STWs favourite (well, my favourite at least) awesome and abusive car leaser is retiring next week:

“Ling is retiring!
I’m giving (not selling) LINGsCARS to my staff at the end of October …a week away… and retiring. If you can call this retiring: I’m going to ride a bicycle around the World with my hubby, Jon.

LINGsCARS will continue to run as normal, supplying you with the best car deals and great speedy service. Guy, Lily and David (my IT expert) will do a great job, I’m sure. I’m leaving them with a healthy bank balance, great customers, brilliant suppliers and super systems and of course …my lovely website. They’ll still use my name and images. I hope you’ll keep ordering cars!
I want to say THANKS so much for your business and friendship over the last 19 years. I’ll still be around online, my new website https://www.LingsBikeTrip.com will have all my details. It would be lovely to hear from you when I’m on my travels.

I’m just going to be overwhelmed with messages from customers who I consider as friends, and I still need to run LINGsCARS for a week. Customers always come first 🙂 So, sorry if I’m slow replying…

If you’re interested, I made a video (above) to explain a bit more. We can always chat at a later date!”

Good for her. On all counts.

Amazing. New site looks ace too 😂

Have you seen the steerer on the bike – blimey. PS does she not realise there is a global pandemic ?

I hope she has a bell on the bike..
Ling Ling Ling….

Just to bring an authentic feel to this thread

This is awesome! What a legend Ling is.

On the global pandemic front – sounds like she is planning a multi-year trip, so if the first few months are made a bit more complicated by the pandemic it won’t be a show stopper. May mean they need to spend some time in isolation at border crossings waiting for test results though.

I’m going to ride a bicycle around the World with my hubby, Jon.

I didn’t know that was Poopscoops real name.
I’m still gutted I didn’t get an invite to the wedding.
Bought a hat and everything.

Ling Ling Ling

That is awesome.

She’s written a great bike check on her trip website. Not the spec I would go with for a world tour but she’s obviously considered it carefully. Good luck Ling! I’ll make you a cuppa when you get to NZ.

@Ling good luck!

http://www.lingcars.com

Nice one Ling. Giving your business to your staff is absolutely top notch stuff.

It’s a nice reversal of the normal ‘Come for the bikes, stay for the bullshit’ approach.

(Obviously she didn’t get the idea to do it from here. No-one actually rides bikes on STW 🙂 )

Looks like a good bike too. I am slightly envious of someone who is brave and resilient enough to sell up and GTFO on an adventure for a couple of years.

All the best to @Ling on her voyages.

Excellent – she bought the bike from my LBS :-). Surprised I hadn’t read about her expedition in the local news.

Superb!

Seeing the owner of Ling cars feels like looking behind the curtain.

I don’t buy cars very often but thanks for me reminding of this cornerstone of the world-wide-web. Love ya Ling and you still bossed this place on ‘that thread’

Enjoy your bike ride.

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/legal-advice-please-cancelling-a-new-car-dispute/ (63 pages!!)

User

(Obviously she didn’t get the idea to do it from here. No-one actually rides bikes on STW 🙂 )

True, but we do talk about it a lot

I’m disappointed at the lack of gifs though.

My Bike…

…is a beautiful SURLY LONG HAUL TRUCKER, which is very useful if it breaks down, because when I shout and kick it in a rage, its name rhymes with “useless ****”

Amazing.

Wow, what a bona fide legend! Was aware of her – and THAT site – before it all kicked off on here for one of the all-time greatest (and funniest) threads. In truth I’d always liked her style, came across as funny, fresh and genuine in a world/sector that is usually anything but.

And her decision to do this just validates what an exceptional individual she is. To build her business – as a female, Chinese (2nd language then), immigrant – in the sector she has done is phenomenal in and of itself. To now give the business to her employees (when its got to be worth a considerable sum of money) is laudable. I know she could afford it, but even so, many wouldn’t have just given it away.

