We ride Tues and most Thursday nights from Luddendenfoot, happy to show you a bit of hebden

If you walked part of B, don’t bother with A 😃

Except it’s nearly doubled in cost if you’ve planned to go 4 up…

M62 closed both ways at scammonden, accident crossed the central reservation for anyone going that way tonight

Babyjogger city elite. We had the double for our twins, then got the single version for our third (8 hour round trip to pick up an eBay bargain they’re that good). Pneumatic tyres, suspension, hand operated brake, massive sunshade, lay flat and you can fold it up one handed. Still got it in the garage if you’re anywhere near west Yorkshire and want to have a look?

Did anyone see Kevin Bridges on the last leg?
“Everyone on the March to leave should have their laptops seized by the police, they’re bound to catch a few sex offenders” 😂😂

On a practical note, I think there are now only 2 places to empty your chem toilet in Harris after the one in Leverburgh was removed. They’re at the Huisinis Gateway, and the council tip on the Scalpay road out of Tarbert so do it while you can. Horgabost do have plans for a whole new facilities block, including elsan but it won’t be built by May

We didn’t reckon much to the bits of Lewis we saw (callanais stones and stornoway, in the rain), but Harris is AMAZING! We’ve been twice in the last 3 years in our camper, stayed at Horgabost both times for a few nights, lovely site, great views, basic but clean facilities, and dirt cheap. But, the absolute best camping spot is Huisinis Gateway. The drive along a 10+ mile singletrack road is breathtaking, and eventually leads to Huisinis beach. The local community have built a small visitors centre for campervans and motorhomes. You park pretty much on the beach, there are toilets/showers, fresh water, chem toilet emptying point and bins, indoor and outdoor picnic benches, and info boards on the local wildlife. If the weather’s not great you can get in out of the wind and rain, but the building’s all glass fronted. The shower block gets locked up at night (to stop people sleeping in there) but a toilet is left open. No official charge, they just ask for a donation in the box to help pay for the upkeep which we were more than happy to do. Honestly, it’s a little piece of heaven in the Hebrides.
Other stuff to look at, a walk up to the eagle observatory on the huisinis road, the honesty crofters shop (great pies) in Northton, the walk to Niest point is pleasant. We ate one evening at the North Harbor Bistro on Scalpay, one of the best meals I’ve ever had, but you’ll need to book

Cheese sandwich, crisps

Map doesn’t work for me either, though a snicket and a teacake should pinpoint it pretty much exactly if previous conversations are anything to go by!

Tell her she only needs £333.34, Feb and March are free…

Oh well, back to myspace then…

Family camping equipment recommendations, and no-one’s mentioned swingball???!?!?!

Bleed it on slow, then turn it to fast once you’ve done to increase the pressure / speed. It’ll be slow in the cold anyway though

Squeeze on Crown Street is good for brunch, especially with little ones. Old gate does the best breakfast, and probably the best evening meals. Old gate, vocation and White lion (bit touristy) are the only pubs I’d bother with. Coffee Cali does the best coffee, country stores in the square is takeaway only, but does cracking pies and sausage rolls. The cafe at Gibson Mill (hardcastle crags) is currently closed, but is extortionate anyway these days

Cheers, will get signed up this weekend. Only just made last orders in the pub at torver last year!

Up for this again, last year was great!
Would there be any issues if a few of us wanted to set off a bit earlier on the Sat? Last year we were riding until midnight to get walna scar done before stopping, would be good to have a bit more time to enjoy the bivvying

Still on 98, don’t know what I’m missing

2 to get, from

Goblin
Pebbles
Tarot cards
Rifle
Top clock
Or something else

I’ll prob be out. Is the 7pm meet at the old gate too?

Anyone noticed the mention on ‘non competitor festival tickets’ on the site. Is that a change for next year?

BB grade birch ply would be fine, 8×4 sheet somewhere around £30 – £40 depending on supplier. Costs are going up fairly significantly this month though

Because there’s only 1 type of yoghurt, but lots of different salads. A Greek salad is actually Horiatiki, which translates more as a country salad or farmers salad. 😋

1. Yes

2. The Frog Tadpole I’ve got for sale

My mate owns http://www.busspotting.com based in Halifax, old and new vans

I love the Horgabost suggestion for a site as close to Southampton as possible 😃

We’re going back there again this summer, as well as Glenbrittle. In a similarly distant vein, I’d add Fidden Farm on Mull, absolutely stunning campsite.

