Buy yourself some circlip pliers and a service kit. The Sram YouTube videos are very easy to follow.

youtube is your best bet for a how to guide.

As said above, check out your local clubs Facebook pages.

I know Dirtschool at glentress run school holiday camps.

Also https://www.abernethy.org.uk/activities/mountain-biking/

Run a gravity camp. Met them out once and it was Ben Cathro that was leading the group.

Oil is oil…..😎

The real stuff isn’t that expensive, just buy the correct stuff

Thats stunning, given me some food for thought.

Cheers

Wyn tv is worth a watch.

I love the EWS, yes there is little scope for actual race footage due to the nature of the racing.

Its the closest to the style of riding that i attempt to do, on bikes that roughly look like mine.

In my opinion Enduro has pushed the tech we mortals ride on a weekly basis. The progression of the 150-170mm single crown forks and trail bikes is evidence to that. Add into that the packing things on your bike, Tubes, hidden tools, stronger rims, wheel inserts. I do Love a bit of Tech.

It also looks like the riders are also having a ball. Laughing and joking together as they transition round that stages. Very much of the same atmosphere as a local enduro.

Really looking forward to the women this year. Katy Winton has to be within a shout of doing some damage to the big guns Good to see Bex Baraona up there aswell after round one.

Looking forward to the Trophy of Nations. UK has to be in with a shout of that with all the talent we have at the moment. Also the Zermatt Enduro looks like it could be be the most breath taking scenery for a bike race.

The Pinkbike videos of the course preview are cracking. Rik and Chris pissing about on bikes is really what its all about anyway.

See here for what GMBN thought of it a few years back.

There is a red, well there use to be. It’s now been renamed the top chief after the local boy done good, Joe Barnes.

It was never a red trail in reality more a black. It caught a fair few folk out thinking, “i have ridden the red at glentress, I’ll manage this red fine”

It’s more a black trail, boardwalk and rocks. Although i haven’t ridden it since its rebranding.

Plan is to build my own concrete block one. With the back up plan of paying a mn to sort it. (Bobby D would be my first call)

https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/shimano-xt-disc-brake-br-m8020-set-with-h01a-resin-678892

Xt 4pots for 203

In 2016 we did a big Canada ski trip(banff,lake lousie,Kicking Horse,revelstoke), we found Air BandB for self catering to be the cheapest option. and it worked really well.

Not sure how this translates to Whistler, not been there in a number of years.

For the kind of money that your taking about id look at a road trip.

Fly to calgary and out of vancouver, ride Revelstoke etc on the way. There is Lots more to canada other than whistler, you could end your trip with a few days in whistler. We did this route in 2006 for a ski trip.

Loved watching this.

Hate poor customer service. I’ll take an xl grey. 😎

Oft, 4k for a school trip.

When I was in 1st year of high school 1998, I came home with the letter to send me on the school ski trip. Around 500quid for a week in italy.

Being a family who ski, with myself starting at aged 3. My old man had the hindsight to talk me out of it. I would have been bored stuck in ski school with my mates who were learning and I’d be wanting to blast down blacks and ski out of bounds.

His alternative was a much more promising affair. A week skiing in chamonix where we would hire a guide and ski the Valley Blanche. Still ranks in my top 3 days ever. Including my wedding day.

This was the start of a lot of big adventures as a family. Road trips, heli skiing, diving holidays.

Now aged 33 and my old man in his 60s we still adventure together.

I’d have a think about the adventures and memories 4k could bring you as a family.

Just my opinion. Other wise 4k gets shot of her for a month.

https://www.karcheroutlet.co.uk

I got a cracking deal on here for a k3.

i was also thinking of VRS wagon before changing my old 2010 passat. I just didn’t think it was going to be big enough coming from the barn of a passat that i had.

Ended up after a lot a thought, i was down to passat or superb estate, i was looking for a high spec with toys and just couldn’t find a superb within budget or with enough toys.

Ended up with a Passat Estate, 2.0 diesel GT with the 190bhp. Comfy big bus great to drive and licks on when i want it to. Real world driving, round town with the odd motor way run it will be doing 45-48mpg.

Do roots and rain pictures count….

I did the alps last year for the first time.

