I have a Reba 100mm on my XC hardtail, tuned with a couple of tokens and I really like it. It's a good fork for the money. That said, I've ridden a bike with a SID and could immediately tell the difference...

Looking at my kit for the Highland Trail, I'm wondering if I might be a little under-gloved for cool, wet and windy days. I'm taking my usual summer gloves and will have my standby Buffalo mitts, The mitts have saved my hands on more than one occasion but aren't great for long periods of riding. I d...

Would it not have just chipped the gel coat over the carbon tube = no damage to fibres so no structural issues? I'd be tempted to fill the chip in with araldite as much for cosmetics as anything else. Yeah I think so. I'm going to tape over it anyhow as it's where one of my framebag straps goes. On...

Would it not have just chipped the gel coat over the carbon tube = no damage to fibres so no structural issues? I'd be tempted to fill the chip in with araldite as much for cosmetics as anything else. Yeah I think so. I'm going to tape over it anyhow as it's where one of my framebag straps goes. On...

Ok I’m feeling a bit better now after reading these comments... the force wasn’t that great as the bike just toppled and hit an edge about half a metre away. The cosmetic damage is annoying but I’ll get over that. Luckily it’s invisiframed so that’s protected it a bit. There’s definitely no softness...

A read through this (if you haven't already) may give you a fee hints on how to inspect the damage. Of course we're no experts, but some of the advice like checking on the sound when knocking on the damage, checking if the damaged area is soft under pressure etc. is what I learned from folks who ar...

redefined_cycles wrote: ↑Fri May 14, 2021 12:42 pm What frameset is it please Chris?? Not all are created equally and alot can depend on he initial weight aswell..

Any pics of the damage??

(Sorry for the situation btw)

Merida big nine. I have a pic which I’ll try to upload. Certainly doesn’t feel soft when I push on it.

So there I am, giving my bike it’s final clean and check before the highland trail, take it out of the stand, lean it against the wall, turn round and it falls over :roll: It hit a concrete edge on a small wall, taking a small chunk out of the top tube and another deep scratch out of one of the seat...

Bike wise ive got some new drive chain bits for a 1x12 and a good chunky bontrager XR3 XR4 tyre combo. Ive smashed a wheel rim before on the ben alder water bars which by the grace of god i was able to bend back and carry on. When it happened i thought id blown it; definitely a place to be 100% con...

Nice write up Phil and great to hear the Lomond Trossachs Loop has had another completion. Enjoyed the extended account on your blog too, but disappointing to hear about the gravel tyre tracks on the pass over to Glen Lednock

Actually one real problem I have rather than the all the silly worries is that my Spot isn’t showing up on trackleaders. I’ve borrowed one off a mate - it’s showing on his personal spot page but doesn’t seem to be pinging TL. Any ideas why? Not used a Spot before. Is his Spot page public and its ad...

htrider wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 5:29 pm
Not sure, drop them a line as they are very helpful. I'm renting a spot this year so fingers crossed mine works OK as I don't get it until the Tuesday before....

ton wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 4:44 pm it there a list of riders entered ? just to be nosey.

https://highlandtrail550.weebly.com/startlist.html

Actually one real problem I have rather than the all the silly worries is that my Spot isn’t showing up on trackleaders. I’ve borrowed one off a mate - it’s showing on his personal spot page but doesn’t seem to be pinging TL. Any ideas why? Not used a Spot before.

You'll be fine, I've added my comments to your worries :grin: That is great Sean, thanks :grin: As for single speed, I have thought about it every now and again. I was massively inspired by Katie and Andrew Strempke's account of their Colorado yo yo on single speeds last year and loved Andrew's SC ...

I'm in for the group start. I've done a couple of shorter ITTs but never anything on this scale. For your entertainment, and so I can get it off my chest, here's a list of the things that are currently worrying me... 1. My left knee 2. That I won't be nearly fit enough 3. That my technical skills ar...

Can't find it anywhere It must be in deep storage somewhere, really sorry!

Hi All, Trying to convince my sister into coming on an overnighter with us.... Does anyone have a cheap or old bivvy they no longer need? Not worried about weight or pack size! Cheers. Sam I might have an old Rab Survival Zone bivy knocking around. Last used a couple of years and was still working ...

Both sold.

Maxxis High Roller II 29 x 2.30, 3C Maxx Terra EXO/TR £40 Maxxis Ardent 29X2.25, EXO/TR £38 Bought both these tyres at the same time, fitted them and took them on a 10km ride on tracks and road. Instantly decided I wanted something a little wider at both ends, so looking to recoup some of the outlay...

I haven't used any of their bar bags, but I do have one of their new(ish) dropper post seat bags. It's been on one 250km trip so I can't comment on long term durability, but it looks really well put together - also super simple and rock solid when attached. It's my third seat bag (Koala and Wild Cat...

160mm rear, 180mm front. I don't think 180mm rears are OTT on loaded bikes. Weight gain isn't worth considering, braking gain or reduced heat build up on long descents is, seems like a 'why wouldn't you?' upgrade to me. Those Shimano brakes probably come with rotors that aren't rated for metal sint...

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 7:04 pm

160mm rear, 180mm front.

I was hoping you were going to say 160mm front and back. Could be the dreaded Shimano micro-leak ... are the noisy at all?

Generally pretty quiet unless it's wet.

sean_iow wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:45 pm I had tried them all in the calipers. The HT550 is not the place to find out they were made wrong or in the wrong packet and don't fit.

Look on the bright side, I've got Hope brakes, so new pads+ 2 spare sets cost £120

Ouch!

sean_iow wrote: ↑Sat Apr 24, 2021 6:08 pm Don't forget that if it's wet you'll want to carry 2 spare sets (4 pairs of pads) so if you buy new brakes you'll need to factor that into the cost.

As I’ve been finding out, this ultra racing lark is an expensive business!

I bet your spare pads were all broken in just right too