I own one. I had the choice between ‘that’ fork and the newer thru-axle one when buying it. I like the fact people think it’s backwards, even though it makes no difference to performance, works better with mudguards and is safer if the skewer ever comes loose.

I bought a Buffalo Teclite last year for winter cycling and it has been my go-to item of clothing for everything ever since. I thought it would just be a cold weather jacket but I’ve worn it all year, even on summer evenings.

After a lot of research I concluded most people go for the Special 6 or Mountain shirts and then say they are too warm most of the time so never use them for active stuff. The Teclite has all the same features and ventilation but is much lighter and has a thinner fleece layer.

It’s great on the bike when it’s below 10 degrees, worn against the skin. For sub zero I add a merino baselayer.

Paramo stuff is similar but more expensive. The Paramo front pocket/vent situation isn’t as useful (you can’t use the handwarmer pocket without opening the cooling vents!) and the ‘waterproof’ aspect is no different to a Buffalo that’s been treated with Nikwax.

The Montane Extreme jacket is far too warm to ride in and very heavy, but would be fantastic if you were stuck on a mountain side in a blizzard!

28inch is the same rim diameter as 29 and 700c. There may be slightly more clearance under the 29er rack, but then most european 28″ bikes would be running close to a 2″ tyre so the difference, if any, would be marginal.

‘Cyclocross bikes need no explaining’

You’ve obviously never shown one to your non-cycling friends then! Cyclocross bikes are the result of strict and slightly non-sensical race regs. Take away the regs and most people would at least choose fatter tyres and wider bars.

I saw these at Motorcycle Live yesterday. There was no information available and no representative there. They look OK in a shiny new bike sort of way but felt very heavy (hard to judge because they had a stand bolted to the back axle, but I’d say 17-20kg). I guess you’d expect that from an electric fat bike.

Jeremy shining lights straight in his face and saying how bright they are.. science at work!

How many lumens is a car headlight? 2000+

As important as having more than one light is having them in different places. A light high up, on the back of the helmet means you can be seen over the top of cars. But more than a couple of lights, especially if they are all in one cluster, is silly.

Pedal reflectors, however naff they are, are the most distinctive signal to other road users that you are on a bike. Maybe bike shoes should have reflective heels.

Because there is little need for pedalling efficiently, you could do some pretty drastic things with your riding position to get your body lower and flatter. There are some big gains to be made in reducing air resistance! The gravity bike suggestion is spot on.

“One of the problems is the bikes have no registration numbers”

And the horses do?

None really. The Mondeo won’t use any more fuel than the Focus and will be more comfortable. Handling might not be quite as sharp but they are still best in class.

Looks like Goretex have finally invented Pertex Shield.

I have a shed full of old steel bikes and a head full of silly ideas so I’ve just bought a Bullfinch Autotorch, 1kg of bronze rods, flux and bottle of propane. £200 investment shared with a friend. Who knows what we’ll end up with!

I don’t do commuting, but when touring on rainy days I wear RAF wet weather trousers (£15 from the surplus shop) and goretex hiking boots. I’ve never had wet feet or legs, or overheated.

I have the current Roadrat, which the Escapade is the drop bar version of. Ive built it up with mostly MTB parts and a 29er wheelset and its been fantastic. I use it for light mountainbiking, bikepacking and touring and it does it all comfortably!

I would have thought a Tesla Model S would be a safe bet for a fairly future proof car. It’s ahead of the game already, mechanically simple and can be updated over the internet. There’s a very good chance it will be kept up-to-date with future battery developments too.

Otherwise, something simple, ubiquitous and with a non-turbo petrol engine. Suzuki Jimny? It hasn’t changed much since it was introduced in 1998 and lots of the early ones are still about. Mechanically robust, a couple of well documented issues but very reliable. It does mean you have to drive a silly small bouncy thing for 15 years though…

The replaceable mech hanger/dropout part of the frame- is there anyway that could have moved? Was it angled back somehow when the bike was setup and has since twisted forward? I’m not familiar with your dropout arrangement so I could be talking nonsense.

