Wild country zephyros 1 compact user here, got it in a sale years ago. Packs small, goes up quickly, not the biggest but I got the footprint which gives you a bit more non-grassy space.

If it was a mtb you’d go 29er (700c) over 27.5 (650b) as they “roll better over small obstacles and are quicker”. The fudge with gravel bikes is clearance so 650b gets chatted up as better, when really its the width that matters.

My gravel bike runs 700c x 45/48 as it has clearance so I use them, mates bike doesn’t have that clearance so he goes 650b, we both go to the same places at the same speed.

<p>So had this about 10 years ago, so thing may have changed in Talas-land. I put them in highest travel and let all the air out whilst gently pushing the forks up/down thru their travel, then repeated slowly adding air in steps. Repeated in lowest setting. This brought them back to life.</p>

Me/family been in Mallorca on/off over the last month and it is most hot. Spotter planes flying around all the time looking for wildfires, got to watch a firefighting plane fill up in the bay. Air quality poor as the southerly hot wind brings desert dust with it

As Peekay says tubeless off road, tubes on road

Before I got a gravel bike did the King Alfreds Way on my 140mm HT with Conti Race king tyres, happily kept up with mate on his gravel bike on everything except long road climbs. On strava on one local section of tbe fosse way this set up is no slower than the titanium gravel bike. So like others have said, defo tyres first. If you want to go more “aero” then slightly longer stem, only issue you’re left with is wheel lift when steep climbing (lean forward 😂)

Watched a few people get stuck for over size fees at the next door gate coming back from PMI a few weeks back, they weren’t happy but they had wheelie carry on so obvs too big

Was there and what was striking was the how France were always in position, in attack or defence, moving players around to create space, and doing it quickly. England just lumbered about the pitch, seemingly unaware of where the French players were. Other obvious bit was England slow down into contact, France speed up, run harder try to break the tackle. Frustrating day, not looking forward to Ireland

Brizzle airport (BRS) is fiver for 10 mins in the drop and go. For free options – you can have 60mins in the waiting by the car rental and your travellers go on the free bus (8mins trip, every 15mins); alternatively you can go down the dead end road opposite the airport entrance and get out there, jaywalk across the edge of the roundabout and then walk the 500m down to the terminal. Any guess as to which is most frequent…

Ahh the romance of air travel

Had the same thought recently as wanted a system which would go on gravel bike and mtbs, tailfin just silly expensive with bag and adaptors, so went with Aeroe Spider rack instead. Just got back from a 4day gravel (100-140km/day) and it was perfect. Bit heavier but 1/3 the price, didn’t move and just took dry bag off to take inside. Got the handlebar one too, and similarly fab. Also attached a £5 webbing net from Amazon on top to hold coat and other quick access stuff. Can also attach my gorilla cages to sides of rack for more storage. Great Kiwi system 👍

+1 for Dolomites – Sella Ronda is glorious, chilled vibe

Genuinely love my Goldrush, brilliant on the badger divide, but also capable enough to do the beast in the peaks. Changed the bars for wider ones and added a dropper post, put on some x-wide Hunt wheels. It is just brilliant, off to gravel Dieppe to Paris and back in a couple of weeks, comfy, quick and capable. The geometry is spot on 👍👍

MTB defo for Quantock. On a similar theme went to Peaks with the gravel bike, rode the beast and others so lots is doable on a gravel bike with chunky tires and a dropper, but it would have been MUCH nicer on the mtb and MUCH more fun

Some of the wooded descents have gone from loamy and lovely to rock strewn and unpleasant

Done this, was flying business both flights (so quicker deplane and reclaim, then bag drop and security) with hold luggage and a private hire between, had 5h gap and it was tight. I’d be nervous…

