By eck it was chilly out there... and the breeze was worse than i thought, especially as it was all on the way home. Went to Slanting, our local play area but in truth it was a bit of a disaster with trees, wet and mud... Didn't get especially dirty, but it wasn't nice on the riding. I was planning on testing the new Float X shock, but didn't get a lot out of it in terms of feedback.
To top things off i have a weird noise, but only in the last 20 mins... either a BB or a hub maybe... sorta... ish... lol.
Forest of Dean today and proper Techy stuff for the Fuel. I have to say it was brilliant.
Yesterday I went to do some tyre swaps as I wanted something a bit grippier than the XR4, but it was easier to just swap wheels, or so I thought.
Rear was simple, a nice Soft Enduro Kryptotal was on the spare, so boom that went in.
The front I had a Mary and a trail Argotal, so went Mary, but that wheel is running torque caps for Fox 36 which meant it doesn't fit my Fox34s and I don't have standard ones.
So out came the Orbea wheel, but that had a 180 not 200 rotor, not a big problem, until it's a center lock one FFS
So it stayed XR4. But I shouldn't have worried , it was spot on and flew down the reds, blue and blacks. Spending time mostly on the techy Sheepskull track. I was quicker than all my riding crew, apart from the boy who's just honestly fucking ridiculous. I couldnt even keep him in sight for 2 corners. He just let's go of the brakes and he's gone. In a 5 second period he's pulling out a 4s gap lol. Wtf.
But that's the nature of the beast and not the Fuels fault at all.
Just a roadie ride to the farm shop and back today, but takes in Apple Pie Hill.. it's not a friendly hill at all. Was not only a fair bit colder than i thought when i was out there, but a lot more wind too, especially when into it !!!
Lol pulled out a thorn today and ppppppsssssshhhhhhht all the air comes out.
"Oh maybe @crust didn't have a lot of tubeless fluid in it"
Ummmm that's a tube!!! Wtf. Wasn't expecting that.
So taped it up, threw in a valve and went to inflate it, nah, there's no way that XR4 is going up tubeless, it was barely touching the rim it was that loose. So threw an Argotal on there for now.
Thought, "I better tubeless the front while I'm here" got the air out, popped the bead, loads of tubeless fluid in there and no tube.
weeksy wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2025 6:20 pm
So taped it up, threw in a valve and went to inflate it, nah, there's no way that XR4 is going up tubeless, it was barely touching the rim it was that loose. So threw an Argotal on there for now.
Remember what I said about the plastic strips on Bontrager rims being specific for use with Bontrager tyres...?
Did one for a kid at Dyfi yesterday, he was trying to fit an Assegai with a Bonty strip! You can imagine how well that went.
I was out doing a run and another dad broke 3 levers lol
weeksy wrote: Sun Jan 19, 2025 6:20 pm
Lol pulled out a thorn today and ppppppsssssshhhhhhht all the air comes out.
"Oh maybe @crust didn't have a lot of tubeless fluid in it"
Ummmm that's a tube!!! Wtf. Wasn't expecting that.
So taped it up, threw in a valve and went to inflate it, nah, there's no way that XR4 is going up tubeless, it was barely touching the rim it was that loose. So threw an Argotal on there for now.
Thought, "I better tubeless the front while I'm here" got the air out, popped the bead, loads of tubeless fluid in there and no tube.
It goes well this thing. I threw an Argotal endurance on the front as the XR4 was a wizard sleeve. Couldn't be arsed faffing with it so just binned it.
Sunny out there today if a little chilly. But lovely to be out there in the sun rather than the rain
Spent the ride with some random XC race woman who i met, only did about 10 miles, but that was the plan for the day anyway as i'm off for 4 days riding now back-to-back, so didn't want to kill myself today.
I'm still wondering what's the Holy Grail in terms of tyres for the Fuel, the Argotal in that compound doesn't seem to be an issue, but i don't think it's quite as fast as the XR4 that was on there... but the XR4 as we know is no longer and no longer made... so still debating on rubber.
I had the wrong gloves for the morning commute as it was -4.4C according to my Garmin!
"Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?"
"My dear Doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
Still on the tyre debates, the mud seemed slower today than Sat, or maybe my legs or indeed maybe the Aggressor in DD.
Its 250gr heavier than the High Roller 2 which may also have affected it. But it's come off again and I've fitted the HR2.
In truth for drier times I think it'll be something like a Barzo going on there. But currently, I'd want a bit more grip than that.
Mr Moofo wrote: Wed Feb 26, 2025 11:19 am
^ the conditions are really sloppy. Anything feels like hard work
Ain't that the truth. I was confused as Sat wasn't a complete disaster in terms of trails (till the last 3km), but yesterday despite me not seeing any rain, seemed a LOT worse in terms of gloop and puddles... weird.
You're right though, it was hard work. I didn't bother today as it's lashing down so just jumped on Zwift.
Last night was vaguely dry on chalk tracks, but the dips in the South Downs were a slop fest. I strated a two wheel slide, thinking that the Pirellis / Michelin Wilds had become shit in mud. However the blocks on the tyres were full of slop!
Mr Moofo wrote: Wed Feb 26, 2025 2:18 pm
Last night was vaguely dry on chalk tracks, but the dips in the South Downs were a slop fest. I strated a two wheel slide, thinking that the Pirellis / Michelin Wilds had become shit in mud. However the blocks on the tyres were full of slop!
Downs local to me were drying out but they’re ruined now!
"Of all the stories you told me, which ones were true and which ones weren't?"
"My dear Doctor, they're all true."
"Even the lies?"
"Especially the lies."
This really does feel like the ultimate all-rounder. Today it was on a commute road job to collect the van, it's about 13-14 miles of undulating terrain with some steep hilly bits in there, the Fuel just goes and goes though, smooth as silk and really nice. Stick it on trails and it's great, take it to FoD and it's great. Possibly at somewhere like Dyfi it gets a bit out of it's depth, but heck, so do I, so that's all fair
Out chasing the Rail of @crust today on the local stuff. Trails were mostly great but some destroyed by winter horses, which is weird as I'm sure they've been ok in previous years. IMG_20250308_102739 by steveweeks59, on Flickr
IMG_20241212_093848 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr
