Next ride booked 22/06/2014

[EddiePJ]

I've just received written conformation that a new battery is on it's way from Spain for the BH, so I'm taking a chance and have booked up the next Wiggle ride.

I'm supposed to be riding the event with an unfit lad who has just bought himself a peddle only mtb, so it could end up being a dull one for me in respect of hill climbing, but should hopefully still prove to be a good laugh. If it's raining, I'm just clearing off into the distance!

2 mins 20 secs made me laugh.

 

[patpatbut]

Any chance you will be using the thudbuster ST seatpost?

It would be great if you can give us the review after the ride with it.

Pat

 

[EddiePJ]

I currently run an LT on the BH, but if and when my ST arrives, I'll happily swap it over for the day.

 

[EddiePJ]

Finally have the route details through for this Sundays ride, and once again the epic that I', booked onto is being shown as 38,39 and 40miles. It'll probably end up being 40 plus if the last one was anything to by.

As predicated, BH still haven't got my replacement battery to me. It's now been nearly 6 weeks, and you really wouldn't believe the email excuses that I have had/seen! I hunted down the private email for Unai de la Fuente, BH's MD this week, and made my feelings very clear on the subject. Give him his due, he replied within 15 mins, and now something is finally being done. It hasn't stopped the UK bullshit, but with Unai at the top of the tree, I'm intending to stand at the bottom with a big axe to knock a few branches off.

The above has once again left me with no option but to use the Haibike, which is a real pox! After the three wrecked tubes that I got last time, I've decided to only put a cyclo cross tyre on the front end this time, and stick with the OE Marathon on the rear. I'm not overly worried about the rear end letting go, as it'll always pull itself straight again. I have also upped the tyre pressure from 65psi to the max 95psi. I've spent the last two evenings intentionally knocking the hell out of the front end to see if it is going to be okay, and so far it's holding up well. Just as frustrating is that fact that I'm going to have to keep my speed down, in the hope of not wrecking the bike.
Also with the Haibike, I'll once again be faced with the prospect of getting more abuse and negative comments.

Anyway, with exception of removing the lights, here it is once again ready to go.

Pat, the ST isn't as good as the LT. It certainly works well, but I'm already starting to notice wear in it.
Binning the OE saddle in favour a Charge Spoon was also a good move. At £20.00 the Charge Spoon represents brilliant value for money. Obviously though, everyone has their preference towards saddles.




.

 

[patpatbut]

Hope you get better response from others this time


Do you mind to show me where is the wear?

 

[EddiePJ]

Hope you get better response from others this time


Do you mind to show me where is the wear?

I'll run with it this weekend, and then see what's going on with it. To be honest, I haven't even glanced at it yet, but when moving the bike, I noted that it moved up and down with a fair amount of free play. Upon reflection, perhaps I shouldn't have jump to this conclusion, as there might well be adjustment on it to remove the free play. I'd better check, before jumping to this conclusion.

 

[SRS]

Eddie, good luck on your ride. I'm sure the bike will hold out.
Shall keep my fingers crossed on the tyre front.

I'm away family camping but as always I look forward to your post ride postings.

Just do us all a favour and don' t post any more images of your after ride cleaning abilities. Makes me feel very negligent.

 

[EddiePJ]

Well that's another Wiggle event out of the way.

The lad that I rode with, only wanted to ride the standard 29mile route, rather than the 40mile epic route, so sadly I didn't put the mileage in that I'd hoped for.
As I had thought, the Haibike wasn't the best of bikes to have chosen for the ride. This is absolutely no fault of the bike, just my trying to use it for what it wasn't designed for.
Climbing obviously wasn't a problem although the rear Marathon, did struggle for grip a few times. Also because the other lad was on a pedal only bike, I hardly got out of eco most of the time, but did have to have a bit of play in tour and sport, then wait for him at the top of the hills. Some of the climbs today would have tested almost anyone.
The issue for me and the Haibike was the descents. Some were pretty monumental, and running a 700c x 30 front tyre, I just couldn't risk going too fast, in case of getting a flat. There were loads of flats, and the lad that I was with also suffered a high speed blow out on the rear. I think that I was just lucky.
What I also found very frustrating, was that his average off road down hill was just over 30mph, and mine was 23mph! If I'd been on the BH, my speed would have been nearer to 35mph. I did have a couple of major backside clenching moments though, as I got the bars crossed over big time, and on another occasion when the back stepped out.

Sadly there was also too much road work for my liking.

The route.

Obviously the start.

The lad on the left kind of sums up the end of this climb.

This was fast and very slippery.

A shot of the lad that I was with.

How could a bike still be this clean after a ride? It's embarrassing!

Note the precautionary cable tie around the battery. Better safe than sorry.

And finally, this photo shows the difference in battery usage when riding with someone else.

After 29 miles, I still have three bars showing, and it had only just gone into the three bars. Normally I'd be well down on this, and might have even been getting concerned.

 

[RobF]

Eddie,

You don't mention adverse comments from others, hopefully that means there wasn't any.

 

[EddiePJ]

Hi Rob.

It was far more friendly this time. I did blast past about twenty or so people on one climb, and received plenty of "that's cheating" comments, but all of them were very friendly and each followed up with laughter.
Someone before the ride made the same comment, but for some reason I took exception to him doing it and asked him to explain why. He just walked off.
There was also the same comment from possibly the only person that I saw pedalling up one climb, and I responded by offering to tow him up. He thought that I was being serious and became embarrassed. But even he laughed at my speed.

The lad that I went with filmed some of the ride, so with any luck, some of my passing should have been filmed.

Certainly the slower that you pass people, the better the response.

I'm not sure that I'd do this ride again next year, as it just somehow didn't work for me, but probably the road work didn't help with that one.

 

[EddiePJ]

These clips from the day were filmed by the lad that I went with. They aren't pin sharp, but you can get the gist of the ride from them.