Old blokes who should know better.....

dobbyhasfriends

🌹Old Bloke 🎸
Subscriber
Sep 19, 2019
3,259
4,647
Llandovery, Wales
A couple of days ago I went for a solo lap or 2 of the Tunstall and Rendlesham Viking trail, decided as there was no one about to avoid the pits, and was really flying, especially when I decided to jump from a bank. Next thing I was on the deck having landed mostly on my thigh, and quickly realised that my thumb was not allowing me to get the glove off, it was dislocated. Another 2 miles riding along twisty, bumpy up and down single track riding one handed, hardly able to bend my left leg was fun. Then off to A & E, had 1st x-ray on my thumb and was awaiting one for my leg which had swelled to a pro-cyclist size, sitting in the waiting room I fainted, I came around with loads of nurses around me helping me onto a trolley, it was then that I was told that I would be there sometime as there was a possibility of a brain injury........a grand day out!!!
riding alone is ok but not the best in these circumstances !! GWS bud...

we clearly need a "HALL OF MEAT" thread..
 

dobbyhasfriends

🌹Old Bloke 🎸
Subscriber
Sep 19, 2019
3,259
4,647
Llandovery, Wales
This video has nothing to do with riding aside from the fact that this is how I afford to buy an e-bike - along with giving up drinking, which is another very expensive hobby :D

why a work video? well I have been so busy that I've not been able to ride and I find that a little depressing, its easy to get resentful that you're not doing the things you want but I find its better to be grateful that you have enough work and when the time comes, you will get back on the trails.

 

Jackware

Fat-tyred Freakazoid
Subscriber
Oct 30, 2018
2,106
2,323
Lancashire
Very impressive Old Bloke, how you keep track of what pipe goes where, especially when working in an old property, is incredible, at least sparkies get different colours to give them clues!
Defo want a follow up ??
 

dobbyhasfriends

🌹Old Bloke 🎸
Subscriber
Sep 19, 2019
3,259
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Llandovery, Wales
Nice Job Dobby ! Why did you use the pliers on the thread before you wrapped the locktite round it ??
thats pretty observant...
have you ever wrapped a thread with PTFE and then when you wind it in, the fitting turns but the thread tape stays still ?
this 'roughing up' of the threads enables the tape to grip on the threads and not slip.. cos slippy = drippy
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
14,056
20,854
Brittany, France
thats pretty observant...
have you ever wrapped a thread with PTFE and then when you wind it in, the fitting turns but the thread tape stays still ?
this 'roughing up' of the threads enables the tape to grip on the threads and not slip.. cos slippy = drippy
Cool ! I did wonder if that's what it was. Generally I use the loctite "thread" which is a bit like the old hemp wrap which swells if it gets wet and seals or the loctite goopy liquid stuff which sort of bonds together the metal to metal threads (no good on plastic), though can be a bit harder to crack loose - can't remember the numbers of the two, I'd have to look in the van... But the same thing would apply as I have seen the "thread" slipping in the past .. nice tip.
 

dobbyhasfriends

🌹Old Bloke 🎸
Subscriber
Sep 19, 2019
3,259
4,647
Llandovery, Wales
Cool ! I did wonder if that's what it was. Generally I use the loctite "thread" which is a bit like the old hemp wrap which swells if it gets wet and seals or the loctite goopy liquid stuff which sort of bonds together the metal to metal threads (no good on plastic), though can be a bit harder to crack loose - can't remember the numbers of the two, I'd have to look in the van... But the same thing would apply as I have seen the "thread" slipping in the past .. nice tip.
yes I use the thread too - its loctite 55 here and comes like a PTFE coated cotton thread. others are available but they arent usually coated and used by the fire supression systems for higher pressures.
the gloopy stuff is loctite 577 and is good for use on kerosene systems as well as normal plumbing.
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
14,056
20,854
Brittany, France
yes I use the thread too - its loctite 55 here and comes like a PTFE coated cotton thread. others are available but they arent usually coated and used by the fire supression systems for higher pressures.
the gloopy stuff is loctite 577 and is good for use on kerosene systems as well as normal plumbing.
.
Smart arse... (y)

IMG_20210515_171143.jpg
 

Mustard

New Member
Nov 9, 2020
10
12
London
how many of those are there on here? quite a few is the impression I get..
anyway, I am definitely an 'old bloke who should know better' and having recently got back into biking after about 15 years off with only the occasional local ride, ive found that a lot has changed.. bikeparks are a big thing now but last time I was riding a lot, aston hill was the only one I had heard of and been to.

anyway, I've never jumped or dropped off unless these were natural trail features that you could occasionally session and when I bought my e-bike I had no intention of going to a bikepark..

anyway, I went to cwm rhaedr and did a few laps which was ok but I am still more of an adventure rider and didn't really enjoy it but then @Kiwi in Wales showed me around brechfa and I had a ride in the surrey hills which were both fun so now I wanna try a bikepark! ive watched a load of videos and if you cant jump I don't reckon you'll get as much out of the day at the park then if you could..
so I thought I would try it, looked on youtube, found instructions, made a kicker ramp and tried it out..

out of interest, how many out there are like me, either older or back after a break etc.. i've seen a lot of guys on youtube that seem to have come to biking late in life, they don't have any basic skills at all and I just wonder if they are the type of kids that weren't allowed a bike as a kid (yes they exist) and are now having to learn everything from scratch...

anyway, started a separate channel from the guitars and uploaded my first vid.. take a look if you have 2 mins cos I while I didnt die or anything, I wasnt exactly smooth and all jumping help and advice is welcome...

