Riders Cycle Centre RCC has just taken delivery of Muc-Off bike cleaning products.
RCC’s great Muc-Off illuminated stand stand’s along side their SuperB tool stand so know they have all you need to help keep your bike in tip top condition.
To help raise money in aid of Sport Relief I decided to set myself a personal challenge. Last year I arranged a charity ride to help raise cash for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. We travelled to Liverpool and cycled the 130 miles along the Liverpool 2 Leeds canal to Leeds. Our trip lasted 13hrs with 11hrs of riding time clocked up. A job well done to all, so for 2012 and in aid of Sport Relief I planned to cycle the same route but in both directions. 260 miles of flat none stop pedal turning canal towpath. This sort of distance was new to me. A real dive into the unknown and to make it a little bit more interesting I was going to do this ride non-stop.
So how do I prepare for such a ride. What would I need to complete this marathon. Full suss, XC bike, two pairs of cycling shorts and plenty of pro +. Well it was to late for lengthy road rides as Im getting Riders Cycle Centre off the ground. It was to late to season the derrière with long bumpy bridleways. What was needed was some inspirational stories of courage and determination, out came the James Cracknall videos.
My stead was a no brainer. My Ragley TD1 with a USE suspension seat post has nursed me over many-a-mile and I was sure would help me cover the endless miles. Maxxis Crossmark tubeless tyres and Ragley Carnegie bars adorned my bike along with my 1×9 drive chain.
TD1, suspension seatpost & RagleyCarnegie bars. Maxxis Crossmark 2.1 tyres.
Saturday 12noon was my scheduled start time and with a kiss from Jade I set off to Leeds. A steady 13mph average and I reached my turnaround point opposite Leeds train station. A 10 minute stretch and a bike check and I headed back to Skipton. At 17.15pm I entered Skipton where I met Jade and collected my Hope lights and batteries. David joined me for the next 15miles and after a coffee at Foulridge it was solo time.
Lets cut a long story short. For the next 20 hrs I cycled to Liverpool Docks, fell asleep in Mc Donalds for half an hour and cycled back home to Skipton.
I arrived at Liverpool docks at 4.30am enduring 9hrs of tiring night riding. My 4 cell Hope battery on low power luminated the path beneath me. I fuelled myself on home made flap jacks and junk food. I kept hydrated, battled the temperature drop in Wigan and the countless frogs littering the Towpath. I headed home with legs doing all that was asked of them without question but with a neck stinging with discomfort. As the hours pressed on my wrists where asking questions of my rigid forks but I was homeward bound and the miles where counting down. The morning dew and rising temperatures helped fuel and refresh aching limbs and my second wind kept my average at 12.5mph. As endless bumpy towpath was substituted for smoother man made terrain I began to reflect on my journey.
I was confident that the physical demands could be met but the mental one would test me. How would I deal with over 24hrs of riding. What the hell would I think about for a whole day?. I couldn’t tell you until after the event and I can’t remember what I thought about. I do remember thinking about the moment, the pedal stoke, the terrain 5yrds in front of me and the pain in my neck. I thought about the cold can of Coke in Burnley and the umpteenth Jelly Baby laden with sweet sugary goodness. Bruce Dinsmore, a Great Divide racer sent me a text which read “Pain is temporary but memories are forever” and “Pain is weakness leaving the body”. Some thought provoking words to help me rise to the occasion.
With 15 miles to go I could smell the end. I knew my location and the bumpy trails to come. This was familiar surroundings which I thought would be comforting but it brought polarised feelings. I knew I had 15 miles to go. I knew how bumpy the last leg was going to be and I knew it would take over an hour to complete it. It dragged. It dragged like an anchor. I weighed on my back and legs and my body was fighting the rigid ride beneath me. “Pain is weakness leaving the body” but you guys, the kind sponsors who helped me raise £620 rekindled the fire and I excitedly upped the pace and peddled to the finish line.
I’d finished my challenge. Fulfilled my journey and explored the unknown. I was met by Jade, a dream holding a cold beer. I quietly walked to the car, loaded the boot, sat in the passenger seat and had a peaceful trip back home, but the next 24hrs is another story.
A big BIG thank you to all who sponsored me. THANK YOU. You know who you are.
