Filey from The Brigg..

Earlyish...just caught a gap in low cloud.

Scarboro, you can just see Castle.

Filey Brigg from northern side..

 

Quick ride this morning. Filey to Scarboro. Much less mist...

 

And on to Cayton Bay..What a day!

Edited May 9, 20169 yr by (NoLongerRegistered#15675)

Last shots from yesterdays ride.

 

Back out again tomorrow evening for a ride locally. Sadly not quite the same!

I'm should be working at Keymer on Wednesday, and if I am, it'll be rude of me not to put the bike in the back of the van, in order to head back up onto the South Downs late afternoon/evening.

 

Bostal Hill.

 

http://s32.postimg.org/5t1sskkjp/image.jpg

 

Hill Barn.

 

http://s32.postimg.org/5iwky3imd/2z1.jpg

 

Dew pond, just beyond Eastbourne Downs golf club at Cross Dyke.

 

 

http://s32.postimg.org/qsub36bk5/2z2.jpg

 

Birling Gap.

 

http://s32.postimg.org/la1gkcmpx/2z4.jpg

Edited May 9, 20169 yr by EddiePJ

All looks stunning Eddie.Great pictures.

One thing that annoys me with Eddie is his composition, it always looks great .I guess it is something that happens naturally .

He is an artist! You saw his sculptures, the man has an eye. His only flaw is he loves mucking about in... muck!

What a load of old tosh! Thanks anyway though.

 

 

Not much to show for this evenings ride. I knew that I shouldn't have bothered, as it is now back to slippery muddy wet conditions.

 

I guess that is the dry weather over again for this year!

 

I didn't matter too much though, as I was mainly out exploring for new routes, which took me through woodland that isn't used by anyone else, so at least some of the ride was mud free. Not the most exciting of rides, but still good to be out and about.

 

 

http://s32.postimg.org/p7i2dj78l/z2a.jpg

 

http://s32.postimg.org/aig2bdffp/z3a.jpg

 

 

http://s32.postimg.org/5ljhn3s6d/z1a.jpg

Edited May 11, 20169 yr by EddiePJ

Out for a longish ride today (well, long for me, anyway!), to stretch the legs of my fairly new Trek Powerfly - 200 miles old. Wanted to try the Downs Link, and picked up the trail at its southern end, on the western edge of Shoreham by Sea. In spite of the overnight rain, which was still falling this morning, the trail wasn't too wet or muddy, and I loved every minute. I now realise why I bought an eMTB - the feeling of go-anywhereness was intoxicating!

 

It was pretty damp and foggy on the way over to Shoreham, with mist hanging over the River Adur as I found the start of the Downs Link. Enjoyed riding along by the river, and followed the trail up to Bramber, where I stopped for a coffee in a pub - no point in overdoing it! Then carried on to Henfield, across the slightly more challenging bumpy bits, and I decided to come back via the main roads to keep my average speed up, as was on a bit of a deadline to get home. Battery was fully charged when I left home, not far from Worthing, and after the 30-mile round trip it was down just 1 bar on the display, with 50 miles showing as the range on Eco. Used a mix of Off, Eco and Tour. Delighted with the ride, and very pleased indeed with the Trek. A good afternoon out.

 

Today was also the first decent test using the new hardtail. Dry conditions on concrete hard ground. The bike is just so agile and fun to ride, and it climbs and jumps so effortlessly. Only once did I feel that an full suspension bike would have been better, and I'm now left thinking that I might well sell the full suspension bike. Any offers for a slightly used FS bike, only ever used on canal tow paths and public recreation grounds, never seen a speck of mud. Cable ties not required.

 

Quick question... and whilst I may (albeit probably not) sound as though I know what I'm talking about, I really don't. Please keep that in mind.

 

I presume you felt full sus would have been better on that one occasion for the usual reasons. My question, however, relates more to geometry.

 

I imagine your KTM geometry is more XC oriented with a fairly steep head angle (say 70*), whereas your full sus will have a slacker head angle (say 67*). Do you notice the difference? For example, on a steep descent or on a drop off, do you feel the front wheel of the hardtail is 'under' you a little vs. 'in front' of you a little on the full sus leaving you more vulnerable to being exited from your chariot over the handlebars?