Nice little tip for those needing those certain techniques, which IMO is very important, as you never know when your call upon them riding certain areas, pump just before hitting ramp and try to grip your flats to lift the back up, try bunny hops, see if you can lift it , as helps when you come across debris on trails , pumping and lifting will give you more airtime and potentially get you out of trouble, good video ?
 

dobbyhasfriends

🌹Old Bloke 🎸
Subscriber
Sep 19, 2019
3,259
4,647
Llandovery, Wales
Didn't want to leave the house cos I was just too tired from working but Dane made me and thank God he did too cos I had a great time!
We both got skinned by Pepsi the trail dog but I definitely felt a lot better after making the effort but poor ol Dane was feeling it.. sorry mate!

sometimes its really bloody hard to motivate yourself to get on the bike and Dane got me out... so when you're feeling decent, hit your mates up and get them out too !!!! the results are invariably the same if you do, you end up feeling better! e-bikes rule.

 
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RustyIron

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
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Jun 5, 2021
1,867
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La Habra, California
along with giving up drinking, which is another very expensive hobby :D

Have you lost your mind, man? Giving up drinking? Madness!!!

I watched much of your video. Piping videos aren't nearly as entertaining as mountain bike videos, but your work is pretty. I was especially impressed about 17 minutes in, where you solder in a piece of copper that's bent like spaghetti. I didn't even know you could bend copper pipe. I used to be adequate with EMT, but that was a long time ago. If I ever have a need, I'll definitely try bending copper.
 

dobbyhasfriends

🌹Old Bloke 🎸
Subscriber
Sep 19, 2019
3,259
4,647
Llandovery, Wales
Hmm... a tiny falling rate single pivot mtb with a terrible underdamped coil shock, elastomer sprung air damped fork and absolutely awful geometry... what's not to love, eh?

:unsure:
oh its an appalling riding machine.. I never said it was good :D
dunno if you remember but in the time that the entry level of a FS bike was a grand (marin east peak etc) this was about £600 ! it was a bargain and to be fair, so were a lot of the other offerings with their terrible geo and the tyres are mythos 1.95 and on a 26 inch wheel they look tiny :D
 

kjneil77

New Member
Jun 9, 2021
6
8
US
The best way for me was to ride with better riders that push your boundaries at the pace your comfortable with . Once you’ve landed a jump that you’ve been dodging you think “ what was I scared of “ !

Guilty here! hahaha I've had a pretty serious car accident back in 2017 which had me end up doing months of PT somehow that experience of bones healing and clavicle fusing back together lingered at the back of my head and made me hesitate to do some jumps and drops, HOWEVER you are so right! riding with the right group and my bestfriend who's not afraid to eat dirt :ROFLMAO: helped me enjoy this facet of MTB'ing - now I can't even go to a bike park without spending play time at the pumptracks or trying to land effortlessly on a tabletop! Have funbut ride safe!
 

Gary

Old Tartan Bollocks
Author
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Mar 29, 2018
10,496
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the internet
It was only a bargain if you were clueless.
Back then A Giant ATX970 was also sub £600 with better level of components and a half decent suspension design
Those Marins were also awful

I still ride 26" wheels on my Enduro bike, DH bike and 4X hardtail.
 

dobbyhasfriends

🌹Old Bloke 🎸
Subscriber
Sep 19, 2019
3,259
4,647
Llandovery, Wales
out yesterday in the heat (even in Wales) with the rapid @Kiwi in Wales..
now don't let this old bloke fool you, he will calmly point the way to the next trail and then bugger off into the distance :D
I got an absolute ton of footage and tried to keep the video length down but this is a good representation of Brechfa and the nearby windfarm area.

 

dobbyhasfriends

🌹Old Bloke 🎸
Subscriber
Sep 19, 2019
3,259
4,647
Llandovery, Wales
and just like that, for no good reason, there goes my riding this weekend..
I dont know if anyone has experienced this but I had really painful knees after one particular ride where my kneepads seemed to be interfering with the movement of my kneecap, that was about a month ago and ive not recovered from it.
bought new kneepads and hoping that after some rest, that will cure the problem.

1625342297520.png
 

#lazy

E*POWAH BOSS
Oct 1, 2019
1,413
1,547
Surrey
and just like that, for no good reason, there goes my riding this weekend..
I dont know if anyone has experienced this but I had really painful knees after one particular ride where my kneepads seemed to be interfering with the movement of my kneecap, that was about a month ago and ive not recovered from it.
bought new kneepads and hoping that after some rest, that will cure the problem.

View attachment 65846
It could be but probably isn’t anything to do with the pads ……….2 nil ????
 

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