January 13, 2009 – 10:28 pm
Another short ride late afternoon/early evening (can’t seem to get out until dusk recently) on the Gary Fisher Ged.
Not so sure about yesterdays (totally unscientific) theory of riding a heavier biker will make you faster when out on the race/light bike. As I felt reasonably OK at the top of a climb which I usually finish gasping for breath on the lighter bike (Voodoo Bokor (and SS but that is to be expected)).
I believe this is because the lighter bike encourages you to go faster whilst climbing, a terminal velocity is reached on the heavier bike you can put in the extra effort but not a lot happens so the plod continues. Although my thighs felt slightly tight after yesterdays ride, which is quite unusual for me (this could be down to the differing pedal position of each bikes though?).
One of the most technical descents in my local loop area (descent into to Little Mill Inn/Rowath from barking dog farm) usually requires a wise line choice - on the Ged though I can (more a less) just blatt down any line that looks half decent. I was again surpised just how much quicker the bike is downhill (rocky, boulder ridden downhill - i think the difference would be far less in sweepy/trail center-ish stuff).
*don’t like the term ‘hardcore hardtail’ - can the mtb press create a new marketing term please.
January 10, 2009 – 7:26 pm
After a slow run this morning (Significant Other slowing things down).
Decided at 3pm to get out for a quick ride, as the SS is still awaiting the brake lever to be returned from Magura (its leaking - 18 Bikes have kindly sent it over to them for the repair job). The Voodoo has loose cones on the rear wheel (will hopefully have chance to fix tomorrow, it also has a worn chain and cassette (i.e. skips the new chain) so have refitted the old worn chain and plan on riding it all to death before I replace).
So, only one bike left.
I can’t remember exactly the last time I rode the Gary Fisher GED but I have a feeling it was pre-Transwales (5 months +). The reason for not riding it for such a long time (apart from it been rather lardy) was that something was kaput in the drivetrain, I had no recollection exactly what or the symptoms though. So, dusted it off fitted some peadals and commenced the obligatory ride around the block - all seemed fine. New XT Shadow mech, mmm… I’d forgotten I’d fitted that. New chain, new cassette, new middle ring I’d forgotten about them….. Had I the problem already been fixed? And am suffering from amnesia?!
So met up with S (who was able to ride at super short notice) and set off on a ‘local loop’ (Brookbottom > Strines > Roman Lakes > Mellor). Apart from not setting the H and L screws on the rear mech previously and the BB been a little sticky all seemed to be fine?! As it was still super icy and the ground still pretty much solid (ace!). I’m reserving final judgment until I encounter a bit of mud on whether it is really fixed.
The bike felt fast and super confidence inspiring (pointing down), and I have the overly optimistic view the extra weight may help with the old training.
What I learnt today:-
- I may have mild amnesia
- I’m still loving this weather!
- Hope lights are not infallible (S’s light refused to switch on).
January 8, 2009 – 10:30 pm
Back sooner than I thought!
Nice snowy run last night which gave me the excuse to try out a my new head torch from Alpkit.
The Gamma was a bit of an impulse buy - persuaded by some good reviews and very reasonable price of £12.50 (with batteries included!). The main beam is slightly brighter than the default beam on my Petzl Tikka XP headtorch (which cost around £20 more) but the Gamma doesn’t have the wide angle lens and the resulting spread of light which I find helpful (but not really essential) for running offroad.
The separate battery pack on the Gamma which is fitted to the rear if the headstrap (back of the head) makes the it much more comfortable to wear while running compared to the Tikka XP as the weight is equally distributed and negates the wobble/bashed on the forehead effect.
The Gamma has a strap that runs across the top of the head which holds the lamp securely and I think must contribute to the lack of been bashed on the fod. The battery pack also has a handy red LED light so motorists can see you trudging (or riding) along those roads, which I thought was a nice touch (Although it doesn’t have the battery indiactor of the Tikka which is useful when you remember to check - pitch black run home anyone?).
Overall I prefer the Alpkit Gamma over the Tikka XP* and it costs around 1/3 of the price!
Bigup to the Alpkit massive!
