Cwmcarn Ride + New Vid!

Wow... talk about wet.

Went for a solo ride today, was belting it down from the second I got there. I was soaked before I'd even set off!

Slippy conditions but still a load of fun. Managed a few technical climb sections I've never completed fully before which was a real boost! I have changed the rear tyre to a Kenda Dred Tred which seems to perfect for these conditions!

It was so wet I had to take it easy through some of the faster sections because I couldn't see due to spray! Constantly rubbing water and grit out of my eyes! I think some glasses may be in order, Lidl are having a bike wear sale soon so I'll pick some up!

Tried the contour too, impressed with the results... not the waterproofing though. A bit of water got behind the lense cover and steamed it up, fortunately its really easy to clean!

1st vid below, I'll get the one of the final decent uploaded asap (its almost 1gb!).

A Wet Day at Whinlatter!

An early start on Saturday greeted my and my Bro with very wet weather and a horrible outlook.
It rained all the way to the trail centre, but it didn't dampen our spirits!

Once we got there we did a quick setup and bolt check before we set off.
The 1st climbs on the North route were slippy but relatively gentle climbs, kept in the granny ring and slowly powered to the top.

Once at the top, it was a fairly quick descent with one stop to lower the saddle. The roots and amount of water made the trail very loose and greasy... you had to be ready for anything, parts of it were like riding down a stream!

The final decent was great fun, both Andy and me getting a bit of air over the jumps. I just wish I'd had my Contour HD camera mounts so I could record it all!

We had a quick break at the car to refuel and rest.... the car boot made a good shelter from the rain!

We were cold an wet when starting out on the South loop, but fortunately there was a break in the weather and we actually saw some blue skies!
Again the climb was a slow grind, but once at the top the views were excellent!

Then the final descent was again wet and slippy but loads of fun. We'd dried off by the time we'd got to the top of the trail, but on the way down there were so many deep puddles and muddy holes that we were soaked again by the time we got to the bottom!

Cheers Andy for driving, was a great day!

Boardman Update....

As its my Birthday, I figured i'd chill out with a bit of bike fettling!

I seem to have had no problems with the BB since the new bearings were installed which is good.

Everything else is still standard and untouched as planned :D

This morning I gave it a good clean and service, the brake pads were looking worse for wear so they've been changed to some sintered Superstar pads.

Also going to have to start saving for a rear tyre, its starting to look a bit like a slick tyre now... I think i've done around 250-300km all off road since buying the bike so i'm reasonably happy.

I'm really enjoying the ride of the Boardman at the moment too. Its very nice to swoop through tight switchbacks, but it really holds its own on steep descents and over TTF's such as drops and root sections.

The only thing I find is that the geometry isn't suited to getting much air, it much prefers to stay close to the ground and glide instead.

Big smiles though, the difference between the Canyon and the Boardman gives a nice mix :D

Got a ride planned on Saturday with my little bro at Whinlatter.. Just hoping that the vented helmet mount for my Coutour HD camera turns up tomorrow!

A few pics from today.. as you can see, the paint is keeping very well indeed! and its not helitaped apart from the headtube!!

New Layout + Update!

I've added a few more pages to the blog (after only figuring out I could tonight!). Also had a rethink on the design,think it looks alright!


But the bigger news - you'll notice I've added a "My Videos".. thats because I now have one of these...

http://www.contour-hd.co.uk/contour_hd

It is full HD at 1080p at 30fps or Full HD 720p at 60fps. I reckon the 720 at 60fps will be the best for the Mountain Bike, but I'll have to have a play about with the settings!

I've got the flat surface mount for the full face helmet, a goggle strap mount and a vented helmet mount for the normal helmet so there is no excuse for me to not get some good shots!

I'm riding at Whinlatter on Saturday, so it will get a good test there... ride report to follow!

Its been over a year....

Thats right, I'd almost forgotten about this!

