Just a quick post on the importance on having SEO friendly title tags in your blogs. My searches of the net have led me to dead ends and code unsuitable for blogger custom templates. Some code that I have used had caused my layout page elements to fall apart, by removing header content and my "add gadget" links disappearing. I have however managed to find a way around it with this method.
Step 2) edit all your posts title with a space and a - at the end of each. You now have SEO friendly titles that won't disrupt your template.
07:19 |
Posted in
internet,
seo
Category:
internet,
seo
Life of a mountain biker is always full of enjoyment and adventure. Especially out in the middle of nowhere or on a hillside, with no one around but you and your bike.
But sharing your route with horse riders, ramblers and general walkers can make life on the trails very irritating!
Mountain bikers got a lot of flack for their general disregard for the country side and tearing up the trails with the bikes. That's all changed now, "I hope" I just wish our respect for each other would change as-well!
The way people speak or don't speak really gets under my skin! Sometimes all it takes is a simple hello, thank you or sorry. But instead you get some high & mighty horse rider say to her horse, "it's OK, it's only a cyclist with mud in his face!". As she passes me and my stationary bike! Arr, if another person comes along with a comment like that I'll,,, With that another person approaches on horse back.
I stop to allow the horse and rider pass as I do not want to spook the horse, it's only a narrow trail and those animals are so big! As the horse and rider pass, the rider looks at me and said, "Ooh, that looks like hard work!". So with a bee in my bonnet I reply, "it wouldn't be if I didn't have to stop and start all the bloody time!".
Why are people like that? Is it because they think that money gives them the right to look down on people less fortunate than them? Or is it because they're just 'stuck up old money twits', for want of a better phrase!
Whatever the reason may be, horse riders are no better than the rest of us who use the trails. At least I can safely say that my bike bike won't leave shit everywhere!
13:36 |
Posted in
MTB
Category:
MTB
Not sure why but I have 2 mountain bikes, 1 is a full suspension and the other is a XC hard tail. My full suspension is my pride and joy. I love riding it because it feels comfortable on long rides, and allows me to rip up the trails at high speed. But mainly because it's still new and I'm still paying for it but anyway, that's another story! Since I have only 2 more payments to make and it'll be all paid for I am pondering with the idea of buying a new bike, or just a new frame!
Thing is, I have my hard tail that I'm unhappy with but it has a nice spec such as, XT chain set, Mavic 717 wheel set built on hope hubs, bomber MX lockout forks and EA 50 bar and stem.
I would like a carbon frame but more importantly a frame that I feel comfortable with. As my max-light is an XC race styled frame a more upright frame would suit me better, such as an all mountain frame. I have been looking at the Trek 6700 or the 800.
But I am not sure if paying out all that cash is a waste when I have so many parts already. I could build a bike on a new frame like I did with my max-light and save myself a few hundred pounds or would I be better off (and in the long run happier) with a totally new toy/bike???
Help me decide, ("pleeeaaassse") as my mind is all over the place, a bit like this post!!!
16:04 |
Posted in
MTB
Category:
MTB
I read somewhere about running when your unable to get out on your bike, I can understand why but would not take this up myself. Running can increase your fitness, increase your muscle mass and increase endurance. Problem is it can reek havoc on your joints such as your knees, hips and ankles.
On a personal note, apart from me not being able to walk without looking like I shit myself for a week, I think the con's out weigh the pro's of running.
Running is good but it does have a bad effect on your joints, and they say that impact on your joints can be minimized by running on softer ground. This is quite true, I have lots of fields to run across and around but don't fancy falling down rabbit holes or getting a sprained ankle through running on uneven ground. You don't see Olympic distance runners running across fields let alone pounding the concrete do you? No they run on stadium tracks that are sprung! something not easily accessible to the like of us.
I have found a much safer way of running without any impact on my joints, a "TRAMPET". It's a small round trampoline that my missus uses for "aerobic" work and to help with her trampolining, I kinda feel a right dick on it. But remind myself of my boxing days and shadow boxing, it's no different really. I can use ankle weights to work my muscle, a skipping rope for endurance/fitness and a combination of the both, my missus says there is more to it than just jogging but I will just stick with this for now!!! The best thing is it's free from the elements and pain!
