That’s great Johnny – what size standard bag is that?

Oh dear. 14.

Anything involving Jeremy Clarkson joing the Guardian’s climate change panel.

Yep – smells so good.

Ah sorry yes I meant QT.

Too slow! Delete!

Float a Mersey Trout in there and see how they like it.

pmsl!

+1 on the midges. Tarp + midges is the most miserable combination known to man.

Got one of these a while back – for £40 odd quid they’re hard to beat.

http://www.abbeygardensales.co.uk/accessories-lubricants/saw-chain-maintenance/showitem-EM-ST90.aspx

Yep Nates are slow but damn – so much grip.

And not unrelated – I added a granny ring. Easy job. Had a old front shifter lying around. Cheap mech and you’re sorted. I moved the BB out a little on the right to give a couple mm extra clearance. Needs it otherwise your chain will hit the tyre.

tarmac climbs

agreed. But you’ll not be doing much of that!

Do you mean the cream one? Or the 2015 Orange one? I’ve got the cream one which was a bit dearer and much better specced than the new one.

Like nickdt says – heavy, slow and pointless. I love it. I have a shed full of exotic bikes which are gathering dust and depreciating while I only ride the Caribou.

Mrs DB has a Fatty and it is a different ride. I use the Caribou for bikepacking, exploring, all day riding etc and it is perfect for that. Blasting round Glentress? Take the Fatty (well, I would but hers has bright pink tyres).

AMP Research- Horst Leitner (Mr. Horst Pivot) sold the FSR rights to Mike Sinyard at Specialized.

and Mr Leitner’s assistant at AMP at the time was one Karlheinz Nicolai I believe. Hence his extensive use of the Horst Pivot.

Absolutely dying of man flu. No chance here.

Oh one other thing occurs to me wl which you can compare with your Voyager. I’m 5’11” – so no giant but tall enough. I find it difficult to sit up in the Voyager – not quite enough headroom to get dressed etc. Soulo is definitely that bit taller – decent headroom.

+1 on the quality. I have 2 Tentipis, terra nova, TNF ve 25, MSR Storm King, Macpac etc. All awesome tents in their own way and nothing, with the exception of a tentipi which is a very different animal, is as well built as the Soulo. My North Face westwind, which has done nearly 20 years service, is pretty close but the tunnel design is not as user friendly as the freestanding Soulo. It’s the only tent I’ve seen which is genuinely freestanding too – no reliance on pegging. You can use rocks/bags/skis on the guys if necessary but no pegs needed for the tent to be pitched (although they obviously help).

It is also very warm – solid inside unlike the mesh of the Voyager which lets winter wind whistle straight through. Ventilation not great in the summer in the Soulo, but what do you care? You’ve got a Voyager for the summer!

Akto – I’m not a fan personally. I’ve camped with a few and you have to pitch them spot on IME otherwise they flap like crazy. They also are dependant on good peg placement. They are much lighter than the Soulo though.

Yes – it’s the bollox. Last weekend in the Cairngorms. 40-50mph wind, -5C and snowing. I slept like a log.

I’m a DofE exped supervisor = 20% off otherwise there’s no way I’d stretch to £600+ for a one man, overly heavy/built tent.

I have a Terra Nova Superlite Voyager which is cheaper, nearly half the weight and fits two at a pinch. It has 90% of the capability but when you need that extra something – like in a blizzard in the Gorms in January – there’s only one tent I’d take with me.

We had one for 10 days in Iceland last summer. Thrashed it through the interior on some wild roads, fords and real 4×4 roads. Was perfect. And this comes from a Defender driver. The inside was good but of course it was no Audi. For the money I’d get one in a heartbeat. Their name is what Skoda was 15 years ago – everyone would laugh when you mentioned them but now they’re well respected.

you will also have a massive drop in free time

YMMV. I have more free time now than when I worked in the office. I get no emails at weekends or on holidays. No one phones me in the evening looking for some work to be be done. I can leave the building at 1530 if I have my work squared away and ride my bike in the afternoons and do prep in the evenings if it suits me. Yes I have to do some work in the holidays but I still have better holidays than most. Pay isn’t great but when you have a permanent job (I don’t yet) you are more or less secure for as long as you want to stay there provided you continue to do a decent job. Few private sector jobs offer this kind of security.

