brightonmtb

Night riding

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People say it’s one thing to nail a 12 ft gap jump, carve a wallride and get weightless down a drop so big you get a sense of what Felix Baumgartner went through but it’s quite another thing to do the same in the pitch dark with only a couple of battery powered lamps strapped to your helmet and handlebars to light your way.

To be fair I wouldn’t have a clue about gap jumps, wall rides or drop offs of more than a foot high but since riding with Brighton mtb I’ve taken to riding at night like a fish to mud, at least in enthusiasm rather than competence. Continue reading →

Have I made the right choice?

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by Ryan Walker
I’m fairly new to the sport (2 months) and have only really ridden local bridleways around my local area of Haywards Heath.

I turned up last Thursday at Stanmer and feeling mildly daunted by the whole prospect, particularly as this was the first time I’d even considered night riding, was made to feel at ease by Ronnie who promised me that they wouldn’t leave me behind.

The ride was fine for pace up until we started ducking, diving, weaving and bobbing through trees, bumps etc… That was the moment that I realised that I was not quite up to the same pace as the other guys but, as promised, someone stayed behind me and there were more than enough stops for me to comfortably catch up and not feel like I was holding the group back.

This was a totally new style of riding for me but by then end of it I could tell I was getting better, faster and more confident. (Even after I took a flying rugby tackle at a birch tree for my first ‘off’ since buying the bike).

In short, I’ve been looking for a new sport to get into since hanging up my running shoes, and have been slightly worried that this might not be the answer.
I can now relax as mountain biking is everything I hoped it would be and can’t wait to get better at it and start doing some of these silly Enduro races and the like.

See you on Thursday.

Women’s Olympic Mountain Bike Event

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by Tom Goldsmith
Before I arrived at Hadleigh Farm, Essex, I had already formed ideas what the XC course
would be, and the technical level of the riders. My understanding and opinions of XC are
based on my own racing experience when I was a bit younger. I used to relish the
technical descents, but skill counted for nothing once a climb appeared around the corner
and the super fit roadie shot past. When the venue for the competition was announced,
there were many doubts and controversies. I had imagined fire track with a few rocks
thrown in where the cameras were; censored descents with all dangerous obstacles
removed, and that the most suitable bike for the course would have drop handlebars, and
700C wheels. I am happy to say that I eat my words. Continue reading →

Squeaks

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All suspension bikes seem to be more vocal than hardtails irrespective of bushes or bearings. Carbon frames tend to highlight this by amplifying the sound of any small thing sufficiently that everyone around me complains.

I have been trying a range of different bearings to find something Stanmerproof.

Bearings have a code that determines size and shielding etc. but quality is a little more difficult to measure. Most bearings use caged balls but some are double row which means tiny ball bearings. These need good seals to repel the mud. I examined several different types of bearings before fitting and found the grease quantity varied, the seal edge gap was different and the smoothness of the bearing when turned in your fingers even changed between manufacturers.

I fitted the metal shielded bearings first and ran them for a while. The seal was much better than I expected and there was no impact damage from jammed mud or stones on the outside. The main fault was wear even with a full grease quantity. Any water penetration killed them quite quickly though. I ran two sets to find an average and give a B.

I tried the rubber shield bearings next which are more common (but the same price). I expected the seal to be better and some physical damage but found the seals to be poorer and lifetime was reduced. Photo shows the condition with the seal removed. As the seals were poorer these get C.

I have had three different suspension bikes and all of them need servicing before you think necessary to keep them running smoothly. I strip and clean the bike frequently including removing the fork and removing links and triangles and this forces me to check the bearings. You can check yours by removing the air from the shock, perhaps the shock itself and move the rear end with the wheel removed. If it is not super smooth it needs fixing.

Some older bikes need specialist tools, some newer ones supply links with bearings fitted which is a quicker change. Changing bearings is usually a mid range technical job on a bike to allow for using a drift and a bearing press or vice. Damage is easy if your hammer is near the top of your tool box.

As nothing is Stanmerproof yet I am now running some more expensive bearings (SKF) and my bike is now quieter and even surprised a badger last week by sneaking up behind him without an alarming squeak. I will update this report as soon as it begins to squeak again but hoping to give them an A this time.

Brake pads

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I have been trying different brake pads over the last few weeks as I bought some ceramic pads (Brake Authority) just to try. I fitted ceramic to the rear and left original sintered on the front. I did try and bed the pads correctly by entertaining the small children in the street by riding up and down braking repeatedly and feeling a little foolish.

On riding the rear brake was great. Late braking with a slew was easy and the additional ‘bite’ was useful when misjudging a corner. Changing ceramic to the front was more difficult and threw me over the bars first time. Braking was improved but tyre adhesion became critical and I had to change tyres to feel safe. I had to brake harder on the rear to balance with the ceramics and that caused the brakes to wear quickly, about twice as fast as usual.

