http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/ Epping Hard Cru en-us Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:56:54 GMT 1440 CPG-Nuke Dragonfly Epping Hard Cru News http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/images/ehclogo.gif http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/ http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/News/article/sid=36.html Well, after some extensive testing with it, i'm in two minds about it now! Initially, I had been testing it on the Inbred. A little fiddly lowering the saddle to start with, but that came a bit easier after a few rides. It's not the easiest post to 'drop', and requires you to be centred on the saddle when doing so, or the post binds (due to the inner post being octagonal). But it worked (with a little coaxing), and I was reasonably happy. Transferring it over to the GT (as that's the bike I would use it the most on), and it was a different story. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:56:54 GMT http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/News/article/sid=35.html Matt and I set off from Barkingside late on Sunday night in the Triton van. It’s a long old drive from where we’re based to Afan and Glyncorrwg in Wales but the riding is well worth it. Fast forward nearly 4 hours and we’re at Glyncorrwg Ponds Campsite and Mountain Bike Centre. After a long night of feeling like my toes were about to drop off from frostbite(Camping is definitely a summer time pursuit) we woke up to beautiful sunshine! Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:35:37 GMT http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/News/article/sid=34.html The weather and surface conditions were good for the first round of the Thetford Winter Series. After meeting up with Ham and a quick coffee at his Abbey residence we bombed up the M11 with only one wrong turn in Brandon to meet a smiley (but visibly recovering) Matt at the race site. Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:30:29 GMT http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/News/article/sid=33.html Luke and Matt hit Chicksands - check out the pics in the Gallery - Matt proved he is the man with the huge balls on the big ladder drop! - although he argues that Luke's riding of the high skinny was more ballsey - you decide! Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:45:23 GMT http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/News/article/sid=32.html See the Rides forum for report and the Gallery for some pics Sun, 23 Sep 2007 20:41:43 GMT http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/News/article/sid=31.html Frankly 10 cans of lager and 5 hours sleep is NOT the best preparation for a long distance ride of any description. Nevermind though - just think of the carb-loading! Headed up the A10, passing Ware just as the first rider was heading out on the Whitewebbs CC Open 25mTT. It wasn’t a 6am start after all, morelike 8am so there was no way I could ever have done both events. Without doubt I made the best choice. Just to recap, this was billed as a Cyclosportive with over 50% off-road on bridleways, by-ways. The route had a last-minute change so was clocked at 54.5miles. Tue, 04 Sep 2007 09:12:12 GMT http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/News/article/sid=30.html An Amputee and a Mountain Bike January 06 I had an operation on my ankle to lengthen every tendon to allow me to put my foot flat on the floor, this was a left over from a large accident I had in 1983 which left me as a RBK amputee and my left leg having loss of muscle and joint movement. After a second operation to treat the arthritis in the ankle and lots of physio it was time to sort my fitness out. I started at Redbridge Sport and Leisure Centre as the people where great and it was fully accessible, after 4 months I was talking to a friend at work about getting fit and he said “why not get a mountain bike, you love the countryside?” I laughed thinking to myself yea right like I could do that..... Fri, 24 Aug 2007 07:49:00 GMT http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/News/article/sid=29.html Er .... buy some ! Strong, light weight and they look pretty pimp too, fair enough they do get the rubbing marks from your shoes but then what cranks don't ? Im using saints with an MRP chain guard system and Easton Cully pedals .... Unbeatable set up, head out to the mountains or any other downhill place and see what others are using .... mostly the above. They are good value for money too cos bits are easily replaceable etc etc I like em, but i guess you can see that Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:00:10 GMT http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/News/article/sid=28.html The mecca for most mountain bikers and for good reason too. I have just come back from a 2 week holiday staying with Riders Retreat. 10 minutes from 2 different lifts taking you to an amazing amount of proper tracks and then those only used by the locals. Down the road (litterally a 15 minute downhill, off the breaks road run) is Morzine, again more lifts taking you to another bounty of trails. Take the Super Morzine lift, then another small lift, ride/push up for about 1/2 an hour and then rip it down past the French Cup Course, then get the lift up again ... You can get the lift at 10am and have lunch in Switzerland ... Random as that sounds its great fun to do ! Sat, 18 Aug 2007 18:56:44 GMT http://www.eppinghardcru.co.uk/News/article/sid=27.html I had the dream again. it's dusk, it's warm. I sling my leg over a beautiful black Santa Cruz industries 2000 Superlight .... three red blinking led lights come to life on the headtube.. A prissy anglo-american voice emits from the cunningly hidden speakers... "Good evening Michael- I trust you are well prepared for this evenings occasion?" "Good evening S.C.I.T.T - well I don't know about ready - I have forgotten my leather jacket, my haircut is wrong, I'm 2 feet too short and my name is not Michael. But if you are referring to the 12 hours worth of nightriding ahead of us then - yes, I am as ready as i'll ever be" Wed, 09 May 2007 23:10:11 GMT