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[jakonovski]

I took the bike apart, turns out the creak was a loose chainring bolt. But I also discovered that the drive side bb bearing was jammed full of sand and rolled really rough. So tomorrow it's a trip to the bottom bracket store. Good thing they cost like 20 euros even at lbs pricing.

 

[Psychotext]

Finished my third day of bikepacking today after cycling for nearly 12 hours (actually out for 14hrs).

Total stats...

1 completely wrecked bike (multiple failures)
1 destroyed brand new pair of waterproof trousers (fell into cassette)
1 crushed cycling glasses
1 crash
1 completely dead finger (bit concerned about that)
3 days
33 hours total activity / 26.5 hours moving
220.2 miles (354km) ridden
24,215 feet (7,380m) climbed

 

[Mascot]

Finished my third day of bikepacking today after cycling for nearly 12 hours (actually out for 14hrs).

Total stats...

1 completely wrecked bike (multiple failures)
1 destroyed brand new pair of waterproof trousers (fell into cassette)
1 crushed cycling glasses
1 crash
1 completely dead finger (bit concerned about that)
3 days
33 hours total activity / 26.5 hours moving
220.2 miles (354km) ridden
24,215 feet (7,380m) climbed

I'd love to know what you did in the past that fills you with such guilt that you feel the need to keep punishing yourself like this. It must have been something really bad.

I went riding at the weekend and had a brilliant time.

 

[Psychotext]

I made a lamb fall over on its face when it was trying to run away from me this weekend... so that'll be another 80 hilly miles.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Frame pump + saddle bag or frame bag w/ tools?

Trying to better equip my bike for those 3+ hour days.

 

[Teggy]

Frame pump + saddle bag or frame bag w/ tools?

Trying to better equip my bike for those 3+ hour days.

Well, this is what I went with:

The saddle bag has:
2 tubes
Multitool
Tire levers
CO2 valve + 2 canisters
Pressure gauge

The little front bag is primarily for a charger that I can hook up to my phone mount for very long rides. I can get away without it, but I'm not super concerned with aero/weight so I am leaving it there and use it for:
Garage door opener
Money/ATM
Phone case (since it has to be out of the case to go in the mount)
Cleat covers

That way I can limit what I need to put in my jersey pockets.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

I gotta carry a mini pump though now that I'm using tubeless. So in my normal distances( 20-30 mile loops) my normal mini pump is fine to get me home. I can get my needed pressure to just get home as I'm never more than 5-10 miles away. But if I'm out on a 3 hour plus ride and puncture I'm going to want my pressure back to a stable spot (60-70). Completely doable but with a mini pump, but time is everything.

 

[Mascot]

I made a lamb fall over on its face when it was trying to run away from me this weekend... so that'll be another 80 hilly miles.

A blind (and deaf) spaniel walked nose-first into my front wheel at the weekend (I was stopped, but it was still quite a bonk). It was the saddest thing I've experienced in a long time. Even after chatting to the owner for ten minutes I could think of nothing else for the next three hours.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

I'd love to know what you did in the past that fills you with such guilt that you feel the need to keep punishing yourself like this. It must have been something really bad.

I went riding at the weekend and had a brilliant time.

You have no idea how hard this made me laugh.

Also that post scares me since I'm going to do five days unsupported next month.

 

[Psychotext]

A blind (and deaf) spaniel walked nose-first into my front wheel at the weekend (I was stopped, but it was still quite a bonk). It was the saddest thing I've experienced in a long time. Even after chatting to the owner for ten minutes I could think of nothing else for the next three hours.

Aww.

 

[jakonovski]

Bottom bracket replaced, everything is smooth as butter. Feels like a new bike!

 

[Mascot]

Speaking of shorts, if you want a supercheap pair of decent MTB baggies then these are £6 delivered (choose recorded delivery for a quid) from eBay at the moment. They're listed as 'seconds' but there's fuck-all wrong with them except the 'Large' I ordered are more like XXL. I've ordered a Small and Medium set now to find the best fit, but go at least one size smaller than normal. They come nicely below the knee and have a similar fit to Troy Lee Motos, but in a more pliable fabric (my Motos can literally stand up by themselves).



