2010: Blog less, Ride more.
Happy Christmas and Happy New Year from The Dirt Box
May your bearings run free and your runs be full of awesome!
Cheers,
TDB!
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Hot Action, plus Master of the Hill: Both in full and for free!
As posted on the ATBSports forum, One 5 Media have decided to release Hot Action for absolutely free (previously $5).
Go fetch, and enjoy from here!
Alternatively, if you still need a copy to have on your computer go to http://one5.tv to purchase a quicktime of the film or just go there to donate, I'm sure they won't mind!
On a similar note, an excellent video from this years Master of the Hill competition, Poland can be found here (or equally last years video here). Looks like an excellent downhill location!
Go fetch, and enjoy from here!
Alternatively, if you still need a copy to have on your computer go to http://one5.tv to purchase a quicktime of the film or just go there to donate, I'm sure they won't mind!
On a similar note, an excellent video from this years Master of the Hill competition, Poland can be found here (or equally last years video here). Looks like an excellent downhill location!
Friday, 18 December 2009
Bearings - To clean or to buy new??
Bearings. Full set of 8 is £10 including p&p from ATBSports. So, if we're going to bother cleaning our bearings we have to do it for less than £10 for it to be worthwhile.
To clarify this, I mean that if I'm going to clean my bearings then I should be able to buy my cleaning fluid, grease and buy my own free time (currently set at approximately £10 per hour), for under £10.
To further clarify this last point, I like to set a cost for my free time in order to judge which jobs are worth doing and which jobs can be outsourced, especially those jobs that I am not especially fussed about. An example of this could be changing the oil in my car. Whilst I am perfectly capable of changing the oil myself, I estimate that this activity would take me approximatley 2 hours of my time from finding the right tools, doing the job through to getting cleaned up and moving on to something else. This in terms of my free time budget comes to £20 (plus cost of oil). Therefore, if a garage can change the oil for me for under £20 (plus cost of oil), then I'll get them to do the works for me.
Going back to the issue of bearings, if we say that the cleaning fluid and grease can be bought for £5 total, then I need to complete the cleaning in under half an hour in order to keep to the £10 limit set above. Any longer and I may as well buy new.
Can I dismantle, clean and reassemble within £10? Going to buy some bits tomorrow and will attempt this over the weekend. Updates as we go.....
Friday 18th Dec:
Visited Derby Bearings Ltd for a quote for new bearings and got told approximately £3-£3.50 per bearing. Since I can buy them off the internet for £1.25, if I do buy new I'll do just that. Bought 400g tube of grease for £1.60 (smallest size available). This should be enough grease to last me forever!
Realised late last night that to replace all my bearings with new wouldn't be just one set for £10 but rather three sets for £30: 8 x wheel bearings for the noSno and 8 x wheels bearings + 4 x kingpin bearings for MBS board. Blimey, perhaps it is worth me doing them all in one shot! (Or more realistic, I'll clean the spare ones I have and then replace as necessary).... Next job, find suitable cleaning fluid!
Saturday 19th Dec:
House stinks of white spirit. Bearings seems lovely and clean though I had to prise both sides of to get at all the muck. Some bearings seem to be in much better condition that others so I'm going to have to come up with a strategy. I'm thinking taking the bearings off one of the boards, cleaning them up too then pickling the best ones to go back on. The worst case ones don't seem to spin well however much I slosh them around. Next job, re-greasing.
To clarify this, I mean that if I'm going to clean my bearings then I should be able to buy my cleaning fluid, grease and buy my own free time (currently set at approximately £10 per hour), for under £10.
To further clarify this last point, I like to set a cost for my free time in order to judge which jobs are worth doing and which jobs can be outsourced, especially those jobs that I am not especially fussed about. An example of this could be changing the oil in my car. Whilst I am perfectly capable of changing the oil myself, I estimate that this activity would take me approximatley 2 hours of my time from finding the right tools, doing the job through to getting cleaned up and moving on to something else. This in terms of my free time budget comes to £20 (plus cost of oil). Therefore, if a garage can change the oil for me for under £20 (plus cost of oil), then I'll get them to do the works for me.
Going back to the issue of bearings, if we say that the cleaning fluid and grease can be bought for £5 total, then I need to complete the cleaning in under half an hour in order to keep to the £10 limit set above. Any longer and I may as well buy new.
Can I dismantle, clean and reassemble within £10? Going to buy some bits tomorrow and will attempt this over the weekend. Updates as we go.....
Friday 18th Dec:
Visited Derby Bearings Ltd for a quote for new bearings and got told approximately £3-£3.50 per bearing. Since I can buy them off the internet for £1.25, if I do buy new I'll do just that. Bought 400g tube of grease for £1.60 (smallest size available). This should be enough grease to last me forever!
Realised late last night that to replace all my bearings with new wouldn't be just one set for £10 but rather three sets for £30: 8 x wheel bearings for the noSno and 8 x wheels bearings + 4 x kingpin bearings for MBS board. Blimey, perhaps it is worth me doing them all in one shot! (Or more realistic, I'll clean the spare ones I have and then replace as necessary).... Next job, find suitable cleaning fluid!