Bought an older crc bike bag off a guy on here for 20quid.

Covered the frame in pipe lagging, made spacers for the axles, stiff cardboard to line the sides of the bag along Bit more bubble wrap for good measure.

Worked well, survived sleazyjet Edinburgh to Geneva and back. No harm came to my carbon ibis.

Guy I know bought the new crc bag and it’s very close to an evoc in terms of build quality and storage.

There is a company that will hire you a evoc bag online and post it to your house.

Think evoc/silverfish are now doing the same.

Icycles in Innerleithen also have a few evoc bags that they hire out.

I’m currently debating whether it’s Morzine or Finale this year.

I’m going to throw Kris Kyle into the mix his bmx videos are brilliant. Handy on a mountain bike aswell.

We did a last minute 10day holiday there a few years ago.

Stayed in Negombo, JetwingSea hotel.

Mainly a beach holiday with a few trips thrown in. Elephant sanctuary, Tea Plantation, Fish Markets, temple tours.

Always felt safe even when we ended up drinking in a very locals pub on night. Friendly nation never really hassled by shop owners.

On someone else’s advice we opted for bed and breakfast in the hotel. Treated the hotel as if we were all inclusive for drinks etc and still worked out cheaper than paying the all inclusive price.

Eating out was penny’s. As was pretty everything else.

Go you won’t regret it. Awesome place for kids to see.

Closed currency so you won’t get Sri Lankan ruppees down your local post office. But there is a Thomas cook travel exchange in the airport that will see you right.

Few injections to get before you go and the visa is easily sorted.

If you do go, and end up anywhere near Negombo, head to lords restaurant, owned by an expat. Best seafood I have ever eaten.

As Nobeer put it so well, their coffee, nandos chicken and krispy cream doughnuts are vastly over rated.

As for the big issue.

As a habitual gig-goer in my teens we would regularly buy the big issue from the seller who would be stood outside the gig venues of Glasgow. I seem to remember it came with a rather extensive music review section that we would trawl over while waiting on the band to start with our pints of cider and black.

Maybe it’s now that I’m in city centre less or my town has no seller that I’m aware off iv not seen it being sold for sometime. I just assumed it had succumbed to being an online type thing now. Not sure how that would work mind you.

I remember reading that it was a job you could get of you were homeless and could only keep if you kept to a sober lifestyle.

I imagine it has done a lot of people a lot of good over the years.

Mission for this weekend while I’m out in the big smoke for festive drinks it to seek out and buy a copy.

Relived it wasn’t Sam?

Was he tested?

I remember the days when people we relived it wasn’t Lance that tested positive…..

Where I don’t think this is an Armstrong style mass doping program. I still find it strange that these guys who are professional athletes are not taking more care as to what is in their systems.

If it has come from the supplements that they were taking, it’s a bit shit on the company’s front for providing them with a banned substance. But as is said above, the company will wash their hands of it saying that the Athlete has a responsibility to ensure that they know what is in there system at any time.

I wonder if there are any of the privateers now wondering if they’re clean. Some might be using the same supplement,

I have 3 north face duffles awesome bits of kit.

Decathlon ones are pretty good for the money I have the 40l one for nights away with work etc.

Also got one from here, great value.

https://www.montrosebag.com/bags-accessories/

Great bags. Originally made for folk taking offshore.

Married, 7 years now.

here is the same advice i give everyone.

Don’t jump straight from wedding venue to massive adventurous honeymoon.

If you are anything like me and Mrs D, you will be **** for 2days after it. Big comedown after getting married,

*talking to all your mates while still finding time to talk to Uncle Bob and Aunt Pam,

*making sure your mum hasn’t fallen out with her mother in-law

*making sure your new wife hasn’t fallen out with your new mother in-law

*parting, eating and drinking

*Saying thank you alot!

We spent 2 days at the Dunblane Hydro, sleeping and using the spa after the wedding. Then we went to Greece for an active week of swimming and sightseeing.

It was to be a cheap honeymoon promising ourselves we would do a big trip once the bank balance recovered after the wedding…

Have squeezed separate trips to Sri Lanka and Thailand on the basis of ‘we didn’t do a proper honeymoon’ since….

