Hi, I did physical geography BSc and then an Environmental and Ecological sciences MSc. Options afterwards were either environmental consultancy (very competitive), continued academia or voluntary work to gain practical skills. I needed money and so took the first well paying job that came my way (not environmental). Once out of the field it has proved impossible to get back. The key seemed to be practical experience – really enjoyed the courses though.

Not DH big but 160-170mm and built more solidly than a trail or Enduro type bike. The sort of thing you get to hammer in the Alps and not be overly precious about.
South Wales is about 3.5hours. Are you thinking bikepark Wales, Afan or natural stuff?

Consultancy plus side – you are seldom bored, opportunities and training are excellent, money is very good, you get a lot of responsibility fairly early on
Consultancy down side – long to ridiculously long hours, high pressure environment, a lot of admin, risk, legal, appraisal stuff, you may not have time to ride your bike. You are a cog in a machine.
Saying all that, if you have a decent degree and the right experience, I would be happy to split my “finders” fee with you if you got a job where I am….you used to sell me tubes at BeyondMTB (i think) and so I think we could be in with a shout :-)

Michael,
Will I be allowed back this year after last year’s damage :oops:.
It was the best riding on an overseas trip that I think I have had.
May be I should bring my own bike….

Learnt the hard way that the location of the chopping block is quite important too. I recommend not using it on a patio even when the weather is shite and you can’t be bothered going into the back garden. I now have a small patch of crazy paving :oops:

The shore was amazing. I could only ever ride the low and straight stuff, some of the higher drops were mental (at least to me on my old Marin). The other trails did all seem to be more ‘natural’ and less trail centre’y then due to the lack of traffic and 100mm bikes made them fun. Saying that, some of the newer stuff on a quite summer evening on a bike with brakes and suspension that actually works is pretty hard to beat. Roll on summer…

Local trails for local riders :wink
I believe one of the reasons they become more obvious is people riding/ploughing them through winter.

The market is flooded now http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2012-turner-5-spot-great-spec-pikes-reverb-thomson-etc-1850-ono :wink:

Yep. I think it is about £300 to expensive. I sold 3 (26″) frames recently and didn’t price them at what I thought they were worth but what I thought I would get for them. My XL 5 spot was the 2011 model so slightly easier to sell due to geometry etc. Why not just strip it down and see if the parts are worth more than the sum? Lots of people want quality 26″ stuff to keep their bikes going.

Gomshall and out would definitely be more fun if you have the time – it is always good to have an excuse to get out of Redhill.

As Tr, get onto the downs at Coley Hill by following the track up through Gatton (starts near Reigate Common). Follow it along and then either go along the North Downs towards Dorking or across Walton Heath to Headley. You can then link up with Box Hill and have a play before heading back via Brockham, Betchworth and Reigate bridleways. There will be loads of options/ideas on Strava as a number of groups to regular rides of that length.

Used to go a couple of times a year. Cheap flights to Alghero, short bus ride in and then buses and walking to get around. The old part of Alghero is great. We stay in a converted monastery next to Francescos, cheap, clean and perfectly placed for exploring. Best beaches in that area are towards the old roman bridge out of town (wild tortoises roam the dunes and woods behind them). Find the right restaurants and the food is amazing (especially the grilled fish). Corsica and Sardinia are surprisingly different (the bits I have been too anyhow). Friends have done resort holidays on the east coast (emerald coast?) and only had good things to say.

Kick boxing counts – I imagine hares are going to classes as we speak in preparation for Spring. Sap rising and all that.

Stepping Stones is the closest but, depending on your definition of walking distance, there are nicer pubs in Mickleham IMO.
Not much else in that part of the world – the better pubs are further into the hills.

I quite fancy the idea for pootles around the local bridleway network but wouldn’t try it on singletrack. I have had a couple of small offs due to “trail” dogs deciding to sit in the middle of a trail or bound up to me to see who I am. Both can be a bit off puting if you weren’t expecting them. Our dog causes enough carnage already without spinning wheels being added to the equation.

I like the look of Arcachon. My little boy wants to go to a jungle and there is a place there called the “little Amazon”. Does anyone have any Italian hideaways.

Naadam does sound good but unfortunately fails on the warm sea requirement and does not sound very small children compatible. One to remember though.

