Geax BarroMountain

http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wheels/tubeless-tire/geax/barro-mountain/PRD_412950_1508crx.aspx

Voodoo Wanga – Available from Halfords or second hand if you can.

Bicycle Repair Man in Prudhoe – don't like them at all. Never been very helpful, always feel that they think I'm wasting their time, spoke to my missus like she was dumb

Bought something most times I've been in, but the last straw was the last time where I enquired about what cycle scheme they used and the lad had a massive sigh before answering.

I will go to the lads in Newburn from now on for any bits that need doing or buying

Not a problem if you're as fat as me…

One presumes you are talking about belly rather than coke can appendages

Helmet Cams: Great until you go for a slash and forget about wearing it.

8 posts and its gone from Roadbike drivetrains to a twelve year olds penis…

I'm off to call the Daily Mail

MTB'r wants 12 year old roadie's penis

There should be 3 2.5mm shims

Shimano say on their website to put two on drive side and one on non drive side.

My wheel looks offset to the left from behind on the chain stay, yet is perfectly centred between the v-brake bosses.

It really pisses me off.

Don't know why but it does.

Remap the 1.9 and get a bit more power and economy

I was going to cite Halfords. Same effect on Kona and Voodoo as well.

I'm proud that my Voodoo is one of the original imports into the UK, before Halfords got their mitts on them.

AND

Voodoo in US are so good, that when I emailed to ask questions about the frame and components that would work with it, the designer and legend himself Joe Murray took the time to respond to me.

You need to set a time limit for a reply. 7 days is normal.

I've returned a second hand car to Arnold Clark (yes I did) using strongly worded letters that stated the buyers rights etc.

Arnold fought for a bit then conceded, even got my 40 quid of diesel in the tank back.

I got stung by a dehydrated dying nettle yesterday and it knacked all day. I can still feel it now.

I was thinking that possibly the lack of water in it had caused it to concentrate the sting

Voodoo Wanga

Good luck hammocking in the Highlands.

I used to have a hammock with a portable frame, probably weighed about 5kg though.

Once we get a chance to go back I'll post it here. Looks like a nice run. I will take my hyperactive nephew with me and be made to try the red run by him if I can.

Does your works insurance cover you on this or not?

Mrs Q and I went off to Craik Forest. It's out in the wilds.

Mrs Q liked the first part through the trees, then grumbled on the rocky easy switch back, grumbled some more on the grassy slope, found a detour in place due to Goblins or something like that, grumbled for the best part of a mile up a fire road, after we passed a second diversion, grumbled so much that after we rounded a corner and saw that it was more fire road, I relented and turned around.

On the return we realised that the detour was crap and we should have followed the road in the opposite direction to stick to the blue run and not the red run.

Mrs Q admitted that if we hadn't missed the detour she might quite have enjoyed it, it was very picturesque.

I think from all the grumbling, that the pitter patter of feet aren't expected either.

All in, a place I would quite like to return to and have another run at.

I do like 29er's with sprung forks, I like 29er's with any fork, but a massive set of sprung forks sets them off.

When have we become fans of Ebay, the necessary evil

I'm not a fan of Ebay, however, this isn't about Ebay, it's about the OP agreeing to pay x amount for an item then deciding that he hasn't done enough research and backing out.

Try doing that at a car auction or Southerby's.

If you refused to accept the forks after winning, the seller is well within his rights to pursue you through the small claims court for the money.

If they were damaged, yes you could complain. Otherwise pay up.

Found this the other day looking at local routes to my folks
http://www.mtb-borders.com/craik_forest.html

Maybe grabbing at straws here, but did you ride with a rucksack on?

I did.

Had some spares in there and it was fairly heavy, 1.5l hydration pack, pump, innertube, other bits and pieces.

Time to really twist it up.

I have in the past used dry chilli powder in there, just enough to give a a nip.

Cayenne is ok, or if you can get some dried habs then a touch of that in the melted butter to give it that little bit extra

I changed to Race Face Good n Evil grips and they filled out my fat hands a lot better than my GT lock-ons I had purchased.

They made a big difference to me for hand ache. Still got aching hands, but that is down to them being a bit stuffed internally more than anything.

Probably the quickest and easiest solution is to borrow/test ride/rent a FS for a day.

Good excuse to try one out anyway.

I think the first thing to do is to look at stem length. A friend mentioned that he thought my stem, although lovely and carbon/alloy was going to be too long.

I've been pointed in the direction of an eXXotic 12 quid stem that is a cheap alternative.

Seat post is a Titec something or other attached to a really comfy WTB seat. I have been feeling like it's tipped too far forward the last few rides, and had a fiddle last night with it, so will try it out tomorrow on a new run – at Craik Forestnear my folks, never been before.

I regularly ride a 22 mile route along the Tyne from Wylam to Newcastle and back, I don't get back ache from that, so I presume it's to do with setup on the new bike and/or the slightly rougher going.

I don't want to buy a FS unless I really have to. I deliberately bought a steel HT frame when building my bike up and avoided getting sucked into the FS world and spending a significant amount of cash more.

Cheers for the info

I've been thinking about shortening my stem a bit to push me up a bit more. Current stem is 110 so I recon 80 would pull me in and up at 6% with my riser bars.

Could just be your position on the bike rather than the fact it doesnt have suspension

I did wonder about that.

Wasn't sure if I was holding my back to rigid in the ride, resulting in all the vibrations etc getting transmitted through to me or not.

I have to admit there were a few moments where nature was in control and I was just thankful that I had managed to avoid falling into the trees

Nature of a forum.

Organic and unpredictable.

Nothing more amusing than people offering each other up to fight over an inane comment.

Virgin do really good balance transfer deals. 0% for a year, 3.5% transfer fee.

Are you coming along the Hadrians way one or the Sus-trans.

Hadrians Way is off road from Prudhoe to Tynemouth, nice way to finish it really.

Were the 26 canisters cheap?

My sisters bloke went for a pish I'm the middle of the night. Came back, got the wrong door and got in bed with my num and dad! :D. He. Was mortified

How did your folks feel though?

I night out in dumfries could be fun too

Now you are talking crazy talk. Have you escaped from somewhere?

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/hamsterleyforest

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/recreation.nsf/LUwebdocsBykey/EnglandTyneandWearNoForestChopwellWoodlandPark

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250620963008&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Stuff a netbook – go subnotebook

Peanut butter and bananas, pureed up and on wholegrain bread.

Ah the great North/South Divide.

In the North – ale, ferrets, flat caps, wind, rain, coal and massive slag heaps to ride down.

In the South – fizzy beer, baseball caps, scorching sun, droughts and massive slags to ride.

Such a contrast.

If you are heading up that way you should stop at Hamsterley and Chopwell on your way to the borders.