Since the last post, I've moved to Cardiff the P7 has been sold, I've owned a Commencal Meta 55 and now have an XC bike and a "big rig".

Been out loads since moving to Cardiff, Cwmcarn is practically on my doorstep and its just so easy to get out!

I track all of my rides using Endomondo, so I'll try and get some route maps up as and when I get out!

So, the current fleet as it stands....

2011 Boardman Pro Hardtail.

2011 Canyon Torque 6.0 Rockzone.

Managed to source some bolts this morning for the rear brake (too long though so I had to cut them) and got the P7 ready to go.  

Took it up to Whinlatter and did both loops...... It was bleeding awesome.  

It took me a while to get used to the sram gears at 1st, i'm used to the dual action shimano ones (where you can push/pull the trigger) so I had a bit of trouble on the 1st climb.  
I'm also going to have to get used to such a light front end too! i'm used to the weight of the domains, so I had to stop yanking the front end up over obsticals... caught me by surprise a few times!  

Anyways, +ve's...  

Frame: wow. all the "its a lot of money for a not so special frame" has been completely overruled. The shock absorbance on the rear stays is superb, I hardly felt any trail buzz through my legs/butt. You could also feel a tad bit of flex, but it just felt like the frame was adapting to the trail.  

Forks: best forks i've ever used by a country mile. They are...... I can't even describe. Absouloutely bloody brilliant. Combined with the monkeylight CNT bars, I had almost no vibration/buzz through my arms... is the 1st time i've never had arm pump at the bottom of a long downwards section!  

XT Brakes: I really don't understand the hate for XT brakes. They were faultless all day, bloody brilliant stoppers!  

Overall the bike is light, nimble and very capable on the downs.... couldn't ask for more!  
I'm grinning from cheek to cheek, its been a great day! :D 

just a few snaps from the day :)

Long time no see!

Been quite a while since I posted on here!
Been uber busy with work, cars and deciding what I want out of my bikes and I just haven't had time!

1st off - I have a new, more bike friendly car! Yay! It's a little pug 206, but it's much easier to carry my kit in with the bike on the back!

2nd - the NS Surge has been sold!! Well I say sold, I've split everything and all the parts have gone different ways! This has helped fund the now GORGEOUS P7 and I've got a bit left over to start saving for the next build!

3rd - as said, the P7 is almost finished!
All I'm waiting for is my brakes and saddle and it all just needs putting together... Oh and Orange have the wrong front dérailleur size listed on their site so I've had to return one and I'm awaiting the replecement :)

Off to Scotland for the 5 year (gulp) anniversary with my GF, so hopefully I'll have everything up, running and ridable within 2 weeks!

I canny wait!

The P7 Progress....

So, time for an update!

The P7 build is going well... and it looks like its going to be a cracking little trail bike!

Not going silly on the spec, keeping it reasonable and suitable for the frame.....
Rev forks are a perfect match in colour so I'm really please about that! The XT crankset looks top notch too!
Wheels are XT hubs with DTSwiss DB spokes build onto Mavic xm719... nice and light but nice and strong!

Gisburn take 2!!

I woke up this morning to a street full of snow and I was utterly utterly pissed off!
I'd originally planned to ride Llandegla in North Wales, but the sudden snowfall rendered the trails there unrideable :(

So after a lot of umming and aaarrring I phoned my brother in law to check the conditions around longridge/clithero..... NO SNOW!!!

It took me around 30 mins to find the start of the trails. I'd totally forgotten where to go and I was riding blind until I noticed the signs! Doh!

Anyways, the trail conditions were great considering the time of year and the snowfall we've had. All of the volounteer sections were immaculate, great to ride on!
The highest point was rather muddy and claggy so I ended up walking the last part of the climb :(

From then on it was plain sailing.. some great trails and some great views :)

I've uploaded 6 vids to youtube too!

Gisburn Forest...

A week ago I was treated to a guided tour of Gisburn Forest by one of the trail builders (StumpyJon from Bikeradar).

