Category: Words

Four hundred mile round trip down to Tim Flooks‘ workshop just south of Bath today. 5th element shocks will fit the old FSR frame, but 5th don’t make a spring strond enough for the 4:1 ratio that the FSR produces in 6″ travel mode. They don’t even do one that lets in run 5″ travel. Bit of a bummer as I’d managed to line up a buyer for the Vanilla R that was coming off, but Tim had always reckoned getting it to fit was a long shot.

Anyway he had a fettle and has revalved the shock again, this time to what is being referred to as North Shore standard, which basically means its shimmed to the max. Running it in 5″ mode now and the whole things seems a lot better, plus the new internals now have a rubber stop that eliminates the metallic top out noise. Result. More on how it performs when I get back from Switzerland.

The trip was relatively uneventful apart from the usual M5/M6 queues and then some cretin in a SUV who almost took out a BMW on the M56 on the way back into Manchester. Can’t have been concentrating and missed a slow down in the traffic ahead, then only just managed to hit the brakes before ramming up the back end of some of Stuttgart’s finest in the fast lane. I was one lane in from them and the sight of several tonnes of metal getting sideways, one way then the other under braking at about 70 mph had my heart in my mouth, especially as it swerved into and then out of the lane just in front of me. Probably a brown pants moment for the driver that’s for sure.

A few of us have setup fantasy Tour De France teams, and entered them in Cycling Weekly’s competition. Thanks to Chilly and Jed for sending in the link. I’ve setup a page to track team progress and will be launching it sometime after the start of the event and definitely by next Sunday when I get back.

The Germans have organised another mental singlespeed event, this time on their turf, details are on this forum thread. I should have linked to the Russ appeal ages ago. I didn’t but I wish I had. Here it is: Russ Appeal

Singletrack Issue Ten arrived yesterday and has been providing good reading as expected. I’ve updated the ‘bureau and played around with things a little bit here and there, but most of it is behind the scenes stuff that you won’t notice.

Reading Chipps’ article about Jeff Guererro from Dirt Rag’s visit was for some reason strangely inspiring. You can catch up on Jeff’s recollection of events and find links to a load of pictures over on Dirt Rag. The forum entry’s here in fact.

That’s it for tonight. Need to get ready for tomorrow’s Breakfast ride.

As I sit here there is a stadium power light beaming into both the rooms of the flat from the car park outside where some filming is taking place. It’s like it’s 8 o’clock in the morning, except it’s almost midnight. That plus the intermittent crackle of walkie talkies and people shouting through a megaphone. Inconsiderate bastards.

The suitcases which the FSR is going to fit into for the trip to Switz arrived this morning and are now suitably lined with cardboard. The wheels will fit if the tyres are deflated and the rear end and forks are going to have to be taken off the frame to get it to fit into the other case, but otherwise not much more disassembling than would normally occur to pack a bike into a cardboard bike box. It’s a cunning plan that might just work. Plus they both have wheels on which means they can be truckled around unlike a cardboard bike box.

Current thinking is that a trip down to TF Tuned is on for Wednesday and I’ve ordered some stiffer fork springs this morning. Bit last minute but there we go.

I’ve also been working on some team kit and t-shirt designs in preparation for a rothar.com team entry in Sleepless this year. Black and white seems like the way ahead to me, just like Guinness and Team Evil.

Some good results to report. Steve Peat is back to winning ways and Fionn Griffiths and Tracy Moseley are up on the podium too. The national road race results weren’t too surprising and this just goes to show that some people need the sort of assistance that isn’t allowed:

From: cyclingnews.com
Subject: Rumsas fails B test

Lithuanian cyclist Raimondas Rumsas has been confirmed to have tested positive for EPO during the Giro d’Italia. The results of the counter analysis were identical to the first test, which was performed on a sample taken on May 16. “The second test proves Raimondas had taken erythropoietin, also known as EPO. This is very sad,” said Rima Berloviene, a spokeswoman for the Lithuanian Sports Federation to AP.