I have now tried new sintered pads on the rear to estimate wear but I like the ceramic pads. Rotor wear looks minimal, wet squeal is about the same, pad wear seems excellent, initial bite is not too severe and modulation within reasonable expectations but that may be my brakes too.

Photos show difference in wear and if your pads look like the first you are changing them a little late as my braking had disappeared by this stage.

So apologies if you have been riding behind me and I have using just the front brake or just the rear or sliding uncontrollably on every corner however the answer may be to buy new pads and ceramic may be worth a little extra.

Stanmer’s European Single Speed champion

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Chris Noble used to ride with us every week when he lived in Brighton and still returns occasionally to re-hone his Stanmer skills. He was 5th last year in Big Dog so not much honing required really.

http://www.thebicycleacademy.org/2012/04/20/exposure-24-a-race-report/

 He has sponsorship now and writes up his race report at the new link above. Bike magic has a full race report too.
Obviously his success is not just talent, effort and dedication but due to playing in the dark on his bike with us.
Well done Chris from all of us.

First impressions on Brighton MTB from a newbie!

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Recently I moved from London to Brighton, to among other things rejuvenate my mountain biking enthusiasm/skills – I then did what we all do these days…..and Googled mountain bike clubs in the area.

I quickly found out that Brighton MTB (https://brightonmtb.org/) seemed a friendly bunch, and after exchanging a few emails had arranged to meet at Sussex University on a Thursday evening for a spot of night-riding.
Lacking suitable lights I was also offered the chance to borrow some impressive Exposure lights (courtesy of Freedom Bikes), and so on that Thursday evening I set off into Stanmer Park woods with 10-15 other bike nuts!

The biking itself was superb – a combination of challenging singletracks, obstacles to jump/ride over/avoid, and even some Northshore thrown in for good measure.
The group seems to be led by different people each week, with someone also at the back to ensure that no-one gets left behind, and the guys have excellent knowledge of the local routes available!

Based on my experience with Brighton MTB, the warm welcome I received & the quality of biking I’ve done so far, I would highly recommend this club to anyone who wants to get off-road again!

 

Ben

Epic Epping

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We had a recent trip to Epping which may not be the best known singletrack destination but it had an endless number of trails.

The day started badly with me getting lost on the way despite using sat nav and everyone waiting around until I eventually found the car park. Within a minute of arriving we were off and instantly into the first trail. With less elevation that our home ground everything was flat and twisty and ideally suited for a short thrash bike. My Mojo was over kill but some locals had brought out bigger rigs for riding and wheelies and balancing and even the odd fall in front of watching motorcyclists.

We rode trail after trail with friendly folk keen to show us the best of their area which felt generous every time you turned into another new trail. Dry conditions showed it well but flat ground meant pedal all the way. Continue reading →

Second effort

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After years of wanting to join Brighton MTB but being prevented by the combined complexity of balancing a job that demands too many hours, 2 kids and a bike that kept falling apart, Thursday 4th August marked only my 2nd attempt to get out on a Thursday night and enjoy the trails of Stanmer Park.

I had spent the day looking out of the window of my meeting at Brighton Town Hall, watching the skies empty themselves and wondering if I would make it. My last ride in the rain had been on my brand new Genesis Core 40 which had come equipped with Continental Mountain King tyres. These are without doubt the worst wet weather tyres I have ever used and I had come off quite badly ending up in A&E… nothing to do whatsoever with my general lack of skill on a bike and entirely the fault of the rubber! My ego was bruised and my legs were cut up but by late afternoon the rain had stopped and so there were no excuses. I got on my bike with its lovely new grippy Maxxis High Rollers and headed for the University car park.

Having failed to regain all of my confidence since I came off I was pleased that the ride got underway at quite a relaxed pace and that I wasn’t the only one taking on the slippery ground with at least a modicum of apprehension. We started by doing a portion of the Big Dog course and I can now be confident of a top 5 finishing position I am sure. (Actually I am only doing the One Dog and was not far off last place in 2010 so I might need to revise my goals somewhat nearer the time.)

The rest of the ride combined some trails that I am familiar with and some that I am not, but all of which are great fun. One of the things I really enjoy about the Thursday night ride is that the uphill bits are treated in the way that uphill bits should be… they are a necessary evil which are only tolerated because they inevitably lead to going downhill fast afterwards. As the evening progressed and the light faded my lights went on and I was particularly impressed by the riders who had forgotten, or not bothered, to bring theirs but who continued regardless. At risk of being accused of having rather traditional views I have always been firmly in the camp of riders who prefer to be able to see where they are going when riding fast over slippery roots and unexpected obstacles.

Nonetheless, everyone made it back and there were no serious injuries. Once in the car park Ronnie approached me with a friendly question; ’You’ve been a couple of times now haven’t you?’ What a nice chap I thought, enquiring as to whether I had enjoyed the ride and whether I will be back. ‘Yeah, great ride’ I answered innocently. Then, without missing a beat, he pounced; ‘Good, you can write the ride report then’.

Oh well, a small price to pay for some fine riding.

Martin Edelman