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There is no better sound in cycling than the screaming of native bluebells being decapitated by a freshly sharpened, cold, hard mattock.
On national trust land.
Fixed gear bikes shouldn't have brakes. If you can't stop using your legs along then ride a different sort of bike until you have the skill to do so.
Trail centres are shit.
or ...
Trail centres are the future of mountain biking.
I think I've covered all the bases there. 😊
Mountainbikes were a marketing exercise.
Every wheel size other than 26” is a marketing exercise.
Fatbikes are the ultimate marketing exercise, in fact when the emperor got his new clothes he ordered a matching fatbike.
E-bikes are the new fatbikes and are, you guessed it . . .
Riding round in a circle is silly; riding from A to B is infinitely more rewarding.
Too much opinion, not enough ride.
The brick, isn’t this supposed to be a non judgemental post, your pedantic snidiness is hardly in the spirit. Grow up killjoy.
Ehh!?! It's a question? I did not understand hence the question. Other ones I get. I get the triple are good , tripples are bad 29er good 29er bad. I don't get the controversy of gmbn jersey Vs fox jersey. It's like blue jersey Vs red jersey.
I'm completely happy if you want to tell about being a triathlete or vegan. People being excited by things is joyful
Riding around the edges of flat, muddy fields on a bridleway in the Winter, getting caked in thick mud, and collecting a slurry of grass, mud and dog sh*t on your bike is None of the following:
- character building
- good for the soul
- better than just going for a road bike ride
- better than just staying home and getting fat(ter)
1) A properly designed trail centre/bike park trail that’s appropriate to your skill level is superior to the best natural riding.
And its evil twin - there's nothing like riding for ages then stumbling across the most perfect bit of singletrack in the middle of nowhere. and you'll keep going back to it, despite the longer less interesting bits, because it really is a soul lifting feeling in the middle of a ride.
Anything red on a bike does not make it go faster.
Driving your bicycle to a sportive makes you a double bell end.
Road cycling began before 2012.
Cyclocross really is just riding posh kit round a muddy field.
It’s not a race unless you pin a number on.
The drugs do work.
Which bit of that is controversial?
sportive
Are actually good fun, it's the trail center for roadies. nice route, no navigation, and bonus 'free' coffee and cake (at the good ones, no one wants to be confronted with a plate of jelly beans and a glass of isotonic orange squash at a 'feed stop'.
sportive
Are actually massively overpriced.
And on that note, why aren't there more permanent sportive style routes? There's a Round Berkshire 100 route, with signposts, but it's a mix of roads (not all quiet) and at it's worst a muddy field. So doesn't appeal to anyone, Similarly you see "tourist routes" signposted for cars, and buses. Surely some enterprising cafe's could setup signpost some nice 40/60/80/100 mile routes in cooperation with some other cafe's on the route to attract groups from elsewhere?
.gpx's are nice, but it's nicer being able to keep your head up and see where you're going.
And on that point. Garmin's are utterly ****. tiny screens, low resolutions, unresponsive touch screens, just stick a smartphone on your bars.
retro bikes are brilliant. Well Marins and Konas are.
26 inch isn't dead.
shimano and magura disk brakes are brilliant.
fixed bikes should have a brake - remember that guy who killed the commuter - he's inside now.
no arguing - yay.
Shimano disc brakes are useless and require constant attention to offer even mediocre stopping power.
Hope on the other hand never need bleeding, fettling or any care whatsoever. Work whatever the conditions and are utterly fit and forget.
Rapha clothing is very stylish and excellent value for money.
Drug use in The Tour levelled up and spread opportunity.
Rim brakes are total and utter rubbish.
Especially in UK, thanks to the weather.
Cheers!
I.
Stuffing everything into your pockets is a poor way to carry kit on any bike.
Water bottles, caps etc do not need poncy french names.
Yes, nothing worse than overladen cycling top pockets. Its just offensive.
Water bottles, caps etc do not need poncy french names.
Quoi?!?
Only FS riders think saddles are for sitting on, HT riders know better. Rigid riders also know handlebars aren't meant for weight bearing either.
