Category: Words

It’s not just Formula One cars that suffer from tyre blisters…

The Continental GP4000s on the road bike have been getting a bit battered since the more powerful Dura Ace brake callipers were fitted last year. I’m not convinced it is actually blistering, but locking up the rear wheel isn’t doing these tyres any good.

What happens to a tyre during build up to blistering, is that the chemical composition of the outer casing, begins to change, usually due to too much heat. Road debris is however another common cause. This can rip little chunks of rubber out of the tyre, especially when friction (generated under braking) makes the tyre hot and therefore very soft and easily damaged.

These are often mistaken for blisters, because the visual evidence is similar. Real blisters occur when the tyre gets hot and the outer rubber begins to melt and crumble apart. This usually happens in small areas and the rubber can bubble. This can look like a blister and after it occurs, rubber begins to chunk off and leave little holes in the tyre.

Sometimes you find a product that is just so good that you never want to use anything else. Specialized Body Geometry Pro Mountain Bike Shoes have been my weapon of choice for well over five years. After a couple of seasons of racing and riding including a TransAlp and the Cape Epic the third pair of shoes are now going to have to be retired.

The upper has worn through to holes on the outside edges of both shoes and most of the rubber sole lugs have been cut clear away – that remaining isn’t properly stuck to the shoe any more. When I was out riding last week there were a couple of sketchy moments when, needing grip all the shoes had to offer was slippy plastic and I might as well have been wearing a pair of road shoes. This enforced retirement comes at a bad time, because it’s really too warm to wear the other riding option – a pair of Shimano Winter Boots – and leaves a very old pair of Cannondale Trail shoes (normally used for commuting) to take up the role of appropriate riding wear.

Alex Leigh over at Pickled Hedgehog found a rather amusing link to a chap called Mike Grieve. Mike clearly fancies himself as a bit of a contender for the Redbull Rampage, but unfortunately he’s finding that there is a fairly steep progression curve to becoming a freeride demigod.

With more YouTube madness out there it was interesting to see that the Norwegian behind this video – skiing down Europe’s largest escalator at the Angel Tube Station in London, actually made it into the national news via the BBC website. Finally anyone with any interest in fast cars will find this short clip of American rally driver Ken Block setting an immense 175ft gap jump in a Works Subaru more interesting than watching recent F1 Gran Prixs. I suspect the broken windscreen that resulted from the landing was the least of the worries to the structure of the car…

This came through via email today:

I want to thank those of you that have provided us feedback about out MyOutdoors.net project. It has been quite valuable in developing the site. Unfortunately, we have not had time to continue marketing the site and have decided to see if anyone else would be interested in continuing to develop it and are putting it up for sale.

If you have any interest in the site, please let us know and if you think any of your readers might be interested in it, we would greatly appreciate spreading the word to them. We’ve spent a lot of time on the site and really hate to see it languish. Here is the blog post we made about it, with links to our listings:

http://myoutdoors.blogspot.com/2007/04/myoutdoorsnet-is-up-for-sale.html

Thanks again for your support. With some of your help, hopefully we can find someone who will be able to devote some more time to it.

I did think that for a minute it was Outdoorzy, but then it soon became clear that it was actually a completely different site. I’m sure that things will work out for them. Although it was a US orientated site in terms of content, the application of Google Maps and the added content was a great idea. Other than Google Maps, they use AJAX and XML to deliver info without readers constantly having to reload the page, providing a smoother web experience and an interactive application.

On Friday I took the road bike out and spun around the Cheshire lanes. It’s a familiar route, one that requires no planning or real thought and one that can be as long or as short as you want it to be. From Altrincham, you ride towards Alderley Edge and onwards to Macclesfield and up the Cat and Fiddle towards Buxton. I haven’t really enjoyed riding the road for a few years. I think part of it is to do with the traffic, but I think a big part of it is that there is no excitement. I know the roads. I know where they go. There isn’t much chance of getting lost or discovering something new. For some reason when you’re offroad even familiar trails give a buzz.

Saturday I caught up with the guys in Harry Halls. It’s been a long time since I spent much time in the shop and it was great to find out what everyone is up to these days. Of course since I stopped working there has been an increase in competition. Manchester now has an Evans and an Edinburgh Bicycle Co-Op, but despite the money behind both chains they seem to offer little threat to the depth of experience, field of knowledge and the genuinely ‘passionate about cycling’ attitude of the staff in Harrys.

