What wwaswas said.

I’ve only ever run flats on the MTB, regardless of what I’m doing. I’m not convinced that spuds would particularly offer me any benefit over flats as I prefer to be able to get my feet down instinctively as and when necessary and I’m a big ring masher when riding eyeballs out anyway.
There’s 4 stiff climbs on the route, 2 of which are Tarmac, 1 is up the hard-pack track through Hardcastle Crags and the other from Pecket Well to Midgley Moor I’ll probably be walking up anyway. The boggy field to the House of Shit and Midgley Moor are bloop-fests and will involve at least some walking unless the weather takes a dramatic turn for the warmer and drier this week. Spuds will make no difference to me across any of that.
I’ll be running 1.9 Black Jacks at 65psi to take advantage of all the hard pack and Tarmac, which makes up the vast majority of the route. Mud tyres will be an advantage for about 5% I reckon. I play the percentages, bust my nuts on hard ground and then live with my best attempt at the tricky bits. Just my approach and not everyone’s cup of tea I know.
I suppose it all comes down to whether your priority is chasing the clock or whether you’re happy to enjoy the ride in whatever time it takes you.

This might be of interest…

I’ve ridden this 6 or 7 times and it’s a great event. Depending on what your approach is I doubt you’ll need either spds or mud tyres – I’ll be on flats and skinny tyres again.

We used to get a local fabricator to weld a length of scaffold pole onto the bb and then walk it round til it was out.

No mention of Mike Oxlong?

Social Security
Lock & Shackle
Chain Gang

I work for a component distributor’s and speak to him reasonably often when he rings through an order.

In no particular order:

Vic Reeves – if you remember the 70’s you’ll love it.

Brian Moore (the rugby player) – candid and forthright only scratch the surface.

John Lydon – particularly like how he allows other contributors to give their own version of some of the more significant events, despite these generally conflicting with the author’s.

Alexei Sayle – in much the same vein as Vic Reeves’ insofar as they’re both only really a ‘Part One’ and cover the period up to being about 20.

I have the misfortune to work with R2 on all day. Sometimes the phone appears to offer brief respite – only for me to find that the bike shop on the other end also have no discernable taste. After careful consideration, my proposed solution would be to ram Patrick Kielty (an utterly pointless individual with all the charm and charisma of a sloth’s flange) right up Ken Bruce’s ar5e. I’d then take the resultant amalgamation and force it straight down the throat of Steve Wright, before feeding the lot to Brick Top’s pigs. I’d also feed Simon Salad-Cream to Vanessa Feltz in the hope that she’d choke on the lumpy-faced twunt.

R2 is exactly like R1 was in the late 70s/early 80s and I hated it back then. It certainly hasn’t improved in the intervening 30 or so years and neither has my loathing and contempt mellowed either. As for Moyles – if he turns up on R2 I’m going to drop-kick the company radio into the River Holme. Bunch of ba5tard5.

Schwalbe 26 x 2.20 Smart Sam.

I reckon the no. 1 cause of genuine nastiness/unpleasantness/divisiveness on the forum stems from users being encouraged to report each other.

This. And the anonymous tags too. Both just offer an opportunity for those in desperate need of a dose of MTFU, those that crave to be offended on someone elses behalf and those with a very broad streak of nastiness simmering inside to cause trouble, safe in the knowledge that no one knows who has doled out the virtual kick to the ribs. A cowards charter.

Having said that, I don’t really give two flooks about what goes on on here. It’s virtually all forgotten once I’ve logged off anyway. Some posters seem to spend an embarrassing amount of time here though, whereas I’d rather be doing something interesting, constructive or lucrative all day instead. This place is taken far too seriously by way too many people – ‘owners’ included.

Clover – Member

You need to come to God’s own country. We have a winter and a summer season series … it’s great and not just playing fields.

There’s also the 3 Peaks (entries closed now, try next year), Hell of the West and Mills Hills which promises to be great.

Not quite sure why I love cyclocross so much – it hurts *a lot* but when it’s fast it’s very fast and it makes me giggle.

I’ve done a few of these each summer for the past three years, mainly as a bloody hard training session. I just fit some rigid forks and some Schwalbe CX Pro tyres to my mtb and make do. There’s always a few mtbs in the field, although there’s a very distinct disadvantage if it’s sodden/muddy. In the dry I’m usually lower mid-pack as the disadvantage lessens. School playing fields are the usual venue, so you get to see more of the long jump pits than I ever did whilst doing PE!! If you check out the results sections you might spot that a well-known (around these parts), Todmorden-based mtb magazine editor likes his regular cx fix too….

And, typically, this Wiki entry is incorrect

The term was first coined on mlehworld, not here, but it does refer to the same forum contributor.

Top stuff again Blower lad. Glad to see the ankle’s holding up, despite your best attempts to bugger it proper :D

Keep the vids coming mate, let the prudes and the socially inept wallow lonely in their own self-righteousness.

Fluffer?

RRP will be fine, once you switch the price labels as usual…

Todd Carty as Tucker Jenkins.

I had a similar issue with my Kinesis Racelight recently, despite a new bottom bracket. It turned out to be a ‘dry’ skewer in the front hub. Put some 3-in-1 oil on the skewer and a dab of grease on each axle end where they sit in the forks and the noise disappeared instantly.

Why not just replace the bearings with a set from BETD and save the nice XTR cups? It should be easy enough for you to do if you’re already confident enough to strip it out of the bike. They were around £23/pr last time I got some.

