Search found 2600 matches

by Alpinum
Thu May 12, 2016 5:26 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Clips or flats?
Replies: 67
Views: 8468

Re: Clips or flats?

To be honest I wouldn't recommend sh*t pedals and average trainers to people trying flats. I'd argue that pedal weighting (on jumps and bumpy stuff especially) and pedalling technique is even more difficult to get right using flats, and having trainers with unsuitable soles interfacing with slippy ...
by Alpinum
Wed May 11, 2016 10:42 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: 2016 Highland Trail route.
Replies: 383
Views: 76106

Re: 2016 Highland Trail route.

I've decided I'm going to run 29+ at the front with a 3" chronicle. The logic is it's lighter than a bouncy fork, less to go wrong and probably not substantially worse in terms of bump performance than a tired suss fork would be after 300+ Scottish miles. I'll be using a squishy fork. 120 mm R...
by Alpinum
Wed May 11, 2016 10:25 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Clips or flats?
Replies: 67
Views: 8468

Re: Clips or flats?

Flats for all things downhill oriented - basically up a steep hill only to have fun going down again. Having gotten rid of a 160 mm bike and soon of the DH horse-drawn sledge I use a 120/110 mm bike for most duties and swap pedals depending on what I'll focus on. But mostly it's SPDs (XTR Trail) on ...
by Alpinum
Wed May 11, 2016 2:11 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Tyre Assistance... Dorset Gravel Dash
Replies: 43
Views: 7108

Re: Tyre Assistance... Dorset Gravel Dash

The fastest set up I use is Conti X-King front and Raceking back. I have no clue about the gravel dash, but it does sound like 2 x Racekings to me, or as above. I have a Continental Race King that I'm thinking about using up front, but maybe that's not enough grip? I ran RC all year round, front and...
by Alpinum
Tue May 10, 2016 5:30 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: HT550 2016 ITT starters
Replies: 204
Views: 38073

Re: HT550 2016 ITT starters

htrider wrote:The downside being that the midges will be breeding like wildfire :mrgreen:
4 gen SPOTs will have an anti midge/ticks button. I have a 2 gen one so I'll bring beans along instead... for the ticks I'll bring some fur for my bike to disguise it as a deer. Problem solved.

Will be fun
by Alpinum
Tue May 10, 2016 5:21 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Huel?
Replies: 13
Views: 2383

Re: Huel?

The only roughly similar 'food' I have used on some occasions is peronin and it not just tasted okay (only had the chocolate flavoured one, nothing delicious here, but okay) but helped me get back some energy quickly without needing to step back a bit and digest. I see it more as supplement and have...
by Alpinum
Sun May 08, 2016 11:36 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: HT550 2016 ITT starters
Replies: 204
Views: 38073

Re: HT550 2016 ITT starters

Some years ago I had a rock climbing accident, broke my wrist and dislocated my elbow. Most people regard climbing as high risk yet that was my first one in over thirty years of high standard climbing. My neighbour commented that a colleague of his tripped on the kerb/pavement, hit his head on a co...
by Alpinum
Fri May 06, 2016 10:28 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: summer sleeping setup?
Replies: 9
Views: 1575

Re: summer sleeping setup?

Very thin diy quilt with primaloft. Weighs in at 320 g and when I get in there with damp clothing it'll be dry come morning without having the insulation collapse. Klymit inertia or neoair x-lite, both in short version. Keeps me warm down to about 5 °C, but survived a night at -5 °C in it without da...
by Alpinum
Fri May 06, 2016 9:45 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Why chocolate milk?
Replies: 25
Views: 4074

Re: Why chocolate milk?

I thought... Sugars from chocolate are there to keep you upright under the shower or waiting for a brew whilst bivying post ride. They will only do little for recovery. Whole milk powder is one of the energy densest food options you can take on a wilderness trip due to the amount of fats in there. T...
by Alpinum
Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:30 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: 2016 Highland Trail route.
Replies: 383
Views: 76106

Re: 2016 Highland Trail route.

A month... one... to go.

Here in most likely all insects have been killed by the freezing temps lately.

Are we looking into a low midge year and hopefully low tick year too?

No head net, skin so soft nor smidge in '13. Could be the same game this year.
by Alpinum
Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:26 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Performance coffee - really?
Replies: 27
Views: 4438

Re: Performance coffee - really?

