XC in Cornwall - any willing volunteers ?

allthegearnoidea

nic eone matt! you made the first post on page 100!!

Portreath was Busy yesterday evening on the tide! you know its looking good when the guys are parking on the road (avoiding carparks extortionate costs) and Running to the beach with all the gear!! could see the pounding the headland was taking as we walked down and appeared out of the woods! (left side by the rock) so knew it would be relatively big!!

riding wise, dontthink there is a way to stop the uneducated from buzzing you close! apart from maybe studded gloves! you can almost garantee that if tyou catch them up and ask them why they'll start with the 'I pay road tax to use the road and you dont' argument!

either that or get a Giant Horse costume to wear over you when your riding!

Surf-Matt

Timmo - there have been three instances now where if I had caught up with the tool that almost hit me, they'd have received some serious "advise" . Fortunately for them, they carried on too fast.

The road tax argument holds no weight -we pay for two cars to be on the road. And even if we didn't, there's no excuse to drive dangerously.

Funny how people are so brave in their cars - bet 99% of them would be quivering wrecks if stopped. In fact some super chavs blasted their horn at me and Mrs Matt - possibly for not being tucked into the kerb. I "signalled," they stopped, I hammered towards them, they burnt off. I also "caught" someone (two weeks later) that ran me off my bike - I was in a van at the time, clocked the car and reg no and cornered him in a car park - and received grovelling apologies...

But we can't stop every muppet that can't judge the width of their car or is incapable of slowing down for a few seconds to wait for a proper gap to overtake in.

Yes this rain is making me grumpy...

allthegearnoidea

Gotta love the peeps that think they are being So brave by stopping only to pap themselves and hoon off as soon as they see your serious!!!

there was a big argument thread on an old forum Dazz and i used, was basically full of spoilt middle england rich kids who said there is no need to give cyclists room, you can safely pass them without straddlign the white line etc. Dazz posted up some Seriously carbon reinforced gloves that could do some damage and i simply posted if he did likewise to me at the speed he was suggesting then he would end up with a barend through the window! fuelling the fire if yo ulike but they were really spoilt chav's! who are in that 21 year old situation where they Know best, have the blackerr cat etc!

i quite often push hard onthe road back from the woods and if peopel force gaps past me then they get a smidge of an earfull fro me (providing the littluns not with me!) mainly see How wide my bike can be when the priority on the road is effectively mine! i was most suprised that an Officer of the Law forced his way through! wasnt attenting anything as no lights on and normal speed etc. but was very suprised by his actions! might have commented as he drove past too! :oops:
is no better even if there are cycle lanes provded, a lot of peopl eoften straddle them or block them completely!

know what yo umean about the rain loL! i've not even bothered to get up yet lol! having a lazy day hahah! think i ought to though, believe i may be slowly decomposing!


oh, forum matter, do you find that if you post a post thats larger than the box provided to post in that it keeps centreing the box so you cant see what you are typing?? can scroll down to it but every time you start typing again it pops back to centre??????

Surf-Matt

Timmo - I've seen some very bad Police driving.

The Highway patrol cars are pretty much always driven well (have to be A1 class) but the "Panda" cars are often driven very badly indeed.

Oh well, all fun I guess - just not a huge fan of being knocked off at high speeds.

Unfortunately for some drivers, I verge of Aspergers syndrome with my memory for car reg plates, colours, makes, etc. So if I see the car again, doesn't matter how long afterwards, they will get an earful.

Just waiting for the tide to come in a bit then off to Spewquay for some large wave action!

allthegearnoidea

8ft plus today or so rumours had it??

portreath is looking Very differnt at the mo! prolly a foot tops loL! (webcams are great! porthtowan you can never see the sea that well hahah! and gwithian is looking alright - sunset surf cam)
got some cousins down in newq this week staying, in fairness to them i dont think they have ever holidayed down here and they like their night life so is ideal! would have thought they may be just about waking up hahaha!

going to head up to tehidy later with the backpack on and se what littlun thinks of some singletrack!

sundays trail riders ride sounds quite good with a meet at the factory shop just down from bike chain, carn marth, carn brea, tehidy portreath and back But!! equally andy's ride form porthtowan with a bar b que after sounds Good too and some of the tracks around there are awsome!!!

