I read it as envymore ahem…IGMC!

I got the impression that the explosif was 29ner only now?

Thinking of some steel twang for comfort reasons Jim, or any other reason for that matter?

njee20 – you're still very much a contender! 🙂

ned – still very nice though!

allthepies – you gotta put a pic of the Dogs Bolx up! I haven't ruled out Roberts for my custom frame, they are the nearest to me too.

What a result – phew!

Cheers guy's – just out of interest, how long did it take once you had agreed the design spec, to receive the finished item? (ss92 and alex)

Send the shock to Mojo – Tf won't service DHXAir, fork to Pace or whoever owns them now. Service the rest yourself, get a proper grease gun with a curved spout, grease the zerk bushes. It's not rocket science, and you'll probably do a better job than a shop – I know I would!

Oh, I dunno, I think Algore is a strong contender with that late entry Ibis (off the shelf expensive with added jewelery).

I like the Ibis, but in the prosthetic limb beige, or the RAF semi matt blue – but that's all subjective……….

🙂

I think there is a distinction between bling and anything understated, especially the beautiful handmade stuff on here. In that respect I think njee20 wins with his blinged Spesh – in a kinda Cosworth Focus way – that's bling IMO!?

Most bling would be the guy with the 'Black Sheep' or the turqoise IF with gem encrusted stem spacers – both not on this thread though!

Great pics Dez as per usual.

Hope you made it back home in time?

Shame you couldn't make it LoulaBella, we had a great day out. Thanks to Paul and the IOW trio for showing us round their lovely island – and for the beer recommendations!

Some pics here http://picasaweb.google.com/BrightonmtbClub/IsleOfWhiteSept09#

I'm the one sitting on the fence

Pete

Hi, we'll be at Pompey station too, we plan to get the 9.15 crossing or failing that the 9.45. There'll be six to eight of us, we'll look out for you LoulaBella – you won't miss us I'm, sure! 🙂

bigyin – 'nothing too techinical before luinch' – I like your style! 😉

'Chupa' is suck in Spanish, just don't say 'chupa' with 'chorizo' in the same sentance as that may meet an alarming repsonse! Ahem!

I ride both, and I don't think I do suffer any more on the hardtail. It's more being in a fixed position and exerting (long draggy climb for example) than bumps/impacts, that have antagonised things for me in the past. With the hardtail, I'm forced to move about on the bike more, which isn't a bad thing IMO. Luckily I prefer singletrack to big, open rides!

When things were bad, any riding wasn't good, and like you the pain would be more post ride. Sitting for any periods of time, work, flying or even having breakfast were hideous for weeks. I remember having to kneel at the table, as I couldn't sit at all in the mornings, putting a pair of socks on was excruciating. That was some time ago now, I was in a bad place then, I am determined not to return there!

I pretty much ride as much as I want now, I would say I am not far off where I was before things went real bad. Have some sensory tingling in foot/leg – I can cope with that ok. It doesn't hold me back any, ride wise, I just don't do anything silly at home (DIY etc) and work.

You'll get there too!

I must have met you. I'll get back into regualar night rides when the clocks go back.

See you then sometime – good luck with the back, it will improve!

Oh, sorry thought you were someone else. It was a guess!

Someone crashed and bloodied his nose up a bit!

I ride the Rohloff'd silver hardtail btw in that group.

You?

woodey, yeah sort of! Were you out on our ride in Stanmer Sunday, as I recall 'back conversations'?

I'm being presumptious – how's the nose?

imp999, no not over-tighting, but it's a fair question – not offended.

I actually prefered the Mk1 Hopes FWIW. If they could just have got the bearing quality up, or be able press in a new one for you.

PMSL @ Coleman – 'Oh yes, and the bike is ridden every week' no wonder I got through my Hope's at a quicker rate than others on the other, Hope thread. Three times a week min, all year round.

Incidentally, I found XL11 last a matter of months.

