The MTB thread

[yorkie_chris]

Went down an old roman road last night, was interesting to say the least.

Well, I went out for my first ride today since picking up my bike yesterday and OMG my legs are effing killing me now!

I went up to Rivvy with Girth on what I'm sure is probably one of the easy trails but I still had to get off 2 or 3 times and push cos my legs just wouldn't take any more. Really enjoyed it though and happy with the bike I bought too, I think we are going to get along famously as soon as I actually reach some semblance of fitness.

Quote of the day from Girth...

It's ok your a*se will soon break in

[northwind]

Was at the Bikeradar demo day at Glentress today, very good... Had a go on a KHS Flagstaff full-suss 29er, a Lapierre Zesty 514, a Cotic Soul and a Mtrax 4.0... The idea was to try some bikes much like my own but also some completely different, just to make sure that I actually like what I think I like, rather than only liking what I know! Only 45 minute tests unfortunately so very limited in range, but I discovered that if I kept the pace up I could completely ignore the suggested test route and get in 3 decent red descents and one or two runs through the freeride park. Lovely!

The Zesty was brilliant, but helped convince me that I just prefer a hardtail for my riding. It absolutely ate the descents up, and had me hitting all the harder routes (bar one, which I chicken out of completely every time) and I started intentionally flat-landing jumps and drops just because I could... But I just didn't feel much joy in it to be totally honest, same as on my mate's Heckler (though a LOT lighter, it really climbs fantastically well). Brilliant bike, but not for me- I'd have to go seeking bigger and dafter trails and challenges to keep the fun, since it made things so easy even at speed.

The 29er was interesting, I'd expected it to climb well but it really felt its weight, it was hard work... And the handling was just a wee bit cumbersome, though at the end of the day you can ride it just like a regular bike except on jumps and berms. Carried speed incredibly well, I kept charging into things too fast. But despite being a weird offshoot of regular mtbs, it actually felt very oldschool, someone described it as "mellow" which is spot on. I loved it, for XC and distance riding it'd be superb. Or, maybe a 29er hardtail just to shed the pounds, as it was a big heavy thing. The way the front wheel soaked up bumps despite the very short travel was uncanny, it barely noticed braking bumps. Very cool. I can see the 69 concept catching on more and more, in fact I was entertaining thoughts of sticking a 29 into the front of my own bike, it'd go...

The Mtrax, I didn't like at all. It just felt overstiff and dead, like riding scaffolding. Speclist was great but it just didn't ride like I'd expect over a grand's worth of hardtail to do. My own Scandal absolutely owns it to be totally honest (and it's far more flexible too). Fail. But some people do love it, I just don't know why, it just felt like expensive parts bolted to a cheap old frame. You could stick a good fork in a £300 carrera and get a better ride. In fact, I did! It wasn't even light despite carbon seatstays.

The Cotic Soul, on the other hand, makes my Scandal look pretty poor It's almost exactly as good on the downs and jumps, but far, far better on the climbs, more accurate handling too. I was hitting the trails almost exactly as hard and fast as I would on the Scandal within minutes of getting on it. I want this frame, so much. If all goes well, I've found my next bike. Which is a wee bit disappointing since I didn't actually want to find a next bike, I was just there for some free rides!

Very good day out though- simple and straightforward organisation, no real buerocracy on the day, basic but it worked. Great range of bikes too- the big names were absent, pretty much, but I think it's better to ride the smaller names... I think there's one date left in the "tour", at Grizedale, can't recommend it too highly.

Also had a drool over Brant Richard's (ex of On One) new bike, the titanium Ragley... Beautiful thing, wee bit gimmicky in the details but I was still drooling. Nice feller too. He was out testing the prototype so I couldn't get a go on it

Not done a demo day yet but its nice to get out on some other bikes.
Good to hear some reviews on some of the smaller brands too.

I like the idea of a 69er Hardtail just because its different, maybe built around an On-One.

[northwind]

Oooh oooh oooh! New bike day!





Couldn't stop comparing my own bike with the Soul, so it was only a matter of time. Found one for £50 off so nabbed it, popped through to glasgow tonight and picked it up... Poor Scandal's been killed and stripped of its meat, the bones are just lying around the garage now, and the Soul's halfway built. It'll come up something like half a lb heavier than the Scandal even with some lighter bits I've thrown at it, but should still pay off. Dead excited

I'm loving the better weather for getting out on the mountain bike. took it for a spin up to carron valley trails the other Friday night after work. such a good way to finish the working wk! need to get down to glentress for a blast again, it's just such a good place for biking! comfortable on the red but only dabbled on a couple sections of black, just put off by the length of the full black trail! I'm still fairly unfit!

[northwind]

Yeah, I've not done the black either, I'm reasonably sure I can deal with the difficulty level (they say there's nothing as hard as the bi*ch or wormhole) but it's a long haul, and it's not so easy to get out of once you're on it either... Not like the red where you're never far from a fire road. My mates are trying to convince me to give it a crack but I'm not sure I've got the legs for it

New black section zorb (just up from the skills area) is almost built incidentally, maybe another 8 weeks or so til we finish the entrance but I think that'll slip, the way it's coming together it'll be a bit too, er, blue I think we might end up putting in some more peril, apparently the FC doesn't like unpredictable trails with easy sections followed by hard bits, people hurt themselves too much... Shaping up to be a nice bit of trail though. I'm not sure if the second part is officially open yet, it's ready but you can only get to it on a walker's path.

[Ian P]

Got an orange 5 pro in orange. mostly ride at cwmcarn and the afan
loves it i do

hey northy I'm guessing your part of trail building group for glentress then? I'll give u a shout next time I'm heading down if u fancy sharing a lift? I will warn u tho I am pretty slow on the ups but gravity helps me on the downs!

yeah the red is a really good route, lots of options to change it up,to runs sections again,try different loops. where the black is one long slog out into the wilderness! I did start the black once but I was hungover and had hurt my hand the night before,so I couldn't hold onto the bars well enough and had to hack back out a jeep track!

I'm also wanting to head up to fort bill to try the red route downhill track due to open soon. I like the thought of downhilling with the ease of a lift taking me to the top!

has anyone been up to laggan wolftrax either? another awesome centre, not all that long, but just so much fun! the easy/low northshore type walkway is fun,then all the jumps at the end are a good laugh!

[northwind]

Yeah, I just started doing the trailbuilding recently, it's quite interesting, and nice to put something back. Plus I could use the exercise! If you ever have a space free, then please do give me a shout, I can't drive so I can only get down there with a bike occasionally... So any time I can blag a lift, it's always very welcome. I always cover the petrol and cake costs I'm not fast, so no worries there!

GT is the only trail centre I've ridden at, we keep talking about doing some of the other stanes but somehow the only times I can tag along, we end up at glentress. Still, that's no great hardship, it's like a big playground. Anyone who thinks "Health and safety has taken over this country" should see these places