Do Not become a teacher if you cannot give it your best

Yep. Don’t think “that looks like a bit of a skive with loadsa holidays”. It isn’t, but it is rewarding in a way that sitting in an office plugging figures into spreadsheets could never be (for me anyway).

Yes, have done this exactly. After 17 years sitting in an office looking at spreadsheets and making good money, I had the opportunity to leave with some cash in my pocket. It was a tough call – I was full time at Uni for 2 years and am now half way through my probation year earning a pittance. But it was worth every second. I love it.

Yes, there is paperwork but it is survivable (at least, it is here in Scotland) and teenagers are, generally, willing to learn given half a chance. I wouldn’t go back and that is the true test I reckon.

Terra Nova Superlite Voyager here – palatial for 1 – tight squeeze for 2. Weighs nowt but well tough – I’ve had it out in some proper mountain weather – none of yer campsites – and it stands up well.

Heavy or cold weather – Hilleberg Soulo. Heavier than the Voyager but absolutely bomber any time any weather any place..

Very good!

skeleton having a wnak in a biscuit tin

pmsl! Accurate description too. I would imagine.

The LR(S)A already provides a means of reducing the “wrong” behaviours but isn’t being enforced

This is the problem. A lack of enforcement of existing legislation. If littering/anti-social behaviour laws were enforced, then I’m pretty sure 99% of this problem would vanish. But of course they are not – the police have better things to do. At the moment, clearing up the problem in one area just pushes it to another. Be interesting to see how that wee development on the shores of Loch Lubnaig (a famous white trash camping area) pans out – where has become a hot spot now?

Would a simple solution be banning all camping within 500m of a public road?

I ride my steel fatbike on the beach lots. Constantly immersed in salt water and sand spray. I’ve coated my frame with framesaver – I think that’s fair?

Weather bomb is happy.

I’m not a huge Al Murray fan, but this is brilliant!

Bacon proves the existance of God.

@Dazzlingboy, what you got?

A Genesis Caribou (cream coloured, not the new one) and a semi-fat singlespeed hash-up. Mrs DB has had a few shots on the fatbike and was very impressed so picking up an on-one fatty (black tyres ftw) at £640 has ticked the Xmas list box big style.

Plus too many other bikes that don’t get ridden enough.

Well, I’ve just used that code too. Winner. That’s another fatbike in the house. Need to get rid of some now…

Had to get on wikipedia. He’s 71!

My daughter is 7 and she went from the Beinn 20 straight to the 26 small. 24 a waste of time IMO. 26 will last her for ages. I don’t have her to hand to get measurements but I’d not bother with the 24 if I was you.

Here’s a video of her riding it last weekend.

He’s a mate – whole debate stops there for me. Look after your mates – rule #1.

Looks awesome, if a tad chilly.

I have the Z2. Great waterproofing – taken many underwater swimming type shots – nae bother.

The performance of the phone however- that’s another story. Constantly refusing to recognise the memory card, constantly dropping wifi signal, running super hot etc. Certainly wish I’d stuck with Samsung when I changed a few months back. Hope the Z3 is sorted better than the Z2…

Is that a Shand I see a page back? Wow – a one off?

Glen Tilt at the weekend

Trading standards would be my next email. Not sold as per description.

Did many trailquests back in the day – good memories of being sick on the start line of one in Tayvallich – must’ve been about 1998? Too many Stellas the night before from memory.

Would’ve been up for that had I known but away unfortunately. Will keep my eyes open for more.

Oh oh oh oh nearly missed this.

Question – I see reference to fork anything mounts up there which is great. I’ll be having those. I’d be looking for this as a bikepacking bike so rack mounting eyelets would be ideal – but your FAQs is clear – no other mounting points.

Is this an option at all?? Just want the 4 for a big rack on the back.

I feel for you – been in your shoes a couple of times and our current lab is heading downhill.

You’ll make the best decision for them I’m sure – no matter how hard it is for you.

Remember the good times.

Well, following on from this post I went and had my cholesterol tested this morning for the first time. 3.6 – so mid range according to the doc. This has given me some peace of mind.

Going to take a hard look at my health and make some changes – glad that I’m OK but room for improvement obviously.

Thank you OP.