The great guys at Ragley have sent Yorkshirebiking some Ragley products to R&D.
There have been a few request from friends and cyberspace friends asking if I have a smaller size Piglet to go with the 18inch X9 Piglet. Mr T has been the latest to “ride & try before a buy”.
Well I do now 
a size 16″ in Squash, thats orange to you and me. You can get all the dimensions & measurements via this link.
I am going to build the frame with some great components including Ragley finishing kit, Hope wheels/brakes/headset and a mix & match of Shimano & SRAM drivechain. A Rockshox fork and Maxxis tyres. When she is ready to rock & roll Ill post some pics.
You might of noticed another smaller box above the bigger box. This was the one I was looking forward to the most. I love my TD1. I love my 29er and the TD1 is a real personal bike to purchase as the frame is designed around a rigid 440mm fork. At 440mm it can also be used on a 26″ wheeled bike. I have been using a PaceRC31 rigid fork for over a year but now Ragley have released a carbon rigid fork that includes a carbon steerer tube, SWEET. I don’t know all the fine details about the fork but this is what I can assume so far,
Once I have a chat with Ragley I will update with weights and rotor options. i.e. are the forks limited to a certain rotor size.
I have left some extra steerer tube so I can mess around with stem height before I make a final cut. I used a cutting blade with 24teeth per inch to make a finer cut and taped the steerer tube either side of the cut to prevent the carbon from splintering. I used a Carbon specific wedge to replace the star fangled nut and assembled into my TD1.
Its now time for a ride to see how it compares to the Pace fork. So keep a look out for an update very soon.
Cheers, Stuart.
I have always had a fascination with bicycle tyres. Thick or thin, black or brown side walls, full or semi slick. The tyre selection at my LBS has always emptied my wallet and the lure of a new tread design is like a moth to a bright light.
But like saddles, grips and bar ends its always been personal. We have always had our favourite. We stay loyal to a brand. Ive seen it whilst working in bike shops. You try steering a loyal Panaracer fan to buying a Kenda or Hutchinson. “but sir, these reenforced sidewalls at no extra cost or weight will reduce the amount of tyre failure”. “No thank you. I want my 1.9 Fire XC at an extortionate price please”.
So what makes me choose a tyre. Is it the flashy advertising or the sponsored rider. Is it the MX style tread pattern or the promise of leech like grip in all conditions. For me its what my friends ride. The guys you follow down a trail. They can be my crash test dummies. If you have an alfa male in your group with bike skills you want to aspire to then he will get the best from his tyres and if its good enough for him well it will do for me.
I have never stuck with a brand but have relied on my above average intelligence to tell me if a tyre will work for where I ride. I have tried to search for the holy grail but that could take forever and there’s riding to be done. I ride Maxxis tyre at the moment. Why? well Dirt Magazine 3 years ago listed the Crossmark as one of their favourite tyres. It ticked a lot of boxes for me. Big and round. Continuous central ridge for speed and some nice pointy edges for cornering. They also looked cool. So I invested in a pair, put them on my Hope/Flow wheel set, converted to tubeless and set off to introduce myself to my fresh rubber. The rest is history.
So if the Crossmark worked for me then I thought I would give some of their condition specific tyres a try.
If I was to give a top tip then it would be to invest in British season specific tyres. It’s been my first winter using mud specific tyres. I have always enjoyed riding tyres that relied on my own skills to keep me upright. It feels like i’m training my own skill level trying to get a summer condition tyre to hook up on a sloppy steep climb. My Beavers and Medusas have been a revaluation to me. They have given me grip I’ve never experienced before and allowed me to ride steeper and more challenging trails.
Advise time if you need it that is. What do I know
Last but not least. Tyres will never compensate for a lack of skill. ” My tyres slide out on a loose turn”. That wasn’t my tyres fault it was mine. Learn slowly what your tyres are capable of. Make the most of their good parts and learn to adapt to their bad parts but above everything enjoy yourself and keep riding.