This afternoon I headed back over to Llandegla. Since my last visit they’ve opened another 2km of black run. If it really is only an extra 2km then I’m surprised, it seems like a lot more. Either way the designers have done another great job of using the hillside to maximum effect to pack in as many swoops, berms, rollers and jumps as possible. The best thing about the forest is that it is so easy to double back and do the best bits again and again. I think it only fair to say that two or three runs on each of the best sections is now compulsory…

After two weeks away the flat has a distinctive smell. Wood and fabric that has been warming in the sunlight. It’s strange to come home after such a long break especially when there is such a big temperature difference between Manchester and Cape Town. The bikes both made it home, so tonight I need to unpack properly and check them over and make sure they survived international travel. It looks like a lot has happened since I left a couple of weeks ago for the race.

Singletrack gave us some lekker coverage via a couple of updates (stages 1 to 3 and 4 to 5) and there has been support from a number of friends including Nick and Chilly. You know what I want to do this weekend? I want to go riding and try and forget about the Cape Epic. I want to see the green hills and lush forests. I want to get muddy. Wet. Cold. It’s great to be home in the UK.

Andrea’s been in touch. It turns out her boyfriend Karl Yeh is riding in the Epic too with a guy named Mike. The two of them are flying out tomorrow and I’ve said we’ll have to try and meet up during the race. We are both under strict instructions as she wants to see pictures of elephants, zebras and rhinos. I’ll have to see what we can do. She has also been showing off about the fact that last weekend they went cross-country skiing. This winter landscape is just over an hour from her new home in Calgary.

I updated the Singletrack Archive yesterday with the listing for the latest issue. A new look site is still being developed – a time consuming process for which I have little resource. With the latest update I have added in all the spinelines that have graced the bound edge of the magazine since issue five.

For some time I have also wanted to acknowledge the work of the photographers who have made it on to the front cover and who have contributed to the contents pages over the issues. Looking back through the issues made me realise the calibre of the contributions. There are some big names and some stunning work. Here are the links to some of them:

Rob Hamilton-Smith

Sterling Lorence

Seb Rogers

John Gibson

Dan Barham

Ben Haworth 

I’ve a few old mountain biking Videos on my bookshelf that I’d like to get into digital format so that I can watch them on the DVD player. A brief question raised on Singletrack’s forum has generated some great feedback. Although I know there are a few firms that specialise in doing this, I thought it might be something I can try myself. Of course wanting to do it on a Mac adds an extra level of challenge.

Word is that you can capture to DV tape and recapture the long way or there is wee application called BTV pro carbon which will capture via a camera or deck with analogue video in/firewire through, direct to the hard disc. You can specify the format and change it once its captured. Then you just edit and output whatever you fancy. You can apparently also capture a firewire stream direct into Quicktime Pro or iMovie too

So I think I’ll have a look at www.hireacamera.com. They’re recommended and it’s said that they deliver via courier and are pretty cheap. I think I’ll make some enquiries at work too, as I’m sure we might have some useful kit available.

There is another me. Well some one else with my name and they appear to be from East Anglia too. A recent google has revealed a runner who is continuing ‘his one man assault on the Cross Country series with his third win in succession and no-one looks like taking him in the last two races barring injury, illness or some underhand move by league bad boys Tri Sport Ford’.

In other news IMBA-UK and CTC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. IMBA has demonstrated that mountain biking provision will improve more speedily if cycling organisations work closely together. As a result, increasing cooperation between IMBA and CTC has led to this first formal step in formalising the arrangement between the two organisations.

1)  CTC and IMBA believe the health and wellbeing of the nation will be improved by encouraging more people to enjoy the public trail network by cycle.

2)  CTC and IMBA agree that the byway and bridleway network in England and Wales, and cyclists access rights in Scotland should be protected and enhanced

3)  CTC and IMBA recognise a common interest in promoting and campaigning for greater rights for off-road cyclists and will actively seek opportunities to work together in support of these objectives.

4)  CTC and IMBA will encourage greater integration of our volunteer networks to work towards better promotion of and provision for off-road cycling.