It was bloody brilliant!

The trails were a mix of everything - technical climbing, technical decent, swoopy bits, rocky bits, muddy bits... I don't think it was lacking at all! I was left with a huge grin!

Met a load of friendly people on the trails, everyone on a different type of bike just enjoying the mud and wet weather.

So this weekend, i' back up there on Sunday to lend a hand with the trail building and am hoping to get there on Saturday for another ride!

If you haven't been, GO!

The P7 is on its way!!

So i've started a new build (again!).

I went up Gisburn and found that I needed a lighter trail friendly bike to attack more xc style routes, so the P7 should be a nice balance of lightweight whippet and strength, especially considering the NS weighs around 35lb!

 This time round, i'm trying to use different online shops and spending a whole load of time shopping around and finding the deals!

I've got the frame on order from SunsetMTB in Cardiff (who are excellent btw) and I should hopefully have it early next year when Orange release the new batch. Also got a free hope headset in red too!

I've also bought a set of 2010 Rockshox Revelation Race in white which are brilliant for the price (£350 from Rutland Cycling) and have just ordered a Shimano XT triple crankset + BB (from NoahsArkMTB).
I'm planning on matching the XT cranks with XT groupset (from Merlin Cycles).

I'll be getting my wheels from Chain Reaction Cycles again, and am going to stick with what I know and get some more Spank rims. This time i'm going for Spank Oozy rims built onto Hope Pro2 hubs with DT double butted spokes. Brakes are going to be Hope M4 with anodised red finishing and floating rotors.
Finishing kit is hopefully going to be from Easton in a red and black guise, so should match the scheme well!

Can't wait :D

Depressing, but balanced out with a yay!

Everything seems to be breaking on me :(

My car's been in the garage for the past 6 week because it blew up in cardiff... costing me a fortune so all my idea of bike builds and new bikes has gone out the window.

I got news that It'd be ready on friday, so have been out servicing the bike, only to find that my forks are nakkered.... hopefully covered under warranty, but still thats gonna be a while before they get sorted.

On a lighter note, I was in MBUK!!

Hardtail 'V' Full Suspension...

I'd been looking at a full suspension bike the past few weeks... to add one to my fleet.

But I just can't do it. I can't justify the price, weight or why I need the extra bounce.
The NS is so planted over any terrain, i'd probably just not ride the full suspension!

Take last weekend at Whinlatter forest for instant...
on the climbs it was only tough because I only have 9 gears and had the complete wrong tyres for the conditions...
on the decents however, the NS was super quick, super responsive, floated over roots/rocks/drops/jumps and felt totally planted.... even with shocking tyres on!

So.. instead of buying a full suspension, I have opted for some decent tyres and a big can of MTFU!
When I feel that the NS Surge is holding me back, then I might consider a FS again!

New plans!

Well.. the ScandAL has gone... it was gonna take too long to build and cost too much! So i've sold it and ordered a different frame!!

So, i've decuded to post up some riding photos from Glentress this year... bloody brilliant trail center and bike park!

Enjoy :)

On-One Scandal 29er.

Well the plan for the new ride is just getting started. I have the frame, forks, headset and all the tools but now I need the parts!

The idea is to go back to basics with the Scandal but with a modern twist.

It's going to have a 29" wheelset along with rigid carbon fibre forks and singlespeed gearing. The idea is to make the bike as light and strong as possible so that it'll be a dream to ride and perfect for some epic trails.

The frame colour is British Racing Green, so i'm planning on using gold Hope parts (such as hubs, brakes, headset, skewers and seatclam) to really make it stand out.

