring and a wider cassette range for riding on the Downs.

Its utterly dependant on your technique, getting airborne, (within reason), on a cross bike is fine if you land it correctly. However the margin of error is considerably less than on a true MTB, get it slightly wrong and you may end up with taco wheels and an odd looking frame.

I’d use mine happily on the North/South Downs .

.Only drawback is it weighs 7lbs!…frame only,gulp.

Wow that’s a serious amount of weight, where did that number come from? Pity that 😕

Have to say that I think it looks stunning 8)

I live in Sweden so maybe not that much use to you, but quite a few places in the UK provide the same service. I paid just under a hundred quid for that test, and some other blood tests. Overall it took 90 minutes including consultation time.

Well worth it in my books.

179 vs 174, how much does that shift your training zones by exactly?

Quite a bit as it turns out 😮
Max 174 179
95% 165 170
91% 158 163
84% 146 150
82% 143 147
75% 131 134
72% 125 129
65% 113 116

Actually in all seriousness although I can see how easy it would be to think the opposite 😯

Most people on here, (large caveat), seem to think Endura have lost it quality wise, although the fault was with the Endura gear Rapha may well be able to do something about it. I’d contact them before washing it.

Certainly speak to Rapha about it

Somewhat wishful thinking that, especially after Ryan Trebon’s success on them in the US

Their cross frames do look very nice this season!

If you want strength for fingers and forearms then get a climbing specific “hangboard”. Two sessions of 15 minutes twice a week with a simple program would reap huge benefits.

For core strength use body weights, free weights and yoga.

Mine arrived today, half jackets with the G30 lens, and very nice they are too.

To distinguish them from normal hardtail bikes, and thus create a whole load of new potential markets. Wouldn’t want people racing XC on the same bike as they use on their days off now would we.

See here:
http://shop4cross.de/komponenten/gabeln/gabel-s4c-disc-eylets.html

No its UK houses, the realization hit me when I moved abroad and UK stereotypical jokes were about food and housing quality

Big fan here, very nice stuff and not a lot of difference to my Rapha gear, plus its made in the UK and the shipping is free.

A fool and their money…..

14 training sessions out of a planned 15 completed for a total time of 16:48:22. However all but 3 of the sessions were on the trainer due to snow.

Yes a tub is essentially an inner tube come tyre that is glued onto the rim, brilliant for cross racing as they allow you to run super low pressures without the worry of pinch flats, they can also be run when flat to get you back to the pits for a change of wheel.

I’m not sure you can run tubeless tyres with such low pressures, however some cross people are looking into it.

Clinchers are simply normal tyres, used either with or without inner tubes.

err thanks, will go Google said Turner

leggyblonde – Member

I find training plans interfere with life!

Interesting as I find that knowing what I’m doing and when allows me and my family to plan our time, thus giving us a chance of a life 😀

I’ve still got 2 foot of snow on the ground! Looking forward to some spring time riding!

Ooh liking that! Thanks for posting

I’ve created a training plan this year based on the main concepts in Joe Friel’s book and my previous background as a competitive runner.

Clearly a training plan that is tailored around your goals is going to get you fitter for those goals than simply getting out there and riding. However there is a strong case to make that training takes the fun out of riding, (for those not of a racing mindset).

I have a XC race bike and CX bike.

The CX gets used on the turbo trainer, for commuting, road training rides, and CX racing.

The XC gets used for all off road rides.

Ideally I’d like a 29 rigid Afline bike for general off road use so I could “save” the race bike for racing. However at the moment I just change wheels on the MTB to race or play depending on the ride.

Anybody got a link to those Hope wheels?

Wow, thanks for that link Adders69, interesting!

Hmm lovin’ this thread, a rigid Alfine Swift is the +1 in the standard n+1 equation for how many bikes do I need

That’s a good price for light weight wheels, anybody got any experience of them?

I’m 6’2″ with a 32″ in-seam and ride a 56cm cross and a 19.5 MTB, I couldn’t imagine riding anything bigger to be honest.

I got Downward Spiral after all the talk about it on here, and then got The hunted, and Angels, and find rotating them once a week on top of other sessions gives a great variance in my training.

I use XC racing size, so “only” 140.

I run XT brakes with Avid disks and have had no problems.

Thanks for the links, the Garmin 500 is a seriously nice bit of bit. Good point about the costs of the extra fitting, this is where the advantage of GPS comes in as there is no added cost other than a simple fitting kit.

It comes down to spending 80 odd quid on a normal computer and extra fitting kit, or a couple of hundred for a GPS with ANT+ compatibility, hmm might have to be the luxury item.