I’ve bought the eBay shim to allow me to use shimano bbs. Job appears to be jobbed.

Get some Superstar plastic ones from Planet X. They are a total bargain(if the colours works for you)

I have the wide genetic digests on my Pickenflick. They’re set high so riding on the drops is really comfy. I use all the available hand positions and descending in the hooks is really secure.

The range of positions is much more useful to me than the drops on my road bike, where I use the hoods 90% of the time and really just use the drops for descending and headwinds.

I’m a fan.

Another happy customer here

Go with the crosser. I bought a canti’d Ridley X-Bow for peanuts to try out ’gravel’ and it’s great. Yes, the brakes could be better but they’ll do till you decide it’s worth investing more.

For me, the combo of a rigid 29er with a 29+ front and a drop bar bike with 40-45mm rubber covers all this territory neatly.

Get some Velcro one wrap For the bar attachments.

Then tighten up the head tube strap wherever you can. But make sure you tape your frame because otherwise you’ll get rubbing.

I’ve lived in Dorking for over 25 years. I’ve lived in two roads, both of which were/are great little communities. The town itself has good shops and eateries for its size and the local country pubs are ace. As has been said, I doubt it’s possible to find anywhere in the UK with the same quality, volume and variety of riding accessible from your doorstep. The commute is OK when the trains are running. Occasionally it is a right ****.

Pickenflick for gravel duties

Ancient Swift with Krampus fork and 3in tyre

Mk1 Stooge

We’ve also been looking at moving to the area, with a view to semi-retirement and maybe doing a holiday let. Kingston St Mary sounds like a good shout. Looking for a community to be part of, access to riding from the door, and a good pub.

Hacksaw through the frame, lure both buyers to a remote location, blindfold them and zip tie them together, then flee the country. Simples.

Onions. Fried in butter.

Cheese. And butter.

Yes, I would have binned the filming under those conditions. But I’m glad they didn’t- that was a great little film.

I reckon the replacement frame is stuffed with high-grade coke and the shop are using you as a county lines drugs mule. I bet you’ve got a trip planned to the Elan Valley or some other hotbed of vice and depravity, haven’t you, OP?

… or there’s Scotland

Sussex earlier this year. There’s lots more like that.

Torino-Nice Rally?

Scotland, for sure.

Or mid-Wales? Not quite the same but there’s some fantastic riding through the middle of beautiful empty landscapes.

It’ll work but I’d imagine you might be better off with B+ up front TBH. I rode a 26in Inbred with a 29×2.3 front and it was OK but I don’t think I’d have pushed it to 29×3.

Also wanted to make a Caldera clone but couldn’t find suitable Ti sheet.

I’ve built a few meths stoves and use a coke can model regularly for bikepacking trips. I have another side burner which nests inside it, made of a small aerosol can. I can boil water on that while frying breakfast on the other.

I’ve also made a couple of wood gas stoves from peach cans. They work pretty well but they’re too much faff to take on a trip and I have a Kelly kettle which is neater for boiling water.

As others have said, give yourself plenty of time, eat and drink regularly and take it easy. Also, break the ride up into smaller goals and just aim for the next one.
The bike will be fine. Your head is the most important tool.
You can do it!

I have 2003 Deore disc brakes still going strong. Bled maybe twice

I’m a big fan of 29 x 2.3ish at the back and 29+ (Knard or Chronicle) at the front. It’s a good combo for techy off-road and linking road sections.

If you’re on an enduro bike and limiting yourself to a bar bag and rucksack then I’d go as light as poss to keep the riding fun. And low bulk is almost as important as low weight.

A down bag or quilt that’s no warmer than it needs to be, an inflatable mat (like a Neoair XLite) and a lightweight bivy bag is comfy and all you need if the weather’s fair. Eat at pubs and don’t take extra clothes, food or cooking kit.

That depends what you’re packing. The best advice is do a couple of local over-nighters before you go on a big trip to work out what you actually need to take (it’ll be less than you think). If you’re stopping in bothers and travelling in summer then all you really need is a summer quilt and a little food and water.

Thanks for all the advice. On my way home after a great couple of days up on the Quantocks. Ended up doing pretty much my planned route yesterday plus an extension to drop down to the Foxy Bean (twice cos it was so nice). Today we larked about in Great Wood before riding up to the north end of the ridge and dropping down to Bicknoller and following the lanes to Triscombe and then up past the quarry.

We stayed at the Hood Arms at Kilve and I have to say it was fantastic. Highly recommended if you’re visiting the area.

Next time I’ll take my Smuggler and give the combes a proper look.

Great stuff! Thanks all

Thanks for the tip Sheck!

Regrease your headset before you spend a load on your forks. That’s more likely to be the cause of your creaking IME.

Does your hamster still scream when you’re freewheeling? If so it’s your brakes or possibly a wheel bearing.

👍

Molini is great. Do that

I just bought some Tifosi photochromic ones (£40-ish), having had various super cheap and middling cheap (eg Endura) ones. Very impressed with the optics, fit and speed of transition.

Nice one! I would definitely have been up for this but I’m taking my daughter back to uni that weekend.

I’ve got Spoons or equivalents from Madison and Evans) on most of my bikes and have done 24+ hour rides and multiple days of 12+ hours with no issues.

The right shorts are definitely key to avoid chafing IME. And +1 for chamois cream in the heat.

There’s next to no ‘gravel’ in the area but lots of quiet back roads. Follow the coast in either direction up to Fishguard and down to Dale, or head up into the Preselli hills. It’s all good.

Good effort! I enjoyed that. I’m planning four days in that part of the world next week if it all comes together.

Would one of the Alpkit seat packs and their Exo-rail, or whatever it’s called, solve your issue?

Good luck Poopscoop! You’ll be fine this time. The temperature is a lot more sensible. Just take it easy and enjoy it.

Mind you, I didn’t used to like celery and now I’m alright with it.