Said it before but cycling (any discipline) just doesn’t seem to translate to TV. The closest maybe is BMX racing where you have multiple riders head to head, you can see the whole race in one go and its got some excitement involved.

Watching downhill on the TV is like F1 but imagine all the cars going around separately trying to set the fastest time and whoever does it is the winner. Dull as… And yet its the total opposite for participants where its awesome (like all cycling is).

That said, saw some (Red Bull?) freeride type stuff on TV recently. Think it was in Austria/Switzerland and the whole course was visible from various camera angles so you saw every pedal stroke and trick each rider pulled. That was ok and impressive to watch but even so, was pretty slow paced on a screen.

Off the top of my head, once….. in nearly 30 years of mountain biking.

On a simple car like a C1, you shouldn’t come across any problems. As others have said, biggest issue is going to be a seized bolt so maybe give everything a bit of a soak with WD40 and then go and make a brew before you attack them. Oh, and remember that its quite hard to remove the discs when the handbrake is on :D

all excited after watching the River plate gig on youtube.

The River Plate gig is the ONE gig I’ve ever seen on screen and its made me yearn to be there. Looked absolutely immense (BTW, I might have been at the same Hampden gig – the last one they did there before Brian got signed off, must have been about 10 years back???)

I reckon I’d pay £1000 to see ac/dc, but only with bon scott, which i guess  is unlikely to happen.

Yeh a tad unlikely given he’s been dead 44 years.

Silly money (£100+?) – my favourite band in the whole wide world is the Cult and they’re doing a UK tour later this year and they’re actually playing my hometown York but we’re away for it. Same week they’re playing Bristol and I’m seriously considering driving from Bude where we’ll be, to Exeter/Plymouth and then getting a train to Bristol to see them and then doing the same in reverse. Well over £100 if I factor in train tickets…

Second favourite band in the world is the Toadies but they never/rarely play outside of Texas anymore so the chances of me ever seeing them live is slim unless I decided to hop on a transatlantic flight to do it, something I have considered…

Nobody else – lots of my favourite bands tend to play in small venues now where tickets are £20. I’ve grown to really dislike massive stadium gigs…

Yesterday I learnt that having a magnet in the toolbox is a must-have. Replacing the suspension on my Merc, took the three bolts off which secure the top mount and one of them disappears into the engine bay and is sat on a ledge where I can see it but not a hope in hell reach it with my hands. Got some magentised long screwdrivers so tried those but it was a fair chunky bolt so the slightest wiggle meant it dropped off.

A cunning plan formed and a quick shout into the house and mini-DBW #00000000001 appears with a garden cane with a Lego train magnet coupling attached to the end of it with what looked like a whole roll of tape. 10 seconds late the bolt is in my hand (and a reminder that I need to order an extending magnet thing off Amazon today!).

^ Thats worth knowing! Cheers…

A year on and still not bought a gravel bike but still thinking about it especially as we get into winter and a quick 90 minutes from the doorstep on some local bridleways should help my fitness stay at a reasonable level.

Anyone seen any 2024 bargains? Been looking at a Vitus Substance VR for £650 which seems like decent vfm but having had cable brakes before on a cross bike, I’m loathed to get them again but that seems to apply to every gravel bike under a grand: Vitus | Substance VR Gravel Bike | Green | Chain Reaction Cycles

The original smoking ban did have a catastrophic effect on pubs.

Catastrophic? Nah. A bigger impact was the fact that they think they can charge £7 a pint now vs people having the choice to walk into a supermarket and having the biggest choice of beer you can have for far less. Pubs can’t just sell Fosters/Carling/Smiths by the pint and some peanuts anymore and expect to survive…

Ulysses

honestly sometimes think I must have imagined that as a kid as I’m the only person I know who remembers it. Bet it was rubbish so won’t go and find it on YT but remember it being brilliant. Even remember the theme tune :D

Otherwise, Thundercats.

We used to call that the baby head rock descent.

There was a descent just outside Halifax which was locally known as the same – Baby Head Alley. Was between two old stone walls with big round rocks inbetween them. Was just a case of hold on and pray :D

Don’t mind long XC type stuff – as happy doing that as I am radical enduro gnar.

I’ll look at the extended Scar House loop as that sounds a good one and also maybe check out the bits you’ve suggested @el_boufador whilst I’m in the area.

What do you do about them though? 

Mechanical sterilisation.

Cheers all. I’ll look at the classic route…

got a 50 miles death slog from Appletreewick, out to Scar house and back.

