Hand-warmth is extremely variable between people and my hand circulation is crap. Today, I used Endura Lobsters but it was probably about 1-3C in London at 7.30. Then I switched to Black Diamond ice climbing mitts for standing around outside all morning. I've never been able to use them on the bike for long without getting too hot except when I was in Alaska or Finland.

Pogies are awesome, though. You can still feel your controls, but they're super-toasty. I saw some great home-made ones in Harrow the other day. Looked like some fleece material with gaffer tape outer. Well worth trying if you live up north and get cold hands.

Their website claims a 2 year warranty, but does not cover

a) Any damage caused by normal wear and tear, misuse, neglect, abuse, improper maintenance or assembly, modifications to original specification, shipping, accidents, or failure to follow instructions in the owner's manual.
b) Any activities which include but are not limited to, use of a bicycle for commercial activities or in any competitive event, use of bicycle for stunt riding, ramp jumping, acrobatics.
c) Any incidental or consequential damages.
d) Labor charges for parts replacement, change-overs or incidental costs such as transportation to and from an authorized dealer for repair or replacement of any defective part, or shipping related charges due to a warranty.

Well, I've raced on it, jumped it, and used it for work. But don't tell them that. I'm hoping that they'll just be nice for the sake of their brand, but we'll see. Weekly phone calls to Halfords, then…

Yeah, I'd read the Sideways story when it first broke and I Googled around. It doesn't bode well, but we'll see.

I should stick to riding pig-iron Surlys. They're nicely indestructible.

Yes, that's my D-Jab. I might be back to challenge you at Bikefests again next year on its replacement. Or the Pug.

It's 20 months old and it cracked around the seat-tube top-tube weld. A classic case for bad seatpost use, but I was using a carbon post within its marked minimum insert and the frame doesn't have an abnormally high seat-tube protrusion. And I'm not a fat biffer.

Yes. Some guy asked us for directions on a night ride the other week and his lights were so offensively bright that I couldn't think straight to tell him which trail to take.

He had two bar-mounted lights, each of which was brighter than a Lumi HID. Yikes!

Depends on the frame and the bolts in question. I run just a nutted axle in most cases, but on one particularly shiny paintjob, the wheel still kept dragging forwards so I had to use chaintugs.

My sister has an Osprey daypack that she really likes, and my girlfriend is keen on her Osprey 80L pack. They seem well thought out, good quality, and make female-specific models.

Trail conditions were good at the weekend, but a lot of Skyline's singletrack is closed at the moment. Like the man said, lots of grip even in the wet.

I've used Adrenaline insurance. They cover quite a lot (including racing and such if you need it). They accepted a medical bill from me with no quibbles.

I have actually tried using wellies for commuting in foul weather. The problem was that are quite tall and kinda sharp at the top. So much so that after 20 miles, my calf was bleeding. I was wearing them with shorts and that is an "interesting" look, so they might be ok with trousers tucked in. Still not a great look, but if it's hammering down with rain, who cares?

The soles weren't very grippy at all, though, so I wouldn't want to mountain bike in them.

Not training for SSUK! He is a skills instructor and a top bloke.

http://www.forestfreeride.co.uk/%5B/url%5D

Yeah, that's at the hotel in Anchorage where we gathered before the start. The bashguard is not so much for the gnarl as for protecting my big boots from the chainring.

If you insist. Running 22:18 at the time of the photo…

djab, too. 130mm most of the time for me, with occasional forays into 100mm.

It's good at either length, but 130mm is more fun.

TfL have made a video about passing lorries, but it hasn't really been publicised widely enough.

Money is the major issue. I manage the delivery of cycle training to a London borough, and the yearly budget is less than the salary of 1 MP. That's how much the government actually give a damn.

On a bad day, it's all the weight of DH tyres/wheels without the grip. On a good day, it's all the simplicity of rigid with a bit of give.

I certainly wouldn't buy one unless you plan to ride in snow or sand. The tyres are designed for long distance on soft surfaces so they don't have much in the way of side knobs. Leaning the bike over gets you very little grip. All the mods for fat tyres make kit choice difficult… Special tyres at £85 each, only two BB choices I know of (Surly, or FSA), two rear hubs, rear brake calipers at both ends.

In the UK, I rode the Dyfi Enduro, all of Afan, a multi-day Welsh bivvy ride, and lots of local trails on it. So its all do-able, but most of the time a normal hardtail is more fun/easier. OTOH, I also rode it in Alaska and Finland and floated past people with mere 2.5" tyres.

A Surly Karate Monkey can run Snowcat rims and (with a little hammer-based modification) Large Marges. If you can find one 2nd hand, that might do you well.

