Cranked Up Really High

CharlieG

Anchor Used to mtb a lot, prior to the knee trouble - you tend to spend most of the time stood on the pedals and the lateral movement/ hit absorption became too painful. Before moving to the Lakes , we lived in North Leeds, so getting onto bridleways was dead easy. There was a 50 mile route that linked loads of rides into one that circumnavigated the whole of Leeds. You could finish up riding Otley/Ilkley/Baildon Moor straight from your door. Always preferred natural stuff over trail centres - see Travis for the natural stuff in Calderfornia!
Saying that I always enjoyed the Dalby Forest trail centre. You have the Cannock Chase trails close by - not, particularly, "rad" but reasonable fun, as far as I remember. Then of course there's the Welsh stuff......

Anchor

Right - cheers Charlie. I need to google this a bit more and find what is close and where I'm allowed. It is a bit of a closed book for me really. However the nature stuff is what i'm interested in. Not ovelry fussed about 'rad' stuff or mental down hills - I want some stiff up followed buy some down, but I dont want to fall off!

I also need some gear. Gloves at least as I'm ripping my hands on brambles and that. Would you recomend anything else? I just wear rugby shorts and a t shirt and have a gel pad on my seat. I want to ramp it up a bit to use it as fitness/weight loss tool. Did you clip in on MTB?

Cannock Chase is not far as is the Wyre Forest. I did a ride along the severn the other week - 10 miles from Bewdley to Arley and back. It was great - pretty technical but flat. Obvs.

Cheers

CharlieG

Anchor You, seriously need padded lycia shorts. Really. Wear them under some baggies. All your nether regions will thank you for it. Look at dhb from Wiggle, Start Fitness do some serious bargains, if you're not bothered about a Scott logo - it's good stuff. I always wear gloves be it mtb or road. Once again, check out Start or look on Wiggle/ChaiReaction/MerlinCycles for last years stuff, discounted. My favourite gloves are 661 or Endura.

Jon

Anchor The main advice you’ll get from most mountain bikers is to spend just another £200 and you’ll get a much better bike. It doesn’t matter how much you’re willing to spend you can always get a much better bike if you’re willing to spend another £200.

CharlieG

Jon In my experience, the best thing to spend money on is decent wheels and tyres. Saves a shit load of weight over the original equipment stuff and cheap tyres, usually, = fuck all grip.

Anchor

Jon Pretty happy with my bike. Got it second hand for a few hundred. There is some context I won't go into - but it's sad.

It's a Lapierre Zesty.

Jon

CharlieG Bit if a tongue in cheek comwnt.
Was it Miller that said something like don’t buy upgrades ride upgrades?

Agree on the wheels and tires mind.

Helmet👍

CharlieG

Anchor decent bike.

CharlieG

Decent helmet, padded shorts and footwear are the things I've never scrimped on. Shirts/jerseys/baggies? Model's own.

Anchor

CharlieG You clip in on a MTB?

CharlieG

Anchor SPD clip in.

Jon

CharlieG I still get scared clipped in on a road bike. I’ve got egg beaters.

CharlieG

Jon Have proper roadie SPD's on the summer bike but have MTB SPD's on the winter bike and gravel bike. They're double sided and easier to get into when it's wet/freezing and/or muddy. The roadie ones are single sided with a lot of tension to them - great for channelling your inner Froome-dog but a bastard to locate the cleats in adverse conditions.

Jon

CharlieG Egg bearers were cheap but do the job. It’s me. My mind wonders as I ride. I fallen sideways once or twice after coming to a gentle stop. I like a foot free if I’m motoring down hill. I’d rather ride up them these days.

Travis_Bickle

It is all in your mind. I know, very Zen. But it's true. The main thing is to relax. Stay loose. And avoid braking too much. All counter-intuitive but really important.
Feel the bike moving under you, let it do the work. Remember that with your knees and elbows you have the most efficient suspension system ever built.
Try and flow on the trails. I was told on a course once to imagine you're being filmed. Sounds daft but it works.
Some really simple tips. Keep your chin up, look ahead not down at your front wheel. And avoid braking too much. You have a decent bike. It will roll most trail obstacles you'll come up against. Saw a guy once point his bike down a trail and just let it go. Without him on it. It bumped and rolled over all sorts and his mate caught it at the bottom.
Relax. And avoid braking too much. And don't ride clipped. No need. It's all in your mind. Not being attached to the bike is a lot better for your mind when you're flying down a trail. Gives you more freedom cornering and making your way round and over obstacles.
Buy some gloves and padded shorts. Endura isn't the cheapest kit but it's brilliant quality and lasts.
Anyway, don't listen to me. Listen to Ed from back when he rode bikes and before he started making fancy kecks in Hebden Bridge.....

Anchor

Thanks Trav. Lot of wisdom there. Lot of sense also. We can overthink. I won't lie. I'm scared of falling off. My mate flipped over the bars of his the other day. Got up laughing! Be more like him!

Cheers.

Bike getting a new cassette Thursday so planed a 20 miler for early evening ride. Canal, trail and urban cycle lanes.

CharlieG

Anchor New cassette should have a new chain as well.

Anchor

CharlieG Mobile mechanic put a new chain on last week alongside gear service and suggested seeing if the old cassette would marry. It hasn't. ☹️

Knocking price of gear service off fitting the cassette. 😃

Anchor

Jesus. Anyone seen the footage of the crash at the Tour of Poland?

It's fucking horrific.

Anchor

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