 

There's a drop off that I feel confident flying off on my current 29er full sus that I felt very weary of on my old (non-eMTB) 26" XC hardtail. Never thought about it until recently... is it the geometry (slack vs steep head angle), wheel size (29" vs 26"), something else, that contributes to that increased confidence.

 

I'm hopefully demoing a plus size hardtail this weekend which is more trail oriented with 67* head angle, so I'll be interested to compare.

When I ride to shoreham area and on to the downs I use the D-L as a traffic free route and ride it from Copsale. I have a few posts on the older off raod thread.

change the stem to a 50mm DH one and try that

 

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/necromunger666/DSC_0258_1.jpg

 

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/necromunger666/DSC_0267.jpg

Edited May 11, 20169 yr by soundwave

Picked mine up from dealer after its first and free service.Also had new tyres,new chain and pads put in.

 

Straight upto Yorkshire Bridge and did 27 mile route from Thornhill,Aston upto Pack Horse Bridge ( around all 3 lakes) and back.

Brakes a bit sketchy at first but soon bedded in. Front still a squeaky under load but fine.

New tyres a bit draggier on road but feel grippier and absorb shock better off it. Think I,ll run these a bit higher pressure. ( 30 ??? I,ll experiment)

For riding I do still think hard tail is better. ( perhaps not what I do but which I prefer) Like fastish trails...

Wondering I there is a fault on borrowed Motus... Yam feels way better even at speed and places Motus should Excel??

There is a road hill I have to do as part of above route. Yam/ Haibike its not an issue. Had to be out of seat and working at 90% to get motus up...(gift horse and all that tho, going back soon)

When I ride to shoreham area and on to the downs I use the D-L as a traffic free route and ride it from Copsale. I have a few posts on the older off raod thread.

 

Thanks for the info - I'll check out those threads.

 

Next time I try the DL, I'll make a whole day of it, and attempt to get a lot further north. It was certainly a pleasurable and very peaceful place to be.

My bike, with a oxydrive kit

Quick question... and whilst I may (albeit probably not) sound as though I know what I'm talking about, I really don't. Please keep that in mind.

 

I presume you felt full sus would have been better on that one occasion for the usual reasons. My question, however, relates more to geometry.

 

I imagine your KTM geometry is more XC oriented with a fairly steep head angle (say 70*), whereas your full sus will have a slacker head angle (say 67*). Do you notice the difference? For example, on a steep descent or on a drop off, do you feel the front wheel of the hardtail is 'under' you a little vs. 'in front' of you a little on the full sus leaving you more vulnerable to being exited from your chariot over the handlebars?

 

There's a drop off that I feel confident flying off on my current 29er full sus that I felt very weary of on my old (non-eMTB) 26" XC hardtail. Never thought about it until recently... is it the geometry (slack vs steep head angle), wheel size (29" vs 26"), something else, that contributes to that increased confidence.

 

I'm hopefully demoing a plus size hardtail this weekend which is more trail oriented with 67* head angle, so I'll be interested to compare.

 

 

This probably isn't going to be the answer that you are looking for, but to be honest, I just get on the bike and ride it, and give no thought to the geometry of either bike. The two things that make a difference to me are tyres that have an aggressive edge pattern to the tread, and the recent addition of the dropper seat post to both bikes. I need to change the tyres on the had tail to something like Hutchinson Toros, that still offer reasonable rolling, but also have a decent side edge, which is something very desirable when riding the very narrow and rutted local terrain.

 

At the organised mtb bike shop ride a couple of weeks ago, I was out with a group who predominantly ride down hill. A couple of the lads were saying that I should do this, do that, and switch to a short stem.

I didn't say anything at the time, but I thought what utter bollox. People, example above with SW, read far too much into what they see on the internet, or in magazines and get sucked in. I even often wonder how many it through their childhood days. Don't know about anyone else, but I just rode whatever we made or found at the dump. None of us are pro riders, and none of us would really know a good from bad set up.