Why the funk would anyone who lived through that cruel bitches reign want to watch a film to be reminded of it? That’s self-harm, that is…
:?

I’ll be doing the Pennine X (known locally as The Shred) again this year. Very well organised event and a pretty good route too. Recommended.

We’re still a rider short.

Have a look on the MM thread on mlehworld as we’re still a rider short. Might be a bit frustrating for you if you’re a bit of a racing snake though??

I take it that you’ve checked the position of the bite-point adjuster?

According to that link from slowuphill Dr Dick Chopp is a Urology Dept. colleague of Dr Lester Wang :lol:

I had the Gas & Electric disconnected 15 years ago when I was 30. There was no discussion about anaesthetic options, it was a general or it wasn’t happening! However, I had a reaction to the knock-out drops and passed out in the recovery room, so they kept me in overnight. Let me out the next day with a free jockstrap that I wore for years afterwards whilst playing cricket.
The day after that I was lying in bed and one of my stitches kept stabbing me rather uncomfortably in my nodger. Whilst attempting to skillfully trim the offending spikey stitch with a pair of nail scissors I managed to remove the bloody thing completely, which wasn’t great. Rather bizarrely, this completely un-erotic set of events was the prelude to Mr Lurve Truncheon rather obviously announcing that he was fit, well and in need of some exercise!! In the interests of science (and relief) I ended up taking him for a test drive which culminated in a toe-curler of such extreme intensity that it all but lifted me off the bed!!!!
Having the op done is a decision that I’ve never regretted (despite since being divorced from my wife at the time) and it’s just removed a lot of faff and potential worry from my life.

Quality vid there Blower lad, I can see what you meant about it being a ‘proper hike-a-bike’ day out. Not surprised your ankle’s been playing up since mate!!

Like cynic-al says, once the splines have worn then it’s game over. Happened to me with a set of Hone cranks. Time to go shopping.

Could also book a guided ride with Iain at MTB Cycle Yorkshire, who has a small fleet of hire bikes too.

Woodbine.

Overpriced food and pig-ignorant female owner.

If you pedal fast enough do you take off?

Results are now on the website folks!!

Ideal tyre for cynic-al’s Frankenbike…..

You don’t have time for riding anymore Dave, you’ve double the bottles and nappies to sort out now lad!!

What price a broken body?

Glorious day here in t’Uddersfield, with a forecast for the same tomorrow!!

If you’re pre-entered then please please please arrive in plenty of time. If you’re entering on the day – even earlier!!!

Bring an already completed entry form and £20 in cash and it’ll make registration run much smoother.

Parking is all on road and first come first served, so please factor this into your planning.

For all those who take part – we hope you have a really enjoyable time and hope to see you all again next year :mrgreen:

If you’ve pre-entered then you need to check-in to pick up your bike number and a couple of zip-ties to fix it on with. Having your number clearly displayed will help when checking through the photographer’s website next week :D

You’ll also receive your free goody bag at that point too.

All the feed stations will have SIS electrolyte drink, bananas and a selection of biscuits available for those that wish to partake. If you feel the need for a ‘support crew’ then a hefty dose of MTFU is probably required :wink: as the really quick guys manage just over a couple of hours with their own bottles….

I’ll be following the back-markers round in a pick-up truck and will be on call to collect any injuries, mechanicals or just plain knackereds as and when necessary.

Don’t forget to come and say hello if you see me – big, ugly fecker with a shaved noggin – it’ll be me that starts you off on your journey into the darkest recesses of pain…. :mrgreen:

TURN UP ON TIME AND YOU’RE IN!!!!

Please get here early with an already completed entry form and your £20 cash and it’ll all run like clockwork.

Free SIS goody bag for the first 300 to check in!!

Well I’ve been out in the pi$$ing rain, armed with a strimmer, all evening preparing the quarry approach ready for Sunday.

The ‘Mound of Mild Apprehension’ has had a short back and sides, and the alternative way into the quarry proper has now become the ‘Broken Wall of Piqued Interest’. There’s just the ‘Chute of Barely Concealed Indifference’ to give its annual makeover to on Saturday afternoon and then it’s all systems go!!!

Still time for postal applications (or to call round in person if you’re local), but don’t forget that you can always turn up on the day because WE NEVER TURN ANYONE AWAY. If you turn up on time you’re in!!

Crikey – fair play to you for sticking to your guns regarding the above link, but how do you explain all the anecdotal evidence that salt/electrolyte intake actually DOES help people (myself included). The only product that I’ve tried that both prevents and cures my foot/calf/upper leg cramps is nuun. To me at least, they’re fantastic.
Others have found their own salvation in different salt/electrolyte products, yet you seem to disregard what they’re saying? Maybe they work in a different way to that in which they’re marketed, but if they DO work (which IME nuun does) then, quite frankly, I don’t honestly care how. You appear to be berating people for having a closed mind on the subject, yet that’s exactly the attitude that you yourself are displaying.

Personally I just treat my set-up as 1 x 9, with the bonus of a ‘get out of jail free card’ 34t inner as an absolute last resort. From your original post (I only read the first page though) it seems to me that you need to increase your strength and dropping onto the 34t at the first sign of a slope is counter-productive to your aims. Rather than go down to a 46t outer I reckon you should get a 52t instead, swap your cassette as suggested and teach yourself to mash out the miles. It’ll take a while to get used to it, but you’ll feel the benefit down the line.