Thanks for the offer Tony – you can keep that one :)

Plenty to go at in that area, a few mentions of scar house and that end of the valley. The lead mines are another place worth incorporating into a ride and although I’ve never done it there are some good descents in guisecliffe woods I believe.

Cool – I’ll take a look.

Pork pies – I discovered the excellent Wildlings cafe at the weekend but no pork pies were discovered. Need to look harder.

@snotrag – I’ll look at that!

I think the most amazing thing here is that you’ve come across a motorbike rider, riding somewhere they shouldn’t be who was polite about it. All the ones I’ve come across have been brain dead slobbering mouth breathers who can barely string two words together.

I’ve been visiting CyB from Yorkshire since the very beginning and always enjoy my trips there. Even the drive there is enjoyable through some stunning scenery. Its not a place for enduro gnarpoon weapons but its a grand place for a good pedal and some great, not particularly techy but fast descents. That said, this made me laugh:

“we are concerned that investment in the trails will not be what it has been “

I think the last time I saw an actual trail closure for work at CyB was on False Teeth about 10+ years ago. There doesn’t seem to be (at least as far as I’m aware) to be a trail pixie type crew… trails just seem to deteriorate.

Agree with the stuff about the trail centre buildings etc – all seems a bit OTT. A gift shop? Really?? All evidence, like Glentress was too, of the landowners getting swept along on the early 2000s wave of trail centre mania and wanting to cash in but unlike Glentress, there doesn’t seem to be that massive local riding community based out of Dolgellau for example to sustain things even if its building the off-piste stuff that brings in a different type of visitor. Which does leave you with an old skool trail centre a long way from anywhere.

Might need to plan a trip there ASAP…

Liked them in the 90s as most people seemed to as everyone just got swept along in a tide of Brit Pop. As the years have gone on though, I’ve come to dislike their music more and more and start to appreciate the bands who never got as much exposure at the time far more. What would I rather do, pay a million pounds to go and see Oasis stood about 100m away playing some Beatles covers in a massive stadium full of dickhead wannabes or go and see someone like Echobelly/Sleeper/Bluetones etc in a tiny venue where tickets cost £20 and you can get a decent beer etc. That reminds me, Echobelly tour tickets on sale tomorrow morning :)

*Should add that I saw one of their last gigs together before they split and they were pretty average then. Can’t imagine 15 years of churning out even worse solo crap has done anything for them.

Couple of my mates have Ti Stantons – they’re very, very nice.

Headsets. Remember when you just went and bought the 1.125″ headset you wanted. Now you need some kind of degree in engineering to understand what you have and what you need via deciphering some kind of cryptic language.

Nearly 500 cars on AT under a grand with a <1.2 petrol engine. Loads of Pandas, C1/Aygo things and Corsas – one of them with as clean an MOT history as possible and maybe spend whatever it is on an AA/RAC check to make sure there are no hidden nasties on the horizon.

Went there years ago, it’s lovely. Took the TGV direct from Paris.

Interesting – hadn’t got as far as looking at how to get there yet but thought it’d be nice to use the train.

Cheers all for the feedback – its on the list!

in my opinion was a cowardly and pathetic response by people who had not even used them.

Welcome to the internet.

Agree with all the above – if you’re in Peebles, its quite a nice spin to warm up by riding into the forest.

I own a 2011 T5 and have done for 10 years in September. Its been the most problem free motoring I’ve ever had. Rust on front arches – sh*t happens, they’re £130 for a new pair and less than £200 to get repainted.

Engine/mechanical problems since owning it:
– driveshaft at about 60k miles
– EGR valve/cooler at about 80k miles
– 1 full set of discs and pads about 5 years back and I think its approaching another set being needed now. £200 online and a few hours on the driveway to change.
– intercooler blew last christmas. £200 and another hour on the driveway to swap.

Nothing major on unexpected in 10 years/60k miles compared to other stuff I’ve owned.

The wiring under the seat thing I’ve seen mentioned before – never had a problem with any of the electrics apart from a weird battery drain which I traced back to a dodgy connection on a new stereo that’d been fitted.

Mines remapped and has been since I owned it and despite what internet hearsay will tell you, the engine/gearbox hasn’t blown up into a million pieces because of it. Will do York > North Devon > York on a single tank of fuel if you get a clear run loaded with stuff.

Sometimes think about getting rid but its awesome.

Bridleways – next to nothing. If you want quiet lanes then head north toward Stibb and then west toward the coast. The coast road that goes past the radar station all the way up to Welcombe and beyond is pretty quiet (single track in a lot of places, grass growing in the middle of the road type stuff). Apart from that, not an awful lot I’m afraid.