Dazzza

It was supposed to be that ride last week only a few was going to turn up at the bissoe cafe so it was given a miss.

Tim, that forum wasn't half full of idiots, i haven't been back for years now as i can't stick the place you pretty much summed it up.

I swear some people drive too close on purpose as they think they're being clever by doing so, muppets.

As for the police the best drivers tend to be the unmarked ones, i can spot them by a country mile as their driving standards are so much better.

Matt - you still upsetting the roadies.

Surf-Matt

Surf was lush!

Dazza - but of course. People that arrogant, pedantic and plain dull require ripping up. So I stopped posting in that section. A shame really. People in this section are about 352353232362 times cooler.

Drove rather slowly on that bit where I might have been got yesterday... Looking at it the distance between the brow of the hill and the spot they were parked is massive. We shall see.

allthegearnoidea

where did you aim for then matt??

didnt get out on the bike today as i have certainly turned into a fairweather rider! hahaha!

Surf-Matt

Went to Spewquay as shelter was needed from the SWerly wind (which is offshore at Towan) - it was a good choice! Head high and clean.

Really enjoyed the cycle (on MTB) this morning - in fact enjoying cycling a lot at the moment.

FSR_XC

Matt

On group rides cars tend to give a bit of a gap - propably due to the amount of people.

When on your own, don't ride too close to the kerb. If you look confident and cover a bit more of 'their' lane, it makes them think more about overtaking. You also have a little room to move over if they do get a little too close.

What time do you ride in the mornings?

I am working in Truro now. So if you fancy a ride one evening (or morning depending on time), let me know.

Surf-Matt

Mark - morning ride is usually a 7.45am start from here and lasts around an hour. Weekend rides are a bit random - trying to do 20+ miles if possible. Will shout when I next head out - I have your mobile number. Surf very good at the moment so will be in the sea most of the weekend!

Dazzza

Yay!!!! car passed mot with flying colours yet again, one advisory with the tyres wearing on the inner edges but that's natural as im running 1.5 degrees of neg camber anyway.

Me is one very happy bunny!!!! :D

Surf-Matt

Explain this strange "MOT" term please...

Good to hear it's back on the road and all legal!

allthegearnoidea

NIce one Dazz! great news matey especialoly after allt he intrepidation with the expected fail lol!

some of you might have seen this on the other bike forums, but a new Bike mag, internet based and free to all!
http://www.imbikemag.com/

looks a good read too!

Dazzza

Lol yeah each year i get twitchy despite the can being near faultless.

Ricci's are taking their time with the wheels, apparently they won't be done until the end of next week, and he wonders why i use onine suppliers, muppets. :roll:

I won't bother cancelling now but i was borderline.

So my alex dp17 el cheapo rims will be going on for the time being, i'll be slower but meh i see that as training, besides last week was a slow ride so i should be grateful in a way.

Surf-Matt

Dazza - you'll probably find they are really strong (Alex rims)!

Surf loveliness today - took a snap with my phone:



Barrels, airs, snaps, reos, etc, etc - the new board just lets me do almost anything - woo hoo!

allthegearnoidea

that looks awsome matt!

allthegearnoidea

Matt was it you in your beemer cruising into the surfers carpark at porthtowan just around lunch time?? almost certain it was! (some of us cycling up the hill at the side of the beach the other half packing up in the carpark??)

Had a Cracker today! some really good climbs (yes this is me talking about climbs!!) and some Really good downhills! descent down to chapel porth from the porthtowan side is always a Beut! up to the beacon then down into St.agness and back around, some great tracks! and a really good Very stoney descent into the valley on the wheel rose to porthtowan road,
Cracking ride! and No breakages! WahoooooooO! :P

Dazzza

I've had one casualty, my intense tyres casing decided to bugger up, looks like i have a sausage stuffed inside them.

