Landmark

My last scab from my arm!!

Still quite tender.

My finger's still somewhat painfull. No way can I go off-road, one badly placed fall and I reckon I'd be back to square one.

Managed to do a basic test of the Ay Up's in the park. They're dead impressive, how can such little things pack so much punch?! The mount isn't fab, but then you can't get much lighter than a zip tie eh?



Couldn't wait to try them out so I did my work commute in the dark. I had to be a bit imaginative with splinting my weak finger. I finished up using a piece of plastic cut from a washing machine waste pipe holder and strapping it to the outside of my glove. I felt a bit clumsy riding with it, but at least it was protected.



The ride went well. The first thing I noticed was that cars treat you like another car. With the helmet light you have to be careful about where you look, especially as you pass pedestrians!! Comments like "they're bright!!" abounded as I passed people. So, a word of warning if you're thinking of getting off-road lights - they can be embarrassingly bright in public places!!

New Ay Up lights

Impressive considering the photo is take with my rubbishy mobile phone camera. When I first turned them on there was a cat on the top of the wall you can see in the background. The cat was sitting there in the dark minding it's own business (which happened to be the merciless slaughter of innocent rodents)!! Then all of a sudden it's wide eyed dark adjusted world is torn asunder by searing shafts of blue-white light tearing into his retina!!!

I hope he's not blind!! Sorry Cat!

New Ay Up lights

I wouldn't like to look into the lens - reckon it could near blind you!!

New Ay Up lights

They're really neat. And come in much funkier colours. I had to go silver for the bike mounted light because I've no idea what colour bike/components I'll end up with. I went blue for the helmet and future helmets will coordinate with this.

New Ay Up lights

This is the way of things - I procrastinate about buying something, in this case off-road mountain bike lights, then after much deliberation I come to a conclusion and make the leap. This serves to build up the sense of anticipation to delirious levels. Then a couple of days after ordering it I go and break a finger. When they arrive, after all the anticipation I'm going to have to wait probably at least another 2 weeks before I try them. Gutted!

I went for Ay Up lights and picked the MTB kit which includes 4 lights in 2 pairs totalling 640 lumens combined. A narrow beam and wide beam pair. 3 batteries - two 3hr helmet mounted and one 6hr stem mounted one. The kit is well stocked with spares and optional bits. And the charger is a dual charger with circuitry to cut the charging once it reaches full charge. I'm really impressed with it all. My only niggle is the way the roll up carry case it comes with works, It feels as though it's a bit of a squash to get it all in. and when you do you have to go over-stretching the elastic straps that keep it together.

But that's not what I bought it for!! I wanted light! I've charged up the batteries and fired up the lamps - They are awesome. Compared with what else is out there on the market, you'll struggle to beat it for £250. Can't wait for winter!!!

Perhaps it's time for some armour!!

Ouch!!

Whites Level Black Run, Sunday, out with J and his mate. It all went bad down the steep bit!! Broke my index finger and cut my arm up.

Don't tell SWMBO!!

Thought I'd give Rock 'n' Roll Chain Lube a whirl. It says on the instructions to apply it in warm conditions.... :) It's wierd stuff, kind of alien to the idea that the chain should have a coating of oil over it. The thing is, it's not an oil, it's a grease suspended in some sort of liquid. You apply it in copious quantities then wipe it off completely. It'll be interesting to see how it copes with British mud.

Decisions, decisions.

Weather's rotten, should I go for a ride or not? If so, where? Sarn Helen, Whites, Skyline? If I hadn't have done it today it'd be next weekend before I got another chance. Plumped for Skyline in the end.

Not ridden Skyline before, so wasn't really sure what to expect. I knew there was a chance I'd find it too long so I took a map and figured out 3 potential shortcuts. When I got to the "July" shortcut, a decision - left or right? The wind and rain had been DRIVING at times!! Out of the trees, at times, it stung my face!! I could go to the next shortcut, but I knew there'd be a lot of open fireroad. I'm familiar with some of the fireroads from rallies. So I went right, down the July shortcut. Pretty soon I was starting to feel pretty knackered and glad I was inbound!! Then within shouting distance of the car park (but just a little too far to walk) - a pinch puncture!! By the time I'd fixed it, and got back to the car, dark was almost on me.

So, July WAS the right choice!!

Tried out the new bike carrier today. In a driving side wind on the motorway it shakes about rather alarmingly, but that's just perception, as long as it's good and tight at the wheels it's fine. There was no sign that it had slackened when I reached Glyncorrwg.

Ordered a bike carrier for the car. That was another battle over indecision and procrastination!! I've got a Honda CR-V and I didn't want to be lifting bikes on and off the roof because of its height. I don't like the strap-on carriers and especially not the spare wheel type (scratched paintwork, strain on vertical door hinges, distinctly dodgy looking methods of attachment, etc.). But, I have got a towbar so that left towbar mounted carriers and internal ones. The point of this was to get the muddy bike out of the car. So, a towbar mounted carrier it was. However, I'm not keen on the hang-on variety because of risk of damaging hoses and cables under the top-tube. So that just leaves the stand-on variety. Who said I'm fussy!!? After much deliberation, measuring and shopping around I settled on Thule's cheapest towball mounted Ride-On variety. I thought I might lose the first slot because of the spare wheel so opted for the 3 bike version (9503). SkiDrive were cheapest at £90 including carriage www.skidrive.co.uk. Bizarrely second hand one's on ebay were bidding up to £70 excluding carriage!! Work that one out!?

The carrier arrived, SkiDrive were efficient, helpful and swift. I'm a little disappointed in Thule's packing; the tubes were a little scratched in places, but that's minor. Worse - one light lens was broken and a reflector had come off. So, it's not 100%. However, built, it's sturdy and fits positively and firmly to the towball. I can confirm the 9503 fits a Honda CR-V and may allow the use of all 3 slots with care. I would imagine the 2 bike 9502 would be similarly dimensioned. It's worth mentioning my towbar is long at 140mm from bumper to towball centre, so that helps it clear the spare wheel. As for the damaged bits, true to SkiDrive's prior swiftness a lens and a some fresh double sided tape for the reflector is apparently on it's way to me. Can't fault it!

TF Tuned the wotsits off my forks!!

Work and this damned cold got the better of me today and in a fit of pique, in the middle of a sunny spell, I sloped off work at 3:00, squirted off home, grabbed my cycling gear, slung the bike in the back of the car and headed for Afan Argoed. Easy choice, it had to be one of the southern trails because I didn't have time to get up to Glyncorrwg. Chunks of Penhydd were closed a couple of weeks ago. So, The Wall won it. Considering I was complaining that I was putting on weight and I still have a horrible cold. I think 1 hour 45 minutes ain't bad!!

As for the newly serviced forks, they feel absolutely superb. Plush on big hits, rebound feels as if it's right. Good one TF Tuned. Very happy!!