They're surely not taking the p1ss. Caffeine is a legal performance-enhancing drug. You misunderstand - I'm not suggesting that there's no performance benefit to caffeine. However, I am suggesting this is marketing gone mad ... at the end of the day, it's just instant coffee. Sure, it may have a co...
by Alpinum
Fri Apr 29, 2016 7:18 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Sleeping Mats - What and where to carry
Replies: 21
Views: 3940

Re: Sleeping Mats - What and where to carry

In a fight of small and light air beds NeoAir X-Lite small vs. Klymit Inertia X-Lite, the former wins. I have and use both. I'm 182 cm tall, rather broad shoulders and there's no way I can keep my arms off the ground with the Klymit. By arranging my self a bit I can do so partially on the NeoAir. Th...
by Alpinum
Fri Apr 29, 2016 6:52 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Cairngorm loop grp depart 2016
Replies: 252
Views: 45477

Re: Cairngorm loop grp depart 2016

Bring you fatbikes :-bd

Same here in CCC-Country
(Cow, Cheese, Chocolate)

Have fun out there (seriously)
by Alpinum
Fri Apr 29, 2016 6:35 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Performance coffee - really?
Replies: 27
Views: 4438

Re: Performance coffee - really?

They're surely not taking the p1ss. Caffeine is a legal performance-enhancing drug.

Are you taking the p1ss?
by Alpinum
Tue Apr 26, 2016 9:24 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Kit Lists?
Replies: 27
Views: 5033

Re: Kit Lists?

Hardcore spread sheet user here. Working in science doesn't make things better. Numbers, numbers, numbers. On most trips, except for the easy and short ones, I make an overview of the kit needed. Biking may not be a real issue, but in some outdoor pursuits you can be seriously f*cked if you realise ...
by Alpinum
Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:11 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: bikepacking route suggestions
Replies: 7
Views: 2214

Re: bikepacking route suggestions

My girlfriend and I rode past MK and headed north to and through the Pennines mostly off road on our trip from Poole to Shetland. Give a shout if you're interested in a route that mixes sustrans, bridle ways and proper offroad in a roughly south-north direction. The really fun bits waited in the Pen...
by Alpinum
Mon Apr 25, 2016 9:52 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Cautionary Tale - very much off topic.
Replies: 6
Views: 1454

Re: Cautionary Tale - very much off topic.

Very very sad.

Will forward it to beloved ones with kids. Thanks for sharing.

Makes me wanna be outdoors with kids even more. Get them and myself away from such awfulness.
by Alpinum
Fri Apr 22, 2016 11:41 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: Small Speaker
Replies: 16
Views: 2879

Re: Small Speaker

I occasionally listen to music when biking, but only if the terrain is on the easy going side and mostly only on routes I rode before.

I use earphones. I guess for me it's either-or...
by Alpinum
Wed Apr 20, 2016 11:09 pm
Forum: Your Trips & Adventures
Topic: Todays ride
Replies: 3322
Views: 608866

Re: Todays ride

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0ieccrn901wrzp9/20160420_191637_Richtone%28HDR%29.jpg?dl=0 Snow is finally melting on my commute. Photo taken from one of the 1000 options of high routes from the Entlebuch towards the Bernese Oberland. After the last three weeks on my short travel susser I once again went...
by Alpinum
Wed Apr 20, 2016 1:36 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: To fat for the fred...
Replies: 22
Views: 3251

Re: To fat for the fred...

Bearbonesnorm wrote:[...] arms that finish at the elbow?
That's what happens if you ride fat bikes on the road
by Alpinum
Wed Apr 20, 2016 8:54 am
Forum: General banter
Topic: To fat for the fred...
Replies: 22
Views: 3251

Re: To fat for the fred...

Isn't it supposed to be about fundraising/charity? And not about what bike and how etc.? A quick look didn't reveal any rules stating what bike your allowed to use...(?) Perhaps the problem was that they asked for an early start, which can be taken for admitting that they're not up for the challenge...
by Alpinum
Tue Apr 19, 2016 5:48 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: An old company jumps on the bandwagon
Replies: 78
Views: 14350

Re: An old company jumps on the bandwagon

[...] You can definitely get waterproof for lighter. For how long though, and I'm talking in terms of robustness, not penetration - not long. Absolutely, but you only need robustness in crucial areas. There are many points that don't need to a >100 g/m2 fabric. Apidura: 9 L capacity at 325 g for th...
by Alpinum
Tue Apr 19, 2016 3:23 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: An old company jumps on the bandwagon
Replies: 78
Views: 14350

Re: An old company jumps on the bandwagon

Apidura: 9 L capacity at 325 g for the seat pack... Ortlieb 16.5 L at 430 g for the seat pack 35 L at 1053 g with out the frame bag, which surely will add on another 400 g. So we have about 45 L capacity for 1.5 kg. Considering what bikepackers do to save weight... this seems like going backwards in...
by Alpinum
Mon Apr 18, 2016 5:01 pm
Forum: Your Trips & Adventures
Topic: The one where a tooth fell out...
Replies: 3
Views: 1993

Re: The one where a tooth fell out...

Trying to imagine what the tooth fairy has brought...

Chapeau!
by Alpinum
Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:52 pm
Forum: General banter
Topic: Quilts and bivi bags
Replies: 21
Views: 3722

Re: Quilts and bivi bags

ddraver wrote:[...] Plus I think i need to do a lot more actual biking to decide what I'd need
Any multi day outdoor activity most likely requires some thing to sleep in :-bd