Bikepacking is still bikepacking if you use B&Bs
New bikes make you go faster
Feeling good about being quicker than people you've never met is not shallow at all
Riding in big mountains is sometimes shit
The only point in riding uphill is to ride back down the most fun way possible.
Water bottles, caps etc do not need poncy french names.
Quoi?!?
Bidets and Cheveaux I think he means.
Bidets and Cheveaux....
Do you need the horses to pull you along if you're carrying a bidet?
Guessing you meant casquette and bidon?
Riding in big mountains is sometimes shit
Ain't that the truth? I've had some shit days carrying a bike down a hill...
No enduro bike can still match a DH bike for speed and consistency.
the idea to ride, ride and ride some more, to get fit is shyte.
Ronhill Tracksters are a functional, comfortable and thrifty clothing choice for winter hacks around the woods.
Especially when matched with a Lord Anthony jacket.
It's better to spend money on where you ride rather than what you ride.
Trail centres are to mountain biking what McDonalds is to eating out.
Trail centre snobs are interminable bores, bitter from years of slogging baw deep in mud on some god awful retro rigid contraption, riding only permissive bridleways, shiteing themselves at the very thought of anything remotely technical.
Riding a rigid bike improves your line choice.
Trail centre snobs are like fast food snobs, they don’t recognise there is a place for things even if you don’t want them every day.
Troy Lee makes ugly clothing for red necks.
Stuffing everything into your pockets is a poor way to carry kit on any bike.
Water bottles, caps etc do not need poncy french names.
You need a musette. Could even put your bidon and casquette in there.
Hardtails make for terrible mountainbikes
Ronhill Tracksters are a functional, comfortable and thrifty clothing choice for winter hacks around the woods.
And look damned stylish if you've got the figure to carry them off.
Riding without gloves is fashion driven.
Full face helmets at trail centres are ****ing stupid.
Anyone that doesn't see the need for a dropper post doesn't ride anything even remotely technical. (DH bikes not included)
Techy climbs on Ebikes are massive fun.
Troy Lee makes ugly clothing for red necks
Get the **** out. Most eye catching and innovative more like. You can keep your black and shades of grey!
Who doesn't like multi colour fade leopard print, polka dots or doesn't want to be "worlds fastest"
Boom
**** yeah
Who doesn’t like multi colour fade leopard print, polka dots or doesn’t want to be “worlds fastest”
Me, getting married, wearing those very shorts...
Leaving the venue (new wife not pictured)...
Lycra is slimming.
Riding with gloves on feels crap.
Fast or fun is a false dichotomy, going fast on a lls bike is fun.
The only point in riding uphill is to ride back down the most fun way possible.
Downhill is a quick fix of adrenaline, the real, lasting enjoyment comes at the end of a good climb.
Ultimately, climbing is more fun than descending.
You can still be a mountain biker even if you've never heard of Sam Pilgrim, "Crankworx", Freeride or slopestyle.
GT Zaskar is a total disgrace to its roots and should not be adorned with the legendary name until its redesigned back to a hardcore hard tail.
If you own more than one bike one must be a singlespeed, none should be a fixie.
Steel isn’t always real, sometimes it’s shit.
The purpose of Lycra is to embarrass your family.
The red wedding was not the most horrific one I've seen. ⬆️
Longer, lower, slacker is bullhonkey. Its giving us bikes that are lazy to turn and hard work to manhandle around tight singletrack. It can also only work to a point unless we're all going to be riding the pedal equivalent of Dennis Hopper's hog from Easy Rider. Then the marketing men will all start convincing us that shorter, higher, steeper is the future, and eventually we'll all be back on 26" bikes with 3x, and all the kids will think it's something new.
Anyone that doesn’t see the need for a dropper post doesn’t ride anything even remotely technical. (DH bikes not included)
This gets said a lot, why not including DH bikes?
Cos you never really sit and pedal? So no need for it on a dh bike.
Titanium makes the least durable frames .