Rumsas has yet to be sanctioned, but he could be facing a long penalty unless he can prove his innocence. After the first positive test, Rumsas stated that if the counter-analysis was also positive, “I would suspect my doctors…Everyone knows that I am under special observation. How then could I take EPO after what happened at last year’s Tour de France?”

Rumsas finished third in the Tour de France last year, but on the last day his wife Edita was arrested under suspicion of carrying doping substances in her car. She was jailed for two months before eventually being released. Rumsas always denied taking banned substances, and said the products in his Edita’s car were for his mother-in-law.

New revised and hopefully looking better for those of you on smaller screens

I pretty much buried myself this week. Tuesday evening plus the Breakfast ride and a play up in the Hills above Hebden Bridge and Todmorden finally took their toll and I overslept on Thursday, waking up at 09.30. My ability to get my shit together in no time at all meant that I still managed to make it to the Doctor’s appointment that I had ten minutes later.

After almost two years since the RTA that killed the De Rosa, the lower back pain I’ve been having was investigated with an MRI scan a few weeks ago. The results show that I have a couple of discs that aren’t in a very good state. Doesn’t seem to be much that can be done about it, but some physiotherapy may help.

It’s been an interesting week at work, but not always for the right reasons. Some things never change. We had a customer in today that we’d gone out of our way to accommodate and had ended up doing a lot of work for no profit, yet they still queried the bill and made a massive fuss. Some people just don’t know when they’re onto a good thing. Wouldn’t have been so bad had it not been for the attitude, it really spoilt the atmosphere for the rest of the day for me.

Trying to get organised for Switzerland. I leave next Friday. I have a cunning plan for getting the bikes on the plane adopted from this thread on the Singletrack forum. I’m also just about to plough through the multipage small print of the Snowcard insurance that has been suitably recommended.

Bike is pretty much sorted, but I’m still undecided about the rear shock and probably need to get the fork springs uprated. Decisions, decisions.

I always thought the original Ultimate’s were pretty cool, but technology moves on I guess. Oh and a well done to Dave (360) from the Breakfast ride, who set a time for the South Downs Way last weekend, on his singlespeed. A hardest bit? whole thing looks like hell, I reckon it’s going to take some beating.

The Corster and I rode out tonight, managed to clock up fifty miles in Cheshire. Guess we should make the most of this good weather while it lasts and it was good tonight. First time out on the road bike in a long time. Always feels weird going back to narrow drop bars after riding mountain bikes with risers.

Team Jelly weren’t at Mountain Mayhem (I keep wanting to call it the Red Bull) this year, but Martyn was up for another crack at it and managed to pull a team together, building upon his pairing from last years Dusk to Dawn. This race report made its way into my inbox:

It seems that there was some arguing and bitching in the team and the end result was to be placed 129th. Surprising really because with all those e’s you’d be forgiven for thinking they’d be wired out of their heads. Talking of 24hr endurance Jed and I have been accepted into the pairs category at Sleepless in the Saddle. That is going to be either good fun or complete carnage. Hoping it’s not going to be the latter.

5th Element shock for the FSR. Should I, shouldn’t I? Decisions, decisions, if I get it I’ll need it before I head to Switzerland next Friday, which is going to necessitate a trip down south.

Breakfast ride and Calderdale night ride tomorrow. It’s going to be proper ‘bo.

Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem Results here

Well whilst people were riding all weekend down in West Bromwich, I worked my first full weekend in the shop. No riding, but I have managed to go through all of the various little tasks that have needed to be done. Filing paperwork that kind of exciting stuff.

Bit of fettling with bikes here and there. Talking of which there is a new project to be worked on, it’s of the skinny tired variety and will necessitate some paint stripping and checking the structural integrity of some finely brazed 531. More as and when.

Whilst tidying up I found this collection of pictures.

