That looks like it could work fairly well – let me know how you get on with a proper test please.

Ok – so which one do I need?

My cx bike has become my commuter mainly – and I do either an on road or off road route depending on condiitons and mood. I also ride it offraod in the Surrey Hills on the weekends from time to time, and very occasionally in the peak district.

I use Landcruisers for all of this and find them to be a good compromise. Puncture resistant, roll ok, grip ok, and no pinch flats.

We bought a stupidly expensive one second hand – from someone on here. Never regretted it. Chariot Cougar 2.

Are you sure the adaptors ARE correct? I bought cheap aftermarket ones from a certain company – and they gave exactly the issue you describe.

How does Eurosport fit in? If I watch it online (paying for a Eurosport subscription) would I need a license?

Push bearing out- which way? Past the checkup? There is a lip there that it looks like the bearing can’t go past…..

If it is pitted do you need to replace the entire freehub? Which freehuabs are compatible?

Thanks for info so far!

Brilliant! Thanks

I did a 60k Surrey Hills loop yesterday on my new 29er Hardtail, same route as I rode on my Cotic Soul with lightweight wheels and tyres 2 weeks ago, and fairly similar conditions – grim, muddy, slow.

I knocked 40 minutes off my time. Set a PB on Barry Knows Best and a few other descents as well as most climbs.

Admittedly I rode very hard yesterday – but I also rode very hard 2 weeks ago.

By comparison – on my CX bike in dry conditions my moving time for that loop was very similar to the 29er, though obviously there I made the time on the climbs and linking road sections.

Astounded at the difference.

Hi Nick
There is what MIGHT be an access door – it also holds guides for the rear mech if routed that way – with a single bolt. Having removed the bolt though it doesn’t come out easily and i am loathe to force it….

I dunno if it is because steal is more “real” or because it is marketing hype that I have never managed to shake. I DO know that the only bike I loved instantly it was a Cotic Soul and it remains my favourite bike and the only one will I not ever sell. I have had it around 8 years now and keep coming back to it.

Thanks for the replies. I think we will want say two days bumbling around trail centres and one day for a bigger , natural loop. I did some of the Trans Wales stage races and there were some fantastic sections of open moorland,rocky riding which I would love to repeat. Will see if I can find at least one biggish route, maybe 60-80k, and then some easy days at the trail centres.

Please update here if they do – looking at similar.

Thanks eill check derailleur setup and get some spacers.

What is a boost chainring?

Perfect Njee – thanks. Not too far from me.

The ones I tried wouldn’t fit over the disc brake caliper. Will look at those Chromoplastics. Thanks.

Brian Ferry and Roxy music’s “Oh Yeah”. Always liked the song and as I was driving away from a particularly dark period of my life it came up on the radio. To this day it signifies new beginnings and hope.

Thanks for the advice. Looking at the photos of the Tortec rack and the Streamliner these wouldn’t fit as is without some form of adaptor I don’t think – the bolts wouldn’t be in the right place.

Rogan you are a lot more right than you realise!

No the one I saw was Dave@cyclesense – I knew they were “up North” and one of the reviews mentions a grumpy and rude owner! So I just wanted to be sure. Will order

Thanks for all the replies. Will try Cycleworks as they are closest.

“It started out so nice….”

Thanks – have done it previously with a socket set on an older wheelset but most of our wheels have hope hubs now so don’t mind investing in the proper tools.

Anyone who thinks roadies lack “skillz” hasn’t tried to hop sideways onto a traffic island at 50mph in a bunch sprint.
the rest is just willy waving and bullshit

Slightly depressing thread.
My 2p – most drivers I think are actually fairly decent people. A lot of close passes are inattentive rather than aggressive – not much consolation if they hit you of course!

like some others I used to get shouty/wave fists etc. Eventually I realised that it made me feel worse not better and I attempted to take a more Zen approach, which does help for me anyway. I have had the odd calm chat to someone with positive results – and in my more shouty days have had a few screaming matches which probably just made matters worse for cyclists as a whole.

I think reporting deliberate close passes/attempted hit and runs is worth doing.