When it comes to any sort of exercise it's all in the state of your mind. And although mountain biking is just a hobby to me,, it is exercise and therefore no different to anything else. Get into the right state of mind for exercise with your bike and you will find yourself improving your speeds, distances and therefore get more enjoyment out of your riding.
The key thing to remember is not to give up because of the weather, just adapt to it and to what your doing. On cold miserable wet days get those hill climbs in so that in the good weather you don't find yourself struggling and giving up.
Fun has to to be the key element in all that you do. If you stop enjoying yourself then you'll simply give up. What's the point doing something you do not enjoy!
Make sure that whatever goals you set yourself are not impossible. Hard is good as it gets you working more, but keep it realistic. Make sure you do not set goals you cannot achieve, as you will become disheartened.
When you achieve a goal don't just leave it and move on to the next, there's always room for improvement, even if it's only knocking a second off your time.
Don't forget the pleasure when you're trying to better yourself and take time out every so often doing what's already been conquered, or just take the kids out with you. Leisure and pleasure is just as good as goals and achievements. So keep it balanced and your state of mind calm!
Mountain biking is all about having fun doing what you love, but if your not fast enough or strong enough both physically and mentally then it won't be as much fun as you would like it to be. It's amazing how easily a person can be put off by another rider around them that is faster, stronger, fitter and seemingly having much more fun than what they are. With a bit of hard work though, you can build the strength needed to perform in the same league, or as close as those better riders.
Repeated hill climbs is the fastest way to build strength, speed and stamina and it's one of the best ways to get in shape in time for riding season.
Lucky for me that I have a nice stretch of 12% gradient hills on my door step that I can burn rubber on at different intensities. The main reason for me picking this stretch of road is that in bad weather I can still train without any excuses.
How I go about it is basically down to how I feel and what I want to achieve on that particular day. Here are some things to take into account when hill climbing that works for me.
Strength - For leg strength I will select a gear that I can push steadily up hill whilst I'm out of the saddle, increasing the gear after every completed climb.
(Rest on the downhill)
Speed and stamina - To increase my speed and stamina I will select a gear 1 lower than the starting gear for strength and pedal faster whilst out of the saddle. The longer the hill the better, and increase the gear after every completed climb.
(Rest on the downhill)
Stamina - On long dragging hills, I will select a gear that I can push comfortably whilst seated, again increasing the gear after every completed climb.
(Rest on the downhill)
If you talk to the top riders they would probably explain the science into it. But I think the easiest way to look at it is, treat it like weight training.
If I was to increase my muscle size and strength, I would lift heavy weights. But if I was to lift light weights I'd be able to lift for longer.
Over the years reading internet reviews and magazines I made the transition from cable disk brakes to hydraulics thinking that I needed them and they would improve bike performance, how wrong I was! Now don't get me wrong I'm not going to knock them because in the right situation they are a fantastic brake to have on your bike!
Considering the location in which I live, trails I have to ride, and the whole area is farm land with "GOD DAMN THORNS EVERYWHERE". The last thing I need is to be realigning my brake calliper every time I whip the wheel out!
Not so long back I went to Afan forest and at that time I'd be using Shimano Deore cable disk bakes with Avid speed dial 7 levers. omg, MY FINGERS ARE KILLING ME! What I wouldn't give for a set of hydraulics right now.
As I am an XC/trail rider on mostly natural terrain, I shouldn't have any need for hydraulics. But I got drawn into the hype and got some LX due to the fact they were the cheapest entry level hydraulic disk brake I could get my hands on. After about 3 rides I got rid of them because of the dreaded brake rub.
I purchased my first full susser you see on the right of this page. It came with Avid juicy 5s, peach of a brake until the piston sticks on the front, again causing brake rub. After some wasted time and £28 for Avid bleeding kit I binned them and bought some, "my pride and joy". Avid bb5 cable disk brakes, and some black graphite Avid 7 levers, these babies rock! OK their not hydraulic and don't initiate as well as hydraulic, but they come pretty damn close, and no brake rub!
