I’ve used FB marketplace with great success over the past couple of years. But I’ve currently got a bike listed and have had zero genuine interest. Not sure if this is because FB isn’t showing the listing to so many people or if the second hand market is just dead at the minute. Combination of both I suspect.
Have a look at the Teign Valley. Great riding of all types locally. Half hr drive to Dawlish/Teignmouth/Torbay. North coast just over an hour drive. Dartmoor nearby.
Presuming the ali one has a carbon fork, there will probably be minimal weight difference. In the real world there probably won’t be a huge difference in the way it rides. So, common sense says ali. That said, are you always gonna look back and wish you had the carbon one? FWIW my gravel bike is ali frame carbon fork and I’m very happy with it.
The decathlon itiwit boards are the best value for money IMO. Quality is not far off the red board we’ve got that was twice the price. As someone says above, it’s worth getting a decent paddle.
If you get a wetsuit, choose one with a back zip. That way you can wear it on just your bottom half, with the option to pull the top half on if you get wet/cold.
In my, admittedly relatively small experience, Specsavers are total cowboys who will tell you anything to flog some glasses. Boots were considerably better to deal with.
OP you could do worse than Bovey Tracey. Excellent road riding, family cycle paths, close to Hay Tor, decent mtbing. Close to A38, already cycle cafe etc there. Near Exeter bike park, Haldon etc
Fuerteventura also worth considering… We just had a week in Lajares which is a quiet little town. Close to Cotillo for great beach/old town/harbour. Also close to Coralejo if you want shops/tourist stuff. Also not far to East coast beaches. Recommended.
I had a particularly awkward trapped nerve in my neck three or four years ago. Three months of doing very little and another three months of building back to normal. My advice:
Take the cycling very easy, step away if it’s causing pain.
Lots of gentle stretching. Carry this on when recovered.
Find a good physio.
It might take a while, don’t get too depressed, it will get better.
I had one go faulty a few years back. The call centre swore blind that they never go wrong, threatened to charge me for the engineer call out etc. guy comes to have a look at it “yeah these go wrong all the time”
I considered one. I’ve bought from Ribble previously and would again.. went for a Vitus Sentier in the end. Very happy with it and would recommend (albeit 140mm fork).
Redruth and Camborne are very far from the picture postcard version of Cornwall. See the relatively recent documentary by Simon Reeves and in particular the bit about the food bank.
I grew up there and very much love Cornwall. I hope to return to live at some point. But it won’t be in Redruth or Camborne. Truro is a bit better… but still wouldn’t be my choice.
I’ve got a Vitus Sentier 29. Very happy with it, spec seemed good for the money. Been riding xc/trail stuff and it’s been great. Even rode it at Exeter bike park last weekend which was very good fun :)
IME the school will refuse. We took our five year old out for a week a couple of years back. Got fined £60 per parent with the threat of a massive fine if we did it again within two years. I was under the impression that they couldn’t fine you for less than a week. I could be wrong on that though…
I’ve just gone back to flats for mtb. I found the five tens took a few rides to bed in. They’re beginning to flex a bit now, felt awful out the box. I also removed sone of the pins from the pedals. They were just too grippy, I couldn’t adjust foot position…
Marketplace is great for selling stuff. I cleared out all my old bike/surf stuff earlier this year. Generally sold for asking price, you just need to be direct with buyers and only accept cash and collection only. That said I wouldn’t dream of using it to buy anything.
My mum had cancer of the oesophagus (excuse my spelling)…
If he’s diagnosed he will have a cancer nurse as a point of contact. They’ll be able to explain what is likely to happen. In my mum’s case she had the operation followed by chemotherapy. The NHS throws significant resources at this stuff. My experience was that no expense was spared in treatment. The consultants also were extremely good st explaining everything in layman’s terms.
There is also likely to be groups that the cancer nurse can put you in touch with, people who have been through it and are happy to share their experiences.