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Bike Porn from the Plymouth Grundig World Cup Event in ’95.

Wednesday’s breakfast ride went well and the rain kept at bay, so dusty trails prevailed once again. Six made the 5am start this week. The forecast rain did arrive later in the day, but by the time the evening ride in Calderdale came around, the weather was back to a finer state.

Some pretty good riding around there (increasingly one of my favourite places to head out to), but it’s meant riding stuff that’s made me realise that whilst the rigid singlespeed has been fine for most stuff so far, it does have it’s limits.

It’s been good going back to a rigid set up, it was a change that I used to make for each winter race series, only putting suspension forks on for summer. I guess I just crumbled at the prospect of being beaten down the descents I’d earned on the ups. So the Singlespeed now looks quite a bit different to the original photos and spec listed. It’s a work in progress. Update soon.

The Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem (SSMM) is this weekend. After two years of it, it seems weird not to be there this year. I guess new things are pretty much across the board this year. Good luck to all those riding. Hope you avoid mechanicals and that your lights don’t pack up midway through.

Jed and I have put an entry in to ride as a pair at Sleepless in the Saddle (SITS) in August. This should be an interesting experience that’s for sure. I’m just hoping that we get in. There’s also the possibility following a phone call from an old friend that I’ll be revisiting my old trail stomping grounds. Fingers crossed on that one.

Next years Shimano stuff looms closer, not too impressed by the looks of Dura Ace, but the new XT still looks pretty fine. That and more here. Robbie Bourdon’s had a nasty prang. And then there’s Tara Llanes, mmm, mmm, mmm. Finally I’ve been meaning to link Trailbreak for a while so here’s that too.

Riding Sunday. Somewhere.

rothar.com: mountain bike shenanigans. I think I might run with that for a bit until something better comes along.

Finally swapped the controls on the FSR over, it’s taken an age to get the kit together. Gone shorter, but higher rise and I’m pretty pleased with results. The bike is more chuckable, the steering more responsive and it’s still comfy for all day rides. I’m sure that the rapid steering response saved me from at least two nasty skin/dirt & rock interfaces on yesterday’s rides.

Headed over to North Wales and headed for Betws-Y-Coed. Didn’t really look at the (crap) directions I downloaded of the mbwales site, so ended up driving around looking for something which wasn’t there for half an hour. Eventually parked up and popped into the bike hire centre in the Tourist information centre to get some directions – thanks again for the help.

Rode up and out of BYC up to waymarker 59. That’s one hell of a warm up. Must be 1:4 in places. Hooked onto the trail and was soon laying the hammer down. Trying to keep up with some guy on a fully sprung Marin at one point led to near miss number one, two wheel slide to nothing saved only by a quick foot plant and a stroke of luck. The section down to the trail head where the Marin demo was taking place was probably the best bit of loop, some nice rollers which launched you nicely of you hit them right.

Managed to take a wrong turn and ended riding pointlessly up the tarmacked road from the carpark for far too far before I realised my mistake. Then had to turn around and traipse all the way back down. Soon back on track and nailing some good lines on technical sections. The whole thing was over far too soon and I seemed to be back where I started in no time at all. The choice was to stay and ride the loop again or head off to Coed-Y-Brenin.

As there was unfinished business at the latter it was decided to leave BYC for the day and head south. Just over an hour later, full of home cooked cakes, I set off on the MBR route. This was good because I’m not a great fan of the Karrimor/Red Bull long fireroad climb up and I knew I’d be doing that bad boy later anyway.

Enjoyed the MBR, quite a lot of technical singletrack climbing, which is something that none of the other routes I’ve ridden have tended to have. All was going well until about just over half way round where you are contouring round a wooded hill section and enter a really thickly wooded section that plunges you into darkness. About 20 metres in with my eyes still adjusting to the light I just make out something.