"SkipRatt gets a new domain name"! Yes, I have decided to grab a new domain name for my mountain bike blog. As most of you may well know, having your very own domain name can give your site a real boost all round.
Due to the fact that I have been focusing all my efforts on Skipratt, and will continue to do so! The good web guide blog suffered a tremendous drop both in readers and updates so I decided to delete it.
I wish to take this opportunity to introduce you to the other side of my mind and give you posts taken from that blog. I thought it would be a shame for them to go to waste!
Please check the archive for old posts related to internet, SEO, SERPS, and marketing!
18:03 |
Posted in Category:
A lot of cyclists are still using flat pedals, and for good reason! The transition from flat pedals to cleats can cause beginners a lot of painful problems, and be dangerous for people who don't know what they are doing. Take some time practising clipping in and out whilst you lean against a wall sat on your bike.
My top tip 1 is to (back the tension adjustment screw off to starting point so you can clip in and out with less effort).
Give it a week or so before venturing out on your bike, and watch clipping in and out become second nature.
My top tip 2 is to (heel kick OUTWARDS).
One of the benefits of having cleats is that you are getting power through 360o as opposed to 180o on flats. When hill climbing, this can make a huge improvement in how efficiently and quickly you are able to climb. Because now your not only pushing down on the pedals, you are also pulling up on them too. Cleats are great for road use but require you to have a lot more self confidence off road. Which is why I think you should take more time out practising clipping in and out.
Whilst on trails, man made mainly! You need be able to ride like you are using flat pedals but still have the efficiency I mentioned earlier. A lot of man made trails have berms that require a free leg for balance to get around them.
My top tip 3 is to (back the tension adjustment screw off to starting point so you can clip in and out with less effort).
The market for mountain bike tyres is huge and finding the one for you is very difficult. When starting out in mountain biking, it's important to ask yourself some questions.
1) What sort of riding you intend on doing?
2) Whats the area you ride in like?
As riding to me is just a hobby and something I just like to do, the answer to these questions is very simple.
I've already said in previous posts that I live in a farmland area and that it's relatively flat. Most of the trails are joined together by country roads and most of the area can be covered in thorns from farmers cutting back hedgerow.
As I do not ride XC or trail at a professional level and like to ride some man made trails, I need 2 sets of good all round tyres with very different properties.
I can honestly say that I have been through some really bad choices in my hunt for good all round tyres and wasted lots of money in the process. But at present I have almost completed my mission and found 1 of the 2 in the form of schwalbe. I have had the most luck with schwalbe so my hunt will continue with this brand! For my needs they need to be puncture proof. But also they need to have low rolling resistance, good grip in the wet, corner like it's on rails and ware well for the high prices I pay for Schwalbe.
I have schwalbe Jimmy on my full susser as I got these at a good price online and they perform quite well. But because they ware badly, I do not recommend them. On my hard tail that I use during the crap weather and when the roads are littered with thorns, I use schwalbe marathon plus ATB. These babies are puncture proof and roll very fast on the road, due to it's smart guard and uncut center tread. Although these suit my needs I have just seen another option that takes my fancy.
Schwalbe Hurricane
Take a ride on the wild side! The Hurricane rolls fast and quietly and even offers enough traction for occasional off-road use. RaceGuard protects it optimally against penetration punctures.
And for my full susser, well like I said I've got the Jimmy's but they aren't really up to what I want from a tyre and I have been looking into the 'Racing Ralph'...but honestly I don't really know which way to go with it so if anyone has any experiences with these or any other tyres I would be very pleased to hear about it!!!
What is nutrition for a mountain biker? I think that nutrition is a different case for each and every one of us. As it all depends on health, lifestyle, and tolerances to food. It could be a case that you have diabetes or you eat at different times, ie: if you work nights like me, or you like some foods but they do not agree with you and make you feel sick. All these things have to be taken into account when you create a nutrition plan.
