Maybe I’ll get a plane this year & not worry too much about getting every colour to do it ‘properly’.

I think the Airfix starter kits (paint & glue included) are very good for this – combined with the ‘Humbrol Tool kit’ and you’re away! You don’t have to worry about being too precise and historically accurate with every colour etc. As you start to do more kits, those skills from 35+ years ago start to return and you can add more paints and tools etc as you go along …

Get it out and have a go! I’ve had a great time making a mess recently

Absolutely!! +1

@ChrisL – Nice Vulcan! I visited the one at Robin Hood Airport recently and your is very faithful indeed. Neat tile grouting! ;-)

Airfix 1/72 EE Lightening

that snow on the Hurricane looks really good, what did you use?

Tamiya Diorama texture paint -‘Powder Snow Effect’ to provide a base.
Sprinkled with ‘Deluxe Materials – Scenic Snow Kit’

Thanks for the ‘Dichloromethane’ tip – I’ll have a look at that!

@BenjiM – impressive cockpit detailing!

but you could have given the guy a coat you tight git.

Don’t you know there’s a war on? ;-)

The new tool Mk1 Hurricane is a vast improvement – a real pleasure to make!

From memory I think it’s because the kits are sold in Germany where it is still illegal to display swastikas. That’s what I remember being told anyway.

After market sheets of swastika decals can be purchased from the likes of Hannants.

@Kuco – thanks! :-)

Airfix kit A50153 – old tool for the Mk1 Hurricane just looked a bit wrong when I’d finished it (wings too thick etc) so I decided to create a ‘vignette’ based on the Christmas card depicting a Hurricane in the snow, December 1940:

^^ impressive paint job! ;-)

but I have regressed to my 12 year old self

I know, I’m the same … all that’s missing is the spots, the bad hair-cuts, crap taste in guitar music and excessive use of kleenex … oh … hang on a minute! :oops:

Anyway … Here’s some bicycles:

Try and stay away from Humbrol paints at the moment, they’ve moved production back to this country from China and it all seems to have gone pear shaped…

I thought is the other way around but happy to be corrected:
They had to change suppliers in China and the QC went to pot. Production has been moved to Rustins a [well regarded] UK based paint manufacturer.

Old china paint stock is still doing the rounds so purchases can still be a bit hit & miss – esp with acrylics in my experience.

Tamiya paints are great for airbrushing but can be tricky with a paint brush.
Glue-wise I seem to use CA glue (super-glue) more and more these days but also use Humbrol Liquid Poly or Mr Cement. (I avoid the stuff in tubes at all cost).
I also try and use the recommended branded thinner for each paint.
I’ve never had any success with using water as a thinner with acrylics.

@john_drummer & Harry_the_spider – some really nice work there!! :-)

I’m sure over the years they have managed to make wide boards ride a little narrower

This is true to a certain extent. I currently ride a 168W Split, a 164W Twin and a 163W Directional. They all ride better than the wide boards of 10 years ago. But then so do most boards …

The width of the narrowest part is only part of the picture but the chances are if it’s wider than you are used to in the ‘waist’ then it may well be have a sidecut/radius that makes it harder work to go from edge to edge.

In many respects it’s perhaps easier for a ‘bigfoot’ rider to ride a narrower board than it is for a smaller foot rider to ride a wide board – especially if you mainly want it for carving on the piste. Many modern boots have a smaller footprint these days and it also very much depends on your angles and stance and whether you can effectively pressure the four ‘corners’ of the board.

But yes … a few mm here and there and 3 degrees plus or minus can often make a real difference on a snowboard – more so than on a bike I reckon. For sure a good rider will be able to adapt to pretty much any board, but is it worth the risk spoiling an annual trip on the slopes by buying a board that isn’t fun for you to ride?

Shame you can’t demo the board

The freeride stuff especially has gotten wider.

I think mainly due to the desire for freeride boards to have more float in powder and stable landings. Many freeride boards have also gotten shorter in recent years!