Here is the frame -


The carbon forks -


The gold headset ligned up in the frame -


The final spec should be something along the lines of -
On One Scandal 29er Frame (British Racing Green)

On One Carbon Forks
Controltech House Carbon Bars
Thompson Elite Stem
Thompson Masterpiece Seatpost
Gold Hope Headset
Gold Hope Pro 2 Singlesped Hubs built onto No-Tubes ZTR 355 rims
Middleburn RS7 Uno Crankset
Gold (limited edition) Hope Tech X2 brakset
17/18/19T Surly Cog on Hope Pro 2 SS Specific Hub
Gold Hope Finishing Kit

I can't wait!!!

Llandegla 13/09/2009

Went to Llandegla on Sunday for the 1st time.... what a day!
A mixed set of emotions towards the trail ranged from boredom, exhillerating fun and bloody hard work!

At first the trail was very flat, wide and smooth gently climbing up the hills... at the time we were moaning about how boring it got, but in hindsight it was a really good warm up for what was to come...

The red route soon broke off into a valley, where we were greeted by a nice set of jumps and quick but fairly rocky singletrack down to the valley floor and up the other side.. The climb was ok on the heavy bike, with the seat raised it wasn't much of a challenge.

We then came across the black section at Llandegla that turned into one of the most enjoyable pieces of trail i've ever been on... it was too technical, however it was very very fast and had some superbly placed jumps and drops. There were a few climbs here and there that were really quite steep, however the downward reward was very enjoyable!
The high boardwalk was a great feature, we did it twice to have a go at dropping the end of it... this was spoiled somewhat by the two cocks that had decided to stop right at the base of the drop... WHAT WERE YOU DOING!!!

We then joined the red which turned into one of the hardest homeward sloggs i've experienced... it wasn't very interesting trail and  was fairly steep in places which lowered morale quite a bit.
A quick stop off at the dirt jumps and back onto the red, a few features such as a long boardwalk climb and very steep decent were enjoyable but other that that it stayed fairly dull.

All in all the day was great... just disappointed by the final leg of the trail!

I'll post some video's up that my Bro took with his helmet hero as soon as I get them on disk!

The ride-able rides...

The NS Surge..



This is my baby, my own little creation that I've nurtured into life...... and then thrown off everything and anything I could!

I built her while I was at Uni - with too much work and nothing else to do, I started to build the NS as a project to keep me occupied and to stop me twiddling my fingers.

The idea was simple.... A hard as nails hardtail, that will enjoy any sort of riding that is on offer... I think I succeeded!

The spec includes Shimano Saint brakes, cranks, rear derailleur and shifter - Saint being one of the best hardcore bike components out there.

An E13 bash protects the lovely Saint chain rings - thins took a bit of modification to fit but its well worth it!

The wheels, stem, bars and seatpost are all made by Spank... a brand that seems to be coming more into the limelight with tough products for downhill and dirt jumping.

The forks are Rockshox Domain 319 160mm... they are bloody amazing. They can take the hits, yet are supple enough to take the bike on long rides without being too stiff.

To get the think moving I use a set of Gusset Slim Jim Sealed Pedals... they're wide, low profile and bloody grippy - what more could you want?!


The Giant Defy 3...



This is a bike I know nothing about... its my little step over into the darkside.
All I know is that its light, fast and keeps me fit!
I ride this during the week, usually after work... just to keep my fitness up for when I ride the mountain bike.

I shall update with the progress of the On-One and Muddyfox soon......

TTFN!

Welcome!!

First off... Welcome to my little blog!!

I'm pretty crazy when it comes to 2 wheeled leg powered machines (bikes that is!).... so I though that I'd spare my friend's and girlfriend's ears and post all my rants, thoughts and lusts regarding mountain bikes on here!

I currently own 3 bikes, and am building another as we speak..

I'm currently riding-
A Custom Built NS Surge
A Giant Defy 3 Road Bike

I'm currently building -
A Custom On-One Scandal Rigid Singlespeed 29er

I'm currently restoring/converting -
An ooooold Muddy Fox Cro-Mo Pathfinder (turning into my my budget pub/commuter hack).

I'll introduce the bikes properly at a later date!

Anyways, this is all for now.... I shall be back!!