I tend to stay clear of nutrition plans because I cannot stick to them and I'm hooked on too much junk food. Saying that, I can limit myself on certain types of foods and only eat them if I feel the need to.
All food is good in moderation, and so is fluid. By having nutrition plans you end up having too much of one thing and not enough of another causing an imbalance in your diet.
Some things I like to eat and drink are:
Crisps
chicken
wine gums/hard gums
spareribs
Beer
diet coke
4 things in that list have a bad effect on my digestive system and can ruin my riding. Crisps cause me to cramp up and give me constipation. Wine gums & hard gums, with them being sweets and high in sugar, make me irritable causing lack of sleep.
Beer and diet coke have the same effect, of bloating and cause lack of breath on the trails. As long as I stay clear/limit the amount of these things I consume, and eat/drink normally, ie: a good balanced meal and drink water,juices on a regular basis I'll be fine. In conjunction with my drinking and eating habits, I take supplements on a daily basis.
These include:
1 cod liver oil
1 multivitamin/mineral
1-2 amino acid for sports.
I hope this article has helped somehow and maybe give you some insight into your personal diet and highlight some problem area's,
Yay it's almost bloody Christmas and finally I get out for some much needed mountain bike training. It's been a long hard few months suffering with colds and the lack of sleep through not being able to get out and ride!
The air is cold and so is my riding gear, so thought's of a warm fire and the television runs through my mind, before I even start! Preparation is key and the hardest part to mountain biking. But I gathered up all that I needed for the ride, put on my 'focus' head and set off on my first training ride of the season.
The first 2-300 yards up the road I found to be very hard going as my legs felt stiff and heavy. My whole body was not relaxed, with the cold seeping in through my layers of clothing. The air was sharp as I inhaled, but this did not deter me. I just covered over my mouth with a Buff scarf and focused on the ride ahead!
As the end of the village drew ever closer, I started to plan my route taking my first left turn of the day. The road ahead was to take me to my first downhill. Knowing that this hill was a 12% gradient and the descent would be super cold, I made damn sure that my mouth, ears and crown jewels was covered up well.
Not wanting to roll fast downhill blinded by fog, I decided to put my glasses on my head.
The whole ride my entire body remained tensed so I was unable to find my rhythm and I got a nice stitch to boot! My first 15% climb approached, the road not as dry as before but not too wet either. Just a nice stream of water running fast down the hill on the grass verge! Still suffering with a stitch I parked my arse on the saddle, dropped down from the big ring to the middle one and peddled it out nice and steady.
As I got to the top of the hill the scenery changed. It looked quite grim! The sky had poor visibility, the grass verge was covered in wet brown leaves and the tree's completely bare. Passing a field full of staring sheep I start to pick up the pace, as the stitch starts to fade and my legs start to relax. I jump back into the big ring and tried to put some short lived watts into those pedals.
Although the ride was hard, I enjoyed it, just being out in the fresh air! ("Those damn sheep keeping staring at me" So I give them a wink and they continue chomping on grass, whatever makes them happy!.... I'm just happy in the knowledge that I won't need to be counting them tonight to get a good nights kip!!)
At this point I'm over half way round my route that's covered road the whole way. I kinda decided to do that anyway, as I was giving my "shiny new full susser" a run out.
Along came my next descent of about 12%, again I felt myself tense all the way down. As I entered the village at the bottom of the hill and started to slow, again my muscles began to relax. I wanted to get angry with myself because I should be averaging about 14 mile an hour. Even without my GPS clocking me, I knew that I'd be only clocking about 12 mile an hour.
I relaxed in the knowledge that my hill climbing efforts were not effected all that much. But time would tell on my next approaching climb, but although my intention was their, my will was not.
As I got to the top at a junction with a busy main road. A car pulled up behind me clearly letting me know to get out of the fu####g way. By means of revving his/her engine and forward movement. I decided to ignore this by means of waiting a little longer at the junction, whilst a car 3-400 yards down the main road passed. This must have got the hackles of the car driver behind me right up!
