deelam
Retro Guru
I finally took her out on Sunday for a 12 mile up, down and round Gisburn Forest. It damn near killed me!!!
I've spent ages prepping this bike, and I've been really looking forward to the 1st proper off-road thrash. 7.30am start on Sunday with the bike all clean and shiny, ready to go and...
What an anti-climax, I was gutted!
The 1st hill nearly killed me! Never, never in all my life have I been so knackered. I struggled up every hill. I felt about 20% of my usual self.
Normally I can ride the whole 12 miles in under 2 hours without a stop, Sunday took 2hrs 45mins.
All the way round I was analysing the bike. Sure, it's not exactly light but still, something just wasn't right. The brakes weren't dragging - (I checked several times just because it felt like they were!)
The ups were an absolute herculian task, but the downs - now that was a totally different experience for someone who has never ridden full-sus before! Gisburn is mainly limestone crush trails, 2-4" rocks. I could stay in the saddle!!! The small sections of hard technical climbs up through the woods were made easy too, again I could stay fixed in the saddle and the rear suspension simply soaked up the roots and rocks. While my mates on hard tails got off to push!
Half way round I realised / remembered that I am on anti-inflammatories for a broken wrist I "forgot" to have set, apparently these pills make you feel really unfit. I'd also made the ride harder by fitting 2 1/2" new tyres in anticipation of lots of mud - which there wasn't.
So all-in-all, I reckon it was me that let the bike down - not vice-versa.
I'm looking forward to giving it another thrashing, next time in the dark though, and with some sensible tyres this time.
This sure is a bike with "issues". I just have the feeling that once I get it set 100% right, I'm going to have a bike I'm never going to want to part with.
And you should have seen the attention it draws!!!
I've spent ages prepping this bike, and I've been really looking forward to the 1st proper off-road thrash. 7.30am start on Sunday with the bike all clean and shiny, ready to go and...
What an anti-climax, I was gutted!
The 1st hill nearly killed me! Never, never in all my life have I been so knackered. I struggled up every hill. I felt about 20% of my usual self.
Normally I can ride the whole 12 miles in under 2 hours without a stop, Sunday took 2hrs 45mins.
All the way round I was analysing the bike. Sure, it's not exactly light but still, something just wasn't right. The brakes weren't dragging - (I checked several times just because it felt like they were!)
The ups were an absolute herculian task, but the downs - now that was a totally different experience for someone who has never ridden full-sus before! Gisburn is mainly limestone crush trails, 2-4" rocks. I could stay in the saddle!!! The small sections of hard technical climbs up through the woods were made easy too, again I could stay fixed in the saddle and the rear suspension simply soaked up the roots and rocks. While my mates on hard tails got off to push!
Half way round I realised / remembered that I am on anti-inflammatories for a broken wrist I "forgot" to have set, apparently these pills make you feel really unfit. I'd also made the ride harder by fitting 2 1/2" new tyres in anticipation of lots of mud - which there wasn't.
So all-in-all, I reckon it was me that let the bike down - not vice-versa.
I'm looking forward to giving it another thrashing, next time in the dark though, and with some sensible tyres this time.
This sure is a bike with "issues". I just have the feeling that once I get it set 100% right, I'm going to have a bike I'm never going to want to part with.
And you should have seen the attention it draws!!!