My point being that yes a shorter stem would mean that I am in a potentially better position to ride down hill, but if those lads on that ride had stopped to think about it a bit more, I had never ridden down hill as such before, was riding a bike with considerably less suspension travel, and no short stem, but in the scheme of things I wasn't exactly too far behind them by the end of each run.

 

Of more importance is something that they and SW are missing the point of, and that is what the purpose of an eMTB actually is. Surely the first and most important point, is that eMTB is designed to make climbing easier, and hopefully if desired, faster as well. By shortening the stem as suggested, you are having the opposite effect of what is desired. The bulk of my riding involves climbing, and more often than not, there is at least one climb per ride that is always very debatable about whether or not you can make it to the top. Sometimes these climbs are just metres long, sometimes they are hundreds of metres long. I realise that SW only rides on canal towpaths and public pavements, so all that I have just said about him is rubbish anyway.

 

I really can't say that I have yet really noticed any major difference between the two bikes, both do the job, but what I really prefer about the hardtail, is how connected and solid that everything feels. It is seemingly tighter and neater to ride, hopping over things is a doddle, it's lighter, and the rigid back end makes climbing so much better with zero squat, and I love the idea of no maintenance to the rear end. Riding the FS bike last night, didn't give me the same buzz.

 

Thinking about it again, there were actually two occasions that I would have preferred the FS bike on the recent South Downs ride. Once when going down a long descent across a field that had previously been used to graze cattle in, and the constant dip into the now hardened hoof prints marks, wasn't exactly comfortable. The second time was going down a long chalk track that had loads of small drops/steps.

 

Sorry that my reply wasn't perhaps what you were looking for, but as said, I just get on and ride.

 

 

.

Edited May 12, 20169 yr by EddiePJ

i changed the stem because it just feels more stable for me anyway and id not go back to the one that was on it but as edd says it makes it better one way and worse the other.

 

id rather be more stable at speed down a hill than unstable going up it as id not be going over the handle bars going up a hill than down it.

 

my stem was only 30 quid so i changed it and now more stable on the bike for me anyway.

This probably isn't going to be the answer that you are looking for, but to be honest, I just get on the bike and ride it, and give no thought to the geometry of either bike. The two things that make a difference to me are tyres that have an aggressive edge pattern to the tread, and the recent addition of the dropper seat post to both bikes. I need to change the tyres on the had tail to something like Hutchinson Toros, that still offer reasonable rolling, but also have a decent side edge, which is something very desirable when riding the very narrow and rutted local terrain.

 

At the organised mtb bike shop ride a couple of weeks ago, I was out with a group who predominantly ride down hill. A couple of the lads were saying that I should do this, do that, and switch to a short stem.

I didn't say anything at the time, but I thought what utter ******. People, example above with SW, read far too much into what they see on the internet, and get sucked in.

My point being that yes a shorter stem would mean that I am in a potentially better position to ride down hill, but if those lads had stopped to think about it a bit more, I had never ridden down hill as such before, was riding a bike with considerably less suspension travel, and no short stem, but in the scheme of things I wasn't exactly too far behind them by the end of each run.

Of more importance is something that they and SW are missing the point of, and that is what the purpose of eMTB actually is. Surely the first and most important point, is that eMTB is designed to make climbing easier, and hopefully if desired, faster as well. By shortening the stem as suggested, you are having the opposite effect of what is desired. The bulk of my riding involves climbing, and more often than not, there is at least one climb per ride that is always very debatable about whether or not you can make it to the top. Sometimes these climbs are just metres long, sometimes they are hundreds of metres long.

 

I really can't say that I have yet really noticed any major difference between the two bikes, both do the job, but what I really prefer about the hardtail, is how connected and solid that everything feels. It is seemingly tighter and neater to ride, hopping over things is a doddle, it's lighter, and the rigid back end makes climbing so much better with zero squat, and I love the idea of no maintenance to the rear end. Riding the FS bike last night, didn't give me the same buzz.

 

Thinking about it again, there were actually two occasions that I would have preferred the FS bike on the recent South Downs ride. Once when going down a long descent across a field that had previously been used to graze cattle in, and the constant dip into the now hardened hoof prints marks, wasn't exactly comfortable. The second time was going down a long chalk track that had loads of small drops/steps.

