Chainrings have teeth! I’m not sure how this happened, but some things mark you as an office working commuter.
Author: Cris Bloomfield
Usually mountain biking in the North.
Van for Sale
We’re selling our van. It’s a medium wheel base 2006 Renualt Master with a semi high roof. We bought it a year ago for going to and from France and since then have spent quite a bit on parts including two new rear tyres (Michelin Agilis), new near side wing mirror, rear discs and pads and all the engine bay fuel pipes replaced. It was serviced in April 2011, is taxed to September 2011 and MOT’d until mid April 2012.
It’s in rather fabulous condition in Albi Blue paint with no major scratches or dents. It’s 2.5l turbo diesel engine is on 97,500 miles now and we bought it at 91,000. Full Service history with Renault for major services, including the timing/cambelt being done at 72,000. ABS, central locking, CD player, ply lining, anchor points and half a dozen ratchet straps included. Good spare wheel in the back.
We spent two and half months looking for this van so we know there’s some proper rubbish out there, this one, as my mate Neil might say, is mint. We are the second owners, prior to that it was owned by a Glossop based firm.
£4200 ono.
Update
Not much to report really. This week has been terrible for any riding as I was on a training course for three days and driving and then had to walk in for various meetings yesterday, so today is the only day I’ve been on the bike since Friday last week. Clearly this isn’t good enough and one of the reasons has been the broken nature of both the Singlespeed and Remedy.
On all the bikes other than the Cross bike the pedals need replacing. I have had enough of Crank Bros pedals and so I am undertaking a programme of reSPuDification. I ordered new cranks and pedals for the Singlespeed yesterday so at least that will be back in action soon!
New Way Home
Amazingly after all these years doing the same old, same old route to and from work, I’ve found that there is a route that runs parallel for just over half of the whole journey and is on quieter roads with a cycle lane. Amazing. It’s my preferred route home and takes about the same amount of time, but is definitely better for my temper. In other news, Eggbeaters are finally off the ‘cross bike in favour of SPDs. First ride on them tonight on the way home, they have to be an improvement even if they are twice the weight. I am not going to miss spontaneous ejection of my feet into the front wheel. Finally, check the tech: Cycling Apps.
Campus Graffiti
I have a Blackberry 8310 as a work phone and to be honest the camera that’s built in is about as useful as a solar powered torch, but nonetheless as I carry it around with me all day every day so it does occasionally come in useful for snapping photos. One of the good things about the university is the witty graffiti* that appears from time to time. I’m not sure what context this advertising poster was in.
Annoyingly I can’t remember or read what it says on the line under “it depends what TV”, which is a shame, but does leave it open for you to suggest comments…
*Don’t assume the students are responsible. I know two academics who have admitted to carrying permanent marker pens so that they can correct spelling mistakes and poor grammar on various signage and notices that they encounter.
Still Peddling
Weather: Hot, cloudy, cold, windy, wet, cold, warm, wet, sunny, dry (repeat to fade)
Bikes: 2 out of 4 broken
Traffic: Same old same old
Work: Far too busy
Riding: Commuting only
Back to the Forest
Headed over to Llandegla again for a breakfast ride with Phil, Neil and Lardy. Kathy and Ele took the kids walking after the rain stopped and they’d had some tea and cakes in the cafe. The climb up to the mast was in perfect conditions, dry and grippy and easily rideable on the singlespeed, whilst the descent down was not the usual stream bed, but also dry and in great shape. Neil said they were the best conditions he has ever ridden. Back along Offa’s Dyke woodwork and then through the forest before joining up with the blue for a blat back to the cafe. Short run, but it was all that time allowed.
The Race Face Deus cranks on the Singlespeed Deluxe are goosed. I found the drive side crank loose after Penmachno last weekend, so stripped them and rebuilt them with threadlock. Halfway around Llandegla, the drive side crank was loose again, but the bolt holding them on was still torqued up tight. The spider is also bent from a previous event, so they’ve now reached the end of their life. Looking at another pair of Deus (the design has been revised) or some SLX cranks. Not sure which one to go for yet, still mulling it over. This coupled with the need for new pedals on all the bikes and a new pair of rims for the Remedy are all adding up to some expense on the horizon.
Bumped into Fiona and John at the Cafe. They’re friends from Ride the Alps trips and Fi was the photo model for many shots dues to her welcome choice of some great colourful biking outfits that really stood out in the shots. We’re hoping to get some Peak District riding organised for later this year. Here they are enjoying the descent from Kleine Scheidegg towards Lauterbrunnen.
Penmachno
It was November 2006 that Tyrrell and I first rode the trails at Penmachno in Snowdonia. About 15 minutes drive from Betws-y-Coed the trail is far less well known or popular as the Marin Trail. Today I returned and for the first time rode the new-to-me Loop 2 section to put together a 27km route. The new section offers some great views and some superb singletrack including a very nice section in deciduous woodland which is rare in most of Northern England in my experience.
It’s also a mofo of a ride on a singlespeed. It’s the first time in years I’ve had a both quads cramp up on a climb, but it’s not the climbs that get you it’s the files of rocky and bumpy trails that just wear you down. It might only be 27km, but it feels like you’ve done double that at the end. Still, I passed a lot of people on full suspension bikes on the way around, but only on the Loop 1 section. I had Loop 2 all to myself and didn’t see a soul.
Jack Reading
Jack is one of the Sport Scholars here at The University of Manchester and is a bit handy on a bike. Check out this video of him getting in some training in the Spanish Heat. Why is it that video always makes downhill look so flat when the reality is so steep?
RTA
I saw a biker being tended to by the side of the road today at the second set of lights on the way into work. He’d had a coming together with a blue Skoda Fabia and was nursing either a badly bruised or broken thigh. I hope it’s only the former. Sometimes seeing the aftermath is worse that the actual event. It leaves your mind free to contemplate what might have happened to cause the crash.
