We just had our Sony TV replaced under warranty.

I decided against buying online and am glad I as it gives peace of mind and someone to sort out any problems.

TV was 2 years old and as there were delays in spare parts, Sony offered a replacement – a KDL40EX503 – cost would have been about £700.

It’s a flipping good set, great picture, internet connectivity, pretty fast menus etc.

Highly recommended – from a local Sony centre.

Here are some images of the route I did.

I started ont he right where the red dot is at a farm we stayed at.
First bit is road until you head off up to some trees – about 1.5 – 2miles I think.
Then a decentish fast descent to rosebush.

Bit more road until you head up the hill near Morvil
Decent descent again to Pontifeen then a bugger if a steep climb up from the valley (at mile 12)

The cracking descent is from miles 17 to just before 19. Starts off on fast moorland then has a few rocky sections.

I tried to link some decent looking (from the map) bridlepaths together – it’s a bit frustrating as some look good but few options to link them together

Ignore the bit from miles 14-17 as I took a bridlepath too early – although it would be a decent way down.

A google earth image to show the terrain.

Just back last week from the Preseli Hills – Bought one of the new OS Tuff Maps and just headed off – quite easy to follow the bridleways. For me one of the best bits was sitting down with the map the night before then pootling around exploring.

Could dig out a log of the 25m I did if you’re interested.
One descent down towards Newport is rather good.

Lifetime warranty does not imply the frame will last forever!

Nothing lasts forever, it’s the nature of the universe, but it does imply that the manufacturer believes most will last a very long time as it costs them to replace/repair.

I have a pair of 970s (2yrs old) and just bought some 980s (2mnths old)for the new bike.

Hard to say if they’re worth the money as I’ve not really owned either pair long enough – They are light, work well and the 970s have been trouble free.

I prefer to buy the best quality kit I can afford, so I don’t have to replace it as often – and I could afford these.

Keep them all and save up if you need the money.

If you can’t decide, don’t.

Mines a bit of a cheat from my orig thread as well.

Does 23lb count as nice and light ?

You could always try what I saw a chap on Eurostar do last Feb.

He said in a very stern voice to said child who was having a tantrum
“Pull yourself together, no-one wants to see this. Get a grip of yourself or we’ll have to have a talk”

It didn’t work for him but it was amusing and it might work for you.

HTH

By the sounds of it you want a 100% mortgage then?

If so I think you might have a problem getting a ‘normal’ mortgage at present as I think very few lenders have them available and if there are they will charge you a fortune.

If the house needs renovation, then you’re looking at a specialist mortgage so need a broker. Either way if the house will be worth £150k when the work is done and you want to borrow £150k then I think you’re out of luck.

You’ll need a deposit or the house to be worth a good bit more when the renovation work is completed.

As the others have said you should go after him for what he owes you.

I’d write him a formal letter stating that if you don’t have the moneies owed in 7 days you’ll start proceedings against him.

Then take him to small claims court – it is cheap and easy to do.
Worth making sure you have a note of the conversations you’ve had with him and promises made etc.

me.

Wet, dry, cold, hot, muddy whatever – it’s all good.

Not sure of the cost (might be expensive as we stayed free on points) but the Marriott Grand Flora right on the Villa Borghese is very nice.
I took my wife there a few years ago for 5 nights and she still says it’s the best holiday she’s ever had.

Walking distance to all the usual sights – the Villa Borgehese is lovely for a stroll around.

I think you have take the moral high ground here.

I’d try and be as reasonable as possible as mistakes happen.
Keep a track of who you speak to and times/content of calls.

Then when they don’t resolve it write a polite letter giving them 2 weeks to remove and make good, to your satisfaction and ask what they are prepared to do to compensate you for the inconvenience.

If they do then all is well and you should get a few quid out of it.

If not then I’d take then to small claims court – it’s cheap and easy to do and the threat of it will make them sort it out.

I think the key is to keep calm and don’t do anything that could be seen as obstructive or malicious – it can only work against you no matter aggrieved you feel.

Clearly they are in the wrong so it will get sorted – don’t stress about it – life’s too short.

… and keep us updated

What you need to do is head to a local camera shop and get a 2nd hand Nikon or Cannon.

I bought my Cannon EOS 20D a few years ago.
Cracking camera but a few models have been released since so you’d get a second hand one very cheaply

Mag body, built very well perfect 1st camera.
You don’t need 10 or 12MP – spend the money on a decent lens or 2.

Any phrase or sentence where literally is used as it literally gets on my nerves !!!

5/5 could be ridden but I’m not at home so they can’t.

Bugger.

Clearly there’s no right and wrong way to manage finances.

People are different, and as long as you can work something out where you are both happy with the arrangement then what’s the big deal.

If it doesn’t work you need to change it until it does.

simples.

I’ve touched Kylie :-)
Or rather she touched me.

Shared a bottle of Champagne with Celia Imrie on Eurostar last year.

I need to get out more – would be good to have something more interesting to say

I don’t but a neighbor does.

