Show us what you did today, thread
- Thread starter clockworkgazz
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Cheers Jamie, unfortunately paying the price the last couple of days though as the wide bb plays havoc with my left hip and right knee which are not great at the best of times… 
edit: I’ve just measured the width to outside of crank arms on both the fatty and KM and it’s 40mm of a difference…. would 20mm wider per side be enough to cause niggles?
edit: I’ve just measured the width to outside of crank arms on both the fatty and KM and it’s 40mm of a difference…. would 20mm wider per side be enough to cause niggles?
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velomaniac
MacRetro Rider
Yes possibly as the Q factor (distance between pedals) is another of those things based on human averages. As we know, no human is average, as height, hip width, length of legs, arms, back etc can all affect ride comfort etc.
Try to look at all factors that make one bike comfy and ergonomic and another not then try to bring the bad one closer to the good one by various adjustments and unfortunately by even by changing parts. A Crank arm that does not bend out from the bottom bracket as much might reduce Q factor as long as it still clears the frame etc
Good luck, pain caused by a bike can ultimately sour the idea of that bike, so hopefully changes can be made.
EDIT: I had a few more wee thoughts to further explain Q factor and pains in knees.
If you look at an average human standing relaxed in front of you you notice that their feet are often closer together than the width of their hips, this is more pronounced in women who have wider hips. The Q factor on a bike determines by its pedal position the distance between one's feet, this position is often artificial as standing our feet may be closer together. The further our feet are apart from our individual relaxed norm the more strain however small is felt by muscles and tendons especially at anchor points situated at joints. As the Q factor of a fat bike that conforms to the Diamond frame classic design is significantly greater, then muscle and tendon strain is greater.
If Q factor cannot be reduced then a regime of muscle stretching exercises might be a solution if you want to keep riding the bike.
Some fat bike designs have got around the Q factor width issue by moving the chainstays up and out of the way via the e-stay method found on older mtb's. With the e-stays the cranks don't hit the chainstays if the Q factor is narrower and its even possible to use a standard 68mm BB shell. The original Surly Pugsley had an equally clever idea in that the rear hub which was standard 135mm was offset to the drive side with the wheel built undished. The chainstay stayed close to the tyre sides then bent outward to encompass the cassette. The result was the cranks could be less flared out as they were not in danger of hitting the stays and the Q factor could be kept reasonable. "Progress" however demanded the standard Diamond frame was proven strongest and wider but not standard hubs (chance to sell new expensive bits and bobs not wasted by marketing guys) was better and the result is your fabby fat bike
Try to look at all factors that make one bike comfy and ergonomic and another not then try to bring the bad one closer to the good one by various adjustments and unfortunately by even by changing parts. A Crank arm that does not bend out from the bottom bracket as much might reduce Q factor as long as it still clears the frame etc
Good luck, pain caused by a bike can ultimately sour the idea of that bike, so hopefully changes can be made.
EDIT: I had a few more wee thoughts to further explain Q factor and pains in knees.
If you look at an average human standing relaxed in front of you you notice that their feet are often closer together than the width of their hips, this is more pronounced in women who have wider hips. The Q factor on a bike determines by its pedal position the distance between one's feet, this position is often artificial as standing our feet may be closer together. The further our feet are apart from our individual relaxed norm the more strain however small is felt by muscles and tendons especially at anchor points situated at joints. As the Q factor of a fat bike that conforms to the Diamond frame classic design is significantly greater, then muscle and tendon strain is greater.
If Q factor cannot be reduced then a regime of muscle stretching exercises might be a solution if you want to keep riding the bike.
Some fat bike designs have got around the Q factor width issue by moving the chainstays up and out of the way via the e-stay method found on older mtb's. With the e-stays the cranks don't hit the chainstays if the Q factor is narrower and its even possible to use a standard 68mm BB shell. The original Surly Pugsley had an equally clever idea in that the rear hub which was standard 135mm was offset to the drive side with the wheel built undished. The chainstay stayed close to the tyre sides then bent outward to encompass the cassette. The result was the cranks could be less flared out as they were not in danger of hitting the stays and the Q factor could be kept reasonable. "Progress" however demanded the standard Diamond frame was proven strongest and wider but not standard hubs (chance to sell new expensive bits and bobs not wasted by marketing guys) was better and the result is your fabby fat bike
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I hope everyone in Macretro land had some of the good weather over the weekend and maybe even managed to get out for a ride. We had great weather up here for a change and while it was fairly breezy over the weekend the sunshine tended to make up for it.
Caleb and I managed a couple of rides this weekend.
First was on Saturday afternoon when we managed to get out for a ride down to Forsinard on the Flying Scot tandem. We did about 25 mile all in riding from just down the Strathy road down to the tower at Forsinard and then back. Caleb did really fantastic as this was by far the furthest he had been and we were also pushing into the mother of all headwinds. We did manage a very fast run back up the valley.
Then today we had a community ride in Thurso for the Thurso Development Trust. It was a ride round the town and bike check and activities for the kids with demo bikes etc, primarily aimed at getting families out and riding.. A decent if small turnout but it is a start and there is a push for it now. Was nice to meet some other locals and we ended up going for our own ride around the harbour and up the river. So a nice if cool afternoon.
Hope everyone else had a nice weekend too.
Jamie
Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
He's getting big and almost riding the Bullitt
Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
Caleb and I managed a couple of rides this weekend.
First was on Saturday afternoon when we managed to get out for a ride down to Forsinard on the Flying Scot tandem. We did about 25 mile all in riding from just down the Strathy road down to the tower at Forsinard and then back. Caleb did really fantastic as this was by far the furthest he had been and we were also pushing into the mother of all headwinds. We did manage a very fast run back up the valley.
