Some guards will be a ‘jobsworth’ about the 2 bikes per train limit on most local services. If you’re getting on at the start of the train’s route, get there early and install yourself. Even if there are 4 bikes travelling, if you get on and sit down before the guard notices (sometimes the train crew aren’t around at first) they won’t throw you off.
Sometimes you find a guard who packs bikes, prams and passengers on like he’s the local scrapman! I was on a Northern Rail single coach train the other day and there were 3 prams, 3 bikes and about 50 people without seats, all crammed on.
Oh yeah, buy a ticket before travel, don’t try and fare-dodge. My mate got stung for a 180 quid fine recently.

2 previous vehicles I’ve owned, both seat 4 people with 4 bikes inside, wheels on. Also sleep 2 people with 2 bikes inside with them (front wheels off, seatposts out). Easy to drive, comfortable. Fast cruiser. One very economical, one horrendous thirst but huge fun!
1. Mitsubishi Delica LWB. 25mpg, full ‘proper’ 4×4 system from a Pajero.
2. Chrysler Grand Voyager (the longer version). 42mpg from a 2.5 diesel manual. Extremely comfortable on long runs, fantastic sound system, aircon etc. Get the front captain’s seats for ultimate camperdom.
I made a bed and kitchen system that could be dismounted in minutes. The rear windows can be tinted to avoid prying eyes but the Delica was too high for all but the tallest nosey parkers!
When family finances improve I’ll be re-equipping myself with a Grand Voyager. A cheap one can be had for less than a grand.

Some weight savings to consider:

Fork: Fox 32 Float 1750
Revelation 140 RLTs 1600g

Bars Race Face Sixc 225
Answer Pro Taper 680 XC Carbon Flat Bar 130g

Wheels Mavic Crossmax SL 1615
Pro2 with Crest and CX-Rays 1463g

Tyres Schwalbe Nobby Nic 1500
Continental Speed King 2.4 Supersonic 900g pair

That’s another whole 2lb there!

I can’t seem to find out how much a lift pass is for a week… can anyone help me out?

In 1987 my mate bought a brand new fresh off the boat Hard Rock for 400 quid from York Cycleworks. Pauper spec an all. Today, same bike with discs and decent entry level groupset: 450 quid. Anyone know what the inflation rate has been overall over the last 23 years?

Blue pig. The Orange is nice but overpriced. Blue pig will take any forks as well. Some bargain 1.5 forks about.

I almost caught my minute man on the TT run – about 200 yards short I hooked a canti pad under the rim and just made it over the line before my own minute man caught me!

I did the Eston – managed to escape with my life but loads of team bikes were nicked overnight.
The locals regarded it as their own personal, local jumble sale!

Rev 140s are great!

Back then I was riding a Bear Valley myself! I raced BB2 on the Marin and BB3 on a Cannondale.
I’m just swapping my 575 for a Mega!
I remember a great Sportage race in a quarry above Howarth, saw someone shear their forks off right in front of me. My wife won the ladies Sport class (she was the only entrant!)

Drill a hole crossways through the post (yes, bye-bye post), as near to the seatclamp area as possible (hole goes through thickest bit and through inserted bit of alloy in 2-piece seatposts). Stick something through it, such as massive screwdriver and the put long bar on the screwdriver. Hold on tight to the frame and start turning the seatpost, putting upward pressure as it turns.

Ant Elixir X7 deals at the mo?

So what’s the best value/performance brake out there? I find Juicys quite easy to set up and only had problems with old pads. Shall I just get some new pads and keep them? I have matchmakers which is one reason why I want to stay with SRAM.

scunthorpe

To change the subject very slightly, I ran into a bunch of pikeys on a canal towpath once, burning insulation off some probably stolen copper wiring. Their alsatian jumped in front of me… I was going very fast to avoid a mugging. The dog bounced off my front tyre, yelping. I didn’t stop!

yay! AlexonaMega

I just took delivery of my Lyriks this morning. All the little bits keep arriving, ready for the frame. 1.5 stems are a bit heavy! Got a Sunline, might have to get something a little less ‘ingotty’!

watch out for canal rage, those swans are mental!

Some good ideas, especially the chain tensioning method. Super flexy BB though, dunno how you’d overcome that. Maybe a one-piece BB and chainstay unit made up of one huge, hollow (but stiff) box and the seattube and downtube welded on. Would give better clearances around the tyre. And aluminium or carbon for stiffness.

My preferred choice is a small, quality walking rucsac with good back vents and plenty of straps. It will have compression straps for when you’re not carrying much. Then buy a ‘Source’ inner bladder separately. Change the mouthpiece for a Platypus one and use a Camelbak right angle adapter. A bit of a ‘Frankenbladder’ but it’s the best combination. The Source inners are the easiest to fill, the most secure out on the trail and mine has never got mouldy after 4 years of use and I’m pretty rubbish at cleaning stuff.
I get frustrated trying to stuff extra gear in small backpacks and equally as frustrated looking at the prices Camelbak try to charge for a tiny rucsac. I ride in the Peaks all year round so I need to carry a bit more stuff as I could be miles from a road when the inevitable happens.

give the chaps at goldtec a ring, they’d make you one.

