Great day for me as it was filled with familiar faces watching, riding, racing and some even standing upon the podium. Damp trails ready to dry out promised a slip or two and 
The start saw a few regular Brightonmtb riders ready at the back for a long solo ride and even a few right at the front with the pro boys – maybe the course reversal had confused them. Continue reading
Author: mtbnomad
Etiquette
Trail etiquette is raised on occasion and although we all think we behave properly sometimes we may get it wrong.
If you do say sorry that is usually sufficient. The sign (usa) follows the same hierarchy as here with bikes yielding to everyone else. Dogs are not stated but if they do not yield it is polite not to run them over. Badgers you can run over as they seem almost indestructible.
Etiquette also applies to footpaths where you should get off and walk if pedestrians are sharing it but in the dark of night then it is a little different. Footpath wear and tear due to bike tyres is one reason given but walkers and boots with square heels may cause equivalent damage. Braking areas do cause more damage however and this is visible on our own trails.
Etiquette also applies to your ride group and although we have little conflict a little courtesy goes a long way. So to clarify our differences…
We do not cut and shut into a downhill trail. This means going in front and holding a faster rider behind you.
We do not block on uphills as it can make a climb harder for the chase rider. We share the gate load although the faster riders take the lion’s share try to take a turn. Mechanical problem then someone offers to stay and help. Leading, then ask for help when required as the lead rider needs to think ahead to get the most out of the ride for everyone. Riding tail – hardest role at times as the catch up effort can be a killer but can be the most rewarding.
Mix and match – this is key to group rides so try to vary your position and ride alongside a less familiar face. Advice – more difficult but if you notice a problem with a bike or a riders position then it is helpful to say something as you may not notice your own saddle has slipped on the rails for example. Technical advice – more difficult but the Monday ride has used many experienced riders to help with the progress and the results have been great. Bike advice – much more difficult with only two rules. Your next bike is always going to be better than your current bike and the best colour is orange.
So on your next ride show by example.
Please.
QECP
The demo day had loads of bikes from several different manufacturers and although it looks empty that was due to everyone out riding. You register and leave driving licence and credit card in exchange for id card which is your voucher for a bike trial.
I wanted to look at hardtail 29er options and I had tried Chris Noble’s race bikes but these are set up for maximum speed rather than Stanmer trails so I wanted to check head angles. I spoke to Dan White of Cube who grabbed a book and looked up numbers that basically said hardtail = race but he vouched for the quality of the Cube bikes and chatted amiably for a few minutes of bikes and racing. Continue reading
Saturday
Invisible mending
Tyred Rob
After the awful winter
we have endured and the weather starting to look a little drier (I spoke to soon!)
I was in the market for some summer tyres. 
Something a little faster rolling than the Continental Baron’s I have been rocking all winter but still reasonably aggressive and super grippy to suit my riding style.
Having been very impressed with the Black Chilli compound on the Baron’s I decided to stick with Continental and after studying various tyres and the table of suitability on their website I had decided on Trail King 2.2, the renamed Rubber Queens from previous years. Continue reading
winter lights for summer
This giant in
sect eye of a light is the ultrafire new boy with U-L2 emitters that help you hurtle through the darkness rather than trundle in the gloom. Seven little stars produce a huge spread of even light sufficient to swallow the rider in the front at every turn.
A claimed figure of many, many candles seems about right but the quality of light is always the key area. Halos or dark spots miss vital hollows or logs in the dark but this one-eyed monster simply floods the trail. Long range reach is great but less pencil and more searchlight so perhaps a helmet set spot would help to focus your attention in one area.
The overall size is larger and the simple rubber loop has needed a little extra friction on my skinny handlebars. I tried tape and inner tube but the solution was to use some racket tape used on tennis and badminton rackets. It can still rotate in the event of a tumble but is wobbleless on normal trails. It may take a little adjustment to get the grip correct for bigger drops but perhaps a fatter handlebar will hold it easily. Continue reading
a good friday
Arrived early at Coldharbour and as there was a boat shortage understood the name was literal. New parking restrictions meant I grabbed almost the last place and waited on other early birds. When we all arrived we decanted to the nearest Leith Hill car park and then used the short road trundle to warm up before hitting Summer Lightning. New bits abounded with shiny bars and even a bright coloured frame – yeah!
I have been told by early Surrey Hills riders that short trails and even northshore appeared in the 1980’s but I first ventured Leith way around 2002. Then Summer Lightning was a twisty smooth trail with mini berms to test your cornering and a rollercoaster feel to test your courage at leaving the brakes alone. Now it has worn considerably and uneven steps and drops, gnarly roots and a general roughness has changed the feel. The old gentle trail is long gone and forks and shocks have to work hard along with my brakes at least.
Cold legs seemed to find me pedalling the whole time but Luke had chosen a super sticky tyre for grip like me and we seemed to be paying a price for this. to be fair I did not slip though. A myriad of small trails appeared left and right but connectivity seemed less than before so we ended up turning uphill towards the tower. After a coffee and cake break for some of us we headed to the small play section nearby where drops and jumps were repeated until a hint of boredom appeared. Encouragement in the form of “try the tiger line” got riders dropping over roots and jumping odd lines but we quickly needed to move on.
