XC in Cornwall - any willing volunteers ?

FSR_XC

Here's an example of some of the photography I've been up to recently.

Not exactly MTB, but still cycling - and there ain't many MTB events around locally!



This is the St Austell Wheelers event last week along Gossmoor.

Obviously there are a few more shots of the event on my website.

:idea: The sort of bike Matt will have soon for his 'Triathlons'

Surf-Matt

But surely with all that aero kit on, he should also shave off his beard?!

allthegearnoidea

see now i thought hwe had a beard too but wasnt too sure as it could be a sweaty reflection//

Surf-Matt

Wicked ride yesterday around the Cowlands/Feock area then another great ride today nr Wadebridge - had written the area off before but explore properly and there's some SUPERB riding (and went with Mrs Matt - Stanley was looked after).

Also swan 800m in the sea (in shorts) yesterday and ran 5km today after the ride. Beer time!

Surf-Matt

The new pre work ride is now a 12.5 miler and VERY hilly. Superb fun but a lot more knackering than the old route! Some nice off road bits too.

allthegearnoidea

sounds good matt!
you been practising thr fast techy downhills much? know that you said before that was your weaker point??

Surf-Matt

TImmo - yep. Was okay speedwise in the race and getting better but still plenty of room for improvement. Just had too many bad crashes downhilling! Mrs Matt is very quick DH - quicker than me and probably quicker than most riders I know. I have to let fitness do the talking and rely on climbs at the moment! TBH a bad crash and injury would be stupidly bad - co-running a business and looking after the boy a fair bit. Just not worth the risk!

allthegearnoidea

i know that feeling only too well! i'd love to be able to let it all hang out as such and go hell for leather but knowing the littlun she'd be boistrous as hell the next day aftera big off!! bless her! hahah!

allthegearnoidea

made it out for a quick blast around tehidy today, was quite suprised it wasnt half as wet as expecting! good fun although noticed a slight issue with the bike! rear drop out has broken its bonding to the frame ont he disc side, :shock: nocked the rear wheel out a bit!! have tried some stuff i have in the shed to see if that works, if not then i'll have to nab brother to come down for tea next week and bring the Proper boat epoxy down!!

could easily fix it with a hole and a bolt but very much last resort!

anyways, was good to be out and with the look of the weather over the next week, should dry up lovely and fast! 8)

Dazzza

You're really not helping my going cold turkey tim.

kyle2brown

Sorry guys. I've just put my summer tyres on. Don't reckon on this dry spell lasting long. I'm expecting the weather to get biblical.

allthegearnoidea

Summer tyres?? thats a bit keen!! hahah! i have one apir of tyres i put on and will swap over when they die hahahah!
that said, have some trailblasters in the shed which are supposed to be good summer ones??

KernowCB

We get a short spell of hot weather and the cornwall thread dies! No dedication boys

Dazzza

Oh i have dedication just no bike.

allthegearnoidea

haha! thats because weve all been out enjoying it!!!
had a great fun club ride around idless yesterday, tried out some new to us routes too which were good, all round great ride in great Fast conditions and most importantly Great humoured too!!

cardinam this coming Sunday,

got to get out this week for a blast around thee woods to check the frame out over routes i know and am a little more willing on! seemed okay on sunday but want to make sure! if not its nobble brother to come down with the epoxy!

Surf-Matt

Also been exploring and now have every 1:25000 OS map in Cornwall! Found a few real gems and still exploring. Morning ride now a 12.7 miler with LOTS of hills around Cowlands area - amazing way to start each day! Also found good stuff nr Wadebridge and around Bodmin.

Cool!

FSR_XC

Surf-Matt wrote:

Also found good stuff nr Wadebridge and around Bodmin.

Cool!

I'm listening . . . . . .

Surf-Matt

Mark - nothing you probably wouldn't know about but surprised what's there if you look.

Hustyn woods is superb if you got completely off the main tracks - technical singletrack, good drops, etc and loads of it.

And finding more and more stuff nr Bodmin too. Seriously advise grabbing a 1:25000 map of each area and having a good explore. £7.99 well spent! Mind you, I have a thing about maps... :oops:

Surf-Matt

Don't you just LOVE Cornwall?!

Lunch here:




And a lovely swim too!!

KernowCB

Glad to hear you've all been out enjoying it - theres nothing better than a good cornish summer

I did a nice little route the otehr day, i was restricted to green lanes for the most part but i did Lostwithiel --> Lerryn --> Polruan --> Fowey (Ferry) --> Tywardreath --> Golant --> Milltown --> Lostwihtiel. Was great fun!!

Is the cardinham ride on sunday a club ride? I live in lostwihtiel so it isnt very far from me but i have never been in there. How hardcore are the routes in there as i am only just getting used to my spd's.

What bikes do you guys ride btw? HT's FS's?

allthegearnoidea

good long route that kernoW! used to work and sail from fowey!

yeah sundays is a club ride, wont be too hardcore at all! a fair bit of climbing if i remember from a previous ride i did there, or walking for me hahah! great for everyone really!!

there's a mixture of both FS and Ht int he groiup, and now its not looking quite so Team Specialised as it was a while back hahah!

personally i have a carbon HT which i have slowly built up over the past 18 months or so, but my screen name is Very apt for me hahahah!

Surf-Matt

Kernow - got four bikes altogether, but two are old, one is mostly Mrs Matt's (2008 Rockhopper Disk) but my main one is a Spesh Stumpjumper HT (2007) with a fair few upgrades..

I'm 34 today - yikes!!

allthegearnoidea

forgot to type on here Happy Birthday Matt!

KernowCB

happy birthday!

Btw Matt, i bought a pair of those bolle esp sunnies that you suggested for someone on a thread a while back - what a bargain!!!

FSR_XC

Happy birthday Matt.

Surf-Matt

Cheers all!

Nice one Kernow - me, Mrs Matt and my Dad now all have a pair!

allthegearnoidea

ive got to admit, if its sunny like it has been then its the oakleys for me! even though i have a set of 4 lense glasses i'll grab the sunnies every time!
the clear/yellow do rock in the winter months when its bright but not sunny though! not used the smoked or 'iridium' lenses yet as said, have the sunnies!

KernowCB

I've never ridden a full susser and am trying to decide between getting a HT or FS for my next bike - are there any bike shops local to us that will lend out a bike for a day/weekend? something like a stumpy fsr or ex8?

allthegearnoidea

kernow, plenty of shops have demo rigs, just depends on what type your after, Bike barn have a Lapierre Zesty as a demo bike dont know what bike chain have at the mo nor Clive mitchells, Certini in Liskeard are Specialised and i beleive through mark (fsr-xc) now cannondale too, best thing to do is try as many as you can in your price range for feel, comfort etc,
The boardman pro bikes through halfords are getting good reviews too!
most places will let you have a we ride around the shop area caprark etc.

modern full sussers are Very differnt from the old ones, just wish i could afford one! hahah!

FSR_XC

Certini will often let a test bike out for a day or at least a few hours so you can try it out locally.