Meh oh well, time to get a good all rounder, my nics are too fast and nice to use on the rides id be forever waiting so heading off down ricci's to cancel the wheel build, i want a different wheel now anyway.

Ride was good, ended u down portreath for some horlicks and toasted teacake yum!

Surf-Matt

Timmo - nope, not me! The two tailpipes (one on each side) are the giveaway - the 335d Tourings/estates appear to be extremly rare so unlikely to spot any/many others!

Only drive I did was to Bissoe and this may seem like sacrilege but it wasn't for a ride - it was for a run. Did about a 5 miler and ran all around the mines - good fun in a rather tiring way. Then off to St Day (well nearish) for a 1sr Birthday party - which was actually much better than I had expected (had been dreading it)!

Helen - I think I may have spotted you on a road bike?

allthegearnoidea

oh! that might explain why the driver gave me a funny look then!! but it was a black 3 series estate with a board ont he roof pulling intop the surf live saving clubs carpark! thought it must have been you lol! he did look similar mind!
maybe you have a double!!!
didnt spot the tailpipes as i was making my way up the hill to where the white transporter van is always parked Right up the top!! Big old hill that after all the others we'd done loL!

Surf-Matt

Sounds like a great ride - a bit gutted I missed it!

To spot my car - 17" alloys (with loads of spokes), two tailpipes and all chrome grille (black centre bits mean 4 pot engine, all chrome = 6 pot) and a short balding gimp inside.

Oh and brown leather too - also rare it seems.

allthegearnoidea

i should have stopped and got the phone out to take a pic! am sure you have a double!!
seriously! didnt see what trim it had as thought that may be a bit rude lol! ride back down to him and have a look hahha! especially as it wasnt you loL!

Surf-Matt

Well if you see him again, give him your sincerest sympathies for looking like me. Poor bu66er.

Oh and full length glass sunroof (in case you see the car from above) - also rare...!

How wet was the ride?

allthegearnoidea

ride was actually Really dry! only really got a bit muddy on a bridleway thats sort of between the beacon and mount hawk ish area (used it a few times comeing back from the beacon aiming to MH with andy) and inthe valley to porthtowan where there is a lil stream croissing or two to do and that was abou it,
rain wise, wasnt really that noticeable as was Very warmpretty much all of us in a jersey and thats it, all started with jackets but the first tarck up tot he top of the hill (up through the houses behind the carpark) had us all stopping to put jackets int he bags lol! lil drizzle in St.Agness when we stopped tyhere for a catch up for the others but other than that was good! just enough to keep you from a Major sweat fest loL!

Surf-Matt

I usually don't bother with waterproofs at this time of the year - wicking stuff dries so quickly. Sounds good though.

My run was very warm - sweatfest when I got back! Maddy (our dog) loved it though. I think I did too...

allthegearnoidea

hahah! was one of those rides where unless i Really had to i didnt tale the bag, gloves or lid off as then i didnt have to experience the nasty putting wet gear back on feeling hahah!
everyone of us with a pack on had the lovely telltale back sweat onthe back lol!

Dazzza

I wore a jacket, wish i never did tbh it wasn't enough to warrant it, i felt like a findus beef curry bag towards the end. :oops:

FSR_XC

Matt

Why don't you come down to Bissoe on next Sunday for a road ride?

There is also a regular Fri eve road ride from Bissoe at 6.30pm. Normally it's a sedate pace and about 25-30 miles.

I am was trying to suss out how I can get more riding in now I am working in Truro. No shower in work really means I need to ride evenings. I also need to be in work for 8.30 ish, so have't really got opportunity to join you in the mornings.

FSR_XC

Matt
Are you doing the Trelissick Estate Summer 10K on Thursday 27 August?