We’ve done Yorkshire to Ancona the last couple of summers with 3 kids and no probs at all (except running out of diesel on the run into Calais). As a guide, we normally leave Friday afternoon after school, through the tunnel around 11pm, and I can get to Reims before stopping at about 2.30am Sat. We’ve a camper so just bed down in the motorway services. The next day is a full day driving, but we can then do the rest of France, straight through Switzerland and Italy, into Ancona late Saturday night ready for our ferry to Greece Sunday lunchtime.

First tip, use your tesco vouchers for the tunnel.

Toll Tags. We use a APRR tag, it’s the same as the sanef tag you can order over here, but it works out cheaper and they deliver to UK, Google translate the website. It costs €3 per month that you use it over the actual toll cost, and they bill your credit card so you won’t actually need to pay your tolls until September. We wouldn’t do France without one now,  It’s just so easy. Straight through at 30, no queuing, no looking for euros, no getting out/leaning over/waking the wife. It’s a no-brainer.

Use Via Michelin to work out your toll costs, but remember it’ll include the £40 for your Swiss vignette which you’ll only need once. Buy that at the border, but have the 50 francs for it, their exchange rate at the border is criminal.

Italy comes as a shock after how easy and quiet the French and Swiss systems are. The Milan ring road is the worst, the drivers to improve the further away from there that you get, but they love their horns, tailgating and undertaking. Flashing your lights means get out of my way, they don’t flash to let people pull out.

Lots of dvds and treats for the kids. Plenty of snacks, lots of rest stops (most services have big picnic areas and playgrounds).

I wouldn’t stop in Basel, it’s very industrial (at least the bit near the motorway). We stopped in Strasbourg on the way back last year and it was nice, there’s a massive park down by the river with a footbridge across into Germany. The kids loved walking to Germany before breakfast.

Most of all, enjoy yourself, and stop before you get tired

Nice! I’m currently building a Blast and Luna for my twins, your spares box must be a bit more substantial than mine!

Is the crankset factory white?

I’ve seen the jumps at Brearley, and I wouldn’t fancy learning how to jump on them! Aren’t there some in Brighouse, near Tesco?

I had a crew cab Navara for 8 years and thought it was the bees knees, then I swapped it for a lwb VW kombi and realised how much better van life is. More room in the back, a lot more secure, bikes can just be thrown in. I can sleep in it, I can get changed in it, I can sit in the back and make a brew. Yes, the pick ups look cool with the bikes over the tailgate, but you can’t leave it out of your sight. Anything in the back has to be strapped in if you want it to still be there at the end of your journey too. Honestly, buy a van.

@sandwicheater I don’t think that pier was on the route was it? 😂

Thanks for organising Rich, it was my first time bikepacking, and my first ride over 40 miles. With a bit of preparation I might even have enjoyed myself! Same again next year?

The Etrex that was found, was it missing it’s back? We lost 1 and  half between us but were reunited with 1 of them at Torver, so it could be ours.

The only secure way to transport it is wheels off and in the cab. Tailgate pads look great, but if you leave it out of sight for a minute it’ll be gone I’m afraid. I ran a navara for 8 years, swapping it for a van was the best thing I ever did!

Chunky monkey front, ardent rear

What’s the battery life like on the edge touring? I’m looking at getting a new GPS soon, but I’m thinking an eyes etrex might be a better bet for longer rides as it runs on standard AAs, so I can just throw a few spares in my pack.

I use a few of those padded picnic blankets

Nice to see Mike Hall mentioned in the obituary bit

Moana, How far I’ll go for the kids.
All time best though, has to be

For the last month we’ve had Mrs Gti’s Avon Ice Touring tyres on steel wheels for Ibiza or Polo on Ebay and on UKClimbing and this week I’ve walked around several car parks leaving notes on Ibiza and Polo windscreens and today we drove around some hilly and reasonably moneyed areas of Lancashire leaving notes on windscreens and through letterboxes of houses with Ibizas and Polos parked outside. Apart from one nibble on Ebay from someone who didn’t bid, not one single person has shown any interest. I can only conclude that Ibiza and Polo drivers are idiots – apart from my wife of course.

I’d conclude that you’re asking too much for them

Can you actually fit that much kit (27 full bikes!) in just 3 vans??

we’ve 2 Frog 55’s, one trigger and one the previous year model when they were still using gripshift. Both kids struggled for a while to get enough strength to change down, either by trigger or gripshift, (changing up with the spring was easy), but now my son uses his trigger shifter fine, and my daughter uses her gripshift fine. You’re probably over thinking it to be honest