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Post by hodgy on Jun 18, 2016 20:07:26 GMT
My bike is currently in bits ..so took the opportunity to hire the same e-bike from The Bike Place at Kielder as I took down to Lastingham earlier in the year .. The difference this time was that I was on my local trails ..red and blacks at Kielder and due to the familiarity of the trails and the fact that I was only going out for a couple of hours I was able to use the higher settings ..standard & high I can't remember when I have had more fun on a bike ...and now know what it feels like to carry the same speed as an elite level rider...( if not more) This won't mean anything to those who don't know the trails but in 1.5 hours I did the Deadwater trail everything from the trailhead including the first bits that a lot of folk miss out ..Three Dog Climb to Jimmy's Hill up to Into The Valley ...Jimmy's Hill to the Quarry ...Twist & Shout..across the road up to Skydive ...the first section of the Blue that follows the Forest Drive ... back up to Twist & Shout and back to the Bike Place ...24.7kmph uphill anyone ? Just makes me wonder what a young fit rider could achieve.. Once back at the hire centre Ian invited me to have a go on the Fat Six e-bike which I took up to twist & shout ...fk me but that's even more of a hooligan ..faster still and like a Chieftain tank ..it's a hard job to keep it in check ! Anyway as my bike still won't be ready next week I've booked it out for the day for the Thrunton ride . I accept that they are not everyone's cup of tea ...but hell they are fantastic fun and having covered more ground in one and a half hours than I normally would in three and at speeds that I could never hope to match on my own bike ...I for one love em ! A few pics of the fatty ...    |
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Post by Euan on Jun 18, 2016 20:37:02 GMT
It looks like something out a Mad Max film
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Post by hodgy on Jun 18, 2016 20:39:20 GMT
It rode like something out of one too !
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Post by stevedoc on Jun 18, 2016 20:56:08 GMT
I want a go !
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Post by Rlo80 on Jun 18, 2016 21:06:10 GMT
Im glad you had fun...now just get your bike built quickly so you don't get bad habits...
Never tried one...and never will! Stubborn that I am! Lol
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Post by lowcogger on Jun 19, 2016 6:40:10 GMT
I`ve driven a chieftain tank,just saying  |
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Post by hodgy on Jun 19, 2016 8:25:18 GMT
I also meant to add that the ongoing work that is being done by Russell ( in his role with the F.C.and KTR) and the KTR crew is terrific ...the start of Into The Valley is unrecognisable ...great work also on Twist and Shout ( still a bit loose though!) ..and the re- profiled berms on Skydive came as a welcome surprise ...you all deserve a medal .
Following on from MBR'S recent visit ..the Wrecking Crew from WMB(?) have also recently paid a visit and an article will follow in that magazine shortly ..
Russell showed them around again and said that their riding was totally mental !
They also expressed complete surprise as to the amount & quality of riding on offer
It really is getting better all the time ...
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Post by will on Jun 19, 2016 9:14:39 GMT
I shall pedal my latest steed for as long as I can and when I can't, it will be an ebike all the way. Looking forward to being quick  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2016 9:24:01 GMT
Same here Will, once I can't pedal what I have it may be an option - or I might just sell up and start the metal detecting I've always fancied for my retirement Seen loads of em around, one at the top of the cliffs a few weeks back - and the bloke on it was offering little rides up and down the fire road on it, few lads took him up and said 'wow, what a blast'. I didn't have a go on it though. Also saw one halfway down the cliffs in a heap by the side of the trail - looked like the bloke was going too fast for the conditions/skill level he was at. I bet they are great for mile munching, wouldn't fancy the weight in corners or going DH fast though. |
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Post by hodgy on Jun 19, 2016 9:31:25 GMT
You are pretty spot on there Pez ...it's the speed you carry going uphill on tight twisty stuff that is the most disconcerting...so easy to overcook a corner nd over the edge ..going down the extra weight of the bike rarely means you have to turn the cranks ..and if you do don't do it going into a corner ...
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Post by Rlo80 on Jun 19, 2016 10:51:10 GMT
Not wanting to open this can of worms again, but guys...with 50T cassettes these days, ANYONE can pedal any bike...just put a 30T or even less chainring on the front...
Some of those "really good feelings" people describe I understand completely because it reminds me when I used to ride...motorbikes!?
On another note, today I met an old lady well into her seventies who still rides her bike everywhere like she did today...and around my house is quite hilly...guys, stop thinking you will come to a point that you won't be able to cycle, bla, bla...stop the defeated mentality and just think you always will because from where I can see, there is no reason why you can't! Like I said, don't want to start the debate again!?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 19, 2016 11:29:22 GMT
Good positivity there G - like it. Can't speak for others though, but I was more meaning not being able to ride a MTB at the level I currently do - you know, drop offs, big jumps, turning the trails into hero dir....oh....hang on...  |
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Post by Rlo80 on Jun 19, 2016 12:18:08 GMT
LOLOOLLOLOLLL...Aaron Gwin...step aside!
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Post by hodgy on Jun 20, 2016 6:09:37 GMT
Just to say before writing this that my can opener is well and truly locked away in the kitchen drawer...
I fully took on board what you were saying on your post about maintaining a positive attitude Gonzalo..but what you should also remember is the group that I ride with has so much positivity to start with !
None of us are spring chickens ...the youngest regular member will be 48 ...with the rest of us early to late 50's, early to late 60's and early 70's...and I feel privileged to ride with a group of people who still have such a " can -do " attitude and a young outlook on life ( in my own mind I'm still 25 !) .
Not one of us is ready yet to commit to an ebike as our full time machine ..indeed it would still be impractical in terms of the type of riding we do which involves at times a fair amount of hike a bike over unrideable terrain where the sheer weight of the bike would rule it out ...
To further this point my next bike won't be an ebike ..I still feel that I have years of normal riding in me going into my 60's...
The reason that I like e-bikes is that they are just so much fun and I can ride at speeds I would never be able to achieve otherwise ...
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Post by Jimbo on Jun 20, 2016 10:59:56 GMT
I'm thinking about getting one of these for my wife who wants to go on more bike rides but knows I get bored going so slowly. Reckon I'll be knackered try to catch her!
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Post by Rlo80 on Jun 20, 2016 12:17:28 GMT
To further this point my next bike won't be an ebike ..I still feel that I have years of normal riding in me going into my 60's... The reason that I like e-bikes is that they are just so much fun and I can ride at speeds I would never be able to achieve otherwise ... Im glad you won't get the E-bike next... Funny what you say on your last sentence...(not exactly meaning you here btw) in one way people say they are old and because of that, unfit to ride and need an E-bike, and on the other hand they say its really good fun because of the speed?!?! The two don't really go together in my opinion, if you know what i mean?! "so i can't ride slowly, so i better go fast, crash and really F$&^% myself up"...LOL The point i was just trying to make is that with the new gear ratios on offer, you can ride anything really, even if slowly...and the "lazy" mentality we all have that as soon as we can get an easier option, we go for it...its a bit like everything in life. |
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