Saturday 19th Dec:
House stinks of white spirit. Bearings seems lovely and clean though I had to prise both sides of to get at all the muck. Some bearings seem to be in much better condition that others so I'm going to have to come up with a strategy. I'm thinking taking the bearings off one of the boards, cleaning them up too then pickling the best ones to go back on. The worst case ones don't seem to spin well however much I slosh them around. Next job, re-greasing.
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Macclesfield Forest Freeride Gathering Sunday 13th December 2009
The plan was simple, 7 of us had confirmed attending a gathering set in the North West of the Peak District for the not too ungodly hour of 10am. I had an approximate postcode and an rough idea of the exact location and two hours to get there. Threw the kit in the back of the car, three tyres good, one puncture - when did this happen?! Pick brother Rob up along the way. He's having breakfast still so a good time to strip the tyre down on the kitchen table and investigate things - discover a big old thorn right through the middle. 10 minutes later with the right tools and a bucket of water I'm re-assembling and we're on the way. Looks like a cold but clear day and the run from Buxton across the peak is beautiful.
The rest of the day I could describe, but it's easier to view and fortunately both JC and Rob both took some excellent footage. I reckon 12-14 boarders turned up in the end displaying all kinds of crazy riding, even on the loose gravelly surface. It may have been slow according to JC, but it sure was fun.
Enjoy!
The rest of the day I could describe, but it's easier to view and fortunately both JC and Rob both took some excellent footage. I reckon 12-14 boarders turned up in the end displaying all kinds of crazy riding, even on the loose gravelly surface. It may have been slow according to JC, but it sure was fun.
Enjoy!
Friday, 11 December 2009
ATBA Updated website, and Downhill Championship: first details
New website overhaul from ATBA (All Terrain Boarding Association)
http://www.atbauk.org/
But, the really intreaguing part of it can be found in the 'Events' part of the website....
Downhill Championship
The all-new ATBA-UK Downhill Championship will take place on the 12th and 13th of June 2010 in Cheddar, Somerset. This exciting new discipline involves riders giving it their all to get their best time down a track that will push all their skills to the limit.
.....Interesting!
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Surfing Dirt - Mountainboard Community
Surfing Dirt, uniting the mountainboarders of all nationalities under one forum. Unfortunately under the weather right now (probably a victim of its own success!) so bookmark that link and check back regularly. Fortunately the main page still works and provides a good insight into the kind of information provided by forum regulars.
Friendly bunch, so sign up, say hello and get involved!
Awww, luv you guys too! : D
Friendly bunch, so sign up, say hello and get involved!
Mountain Board Free Riding: Safety Guide
Injuries - a distinct possibility when mountain boarding and always worth having a bit of knowledge to hand just in case you, or someone with you has a bit of a mishap and needs patching up before getting to A&E or hopefully just a nice bath.
BikeRadar have a nice article about 'First aid treatment on the trail' which although is obviously aimed towards the mountain biker covers "soft tissue injuries, with the occasional broken arm or collar bone". Sound familiar?
Along with some nice step-by-step repair your mates instructions, it also includes the usual advice given out about freeriding, i.e if you ride alone tell someone where you are going and for what duration; preferably ride in a group of two or more and carry a mobile phone and first aid kit with you.
All sensible stuff really and if it gets you sorted out and riding sooner, then so much the better.
BikeRadar have a nice article about 'First aid treatment on the trail' which although is obviously aimed towards the mountain biker covers "soft tissue injuries, with the occasional broken arm or collar bone". Sound familiar?
Along with some nice step-by-step repair your mates instructions, it also includes the usual advice given out about freeriding, i.e if you ride alone tell someone where you are going and for what duration; preferably ride in a group of two or more and carry a mobile phone and first aid kit with you.
All sensible stuff really and if it gets you sorted out and riding sooner, then so much the better.
Wednesday, 2 December 2009
Bit of a longshot...Derby Mountain Boarder Funding?
General browsing on line and found the following web-post:
http://www.midlandcanoeclub.com/mb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1342
Specifically:
AOB – I mentioned the mountain-boarders in Allestree Park and suggested that RW invite them to a future meeting and see if they might be interested in forming a 'club', so that ultimately they might attract some funding for their (e.g.) jumps, etc? I said I'd pass a contact name/e-mail on to RW.
(FYI, Allestree Park, just outside Derby)
Does anyone know if anyone has been approached in regards to this? If there is someone out there prepared to hand out money for this sort of thing, it'd be great to not lose this opportunity. (if only so something formal is arranged and the existing jumps not destroyed twice yearly)
Any info appreciated!
http://www.midlandcanoeclub.com/mb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1342
Specifically:
AOB – I mentioned the mountain-boarders in Allestree Park and suggested that RW invite them to a future meeting and see if they might be interested in forming a 'club', so that ultimately they might attract some funding for their (e.g.) jumps, etc? I said I'd pass a contact name/e-mail on to RW.
(FYI, Allestree Park, just outside Derby)
Does anyone know if anyone has been approached in regards to this? If there is someone out there prepared to hand out money for this sort of thing, it'd be great to not lose this opportunity. (if only so something formal is arranged and the existing jumps not destroyed twice yearly)
Any info appreciated!
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