The "Photos From Today's Ride" thread. (Vol. 2)
Discussion
joshcowin said:
The whole thing sounds amazing!
Imagine that in Flanders, would be truly epic!
Wiggo, Kelly, roche would be a cool combo.
I’d happily drop Wiggins from that trio. He by far the least engaged of the big name riders over the weekend and had the air of someone who would rather be anywhere else half of the time. Imagine that in Flanders, would be truly epic!
Wiggo, Kelly, roche would be a cool combo.
Which was in stark contrast to Museuw and Hoy who were both excellent company. Museuw in particular looked like he was having the time of his life.
Master Bean said:
Cafe etiquette! Don't put your helmet on the table. Nobody like a sweaty helmet.
LMAO. I did get to the other side but didn’t have cash
Normally carry a small stash of cash but last minute change of wardrobe meant I didn’t. Could have done with something other than a Pineapple gel TBH.
A few weeks ago I put up a post about which bike I should bring to Ibiza for the summer - in the end I brought the gravel bike but stuck some slicks on it.
Glad I did, the roads are awesome, twisty, well surfaced and with very little traffic. Only problem is the cars you do come across hold you up on the downhill twisties!
Only done a couple of short rides so far but planning a good one at the weekend. It's pretty hilly and warm compared to back home!
Glad I did, the roads are awesome, twisty, well surfaced and with very little traffic. Only problem is the cars you do come across hold you up on the downhill twisties!
Only done a couple of short rides so far but planning a good one at the weekend. It's pretty hilly and warm compared to back home!
patchb said:
A few weeks ago I put up a post about which bike I should bring to Ibiza for the summer - in the end I brought the gravel bike but stuck some slicks on it.
Glad I did, the roads are awesome, twisty, well surfaced and with very little traffic. Only problem is the cars you do come across hold you up on the downhill twisties!
Only done a couple of short rides so far but planning a good one at the weekend. It's pretty hilly and warm compared to back home!
Presume that’s at the eastern end of the island, nr Santa Eularia?Glad I did, the roads are awesome, twisty, well surfaced and with very little traffic. Only problem is the cars you do come across hold you up on the downhill twisties!
Only done a couple of short rides so far but planning a good one at the weekend. It's pretty hilly and warm compared to back home!
wobert said:
Presume that’s at the eastern end of the island, nr Santa Eularia?
Nope west, Santa Agnes - I've just done a short loop out of San Antonio the last couple of days. For a southerner like me the climb up from San Antonio was a sweaty affair, although I'm gonna head to the north and east of the island to find some more climbs (mainly for the descents tbh - I'm not really a road cyclist although that may change!)I haven't managed to ride as much as I'd like recently. So I took a couple of chances to have a short local spin...
St Catherine's Hill, Christchurch, Dorset. First time in two years I've been up there was last Friday. I went "around the back" of the hill along an old rail bed to start with, then cut across sandy heathland...
...to get to the bridleway across the top of the heavily wooded hill.
Then I went out again yesterday afternoon after having had to stay in waiting for a mattress to be delivered. This time I approaced from the "front" of the hill, straight up to the top, and was faced with some great graffiti/art on a couple of concrete reservoirs on top of the hill...
All was going well, I whizzed down a slope trying to keep some speed for a loose climb up the next hill, only to be dumped on my backside half way up the climb. Big "Clunk!" and I thought my chain had snapped. But that was intact, so when I'd picked myself up off the floor I inspected the bike and there was no drive at all. Ride cut short at sub 6 miles and only 40 minutes out, I was left with a 2.3 mile walk home in SPD shoes, pushing the bike. And to top it all off, before I'd even got off St Cat's Hill the heavens opened and I got wet the whole way home.
Freehub failure I think. Going to strip the wheel off today and see if I can "flush" the freehub. It's definitely the Achilles Heal of this bike/wheelset. I've got a new freehub body in my spares box because this has happened before, and more than once. If "flushing" it doesn't work I'll fit the new one and hopefully get out for a ride too.
St Catherine's Hill, Christchurch, Dorset. First time in two years I've been up there was last Friday. I went "around the back" of the hill along an old rail bed to start with, then cut across sandy heathland...
...to get to the bridleway across the top of the heavily wooded hill.
Then I went out again yesterday afternoon after having had to stay in waiting for a mattress to be delivered. This time I approaced from the "front" of the hill, straight up to the top, and was faced with some great graffiti/art on a couple of concrete reservoirs on top of the hill...
