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Cycling log - random events in the day of a cyclist II

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Taken while out about an hour ago, where is it folks?
 
Since I converted my Enduro to 1x11 I've been running it with a 32t up front and an 11-51 on the back, however that left it a bit short on high gears as well as having very low gears at the bottom end. So instead I've switched it to a 36t up front and that seems a better option as it's a good bit faster on the flat but still has low enough gears for technical climbs.

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Puncture number 4 in 2 days of riding, just inspected front tyre & it is knackered despite wear indicators being ok, split along the markings.

Thankfully wife is on way with a spare wheel that I can slot in.

Need to find another hobby
 
Puncture number 4 in 2 days of riding, just inspected front tyre & it is knackered despite wear indicators being ok, split along the markings.

Thankfully wife is on way with a spare wheel that I can slot in.

Need to find another hobby

What kind of punctures are they? Thorns or just crap off the road?

Might be worth considering tubeless as it could help.
 
What kind of punctures are they? Thorns or just crap off the road?

Might be worth considering tubeless as it could help.
Mainly gravel & glass. Problem was the tyres, they looked ok on the surface but were perishing around the patterning (they are gp4000s).

I need to buy a load of inner tubes!
 
It looks like that grassed over sleck-tip just down from J40 (?) of the M1, looking west. Is that Emley Moor Mast in the background?

Hi Steve, well done, it’s at the top of Rothwell Country Park, it’s actually a better view in person than my phone photo shows, a really good 360 degree view, looking east (not on this photo) you can see a few power stations and a water tower up the top of Airedale, just round the corner from my mums :).

(I think what you’re referring to as Emley Moor mast is the tip of a wind turbine).
 
Hi Steve, well done, it’s at the top of Rothwell Country Park, it’s actually a better view in person than my phone photo shows, a really good 360 degree view, looking east (not on this photo) you can see a few power stations and a water tower up the top of Airedale, just round the corner from my mums :).

(I think what you’re referring to as Emley Moor mast is the tip of a wind turbine).
I'm not sure I can claim full honours, if it's Rothwell then it's the other side of the '62 to where I was thinking, which is more Wakey, a couple of junctions down the M1. It's obviously a man made hill, as are so many in the old coal areas, which is what gave me the clue. There are lots of distinctively shaped hills visible today that I remember as being black in years gone by. Your view must be vaguely southwards?
 
Mainly gravel & glass. Problem was the tyres, they looked ok on the surface but were perishing around the patterning (they are gp4000s).

I need to buy a load of inner tubes!

Planet-X have deals on for inner tubes at the moment so I've bought loads of road and MTB ones as I like to have plenty in stock.

My "bitsa/spares" bike has been updated a bit. I've added some of the carbon paste stuff that's supposed to help with the seatpost sliding, and it's gone from 1x9 to 1x10 for the moment - with an 11-36 cassette and a 32T chainring. It'll probably go to 2x10 as I've got the bits for that and it's about the only way to get high enough gearing on it - it's an out and out XC type bike and I like to have high gears on those so I can go fast on the flat bits. I've also ditched the flat carbon bar and replaced that with a riser bar as while they were really light they were too narrow. The only risers I had in the spares bin were old school 25.4mm ones (and not high spec ones as they're just Easton EA30) but I do have lots of stems to fit that including some nice Easton magnesium ones and the Easton EA70 one I'm using. Will be giving it another shakedown ride tonight and I really hope the seapost isn't going to be slipping this time.
 
I'm not sure I can claim full honours, if it's Rothwell then it's the other side of the '62 to where I was thinking, which is more Wakey, a couple of junctions down the M1. It's obviously a man made hill, as are so many in the old coal areas, which is what gave me the clue. There are lots of distinctively shaped hills visible today that I remember as being black in years gone by. Your view must be vaguely southwards?

You were close enough Steve. Yes, it’s the old pit area/site here’s a good link I’ve just found http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2009/03/02/places_rothwell_country_park_feature.shtml.

I’d say north west, out towards the dales.

If you’re not too far away Steve and you have any kind of off-road bike (can’t remember if you’ve said earlier up the thread) I’d recommend a ride over, we usually link it up with a trip through Temple Newsam, it’s nice all round the area (Lemonroyd marina, St. Aidans etc) which you probably know already. They’ve also laid tarmac from this area all way into Leeds, so making it a fast route along the river/canal, entering Leeds at the Armouries.
 
The spares parts bike was riding quite well tonight with risers on and a non-slipping seatpost. Picked up on PR on it and also did my best time on a mountain bike on the initial road climb up into the Pentlands, so (unlike me!) it's definitely quick uphill. I equalled my PR on a couple of other segments (and one of them I'm currently 3rd overall on) and it'll do better on those once the gearing is raised as on both of them I ran out of gears.

32t up front and an 11:36 isn't too bad for general riding although it's not quite low enough to be comfortable on the steeper climbs - on the steepest climb of the day (which averages 10% but has bits at around 20%) I made it up but it wasn't pretty (or fast) as I had to get out of the saddle quite a bit as I didn't have a low enough gear to spin up. I think 2x10 with something like 24/38 should be good though so will probably change to that later this week.

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The spares parts bike was riding quite well tonight with risers on and a non-slipping seatpost. Picked up on PR on it and also did my best time on a mountain bike on the initial road climb up into the Pentlands, so (unlike me!) it's definitely quick uphill. I equalled my PR on a couple of other segments (and one of them I'm currently 3rd overall on) and it'll do better on those once the gearing is raised as on both of them I ran out of gears.

32t up front and an 11:36 isn't too bad for general riding although it's not quite low enough to be comfortable on the steeper climbs - on the steepest climb of the day (which averages 10% but has bits at around 20%) I made it up but it wasn't pretty (or fast) as I had to get out of the saddle quite a bit as I didn't have a low enough gear to spin up. I think 2x10 with something like 24/38 should be good though so will probably change to that later this week.

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See you mentioned 32 x 11/36 Steve, I agree, something a bit lower geared would be handy in steeper terrain. I’m not too shabby in the hills, yet was crying out for something lower than a 42 (with a 32 upfront) the other year in the dales. My son has one of these new(ish) 12 speed jobby’s, it’s a 32 upfront, with an 11/52, obviously the 52 is really quite low.
 
Are SRAM X5 derailleurs a bit crap? My previous bike had Shimano STX RC all round and never missed a beat in 20 years. Current bike has this SRAM effort and despite every adjustment I can't get it to reliably change up or down on all cogs. It's really starting to annoy me!

I might have to give up and take it to a tech, maybe it needs an expert's touch :mad:
 
See you mentioned 32 x 11/36 Steve, I agree, something a bit lower geared would be handy in steeper terrain. I’m not too shabby in the hills, yet was crying out for something lower than a 42 (with a 32 upfront) the other year in the dales. My son has one of these new(ish) 12 speed jobby’s, it’s a 32 upfront, with an 11/52, obviously the 52 is really quite low.

I've got an 11-51 cassette on one of my other mountain bikes (11-speed though) and I had a 32t chainring on it originally but have now switched it to a 36 and that works pretty well. One of the other bikes (also 1x11) has a 34 up front and an 11-46 cassette and that's also pretty decent - the only real issue with that one is that it could do with a bit more at the high end as it's an XC bike. I might switch that to an 11-51 cassette and a 36t chainring although I'm not sure if there is clearance for the latter.

32 and an 11-36 was fine for a short ride like today's 12 miler, but if I'd had to do that hill with the 20% bits towards the end of a long ride or into a stiff headwind - then I'd definitely have been off and pushing!
 


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