I set off again straight across the main road down another descent, I pretty much just coasted down! I had 1 more hill in my way before 1 final descent home. Taking it easy on the approach, sipping my way through a bottle of lemon & lime "GO" I did just that. Just 2 clicks off maximum gear ratio I straddled my bike and went hell for leather, slowing at the final 20 or so yards from the brow of the hill.
Pushing the pedals harder, my calf's and thighs burning! I rolled over the brow and dropped down to some easier gears picking up the pace for the final cold descent.
As I entered the house my wife had some "Rego" ready for me, as I am crap at mixing it! With that I got into a "Radox" bath and soaked the afternoon away, dozing in the armchair a couple of hours later.
They look so ridiculous don't they, a helmet I mean? I really do not understand why anyone would want to wear something so stupid on one's head! Safety does come into it to a certain extent, but generally they are restrictive, uncomfortable and pointless.
There are pro's and cons to helmets but are they really that safe to wear? If they are, why is it not compulsory to wear one like it is to have a stupid black bell on your bike?
To begin with I use to wear a helmet because most mountain bikers/cyclists were wearing one, the "in thing". But started to think after a few uncomfortable rides and falling off whilst going through my clipped in pedal stage. If your going to fall off a bike riding down a road the first thing you do is slam your front brake on, "instinctively". This will cause you to do an endo and you'll probably strangle yourself on impact because of the tight strap across your throat. But if you fall sideways, "instinctively" you put out your arm or hand.
You could always loosen the strap, I have seen people do this on the trails and done it myself! Have you seen the bmx programs on extreme sports with their helmets with loose straps, they go upside down doing flips? How stupid is that! and whats the point of that helmet?
If a helmet is to be something you should wear for safety, wouldn't it be better to have a full face helmet like a motor cyclist, than a stupid bit of uncomfortable plastic on top of your head?
Cannock Chase trails is the most visited destination in Staffordshire. With 28 square miles of "outstanding natural beauty" and a popular destination for all mountain bike enthusiasts. Lets see why, and what the chase has to offer...
Getting to the Cannock Chase visitor center for the first time was a very frustrating task, due to it's location. It can be easily missed, depending on which way you come from. When I arrived at the 'Birches Valley Visitor Center' and see the amount of visitors, I became anxious to get on the trails and hopefully have some fun.
I had been reading a lot about the 'Follow The Dog' trail in magazines and online, so it was my intention to try it out and see what the fuss was about.
As I entered the trail under start banner next to the visitor center bike shop, it was apparent that it was going to be one hell of a ride that would kick my ass the following day.
The surface of certain area's of the trail was very hard so the going was good and encouraged me to go faster, catching a glimpse of the dog in the tree's.
As I raced on like a maniac, careful not to lose an elbow on a passing tree. I started to anticipate every little turn like a child waiting for their gifts on Christmas morning but I think my excitement and shouts of exclamation could even put them to shame!
Spending a few days on the chase I thought it only right to explore and venture further afield. Once I decided on a route to take and got my bearings sorted, I found myself exploring the family friendly parts of Cannock Chase trails. As you can see from the pictures, the terrain changes from hard packed stone, soil to loose sand and stone.
Cannock Chase has pretty much catered for all mountain bike enthusiasts, so you will never get bored riding here. The facilities are excellent too and all the amenities are faultless. They have a bike shop, bike wash, clean toilets and cafe. Don't expect more than a jacket potato or toasties though.
On bank holidays take a good pack up or have some other means of food because those jacket spuds & toasties sell fast.
4 years ago I went on a trip to the peak district and due to the fact that I had only just started riding, it ended in a disaster for me. This was going to be my first mountain bike adventure and I was going to enjoy every last minute of it, even though I was alone.
I spent several months of what I thought was planning my trip. Reading magazines to find the best places to go in the peaks, booking a b&b close by and buying a map.
Because I wanted to explore the best of the peaks I decided to go to the dark side and booked a b&b close to Hayfield, a place called Spinney Bottom Cottage. A very nice couple owned the b&b and the husband was an avid mtber himself when time allowed!