I know have kings on my bikes. In dusty conditions, I occassionally get a slight creak over time, which is rectified by wiping the taper crown race with a cloth, and its good to go for another couple of months. That's my only criticism.

Friston from Crawley – blimey! What a faffle, to drive all the way there for a tiny patch of scrubby woodland, unless your after big downs riding, then there's quicker ways to get on the south downs, from Crawley.

Head to Tilgate for an explore, no tracklogs, the best woodland riding is unmappable – you should know that. Or for a full day out head to Surrey Hills and pick up one of the over exploited routes there (see the Leith Hill thread by Mr Woppit if you dare! :wink:)

Nirvana cycles will sell you a laminated map – you can park near and ride from the shop. I'm sure tracklogs for the area exist from MBR etc – just don't expect to find the best stuff.

I would show you the best riding a stones throw from Crawley, but I'll be riding on the isle of Wight this weekend.

Enjoy, and let us know where and how you found it.

Pete

Agree with what you've just said woodey. My back problem seemed to worsen after chiropracter sessions. I found a general muscle/sensory massage by a partner etc as good if not better than a chiro.

I've spent the last year or more recovering from a prolapsed (herniated) disc, L4 from memory. You really do feel like a broken man, I totaly sympathise with that! It does get better, just takes time. In six to eight weeks you should see some improvement, albeit possibly small. Then as time passes and you are being sensible things do get to an acceptable level. I did some research, and those that had an operation and those that didn't were found to be in the same state, after 10 years – worth thinking about.

I found that no stretching of the hamstrings during the acute period, lessens aggrevation to the sciatic nerve. Over zelous stretching when feeling good also aggrevated things, keep within your natural range.

I started riding again as soon as I felt able to, but kept within my limits – only you know yours. A year on and I'm feeling pretty good, having said that, I can feel a slight discomfort typing this now, but then I have spent an unusual two weeks, largely sitting for hours on end in jury service.

In summary; I does get better, but expect a gradual recovery over 12 months, and be sensible about anything that may antagonise things.

Best Wishes

Pete

Adrian! Ha ha – yeah I did think about it, but my knowledge of your island is limited to my one trip to Ryde….. obviously!

No doubt you'll be manning the shop Saturday am or, dancing like Bez(think Happy Monday's) to Bestival! If not, why don't you join us?

I've missed your grumpy charm! 😉

supersessions9-2, someone has a very similar bike(frame) to you, I thought it was you, the colour was a slightly more reddish brown, other than that….

alexathome, I do rememeber seeing your frame on his old site – I like your rm deacal, it looks like mm at a glance as in the 'Mmmmm' kinda way you opened your post 😆

Any of you two reside in the South East by any chance, I wouldn't mind a closer look and chat, if I do decide to take the plunge?

Pete aka Woodsman

There's some lovely secret singletrack all over the Surrey Hills, some technical features too. I do ride BKB and Summer Lightning if I'm with an organised (not immediately local) group, as they have read about the trails and naturally want to ride them – I find them a bit dull to be honest, and dare I say it over managed – sorry trail maintenance peeps!

I can kind of sympathise with most opinions in part here. I would be gutted if my local from the door riding area, was peppered with wooden riding structures, and kicker jumps. I tend to be quite protective of that, and who I show round, and to what extent I show them – a bit selfish perhaps, but it stops any potential conflict with landowners and lessens the risk of confronting families, dog walkers etc on the trail, if folk respect the natural fauna and lanscape, and not open up the place with trail building tools.

As I said there is plenty at the Surrey Hills, hook up with Nirvana Cycles on a few of their Sunday rides, you will get to see a much bigger picture.

Agree! I kinda put my name on the consideration list, in pencil at the mo.

Hi Paul, yep, we'll be in the cafe at the Ryde side drinking coffee by 10 am!

Glad you and Rob can make it Dez. I wouldn't mind getting back to Ryde 4ish if poss Paul, it's not crucial though.

