Incoming... NMTBD... The Slayer of trails.

[weeksy]

Out on the Slayer all morning yesterday. Due to being bored at home I decided to leave early and ride to the meeting point, it was about 11 miles.
We then did a fast ride with lots of woods, trails, lanes, nettles and brambles, but it was awesome. The bike is feeling just superb at the moment and me and it are about as gelled as I've been with a bike. Handling is spot on, poppy jumpy stuff is excellent.
Massive internal debate with myself as to whether I race Southern Enduro next weekend, but I often come out of the races feeling like I'm wasting my time as I'm propping up the back end. So it's £50 for a battle for last. Ok, last time was 4/7 but I think even that was somewhat fortunate.
2 hours into ride we got monsooned on which drenched us all head to toe. This then scuppered my plan of jumping in Crusts car to head for beers. So instead, I had to ride home as well. Ouch. One of the hills was a chore I can tell you.

All in all it was over 40 miles riding time, but was superb.

IMG_20230708_121928 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[MingtheMerciless]

Well thanks to Pauls Cycles, i won't be selling my Slayer EVER !!! lol.

https://www.paulscycles.co.uk/facetresu ... erm=slayer

Rocky Mountain Slayer C50 Enduro Mountain Bike 2021 Black/Blue
£2,499.99 £4,999.99 50% off

I mean i wouldn't be that happy selling mine used for £2500... but if someone can buy one new for that, well they're buying that.

It does seem that after the 2020/2021 under-supply of bikes and everything at 100% RRP, we're now past that and into bargain stuff again. But for the Slayers in the link, they're bloody superb value for money

Lots of bike for not much money, wow.

[Mr Moofo]

The next one up has a really good spec

[weeksy]

Jeeeez that was a bit of a trauma....

I've spent 3 days in the last few weeks trying to get out the 4 bearings at the back of the chainstay.

They're 2 back-to-back bearings with a small spacer between them. They sit almost flush to eachother and in a tricky position to remove.

I bought one of these in the right size, but have failed more than once.



Today i had a spare few mins so went at it again... many few mins later and they're all out... more luck than skill possibly, but i thought "they've got to come out one day to be replaced" so needed to get them somehow.

Was then out for a quick pedal round the trails.
IMG_20230711_133628 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Well, sort of trails... mostly you couldn't even see where the trails start or end

tingle tingle legs now.

[weeksy]

Out today and just really wasn't on it at all. Couldn't get things 'right'.

I need to go again tomorrow as i'm wondering if it was just me or whether the air shock really is more suited to different riding. I've had it on for trails, but they're more trails rather than closer to 'enduro'... Today was on the tracks i know well at our local riding, but it's more Enduro than the Ridgeway for example.
So i do wonder if swapping for the more bumpy days to the coil is necessary.

Or, of course there's the possibility i was just on a rubbish day

[weeksy]

Went out this morning early doors, there's a dad-gap and then into root fest at our local spot. I've not hit the roots in about 50 runs, i always go low and avoid them, but my lad has been telling me how much quicker the straighter root line is... but last night, as always i bottled it.

So this morning i went with the intention of hitting the roots. There was a secondary purpose which was trying the coil shock on the runs i rode last night. I wasn't quite on form last night and i was wondering if it was just me or a bit of the air shock too.

So i did a few full runs and first run i avoided it... Second run i started on the back of the gap and rolled gently into the roots, went OK. Then i went 10m further back for a bit more speed and did it again, went OK again, so finally on the next few runs i did full trails and hit it both times at 'race' speed... race being completely a relative term for an old fat bloke of course.. but was still at 'my' speed. It was all good, even a little pop on root1 can make it a bit cleaner.

What i did notice on the rest of the trail though is that the coil is a gazilion times better than the air on tech. Even though i've set the air up the best i can now, it's still not even close in terms of tech. I was hitting a few of the braking bump areas which have worn in in the last few months, but today they didn't really exist or bother me at all. Super happy.

IMG_20230720_093143 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[weeksy]

Tired legs today, big headwinds and left the bike in slack setting so cranks a bit low.

IMG_20230730_083730 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

But a lovely morning out

[weeksy]

Out yesterday at BPW with the youngsters. I did a few trails I don't often hit, but a few old favourites too. Surfing Bird is right up the top of fun list for me, but wibbly wobbly is joining it after a few runs down there. Snakebite isn't, it's a bit meh.