Turns out to be a small conifer that has been laid right across the trail. Seems CYB has it’s own stickman. Surely there’s no need. That really annoyed me. Climbing up the bridleway section not long after I had to stop and cool down, it was just too damn hot out there yesterday.

After another slice of cake, a can of Red Bull and a bit of a breather it was time to slog up the hill for the Red Bull run. Those rock garden sections of singletrack you hit after the climb are pretty testing. Rode around the rest of loop, only to have near miss number 2 on a relatively straight, fast section. Not exactly sure what happened, but the front wheel just washed out, and I only just caught the bastard. The top section of the last descend down to the carpark had me off and walking a bit for the first time all day. Just didn’t feel strong or alert enough to try and ride it but regretted it as soon as I was back to the car. Next time. So that’s BYC and CYB dusted so far this year. Machynlleth is next and I’m going to have to combine that with a trip to the Centre for Alternative Technology.

This is pretty interesting reading, I’m hoping that IMBA UK will have the same good effect here too. Chilly has been busy and has a new site that I didn’t know about until Saturday night, the sneaky bugger.

Nice new road wheels from Mavic, but not many of them. An epic Oregon bike adventure. About time some one pointed out the obvious and a comment from someone who should know better.

Well not a disastrous day by any means. Lots of fiddling with bikes however. As much as I love the looks of my old Cook Bros RSR cranks, I just don’t think they’re up to carting my lardy arse round on a singlespeed that I’m increasingly thrashing around. So I’ve bought a new XT chainset for the FSR and swapped the old XT cranks onto the SSer. About the same weight I reckon, possibly a bit lighter now I’ve ditched the stainless steel 36t onZa buzzsaw, but with a nice stiff octalink setup. Now running 32:16, whilst waiting for some new four bolt chainrings to turn up.

Very impressed at how much lighter the new hollowform XT cranks are over the old (not impressed by the 10mm allen key crank bolts). Also not so happy that the day after I install them the 2004 XT versions are unveiled.

Heard from an old friend today after what seems like an age. It’s always cool to catch up with people and find out what they’ve been up to.

Possibly off to Wales this weekend for some riding. Have to see how things go…

European Singlespeed Championship results are now up and there’s a link to them from the event page.

At ten past four this morning my alarm went off. Reality slowly clicked into place as I remembered that the reason I was awake was because I needed to get up to go riding. Following on from the example set my MacPuppy and company up in Edinburgh, Steve M had organised a Manchester alternative to the now infamous Breakfast Ride and it was starting at 5am.

The whole thing was made a lot easier by having prepared all my kit the night before, all I had to do was get dressed grab some food to eat on the way and go. Still it took about ten or fifteen minutes. The ride along car free roads was a bit surreal, but within no time at all I was rolling up to Sale Water Park to find STW forum dwellers Bruce and IJH already there.

Once Steve M and 360 turned up we were off riding down to the Co-op Pyramid in Stockport and back in the early morning sun. For some reason I keep thinking about the way in which the low-light caught the pollen from the riverside plants exploding into the air as they were brushed past. It was a good way to start the day, but not so much of a breakfast ride – I think stopping and eating somewhere needs to figure in the equation.

Most of us were riding one geared bikes. This singlespeed thing is quite addictive really. I might actually be beginning to like it. That’s something that I’m finding hard to come to terms with given my original scepticism. I do need to sort out the current seatpost slippage issue as a priority though.

On a different note I hope that by tomorrow night the FSR will be in a rideable state once more, with the shock fresh back from TF Tuned and with some handlebars on it again. That way a trip somewhere at the weekend with said beast might be a possibility. Not much happening other than that.

Finally finished the write up for the cross France trip again. Read about it here. I’ve been meaning to hook up a link to the NSMB e’zine since Ben showed it to me. Its on here now, so check it out to read about lots of new stuff (like the ’04 Big Hit). I’ve been reading Mountain Bike Review on and off for the last fives years or so. It has its fans and its critics, but I think it deserves a link either way.