Any idea on part numbers for these washers/spacers? Or anyone know if a spacer from something else will do?

by ‘shonky’, do you mean like Dave Hinde? Or is there a league table of Shonky. Go on, who is regarded as ‘shonky’ (and why?)

Try an Easton EA90 stem (130g for 90mm) and an Answer Pro Taper 680 XC Carbon Flat Bar (130g). Helps to lighten the load.
Also, some Conti Speed King Supersonics on the Stans – work great!

Nuke Proof do a headset to fit ANYTHING, take a look.

I use Flows with a very thin innertube based rimstrip (can’t get the ghetto out of my system!). I can mount just about any tyre with a track pump. Two cups of sealant for a 2.5 tyre.

I started off years ago with latex carpet adhesive and yes, it was a major faff but not having ANY punctures for 8 years is worth it!

Nowadays, on group rides I take a book to read while I’m waiting for the ‘tubers’ to fix their holey mess!

Hmm, I heard they went bust…

Threaded bar, a couple of suitably sized sockets (the spanner type) and a couple of big nuts with washers. Works great.
To remove headsets, I have an old alu seatpost that I stick down the headtube and bash with a mallet. Keeps damage to a minimum.

Just tell us already! If romster logs on, he’ll see it. And so will we. And we can have fun judging you and jejames. It’s a cross between Judge Judy and YBF!

It’s the weekend, they’ll be out riding probably! Come on, any juicy bits of gossip? Tell us! Don’t just dangle it in front of us, the trolls are waiting for their next meal!

Yep, got that setup myself. If you get SLX cranks new, the BB comes with it so put the Shimano BB on, nice fresh bearings.

Most of the uplands in England look the way they do because of sheep farming and game bird shooting. They feed on the heather shoots. Without them, most of the Peaks and NYM etc would be scrubland.
I’m sure a few grouse may get spooked by the odd mountain biker. I’m very sure the shooting party in the Range Rover churning up a jeep track on the moors will cause much more damage and the resulting toll on the ‘wildlife’ will be quite devastating!
This is an ancient land and we’ve been using it for centuries. It’s just that nowadays people have the money, time and inclination to go out and run, walk and cycle on the more remote places. Some people whose ancestors stole the land from the Saxons in 1066 don’t really like this!
“get off my land!”
“eh? what makes it YOUR land?”
“I inherited it from my father”
“where did HE get it?”
“HIS father.”
this conversation carries on a bit but finally…
“and where did your great great great great great grandfather get the land?”
“He fought the Saxons and won it.”
“Right, put ’em up I’ll fight you for it!”

+1 for the Nukeproof Mega

I went tubeless and it cured it straightaway!. If you insist on running tubes, Schwalbe use steel valve stems with lockrings on both types of valve.

Hey walleater, that is one of the ‘trolliest’ posts I’ve ever seen! You are a troll, it’s official, go and look up the definition in a dictionary if you’re unsure.
You remind me of the man from Monty Python’s ‘argument’ sketch.
I thought this thread had died ages ago, apparently only 2 of us have got one on preorder, the rest of the world seems to be in some sort of weight weenie handbag fight!
I’m still buying one, no-one’s put me off! I rode Cutgate with my 575 on Friday. Now it’s in the cellar getting ready for ebay…

North end of North Yorkshire Moors. Dalby is within reach. A lot of forests, moors and tracks. Long distance stuff, it’s possible to do 100 miles off road, only ‘crossing’ roads, not going along them.

Depends which bit, loads of different areas. And last time I looked, the Lakes were about 100 miles away! (You may be mixing up NYM with Yorkshire Dales…)

We need videos posting! Come on, film it before our proper summer arrives and we all have to stay indoors…

RagTi, I’ve been on to Hotlines the ‘importer'(part of CRC empire!) and spoken to 3 different people there. They all say the same date. I spoke to them today and they are assuring me that they’re on the boat!. My Frame is on order via JE James (one of my many lbses!). Every store with pre-orders will get the stock all on the same day. I would imagine CRC will get them out to customers marginally quicker. No-one is discounting the prices so I ordered locally.
I’ve worked out (with use of 2 very short train journeys) that I can make Cut Gate (in a Southerly direction) my ride home from work, adding in ‘The Beast’ and other rocky stuff as it takes my fancy. That Mega will get a good testing!

My 575 was built up with ‘gossamer’ kit and weighed a shade over 26lb. I got worried about breakages so added some stronger and heavier components. Still just under 29lbs. I run Stan’s Crests tubeless with 2.5 tyres, Revelations, SLX cranks, nothing really weight weenie.

On the Mega arrival front, I have assurances that the delivery dates are firm and I’ll be throwing my leg over a ‘test’ bike a week on Friday. My camera will be working hard, I’ll post still and moving pics when I get them!

‘I don’t mean to be negative but…’ Classic thread hijack!
All these negative waves man!