Slayer was ace as always, planted, fun, enjoyable. Rear brake had a bit more throw than I'd ideally like, but that was down to the dead pads, well, a bit dead, not really really like one of the youths.



Luckily I had some Shimano pads in spares and fitted them.

Mine have also been swapped this morning on Slayer.

Onto the rest of the week we go

[weeksy]

IMG_20230819_154533 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Idyllic ride out today, beers, tuna, trails, mud, laughs and gap jumps. What's not to like

[weeksy]

IMG_20230821_101620 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Today showed me something important, I'm not 30 any more.

After a fast paced ride on Saturday chasing @crust on his ebike I had today off and Mrs Weeksy wanted to spend time with the boy so 9am I went out riding. With a few aims, plans and goals in mind. Within 2 miles I knew it'd be a tough one, the legs were just not recovered from the last week, especially Sat ride.

However I still stuck in the best part of 50 miles on the Slayer today, it was only 50% or so off-road but my favourite trail locally of Grims Ditch from Nuffield to Wallingford, there are parts designated as footpath only but being a rebellious MTBer means I don't much care. From there it was over to Didcot way, then Harwell to meet the wife and boy and finally a slog back from Harwell which really wasn't my best moment lol.
I felt old old old by the last few miles. But 6 hours out even with allowing for stops, is still 6 hours. It was epic fun, loved it

[weeksy]

Was out working on my riding with the boy today. Well, trying to. We were hitting the final jump on the usual trail, it's a variation on the trail but mostly the same. It's a table/semi-gap, but you can hit/roll/pop it whatever way without any major worry.
I just can't get out of the corner hard enough though to clear it... No matter what i do mid/into it, i come out a bit too slow, mostly because i'm feathering the brakes when i should be off them, but i can't for the life of me NOT brake a bit...

It's something i massively need to work and improve upon. But as for HOW.... i don't honestly know. He's giving me technique/body position tips, but time and time again i struggle to implement them.

[weeksy]

Was having some debates, not for the first time on 'riser bars' So, no time like the present.

IMG_20230915_103650 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

IMG_20230915_103640 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

All in all i'm 99% happy with them, i sure felt like i went faster on my usual test trail. It did feel a bit weird as though my hands were too far forward, so i've tilted them back slightly now, but only slightly.
These are a 35mm rise, which isn't massively extreme but is 10mm higher than my usual bars. I do have a set of Burgtec 38s which a mate has borrowed.
I also wonder if you can actually feel 'flex' in 31.8s compared to 35dia... it sure felt like it.... But maybe a placebo effect in action.

[MingtheMerciless]

Was having some debates, not for the first time on 'riser bars' So, no time like the present.

IMG_20230915_103650 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

IMG_20230915_103640 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

All in all i'm 99% happy with them, i sure felt like i went faster on my usual test trail. It did feel a bit weird as though my hands were too far forward, so i've tilted them back slightly now, but only slightly.
These are a 35mm rise, which isn't massively extreme but is 10mm higher than my usual bars. I do have a set of Burgtec 38s which a mate has borrowed.
I also wonder if you can actually feel 'flex' in 31.8s compared to 35dia... it sure felt like it.... But maybe a placebo effect in action.

Never felt 31.8 bars flex but then you are a fair bit chunkier than me

.....ohhh look is that the ban hammer

[Mr Moofo]

Was having some debates, not for the first time on 'riser bars' So, no time like the present.

IMG_20230915_103650 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

IMG_20230915_103640 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

All in all i'm 99% happy with them, i sure felt like i went faster on my usual test trail. It did feel a bit weird as though my hands were too far forward, so i've tilted them back slightly now, but only slightly.
These are a 35mm rise, which isn't massively extreme but is 10mm higher than my usual bars. I do have a set of Burgtec 38s which a mate has borrowed.
I also wonder if you can actually feel 'flex' in 31.8s compared to 35dia... it sure felt like it.... But maybe a placebo effect in action.

Could just buy the size of frame for your height

[weeksy]

I'm honestly really happy with frame size. I tried Couchies Specialized and it felt huge! Really really huge and not in a good way.

[Mr Moofo]

[weeksy]

Will be collecting my forks today after a 'lowers' service from Rotec Cycles... arguably it's something i could/should do myself, but i generally just throw them to him to do for ease, means i don't have to mess about getting the right bits ordered, the right oil, etc.. just collect it