We headed northwards to find some gangster trail for Rob to consider and started with the old drop in section that has lasted well but seems tame on a modern bike. The gaps were big and too large for even the mighty Rob to attempt this visit but all of obstacles had a chicken run to allow you to look before you leap. Many looked tabletop from the approach and could easily catch out the less familiar so worth a dry run first.
Eventually we found our way to the cricket pitch and the new Summer bit which is a rework of an old trail line. It is much more challenging than before even if it is wider and the small blind sections eventually caught out Ashley who caught a giant log root on the “tiger line” he was following. He managed to pick himself up but had landed heavily and was forced to ride in wince mode for the rest of the day.
Rob eventually reached a section of jumps to test his mettle and in particular a trail gap jump, uphill and between the trees. His first attempt was completely successful, clearing the jump and mildly flattening the rear rim. It needed considerable lift to clear the full gap and full control on the narrow landing area but rather than rest on his laurels he went back to try once more.
The video is available via the forum as Steve caught it all. The slow motion should demonstrate why Rob wins the best bail of the week award and uses up two of his nine lives.
Although we only covered a fraction of the trails I think a return visit to ride the smaller twisty tracks may be suitable for all Brightonmtb riders even those who are gravity-careful so I will look to return for a few scouting runs and arrange something shortly.
New weekly ride
Loads of us turned up!
I had expected a smaller turnout until we got this established but we started off with a crowd. It was a short ride to Rob’s first planned task at the kerb at the entrance. This looked somewhat tame to the more experienced riders but everyone played the game and the ‘keen to improve’ riders all learned the basics of moving over the bike and letting it drop horizontally in a neutral position. Later I heard a few opinions marking this as the best skill to learn for the improvers and perhaps the best reminder for the more able.
Next stop was the reduced jump at the Witches Table which split the group into some riders riding some repeated loops of jump after jump and the improvers transferring kerb skills to a trail. This was a big step up, or step down really, from the kerb drop and good riders struggle to find the correct balance of speed and position. All the improvers got there in the end but some faster and some slower. Unexpectedly some of the more experienced group used the time to perfect the drop skill and I was surprised that a few riders managed to find the ‘making it look easy’ level.
Running on to some trails to try and include the practice took us up and around the high trails and everyone in the group warmed up again. Using any new skill on the track is hard at first but everyone was trying to find lumps and bumps wherever possible and so as lights began to turn on flashes of light flickered up and down through the trees. We stopped at some of the new obstacles that could be included as part of the Big Dog this year if the track saboteurs leave them alone.
This was a bigger drop which forced each rider to improve their balance especially if they wanted to ride it very slowly. Alex tried to ride almost stationary at one point and a couple of other riders managed it pro-perfect but I think this was due to my generous heckling. I was surprised that everyone managed such a large drop so well and that all the improvers group had raised their technical skills so much. As there was some play time I also realised that some riders have an over-abundance of skills that need to be used in the future to teach the rest of us how to wheelie, jump clear over large obstacles, attempt a wheelie-drop, tail-whips and surely someone can teach me to balance on my front wheel and turn a one-eighty on a tight track.
This may be a challenge too far. For me. And for someone else’s patience too.
The first ride was always going to be a little slow but we should be able to progress a little quicker now to make it more interesting for the experienced riders and add a little more continuity to the whole ride. There should be something for everyone to improve and as Rob begins to venture further afield there could be a new challenge for even the best riders. As long as there is the odd chicken run we should manage to keep the whole group riding all the fun stuff so come along even if you are not quite sure.
First ride: On-One Scandal 29er v2
The build
I was after a reasonably priced 29er hardtail which I could cobble together with old parts and then use for cross-Downs duties and as a winter hack. The official excuse for a new bike – if I needed one – was to use it for commuting. If I could end up with something that would be fun on the trails at the same time, all the better. Having never ridden big wheels on a mountain bike before I spent a fair bit of time wondering about the impact of different geometries and considering what to look out for to give a good ride. With advice from a certain Brighton MTB member I focused on thinking about the ‘right’ combination of head angle, chainstay length and bottom bracket height, along with sufficient mud clearance for Stanmer in winter and the right mix of components to balance weight against cost. Continue reading
Best winter tyre for Stanmer
Update
Baron is fitted and rolling and tried in differing conditions from liquid to super-sticky and it is an improvement. The tread is similar to the Bonty but larger size seems to reduce tendency to dig below the surface so it rolls easier. It does not slide much into corners even when front loaded with lots of weight and lots of braking but you can force it to break away if you push the brave/foolish button.
Surprisingly the root grip is excellent with only the side angle kickers forcing it offline. Rock grip seems good and even chalk sections grab a little. It will slide on steeper off camber stuff, e.g. tank trap, but even then it is predictable on both the slide and the grab back. This can be important to a taller rider as it reduces the likliehood of high siding yourself. Rolling resistance is medium so it may be worth trying it as a rear tyre too; need to consider this.
So overall my preferred choice for winter and maybe even a muddy August afternoon in the rain…….
Brightonmtb.org 