MacRetro chat and rides thread

[velomaniac]

Thanks ZigZag Sunday it is and I'd love a lift and I'll start chucking petrol money your way. Should Big Eck show any interest I can just as easily scoot so you can shift him.

I'll not be riding the scariest bit of secret track this Sunday, its well muddy and becoming dangerous, it needs to dry out a bit. I am convinced there is more trail down from the green grade trail and I'm sure there must be track in the valley below the black climb and to the eastern edge of GT. I also could be completely wrong but its worth exploring

Now that I've got Saturday free I can try and chuck the Nishiki Cascade I just got off LGF together for its first trial run. Really cool frame this, 23.5" seat tube and 24.25" top tube :shock:. The down tube has two bottle mounts one above the other and the entire thing is double butted Tange tubing, surprisingly light weight for such a huge frame straight bladed forks too I've no idea how LGF rode it, somewhat big for him :?

Cheers Velo

 

[clockworkgazz]

Kaiser - what powdercoater are you thinking of using in Renfrew?

So, out on the bike both days this weekend Saturday afternoon jaunt up the Pentlands, very muddy after all the rain but a decent ride none the less - good to get the legs working again.

Nipped up Stirling North Third today and did the cliff ride. Did not enjoy. It starts pretty boring - farm track for nearly a mile gradually rising, then you hit the forest itself. Landrover track for a bit, still rising slowly then first bit of single track climb. Again, after the rain, it was just a quagmire - stupidly, I was single-speeding, so I basically had a nice walk up to the top of the climb.

The cliff ride itself is broken into 3 or 4 sections, beginning and ending with varying degrees of steep climbs (again, not single-speed friendly) and steep DH sections with occasional rocky drop offs. The actual track itself is very narrow with a mix of roots and rocks, and some lovely gorse on the inside to encourage you to fall towards the cliff :roll:

Excluding the steep climbs and descents, if this was almost anywhere else (and on a bike with gears) this would have been reasonably enjoyable. It's plenty technical, but if I'm honest it was a bit much for me - and it didn't help that for the majority of the trail you really are cycling along a cliff top. Summary - gears and suspension recommended and a better level of skill than I (not that that would be hard). Head for heights too. I spent a lot of time walking and scrambling down steep slopes. Waste of a good day's weather

When I'm feeling less negative about the whole thing, I'll go back with the iDrivel and give it another go. There must also be some good tracks within the forest itself, so I need to sniff them out too.

great report ZZ it's good that you and velo are out there going off piste. I'm so lazy these days, trail centre safe options always seem to win out- wish I could come to the tress but off to the sisters at the weekend however will see you Wed ZZ.

 

[kaiser]

Christ I'm not even getting off road. Wednesday will be the first since Keilder :shock:

 

[clockworkgazz]

.....not been out much either kaiser- please be gentle with us ZZ

 

[velomaniac]

I was secretly hoping I could get Wednesday off to join you guys at the Drum and Hey Presto the boss informs me we're starting 2 large experimental trials on you guessed it Wednesday :roll:

You lucky, lucky blighters, have fun

Velo

 

[kaiser]

Gonna try to get out next week too, not as easy but not impossible cannae huv these scallys showin us up next weekend

 

[kaiser]

jimjim did you see this thread? some nice mani stuff normally hard to get.


http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... highlight=

 

[zigzag]

.....not been out much either kaiser- please be gentle with us ZZ

ha, right! I discovered tonight that I can run 32/18 on the Hardrock without a tensioner - the perfect easy gear for mincing over roots and ploughing through mud on a totally unfamiliar trail. Sorted! Roll on Wednesday

 

[clockworkgazz]

:shock:

I'm going to run 36:17 on the Yo, tell my family that I love them :?

got those orange wheels tonight K :roll: Kind of thinking that they would be ok on the prestige once she is matt black with orange decals :? I've got wheels coming out of my arse at the mo- happy days.

BTW Eck I did see instructions on the net somewhere about getting a flat spot out of a wheel, didn't look to hard......or am I being wildly optimistic?

 

[clockworkgazz]

Quick question- can you run a 7 speed cassette on a 9 speed freehub with a bunch of spacers or would that be a mental idea?