Because of the location in which the b&b was, I found it very difficult to find my bearings and get any good riding done. I asked for advice at the b&b and was told to stay clear of the Pennine Way as this was for walkers! I read a few bike books that they had, but the route maps in them did not make any sense to me, so I went out by chance.
For some reason I wanted to find 'Kinder Scout', (which I'd read up on in magazines) but found I could only access it via the Pennine Way (with my then limited map reading skills).
I made my way up towards Glossop, and the start of the Pennine Way. It struck me that I had 2 choices once there. 1 go back and 2 climb the peak, like a tit I climbed the peak with the bike on my back. No end of people passed me on their way down and I continued to climb!
Before I knew it I had lost the trail and the people had stopped passing me and all I could see when I looked up was heaps of peat all around me. Panic hit me immediately and I started to run like a headless chicken, to where I had no idea, as I had totally lost my bearings and no matter which way I seemed to turn I just hit a wire fence.
So I got my map out and realized it had no indication of where I was because now I know that it was the wrong bloody map and not an OS map! All I had was my mobile phone and a compass. The mobile was a waste of time to begin with because I could not get a signal! But as luck would have it I got just enough to contact the b&b to tell them I was lost. They told me I needed to head due south to find the nearest road. So out came my compass and headed due south like instructed. I came to a point where I could see a road but found that to get to it I needed to either follow as instructed, due south that led me over the moors or follow the what I now know to be snake pass. Because I was panicked and scared I continued on course, due south. Within seconds I was grabbing hold of my bike for dear life whilst falling down into a peat bog. The bog was big enough for me to fall into but not my bike so I managed get myself out and went back to the pass and headed towards the road.
As I got back to the road and started to ride I realized that I had nothing left in me and all my energy had been sapped from my system. With no reserves left in my backpack, (as I had used it climbing the peak!) I got as far as the Ladybower reservoir and stopped, getting out my mobile and ringing the b&b for some help.
Being a mountain bike newbie in the peaks is bad enough, but being a mountain bike newbie alone and unprepared in the peaks is just plain stupid!
Many thanks to Spinney Bottom cottage for all your help!
Padded shorts or a quality saddle? I've been asking my self this question for some time now and until recently I could not make up my mind. It occurred to me that the only way to answer my question was to try different products. So off I went on my journey to find those padded shorts or that quality saddle.
My journey started with padded shorts. That ended up me being out of pocket, and with a sore arse!
Remember the post about me going on holiday with my family and riding out to Dalby Forest? Well that day I had a pair of brand new Lycra skinnies on and after 56 miles of torture, they left me the biggest horse shoe shaped sore on my backside you could ever imagine! Safe to say that it took some time for me to get my arse back in order.
I have been through quite a few pairs of different shorts since then, 1 of which was a pair of black with white covered double stitching 3/4 length Endura Lycra. Worst buy ever as I had to get my wife take to the pad out just so I could wear them.
After a whole host of others I decided to pursue a quality saddle and ditch padded shorts altogether.
My journey on saddles began with a bikehut crotchless saddle with thick padding. Not a bad saddle if you have a big arse, skinny legs, and need somewhere to cradle your crown jewels. So I started looking at the more expensive saddles and came across a selle itallia SLR, I got as far as sitting on it and sent the bloody thing back!
After a couple of the more expensive saddles I decided that enough was enough and went back down to the cheaper options at my local bike store. After 20 minutes looking up and down a wall I found the saddle that might fit the bill.(or in this case the arse!)
A Selle royal Dardo men's gel saddle at £15, sod it what have I got to lose? I'll take it! I now have 2 bikes and 2 of the same saddles that can be ridden in comfort for a fair few miles without the need of padded shorts. Sometimes it pays to look at the lower end of the market instead of looking at the new fan dangled options such as Chamois Cream.
Have you got a favourite piece of kit that you never leave home without? Well I have. Every time I go out on my bike I never ever forget to take my pump, and I'm not talking about those stupid pocket sized pumps either! No, it's the old long thin type pumps with a valve connector.
