The next step....

[DaveCon]

bril that which did you choose

I got a Trek Powerfly5 hardtail

... post up some pictures ..its all very exciting

Will do

[Cone]

Minky, If i had 4.5k to spend on a bicycle it'd be one of these!!

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified ... ric&page=2

yep i d look good on that ..with me fishemans wellies wooly hat and panniers

awsome thing ..if it looked more like a pushbike you would get away with it .. but i think it would draw a bit of attention from the law ..that said its a of roader and if you took it the right places it would be fine ..apart from the fact id kill meself on it it looks great fun

I don’t think I’d be too worried about it not being legal. It looks like a bicycle enough set of pedals that go round gears etc. However I would want to be able to lift it on to my roof rack to get it closer to my trails

[minkyhead]

bril that which did you choose

I got a Trek Powerfly5 hardtail

... post up some pictures ..its all very exciting

Will do

looks realy nice ...

. i ended up really badly spattered with mud ..i looked like a skunk ...even had a streak of mud on the back of me wooly hat ..... me rear box thingy was caked at times with like half a inch of mud ..been surprises just how much crap these things throw with them big fat tyres ..rear mudgard has been good ..strange but i dont seem to have any need for a front one ?

hey thanks for the tip about trains ..ive no rack for the car yet ..you have given me a idea local station is like two mins away

[DaveCon]

Trek Powerfly5.jpg (124.7 KiB) Viewed 3255 times

Rode it out of the shop this afternoon and 10 miles down a bridle way. Already it needs a wash

Very strange when the motor kicks in, initially it feels like someone has given the bike a good push then it settles down and feels like a normal bike but quicker. Mind you once you hit 15mph and the motor goes off it's like hitting a massive headwind. Anyone who says it's cheating (I'm getting this a lot at work) needs to have a go. I got home quite knackered, but probably quicker.

It's not fully set up for me yet so I'll do that tomorrow when I clean it bit of a first for me!

I'm beginning to wonder if I should have got a full suspension, I didn't realise how much more comfortable it made the bike - or perhaps better to say how jarring is hitting a bump with a hardtail. Mind you full suspension made the bike even heavier and added another £1000 to the cost

All good fun so far

[minkyhead]

looks ace ...your right the family eirlooms can be a bit battered ... i use around 27psi in the big tyres ..and having trolled the bike sites i got some decen feeback on this seatpost

theres some real expensive ones too thudbusters being another ...iv been realy pleased with the suntour product its not too dear and does a really good job huge difference they have three spring rates im a big boy 16stone nad with the off road track went for the hard spring ...i was a bit worried but its pretty much perfect for me ..the spring may be hard but the ride is ace

my seat was some racing thing like yours to thin and hard ... i bought a touring seat and found by pure accident a gel seat cover in home and bargain for 4.99 i simple tied it on and banged a zip tie on it .... very good

suntour is worth the money ..or similar product ..that will solve the problem very well ..comes with cover you velcro around it to keep the crud out ..need a cxlean and servicing /greasing every so often ..



aaa by minkyhead56, on Flickr

[johnnyboxer]

I pick up my eMTB in a week or so and can't wait. It's going to open up for me all the trails in the Peak District that have been close to motorized traffic for whatever reason I can even take the bike on the train for free, so Wales and the Lakes are not out of the question.

Even just on a normal MTB (I commandeered my sons ) I pretty much echo what Minkyhead has written. It's immense fun, like riding offroad motorcycle but also very different and my fitness is at a level I've not seen for 20 years

I've discovered so many new tracks right on my doorstep (longest ride has been 20 miles) and even a bespoke MTB park within 3 miles we never knew existed, and another 6 miles away

Great news

[Flintlock]

Yep - the same over here - we have 4 great MTB trail areas in the province, the longest is 26 k. On top of that you can also explore all the forest parks and the many trails ib the Mournes and other upland regions

A great way to get your off road fix and improve fitness.

Still on pedal power only, but will get an emtb when the time is right.

[DaveCon]

... i use around 27psi in the big tyres ..and having trolled the bike sites i got some decen feeback on this seatpost

The Suntour seatpost is clearly the next thing on my shopping list

You're right about the tyre pressures. My "manual" bike has a lot more give in the tyres because my weedy pump can't get the pressures up anywhere near as high as the shop has on my new one!

[minkyhead]

i wasnt too sure ..the lads at the shop said around 30 for general use and 24 ish off road ..so i plumped for the middle ground ..they are pretty big 2.6 inches and real high sidewalls but playing with they pressures does make a difference to the suspension of the bike ..im not able to say proper ..but mine seem pretty plush at 27 on bumps but still rol well on the tarmack...its not a bad idea to check whats in them ..im not sure what size tyres you have but id be inclined to mess about with the pressures ..between the tyres and the seat post it rides pretty well..it worth checking you havnt got real hard pressures in there as it does effect the ride

[minkyhead]

another day ..and i had a good ride .. one or two incidents

the first and sadest was i saw a helicopter landing on the m58 ..i thoiught it was a aambul;ance but turns out there was a lady threatening to throw herself into the traffic below i understand that she didnt in the end so that is good

i were reflecting after how it must be a desperate situation for her and lifes kinda good for me at the moment ..almost feel guilty ..we dont know whats in store but i were sad that someone is so low as to be thinking of such a thing on a cold but glorius morning

i found a pretty overgown path over tha cattle bridge of the motorway and that was weird it was a super woodsy path 50 meters from the m58 ....

however it proceeded with its brambles and thorns to give me the mother of all time punctures .....i shit you not i had a spare tube ..and then that went ,,and i ended up putting 5 patches on the best one ..i were there for a long time .. i had slime scabs ..and im not convinced by them but they got me home ..bloody good job it wernt raining though

heres the thing these big tyres have a metal ring ..a bead the same as a motorbike ...and after much effing and blinding and having the tube out four times ...yes honest ..i sealed it .....but with me hand pump and big floatation tyres i couldnt get it to seat..i limped home with a unseated tyre like a billiard ball out of true ....
i got it home and put me compressor on it and it only popped on the rim at 60psi ..so i learned summet

that 5 punctures in one hit are feck all compared to some folks worries ...

and how the hell will i get it to seat if im miles from home ??

ive been busy all night googling anti puncture tyres ..there are some but nowt in a 2.6 tyre 2.1 being the nearest ..so ive ordered tubes and kevelar tyre liners ....i cant get anything in my size and although reviews can have you bog eyed for waht im doing ive found the smart sam tyres pretty good .. so im going to try and line them

but the pump ?? ill carry wd in future so its not so stubborn and it was 0 degrees ..but the thing ive got now is bad enough to get 25psi in let lone 65 ..me arms are tireder than me legs tonight ..so i need a mother fecker of a pump ..im thinking battery motor pump witha back up ..big styrup jobby maby ??? ..doin it wrong maby ??

..i dunno but jesus ive blown e09s on befor 60 psi

anyway theres a few more expieriance guys floating about ....its all a bit of learing curve .....

i pondered what was going through that lasses mind .....hope she gets well ..i really do ..it bothered me somwaht after i got home


ps i know i look gozzy but i could only find errindoors sunglasses



lifes good