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

but back to PDS, this is a pretty good illustration of my week away.

LoPro

Oh look, I'm wearing the same gloves as the pic taken today

.

I finally got out for a proper explore of Redlands. As @t_w suggests, there are some pretty mega and steep trails round there. It's not often I go out purely to lap a hill and ride some trails, I'm normally more into the crank out a nice loop and link some bits up kinda guy, but with the fork still freshly serviced, slackerizer headset recently installed and some new pedals, it felt like a good day to push myself.

Also enjoyed having Test Match Special in my ears for the climbs and my first post lockdown pint at the plough. Almost felt normal out there. Apart from the strange 'le blanq joyride dining club' refuel stop outside the pub. Proper golf club cycling.

Pick of the trails for me was certainly Black Brook Blast. Swoopy technical fun at the top, some tricky chutes in the middle and another swoopy fun bit at the bottom. Smiles for miles.

Black Brook Blast

Is that the one where you suddenly shoot out of the woodland and can momentarily see the entire south of England?

Hmmm, don't think so. Not sure I found that one. It was pretty solidly woodland everywhere.

Half way down the inappropriately named "Turning Japenese" the woods got really dense and very dark. I realised then the name was related to what you had to do to see where you were going...

Second photo will be a welcome sight for TNRC veterans.

and of course named after the Vapours classic track about masturbation...

there are some pretty mega and steep trails round there.

Amen. @t_w was certainly doing them more justice than I was last week.

Not for me, but £120 seems decent for an old Cindy, with pace forks

https://nextdoor.co.uk/for_sale_and_free/c277cd72-548e-4bd3-b3b8-530263fe11e7

He's on a new bike again.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbG6b3DTHv/

Redlands is a great riding spot.

Apparently I can't be a mountain biker without a T5.

I did some riding in the chevin woods near Leeds today, that was good. Lot of woodland trails. Apparently Tom pidcock rides there a lot

Not on Instagram so can’t really see what he’s riding but assume he read this thread and took my advice (!)

what in the flying fuck is i-spec EV?

It's a mounting system for Shimano flat bar brakes and shifter.

and its not backward compatible with i-spec a/b ?!?! cunts!!

I guess I wont have a 'neat' cockpit.

Have you started upgrading your new bike already?!

Wolftooth make adaptors.

no, i just thought I could mount it all together, clearly not, the first upgrade will be Magura MT2 obvs

But they don't work with MT2 levers.

Have a Marin San Quentin frame on it's way to me, so will be asking silly questions on this thread soon.

I am kidding, I am not getting Magura .. yet. Just gonna ride as it is. Shimano has really fucked it with this i-spec nonsense.

Get rid of disc brakes all together I guess.

Personally I've never seen the point of integrated brake/shifter mounting systems. I prefer the greater adjustability you get from having two separate band clamps.