macskive wrote:It's now sold.......to me!

Hi. Where abouts are you based?

I wonder whether you might have had a different experience on a different bike :wink: No doubt I would! It's a certainty that what I used was emphatically not suited to the descents. Though as Jim says, it absolutely destroyed him on the flat and climbs. There's no right answer to the 'what bike?' ...

assuming the bike is well designed for rigid riding, many aren't. Much truth ... so, what bike, what tyres and and what pressures CB? Riding something rigid well is generally counter-untuitive and like so many other things in life, appears to work much better once you learn to say, 'f*ck it' and si...

jam bo wrote:did I mention the emotional pain of getting dropped on every fireroad and road section... ;-)

You deserved that after several hundred km of listening to your f*cking freehub merrily clicking away behind me away as I ground my fatbike along the roads in Iceland.

whitestone wrote:To be fair, that's information after the fact From your initial post it seemed to all of us that replied that you'd just headed out on a rigid bike and got beat up.

I did.

That's just about the expected level of support, thanks Merely saving you from yourself :-bd That's my wife's job. :lol: Truth be told, I've been biking for a long time (like most people here). I know how to ride a rigid bike up and down a hill, I've been doing it since the 80s. I used to race XC o...

* notable exception being the coffin path down to Strontian, here "making it down" included unexpectedly leaving my bike upright in a bog and sliding down a wet hillside on my back. I did tell you I'd only "ridden" it in the other direction :lol: It was certainly educational! :l...

I believe now is an approprite time to play this card :wink: https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NYWSt2BCmls/V2OvQqvR6XI/AAAAAAAAFUk/Jkzl0u-R1mQujgif8grCJ1eoOmCZ_WVwwCLcB/s1600/soft-sticker.jpg what he said ;-) I made it down everything didn't I?* I didn't cry much did I? I only walked the really rocky bits...

1. That's just about the expected level of support, thanks :-bd :wink: . I should add that in 25 years of mountain biking I have never owned a bike with full suspension before (and only briefly owned one with suspension forks). So while I would happily concede inexperience to many (most?) people her...

So I just got back from 230km of Scottish bog snorkelling, rock dodging and pushing. It was excellent fun, but by god having a fully rigid bike was hard work. It was great on the road and on road climbs, but I found that the back end chattered on rough climbs (losing traction) and I really struggled...

I'm clearly a total novice, because much of that went totally over my head. But I did enjoy reading the last bit to myself in a Yoda voice.

I think so got the jist though; lots of HAB = backpack. Not HAB = framebag.

Framebag or backpack? I'm keeping the bar roll and seat pack (the latter may suck dead donkey d*ck, but it keeps my backside dry).

Only for my dazzling wit.

You're overthinking it. Just pack some sh*t into some bags, strap them to your bike and accept that the weather looks like utter toilet and you're going to basically die of exposure.

Jeez.

Top tip, thanks.

I can't argue with that description. I guess the giveaway was the snow still IN the rivers? Still, at least the weather is looking good for our trip eh? UK Outlook for Monday 25 Sep 2017 to Wednesday 4 Oct 2017 : Next week there will be plenty of dry weather, but there will be light rain for a time....

ScotRoutes wrote:Also be aware that there will be lots of water. Polloch has had over 160mm of rain this month.

Thanks... I may have accidentally lied to Jam Bo about the amount of water. Apparently he's still scarred from Icelandic river crossings.

Morning, For those interested in such things, below is a link to our proposed route next week. We're taking it (very) easy as I'm fat and unfit after >12mnths of injury :roll:. No doubt most of you could do it in a day or two! https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/route/1523607/HI Comments/warning wel...

ScotRoutes wrote:

Catbaiter wrote: Are you suggesting push the fat bike uphill, or walking the sections where the Burts are going to kill me?.

Either I guess. One thing I can guarantee is that you'll have the "wrong" bike at least once on the trip.

Of that I have no doubt. Thanks again.

Heading off over the last weekend in Sep. I've heard that parts of the West side of Etive can be boggy year round, and I'm expecting slippery conditions elsewhere. So yeah, I guess the Thunder Burts are highly likely to have me sliding uncontrollably into a loch. Are you suggesting push the fat bike...

This is going to seem like a daft question, but not knowing the terrain too well, I'm in two minds on which bike to take. Do I take my fatbike, which is heavy, but proven, comfy and 'go anywhere'? Or do I take a faster light(er)weight bike I've built up in a Tour Divide style, running 1x11 and tubel...

Wow! Great to see that this thread still lives. I've been off my bike with injury for the better part of 10months, just coming back on line now (thank fudge). I gave some thought to the Midlands Conundrum and came up with the same 2 answers as you guys have: 1. Canal towpaths as close to the true wa...

Great info. Thanks!

Evening. So I'm planning on spending a few days in solitary misery before I turn 40, and have dreamed up a West Highland and Island loop. Just wondered if anyone can suggest improvements and things to watch out for. My plan is to go from Oban up the West of Loch Etive to join up with the West Highla...