Typical british summer – gloomy skies but dry & mild.

This is looking up the Carding Mill Valley path near the top of the valley. The path is wide and of neutral camber with the only features being agressively sharp edged rain channels. Most of the corners are fast & blind with little traction available from the loose pebble surface. I didn’t find the descent particularly interesting and actually felt rather antisocial due to the many walkers I had to pass. This is the busiest valley on the Long Mynd, one thats best left for walking, in my opinion.

Urgh!

This fine beast strolled over to watch me sort the puncture.

Went for a ride on the Long Mynd in Shropshire yesterday. It was nice to get away from the stinging nettles which overgrow the bridleways on my local loop this time of year.

The Long Mynd is a sort of plateau of heather moorland (about 8×5km in area), south of Shrewsbury in the Shropshire hills. It’s reminiscent of the gritstone moors of the Peak District but without the crags or scale. Much of the land is owned by The National Trust so is open to roam on foot but there are also many bridleways & green lanes for riding.

I parked near Plowden, on the southern tip and rode (and walked) up through the forest towards the Gliding Club airfield. The path down Minton Batch valley starts near here @ SO405919 (datum = OSGB36).

What a natural looking field and such variety in the cows. They looked happy and the calves were cute. Kudos to the farmer.

I stopped for lunch under this bonsai looking hawthorn tree. This is looking down the upper part of Minton Batch.

The first km of the path was quite narrow with constant corners, dips, rises & exposed rock providing interest.

The descent was also steep enough to go as fast as I dared without needing to pedal, which came as a welcome rest after the punishing ascent earlier. It was a quiet, weekday afternoon so I only met 1 group of walkers on the way down (who politely stepped up off the path so I could ride past, thankyou!).

Well, I’ve ridden about 70 miles on the new Kona and, after lots of small adjustments, feel I’ve got the saddle height just right for maximum pedaling efficiency, (when the pedals are furthest away, my legs are almost straight).  This means a high saddle though, not great for hanging over the rear wheel on steep descents – getting smacked in the chest on 1′ dropoffs limits the fun somewhat. I’d like to mark the high position on the seatpost so I can drop it when needed, then raise it directly back to my high position afterwards. Maybe I’ll find an ideal low position too?

Here’s how I did it:

1. Wound some masking tape around the stem of the seatpost, just above the frame.

2. Took the seatpost out and wound a second band of masking tape where the frame would be. Sanded the the black painted/anodised layer just enough for the metal to show. (I used 240 grit carbide paper)

3. You can see the advisory maximum extension marks in this photo. I’ve pulled the seatpost out a bit to show the new mark. It really stands out and won’t wear off.

I’ve read suggestions of scoring the tube for this purpose but that would surely weaken it.

Love these guy’s style. Looks like a Scandinavian flick at 0:13!

Got a new bike this week!

I used to ride a full suspension bike but it always felt sluggish to pedal. It’s only benefit was you could stay sat over moderately rough ground. It was heavy too. So I’ve gone back to hardtail.

And wow, I’m glad I did. It feels so much faster. The transfer of power from the pedal is noticably quicker than my full sus, providing instant acceleration. It climbs better too. The Kona headtube angle is a little slacker than some, so the front doesn’t come off the ground as readily. Having the saddle back over the wheel puts more weight at the rear, which will reduce the rear tyre slipping on climbs.

The Cinder Cone seems to be a wise buy for a cheap but ‘proper’ mountain bike. The frame is well made and sturdy enough for trails & endurance riding but not as delicate as a pure XC model, such as the Kona Kula series. The components are adequate considering the price, but are generally heavier/ less precise than the best available. Its not the lightest bike of it’s type but, no doubt, the bike’s weight will drop, as worn components are replaced with higher spec parts.

Specifications:

Weight (19″ frame) = 13.6kg 30lb

Frame tubing = Kona All-Mountain Aluminum Butted

Fork = RockShox Dart 3 w/Lockout 100mm

Crankarms = FSA Apha Drive Exo Powerdrive

B/B = FSA Powerdrive

Freewheel =  Shimano Deore (11-32, 9 Speed)

F/D=  Shimano Deore

R/D = Shimano LX

Shifters = Shimano Deore

Handlebar =  Kona Aluminum Riser

Stem =  Kona Control

Brakes = Hayes Stroker Ryde Hydraulic V6

Front Hub =  KK Disc

Rear Hub = Shimano M475 Disc

Tires = Maxxis Ignitor 26 x 2.1

Rims = Sun Black Eye

Saddle = WTB Speed V Sport SE

Seatpost = Kona Thumb