Santa Cruz Tallboy CC Demo Ride at 18 Bikes Hope

Having recently become increasingly interested in mountain biking the logical progression is to owning a full suspension mountain bike. In honesty there's a huge variety of what's on offer on the marketplace so it makes sense to get a feeling for just what I want before making any big decisions.

When we heard 18 Bikes at Hope in the Peak District were doing a Santa Cruz Demo Day last weekend  it sounded like a great opportunity to try something new.

The Santa Cruz Tallboy at 18 Bikes Hope

As someone who's been a road rider for years and genuinely likes those long winter mileage sessions exploring I suppose the logical progression for me is either going to be into either cross country racing or the longer distances of mtb marathon events. That draws me away from the current Enduro trend and more towards a bike with a sensible amount of travel. Nino Schurters World Championship winning Scott features 120 mm of travel at the rear so something with similar makes sense. Though having never ridden a full suspension bike before one of the big questions was just whether it would make a difference.

DMT WM1 Nix Winter Mountain Bike Shoe Review

Winter is a great time of the year for cycling. The worst bit is the extra needs it puts onto your kit just to be able to ride. Sometimes your regular stuff can still be used, within reason but when winter strikes it's often your extremities that get hit hard with the cold. That's where winter cycling shoes can provide some assistance. In summer you're looking for ventilation, whereas winter requires a further layer of protection from the elements.

High visibility DMT Nix WM1 Winter MTB Shoes

Having recently taken the plunge and ordered a pair of winter mountain bike shoes it seemed fair to share my findings. One of the first pair of real high end road cycling shoes I owned were a pair of DMT Ultimax's. Regularly seen in the professional peloton they lasted four years of heavy abuse whilst road racing and were only retired after I broke the ratchet system in a racing incident.

DMT shoes always look fast. The company seem pretty selective with the Pro riders they sponsor. a degree of exclusivity seems to work for them with Elia Viviani their current poster rider. Although in the past they've worked with my all time god- Super Mario Cipollini, Phillipe Gilbert and MTB racer Periklis Ilias.

For Winter riding I treated myself to a pair of DMT Nix Winter MTB shoes although the same model is advertised on the DMT website as the DMT WM1 for £75.

The styling is as classy as DMT has ever been with a double Boa (TM) fastening system which will suit those numb hands for easier tightening. I have quite narrow feet and whilst the dials will go pretty tight the front of the foot is a shade on the wide side for me. It's not really an issue for general riding but if I was going to use the shoes for say cyclocross racing I would ideally want a shoe that fits tighter around my feet.

Being in stealth black they're not going to conflict with your bike or kit choices and they look a very nice piece of kit for the £75 I paid. Out on rides I've had a number of envious comments whilst out on the roads so the styling seems to be very agreeable. They're arguably the best looking winter cycling shoe I've seen and available in both MTB and road cycling versions.

If you're a commuter looking for a winter cycling shoe the DMT Nix / WM1 could be ideal. They feature a broad range of reflective features. With the detailing of the DMT logo to the side being highly reflective along with the front and rear straps designed for ease of entry. If you're looking for shoes to help you be seen on those evening rides the Nix could well be what you're after,

Aside from the wide forefoot my main gripe is the rigidity of the sole. It feels rather flexible. So flexible that they'd actually be a consideration for cyclocross events where I know there's going to be some running. They're not designed as a high performance racing shoe but I might have expected a little more rigidity.

I also would have liked to have seen a little more aggressive tread pattern to the sole. There's the option of fitting studs up front however in thick glutinous mud if you spin out on a climb you need something to really dig into the ground to help you power your way upwards.

The DMT Nix is a great looking shoe although I think more a spring- autumn shoe than full on winter. I have a tendancy to wear them with overshoes for extra warmth of late although temperatures have been very close to freezing and below. I'd rather have toasty feet in the Peak District 30 miles from home than be in pain from more than just the climbing.

Mudguard Review- BBB Grand Protect XL 29er Rear Fender

Winter can be pretty harsh on your bike when you factor in a combination of the traditional British wet weather and living in a heavily forested area like Sherwood Forest. Therefore a degree of protection is in order for riding the mountain bike throughout winter.

For that reason I recently purchased a BBB Grand Protect XL rear mud guard for the 29er Mountain Bike. (BFD-14R). At around a tenner off eBay I decided to take a chance having only ever used one of the original Crud Guard rear fenders on an MTB years ago.

The BBB Grand Protect XL Rear Mudguard BFD-14R on the 29er

I particularly liked the idea of having something I could easily remove for when transporting the bike in the car. The Grand Protect features a quick release easy locking system which is supposedly suitable for seat posts 25.0- 34.9 mm in diameter so should suit the gross majority of bikes. I can also easily transfer it to my cyclocross bike for the occasions when I fancy some protection.

Above is my first attempt at mounting. From a first ride test after heavy rain I found that pretty much all the rear spray that I would be subjected to was removed from mid thigh upwards. The adjust ability of the BBB rear fender means that I should now be able to raise the height of the seat post clamp and angle the fender closer to the bridge between the seat stays for better coverage above the knee.

The Grand Protect is made from a lightweight composite material. The flap itself is relatively sturdy although the connection between clamp and flap is where I feel the mud guard is let down as there is some flex and visible movement whilst riding. It's not noticeable unless you look behind you however a more robust production would help to resolve this and by reducing the vibration sent through the connector I suspect would increase longevity.

After a first 20 mile test ride around the trails of Clumber Estate I was relatively pleased to have a dry behind and the product stayed in exactly the position I originally set it up. It was also barely noticeable whilst riding which bodes well for a winter of abuse.

So far it's doing it's job and for a tenner I cannot grumble too much. Lets see how it copes with a winter of riding as so far my only main issue has been with cyclocross-style dismounts I often clip the top of the mudguard with my leg. 

