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It's now three days until we leave to go to Wales for two weeks. To be honest I've not been this excited about a holiday for a long while. This is probably down to the amount of mountain biking I have got planned. I've recently been kitting out both the Scott and the Giant with replacement parts to get them fighting fit. You may ask, why both bikes? Well, after evaluating the state of my dad's 1999 Specialized Rockhopper it became apparent that he would stand little chance of staying alive if he tried to ride it down MT Snowdon therefore I've decided to lend him my Scott for the holiday, coz I'm nice like that.
New tyres, cassette and chain were needed for the Scott to convince my dad that it would be safe enough to ride down some big ass mountains. For the tyres I just played it safe and went for Panaracer Fire XC Pros which are what was already on the bike. I did this because I have bad memories of buying different tyres right before holiday then realising that sellotaping bread to my rims would have been a better solution! I usually have no luck when choosing tyres so when I find a good one I tend to stick with it. Unfortunately these new Panaracers are not the red sidewall ones but I couldn't turn down the amazing deal that Merlin Cycles were doing.
The drivetrain were pretty knackered and jumpy so I bought a Shimano Deore HG-50 cassette and a KMC X9 chain which has solved the problem. I don't quite know why but I was sent a HG-61 cassette instead of the HG-50 that I ordered. I seem to get lucky often when I buy things online.
The Scott is now 90% perfect. My only problem with it is the back brake. It won't stop squealing! I've tried literally everything to get it working so any suggestions are welcome. By the way, it's a Shimano BR-M485.
The Giant would have been fine to ride but I had a little spare change and well, my feet do slip off the pedals quite often in the wet so I treat myself to some nice new ones. They are by a brand called HT Components and are available from Ready to Ride Cycles for £38 just in case anyone wants a pair. They arrived in the post this morning and I rather eagerly fitted them then went for a little test ride. When coupled with my Shimano AM40 MTB shoes they grip like hell! Only problem is, when my feet eventually loose grip it's going to hurt. Luckily when the pins become lost under the flesh in my shins they can be easily replaced so that's good to know.
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Now that the bikes are clean and mechanically ready. I need to make sure I'll be riding them as fast as I can which is why I've bought these:
Hopefully these little sports drink tablets should keep me hydrated and able to tackle MT Snowdon and the endless surrounding trails.
That's it really. I shall report back in a few weeks concluding whether it was a great success or with me on the wrong side of a big mountain with several broken bones.