Select the black/orange or blue/red. Don't forget to go down a size or two:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tenn-Mens-Breeze-MTB-Off-Road-3-4-Length-Ventilated-Baggy-Cycle-Shorts-/261001849204?var=&hash=item3cc4ec2974:m:mA7m204gbB2CIyyanUG3HLw

Not much of a gamble for £6.

Remember these supercheap shorts I was pimping a couple of weeks ago? I ordered a couple of extra pairs in different sizes to try to find the best fit (the originals were huge) and the 'mediums' fit perfectly. I was chuffed to bits and gave the other sizes away to friends, then planned on ordering a couple of spare 'mediums'. Problem is, the seat started fraying and the crotch seams started disintegrating after just one ride. Bah! Anyway, got a no-quibble full refund on all three pairs (they must get a lot of complaints) but it's a shame as they seemed fantastic. Too good to be true, in fact - literally.

Did I say 'Bah!' yet?

 

[Psychotext]

Well... I can heartily recommend Endura Singletrack shorts. (I've literally put thousands of miles into mine)

Not cheap though.

 

[Mascot]

Well... I can heartily recommend Endura Singletrack shorts. (I've literally put thousands of miles into mine)

Not cheap though.

Yeah, my search for the perfect short continues.

In other news, goddamn muthafuckin thundercunts of doom, in Wales.

 

[Psychotext]

Yeah, I just don't get it. It seems to be happening more and more.

 

[Mascot]

Yeah, I just don't get it. It seems to be happening more and more.

Horse riders sometimes build impassable jumps made from branches across the local trails (which pisses walkers AND MTBers off in equal measure) but neck-high wires? Jesus Christ.

 

[Psychotext]

Thing is, it's not like it's a cheeky bit of singletrack... it's a fucking cycle path for fuck's sake.

 

[Mascot]

Thing is, it's not like it's a cheeky bit of singletrack... it's a fucking cycle path for fuck's sake.

Yeah, it beggars belief. Plaid Cymru maybe?

 

[Teggy]

So last night I found this: http://nerandonneurs.org/nersite/

If I can handle a century well enough this year, that might be next year's plan. And if I can do that, then 2019 Paris-Brest-Paris could get some serious consideration. That would be quite the bucket list entry.

 

[Psychotext]

I think it's always nice to have a challenging target to shoot for.

Mascot on the other hand, he thinks it's nice to have a soft sofa to shoot for.

Spoiler

Filthy Couchlandrian!

 

[Mascot]

I think it's always nice to have a challenging target to shoot for.

Mascot on the other hand, he thinks it's nice to have a soft sofa to shoot for.

Spoiler

Filthy Couchlandrian!

Ha! I did twenty miles before tea this evening, mainly through mud of elephant shit consistency. It was bloody hard work!

 

[Psychotext]

Meaty. I've never really been a fan of the claggy stuff.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

So last night I found this: http://nerandonneurs.org/nersite/

If I can handle a century well enough this year, that might be next year's plan. And if I can do that, then 2019 Paris-Brest-Paris could get some serious consideration. That would be quite the bucket list entry.

that sounds cool if a little excessive. I mean, did you read the requirements? Holy cow.

 

[Teggy]

that sounds cool if a little excessive. I mean, did you read the requirements? Holy cow.

Yeah, but what's cool about it is the rides get progressively longer - 100k, 200k, 300k, etc. So you get a chance to ease into it and see if it's something you can do. You're not just thrown right into the 600k and then realize ivemadeaterriblemistake.gif

 

[Psychotext]

I'm not convinced I could do 600k in 40 hours. Certainly not carrying any meaningful amount of stuff on the bike.

 

[Teggy]

I'm not convinced I could do 600k in 40 hours. Certainly not carrying any meaningful amount of stuff on the bike.

The way they work it is you can drop off a sleeping bag and they will send it to an overnight spot for you. There are also lots of places to pick up food along the way. So all you really need to carry is your standard emergency and energy stuff.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

All that and there's time limits? Holy crap.