The V5 is not proof of ownership. If your dad is happy staying as the registered keeper then it’s fine. You aren’t doing anything wrong or dishonest, you avoid adding an extra owner and paying a few weeks tax.

Why are you removing the dropout if you are just replacing the mech? That part stays on the frame unless it’s damaged.

I have a cut-down SKS bluemels I use on the back. It goes from the usual point on the chainstays to a few inches beyond the seat stays, about 11 o’clock. It doesn’t keep me dry but it keeps a lot of crud off the drivetrain.

I’d have though that if you get the widest guards you can and tweak the stays out away from the tyre then you would easily get enough clearance avoid snagging the stays.

@tillydog, I use the seatpost rack because it’s what I have, it works with the trunk bag and clips on in a couple of seconds. It’s an Arkel Randonneur rack, not one of these clamp on the post jobbies. There’s only a couple of kilos in the bag (stove, food, sleeping bag, tools) so it’s nice and stable.

I do understand where you are coming from though, some of the big seatpacks look more cumbersome than strapping your kit on-top of a normal rack. Horses for courses! The important bit is the adventure, not the kit.

After a cheeky weekday one-nighter:

Getting rid of the 11t and adding a 40t would give you 20% less gear range overall, so a definite step backwards!

Is that so? If I could that would be loads cheaper – I realise I’ll have less pedal-able gears descending but how come 20% less? I might be being a dumbass here [/quote]

11 to 36 tooth cassette gives you a 227% overall change.
13 to 40 tooth cassette gives a 207% overall change.
By comparison, Srams 10 to 42 tooth has a 320% change…

It’s not just the size of the biggest cog- the smallest ones matter equally as much, hence why Sram have gone to a 10 tooth.

Softail with a rigid fork and a fat/+ size front tyre would be a good compromise.

Getting rid of the 11t and adding a 40t would give you 20% less gear range overall, so a definite step backwards!

Cotic Roadrat was my choice for a similar scenario (with touring thrown in there too).
Panet X do a flat bar version of the London Road.
Pinnacle Lithium

Viewranger GPS- Download OS maps to use offline on your phone. Does route planning, tracking, waypoints and all other useful GPS type stuff.

Try a Buffalo jacket. I have the Buffalo Teclite shirt and it’s perfect when its less that 10 degrees. The more common Special 6 is a bit too warm for cycling. They are not waterproof but highly breathable and keep you feeling warm and comfortable as long as you are active. Massive ventilation zips down both sides. Wear it on its own or over a merino base layer when it gets colder.

It’s a totally different concept to wearing waterproofs but it works for me!

I always go through the apps list and disable lots of the pre-loaded apps. Hangouts, Google+, News and weather, Twitter, Picasa etc. Lots of stuff I never use!

If she’s just browsing the internet and doing office type stuff, a Chromebook will do everything in a simple and secure manner for 20% the cost of a Macbook. Compared to Windows stuff, they are stylish too. Some even come in colours other than black!

It’s not really half a bike when it has 50% more wheels than a bike. Surely a unicycle is half a bike. This is a stand-up version of a kids tricycle.

My Roadrat “Hybrid”:

I have a Cotic Roadrat as my do-it-all bike and it does an admirable job! Flat bars, sensible 29er wheels, MTB drivetrains. It’s a true Hybrid! I took it touring one week, then swapped the tyres and rode it in the woods the next weekend. No idea how much it weighs but with skinny tyres it goes quickly and with knobbly tyres its fun, so I’m happy!

As above, get a mirror like every other road user?

Oh wait, they don’t look cool. Lets spend 50x more on a gadget.

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/squire-retractable-cable-lock-id30406.html

I missed a flight to Iceland because a friend had a mini adjustable spanner in his hand luggage.

nedrapier, thank you. I saw it in a local auction and paid the princely sum of £11 for it. Every part of it is *almost* completely worn out but it all still works, even the dynamo lights. I’d love to know it’s history. Somebody has kept it going on a shoestring for many years. And yes, I ride it most weeks.

This beauty. I imagine it visited a few pubs before it fell into my hands too.

Don’t touch the 10mm bit. Just undo the 8mm inside it.

Cotic Escapade?