But there’s more to a board than it’s ‘width’ as I’m sure you appreciate.

Is there any chance you can demo the board before you buy it?

Weight is normally more important than height in determining board length, and the use of wide boards is determined by intended use and the riders boot size [and angles & stance]

as devash commented, I’d be tempted to stick with a ‘standard’ width board – especially if you are buying it to ride on the pistes as you may find it harder to initiate turns on and the side-cut on a wider board may result in a bigger turning radius.

But perhaps most importantly, [depending on your angles and stance] it may be really hard for you to engage the edges and control the board in anything other than powder.

Put on a merino or lycra baselayer and go for a run

I think we’d already discussed the fact that merino is perhaps not an ideal choice for intense activities like running.

Horses for courses and and all that.

Different base layers can have different roles and suit different conditions/people.

It should be breathable, which is different to wicking

From my perspective, a close fitting base layer should wick and a fleece layer should be ‘breathable’. You may wear one, the other or both depending on the circumstances:

Arcteryx explain this quite nicely with a summary of the technologies available in their base layer range:

Arcteryx Base layer info

carvey

Niiiiice! 8)

Good to see more folks gettin’ their carve on … it’s been a while coming back in vogue!

SPDs on the singlespeed, road bike & hybrid
Flats on the hardtail and full suspension.

Pretty much a seamless transition between the two I reckon

I never really rated Icebreaker merino … it seems to develop holes and become ‘threadbare’ in places very quickly.

Over the years I’ve had merino from:

Howies
Icebreaker
Ortovox
Sweet Protection
Rapha
Race Face

My Howies Merino LS Tops (made in NZ) are over 10 years old and still going strong having done multiple winter seasons (although the armpits are a bit ‘stiff’ with deodorant) They are also the least itchy. The newer Howies merino tops don’t come anywhere close! :(

The Race Face ‘stark’ wool LS has been a bit of a revelation and so far has lasted much use, abuse and 40 degree washes with velcro and zips.

and I’ve worn merino for 2 weeks continuously without bathing (apart from wetwipes and ‘dry shower’) and I was very impressed with the low ‘pong’. Not a miracle by any stretch of the imagination but much ‘fresher’ than silk base layers – which tend to smell of ‘bums’ when not washed regularly! :oops:

edit – lovin’ the chunky cable knit jimjam! 8)

I am talking about riding mostly, and in the UK.

And I think I went off at something of a tangent with the merino pants and mountains etc … apologies … however to be fair this is in the ‘chat’ forum and the OP’s slightly vague request was just for a ‘seriously warm inexpensive base layer’. No activity was specified.

From a personal perspective I don’t think I would ever wear anything ‘seriously warm’ i.e. ‘insulated’ etc on the bike as I’d be ‘steaming’ within minutes. I’d rather have a gillet or something that can be quickly removed and put back on again.

do you sweat much in that getup?

I tend to run quite ‘hot and moist’ at the slightest bit of physical exercise! :oops:

But that ‘getup’ has proven to be a good compromise and the best at avoiding me being uncomfortable.

When ‘cruising the groomers’ I would be unlikely to break out in a sweat from about plus 3 Celsius down to about -7. Outside of that range I would adapt and remove/add a layer.

When climbing/bootpacking/skinning I would avoid setting a pace that resulted in overheating as once you overheat I find it’s hard to get control over your body temp again in colder climates. But to answer your question, yes I sweat but not excessively – it tends to be my back (under the backpack) and my forehead (absorbed by a buff or sunhat)

edit – just read your addendum Molgrips – my previously exception was running in merino: Like you it just gets sweaty and baggy. I once ran in merino in Canada in minus 20 and I still got sweaty and baggy!
For running in cold temps I’ll wear an Arcteryx Phase base layer and lightweight jacket or technical t-shirt on top (depending on the wind, rain, snow etc)

A big difference I think is the relative humidity/dew point in the UK compared to the alps etc – which means I tend to sweat more when exercising in the UK, so I adjust my wardrobe accordingly.