I'm doing 600 (did the math) next month over five days, I can't even imagine doing it shorter than that.

 

[Mascot]

Meaty. I've never really been a fan of the claggy stuff.

It was a tad wheelspinny, granted.

I'm not convinced I could do 600k in 40 hours. Certainly not carrying any meaningful amount of stuff on the bike.

I bet you could if you kicked a puppy or mugged an old lady.

 

[Psychotext]

I think I'd have to steal a guide puppy from a blind old lady to get that sort of guilt.

Unrelated, weak: http://dirtmountainbike.com/news/in...data-used-ban-cyclists-california-trails.html

What about horses putting off young, inexperienced mountain bikers? NO-ONE THINKS OF THAT!

 

[jakonovski]

Public holiday, +20C, sunny and utter trail bliss. Best day in a long time. As a new skill, I learnt to ride on old timey duckboards. Just logs split in half and set side by side. Like this:

 

[Psychotext]

Trail I did recently had boardwalk, with dropoffs... was properly scary. lol

 

[Stinkles]

I have a squeak. Driving me nuts. Seems to be rear disc brake, adjusting the dial to slacken the grip seems to work for about a mile, but is dangerously loose, and the squeak comes back after a mile, rinse, repeat. Goddamnit.

 

[Mascot]

Trail I did recently had boardwalk, with dropoffs... was properly scary. lol

My local trails at Slade has some - not sure if we visited these when you were down last summer?

 

[Psychotext]

No, don't think I saw that bit.

 

[Mascot]

No, don't think I saw that bit.

It's a bit of a bugger to get to at the moment but somebody seems to be hacking a path through from the top of the woods which would link up nicely with one of my normal loops. It leads to a really steep descent which involves a nice lungburner to get back to civilisation. You're welcome down again whenever you want

 

[Psychotext]

A lungburner you say...

 

[HTupolev]

I have a squeak. Driving me nuts. Seems to be rear disc brake, adjusting the dial to slacken the grip seems to work for about a mile, but is dangerously loose, and the squeak comes back after a mile, rinse, repeat. Goddamnit.

If you add some tension back into the grip, would that help to reveal whether the squeak is in fact the disc?

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Went to the PT and got diagnosed with a bulging disc and anterior pelvic tilt. ONTO THE AB WORKOUTS

 

[Stinkles]

If you add some tension back into the grip, would that help to reveal whether the squeak is in fact the disc?

I don't think so (happy to be corrected) because that seems to only adjust the cord pull sensitivity, not the actual location of the disc in relation to the pads.

 

[Chip N Chance]

Has anyone in hear ever trued a wheel before? I own a wrench and my back wheel seems really off. Is it worth me trying or should i just pay the 20 clams at my local shop to have them do it?

 

[Psychotext]

I always pay. I find it to be a massive pain to do.

 

[HTupolev]

I don't think so (happy to be corrected) because that seems to only adjust the cord pull sensitivity, not the actual location of the disc in relation to the pads.

But if the rotor and pads have an alignment issue, greater cable tension would increase rub. By forcing rub to occur, you could look at the brakes and listen and figure out if it's the same as the squeak.

Another question: is the squeak in sync with anything (1 squeak cycle per wheel rotation, 1 squeak cycle per crank revolution, 1 squeak cycle per chain cycle, etc)?

 

[panty]

Are there any vintage bike hobbyist here? I mean Italian steel bikes from the 70-90's.

I'm trying to sell my F. Moser and I'm not sure on the price.

 

[Stinkles]

I have a squeak. Driving me nuts. Seems to be rear disc brake, adjusting the dial to slacken the grip seems to work for about a mile, but is dangerously loose, and the squeak comes back after a mile, rinse, repeat. Goddamnit.

Fixed!

Cleaned everything including crank, hubs, chain, derailleur, cables etc. Never found out specifically what it was. Proper service soon.

Two weird incidents though on the post fix ride. One, my front wheel became loose, my fault for not spinning both sides of the quick release but has never happened to me before.

