Thanks for the recommendations and advice. I’ve been on the web site and Loco I will probably give you a buzz tomorrow. I’ve got the shock off the bike and just need to get it booked in and couriered down.

We got attacked by midges at Coed Y Brenin last week. On the Monday we didn’t notice any on the trails but once we got back to the visitor centre they descended upon us. I got a nasty bite on my calf that swelled up for a few days and our daughter looks like someones been putting cigarettes out on her legs. A few days later we were back and they found me again out on the trail (on the fireroad before ‘Pink Heifer’) when I had to stop to break and fix my chain.

Simon

If you’ve got handfulls of them from Fort Bill, I don’t suppose you could send me one to fit my Revs (the longer knob than shown above) as I’ve just lost mine and been outbid twice on eBay trying to replace it. Suppose I could just use an Allen key, if I ever make any other adjustments.

Cheers

Spent the Royal Wedding up Cut Gate last year. Going to Lee Quarry on Monday

Been twice in the last few months and enjoyed it. Certainly not mountain biking of epic proportions but worth a visit. Not many ‘hills’ as such but some gentle elevation change and flowing singletrack with some recently stoned slightly bermed corners to keep the speed up. Once you get away from the visitor centre onto the well marked Kitchener Trail red route for real you’ll leave most of the ‘family riders’ behind but still keep an eye out for the numpties that go for a walk the wrong way up a marked cycle trail! We did a ‘family’ blue route ride followed by two laps of the red route last time, as my mate lost his iphone on the first, and my legs were toast after the second lap at speed.

Cheers. Gonna try a mates Shimano size 45 winter boots with some regular socks and maybe thin sealskinz to how they measure up.

Weather put me off going at all yesterday and I was in a bad mood all day as as result. Taking the p… when the sun shone at the end of the day and then all day today!

I got some Fox Evolution shorts for Christmas and they are great. A bit draughty in cold conditions depending on what you wear over them as they are a sort of airmesh but the pad is excellent. I also got some Fox Sergeant shorts which came with detachable liner shots with a Pro Form pad which is not quite as thick but I find is almost as good. Both really comfy, good fit and quick to dry.

My wife had a run in with our postman on Saturday. Quite bizarre. There are three cottages in a row, my Mum’s house on the right, another cottage in the middle and ours on the left. There is a letter box in each and also an old milk churn by my Mum’s gate with her house name on it, in front of he middle cottage. I saw the guy a couple of weeks ago and he was confused so asked me. I explained the middle cottage was now empty but the milk can could do for either my mum or us as we were all related etc. I’ve already told the local sorting office that our bell doesn’t work but the knocker does if anything needs signing for etc. We’ve had a couple of incidents when packages that need signing for have not been left even though someone has been at home and seen the van drive away and had a card left instead.

Anyway my wife politely pointed out to him that our house was the address he was looking for but he got angry and said how was he to know that; she then pointed to the 2’ x 1.5’ name sign in the front wall. He got a bit flustered and possibly angry through embarrassment and was actually going to leave with the package until my wife got a bit angry herself at being messed about. She signed for the package and he left in a huff.

Get some nice warm neoprene ones from The Muck Boot Co. Should be in budget. I use them for farming as well as dog walking. Just watch out though as whilst most have some good tractor or ATV style treads on or two styles have got naff all grip.

We’ve been together 24 years since school, only managed to get married 9 years ago, managed to renovate our old farm cottage together (with help), now got two lovely (most of the time) kids. Allows me to ride and tinker with my bikes and run our small farm in what spare time I have after full time work. She’s my best friend, occasional riding partner, brilliant mum and pretty good at everything really. I’m very lucky.

Regardless of what size bars you run (and I’m still quite happy with 685 Monkey Bars on my Heckler, for now) check out the Guy Martin at Orange video ‘cos it is very interesting and dead funny.

Or get some Tacx ones for a just over a tenner (mine were a tenner a few weeks ago) from Drover Cycles on Amazon. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000OYJUJY

No, these were without doubt placed across the track. Too much of a coincidence for them all to be neatly laid perpendicular across the middle of the track and they weren’t there Thursday and the winds have eased since then.

The training (aka near neglect) starts from day one. You put them in their own room the first night you get them home from hospital, you make sure they are the right temp and fed and leave them there. Just use a baby monitor for good measure. OK there is the obligatory feeding and changing in the early days but the principle is the same; if they cry leave them a while, then leave them some more and they’ll go back to sleep unless they really do need something. Sounds a bit like tough love but it works. Our 2 (now almost 8 and 6) both slept through from being about 6 or 8 weeks and they have always slept in their own beds. True, our oldest sometimes has some difficulty getting to sleep initially but then she reads for a bit and then tucking her back in (her own) bed with the promise of popping back to see her in half an hour is usually enough for her to be fast asleep until 7 the following morning.

GOT IT OUT!! 😀

Undamaged, apart from a couple of scuffs but perfectly useable too.

Been spraying WD40 down the inverted frame for days and then on Saturday I plugged it and filled it with diesel and left it to soak. Stuck it in the bench vice yesterday and got it turning in the frame and then popped an old saddle on and my wife gave me a hand to screw it out of the frame. Some of the black anodizing has come off the inserted part but that’s a not a problem. Cleaned it up, blathered it with Waxoyl, car body underseal to avoid any other kind of corrosion, and popped it back in.