That’s me and I find merino base layers ideal for that

Same here! My standard winter attire [in the mountains] after years of trial & error, mix & matching is:

Merino boxers
Merino Long-johns
Merino socks
GoreTex shell pants (with vents)

2 x Merino LS tops
GoreTex Shell jacket

When touring/skinning I will normally remove the shell jacket.
The merino tops mean than even when my back is sweaty from carrying the backpack, I won’t get chilly as I cool down.

But yes – different things work well for different people.

In winter you want polypropylene for base layer

but for properly cold days polyprop base layers are almost unbearably hot when the temperature goes back above zero.

Polyprop repels water which is why it doesn’t ‘wick’

I’m not sure I entirely follow your reasoning but I may have understood …

Firstly, a base layer should wick – that’s one of it’s prime purposes isn’t it?
Secondly, Winter days often start off really cold and then air temps end up much milder with the effects of solar radiation etc, before dropping dramatically again when the sun sets. I would have therefore thought that material that becomes ‘unbearably hot’ should be avoided.

Rule of thumb in winter activities is take a layer off before you get hot and put a layer on before you get cold. Having an ‘unbearably hot’ layer sounds like something best avoided in my experience – rather like when you see people out UK hill walking in a down ‘belay jacket’ and then they wonder why it’s wet through on the inside and they are uncomfortable for the rest of the day.

Riding ‘Inbounds’:

The following will be distributed in trouser & jacket pockets:

Lift pass
small tube of lip balm/SPF50 cream
phone (sometimes a larger camera)
jimi wallet
toque/beanie
thin glove liners
goggle ‘sleeve’
Tissues (although in Canada etc they often provide ‘sniffle stations’!)
Clif Bar (or similar) – I generally avoid stopping for lunch but will stop for a quick mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon coffee (esp. in Italy) thereby avoiding the lunchtime crush
small multi tool

In winter you want polypropylene for base layer

Not necessarily as I think it depends on the activity and the individual (and their moisture ‘output’)

I’ve tried loads over the years and my personal choice for winter activities (with the exception of running) is a close fitting merino base layer. If it’s super cold then I wear 2 x merino.

This approach has worked well for me for everything from wintry bike rides to arctic expeditions.

I find that if polypropylene gets even slightly damp through sweat then when I stop the activity I will cool down really quickly and shiver – as others have said the advantage of merino is that you stay warm even when damp.

These days you can pick up merino base layers quite reasonably, however I think its often worth paying for quality as they last longer and don’t itch.

just waiting for the Black Diamond / Arcteryx battery powered ones to come down in price a bit; seems a far superior solution to the gas canister ones.

I’ve been watching the BD Jetforce bags with interest since they were introduced. They now do a splitboard ‘vertical carry’ version which was missing when they were first introduced.

Not sure about ‘a far superior solution’ but it certainly alleviates some of the problems with airline flying restrictions and single use canisters.

probably 5-6 kg all in, which is nothing when you consider you probably have the same strapped to your feet…

Indeed, however it’s having weight on my back that I dislike as I find it impacts my ‘centre of gravity’ / ‘cone of balance’ etc so I have to adjust my riding accordingly – landing drops etc with a backpack on, even in heavy powder has a tendency to throw me off line if I’m not careful – even with the heavy stuff at the bottom of the pack.

Interesting that as others have commented, it has become commonplace in Europe to wear a backpack inbounds. Completely understand though when skiing with kids and having to carry spares etc – but shouldn’t they be in day care ski school though? :D

In the spirit of “you show me yours and I’ll show you mine”

I purchased this last year for touring etc:

Plus points are that I can easily fit my helmet inside it! :lol:

Quite handy if you cock up off piste

I’d add a shovel and probe to that list if you are heading away from the pistes …

Thanks for the list though footflaps – I’m genuinely interested in what folks carry around on the piste/inbounds with them.

