Lazy

We've done some MTB since September, but we've been too lazy to post anything. Holidays coming up so maybe more chance to post some photos

Oswestry weekend

Huw and I wetnt to Oswestry last October and did some great trails. Here's a few photos

XT crankset

After the demise of the standard GT bottom bracket (only 410 Km old!) time for a new one. Since the expedition bike needs a crankset (worn chainrings), I went for the XT crankset which comes with Hollowset II external bearing cups. I'll put this new one on the GT and the Truvativ 5D on the exped bike.

Here's the chainset - more next time on how the XT performs

Penmachno Dolen 1...

... is much further round than I thought. It's 21km round and not sure about the height gain but it must be about a million metres up...

My camera crashed and so no video uploads. Not sure why!

And then there's the Beach

We camped up at Olonne sur Mer which, despite the name, is not that close to the sea. Our campsite had its own pool, but we preferred the 25km round trip on our bikes to get to the town beach at Les Sables d'Olonne. The bike tracks have been made through the marshes and they were very pretty. And quite busy...

Big surf action when we got to l'Océan...

Just back from our holiday in France

Just got back from our holiday in France. And naturally, we took the bikes - and we found ourselves in Saumur, Loire Valley, during cycling week. 15,000 extra cyclists had descended on the small town for an international cycling festival. All week long, there were cycling itineraries signposted on the cycle paths and back roads. So, we joined in.

On our last day on the Loire, we took some video of us riding along. Then we hit the beach at Les Sables d'Olonne...

South Tyne Trail

This needs much more exploration. A neat trail on an old railway bed that we did from Haltwhistle to Lambley viaduct. Not far, about 9 miles return, but loads of wildlife and great views from the viaduct of the South Tyne. The route keeps going past Alston - could get back and do this sometime.

Internet image of the viaduct to give you some idea

Coedwig Llandegla

Great day out at Llandegla - the blue trail was good. Quite a long uphill (not too steep) out to the back of the forest. Then a big blast back home again - some very quick sections. Some little uphills but never too much. The café arrived much too soon.

Good coffee, decent cakes and nice bike shop. Bike wash good value and we managed to clean up 4 beics for a quid.

Huw hurt himself after a big crash in the car park - bottling out halfway down a steep bank. Black eye, grazed chin, wrist sprains.

This wasn't one of us in the photo, but it soon could be!!

Cassette bottom brackets

Aren't cassette bottom brackets great? Huw's bike has been making some bad noises recently, a kind of shrieking from the 'pedal area'. Pedals seemed okay and when I checked the play in the bottom bracket, it was obvious what the problem was.

Dismantling it revealed one side was a mud/grease mixture and the other was bone dry, with powdered bearings! Cup bearing surfaces were pitted and the spindle looked like it had bomb craters in it.

So, we had to make a visit to the local cycle shop and get a new BB sealed unit. I learned a few things

• 68mm shell is the 'modern' size - certainly a British size
  
• Don't use any old ruler to measure the spindle length - use a vernier calliper
  
• The spindle length does not include any threads on the end for crank attachment.
  

Huw reckons this morning that his bike is the smoothest its been.

Me and the Boy

Out above Conwy down from Llangelynnin Old Church. Bridleway all the way. Huw is getting fitter.

Lôn Las Cefni

Saturday - big day out.

Cycled from Llangefni to Malltraeth on the cycle track. Then across the old cob to Newborough forest and on to Ynys Llanddwyn.

Great day on the beach - a bit too cold to snorkel! Biked back but Daisy very tired. 32Km total.

photo courtesy of Maurice Clarke http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/pages/lon_cef_ph.htm

Druid Circles - Meini Hirion

Out twice this week.

• Up from gates on Jubilee Path round Foel Lus to 3 way paths. Continued past house to Stone Circles on north flanks of Moelfre. Dog on the lead all the way!

• Dropped off in Llanfairfechan, and then climbed up to Druid Circles on the North Wales Path (a bridleway). Dropped down to the top of Sychnant and blast down to Conwy on the bridleway. Pint in the Liverpool Arms on Conwy Quay and then home for roast beef.

Video of us on Loop 1, Penmachno

Here's some video of us on Loop 1 of Penmachno. First singletrack section - still slightly uphill.

Warranty

So, I called Sunset and they said to send the whole brake back to them. I knew it was the master cyl, as it had LHM leaking from it. When you looked down the lever into the area where its piston enters the cylinder, a squelchy noise came out and LHM. New seals cost about a fiver, but they said they'd do it on the Warranty.
No MTB until the post it back, though.

Penmachno Dolen 1

So, we did it. We didn't do the whole lot - actually the weather was filthy. And we were late. But the single track is superb!! Photos to follow

Huw and Elin made such a noise - forest animals must have wondered what was going on!

Penmachno, yeah

Planning on doing Y Dolen 1 at Penmachno this weekend. Just printing the route details. We'll see...

Last week's ride - Lon Las Ogwen

Dropped off with Elin and Huw at Porth Penrhyn. Great surface gently uphill to start. Some good practice singletrack down nearer the Afon Cegyn. Roots, stumps, etc on muddy singletrack with some neat little bridges made of concrete sleepers. Kids loved it.

Route up to Bethesda is good, even the on-road section.

Must go back and finish to route from Penrhyn Quarries up to Ogwen.

Maintenance

Bikes need looking after. Emerging from Winter - even tho' not used much, they need TLC. Elin's bike' s headset needed stripping down and re-setting. Funny Aheadset type- sealed bearings - top one is ball race and lower one needle rollers. Not much could be done except clean it up. Then re-setting with centre bolt against star washer. Final tighten of the stem bolts. Should be okay for a while.

Next day, the BB went. Very clicky and rough. RAM model replaced with Shimano BB 68x113. Note that the front deraileur needed resetting as out slightly in chainring 3.