Enjoy

As is suggested above,

Hand it into the police as lost property. Major karma points for yourself.

If memory serves me correctly, if lost property is not claimed in 6months the finder can collect the item. Seem to remember getting a watch as a young boy this way, found it in the park, handed it in, got it 6months later.

You never know the owner may seek to find and reward you for your honesty. Failing that they take it as stolen, claim their insurance, you get a new toy in 6months.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that Andy Barlow of Dirtschool won a round of the sxc on his Bronson a few year ago.

Lighter tyres and give it a go….

I had that very discussion about the wall rides with someone a few months ago while talking about the plans.

Probably enough wood in the big one to make a hobbit hut. 🤣

Looks like this is the proposed move of the freeride park down towards the peel. Then the building of holiday homes where the freeride park is just now.

More investment for the area and the industry. Can only be a good thing.

It was about half way between the start of Carls Lane at the mast and the first time it crosses the fire road.

I was well within control hence the reason I stopped.

I was licking on due to the clear line of site. Where it is safe to do so. With time to react to fallen riders and such like.

Each to their own I suppose but in my mind a downward trail is a downward trail. Boring Fire road or not it’s still the accepted method of access to the mast.

Here is some inspiration.

Just traded my 60plate Passat B6 estate 2.0tdi for a new Passat b8 2.0 gt tdi estate with the 190bhp.

What a machine. 50extra ponies make a bit of a difference. Feel like a bit races again. New one is stunning inside, previous was a top end leather and toys job but this new one is far nicer.

Usual Passat features, more room than a stately home, but still very economical. Last one would do 700miles on a tank hoping for similar on this one.

Looked at kodiaq and superb but were not as nice places to be while driving. If you want a nice place to be while driving buy German.

Thanks @kevhl but after a bit of reading looks like a platform rack is what im really after.

Cheers for the offer.

For me I just can’t get my head round the business model for opening a Tiso in Aviemore.

Iv been going there every year since I had stabilizers on my bike and skied as a nipper.

Every year it’s the same story, more shops closing down, the winter season is in turmoil hire shops struggling through the ski season.

Most of the outdoor shops are just full of sale rails most of the time and the shops full of tourists looking at kit just to get out of the rain. No-one actually buying anything.

If you are in anyway a serious outdoors enthusiast, you very well like me might use Tiso, I have always bought my kit from them as i trust their knowledge and Experience, and the wifes 20% helps.(I was in the Hearld’s artical on the Outdoor Experience Glasgow opening back in 2000. I was the wee kid high on the climbing wall. Claim to fame)

You like me will have all your kit sorted before you get to aviemore and worse case, like me had to make a pit stop to the Perth store en route as I forgot a map once.

Ok I get you might have forgotten the odd item or need some more gas but that’s not a strong case to start a new store on.

Blacks opened up a new store a couple of years ago at the top of the town. Iv never seen it busy.

I just don’t get it.  But only time will tell. All this talk of Aviemore has me now thinking of all the epic trails up there. Need to get back ASAP.

Yup, nobeerinthefridge converted me to the burgtec. Never looked back.

Awesome bits of kit.

The problem with biking and up lifts at the Gorms is that the protection of the hillside brigade get involved. I’v had many a chat with folk about it over the years. From liftys to bothy bikes guys in aviemore. Lots of the upper cairngorm ski area is protected in the summer.

Hopefully this new name will keep the Muppets away, I passed a couple who were having a full blown domestic last year on the red. It was ‘his fault’ and ‘this is nothing like Glentress’ were some of the quotes used by the very pretty if a little scared blonde.

I’ll need to get back this year.

did you get anywhere with finding a replacement? I have just done the same. Massive fail….

I’d like to say I enjoyed the film.

Yes some of it was a bit reckless, some of it was a bit silly. But it does show that there is a passion for finding new trails and pushing the sport.

I can only comment on the Scottish aspect, the types of trail dug and ridden in the video will return to nature just as quickly as they appear what with all the rain we get.

As for giving up WC and going pot smoking.

Fair play to him, quits the WC and still keeps his sponsorship deal allowing him to ride when and where he wants including the EWS.

Wish I could stop doing what I do and my employer pay for me to ride bikes where I want.