Two fantastic rides. My poor camera is feeling the cold. Just love a grand XC ride. Beautiful views and stunning trails. And the best way to enjoy it….on your bike
An early morning start and an invite from Mr T to join him on a Lakeland ride. The cold clear nights and freezing temperatures would mean an icy day in the saddle. We arrived at Staveley and parked up at the cycle shop Wheelbase. A few minutes of fettling and we rode out of the car park and headed up onto Stavely Head & Green Quarter Fell. Just as we had expected the frozen ground was swathed with ice sheets & frozen rutts. Our descent into Sadgill was a careful one with boulders and ice dictating your line choice. We passed through the Farm and over the River Sprint and were treated to a beautiful view of the Sadgill climb. We are started our climb and rode as far as our quads could propel us. We soon had our bikes on our backs and enjoyed a hick-a-bike to the summit. The Gatescarth Pass descent lay before us. Rescent trail work has robbed us of a boulder strewn & brake burning descent. Bulldozers had flattened everything but it was still a DH and we love them
We descended down to the Haweswater Res and followed the bridleway up Nan Bield Pass. More crystal clear ice and frozen rocks made our climb treacherous and the shade of Harter Fell meant the sun no longer fuelled us with any warmth. Even Superman would of felt cold. Once at the top and with the sun charging the batteries we dropped our saddles and set of for the long descent towards Kentmere. We anticipated more ice but the sun had done its job and our we enjoyed a technical and rewarding ride to Kentmere Hall. We had one final climb around Kentmere Park and a short road ride into Staveley. A change of cloths, a coffee and cake at the coffee shop and a drive home.
Mr T, we have set the bench mark high for 2012. Looking forward to the next ride.
A few clear nights and plummeting temperatures lead to a hastily arranged cycle ride. Jade had been out of the saddle for a while and needed some frosty dry trails to greet the new year. We headed over to Helwith bridge and followed the Pennine Bridleway to Feizor, Austwick & under Inglebourough to Selside. We crossed the River Ribble and onto Horton Moor. An icy descent into Horton in Ribblesdale and back to Helwith Bridge.
On Sunday night I decided to join the new year cycle cross boys and girls at the Todmorden cyclocross race. Maxxis had kindly sent me some Beaver 29er tyres which would cope well with the inevitable mud bath that awaits. I lined up for the seniors race and looked down the line at lycra clad CX racers and bikes shivering in the stiff breeze and longing for the off. The clanger clanged and with SPD cleats searching for pedals the race was on. Well I couldn’t believe it, I sprinted to the front taking the inside corner on the first 3 bends. I was in the top 10. We encountered our first muddy section which we powered through but the next off camber section required a dismount/run. I remounted, clipped in powered up the climb. My poor bike was now covered in mud & grass and then my hour long troubles began. Every pedal stroke resulted in chainsuck requiring a back pedal to release the chain and forward again. But I prevailed. Each lap required an inspection of the drive chain hoping I would find the reason for my mechanical . I dipped my bike in and out of a deep puddle to try and clear some of the mud but my troubles remained. Nevermind, soldier on. The plank obstacle brought light relief as the crowd cheered on those who bunny hopped the planks rather than dismounting. I came round to finish my 6th lap when the winner lapped and pipped me to the line. My race was over. A free beer awaited me on return of my race number and a classic car park wash before the drive home. I was later to find the chainsuck culprit. A stone wedged between chainring and guard was causing the chain to dismount every revolution. I had thought my drive chain was shot but she has a few more winter miles in her yet.
Big thanks to Jade for the support and the Toasted cheese and beer whilst I sat in the bath. Cheers to Maxxis for the Beaver tyres. They worked brill. Well done to all who ventured out into the cold and braved the mud and I tip my hat to the supporters for their cheers and giggles.
Both photos curtsy of joolzeD/flickr
Dougy joins me before sun rise for an early morning Winter Solstice ride up & down Barden Moor in Skipton. With a gale force wind in our face we head to the bridleway that will take us across Barden Moor and our awaited descent to Embsay Res.
Let’s hope that our ride will bring yorkshirebiking some dusty trails & blue skies come the Summer.
A cold frosty Sunday morning and I get to ride my new Piglet X9 from Ragley. A slow meander along the Liverpool Leeds canal to Bingley and up and over to Harden Moor. A flask of coffee and a mince pie helps keep the chill at bay whilst I prep for some video action . I also bump into a fellow Ragley Blue Pig rider and I show him some virgin trails. Spread the joy