I’ll be popping it in and out regularly from now on (ooer!) 😉

Didn’t get a ride in this weekend but just happy to get that sorted.

Thanks for all the various advice everyone.

It’s a 2010 Heckler and the post was new when it went in but hasn’t been moved recently. Still hopefull of rescuing both but if it looks like going pear shaped I might just back off and leave everything where it is.

Cheers everyone for your tips. I’ll give almost anything a go. We did the same with my mates second hand Orange P7 a couple of years ago when the shim and seatpost were stuck in. That was a steel frame so half expected it. We tried various including the upside down in vice thing and completely butchered the post in the end. Keen to avoid that if possible. If it doesn’t budge then it’s currently where I want it so it could always stay I suppose. Finger crossed. Ta

Try just juniors, it is a website catering just for children this is the link for the shorts http://www.justjuniorscyclewear.co.uk/shop/index.php/categories/view/8
don’t be put off by the bib tights at the top of the page there is a good range of baggies further down.

Holme Valley one was 11th September. It’s usually around that weekend each year which normally means there is half a chance it is run in better conditions than the Calderdale one but this year it was quite windy and even turned wet for a while. There are similar events earlier in the year, haven’t done any of them (yet) but follow this link for details http://www.cvmbc.co.uk/

Was a real mudfest and plenty of people came a cropper, me included on Midgley Moor but it was a soft landing in the tussocky grass

pic here http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/photo13195619.html

Despite the weather and the ground conditions it was a good, well organised and marshalled event. Well done to both organisers, volunteers and participants alike. Despite running out of rear brake pads early on I managed to ride every bit apart from a short walk after my off coming down the moor, so quite chuffed.

As a mountain biker I can see where Hugor is coming form here. As a farmer myself I have lived in the countryside all my life, I have been brought up around farm animals and horses and have even ridden myself so can appreciate horses even if I don’t necessarily like them. I always slow for horses when in my car or on my mountain bike and most horse riders are appreciative, courteous and friendly. Personally though I hate horse shit and I also find it unacceptable that horse riders do nothing to clear up after their steeds. OK so horse shit is by no way as offensive or harmful as dog shit. As a repsonsible dog owner I always clear up after mine or where directed, by likes of the Forestry Commission, ‘flick it’ out of the way. I think Horse riders, who by the way do know when here horse is taking a dump, should dismount and kick the shit to one side out of the way of other road/trail/path users. Anyone who wants it for their garden can still pick it up and take it home if they want!

Just to echo a big thanks to all who organised, volunteered and marshalled etc. an excellent event again. Weather wasn’t quite as bad as it could have been but the wind was a right pain. Oh, and well done too to all those who took part!

One final thing; I know it was a windy day and they could have blown away quite easily but shame on you those people (and you know who you are) who just dropped your energy bar/gel wrappers along the way. You give us all a bad name for littering the countryside and potentially causing harm to wildlife and livestock alike.

Aspens will be fine; you won’t need a mud tyre (you might for the moorland sections of Calderdale Mountain Bike Marathon in a few weeks time if you do that though). There aren’t any really muddy sections on this ride, it’s just the 4 mile Trans Pennine Trail section is more likely to resemble a shallow canal rather than a disused railway line. I’m just sticking with my stock set up, High Rollers on my Heckler as usual but many of the faster riders are on cyclo cross bikes on semi/slicks.

Hi Done this challenge a few times now with varying results such as OTB crashes, broken chain etc. Not mega technical with plenty of it on road or decent tracks but quite a few steep or long climbs. I reckon the worst bit on Sunday will be one of the easiest; as a result of the recent and forecast wet weather the soggy Trans Pennine Trail section not far in. It’s really poor draining so expect wet socks and shorts for most of the rest of the way round, YUK! It’s usually a good craik tho’

Thanks for that, it’s all gold.

Got Nevegal 2.35 (wire bead) front and back OEM on my Heckler. Not unhappy with them; they roll fairly well for mid/large volume tyre but my only gripe is getting the ba5t4rd things off/on the rim when I get a puncture. Thankfully it’s not that often but last time it took two of us and a full set of Park Tool levers half an hour (and a broken finger nail!) to change a tube! I used to do Panaracer XC Fire Pro in 15 mins with one lever. Has anyone else had trouble getting them on and off their rims? Mine a re OEM WTB Laserdisc Trail.

Ta for that. I haven’t been yet; my mate has and he is the one mad keen to go but I’m just wondering if the trails will be rideable or if it will be a waste of time and better sticking to a ride closer to home this weekend.

I’ll echo one of the other posts, go to 18Bikes in Hope and get a demo ride. I bought my Heckler from there ex demo and have never regretted it. The single pivot design with the Fox DHX Air shock is supple enough over small bumps but will take big hits with ease. The Heckler isn’t too heavy at around 30 pounds to do most jobs and actually feels lighter than it is, especially on climbs which it handles without pedal bob even without the Pro Pedal flicked on. If it was my money I’d be really tempted by the Nickel, even though I haven’t ridden it Singletrack liked it and it’s very similar to the Heckler just with the added rocker link on the seat tube. I’d definitley hugely recommend the Heckler but 1000’s of people out there (and numerous mags) can’t be wrong about the ubiquitous Orange 5 either.