Life is going Downhill... fast

Following on from my recent s24o at Hamsterley ive been keen to get back there on the mountain bike. Last weekend some mates were headed down there on their Downhill bikes so i tagged along, on the 'all-mountian' build SC Heckler (my DH bike is in bits), to see if it was any better than it was last time we rode the DH tracks there... 5yrs ago!

Suffice to say, its changed.. a lot!  They now charge £6 a day to ride, the main reason we stopped going, and there are now more than a few track options. Infact, there are so many tracks i lost my bearings more than a few times, although its not quite as bad as Innerleithen can be.

I found a few things out tho....

1. £6 for the day i worth it!
2. I can ride with 'flats' despite being raised on spd's.
3. I still suck at jumps.
4. Im still terrified of jumps (see 3)
5. DH tracks are easier to ride than walk.
6. My fear of pain has to be tamed!!!

Broken/missing DH bike parts have been re-ordered, bits have been ferreted out from their hiding places, wheels have been to the shop for a re-true.  Im getting back in the game... as long as no-one makes me do jumps!

s24o

s24o or Sub 24hr Overnight. To describe a trip of less than 24hrs where you stay outside/camp/bivy overnight.

Just home from a s24o and had a qreat time! Train to Durham after work, metup with a mate, headed out into the wilds. We had a rough idea where we wanted to go but still took us a few hours to get there so we were quite hungry by that point. Camp went up pretty quickly, a bivy bag is pretty simple :) Up with a tarp to protect from any possible rain (and falling pine needles) and we were sorted for the night.

Cyclocross

Recently I went to watch a round of the National Cyclocross series at South-Shields.

Ive been entering local races for a few years now but never watched one so only really get to see people who plod around at my pace (apart from when we occasionally get lapped) so it was nice to watch the seriously fast boys (and girls!) ripping it up.  The speeds were pretty impressive for grass and action was tight throughout.  I think the race gave me a good appreciation for the skills required and im defiantly hoping to develop over the winter and hopefully get further up the field in my own races.

Review; Shimano DH-3N80 & Schmidt Edelux

This is a short review of the front hub and light system on my commuter/tourer, a Shimano DH-3N80 dynamo hub and Schmidt Edelux light.

I got the hub around a year ago as i was sick of my battery lights dying on me mid commute in the winter. I had it built onto a Mavic touring rim with 36 DB spokes, its a pretty solid set-up and not exactly light weight.

So far ive done about 1500miles on it and im happy to report there have been no problems. Connected to the hub i have a Schmidt Edelux light which i mount on my fork crown. This combo provides a nice bright patch on the road without ever having to worry about batteries, fantastic!

The light connects to the hub by running the cable down the fork leg and terminating it with a special Shimano connector/clip, this clip is then just a push fit onto the hub to complete the setup. This clip is a really simple system which means it is very easy to remove the front wheel should you need to. The only issue i had was the Coaxial cable that is fitted to the Edelux is a bit fiddly to strip and attach to the Shimano connector, but i got it done.

Out of the box the hub feels quite rough but this is just the magnets not the bearings. When fitted to the bike the wheel spins smoothly but not quite as freely as a standard hub, with the light turned on the wheel dosnt seem to spin much at all when in the stand but you cant feel this drag at all on the road (honest!).  I should point out the hub finish is very nice and it still looks like new even after a hard winter.

In use the Edelux has an automatic setting on the switch to turn the light on when it gets dark, this is quite sensative so you find the light on a little earlier than most cars. I tend to leave the light switched on all the time anyway as it helps with being seen and if your in/out of shade and sun it helps keep you visible. I have also added a rear light to my set-up, a busch and muller 4d-lite plus, which pulls power via the Edelux headlight. Again this is a non-thought requiring item as it is switched by the Edelux, so you always know the back light is on if the front is.

In summary, a great commuting setup, cost a bit to install but worth it for the worry free use. To make it a bit cheaper you could try the model down for the hub, not sure of the name but its similar internals just a little heavier.  An alternative light would by the Cyo or Cyo R, exactly the same internals just not as fancy a case.

More pics HERE

Ups and Downs

It appears the more i cycle the more cycles my body goes through.  Exhileration & Adenalin to Pain & Suffering.

At the weekend i managed to get in 2 50mile road rides, nothing amazing in the scheme of things but ive not ridden that much since last summer. Come Monday morning and i was more than happy to find my legs still felt good, Tuesday was not bad despite cycling to/from both work and UNI, Wednesday was a breeze, Thursday? well that just hurts.  It appears my legs have decided enough is enough and every pedal stroke was agony and my speed non-existant.  Ive still got more riding/commuting to do today so time to grit the teeth and fight through, but i dont think ill be enjoying my commutes today...

Rich.

Worn-in

March 1st a photo by dickyelsdon on Flickr.

Ive had these Addidas commuting/touring shoes for quite a few years now and despite my abuse they have held up well. One part that has failed is the lace loops. They are attached with a mall rivet and the tension is designed transferred by small wires to the sole, but these have mostly failed now so i cant get them properly snugged up. Not sure how im going to fix it yet but im not giving up on these, they are to comfortable to bin.

Make do and mend

Feb 28th - Broken
Originally uploaded by dickyelsdon

Being a hoarder i have a bunch of stuff i keep when i should really just bin them but I cant afford to just replace everything anymore so this week i was going for the whole 'make do and mend' thing. However, some things you just cant mend. Snapped chain...