Aero road bikes offer no real benefit to riders .
Despite riding a mountain bike, none of my friends work in IT, have a beard or possess a wood burning stove...
Cos you never really sit and pedal? So no need for it on a dh bike.
Which goes no way towards explaining the lack of slammed seats on DH bikes......
Which goes no way towards explaining the lack of slammed seats on DH bikes……
Goes a fair way to explain why none of them are extended to full pedalling height though. Set the saddle at the lowest you can bear to pedal whilst seated, if you need to (which most don’t, they sprint, so no need for a dropper and it’s associated weight penalty). Also, some riders like to grip the saddle with their knees, so set it at the optimum height for that.
I don't know what people on STW are talking about half the time.
I don't understand the point of tubeless.
Cycling is better when you're wearing sunglasses.
Most front lights are too bright
@ tomhoward
A man of discerning taste, I salute you sir.
It doesn't matter where you ride, what you ride, what you wear when your doing it, if your out on a mtb and enjoying yourself your doing it right.
There are enough pov videos on YouTube of people riding round glentress so just leave it for your own personal pleasure
ROAD biking is shit.
or maybe that should read
Riding on a road only, with a drop barred bike is shit, honestly why would you limit yourself to only that terrain? I'll let you off if you ride both occasionally, if you only ride a road bike you haven't lived.
Putting your name on your frame means you are delusional and very selfish in bed.
Most people aren't really racing, they are just turning up to a paid event.
Which goes no way towards explaining the lack of slammed seats on DH bikes……
Tomhoward has it.
I miss geex too....
Riding on the road and holding traffic up, pull over and let them pass. Only takes a moment, but helps to increase goodwill all round.
Goes double if your in a group / on a single track road
You should have a licence to cycle on the road
imnotverygood
Member
Despite riding a mountain bike, none of my friends work in IT, have a beard or possess a wood burning stove…
Zoiks! Tick, tick and err, tick. :/
South East England is a terrible place to live if you enjoy mountain biking, it's nasty in winter and it's too flat. The few places that even attempt to address these issues are too crowded and travelling for hours to ride somewhere decent is rubbish. We should have taken up something more locally accessible instead.
Rigid is more fun than full suss.
Inching down potato alley on a rigid is just as bum clenchingly rewarding as smashing it on a gnarpoon.
The Mrs is correct, I have too many bikes!
"This is the new clean era"
No it's not, they're* just using different doping techniques and are still ahead of the testers.
Until climb times drastically reduce, and consistently unbelievable performances stop, then I don't think a clean rider of this era (no matter the "smoke screen" increases in technology/training) would be within touching distance of an EPO time in the 90s. Judge the riders on their climb times/performances, not on their PR department's excuses/spin.
*The bulk of the riders winning the major races.
Its giving us bikes that are lazy to turn and hard work to manhandle around tight singletrack
People pay too much attention to opinion on the internets
Most mtbs are too heavy and most road bikes are too light.
Most people aren’t really racing, they are just turning up to a paid event
I'm always racing. Being bad at it changes nothing.
1. Its always the newbie or bad riders that bang on about wearing helmets.
2. Disc brakes are not needed on summer road bikes.
3. People only ride mtbs because they are either too fat or not fit enough to ride road bikes.
4. I am a better cyclist than at least 90% of people who post on STW.
5. Geraint Thomas is a money grabbing fake.
Lovin this thread , a free open rant makes the perfect tonic to the pre-xmas stress period
Sram gears are clunky junk compared to shimano
Tubeless is way more faff than many will readily admit
internal cabling for a mtb is a victory for stupidity & style over common sense & practicality
worrying about aligning your valve core \ rim labels \ tyre labels shows a mental lacking
Ahh but it makes locating the valve easier when you want to put air in :-p
Putting your name on your frame means you are delusional and very selfish in bed.
It’s not that these people are being selfish in bed, it is just that they have very small willies.
Get the **** out. Most eye catching and innovative more like. You can keep your black and shades of grey!
I was clearly mistaken and owe you a debt of gratitude for enlightening me.