Your pack must weigh quite a bit with upto 2Kg of water as well as all the rest of your gear!

I’m lucky it wasn’t my thong.

… Eurovision Thong Contest? ;-)

somehow getting my suspenders caught on a chair

Oooh missus! That’s the great thing about snowsports isn’t it? You can wear the wife’s underwear beneath all that GoreTex Pro and no one else will be any the wiser! :oops:

I always ski with a backpack

Do you mind me asking what’s in it? I’m often curious what’s in these backpacks when I see Brits in Europe cruising the groomers (i.e. not heading “back, slack or side” with transceiver, shovel & probe)

It’s a personal thing for sure, but I love the freedom of not wearing a backpack and the weight of it sometimes throwing you off-balance – both on the bike and the board!

I had a gap in between backcountry trips in 2015 so arranged to meet a friend in a nearby resort – for the first few runs, I had that feeling that I’d forgotten something, but at the same time had an overwhelming and ‘giddy’ sense of freedom when riding. Then I realised it was because I wasn’t wearing a 10Kg+ backpack! :lol:

A cautionary tale for those who like to wear a backpack when riding ‘inbounds’:

Dangling skier rescued from Utah chair-lift

Very Happy with my Suunto Ambit 3 Peak.

Use it for running, cycling, hiking, splitboarding, expeditions, navigating etc c/w a HRM

Strava can be updated automatically via MovesCount (Suunto’s own App.)
Hardly ever use Strava now though as MovesCount has so much more useful info (apart from segments … which may or may not matter to you!)

Battery life is excellent and can be optimised by reducing GPS recording interval/accuracy giving you 200hrs battery life.

There are also 3rd party apps available – including one that tells you how many beers you’ve burned off! ;-)

Oops … sorry – only just seen you post about £200 limit.

I need to get some riding in soon or I’ll go mad

Are they intending to ‘groom’ the trails over on Ridgemont/Fernie Ridge for fat bikes this season?

Hope all the alders get filled in for you! Sounds like Fernie is having a good early season!

@beaker – very nice Hurricane indeed!

I’ve recently moved from mainly 1/72 to doing a few 1/48 and really appreciate the addition detail etc.

have airfix caught up

Some of the new ‘tooled’ Airfix kits are really very good I think … a far cry from the early ’80s when the amount of flashing and poor detailing etc led me to Tamiya before plastic models fell out of favour with me as a young teen who’d discovered sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. :roll:

I recently got back into it a few years ago when this missus bought me a Spitfire 1/72 starter kit as a bit of a joke …

It became a bit of a minor obsession and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting back into it! (now I can afford all the proper paints and tools etc)
Only problem is I am running out of storage space! :oops:

In all my time riding round here I’ve never met a fellow Sheffield singlespeeder.

To be honest, I rarely see another fellow human being when I’m on the singlespeed … but that’s because it’s normally winter … and/or dark when I’m riding it.

Dialled Bikes Love/Hate with 32:18 for the Peak District and the ‘West-Side’ of Sheffield …

28 cm of fresh snow and not too crowded. Fresh snow on every lap

Only in BC … :-)

Oh Canada!

I’ve been compared to either Johnny Depp or a young George Clooney. Hope that helps.

:-) … pretty much on the money actually! I envisage most of you as tanned, toned & tousled … with a penchant for plaid and asymmetric hair

Over the years I have formed mental pictures of many regular ‘forumites’ – often very positive despite not having met them in person.

However it’s only when I venture outside the relatively safe environs of the annual ‘STW Ski & Snowboard threads’ that I get a ‘wake-up-call’ and I’m reminded how just how ‘mean spirited’ social media can be sometimes.

When that happens I tend to start to recognise individuals more readily when they next appear on new threads and you can frequently anticipate their postings based on whatever agenda they are pushing or their current angst.