It’s the nice change angle I am going for. I had to bunny hop a black adder last time I was there (in the summer) which is something I have never had to do in the Surrey hills. I think just putting your head down and blasting around seems the way to go then. Thanks

I am heading there tomorrow. Do people just whizz round the blue and red (with a play at the old dh bit) or are there hidden bits? People seem to rave about it now but I found it a bit scalatrix last time I went compared to a couple of years ago. Would a hard tail liven it up or do I just need to go faster to make it more fun? I feel like I am missing out on something.

Loving the positivity – I was just being a bit nimby – it was a beautiful morning. The trails were pretty mushy in places but still rode well. There were a couple of youngsters out with spades too and so expect some new gems to appear.

This? http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/south-downers-please

Sorry, missed that. Close away.

Thanks. I was not aware of Google Drive but 16Gb of free storage is useful. The bit I am struggling with is the best way to get everything off of multiple devices and into one place. Anyone know anything about the devices you can plug into your router..(just googled NAS)…are there any recommendations?

Meh, bit worse than that I thought. http://www.surreymirror.co.uk/Uproar-changes-Redhill-London-Bridge-trains/story-22940634-detail/story.html

I live in Reigate/Redhill. There are a number of informal riding groups that head out on weekday evenings and finish in decent pubs.
From doorstep riding is pretty good as the North Downs can be reached with no bother(and they offer a huge number of bridleways).
Leith, Holmbury and Pitch can be reached in about 25 minutes by car for more challenging trails.
London Bridge is going to all but close it doors to the Redhill line in the next few weeks while the platform alterations go on. Trains will be going to London Victoria or Blackfriars – worth checking the up to date travel information. This is p*ssing off the majority of the local commuting population.
Personally if I had free choice I would opt for Dorking. The commute (to Waterloo mainly) is a bit longer but the doorstep riding is so much better.

Yes, the dropzone is/was good. Unfortunately it didn’t fit my new frame and so I want to check if there is anything else out there that is even better or on sale. The Giant looks relatively heavy, I don’t know much about the Spesh one?

I picked up a mint condition, custom colour, Kashima shock, maxle etc Five, a year older than yours, for £595 last month and so I think £750-800 should get some interest.

Thanks. I assumed it was reasonably expensive as it was part of a gift. Sounds like it might actually be a good one to mull and spice.

Did this go?
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-cotic-simple-853-frame-26

Wait for a Simple…..simple.

Looks like there is a consistent theme here! I didn’t take the free hub off but it did ‘unseat’ and so I will take the drive side apart again and look out for the seal. Thanks for the responses.

Thank you. Warm tent and sleepy children. Sorted.

Ok – thanks. Wood is definitely not great but we are getting some fairly decent heat now after careful tending. Tent/pod things don’t hold heat so ultimately pointless as we will all wake up at 2am wishing we had brought proper sleeping bags. Pleasant way to spend an evening though, especially with a fireside dram.

Just got new bag from local store-nothing special but dry. Should vents be nearly closed when it is going well to reduce the flame and give a slower, hotter burn. Top vents vs bottom vents?

No, it has been hanging up in my shed for most of this year. Great frame (xl, 2011, gun metal grey, for sale at bargain price :D) but it was perhaps overkill for my local trails (Surrey Hills). Back on my Hemlock which just seems to make every ride fun (even on its little wheels). Think some of my mates are heading out early tomorrow, I’ll ask them to look out for you (but it usually pretty busy Sunday mornings so you will find someone to point you in the right direction).

Leith is still quick and even Ranmore is holding up well. Holmbury seems to be good no matter what the weather throws at it, same goes for the steeper bits of Pitch. Have fun.

Been a couple of times for trail riding. Riding, scenery and vibe is superb. Accommodation last year was amazing. I haven’t found anything in Spain better yet (but I have yet to experience BasqueMTB). I actually preferred the riding with Riviera and the set up with VerbierMTB but as a package in Spain Switchbacks is very good IMO.

Just found this in the mean time. http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Exploring-Corsica-2013.html

I remember an article in an old mbr or singletrack. I think they did one of the main GRs that dissect the mountains. I’ll try and dig it out for you. We went there regularly before kids (but not riding) and the landscape is spectacular. Taking the slow train from Ajaccio (through the mountains) gives an indication of the riding out there. Love it.

Thanks for the info. Flights booked, just need to get fit now. 8)