Then today we had a community ride in Thurso for the Thurso Development Trust. It was a ride round the town and bike check and activities for the kids with demo bikes etc, primarily aimed at getting families out and riding.. A decent if small turnout but it is a start and there is a push for it now. Was nice to meet some other locals and we ended up going for our own ride around the harbour and up the river. So a nice if cool afternoon.
Hope everyone else had a nice weekend too.
Jamie
Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrUntitled by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrUntitled by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrUntitled by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrUntitled by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrUntitled by Jamie Dyer, on FlickrHe's getting big and almost riding the Bullitt
Untitled by Jamie Dyer, on Flickr
epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
All that peat bog, supposed pristine wilderness, yet on that small mountain in the background is the remains of a fort that would have required a population of thousands to build it, service it and or garrison it.
That land would not have looked like that a few hundred years ago, before the imported white locusts destroyed the environment.
Great pics as always Jamie, I was up visiting the out-laws at the weekend but escaped for a ride in the woods at Culloden on Saturday, there's been a run of relatively warm weather recently, I'll probably jinx it but ... It *almost* feels like summer is on the way
You may have peat bogs up there, but think yourself fortunate there's few trees too, this mornings ride might even have challenged Brian, such was the amount of fallen foliage I encountered. In nearly an hours "riding" I covered a couple of miles
.
I'm not sure some of the trails will ever be rideable, many are not forest paths, and I can't see the Forestry Commission plodding deep into the woods to clear trees from an unofficial mtb route. I think it'll be up to us mtbers to clear some of the lesser known trails we use, mind you there's some big old trees need clearing, I wonder if I could fit a chainsaw to the front of a MTB "Mad Max" style
You may have peat bogs up there, but think yourself fortunate there's few trees too, this mornings ride might even have challenged Brian, such was the amount of fallen foliage I encountered. In nearly an hours "riding" I covered a couple of miles
.I'm not sure some of the trails will ever be rideable, many are not forest paths, and I can't see the Forestry Commission plodding deep into the woods to clear trees from an unofficial mtb route. I think it'll be up to us mtbers to clear some of the lesser known trails we use, mind you there's some big old trees need clearing, I wonder if I could fit a chainsaw to the front of a MTB "Mad Max" style
epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
A bow saw and a secateurs is all you need. Since the gales, I've cleared most of the trails in the Leanaig woods near me. They looked a bit like your picture....I wonder if I could fit a chainsaw to the front of a MTB "Mad Max" style
As for your Mad Max style, I've experience with that.
I used to clear my running trails in Oz after Cyclones. I ran carrying a machete in my hand and cleared as I went. The problem was some of the trees in Oz are quite spiky and I bleed easily, so after a clearance I'd be oozing blood from my face arms and chest.
So imagine what it was like when a walker (rare occurrence on those remote tracks) came round a corner and saw a blood-splattered bare footed redbearded guy* clad only in bloody cotton shorts and carrying a machete sprinting in their direction. The walker became a runner and got even faster when I yelled at them to stop.
I suppose I didn't look very reassuring...
(* I was much younger then, even had muscles and a six pack
)EDIT: One of these would be useful to carry on the bike. https://www.sakertool.co.uk/products/saker-folding-hand-saw?variant=39688697249866
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Yesterday I finally completed a ride (more walking than riding as it transpires!) I’d fancied doing since being here on the island.
It’s a loop that starts from the road to Maraig, heads down by the side of Lochannan Lacasdail to Urgha and the start of the well-known ‘Postman’s Walk’ to Rhenigidale, and finally back on the road to my start point.
It was windier than XC Weather had suggested but that‘s always the case here!
I parked the car at the red
at the top of the map and headed off for Loch Laxdale into a howling head-wind!
A steady slow climb and then a nice section down to the waterside.
The start
Looking on along the Loch
same spot but looking back
there’s a wee crossing in the middle of the loch
which leads on to the start of the Postman’s Walk and the start of a relentless climb pushing the bike uphill!
It’s a loop that starts from the road to Maraig, heads down by the side of Lochannan Lacasdail to Urgha and the start of the well-known ‘Postman’s Walk’ to Rhenigidale, and finally back on the road to my start point.
It was windier than XC Weather had suggested but that‘s always the case here!
I parked the car at the red
at the top of the map and headed off for Loch Laxdale into a howling head-wind!A steady slow climb and then a nice section down to the waterside.
The start
Looking on along the Loch
same spot but looking back
there’s a wee crossing in the middle of the loch
which leads on to the start of the Postman’s Walk and the start of a relentless climb pushing the bike uphill!
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The climb was steep but the views were fab, although there was a bit of a haze in the air.
I was passed by an older (than me) woman and her two black labs which was a little embarrassing but obviously I was pacing myself….
Looking back to Urgha
and eventually to a cairn that marks the summit of the climb.
Then the downhill began….
I was passed by an older (than me) woman and her two black labs which was a little embarrassing but obviously I was pacing myself….
Looking back to Urgha
and eventually to a cairn that marks the summit of the climb.
Then the downhill began….
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The ‘downhill’ culminates in some outrageously steep zig-zag hairpin bends, only two of which I could pedal, the others not a chance!
So difficult to show in photos just how steep that section is, but I could smell rear brake pads they were that cooked!
but I eventually made It down to the wee bay.
So difficult to show in photos just how steep that section is, but I could smell rear brake pads they were that cooked!
but I eventually made It down to the wee bay.
