I also got a set of used Pike 160 RCT3 for £200 about 6 months ago, so much better than the Fox 32 they replaced. Keep your eyes open mate

Are they going to be warm or am I still going to get the freezing cold cleat sucking all the heat from the sole of my foot?

Wow, those Mavic look like a deal. No idea what they’re like though, and how does Mavic sizing compare to Shimano?

I’m a UK 7, normally wear a shimano 42

My Altura attack are about to start their 4th winter

In true STW style…Cotic Escapade because that’s what I got and I prefer it to my 2014 Croix De Fer

I rode 25c Conti GP4 Seasons for nearly 1200 miles without a single puncture but after that they became a bit unreliable and I wasn’t imressed with the durability of the sidewalks as already mentioned. The ride was superb though, lovely tyres.

I now been on 28c Durano Plus for the last 400 miles, yes they are rigid, heavier and they have definitely killed the quality of the ride but I’m confident in their durability and expect them to last longer than their predecessors, and I hope to have a problem free winter with my 5am commutes on dark country roads

Superstar do hangars, not sure if they do the 2016 though as I’ve not seen what it looks like. Worth checking for £7.99

YGM

Am I the only person who leaves the coffee brewing for 3 minutes before plunging? What’s all this 10-20 second nonsense?

People who indicate right and then left at a round about then they are going straight on. And people who don’t indicate at all.

Thats exactly what he’s doing, he worked at Halfords as a teenager so he knows exactly how bad it is!

He’s visited a store about 25 miles away today and come home with a large bike in the boot. Cheers for the input guys

The original singlespeed and the Point AR are very different frames. I was very tempted by one but ended up with a Cotic Escapade as I always wanted one and was happy to spend the money. If I only had £700 then the Mango would be my choice

I don’t see many, or any really, fat bikes on the Quantocks. If I was in your position I’d be looking at an aggressive trail HT like the Bird or Whyte. But that’s just me.

I really didn’t enjoy my On One Fatty, it was fun for the novelty factor for a couple rides but it in the end it was just too much of a bimble about bike for me.

That’s probably no help at all but good luck

Mrs Bucko loves her 2015 Whyte 802 Compact, it rides really nice and is a really good looking bike which helps her enjoy it way more than having any slightly better components would ever do.

And it won bike of the year with a well known magazine -http://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/hardtail/whyte-802-compact-review

East 17, Stay Another Day. Not proud of it.

As already said, XT last a lot longer than Deore and are regularly on CRC/Wiggle etc for only a couple £ more

If he’s tall http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/74868/Kona_Lava_Dome_29er_2015_Bike

Surely a 26 inch bargain?

My Kyle Straits finally gave up about 6 months ago, after trying on lots of new pads I’m now wearing IXS Slopestyle. They were cheap on CRC HT honestly the best out of everything else I tried

Skinners, you can buy it VAT free and n Mole Valley, less than £20 a sack for a variety of different types. I feed my springer on the hypoallergenic stuff, either duck or salmon, he loves it.

Did I read somewhere that dogs are wheat intolerant yet most dry foods are bulked out with wheat?

Cheers Ben, I’ve gone with the heart and ordered an Escapade today.

Right, my CTWS opens for applications tomorrow. I’m so tempted by the Escapade, and I think if i don’t get one then it will always be in the back of my mind. I would be sticking 28c tyres on the Cotic but I’m just unsure if i maybe want a lighter and faster bike for the year round commuting. Other bikes i’m considering are the Mango Point AR and Whyte Dorset.

Any further opinions?

I’ve been using that KMC chain for years and never had any problems, and it comes with a missing link

Check the connections of the wiring looms/plug things underneath the passenger seat, give them a wiggle. I used to have a Clio and that was a common problem for making some lights come up on the dash, especially when you’ve moved the seat or flipped in forward for a rear passenger in a 3 door. I can’t remember what warning lights it was though, but it’s worth a try.

If that does that turn out to be the full then just cable tie the connections together nice and tight and it shouldn’t happen again.

Those Mango Point AR look great value, neat and simple. If I decide on alu then that would be high on the list, especially at half the price of the Whyte Suffolk

That Diverge looks lovely, and if I was after one single do-it-all bike then it would be ideal, but I already have a Defy for road duties so I’m after something different. I did look at the Day One but at 12.5kg it’s the same weight as my MTB so not really fast enough to keep me happy

epicyclo – Member
In that case may I suggest you’ll never regret buying a Singular. Talk to Sam.

Who’s Sam?

Thanks, I really appreciate that idea as its what I’ve done with my MTB for the last 4 years, but this bike will be a cycle scheme purchase

I took my aluminium Defy out for a ride today, and after a winter of riding the heavier Kona SS I have to say that the Kona is very obviously a more comfy ride so I am definitely looking at steel again.

So my current shortlist is Escapade, Kaffenback and Kona Honky Tonk which appears to be a geared version of the Paddy Wagon.

I really like the new Escapade in green, I like it a lot.

Cotic Escapade looks good, not sure you can get that on CTWS though. I’ll check out the Arkose

This is probably going to be a CTWS purchase (up to £2.5k) over the next couple months. The latest Genesis CDA and CDF bikes really don’t do it for me. If I was going aluminium then maybe something more mainstream like the Spesh Diverge?

Just think of it like going 6 months without feeling the tender touch of a beautiful woman. You may fumble at first but before you know it you’ll be Ron Jeremy again

So is 180m the benchmark? It’ll take me a while to beat that

Didn’t enjoy it. Just sat here watching the original Mad Max now, much betterer

My Kona Paddy Wagon is 42:16 (69.2 gear inches) and i’ve not really felt the need to change it over the last 800 miles for my 8 mile each way, only 300ft of climbing commute. If I was to change it I would opt to spin less on the flat and grind more on the climbs.

http://sheldonbrown.com/gear-calc.html

I hope that helps in some way

What the people watching this show might not realise is that meeting targets means more funding, failing targets means less funding. It’s like a reward for doing well, which is why they are forced to ‘massage’ the best they can out of the performance. But as most people would understand, surely it’s the failing Trusts that need the funding?

I do have to say, that I love my job, but. Feel that we are unable to function effectively due to increased NHS111 referrals, inappropriate calls, abuse of the system, and a too risk adverse 999 call triage system. We can’t keep going like this for much longer, staff are burning out

Nothing quite beats getting an enforced meal break at an ambulance station 75 miles from yours at 0230 when you have no food. Oh, and getting sent to jobs that have already been waiting 30 minutes, that are nearly an hour away…

Seriously though, it’s not all bad, but we are struggling at times, a lot of times, most of the time…