Another Superstar Kevlar user here 👍

Brilliant stuff, keeps getting better

I’ve got the brand x bar remote fitted near to the stem, works well for less gnar stuff but not ideal for more gnar or trying to go quick, also gets in the way of my handlebar bag when bikepacking. Have got the Crank Bros highline drop bar remote, not fitted yet but goes inside the left shifter (I’m 1x SRAM Force), means your able to be on hoods or drops and operate the dropper (so same as the Shimano dropper/brake shifter, but “only” £45 for the CB remote (Evans still have them)
My 2c 👍

Yes! In particular your hand position, especially with any bags attached.
My fit was OK, then put a handlebar roll on, couldn’t move hands around much and got ulnar nerve palsy doing the badger divide, took weeks to resolve. So for me yes, but think about it differently as you move around the bike more

1990 90 would be a 200tdi engine, so miles not an issue. Main issue is chassis condition. Less modified ones are usually more valuable than tricked ones. 10-15 is reasonable dependent upon chassis. Loads of forums out there – Defender2.net covers a 90 like this 👍

Montane featherlite running pants, did me proud on Autumn Badger divide and KAW trips (KAW during a named storm on the S Downs 👍)

Mine has 700c with clearance for 50mm tyres and I love it. It’s the 650b vs 29er discussion and I’d rather have small lump rollability than switchback manoeuvrability as that fits with what a gravel bike does. The main reason people go 650b is for greater tyre width clearance on their frame rather than wheel size (in my opinion as it can’t be different to the mtb thoughts surely). If your frame fits wide tyres then choose like a mtb, if not then choose by tyre width, anyway my 2c

And of course just a short trip north takes you to the Mecca of trails behind the Nationwide building in Swindon, sweet times

I’ve got that head and that problem, Google says that head has got “form” it works best when there’s some back pressure (ie air in the tyre!) clean it out and be hopeful, otherwise push down on the head when you start pumping until there’s a bit of air in the tyre. I have to start the Airshot off with a small portable pump before the track pump with that head will work. Annoying

No probs either from BRS or LHR with bikes or boards and lots of “padding” 😂

Same here in S Cotswolds, luckily we got lots thru boiler juice not long ago 👍 just bought diesel at 197.9 though 😟 (thank god it’s work truck)

The superstar alloy wheels are lovely, better than Hope IMO

Ahh my kids old primary school, plenty of free parking up on the edge of the common past the church. Will try and amble over, work permitting 👍👍

I miss the picolax days, but still love a good lurking look at the serious stuff

Sun for most of the day in the Cotswolds, but not the 2h I rode the mtb for, when it also rained and hailed and blew a gale. So nice

Another sure flap user (well owner) here, has worked flawlessly for years. Broke my heart to cut a hole in the oak door, but the cats are happy

anyone caught The Hunt on Netflix? Thoughts?

Enjoyable 90mins of utter guff 👍

Enjoyed that, pretty fair adaptation of the books, like Bosch was. Would watch another series

MrsH saw the saussi roll maker for a tenner and did not buy it. I’m not sure what to say

They last forever!

https://helmets.org/up1505a.htm

@footflaps this is why I love this forum 👍

Have a Goldrush and have done the Badger divide on it. One the few bikes I’ve loved from day 1 and still so. It is nimble and quick, almost too competent as I take it down stuff that is really mtb territory and so have dinged a rim!
Keeps up on the road with friends on their gravel bikes – Niner, Dolan, Ribble etc, even wearing 45mms
Have tried a mates tempest and geometry wise it reminded me of my old Orro terra (1st gen so early graveller), being more road bike-esque, whereas the Goldrush is more mtb-esque. I’m a mountain biker who has a road bike so the Goldrush works for me, whereas the mate is a road biker who doesn’t own a mtb and so the tempest works for him.
My 2c anyway!

Can we have a rural filter for broadband speed chats, upload speed and latency are abysmal with no change in site. Fastershire? Fastershite more like

Try this

https://www.spintertainment.com/

I’d be more worried about the speeding fines/unpaid tolls/parking charges that could be about to catch up with you…

Thought that stuff was done via the vehicle registration rather than the driving licence?

The Witcher is total guff, most of the time I really don’t know what’s going on BUT can’t stop watching it