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

After seeing Wet Hot American Summer, feels like this chat should be a scene in it.

I can tailor it according to the group but the grading system can go from mildly sketchy to sketchy to pretty fucking sketchy to oh my fucking god! and death.

jks. obvs.

Depending on the conditions we could do Gower XC routes (the views are amazing) and some enduro trails at places like Smilog or the Masts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwbeclkdmY4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOu4seY_buM

Down the Gower you get amazing scenery like in the following video but we'll ride the proper singletrack:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o12JVw4oPj8

Howard remembers Gully Run from the Masts.

I’d feign a puncture before the first ditch

If we do a guided ride on a weekend I won't throw people down anything super steep and sketch, we can do stuff that everyone is capable of. Just bear in mind that the average trail in the Welsh valleys is steeper and more tech than most stuff in the Surrey Hills, as a guideline.

Gimme a pint or two and I’m a white knuckle braeks r deff

I remember being really shit at it

I'd probably do better now. Less screaming.

I scream in terror often round here. Some of the fuckers round this way just love terrifying you on trails you haven't done before.
They're like, "It's fine, no problems. Easy." Then you drop in on a flat section, turn a blind corner and it drops off the face of the earth.

They're like, "It's fine, no problems. Easy." Then you drop in on a flat section, turn a blind corner and it drops off the face of the earth.

It's the only way to improve

Or die trying

improve

Giving up is so much easier

I can't wait!

Thanks @t_w , will be in touch in Feb then

These look lush! I'd love to join in if we can book far enough ahead for me to book a ferry over etc.

@platypus it's a 2011 spec KM frameset, last with v/canti studs, v's on in piccy which didn't like the motorway section of fortwilliam.

On the big bike, the old Big Hit's from spesh where a privateer special back in the day, no fancy hardware just easy to source fastners and bolts. I overbiked myself with an SX Trail, still got it, must be getting retro now. They can be turned to mid/ low 30lbs enduro ish machines, so if i ditch the steel hardtail frames i get a burly wheelset and lighter wheels spare, cranks, the old Bomber Zeds and have loads of parts and tyres to play with on the SX and have the KM for all round duties.
Always had a laid back attitude to racing, unlikely to win so have Jollys trying instead :)

This thread for SX's :)

https://www.pinkbike.com/forum/listcomments/?threadid=18173

I'll start an event thread soon so you've got dates.

Cheers :)

Platypus PSA - Two forum bikepacking trips coming up - follow along and come too if you are craving some MTBikepacking in 2019.

Urgh. Somehow the lockout side of the RST’s popped out. The whole screw-in piece. Screwed it back in by hand and cycled home. Tightened it back on with a wrench and now the lockout button doesn’t work. Gave it a tap with the wrench and dented the button that must be made of cheese. Still doesn’t work. Definitely need to find some rigid (straight/strong/V-brake) forks asap. Are the £55 PX ones gonna be my best bet?

I've got some rigid forks in the shed that you can have super cheap

I'll dig them out this afternoon and take photos

Oooo let me know. Hopefully not the Raleigh curved BSO type ones?

It's one of these. I'll have a search for it after lunch :-)

It's heavy. Not as heavy as your RST, but it was sold as a 'jump fork' so is overbuilt

Sounds ideal! Will await a pm :)

Went to check out my MTBs today for a quick ride. 1 has seized brakes.. the other has a front brake that needs replacing due to shonky seals (bought the replacement 2 years ago, never fitted) and a dropper that no longer works. Went out on the gravel bike.

Gives me something to do tomorrow I suppose.

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Those socks