That's a good heads up on the two for one, we'll print out some of the special offer pages – or one of our group will hopefuly as my printer has popped!

Looking forward to it, I'll mail my mobile over Paul.

Cheers

Pete aka Woodsman

supersessions9-2, were you at the Brighton Big Dog event?

That's my favourite bike that is!

The others are mighty fine too btw.

Briefly, have some expreience. Two bikes fit fine without taking wheels off, all in all pretty reasonable from what I can remember.

epicsteve, how bizzare – that so looks like a section of trail through the Beech trees, on the South Downs near Steyning, Sussex. Couldn't have been further from it in reality!

looks great – a bit wintery up there already! (speaking from balmy Sussex)
🙂

agree with grantway there

Fillet brazed is looking a bit thin on the ground these days……..

The stack was designed to work/breathe through the lime mortar and soft (comparable with modern) bricks, or breathable stone. Fitting a metal liner produces condensation between the outer liner material (metal), and the original chimney flue. Also, it would prevent the stack working properly if a traditional open fire is used.

If you google SPAB – Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, there will be an article on chimney flues.

Liners aren't good for a historic building/chimney

The bearing went on the lower of the Mk1 after three years, I wasn't too fussed about that time scale, but having a King on my other bike for 6-7 years, it didn't compare, firstly. Secondly, I couldn't get a replacement bearing, contacted Hope, they were fairly nonchalant about it – 'we stopped making them, and they weren't retro fit anyway'. Buy a new headset was the only option, anyway after expressing my dissapointment of buying a top on the line boutique part, and needing to bin it after three years, they eventually offered me one of the new one's, at a discounted price, as long as I sent them the old unit. For the cost of a bearing set, I got a new headset – it did take a fair bit of 'negociating' though.

On fitting this new Mk2, I did think that there was a lot of parts and rubber seals compared to my King, and I particularly didn't like the huge exposed external black seal, which spoilt the clean silver look of my retro steel hardtail – but was still grateful of the warranty 'assisted' item. Anyway, I removed the forks just a few rides later, and the headset was saturated with water, and the bearing/cup showed signs that the bearing race had been spinning slightly in the cup – I follwed the fitting instructions, and greased it as suggested – which again I thought was a bit of a cop-out – greasing the external surfaces of a sealed unit, it can't be very sealed! I really wasn't impressed, it wasn't much more than an XL11 with some extra rubber seals to be honest. Not worth the money IMO. I did a question thread on here, and because they were quite new then, I had one response, and some guy's MK2 had crapped out in a couple of months – seized bearing, I wasn't surprised. I managed to swap it for a couple of year old King that a mate was disposing of with a frame sale – no regrets since.

I take it this isn't a troll!?

Ok, there was a thread on this very recently, and oddly enough the Hope bias on this thread was not there at all.

Having had two Hope's the Mk1 and the Mk2 – I wouldn't go near them with my hard earn't again! Two Kings, one is ten years and trouble free, the other is second hand and trouble free.

As for the XL11, what a pile of pish, mine lasted just a few months – just don't get it wet!

If you're fitting it to a Glory, why not go for one of the steel Kings, as it's a pretty hardcore free ride bike.?

Nope, never have. I can do plenty of sit-ups and ride a bike pretty well though – two out of three aint bad!

In the true STW tradition – I haven't read the whole thread!

Scottish is by definition British IMO.

Just as I live in Sussex, which is in England, which is also in Britain.

If I were Scottish I would describe myself as Scottish. Now that's all absoloutely clear, ahem 😉 I'm off riding and drinking for the evening.

I think you were right to post the Humu, Retro means styled in the past, not necessarilly old. You don't hear of a retro house, it's an old house – for example. Retro is styling something in the past – er stlye. 🙂

My apologies for being pedantic.

Lovely bikes – mostly.

Stleonards Forest (Sussex) in a moment for some pre-beer singletrack. Somewhere else Sunday, maybe a hangover bimble on Sat – dunno.