Second almost had a fight with a maxima driver a couple of blocks from home. He was revving and honking at me like an ASSHOLE on a narrow SCHOOL street, eventually got around me even though I gave him plenty of room to get around...then he got stuck immediately in backed up school traffic. So I cycled up and screamed improbable biological threats at him. He shit his pants and claimed he was trying to "beep" a friendly warning. When the traffic unclogged he sped off yelling some tough guy stuff about how I was impeding traffic.

I remember him though. I hope I see him again.

 

[Mascot]

New Danny Mac video

 

[av2k]

This is embarrassing but I just learned how to bike a week ago but my bum hurts from the seat. Are those flat seats much better?

 

[Aiustis]

I got some new Schwalbe marathon tires today. I figure I'd try them. Any other tire ideas? On my old bike I had some thick slicks.

This is embarrassing but I just learned how to bike a week ago but my bum hurts from the seat. Are those flat seats much better?

Seats are tricky
If possible go to a bike shop to get fitted.
They are not a one size fits all e.g. I'm female, but use a men's saddle because it's the most comfortable I've found.

 

[trebbble]

Got out to a sweet demo day today and tried out a bunch of bikes on the same nice technical trail.

The highlight was the Yeti SB5. For the types of trails we've got up here - twisty, rooty, chutey - there was no better bike. Tracked extremely well through technical decents, but still climbed like a billy goat. ~2-3 lbs lighter than equivalent offerings from Santa Cruz and Pivot. By far the best suspension performance, very responsive feel, but ate up the little bumps that would slow down the other bikes I tried.

Second was the Santa Cruz 5010 2.0. I liked this bike a lot too, but the Yeti seemed to just edge it out in most categories for me. I felt that the suspension got caught up a bit more on roots, rocks and ledges, sapping just that little extra bit of momentum. Climbed and descended well, but didn't track as well through rougher terrain than the SB5. I would consider this bike if I could get a comparable build for a noticeably lower price than the Yeti

The biggest disappointment was the Bronson 2.0. Pedalled heavier than it felt to lift, wallowed through turns and didn't climb all that great compared to the other bikes I rode. Felt piggish through turns, like you'd have to almost push is sliding through the twists of the trail. I think it would be great if you were a more gravity oriented rider, but it didn't seem like a great bike for most of our trails. Could be great for Mt. Ste. Anne or something where there's really steep aggressive rocky and rooty decants with a shuttle back up to the top. Rode much closer to what I would have expected the Nomad to feel like.

The Pivot 429 felt like not quite enough bike for the way I ride, and I preferred the 27.5 wheel size in practice. That said, it did exceed my (admittedly somewhat low) expectations.

I wanted to try the Hightower but they only had one and it couldn't be taken out on the trails, so I didn't get to give it a fair shot. My LBS is insistent that I should try it before making a purchase, so I'm going to try to give it a shot sometime in the next couple of weeks.

I left the event feeling pretty confident that the SB5 would be my next bike.

 

[Laekon]

Got out to a sweet demo day today and tried out a bunch of bikes on the same nice technical trail.

The highlight was the Yeti SB5.

Second was the Santa Cruz 5010 2.0.

The biggest disappointment was the Bronson 2.0.

The Pivot 429 felt like not quite enough bike for the way I ride, and I preferred the 27.5 wheel size in practice. That said, it did exceed my (admittedly somewhat low) expectations.

I left the event feeling pretty confident that the SB5 would be my next bike.

The only way for the Yeti to be 2-3lbs lighter is from the build kit. The SC CC frames should be really close in weight. The 429 is a heavier frame, no question there.

The Bronson is really close to the 5010 so something must have been up with the suspension or tire pressure set up to feel so different.

I like the 429 for the trails around me in So Cal. Fast fire road type trails with rough rocky sections and tight switch backs all with loose over hardback dirt.

The Intense Spider 275C is a great bike to try if you can find one.

 

[Mascot]

This is embarrassing but I just learned how to bike a week ago but my bum hurts from the seat. Are those flat seats much better?

If you are new to biking then your arse will hurt until you battle-harden it over several rides. It's bruising, nothing more. I get the same if I've been off the bike for a few months. A different saddle won't necessarily help.