Recommendations for mtb/emtb bells.

[Not_Fred_Honest]

Please dont...........

 

[Not_Fred_Honest]

Hornit db140 turn up today

That really is loud. I tested it on the kitchen table and it almost burst my ear drums

 

[Not_Fred_Honest]

I've come to the conclusion people are just azz holes and no matter what I do, they will always walk in front of me

I watched someone with a Airzound having the same problems.

​

It's too big for my ebike, but I did like the design

 

[Kev45]

Bedding in!

Now you would think you can just hop on your newly prepared emtb, and you are good to go, right?

Unfortunately, no, and bedding in your new brakes (similar to a car) correctly is one of the most important tasks.

Do NOT pelt down that steep slope in your local woods without first bedding in the brakes.

We bed in brakes to maximize performance and safety! Basically, what we are doing, is coating the brake rotor (disc) evenly with material from the pads. This (heat transfer) irons out any imperfections on the surface of the rotor caused in the manufacturing process and gives the brakes more 'bite' and therefore more stopping power.

A safer brake makes for a happier rider.

The best way to achieve this goal is straight forward. Simply ride to a moderate speed on a flat, smooth surface, 100–150 metres and then slow the bike with each individual brake to a walking speed, only using one brake at a time. Repeat for each brake 20–30 times, although some manufactures recommend up to 50 times.

Do not come to a complete stop, just firmly slow down each run.

Now there are many different pads and rotor sizes etc to choose from, but that is a whole new conversation.

Happy riding on your newly bedded in brakes!

 

[Kev45]

I hope everyone is keeping as warm as they can!

Cycle helmets!

Always maintain your helmet, wash with warm water and towel dry.

If it has a removable liner, chuck it in the washing machine, a smelly helmet doesn't make for a comfortable ride.

Always make sure your new helmet is CE safety marked, do not buy a second hand helmet, although there might not be any visible signs of a crash helmets are only designed (most) to absorb the impact for a single crash.

Happy helmeting!

 

[Not_Fred_Honest]

Kev missed quite a lot again

This is the one I use.

Tone from specialized​

Now you could ask why I spent so much on a helmet?





You can buy one from Halfords for £15, its just the same right?

Well no. It needs to have MIPS

The other thing your paying for is weight. Cheap helmets are heaver and hard to get a fit and that matters.

If your on a mountain bike one of the best helmets around is Bell Sixer MIPS. Its just under 400g and with two layers of EPS and a MIPS liner. These sell for about £60 in the UK.

But what about the kids? You will pay more for a good kids helmet.

Fox Mainframe Youth MIPS MTB Helmet Flo Red​

I hate to say this but kids fall off there bikes all the time and more likely to do something stupide
After looking around online I was surprised to see how many kids helmets were being sold without Mips.

If your looking for a Chrissy present this year for the kids, it mite be a good idea to buy a good Mips cycle helmet for them

 

[Kev45]

An icy cold good morning to you.

Now I take out two large athletic dogs for an evening ride in the winter at least twice a week, occasionally more and sometimes less. I live in a semi-rural area, and good quality cycle lights are a must-have! It is also basic good manners to carry a torch in general and or have dog lights clipped to collars etc during a walk, simply because your dog might be friendly but theirs might not. It also, of course, makes your pet more visible to car drivers etc and easier to doggy bag their evil smelling muck.

A visible dog saves any random drama you might encounter in the dark, right?

Anyway, the part on and mainly off-road course I (we) ride is predetermined and just over a mile and a half longish, and I (we) will always do two complete circuits and occasionally more depending on the weather conditions. I always use two lights, a more powerful one on the handlebars with a wide spread for the beam which lights up a large area and a less powerful one on my helmet with a narrower, more focussed beam which has more range but doesn't light up as large an area. I find this combination hits the nighttime riding visibility sweet spot. A helmet light is always a good option for nighttime riding off-road (and on) because the beam follows where you are actually looking rather than just the direction the bike is travelling in.

This helps enormously when you are traversing rough terrain in the dark with lots of muddy ruts and holes and a winding trail with sharp corners, and we don't want to be riding into potentially hazardous muddy ruts and holes in the dark, when the safety of the dog/s (and ours) is paramount, do we.

I won't recommend any specific brands because there are so many different ones in the market, simply buy one that suits your style of riding and spend as much as you can afford. I find even the modern cheaper brands are reliable and in my experience the electronics or the batteries (if they are built in) will fail long before the actual bulb does, and modern Cree bulbs will last for years without failure.

Amazon (or eBay) is a good place to check out customer feedback for a particular product (recommendations) even if you don't use the site to buy.

Happy nighttime riding, and stay safe out there

 

[Not_Fred_Honest]

You really shouldn't run dogs, can it mess up their joints depending on the bred.
Dogs should be walked only !!!!

If you want to take your dog cycling with you, get a seat !!!

 

[Kev45]

Riding companion.

Choose who you go for a ride with, with care. If your neighbour irritates you chatting over the garden fence, then he/she/they will most definitely irritate you when you are tired, wet, and hungry, during and after a 40-mile bike ride on a cold day in the mud and the driving rain.

You know the sort I mean, if your cycle shoes cost x amount then theirs were obviously more expensive. If your lights are 1400 lumens, then theirs are, 1600. If your water bottle holds 1 litre, theirs holds 1.2. The ones who have no real experience at all and bullshitters who don't even understand the basics, they believe that a pedal strike is a sexually transmitted disease. They moan like Jeremy Clarkson on a farmer's protest when they get a single spec of mud on their bloated, blotchy, permanently red faces.

The ones who brag in the pub afterwards that they were always in front, as if they were leading the Light Brigade charging against a Russian artillery battery at Balaklava in 1854. Neglecting to mention that the riders behind them deliberately slowed down so that they didn't have to listen to their endless boasting and their incessant high pitched whining.

Happy companioning out there!

 

[Kev45]

Here is the bike I ride when I am riding in bear country in Pendle Hill, guys.