Cycling the Dukeries Trail. Warsop to Fledborough Viaduct

A Cycling Adventure in Sherwood Forest and North Nottinghamshire

It's nice to go on an adventure once in a while and now Jemma's getting towards Coast 2 Coast distances on the bike it seemed like the perfect opportunity to cycle a big section of the relatively new Dukeries Trail that runs from the Nottinghamshire-Derbyshire border towards central Lincoln. Some sections are a little rugged so knobbly tyres or semi-slicks on a mountain bike or hybrid are ideal.

We started out from Warsop, joinng the trail in the heart of Sherwood Forest although the official start is by the station in Shirebrook before heading through the Carrs into Warsop. The Dukeries Trail is a nice multi-user route that's quiet, relatively traffic free and offers the chance to explore much of North Nottinghamshire.


In Warsop we headed up Hetts Lane and then onto Burns lane before swinging a right by Assarts Farm and onto a rough Bridleway that takes us into the legendary Sherwood Forest from Gleadthorpe to Boundary Plantation where at the crossroads we took a left to join National Cycle Route 6 to Hazel Gap.

We always see a group of twitchers out at Hazel Gap with more money's worth of camera's, lenses and binoculars than we have invested in our bikes. No matter how much we try to persuade them we simply can't price from them just what they're looking at.

From Hazel Gap there's a bit of a climb up to the crossing with the A616 so care must be taken here but the section through Gibraltar Plantation is a nice excuse to push on through a relatively straight, flat section that offers a few kinks in the trail that can be taken at speed. The trail narrows before you cross the road again following the trail through the edges of Clumber Park.

Jemma cycling through Bevercotes

The trail through Clumber Park is nice and wide although part of the trail forms a link in the cycling network within Clumber so be prepared for families out for a gentle ride or walk along the multi-user trail.

As we exited Clumber out across the A614 we crossed the main road and joined a quiet country lane which felt a world away from the main road. We passed the 'Nodding Donkey' in the field beside the lane. A showcase of the quality of the land beneath the area from which high quality oil is extracted.

The Dukeries trail now took us via quiet roads through the village of Bothamsall before cutting through the old colliery grounds on a traffic free bridleway to the quiet but affluent village of Bevercotes.

A turn right uphill took us past Milton Mausoleum. This is the mausoleum of the Duchess of Newcastle who passed away in 1822 and is a remarkable building.

Cycling past Milton Mausoleum on the Dukeries Trail

The trail then took us through West Markham as it diverted away from the busier B1164 road crossing the A1 twice before a roller coaster of a hill into Tuxford. Tuxford ishome to a beautifully restored windmill which is also home to a tea room and is a great place to stop for a cuppa and reflect on your journey so far. Sadly for us the windmill was closed, despite it being a Saturday. They're usually open 10-4 except Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I'm sure we'll head there for a coffee at some point.

Tuxford Windmill Tearoom. Sadly closed for us!

We followed the main road through Tuxford and turned right on the edge of the village up past the school and a camp site on outskirt of the village descending gently before darting underneath the railways.

Tuxford village, Nottinghamshire

After the railway bridge we quickly took a right turn up a single track road before being signposted straight on along a byway. The route guide which we weren't reading at the time advises that cyclists might wish to take the next section on foot and we could quickly see why as this was no more than a rough, heavily divoted track where sections of trail often simply disappeared from underneath you and wasn't a particularly nice experience. A clever look at the map on the return leg allowed us to divert away from this section of the route.

Upon leaving the rough byway we were spat out at the road into Fledborough.A quick glance right and we saw the track down onto the old railway line which now forms a big part of the Dukeries trail heading due east almost into the centre of Lincoln on a stone path suitable for mountain bikes and hybrids. I had hoped it might be paved so I could utilise the River Trent crossing as part of routes but I'll have to stick to Dunham Bridge and Newark in future.

We followed the trail past the now defunct Fledborough station sign on the track along to Fledborough Viaduct where we stopped and turned back on ourselves

Radon ZR Race 6.o outside Fledborough Station on the Dukeries Trail

Fledborough Viaduct over the River Trent

Fledborough Viaduct has a total of 814m in length which is over twice as long as the better known (and much taller) Ribblehead Viaduct. Apparently it took over 9 million bricks in it's construction at a meagre cost of £65000 which would be millions in today's money.

From the Fledborough Viaduct we re-traced our steps back to Warsop to log some pretty significant mileage in preparation for the upcoming Coast 2 Coast  event and had a nice afternoon ride in the sunshine.

A real Banksy spotted on the edge of Sherwood Forest?

New Bike and Some Fun at Cardinham Woods

When you're heading from Nottingham to Newquay for a holiday there's a risk that if you leave too late you'll hit all the traffic. Though if you do as we did and leave Nottingham at 2 AM there's the issue of what to do before you can check into your accommodation. I've found a great way to fill that time is to head to Cardinham Woods, 45 minutes drive from Newquay and hit the trails

Now the leg is healing it's time for me to have some fun and while I'm not up to running long distances and comfortable dealing with the trails on foot I'm fit enough now to get back onto the bike which has always been my main passion.  

Tackling the Bodmin Beast Run at Cardinham Woods

It's not every day your new bike arrives and it's just before you go away. That called for a potential opportunity to test out the bike on holiday. The question was where?

The Radon ZR Race 6.0 at Cardinham Woods, Bodmin

The joy of google meant that a few choice Internet searches drew me to Bodmin and Cardinham Woods. Home of the Bodmin Beast MTB route. Only a blue route from the information on the 1SW website but from a little further research this looked to be no ordinary blue run.

Cardinham is fortunately a short 45 minute drive from Newquay so a no brainer for anyone taking their mountain bike down to the area.