Big Mountains

Hello,

I've not been able to update on here for a while due to college commitments. First of all, Snowdon was awesome. The descents, the views, the climbs. It was all more spectacular than I've experienced before. Me and my dad woke up at about half five in the morning to conquer the mountain. This is because it was about a 45 - 60 minute drive to Llanberis and in the summer there is a cycling ban on the mountain between 9AM and 5PM. We set off ascending the Llanberis path, the easiest but longest was well suited for riding up. It was the sort of ascent where I just stick it in granny gear and slog it out. Surprisingly I wasn't too tired when we reached the top. Maybe it was the adrenaline kicking in ready for the descent, or the immense views from the summit, I didn't know.

We sat and ate and drank some of our rations while the wind was down. We took the Ranger path for the descent which my dad was less pleased with. He thought it was unrideable but I proved him wrong. The reason I wanted to use this path is because it is more technical than the Llanberis path and it is the one which MBR magazine recommended. The Ranger path was very rocky to the point where your wheels would just slide around underneath you. I can't begin to imagine how difficult it would be in the winter when parts are iced over. I found myself going off massive drops and over really techy terrain where I otherwise wouldn't even attempt.

We managed to break away from the Ranger path at around 9AM onto a Bridleway taking us back to Llanberis allowing us to ride in a big loop. This bridleway was a long flowing piece of natural singletrack which was a great contrast from the rocky steep nature of the Ranger path.

Anyway, here's some pictures and a video.

Getting ready to hit the trails in Wales!

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.

Shiny New bits!

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.

Thiiiiiinnn!!

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.

Holiday!

Recently we've booked a family holiday to Wales. We'll be staying in the Snowdonia area which should be good for mountain biking. I've been wanting to do some big mountain adventure cycling for a while now and hopefully I should be able to in Wales. I've been doing a bit of research regarding Mt Snowdon and how accessible it is to mountain bikers. I'd love to be able to ride up and down it. We'll also be near the Coed Y Brenin trail center, so I'll have to check that out as well.

First of all though I'll have to sort my bike out. The fork is due a service, the hubs a feeling slightly stiff and the bottom bracket needs to be replaced some time in the near future. I can't wait for this holiday, I just hope that the weather will be good and my bike in good working order!

Here's a video of some of the riding up Mount Snowdonia and other parts of wales, enjoy!



Happy Trails!