I wish her all the best on her travels and will be following her progress

Leased from Ling a few years ago and it was a great experience. If I was ever leasing again, she’d be my only choice.

Good for her. I cant work out her accent, I presume she picked up English and her accent up north somewhere?

This thread just needs someone to ‘climb down off their poopbox’ and join in! 🙂

Did her brother in law buy her bike for her?

Helooooooo everyone, my bloody alerts are pinging like mad.

Yes, what can I say??? thanks to all for the comments 🙂

I plan to set off and not come back to the UK, just keep going until I die, hehe.

I’ve got a brand new black (blue?) passport with extra pages, and have had every injection going. Rabies etc, about a dozen more, and yellow fever so I can jump on commercial boats if I want to. And a cholera drink thing. Fortunately money isn’t an issue as long as I don’t go silly.

I plan to cycle for years, getting to China is the first goal really, but getting Q2 visas (family visit) is impossible at the mo. I will have to fly back to the UK from somewhere on the route (Turkey, georgia, Azer, Caspian ferry, Uzbeki, all the stans around the M41 to China). Then down Yunnan to south east asia.

A lot of borders need to open, true, but waiting is depressing so fkkit, just go. Europe is pretty open.

My bike is a Surly Trucker, from Spa in Harrogate. Lovely bike, but steel, heavy etc, and will be loaded with my whole life. You’ll mostly laugh at my bike, it is slow and very low geared. 3 chainrings, who has those these days?? 9-speed cassette. I put a dropper thing on the derailleur and a lower (bigger) 1st gear cog.

True, I did look at Rolhoff or Pinion with belts and maybe choose them next time?? Got my eyes on a Co-motion Pangia to be honest. but i need to wear the Surly out first. Surly LHT was circa £1500, Pangia is about £6000+ with a 18 speed Pinion.

All my gear is boring – Deore/Sora and 2″x26″ tyres, sputnik rims, and v-brakes etc, nothing to excite you all. But all recommended stuff by Spa.

Must say the best thing I added is a Redshift suspension stem. if you haven’t tried one, these are just wonderful things. Takes all the bashing out of my wrists/arms on rocky gravel tracks.

Been doing some test rides, did 70km the other day… but christ it’s hard work. Will get easier.

I’ve made a nice map on my website showing where I’ve been, tracks a phone GPS. I have a phone for that, specially.

We’ve got an MSR Elixir 3 tent.

And a credit card.

What can possibly go wrong?

Ling

The magazine should do a piece on this surely?

Good luck on your adventure Ling.

Oh God that poor bear. It doesn’t realise the shit it is getting into.

Oh God that poor bear. It doesn’t realise the shit it is getting into.

It’ll be fine as long as it doesn’t try to back out.

Be good to follow it on YouTube

Perhaps get in touch with Ed Pratt, chap unicycled around the world and currently lives in Bishkek Kyrgyzstan

Amazing. The very best of luck Ling! I have always been grateful for the hours of crying with laughter when you first joined STW.

I’m nowhere near as good as Ed, with filming/editing. Or riding. But will certainly have a good go. – Ling

Did her brother in law buy her bike for her?

I think it probably cost a bit more than £500+VAT.

Great stuff, have to keep an eye on that site. just had a look, shes headed my way. Lincoln watch out!!!

I went to Lincoln 3 weeks ago (in the car) testing the tracking 🙂

Ling

I went to Lincoln 3 weeks ago (in the car) testing the tracking 🙂

ah ok, the map said it was updated every 30 minutes or so….

shame, id have been up for a coffee and a ‘celebrity selfie’ 😀

Yeah but it’s historical, too. Normally when I go it will be one straight long line, far more understandable 🙂

I’m finding it hard to believe this isn’t the most brilliantly-conceived troll ever. 🙂

Good luck Ling – epic stuff. Which reminds me, I need to update you on my mileage. 🙂

Legend! Good luck Ling.

Online Singletrack interview with Ling coming very shortly, folks! 🙂