New friend

Posted by mtbnomad

I have a new riding buddy to accompany me up hill and down dale. My old riding buddy was typically Italian, striking and fast. My new friend is an American; more laid back easily swaps between one thing and another without fuss.

I have had a WTB saddle before, but this PureV Team is meant to be a high-end trail saddle and hopefully suitable for the mixed single track and bridleway riding that I do.

As I could not find it available in the UK this one actually came from USA and was less than £50 with shipping so those of you who have not considered purchasing from the New World might find it worth a try.

After a few rides of varying lengths and types, I am surprised at the comfort as it is extremely light. It has a shorter nose than my old Koobi, which makes it easier to move off the front on extremely steep climbs and more of a scooped shape that holds me in one position. This might mean less adjustment room on long hot summer rides but it feels easier to find the right pedalling position on long uphills when efficiency reaps its rewards.

Overall a surprisingly easy change so if you do not have a saddle that is ideal for you perhaps it is time to seek out a new friend

saddle

Posted by mtbnomad

All of us go through good and bad patches in almost every ride and sometimes a supportive ally can help considerably in a bad section, but times change and we all have to move on to pastures new. So I am saying goodbye to an old friend that has supported me for many a mile all over the South East and occasionally further a field.

We do not all look the same but I have noticed many a questioning glance at me and my friend Koobi. It may be the split long nose or the thin gel padding but looks can be deceiving and after a few thousand miles, I can strongly recommend it as a great long day saddle especially on a hot summer day over the Downs. Previously I had used both Specialized and WTB saddles and this was a better long ride choice for me.

It is very lightweight but it does not flex and has been very hardwearing despite continuous summer and winter use. The slim profile allows free spinning without any thigh rub, which you might not feel, but notice the wear on your shorts. The gel is still soft and the saddle cover almost perfect but the leather at the nose has worn through probably due to less XC miles and more singletrack use. On and off the front, even with the saddle dropped, has caused the soft nose to wear through completely. However, after three years and thousand of miles I cannot complain about the sterling service given.

So if you ride mainly on bridleways and are looking for long day comfort with room to move about maybe try a split saddle and you could be surprised at the benefits.

Grips

Posted by mtbnomad

Although mountain bikers will argue endlessly about the best bike or their favourite tyres, the key contact point seems to be rarely mentioned. Used for turning, pulling uphill, saving lives downhill and occasionally as a corn thresher your average grip has a high expectation placed upon it.Chosen for colour or feel in a shop the expectation is that it will work in all conditions with every glove for every size of hand and that if it should wear out after months of riding, well, just not good enough!

I have tried most the of the Specialized BG range since 2002 and although their soft rubber is kind to my hands after a while the slip and rotation becomes tiresome and replacements are necessary. The last set of Enduro with a mixed rubber solution looked promising but the picture shows a faster wear rate than previous incarnations.

A set of WTB grips also looked promising but did not provide the ideal mix for me feeling harsh on a longer ride and wearing relatively quickly.

I have been persuaded over to a lock on grip but although the grip is firm on the bars the support on the hand, with light and thick padding, seems less than ideal. Fine on a short blast but after a couple of hours it becomes uncomfortable. Wear rate seems excellent and they never slip but a little hard for my front paws.

The latest change has been to Ergon grips that offer extra support to the heel of the hand at the expense of a full four-finger grip. Initially I was doubtful but the comfort factor is great and the actual moulding deforms under pressure so extra grip is available when grabbing hard under pressure. Careful positioning of brakes and gear levers is needed to allow easy finger control and setting the angle of the flange requires several repositions to find your own ideal fit but overall rating is excellent and they may be the ideal for the long day cross-country ride. For the downhillers and north shore exponents they may compromise the strength of grip in extremis but if you would like a little more comfort on a long day they are worth a try.

The only problem that I find is what to use the funky container they are delivered with as it seems a waste to throw it away. All polite suggestions welcome.