He’s currently spending a lot of time building a replica cockpit in his spare room. He flies only 1 specific plane, I forget which, and often does real time flights to the various places.

This involves him basically sat in his spare room for 8 hours at a time.

Apparently there are also people who get off on being virtual air traffic controllers who manage the virtual airspace.

I think maybe I should report him to some authority of some kind.

As much as I really enjoy road riding there is no question it would be an MTB.

You can’t beat being atop a hill on a sunny morning in the middle of nowhere having nearly killed yourself getting up there knowing there is an amazing descent waiting for you.

You can’t do that on a roadbike.

How does it ride?

If you could see the smile I’ve had on my face since I stopped off at Cannock for a quick lap of FTD yesterday it would tell you.

It feels light, changes direction quickly and easily without feeling nervous, accelerates like a dream, of course, and has some give but without feeling soft or flexible. I think the tubeless Ralphs made a difference on the climbing, running them at a lower pressure gives more grip and the rear seems to skip less than I expect of a hardtail.

I need to ride a trail I do every week (hopefully this lunchtime) so I can compare it to my Marin and Yeti, but it just seems to takes the edge off some of the trail buzz but you still get that connected feel you have with a hardtail.

So far I’m a happy bunny.

As others have said – iPhone is fine for a short amount of time but kills the battery – If you use it don’t rely on it as a phone.

Garmins are far better for longer rides

+1 for contacts.

I wear monthly disposables and always carry at least 1spare pair.

On the bike I always wear decent glasses that fit my face and have changable lenses.
Never had a problem

Main prob with prescription glasses steaming up. With lenses and non prescription glasses is you can take them off and see.

That’s lovely that is.

I like the clean lines and finish – the etched decals are stylish.

It’s what a custom build should be – unique – and it costs what it costs.
Surely a custom frame is the pinnacle of bike ownership – in order to do it properly you have to have ridden a lot of bikes, know how you like to ride, what will work, what material, how you’ll build it up.
It’s handmade by a craftsman for you and only you.

I’d take the comments on the fork colour as a reinforcement that you’ve made the right choice. It’s your choice.

Orange spokes are a nice touch.

Will be nice to see it with the finishing touches complete.

I didn’t and have never had a tick (as far as I know) then read that post a while back and immediately spent the £5 to buy one so now I do.

Given the downside of not taking them off properly it seems silly not to spend £5 and get the proper tool to do it.

Now I just need someone to practice on :-)

Most weeks I ride either on my own or with 1 mate.
Occasionally we go to Cannock and meet another.

Twice a year or so we go away for a weekend and there will be anywhere from 7 to 15 people

And then I do Mayhem so I ride with about 500 :-)

I like the mix – Riding with onewheelgood means there is someone to chase or try and drop as we’re similar in fitness and a bit of bike chat thrown in as well. Riding solo is just good for the soul. Large groups are great for the banter.

Pooley – I know what you mean about the weight. I didn’t want to try and build a superlight one and could have saved weight on the forks, maybe a bit on the drive chain and a touch on the wheels but I wanted a balance of value and light weight.

The KCNC stuff is amazing – so light and not that expensive.

Chunky – If they aren’t there they may have sold them – I bought it back in Oct – they had a both 2010 Tuareg and Mamtor frames @ 43% off :-) Was tempted by the Mamtor but it would have been too similar to the Yeti ASR and I just love the detail on the Tuareg.

Sefton – The bars are 600mm wide. They feel just right for a more racy style of bike. Stem is 80mm – could be a bit longer and as it’s so easy to change I might try one later.

Bar ends I think are tightened to 4.5Nm – spec said 5Nm but we thought we’d play it safe as the bars and bar ends just feel so light – They don’t twist under pressure.

While I remember we almost were scuppered with the braided hoses – the guides for the rear brake are enclosed and as the hoses needed shortening the slightly frayed end wouldn’t go through. A bit of clever thinking by trimming the protective plastic covering at an angle sorted it and they look made to measure.
The grips are very sticky as well and a bit of a nightmare to get on.

Very impressed with Al at PHC – his attention to detail was top notch, nothing was rushed and it was a complete pleasure to watch him build it for me. Well worth the trip there as I can’t think of a better first ride location that the Long Mynd.

Yes its one of the frames on offer from OnOne, such a bargain I couldn’t resist. Running the new fox 100mm forks. After coming down off the Long Mynd I don’t reckon I need more on it, and if I do I’ll take the Yeti.

Interesting out the decals. While building it we were discussing taking them off as it would look great naked. I’ll have to see how well they last.

Risers ! This is meant to be a race bike.

And someone needs a slap, Crell. To be fair it’s likely to be me when/if she finds out.

Ooo so nice to see other people liking it.

Yes it’s a van Nic seatpost (layback one) and a Ti collar as well. Not sure if I can feel any give but it rides with a ‘firm softness’ – best way I can describe it.

The detailing is lovely – seat stay :

And also the dropouts.

And the headtube logo.