It is much easier to be “zen” about your cycling when your personal life is going ok. Currently I am finding it very hard indeed to be “zen” and so make a conscious effort not to let things get to me.

I think I would ask your local vet as to what surgical options were available. If he is insured I would get a specialist surgeon to look at him at least.
There is no perfect solution. Conservative, medical management IS an option. I think it is fair to say that consensus is that surgery is overall better but evidence is mixed.

Sadly I don’t think he will be returning to full function. Some do very very well but long runs next to a mountain bike might be too much to ask for.

Cruciate injuries in dog can be managed medically or surgically. In general surgical management is considered better for most dogs, certainly those over 10kg or so. There are a wide range of techniques but they boil down to two categories – a cheaper option where you try to stabilise the knee using an artificial “ligament” in one of a number of formats, or a more expensive option (usually referral to specialist) where you change the shape of the knee and therefore the dynamics of the forces that act through it.

Rehabilitation time for the more expensive option is much quicker. However the outcomes a year down the line are not very dissimilar if the surgery is done by a competent vet. Either way you start with an arthritic and inflamed knee and end up with an arthritic and inflamed knee. The knee will never be perfect i am afraid.

For smaller dogs weight control, anti-inflammatories and exercise management can lead to an acceptable outcome.

HTH.

^^ – does the Croozer have suspension now?

When we looked at options we looked at the Burleigh, Chariot Cougar II and Croozer options – and the fact that the Cougar II had a proper suspension swayed it for us – that and the fact that we found one in decent nick second hand.

Used it from 5 months old with the kid in the sling attachment and now just in the seat. Works very well.

Has been flipped twice – luckily not by me! and the kid was unharmed.

It is quite wide – but you can take the wheels off/collapse it to fit through narrow gaps if needed.

As above. External bb’s are not very durable. Square taper bbs on my tourer going strong after 7 years plus and my wife’s Isis bb on her old MTB was only every changed once and is now 9+ years old and stills ees some service.

Feel like I am in much the same boat mate.
No solutions from me – just commiseration!

I did the Michel Thomas course and found it to be a good start. Strangely enough though they skipped the very basics on the course I did! So I could do some medium complicated things with verbs and tenses but not say hello or ask for directions!

So combining that course with a basic primer course might be best.

Got a 2 day old child so will be a quiet one at home. Actually no it won’t – will be a noisy and sleepless one at home!

We use Metrobank and they have no issue with accepting cheques for our business over the counter.

We have Santander for the mortgage and have had all sorts of needless niggles. Definitely the worst bank we have dealt with.

We’re going – bought tickets online and I think £11 for a World Cup event is incredibly good value.

IME E&L routinely reject EVERY insurance claim they receive and you then go through a protracted wrangling process even to get very basic straight forward things covered. They are the very epitome of everything that is sh!tty about insurance companies.

AVOID: E&L, and Animal Friends in their various guises.

Cheap pet insurance is generally worth what you pay for it.

Most companies are ok for a one-off, traumatic type event. But for longer term, recurrent issues the better ones really are worth going for – for young animals at least.

For older animals the excesses and premiums go up to the point where I wonder if it is still worth it.

Not too long ago I met a local sportive coming the other way whilst on a cx bike. Bastards ALL greeted me. After returning the first 30 or so I realised there was only one thing for it and put my head down and pretended to be laying down some awesome power and gurning too heavily to acknowledge them.

Another anecdote – did the Lemming trail ride a few years back – beautiful weather and passed hundreds of other mtber’s coming the other way. I greeted most if not all, about half returned it.

What does this prove? Nothing. people draw their own conclusions based on their personal experiences but coloured heavily by preconceptions and prejudices.

I think this need to be acknowledged as being part of a tribe is unique to the UK – certainly in South Africa and Europe you don’t get it as far as I have seen.

Due to my line of work I have easy access to a number of banned substances. Until relatively recently I had three syringes of EPO in the fridge at work (now out of date and incinerated). I didn’t actually feel very tempted at all tbh.

Why the comments about the belt drive? I understood they were essentially unbreakable and unstretchable – surely the ideal choice for a custom build around the world bike?