I have 2 connectors, 1 Presta and 1 Schrader from bike hut. Most of you will probably be using the mini pumps, on cold wet days; good luck with that! I stay well clear of the bloody things as I feel that they are just another worthless space saver that does not work "good enough" when your out on epic rides.
Yeah I can hear those of you argue the fact that they are the best thing since sliced bread. But come on, you can get more air out of a good old fashioned, early morning bottom burp than what you can get out of one of those mini pumps!
I am going to list a few things that every mountain biker should have in his/her possession when going out on epic rides. Packing your riding gear can be a real pain, and if your anything like me, you always forget something. Many a time I run back and forth getting things I had forgotten or get half way up the road to have to turn around and go back. Being in the middle of nowhere without the right gear can be a very dangerous place, and if the weather changes... It can really put a damper on your day, or even curse it.
1) A chocolate bar (For emergencies)
2) Make sure you have plenty of water, (You can never have enough).
3) As well as plain water take a supplement like "GO" (This stuff rocks on hot days!)
4) Take some sarnies.
5) An OS map and compass. (Don't solely rely on a GPS).
6) Layers of fast wick clothing ( Remember you can always take them off).
7) Water/wind proof jacket and survival blanket, (Even if the sun is shining ).
8) A good pump, Alan keys, Torque keys, Chain rivet, Puncture repair kit, inner tube.
9) Small first aid kit (Great for dressing wounds).
10) Mobile phone. (Getting a signal can be hit and miss)
Everything else is optional, ie: your bike, helmet, gloves, bell,,, ;-)
Shimano cranks and bottom brackets I've used include Deore tapered and splined, XT, (currently in use). I'm going to review these items for you as follows.. Shimano Deore with a tapered bottom bracket was my first system and I found it to be a very poor crank indeed. The crank itself was very week and should not be used for more than canal towpaths. Frequently I would find rivets missing from the crank after every other ride, bearing in mind I took it trail riding. Also the tapered crank squeaked and creaked under pedal load, more so when the weather was hot and dry so lubing it was almost constant. So my next step was Deore splined unit as this was affordable.
The Deore splined cranks are very good and quiet under pedal load. As a very aggressive rider pushing big gears most of the time these cranks suited my needs. Allowing me to go harder and faster without the aggravation of pedal induced noise.
Due to the fact that I like a little air time whilst on the trails, (nothing big just small jumps, stumps, that sort of thing), problems started to arise! When I was out and hit a little mound on the trail, taking me a few inches off the ground,
I heard a loud creak (upon landing) coming from the cranks. Luckily I was homebound so ignored it and inspected the problem when I got back.
Upon inspection I found that the chainset rivets had worked loose, 2 of which had cracked and needed replacing. Needless to say that every time I went out the rivets would work loose.
Once money allowed I went out and got an XT chainset fitted and I never looked back as it is solid as a rock, coping with everything I've thrown at it.
The only bad thing I can say about it, is the bottom brackets are very poor from Shimano. Supposedly the bottom brackets have sealed bearings. Funny how after a couple of months the bearings seized up through water getting in.
What really griped me was having to replace the whole bottom bracket because the bearings alone could not be obtained, £30 repair bill! I was told to keep the bearings greased up after going out on wet rides, who the hell wants to take the chainset and bottom bracket apart all the time after going out on wet rides to grease the bearings up!
If the "sealed" bearings are that bad, wouldn't it be viable to have some kind of grease injection port like some more expensive full suspension bikes have?. Maybe I'll go out and buy a Hope bottom bracket thats compatible as their bearings are replaceable!
Thing is, I have my hard tail that I'm unhappy with but it has a nice spec such as, XT chain set, Mavic 717 wheel set built on hope hubs, bomber MX lockout forks and EA 50 bar and stem.
But I am not sure if paying out all that cash is a waste when I have so many parts already. I could build a bike on a new frame like I did with my max-light and save myself a few hundred pounds or would I be better off (and in the long run happier) with a totally new toy/bike???
I had been reading a lot about the 'Follow The Dog' trail in magazines and online, so it was my intention to try it out and see what the fuss was about. 