 

Sorry that my reply wasn't perhaps what you were looking for, but as said, I just get on and ride.

 

 

.

 

 

Cheers Eddie - that's helpful info regardless of whether or not you notice a difference.

 

Great to read why you prefer the hardtail overall as those are exactly the reasons I'd like to go hardtail with my next bike, assuming my demo-ing doesn't identify any material compromises I'll be unwilling to make.

 

There's no doubt in my mind that full sus is overall more comfortable, but the connectedness, the tightness, the overall feeling of solidity, etc. really appeals. I'll let you know how my demo goes.

i changed the stem because it just feels more stable for me anyway and id not go back to the one that was on it but as edd says it makes it better one way and worse the other.

 

id rather be more stable at speed down a hill than unstable going up it as id not be going over the handle bars going up a hill than down it.

 

my stem was only 30 quid so i changed it and now more stable on the bike for me anyway.

 

Cheers SW.

 

I think all bikes are compromised in some way... a downhill bike isn't a great climber and an XC hardtail with 100mm travel isn't a great downhiller. In my view, you just have to work out which bike, which geometry, which components, etc. suit you for the majority of your riding

 

I agree with you that altering the stem length can make quite a big difference - whether some of that is in my mind is irrelevant, it still influences how I feel about the bike, how stable the bike feels, etc. And as you say, a cheap component that is easily changeable depending on the type of riding you're doing.

 

And I definitely want to feel stable on the descents - that really is important to me too.

this is the 1 i got and can just fit the screen over it

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gusset-Magnum-Handlebar-Stem-CNC-31-8mm-50mm-DH-MTB-Bicycle-Bike-Black-Silver-/371582524478?hash=item56840b5c3e:g:UqoAAOSwQjNW8u-w

20 mile trip round Wyre Forest near Kidderminster yesterday. Very impressed with the place, especially once you are north of the old railway line. Stunning scenery and wide range of tracks/trails.

Fantastic great day for a ride out, conditions near perfect, strong N/E winds very refreshing and did little to hamper the riding. 77 miles covered to the downs and back. Approx 27 road miles and the rest all on the downs or farm tracks/bridleways. Lowland still a bit muddy here and there, the downs on the whole good to firm with a few large puddles. Plenty of glider activity today from Parham airfield with perfect thermal conditions and visibility. Another local outing tomorrow will bring up 200 miles and 10k of elevation gain for the week.

strava.com/activities/574914241.

 

Rest for Lunch on Cissbury Hill.

 

View over to Chanchtonbury.

 

Chanctonbury Dew pond.

 

Chanchtonbury ring.

 

 

One od several soaring above the ring.

Edited May 13, 20169 yr by Nealh

Frustratingly still not got as far across as Cissbury and Chanchtonbury. Every time that I decide to do it, the view hasn't been clear, so I've always stopped short at Devils Dyke, and not gone further.

 

I have all summer to get there.

Like wise I haven't yet got over to where you ride between Lewes and Eastbourne. Quite please today as on 4 or 5 occasions was easily over 30mph on down hill sections, the track that goes south past Trueleigh FM House is very fast and free wheeling , still more visits to the area to come for me as there are still tracks to explore and ride.

One part of the SD that I'm not quite so keen on is the Rodmell to Falmer section. Some of it has some lovely sections, but for some reason I have always found it a bit uninspiring. The Woodingdean - Rottingdean section is certainly not worth riding, and seems to be an area loaded with dog eggs and litter.

 

The climb from Southease to the radio station at Beddingham is another section that I don't enjoy either.

Derestriction, ‘off-road’ switches or modes and dongles

 

The Department of Transport say that electric bikes fitted with off-road switches or modes, that enable a bike’s motor to continue assisting to speeds beyond 15.5mph, do not comply with UK EAPC law.

 

i thought this was the uk bike section ? yet ppl posting pics of illegal bikes.

 

ie any bike kit you can buy you can change the 15.5mph limit via the screen or controller even tho its a 250w motor its still illegal.

 

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk37/necromunger666/dog-v-cat_1.png

Edited May 14, 20169 yr by soundwave

Anyone got any good pulled pork recipes?

 

EDIT: Oh sorry, wrong thread.