Rkk : i know exactly what you mean and its what I wanted with this bike. I love the direct feel of the ride firm but not harsh.

I’m one happy bunny

:-)

Many athletes get shin splints, also called sore shins or medial tibial stress syndrome, at one time or another. Whether you jog daily or just sprint to catch a bus one day, you can get shin splints. While they often heal on their own, severe shin splints can be a problem.

Shin splints aren’t really a single medical condition. Instead, they’re just a symptom of an underlying problem. They might be caused by:

irritated and swollen muscles, often caused by overuse.
stress fractures, which are tiny, hairline breaks in the lower leg bones.
over-pronation or ”flat feet”, which is when the impact of a step causes the arch of your foot to collapse, stretching the muscles and tendons.
Shin splints are very common. They are the cause of 13% of all running injuries. Runners might get them after increasing the intensity of their running or changing the surface they run on from a relatively soft surface to a hard surface. Shin splints are also common in dancers.

I suggest you stop dancing.

That is lovely.

While not pimped mine came in at 25lbs 2oz without pedals – it’s the 09 ASR with the basic Enduro build kit from Yeti.

Love the pain quote.

OP all this is normal – normal to chase down anyone and everyone. Normal to fail, normal to feel bad about failing, normal to feel bad about having no choice but to chase, normal to know you’ll do it next time even though you know you’ll fail. You will at some point have the upper hand and feel like a riding god.

It’s everyone else that doesn’t do/feel it that has the problem.

My worst fail was out on our normal Sunday morning ride in full garb with onewheelgood. I thought I was having a bad day and it was confirmed when a young lad in jeans riding a Halfords special left us – me – for dead. I spent the rest of the ride apologising.

I fear I’m in a similar boat.

I’ve been wanting a Ti framed bike forever and last Oct after a beer or 2 and some prompting my a couple of so called ‘mates’ I bought a Van Nic Tuareg frame from On-one – 43% off – would have been rude not to.

I’ve since spent more than I dare add up, working out what to spec it out with and the peeps at Plush Hill Cycles have been kind enough to get me most of it.

Going to get it all built up next Monday and haven’t told the wife about it.
I’ve gone over many options of how to tell her etc and none of them work. Usually she’s quite relaxed about me buying bits but as I have a few bikes plus 2 motorbikes already I’m not sure this time.

Latest plan is just to say nothing and hope she doesn’t find out. She’ll never notice it among the other bikes – only downside is that my eagle eyed daughter will notice.

I used to get one every 2 weeks for free helping a friend to become qualified – She had to do 100hrs of practise on different people.

It was/is the dogs nadgers. She is very good taking the whole thing seriously – it was enlightening to see her progress and I always felt better for it.

I still do it every month or 2 if I’m feeling well, more if I’m injured.
Done properly it will hurt like buggery if you have any knotted muscles – it’s amazign how much you notice your muscles an any imbalances afterwards. Plus you get a great endorphin rush.

I pay £30 for an hour – worth every penny, I just wish I had the time/money to do it every week or 2.

And having thought I’d never buy anything without a demo I forgot I recently bought a Van Nic Tuareg frame never having ridden a Ti bike or a Van nic before.

I guess a lifetime warranty and great deal help though.

Having lusted after, and not long ago bought, a Yeti and finding out it lived up to my expectations then I guess I could buy another one without a demo if I was forced to choose.

I’d never base it on a mag review though – Apparently my ASR flexes too much and the carbon rear breaks all the time.

I’m on my second pair – in 15years.
Got a pair of Action 2’s at present – on my second set of replacement soles and they feel as good as new.

Interesting how some people seem to destroy them while others have them for years.
I don’t really look after mine – just a brush down when they get a bit muddy and an occasional proper clean when I feel guilty.

We got rid of our second car about 2 years ago and cope pretty well.
The main reason was financial and we’re quids in since.

If I’m going off on my own somewhere with kit then if it’s an easy train ride I take the train, but more usually I hire a car.
On your own a small car is fine and cost very little.

We needed a second car a few weeks ago so hired a Ford KA for a week from Enterprise for £126 – wife used that and I took the family car. They can drop off and pick up as well.
For Mayhem I hire a van and take a mate as well.
Local stuff I tend to cycle or use Taxis.

Depends on how often you get away as to whether car hire is acceptable but if you use the same local place they will do deals for you if you’re a regular.

One pain with Enterprise though is that they handle fuel on a bring it back with the same amount in, which is a real pain to get right. It’s apparantly beciase they are too far from a petrol station to top up cars that come back less than full and I’ve been advised to keep a check on the miles, then work out how much petrol I must have used !
They are the cheapest though…

A group of us went for a couple of days riding last Nov when it was very sub zero.

Despite the bikes all freezing up it is a cracking place to ride.
More than enough for a weekends riding, great views, Housemanns does great food, Plush Hill Cycles have some useful maps and can help decide where you go.

Most of our group stayed in a bunkhouse – I stayed in a very nice B&B.

Cracking place IMO

+1 for the Park one.
I use it after every ride and it does a cracking job.