its all about stodge, bikes, MTBO and the outdoors
In a pre-xmas clearout I found these two photos of my then ‘new’ mountain bike – 1991 Kona Fire Mountain. Its propped up outside my student house in Cardiff in May 1991. Its had a long history, going to Sheffield for a few years in the early noughties and now as far as I know still doing a commute in York ! Original spec included Biopace rings and 7 speed 300LX groupset.
I found this original kona catalogue 1991 for full retro heaven…
Well, my back has reached a watershed 🙁
Even though my back pain has gone, I’ve been struggling for the last week with sciatica-type pain in my right hip and sometimes right down to my ankle. Tonight I’ve come down to Somerset for a hastily arranged physio appointment and Ivor has started talking about other causes for my ‘hyper-mobile’ lower back. My core stability is much improved but still I am having problems, my SI joint jumping out even if I sneeze! We’ve discussed various possibilities, most of which I can’t pronounce let alone spell!
So, it’s weeks more treatment to see if it settles down or get a scan and find out what is really going on, then consider what other treatment options might be on the table as I’ve been off the bike for the best part of 3 months already, all told.
Not one to mess about, tomorrow I am hoping to be booked in to the Somerset MRI Centre, near Bridgwater, to have an MRI scan of my lower back.
Got to pay for it but an easy decision – new rear wheel or an MRI scan…..New wheel not much good if I can’t ride a MTB.
I’ll try and get some downloads of the scan onto a memory stick for those of you who can read the things!
Ditto Adventure folding tag along, trailer bike for sale – one careful ‘young lady’ owner !
rrp new £129.00
Fantastic condition single speed and one of the best designs, folding down to go in the boot of a car and tows off the seat post.
Collection from Stafford, Altrincham or Taunton. contact mark@stodgell.co.uk
£80.00 ono
Orifix Mapboards are now in stock in the UK from the Benhams. If you are interested please get in touch – mark@stodgell.co.uk
Well its now finished, well as finished as it will be until I can afford a new fork and wheels. As I am injured and banned from the bike at the mo it will be another week before I ride it for the first time (which will be on the roads). Weight including pedals is 10.2kgs which I am happy with given the Reba’s. Definatley a totally unplanned red and white thing going on but other than some very tired forks I think it looks the part. Ill do a full spec at some point soon…
The build of my new Kinesis Maxlight Pro 3 is nearing completion. Unfortunately my USE Sumo was not long enough, hence it being for sale. I have now taken delivery, thanks to Ant White of Mount Zoom and the XC Racer shop, a shiny new KCNC Scandium seatpost and a Mount Zoom clamp.
They are very light, 163 gms, in fact the seatpost comes with a 85kg rider weight limit for XC use !
http://www.xcracer.com/shop/viewproduct.php?productid=183 for the seat post, http://www.xcracer.com/shop/viewproduct.php?productid=165 for the clamp which at 9 gms is amazing !
Im still not sure what I am supposed to do with the dodgy shaped bag the seat post came in though 🙂
27.2mm USE Carbon Sumo Seat post cut down to 320mm to the rails.
Comes with spare clamp £35.00 ONO (£70.00 on CRC at the mo- RRP £85)
contact mark@stodgell.co.uk
My back is slowly on the mend. As I have throughout the last 20 years when I have an injury that won’t settle, I have been heading south to Somerset to see my old Physio Ivor Field.
I first saw Ivor when I was 16 or 17. He used to fix my ankles the last time I was really fit when I seemed to twist them every weekend orienteering so I could race X-Country the following Saturday. Mad times but I did eventually rehab them.
Ivor’s skill is getting to the cause of problems, not just treating the symptoms.
Apparently I have two injuries going on at the moment. My lower back has been giving me grief for a while and it seems the jump off the wall and subsequent racing just finished it off. The main underlying issue seems to be a pubic ligament strain, which I think Ive probably had for a year, that coupled with some poor core stability.
So I’ve been down to Taunton twice in the last two weeks. Ivor uses a range of treatments from chiropractic to electro, laser to acupuncture, depending on what’s needed and has also given me lots of exercises to be getting on with. His exercise diagrams are elegantly simple, drawn with a posh ink pen.
Things are improving and today I will get back on the Turbo for 20 mins of leg spinning but I think it will be a long road back to a full training and racing schedule.