All was going well, I whizzed down a slope trying to keep some speed for a loose climb up the next hill, only to be dumped on my backside half way up the climb. Big "Clunk!" and I thought my chain had snapped. But that was intact, so when I'd picked myself up off the floor I inspected the bike and there was no drive at all. Ride cut short at sub 6 miles and only 40 minutes out, I was left with a 2.3 mile walk home in SPD shoes, pushing the bike. And to top it all off, before I'd even got off St Cat's Hill the heavens opened and I got wet the whole way home.
Freehub failure I think. Going to strip the wheel off today and see if I can "flush" the freehub. It's definitely the Achilles Heal of this bike/wheelset. I've got a new freehub body in my spares box because this has happened before, and more than once. If "flushing" it doesn't work I'll fit the new one and hopefully get out for a ride too.
yellowjack said:
I haven't managed to ride as much as I'd like recently. So I took a couple of chances to have a short local spin...
St Catherine's Hill, Christchurch, Dorset. First time in two years I've been up there was last Friday. I went "around the back" of the hill along an old rail bed to start with, then cut across sandy heathland...
...to get to the bridleway across the top of the heavily wooded hill.
Then I went out again yesterday afternoon after having had to stay in waiting for a mattress to be delivered. This time I approaced from the "front" of the hill, straight up to the top, and was faced with some great graffiti/art on a couple of concrete reservoirs on top of the hill...
All was going well, I whizzed down a slope trying to keep some speed for a loose climb up the next hill, only to be dumped on my backside half way up the climb. Big "Clunk!" and I thought my chain had snapped. But that was intact, so when I'd picked myself up off the floor I inspected the bike and there was no drive at all. Ride cut short at sub 6 miles and only 40 minutes out, I was left with a 2.3 mile walk home in SPD shoes, pushing the bike. And to top it all off, before I'd even got off St Cat's Hill the heavens opened and I got wet the whole way home.
Freehub failure I think. Going to strip the wheel off today and see if I can "flush" the freehub. It's definitely the Achilles Heal of this bike/wheelset. I've got a new freehub body in my spares box because this has happened before, and more than once. If "flushing" it doesn't work I'll fit the new one and hopefully get out for a ride too.
There was some decent trails on the side towards black water junction not too long ago but they got bulldozed as apparently it was affecting some rare sand lizards up there - obviously they are immune to bulldozers! St Catherine's Hill, Christchurch, Dorset. First time in two years I've been up there was last Friday. I went "around the back" of the hill along an old rail bed to start with, then cut across sandy heathland...
...to get to the bridleway across the top of the heavily wooded hill.
Then I went out again yesterday afternoon after having had to stay in waiting for a mattress to be delivered. This time I approaced from the "front" of the hill, straight up to the top, and was faced with some great graffiti/art on a couple of concrete reservoirs on top of the hill...
All was going well, I whizzed down a slope trying to keep some speed for a loose climb up the next hill, only to be dumped on my backside half way up the climb. Big "Clunk!" and I thought my chain had snapped. But that was intact, so when I'd picked myself up off the floor I inspected the bike and there was no drive at all. Ride cut short at sub 6 miles and only 40 minutes out, I was left with a 2.3 mile walk home in SPD shoes, pushing the bike. And to top it all off, before I'd even got off St Cat's Hill the heavens opened and I got wet the whole way home.
Freehub failure I think. Going to strip the wheel off today and see if I can "flush" the freehub. It's definitely the Achilles Heal of this bike/wheelset. I've got a new freehub body in my spares box because this has happened before, and more than once. If "flushing" it doesn't work I'll fit the new one and hopefully get out for a ride too.
I live 2 miles away and used to ride there all the time. I still go up there a fair bit as on a sunny day/evening it's a pretty epic place for the area! Then usually go down the track to the Avon causeway, up to parley and back along the stour way - don't need dinner after all the bugs along there!
patchb said:
There was some decent trails on the side towards black water junction not too long ago but they got bulldozed as apparently it was affecting some rare sand lizards up there - obviously they are immune to bulldozers!
I live 2 miles away and used to ride there all the time. I still go up there a fair bit as on a sunny day/evening it's a pretty epic place for the area! Then usually go down the track to the Avon causeway, up to parley and back along the stour way - don't need dinner after all the bugs along there!
