Raced an XLS all last season. Great bike for the money. I never had mud clearance issues really, and I wasn’t bike changing (no helpers!)

Just bought a second one for next season now I have helpers lined up.

I find the Friel one superb. There’s a lot of content, but really only one chapter to read if you’re trying to plan a season etc.

Apparently some people put latex solution in tubs. Not tried it myself.

Great racing. Looking forward to seeing it ‘live’ tomorrow.

Oh, and sexism may be ‘inevitable’ on such a backwards forum as this, but it doesn’t mean you have to be the one to start it surely?

Interesting to see a road chain set on it, given the ‘designed for MTB chain set’ marketing. Are the clearances OK? I’ve always thought these might be like the previous version of the Kaffenback, where I got dreadful heel clip with a road chain set and was forced to swap to a MTB one (hence the *cough* ‘designed’ for MTB line”)

Are you planning on swapping out the MTB rims at some point? ;)

Expensive but cool place (Reykjavik)

Get a cheap bus in from the airport…

City has loads of bars and nightlife…

These guys do some cool bike tours from the city too…http://www.bikecompany.is/guided-tours/reykjavik-downtown/

I’ve got one. Didn’t pay full price though. Wheels are like anchors, and the finishing kit is a bit cheap. With a few upgrades it rides very well though.

No one will notice your rims when you ride a cx bike with a camelbak on ;)

Are you grilling or oven-ing the Linda ones. Oven seems to contain any smell when I do them. They’re also the only easily available vegan ones I’ve found. All the Quorn crap has milk and bloody eggs in.

Actually I think it’s WECANTFINDTHATINTHEWAREHOUSE isn’t it? :)

Yawn. Be more interesting watching him get his arse kicked racing proper CX around a park somewhere.

Extreme mud with off camber and hills. Makes it worth having tubs then ;)

La Gomera is nice and quiet for road riding, but not much flat! :)

I’m sorry, Hawkwind have never NOT been cool! ;)

Go vegan. Watch the weight drop off you. No really.

Eat Quinoa

Tofu is nice roasted with a load of vegetables…

Obree book Is old school nonsense. Friel book is superb. I do have both.

Are you serious? You ever tried to lift one? Cannot be killed by conventional weapons.

Whippet will run a triple. I’ve had two with triples. Bargain race frames.

You can replicate a basic NDT test yourself. Get a coin and gently tap around and on the area you’re worried about. Listen for significant changes in sound. ‘Dullness’ can often indicate delamination etc. Having said that, you’ll get changes due to tube butting and joining anyway.

TBH that looks like paint to me rather than carbon. (That judgement based on 5 years working in the aero and motorsport carbon fibre industry rather than just being some sort of forum expert :) )

tartanscarf – Member
Agaetis Byrjun is the dogs danglies.

+1

and +1 for Takk actually.

Check out Amiina as well, essentially the SR string section on their own

12k under gloss here. Can’t beat cheap carbon ;)

Wembo 2014… Opportunity to ride a world champs!

I’ve seen a Planet X Dirty Harry run with a lefty. Cheap, light-ish, 29…great bikes

Went earlier in the year for a long weekend. Great trip. Crazily expensive…

Went on a city tour ride, then a 5hr mtb ride with this lot:

HOMEPAGE – bikecompany.is

The mtb ride was just around the city, but had some nice riding. Really nice people too. Borrowed one of their personal bikes.

Wilderness type riding needs investment in terms of time and commitment from what I can see.

Kria cycles https://en-gb.facebook.com/kriacycles down by the harbour is run by a Brit. He’s also head of the Icelandic cycling federation!

Icelandic mtb culture is far less developed than I expected tbh, given all the mag features you seem to read.

Enjoy!

Vos

On One Whippet. Cheap as chips, light(ish). I’ve raced XC, 6hr, 12hr and marathons on mine over the last couple of years. If you’re going to get a racy hardtail, get a racy hardtail, not a steel hardtail

:)

Hummus ftw

You use your FT-HR to set your training zones….

Standard clincher (rather than open clincher) Grifos are great in the dry and reasonable in the mud too, although they don’t clear that well.

I’d give them a go as the ‘other’ tyre to go with your Kommandos. Worth being able to mix different back and front in different conditions.

Kaffenbacks are really, really weighty bikes in case you’re bothered by that. Having said that, I’ve got one with Landcruisers on, and it’s great fun off road.

Tokai is a great place to ride. Certainly the only place I’ve ever ridden where you have to watch out for baboons on the trail!

I rode alone at Tokai on a number of occasions – not sure why you wouldn’t. I hired a bike and drove myself over there – you don’t really need a guide as it’s just a big hill with multiple trails down it.

The ride up to Silvermine(?) from Tokai is nice too…

So firstly – are you experiencing a grip problem with your current tyres? If so, have you actually tried lowering the pressures?

I’m 67kg and can run clinchers around 30psi without real problems.

Why not experiment in training with a range of pressures to see what works for you. If you’re racing a non tech grassy cross course you’re not as likely to get pinch flats anyway?

Seems a cheaper option to my mind than tubs/tubeless.

Worth pointing out that I race on tubs. They’re don’t equal instant grip sadly – I was all over the place yesterday for example – simply bad bike handling!!

In case anyone cares, don’t use ice tech centre locks with bb7s (unless you want to angle grind bits of pad off to get the wheel to rotate!)

:)

Sefton. Nice shot of my team mate behind you there. Can I pinch your image for our blog please?

Ta

Rich

I wouldn’t pay attention to my HRM unless it was a 12 or a 24. If it’s XC then just ride on feel / go full gas! :)

To be honest, unless you specifically train to a HRM and know your zones, your capabilities etc, then what’s the point of it?

175/188/any other number are completely irrelevant without approximates of your maxHR, threshold etc…

There’s some riding in the state parks. Ringwood supposed to be worthwhile. I did some riding in Tourne park. Rather compact! Think you need to be able to drive out for quality riding really…

I got the Obree book a while back. Admittedly I didn’t read it all, but the but I did read seemed overly-traditional, old-school nonsense. The ‘ride yourself sick session’ on the turbo every week seemed to be one of the most un-scientific things I’ve ever read.

Mind you, it’s Obree – what did I expect! :)

Not cycling specific, but NLP might be of interest to you. Plenty of books out there too…