Was interested in one of these potentially as I was an original CdF owner when they were about £700 new – now the cheapest is £1500. I’m oot…

I’m surprised there hasn’t been a feature film or series made about the creation of Stonehenge. Surely you could make a pretty good ‘faction’ account with loads of fictional characters, tribes etc.

That sounds absolutely thrilling. Maybe do one about the construction of the M1 or the Leeds-Liverpool canal too.

Best millionaires slice I’ve had was at Gloucester services on the M5.

Not surprising – that place is amazing (unless its mid day on a Friday/Saturday during summer).

Weirdly I find that it IS hard to get right. Caramel too thin/thick and/or shortbread too thin/thick/crumbly. Weirdly the best millionaire’s shortbread I’ve ever had was back at secondary school.

Bakewell slice on the other hand – thats THE default cake for me.

Another Ryobi One user here. Got a tall (9/10 ft maybe) down one side of our garden (60/70ft long) and theres all kinds of stuff at the bottom of the hedge that’d make putting ladders in a right PITA (raised borders, gravel path, a tree, a huge japanese maple and an astroturf football pitch :D). For a quick trim/tidy I can do the whole lot – front and top, in about 20 minutes with the Ryobi. Having the motor at the end of the pole is a bit of a faff but its easy enough to rest it on top of the hedge for a few seconds before cracking on. The fronts I can do by taking one section out which makes it a bit less unwieldy.

There are a few reasonably priced ones on Ebay but I just dont have the knowledge or trust to part with large amounts of cash on there these days – will have a nose at the facebook page…

Service history is key. It seems a lot of T5 owners have the mechanical sympathy of a potato so warning lights and servicing are overlooked in favour of flowery garlands, cheap coilover suspension etc

We did 21b I think it was on the last morning and it was a relentless roller coaster of amazing, rock infested, warp speed riding with a great mix of “this is f**king amazing”  screaming and “oh s**t I’m going to die as this is way to fast me/the bike/the terrain” stuff!

@trailseeker – yep, thats my planned running route :)

@tthew – :D

How on earth are people paying, and affording, anything of £40k for something that probably sits on their driveway for 51 weeks ofthe year?!

See my previous comments – mine has been made far more usable as a daily driver whilst still being able to sleep 4 so it gets used 52 weeks of the year.

A quick scan of the Autotrader pages seem to suggest its absolutely full of dreamers. If you’re on facebook, jump on the T5 Forum group. Its full of absolute whoppers but there are quite often realistically priced vans on there.

My advice – buy a T6 kombi so you start with a modern, decent spec’d base van and just use it – throw a mattress in the back and buy a Cadac portable stove and see how it works for you. Jumping straight in at the deep end with some chintzy camper with a dodgy paint job and some stickers is, in my experience, the wrong way to do it. Then slowly build the camper that suits your life (eg you may want a bed on rails – easier to do in an empty van. You may want something more utilitarian like the interiors that Stitches & Steel do. Your own flooring choices, full width vs 3/4 beds, your own electric setup – solar or just leisure battery etc etc etc

The descent from the gondola station back down to Aosta, at Pila

Having been a few weeks ago, that is indeed pretty vague :) the worst trails were the bike park stuff – venture a few hundred metres from those though and just, fkn, wow!

As above, its not a 2015 van despite what the ad says – its a T5 thats been facelifted (not necessarily a bad thing). I’d also be wary of any T5 thats been two-tone painted – its usually conversion companies who buy rotten builders vans, do a quick fix on the rust and spray the lower half whatever colour they have hanging around to give it that “retro” look. And £20k+ for that is mental money…

Saved a deer with it’s head stuck in a railing deep in the woods, strange really because it was so isolated.

It would of died for sure.

I’ve done the same! Are you me (or were you there – bottom of Rastrick Woods near the railway line about 6 years ago?!).

Also, the first part of many rides from my doorstep once upon a time in Halifax took me through a nice swoopy singletrack around the edge of the local park. One evening I was flying through there and I nearly hit a woman crouching having a piss behind a tree. Not sure who was more surprised…

Riding up a steep cheeky trail a few years back (behind Saunton sands hotel towards Croyde)

I thought I saw some naked flesh, looked again but saw nothing – a few minutes later there’s a guy beside some derelict farm buildings with an expensive looking camera & a rustling noise from behind a wall, then two young ladies appear with nothing but bikini bottoms on!

If its the trail I think it is, I’ve earmarked that as a potential running route (down though!) next week. I’ll keep my eyes (wide) open…

Vanne Brittany

Was just about to post this. Vannes is really, really nice. I’d be finding a gite with a pool near there…