So where are you then? I'm on the Littledown/Chaseside estate. And have you got any "secret MTB trails that only locals know about" that you can reveal to me? I've got to say, as lovely as St Cat's Hill is, the riding up there leaves me a bit cold. Sticking to the bridleways is too tame, and the one section of "play trails" I've found looks a bit much for me. Too steep for my liking. I've found Hurn Forest, and there are a few nice little single-track bits in there, but it's so flat. I don't mind pedaling to earn the downs, but it's a bit too "XC" even for me. I've also ridden Avon Heath and Moors Valley Country Parks a few times. More interesting but MVCP 'Blue Trail' is a very easy blue, verging on a Green Trail in lots of places. The Plumley side is OK, but by the time I've ridden there I'm often short of time to properly explore the place. And Wareham Forest is pretty good for a long XC lap, but I'm not keen on riding the unofficial trails there as there are signs up saying not to.
It's three years (almost to the day) since we moved to Bournemouth from Farnborough. To be honest there's not a great deal to miss about Farnborough/Rushmoor in general. But the big thing I miss up there is the cycling. I had 5 Gorrick MTB race venues in riding distance, plus Swinley Forest. Minley (army training area) was literally on my doorstep, and there used to be decent public access to almost all of the army training areas from Pirbright/Deepcut over to Aldershot, much of it linked together by the Basingstoke Canal towpath. And I could get to London entirely off road too, along canals and the Thames path. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of riding down here, but it's just not a patch on the undulating race-standard singletrack I had access to in spades up around Farnborough. Although I have to accept that it took me twenty years to learn where everything was up there and there were still trails I'd not sniffed out yet, so I shouldn't be too down on what trails are available locally in and around Bournemouth...
ETA: No ride pictures today. I spent all afternoon with my MTB in a workstand. The job of replacing the freehub body really ought to have been done in an hour. But, as it always does, one thing led to another, then another, etc. Initially I couldn't get the freehub off. The 11mm hex key adaptor was the right one, but I couldn't get the thing to budge. Plenty of WD40 and a bit of head scratching as to which way I should be trying to turn the hex key and eventually it cracked. WD40 got onto the brake rotor. Panic! Brake disc cleaner on that immediately seems to have saved the day. Removed the rotor and degreased everything in the hub thoroughly. Then a chunk of time wasted trying to flush the freehub body. Nothing doing- it seems terminal. New freehub body retrieved from spare parts stash (this has happened several times before, although not without warning, so I keep a spare in my stash) and fitted. Cup and cone bearings cleaned, regreased, reassembled and adjusted. Then came the additional jobs. Cleaning things that aren't accessible with the wheel fitted. Liberally dowsing the derailleurs with WD40. Deciding to take the chain off, degrease that thoroughly before relubing it with Squirt wax chain lube. Then taking pads out (both ends) and cleaning them up with wet'n'dry, cleaning the calipers, cleaning the rotors, reassembly, test riding. Lord knows how bike shop mechanics do it. Because whichever job I start sends me down a rabbit hole of "just this little tweak" and "just clean that" and "just adjust this majigger a quarter turn". Upshot being the rear hub now sounds and feels great, and I might get another couple of thousand miles ridden before I need another freehub body. This item is definitely a weak link in the bike/wheelset. And Sod's Law says tomorrow I'll ride a different bike too, but hey-ho. The job is done now and it's ready whenever I fancy riding it again...
Edited by yellowjack on Wednesday 18th May 23:49
bobbo89 said:
^^ those Newton's are good, super grippy but they wear super quick because of it!
One from yesterday at Llandegla, found some logs and couldn't resist.
Nice pic. My mate has a cotic - he loves his. It's funny how the brand attracts the more friendly end of mtb owners. It's seems impossible for two cotic owners to pass without a chat One from yesterday at Llandegla, found some logs and couldn't resist.
take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:
Nice pic. My mate has a cotic - he loves his. It's funny how the brand attracts the more friendly end of mtb owners. It's seems impossible for two cotic owners to pass without a chat
Cheers. I think the Cotic thing is more people who just like steel and want to ride something a bit different from a carbon Trek or Santa Cruz etc. You immediately have something in common in that you both made a decision to pay a few grand for a frame that's a bit left field. I think you'd get the same with people who ride Stantons, Starlings and Pipedreams.....yellowjack said:
So where are you then? I'm on the Littledown/Chaseside estate.// snip//
Soooo many years since I've cycled on St.Catherine's Hill! Maybe I'll get over there at some point in the future.
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