Last night I joined a local MTB group for a thrash around the local trails. Given that I haven't got a (working) mountain bike (and because I am a bit otherwise), I took the proto out.
It was a bit mad getting out there. Despite trying to leave a lot of time, I ended up leaving my flat 2 mins before the meet time, making a madcap dash through Bath traffic (and possibly breaking a rule or two on the way).
For the outing, I took the bike out with the Alfine, belt and a pair of Conti Speed Kings; so I was a little apprehensive when I saw that most of the early arrivals were on serious looking full sussers - "Hmmm ... was I going to regret this?"
They are a great bunch of people and I felt at home from the off. The ride took us up a very steep road/trail on which I quickly ran out of gears and had to work hard to keep just enough weight on the rear to maintain traction but keep the front wheel down.
The ride got knarlier from there on, some crazy descents that had me wishing for something with suspension. That said, the proto felt pretty good. Fairly easy to control through the long slides over rough ground; the rigidity being a bonus as the steering remained wonderfully responsive. I gave myself a pat on the back for that!
The flowing singletrack was fun, the 'cross bike coming into its own - the only problem being nasty tree roots, but these could be fairly easily hopped - even with the Alfine out back. The Alfine itself is a wonderful piece of kit. Always precise, and utterly reliable in shifts. The limitations found in hard road riding failed to materialise on the trails where it just proved to be a great companion. Plus, now that I've ditched the standard Versa cable adjuster for an in-line adjuster on the cable, the adjustment issue have disappeared.
The last stop on the ride was a treat - a blast around the local BMX track. Not the natural stomping grounds of a 'cross bike but a helluva lot of fun. I was a little worried about the fork when I got a few landings a bit wrong, but with a bit of speed and keeping the weight back, it was a treat! Certainly must go back there again!
All in all a brilliant evenings ride, will definitely do it again. But most of all, from the point of view of developing the bike, I was really happy with the way it handled and felt on the rough stuff. 95% of the time I felt perfectly happy keeping up with the MTBs, only the really rough descents causing me any problems.
'Cross is life.
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