*to be fair I think the Tikka design is now a few years old and the LED light power seems to have gone all Moore’s Law
January 8, 2009 – 9:46 pm
Idiotically left my camera in the lake district - so no camera = no photos which equals no posts.
Back soon.
December 21, 2008 – 10:43 pm
The Buxton loop plan was put on hold as one of our number only had a short ride window. So a late afternoon ride from Hayfield to Lantern Pike via Snake Path was decided upon.
For the first time I cleared the start of the climb from the road at Hayfield towards the kissing gates (and Snake Path). It was not all that difficult actually, I think that the wet conditions helped as the dabbage usually stems from the scrabberly looseness and spinning out. Saying that surly I’ve attempted it the wet before!
Its been a while since I’ve ridden the Voodoo Bokor* (The Dalby forest brake destroying trip 6 weeks ago) and it felt really good, as well as the obvious advantages of gears, the fork (Rockshox Reba) felt much better since its air pressure tweaking. Had a couple of moments on the in places very boggy Snake Path descent stayed online and felt fast (surprising quicker than my full boinged Yeti 575 and Whyte E5 compadres) I think the only one shod with mud tyres** helped though.
*So what happened to the singlespeed - had enough already?!
Well I’m glad you asked, halfway through the last (very boggy Chinley Churn) Sunday’s ride the abrasive part of my rear one of the brake pads dropped off so it was metal on metal and/or no back brake for the rest of the ride. The offending brake pad was Superstar Components own cheaper brand (I had to file the metal backing plates down to get them to fit as well! Sending them back).
I fitted the (learnt my lesson official Magura) replacement pads yesterday, all well and good, pumped the lever a couple of times and nothing as I had lost all brake fluid lost due to the over extended piston - aggghh! So off to 18 bikes again to get a bleed*.
*I don’t have any Magura mineral oil and can’t face the faff of doing it myself.
**Bontrager Mud X 2.1 this pair have done the TransWales (without a puncture) + a lot more Peaks riding plus 24 hour races and are HIGHLY recommended as a great all rounder for our grey little island. They only feel pushed on VERY rocky stuff (think Edale Cross descent) but thats the only niggle. Defiantly the closest to the true all round tire I’ve tried (Halo Choir Master Lite takes the silver).
In other news I’ve entered the Hit The North 1.5 Winter Sprinter race (I seriously doubt a repeat of the 3rd place (team) finish of Hit the North 1.0 though! As one its a solo race, two I’m not that fit, three I’m planning on singlespeeding it.
Shark!
December 20, 2008 – 9:39 pm
Were did all this liquid come from? A very wet and boggy off road run this evening - around 40 minutes and not pushing it as saving myself for a geared ride around Buxton tomorrow.
‘orrid feet
December 9, 2008 – 10:26 pm
Very cold, off-road run this evening. There was a really thick patchy mist which seemed to linked to the faster parts of the river - never seen that before. I also learnt that running tights (Nike Dri-fit Fiament tights) are a definite improvement on wearing shorts when -4 degrees and worth 25 English pounds.
The ground had a crisp surface but slightly soft but dry once broken through. Ideally for descending fast steep grassy tracks. Its nice to come back from with dry feet and not covered in mud, I LIKE this ‘proper’ winter thing.
December 7, 2008 – 10:11 pm
Short-ish icy ride on the iO - highlight of which was ‘crashing’ on black ice whilst climbing slowly and what I thought to be cautiously on a road section. I lay in the road for a few seconds trying to work out if everything was intact as I came down hard considering I was traveling at around 3mph! Smarted my shoulder, wrist and shin - ow!
December 5, 2008 – 9:02 pm
A lovely crunchy night run on the lingering frozen snow - legs are still feeling last weekends race. (I really need to start measuring some distances and times to make recording any of this half useful)
November 30, 2008 – 9:45 pm
Its been a while since my last fell run,
I had forgotten how enjoyable/hard they are. Finished at the bottom third of the field (the infamous Nick Craig finished 2nd - I didn’t realize he was a fell runner as well).
Image credit Richard Seipp
