papa44 profile

Ahahha I’ve been told to ditch the ardents for Assegai / DHR before so I’ll probably stop being obstinate and invest in what seems to be the One True Tyre Combo. What about compounds though I never really understood the cryptic descriptions?

Infidel! Although I have ridden Chamonix on cantis which probably explains my awe of how good modern brakes are. I will try some of these modern tyres you talk of and see what I think. I currently have high roller 2s on one hardtail and ardents on the other but I can’t tell the difference or work out what I should be running. Any suggestions greatly appreciated

I’m going to have to say that I rate brake pads over tyres. Granted it’s harder to get wrong and they work to the last rather than run down but my god, get some crap or contaminated brake pads off and freshies on and you’ll find god or whatever you believe in. Can I get an amen?

never say “last run”

I remember, after having a big crash involving broken bones on a bmx in a concrete bowl, having a similarly themed middle aged conversation with a friend and excellent bmxer, to which he simply replied, “well you don’t have to go mad do you?” A fair point well made

Yeah definitely give them props for the details like the spokes, I wish I had the resources to go so hard on my bikes. I’d probably never ride it though

I was sure that Druid was going to be a production privée, they really own the race car mtb paint job scene

I’m gonna go with both my Wera Allen key set and screwdriver (the one with the bits in the handle). They are the two tools I sadly also take on holiday and consider them a minimum, I would throw in a Stanley knife and a notebook but surely that’s just the second step of getting dressed in the morning and doesn’t even need mentioning, imagine walking around all day not being able to cut something or take a note? Madness. Definitely fancy a pair of those Knipex though, they look potentially life changing in the same way owning my first pair of proper wire strippers was, wiring anything is a joy with the right strippers

Can’t believe I’ve made it 45 years without this happening before, even in the old bmx 100psi days. It’s now become another thing I am unduly paranoid about. I’ll probably end up wearing ear defenders whenever I air up “just in case”.

two days ago I had a leaky tire so put an inner tube in it as the grip was still good, while pumping it up to seat the bead the tube burst at about 60psi and perforated my eardrum. Bloody painful.