Let's offroad / mountain bike / mtb / ride dirt

Rocket Ron front racing Ralph rear

Anyone have the above or similar for sells? 26"

In terms of improving mtb skillzzzz, anyone have experience of the tutored sessions at the Olympic park or anything? Or better to just play around and learn on your own? I'd like to learn some good technique.

I've done sessions with Chase Skills (Cannock) and Aline (Sheffield). Probably not much use to you in London, but I would recommend some form of coaching. In my case, it was more a case of generally confirming that I had the basics right (which has been really good for my confidence), and also coming away with just a couple of tips to think about and work on. I also like the videos that GMBN (Global Mountain Bike Network) post up - they're in Facebook and YouTube.

Yes on the Rons but no time or energy to post. Free collection in Oxfordshire.

Jedi is in Herts. Check him out.

http://ukbikeskills.co.uk/#section-home

In other news @AdsH was finished second in the Grand Vets Twelve Hour Solo at Torq in your sleep last night.

Missed this kind announcement by virtue of heading off on hols 5hours after the end.

I have various coping mechanisms for racing pain (imagination oflather, mammaries, cold beer etc) I've not imagined selling all of my bikes until this nor indeed scratched from races from the memory of the pain 2 weeks after....

Based in Norwich/London, I barely even know what an Oxfordshire is. Thanks anyhoo

30+ MPH Winds, check
Biblical rain, check

Perfect weather for Sundays E2E challenge.
At least it finishes outside a pub.

on the lookout for a L or XL santa cruz highball 29er. frame or complete - got £1500-£1700 to fuck with

got £1500-£1700 to fuck with

more like highroller

Going to Epping tomorrow with a friend who's getting int to all this. anyone got a gpx for a nice route?

You can get the alu version complete & new for that money.

That is if you want to pay over the odds for a 29er alu hardtail.

So in other interesting news I nearly had a head on collision with some folks riding UP the Summer Lightning trail in Surrey today.

It's the second time I've seen people doing this - but only recently. I think @branwen and I came across a group last week. This was in an open section where they were easy to spot.

Today I was lucky to endo to a stop and only require a new pair of pants. Blind corner. It was a proper reflex action, no thought involved, full on levers to bar shit-yourself stop.

I refrained from giving them a bollocking and instead asked them what they were doing, and why they were riding up a marked trail towards a portion of trail that clearly cannot be ridden up unless you are Chris Akrigg.

Apparently they ride up the trail two times a week. I asked them if they have ever come in to conflict with other users coming down the trail and, paraphrased, they replied 'no'.

So yeah, if you are riding around that way, stay safe, because no matter how much you think you know a trail, something really odd might catch you out.

Christ. I remember thinking at the time that it was pretty lucky that we met them in that wide open space - it was basically a single-track passing space, and sort-of assumed that there must be a different route up for where it got narrower.

Glad you're okay!

i know I can but the spec is poo (and it is overpriced). so would rather get frame cheaper and assemble myself with non-fucked bits from my on one

would also consider other nice 29er frames (good god there are a lot of ugly mountain bikes in the world)

#readers

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^ Check out those clean sidewalls @mmccarthy

Beefcake

This here contains loads of good singletrack. But it can be a bit of a pain to follow a breadcrumb trail in the woods (GPS drift because of tree cover, having to ride singletrack slow whilst looking out of turnings, etc, etc).

https://www.strava.com/activities/693042594

My advice would be to get a compass (or a compass on your garmin screen) and follow a rough north-easterly heading, taking trails that look good, until the forest runs out then turn around and head the other way.

Hmm. It's probably just the poor quality camera on my phone...

In a good way :-)

Is it a Honzo?

Taro, the 2013 aluminium version with vertical dropouts. Slightly over-forked, with 140mm Revs, and a -2 degree angleset.

Totally forgotten about the Taro. Thought it was alu, but then it looked nothing like the newer alu Honzos.

Very envious, my Ardents are currently looking almost the same colour all over...

Dayum, I'm feeling the Honzo but hadn't heard of the Taro. Like that a lot.

Edit, only 29ers though... oh.