Gawton is awesome! My friend sold his kayak to a chap in Tavistock so we thought we’d make the most of it and took the bikes.

I rode a HT with 140mm forks and he rode my Enduro. It was so much fun! I wasn’t sure what to expect. I tried every trail but the HT beat me up a fair bit. I eneded up riding HSD/Proper Job all day.

We had to push up and this killed us. We managed 12 runs. Not sure how my mate drove back as my legs were jelly.

I really want to go back but sadly live on the other side of the country.

Thread revival- how are people getting on with their V4?
Any reliability issues to mention?

Yup, BSc undergrad and MSc postgrad degrees both done for fun.
I never did them thinking that it would lead into a job, although I knew that they would be beneficial.
I would love to do a PhD for fun too. I love learning!

What do I win?! The price gave it away. Plus they would be pushing the Nomad for Enduro I would think.

Oh, good game!

Top: Spec Epic ?
Bottom: SC Bronson ?

All’s wool that ends wool.

I think all Bike magazine reviews need to be taking with a very large pinch of salt. They make a lot of their money through advertising. The only way to keep that cash flow is to ensure a favourable review for their clients products.

Santa Cruz Chameleon is probably as close as you’ll get.
It’s light but can still handle long and short forks and has the dropout versatility.

I never thought picking a car would be this difficult.
Thanks for all the big car suggestions, but I’m not looking for anything big.

So far then;
> Honda Jazz- lots of space, good spec but only available in petrol
> Nissan Note- Good diesel engine, very good spec but hideous and questionable quality
> Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCI Zetec- Good engine, cheap to run but fairly small and expensive
> Skoda Fabia 1.6 tdi (estate or hatchback)- huge space, good engine but parts and servicing more expensive

I’m not going to look at German cars. As much as I love them I don’t want to pay a premium for the name.

I find it interesting that all these 1.5+ diesels only have 5 gears.

Thanks for all the input.
I’ve just spotted the Nissan Note.. seems better value for money than any of the other cars. I may need to test drive one of these too.

Jazz is looking like the winner at the moment.
They come with lots of kit and have lots of space.
The 1.4 manual should return around 50mpg on the motorway.
Will test drive one shortly.

Civis are looking quiet expensive and out of my budget.
I can only find high mileage examples within budget (80,000+).

I’ve found a couple Fiesta Zetec 1.6 TDCIs locally.
> 5 door, 2011, 45k for £6,500. Not the biggest car but I figure it should work. Cheap parts too. Any horror stories about the 1.6?

Excellent. Thanks for the input. Looks like I’m looking at the right cars.
I’ll see if a civic fits into my budget too. I’ve been told that rear visibility and parking can be challenging..

I like this a lot :D!
Looks like I’ll be selling my SS Stooge Mk1. Any takers?

Nothing to add because that’s my dream bike :o 8O !
I’d maybe go for XTR brakes to match the whole XTR spec.
I would definitely opt for 35mm rims. I’ve found my wide rims offer excellent performance over skinnier options (and look great too).

I’ve only heard good things since their comeback. They’ve got a few years under their belt with the Ariel and is a proven design. I know a few people that rate the Ariel highly. I wouldn’t have an issue buying one.

Right you are actually- http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7880921/what-is-a-parent-table-and-a-child-table-in-database

Something along the lines of a data warehouse?

That made me laugh :D

The one and only guide to use
I’ve followed this guide for years. Sheldon has it nailed. It’s a little labour intensive but the chain longevity from this process is unrivalled!

Oh, that looks lovely. Need some better photos!
I’m in the market for a new bike. I’ve had my heart set on the MT07, but should probably give this and the 690 a test.

Premier Bikes in Didcot- are they good to deal with? Easy enough to arrange a test ride?

Depends how desperate you are..
You could borrow mine for a bit. I’m in Colchester but travel to London often.

Yup, ran a N/W with an old medium XT mech for a while. Absolutely no issues. II would say that I tackled some pretty rocky and rooty stuff on that HT.

If you need a hand I’ve got an address in Germany.

Are you sure you’re not confusing them with the ‘Fatbar lite’ or ‘Fatbar Carbon’ ? They all pretty much look identical unless they are stopped and you lean in to read the writing.

Edit: too slow.

http://www.swarfcycles.co.uk/index.php/products-swarf/tyre-levers

When you have a fry up in the sun reading a book.

That’s dangerous!
Nearly as good as this..

Parked there for over 30 mins!

You clearing haven’t seen our local roads.. I’ve seen bridges cross smaller rivers than our potholes. It wouldn’t be fun to ride these roads on anything bigger than 700.

2-3 bed terrace cardboard box with no parking and a 4x4m garden.
Or a 2-3 bed new build flat with one parking space, no garden and paper mache walls.

Excited! Have you got a price and spec on the frame?

Very nice! I’ve always fancied a go on one of these.
Looks like there will be two mad men riding the country lanes North of Newbury. I’ll keep an eye out for you.

I lost a KOM the other day.
I was first for a few months. All the riders below me had a .5km/h incremental gap, I was on 24.5 km/h over 2 minutes. The chap that beat me was on 32km/h !! I realised it was the XC racing whippet on the S-works Epic that I had ridden past earlier. Sort of made sense why he was miles above the rest of us.

I’ll hopefully be picking up my MT07 within a month. I’d be well up for a ride somewhere! Good way to run it in.

If money wasn’t an issues…
> 29×3.0” tyre on 50mm rim set up tubeless
> ESI grips
> XC or ‘Chewy’ carbon bars

I use this on my daily commute on the Stooge along 4 miles of rocky and lumpy canal path. Lovely setup.

I’m after the same kit. Some great links! Keep them coming :D

Looks like there are a lot more options coming-
> Maxxis
> Surly
> Panaracer
> Bontrager
> Schwalbe
> Vee rubber

Question is- will 29er+ phase out in favour of 650B+?

Essex :cry:

Aye, looks fake. No movement in the car and the line was so smooth, even though it was ridden on a bmx.

I have a mental image of a rider suspended by his pack off a branch as his bike carried on without him

I’ve done this :oops:
It hurt a lot and the bike carried on down the trail a good 20m.