Yeah, I suppose I'd revise that last bit.

If you really want to learn manuals etc. I'd still recommend flats.

But that might not really be what you're after. In fact skills instructors will probably try to talk you out of it. If you want more flow and skills for your normal riding, then use what you're used to, like jedi says.

Yeah, don't buy a new bike. In the past, I thought that would help. But what helped was getting rid of the idea that I was any good and accepting that learning meant being bad at stuff for a while.

For all of the things you mention (drops, manuals, track-stands), definitely learn on flats, and drop your saddle.

But you'll probably find that most of them aren't related to riding with more flow, which is what it sounds like you want.

I'd say get some flats and decent shoes. Ride around in them a bit. Then go on a skills course. Switching back to flats takes a while so you will probably go best if you're used to them before your course.

I've used Surly and On-One. I think On-One look slightly nicer and are cheaper. Both seem to work the same.

I've got an Endura Stealth and it's not very waterproof after less than a year of use. In decent rain, it absorbs lots of water and becomes very heavy. I'm going to see how well a wash in Nikwax will go, but I'm a bit disillusioned with soft shells now.

It is very warm/windproof, though. I used mine in -20C with just a merino base layer (but I do run quite hot).

Why does everyone think Shaggy is the only one who rides in snow!!! There were a number of British riders at this year's Alaska Ultrasport. As I'm sure he'd point out, he wasn't even the only one on a singlespeed.

I had a 1×1 for years, now sold to a mate who rides it more than his Specialized Stumpy.

And I now have a Pugsley. Great bike for snow, stable bike for mucking about on, quite hard work for something like the Dyfi.

Nice one.

And I found a glove there this week, but not yours… a Spesh one. Doh!

I met a teacher called Guy Fawkes last week. Nice guy, but he thinks that home fireworks should be banned on eco grounds.

And I've recently come across some top first names including: Precious, Dimple, Gifty, and Cosmic.

Oh, dear.

Use Hammerite not Tippex and do two coats. It's worked for my various bashed steel frames and they're still holding together.

I work in different locations so it's typically 14-17 miles each way. Some weeks it's 30+ miles each way.

I used to like riding 2 days, having a break on Wednesday, and then riding 2 days. Sitting in traffic like a chump made me desperate to get back on the bike and gave my legs a rest. I can't do that now, but as long as I eat enough and have recovery drinks after evening mtb rides, it's OK.

So, doubling your mileage isn't way beyond possibility, but don't let people on here tell you to MTFU if you're finding it tough. If you're not liking your bike, just stop riding it.

That's fairly reassuring. There aren't going to be any guarantees, but no horror stories so far.

The spoke tension wasn't the issue in the first place – someone ploughed into my wheel side-on – but it's worth checking now.

I'll be keeping a close eye on it (as much as is possible on a night ride).

Thanks, folks.

Crank Bros again, their pedals bearings are terrible and they had the audacity to claim that the first generation were "maintenance free". Then the second generation had grease-ports. Hmm.

Gore clothing, because I don't have a money tree in my garden.

For bike brands, I wouldn't buy a Giant as they made the second worst handling mtb that I've ever ridden. Or a Trek for no good reason.

I may be cutting my nose off to spite my face, but I wouldn't buy a Santa Cruz thanks to a certain group of riders who were all kitted out with them and acted like tossers.

Turns out, I'm more angry than I thought I was…

I thought the irony was the missing chain. One less thing to wear out in winter. TBH, I'd ditch the gears too if I was going to go chainless.

My issue would be that an overtaking car is unlikely to be able to see oncoming traffic from round the corner. If there was something coming, they would have to pull back into the kerb and go straight through you.

My standard behaviour when I don't want to get overtaken (approaching junction, traffic calming, blind bend etc) is to look behind and then move to the middle of the lane. Looking behind reminds them that you're a person and tips them off that you're about to do something. Often it makes them pause just long enough to realise that the stupid overtake they wanted to do is now impossible. Then taking the middle of the lane shows that you're traffic and they should wait unless they can overtake properly.

I'm not saying you were in the wrong, BTW. It was a dodgy place to overtake, but I'm just suggesting ways to minimise drivers chances of making dangerous moves.

Sugoi Gustov's are amazing. They're the only baggies I'd ride for more than 3 hours in. I rode 130 miles in them last weekend and it was comfort all the way (at least it was comfort between me and the saddle, not so sure about my legs, arms, and sanity).

I wouldn't bother with bibs if you're going to wear them with baggies. IMO, the advantage of bibs is that it stops them from slipping down a little and snagging on the saddle. If you're wearing baggies over the top, this isn't an issue.

First ride with my Voodoo when it was new and the head-tube badge popped off.

Nowadays, it has no badge and no stickers leaving everyone to wonder what the heck it is. (Now they'll never know it's from Halfords!)

I was going to go on it myself, but I can't now due to work. I should make it clear that this is the training only and you would typically do your assesment at a later date (and with a logbook full of experience).

It's useful to be able to lead with either foot. As you say, to swap your legs and use different muscles. It can also be an advantage on very lumpy terrain where swapping pedals might cause them to hit the ground. Or when you're following a contour along a hill-side (you're more likely to fall towards your forward foot so keep it toward the up-slope).

I learned to lead with either foot last year by just swapping to my less favoured foot on fire-roads. Then on easy singletrack. Then on harder stuff. Now I can do little jumps and drops with my less-favoured foot but I'd always pick my fave for bigger stuff.

I've been and done it. I knew some guys from Manchester Uni's "Team Sperm" MTB club and we did it regularly every Feb. For all I know, they still do it.

http://www.bikemagic.com/news/article/mps/uan/2540

From what you say about your experience, just do what you'd do for a normal winter mountain trip and also take gear to walk off the mountain if you have to. When things go to plan, it's much easier on a bike than on foot because the descent is so fast you go from frozen fingers to toasty in no time. If you've got the gear and the knowledge, then you'll be ready in case it does go wrong.

Go do it!

TBH, I maybe shouldn't have stuck my oar in :-)

(ironically enough) Outdoor swimming seems like it can be one of those small ponds with lots of strong characters and politics. I don't really know the ins and outs of it well enough.

Or it can be some person swimming in a river with knowledge of, or connection to, any organisation.

To expand on why I think it's sad, both ice man and mr. flying squirrel seemed to only be interested in the amazing places that they went to in the context of their personal battles. It might just be down to the documentaries, but it seemed like they lacked respect or interest in a wider picture.

You may need blinkers to achieve the feats that they did, but you could take them off and look around afterwards. You could try to understand the place before you go there.

Wim may have talked about embracing the cold and all that, but at the end of the day he didn't know that he'd struggle to run in the tracks of a snow mobile and ended up running along a road. A road. In a remote part of Finland. One step further and he'd be on a running machine in a freezer.

As for riding along looking at the fluffy animals and listening to the birds… I'm not biting :|

All these people who are calling it a re-branding, which corporate monolith do you imagine are doing this re-branding?

One of the joys of swimming is that it's cheap and simple. One of the extra joys of lake/river/sea swimming is that it's even cheaper and simpler.

Maybe re-branding is another slip of language with unintentional implications. FWIW I know quite a lot of channel swimmers and sea swimmers through Swimtrek (who do holidays for eating, drinking, and a bit of spectacular swimming). They're generally a bit narked with the Wild Swimming woman for taking something that everyone's been doing for years, acting like she represents it, and spouting loads of guff about how out-there and in touch with nature she thinks she is.

Interesting (and ultimately impressive), but I couldn't quite believe that:

1. He didn't realise that he would slip in the fresh tracks of a snow mobile. Anyone who's knows about snow and not just dunking yourself in ice cubes on a city street would have known that.

2. They made such a big deal of the swim. People do ice swimming quite a lot, and he didn't go that far in the program. I've seen old Fins just cruising around in ice-cold water, calm as can be – Finish Ice Swimming[/url]

I do credit the guy with strength of mind, and with living his dreams but there is a common thread between ice man and last weeks flying squirrel. They seem to see nature as something to battle rather than something to enjoy and respect which is a little sad.

Hmm. My last set of tyres were 2.4 Ralphs and my current are 2.35 High Rollers (wire, 60a compound).

They are completely different tyres and I came to the conclusion that: I'll use the Ralphs for racing and High Rollers for normal riding.

I did the swap when I was camping at Afan the other week and High Rollers are much better over rocks. I rode White's level with both sets of tyres in near-identical conditions. I certainly have in my head that the Ralphs are fragile, which didn't help. They were cut up pretty badly but didn't puncture as I coddled them through the rougher stuff. They do wear fast and did get punctured by a tiny bit of flint in The Chilterns a few weeks ago. The High Rollers were much more sure-footed and led me to descend faster. The treads are pretty squishy though and may be an acquired taste.

I'd say, if you don't mind a bit of weight and rolling resistance and you like to lean the bike right over in corners, High Rollers are great fun. If you want something quick and usable for every day, Ralphs are pretty good.