Cheers Reggie. I’ve sent you an email (and added an email tommy profile).

Dirtyboy – I’m riding an orange 😉

Besides, I don’t need guiding. I know the area really well and have guided there before. But, having guided I’m conscious of having a fall and no one knowing. I’m self catering and on my own – hence wondering if anyone else was out there that I could tag along with or “guide” (knowing that guiding isn’t exactly encouraged by the gendarme).

I’m not planning on riding just the Pleny. I’d just prefer a few days when I didn’t need to ride with caution due to worrying about falling off in the middle of nowhere and no one knowing

I’ve ridden there before on my own – but never self catered. That’s the bit that worries me. There’s always been a support mechanism if I didn’t turn up in the evening. Having called the air ambulance twice and the ground ambulance I know it can happen out there – often unexpectedly.

Maybe I’m over cautious. I just don’t like the idea of having a tumble out there with no one nearby.

JMC was a real influence to me when I started riding. I guess he opened my eyes to riding other than xc racing.

Jedi and Wa are both inspirations. They love riding and just seem happy to share their passion no matter what, or how, you ride.

Gareth Jeffries at EndlessRide (he still guides even though the company doesn’t trade anymore). He can also put you in touch with Carl – who knows the trails as well as anyone I know.

Both great guys to ride with.

I was the UK national pig impersonation champ two years on the trot(ter).

It’s things like this that matter.

I like it.

Good mix of sounds. Lyrics being nonsense reminded me of The Cult (Electric) and general sound was sort of Eagles of Def Metal.

Record more please.

Patriot – why? Becuase it crosses more country than most bikes I’ve tried…….

I’ve eaten in the fat duck. It’s an experience rather than a tasty meal.

He actually came out and served us petite fours. He went to great lengths to explain the flavours in each one. It was a bit like a bad joke – if you have to explain it, it’s not funny…..

I’ve not been back – there’s better experiences to be had for £200.

It is a crappy website. But it is only £14 for two years. But then you also still need to give pretty much all the details each time you book an airline ticket. But it’s supposed to save time in immigration. But it doesn’t.

I don’t think it fulfills any real need. But it does give the US a nice source of electronic data on people coming into the country – and – they get to charge us for the privelige….

Oh for crying out loud. Does no-one know how to clean a toilet?!

Right – if it’s yellow let it mellow might be good for the planet – but it’s bad for the bowl. The yellow stains are your wee staining the lime scale.

PowerPlus won’t help – it’s just bleach. It is the biggest rip off ever – cheap supermarket thick bleach is as good.

Anyway – to clean your throne use Parazone Limescale Remover. Put LOTS of it in every day (and I’m talking third to half a bottle at a time). Make sure it’s spread under the rim and all the way around and don’t flush for as long as possible afterwards.

If you’re brave add bleach. It does make chlorine gas but unless you sit with your head down the pan you won’t die (probably).

Let the parazone do it’s stuff. If it’s turning out hard to shift don the rubber gloves and use a scouring pad to loosen the limescale. You need to get rid of all of it (as far round the bend as you can reach) as it’s harder for it to come back if there’s nothing to grow on or near).

Then just clean the bog more often.

I live alone (some may not be surprised). I clean my bogs at least twice a week with Parazone and then bleach them in between. I never have limescale or yellow stains.

Now go and get on with it. Dirty loos are just wrong!

Doesn’t work here (laptop).

The singletraction page just takes me to paypal – there’s no information about where to send the £2 to (unless I’m being thicker than normal).

You need to toughen the old chap up a bit.

Try using turps instead of lube next time you bash the bishop.

You’ll soon have skin like a deep sea fishermans fingers. And besides, any warts, knobbles and rough patches that develop will only please the ladies more…….

It’s a form of therapy.

We’ve become so PC as a society that when we get unleashed to say what we think (sometimes without thinking….) then we take it.

I blame the uneducated working class on here that has no sense of humour. People need to accept that they are low lifes and stop getting uppity when someone else makes a joke they can’t understand.

I guess this one is down to beauty being in the eye of the builder

Well – as long as you like it, then can I be the first to congratulate you on creating a bike that’s more ugly than me.

Which does probably make it perfect as a pub bike……

DC isn’t bad.

Do your ESTA in advance – it saves hassle at the border, and you then only need to complete the customs form.

As said – be polite and obey the rules and you’ll get no hassle. I fly to the US a lot and rarely get held for more than 30 minutes.

Did you give her a reciept?

No? Well call the rozzers and ask for another 500 in compensation 😉

Induction might mean throwing your old pans out – not all pans are suitable.

So if you have expensive cookware I’d think twice.

I’ve just spoken to Andy at Hargreaves and entry on the day is fine 🙂

So I reckon I’ll bimble down later and go and enter the race event.

I wish I’d seen this sooner.

I might pop down for a ride as I’ve not been there in donkeys years – happy memories of dislocating my finger.

I’d have fancied the race (hence wishing I’d seen it sooner). Shame it’s no entries on the day.

Master Jedi – it’s a long way. If you fancy a ride in the Mundano to save your diesel let me know.

http://media.skiinfo.com/images/dppic/f368843.pdf

You don’t really need a GPS route. Use the map and follow the signs (it’s well sign posted).

The voices in my head told me mine.

I do like that. I liked the Gemini when it first came out and you’ve done that one justice.

Good work!

Er, I don’t get it.

With the Hayes mount you just pull the brake on full and then tighten the mount bolts? That gets it straight…….

If you like them ride them. If you don’t, don’t….

Doesn’t seem to warrant a debate.

Had a few Orange full sussers in my time. They are the only bikes I’ve never sold. My old Sub 5 died a sad death in France. My 2002 Patriot is still going strong. My new 5 is great.

Every other brand I’ve tried I’ve enjoyed, but sold on at some point.

My elderly neighbour does it. She puts a cone behind her car to “prevent” other people from running into it……

She’s old – so I don’t care.

Had a great day out. I’ve not ‘raced’ for ten years or so and have just lost a shed load of weight to get me into any sort of form.

I’m just dead chuffed to have finished and hats off to the guys doing the long distances. Chatted to some of the 7 lappers on course and thought they were all nuts!

Yes – why not.

Just home from the Gorrick – it’s surprisingly dry! Barely saw a puddle and only a few muddy sections in a ten mile lap. It was riding really well……

I would be happy with a one hour lap!

But then I am old.

Oh joy……..

I’ll leave the mud tyres on then. I am aiming to come last in my class 🙂

So – mud tyres or not?

I’m pondering the dilemma of indecision whilst sitting on the fence…..

I used to be a member but stopped about a year before Hungerford. What stopped me was the FREAKS that used to turn up in camo gear, faces painted, to shoot .22 rounds at circular targets.

It was a tad unsettling that there were people like that in society.

+1 for the Marques de Caceres.

The Marques de Caceres white rioja is also excellent.

Campo Viejo is also an honest, and relatively cheap one worth trying.

They are proper UST wheels – so it does sound like I’ve got some options as long as I do a bit of research and use sealant.

I was looking at Panaracer Fire Mud tyres as I’ve used these before and really got on with them. I know I could just take the valve adaptor out and shove a tube in but I’d rather run tubeless if possible.

Thanks Al.

I was looking for mud tyres for the weekend but there seems to be stuff all choice in tubeless. I may need to risk it…..

Yep – it lives in my camelbak so it tends to be out on every ride.

Antiseptic wipes, some cutable plaster (knife on mini tool for cutting), steri-strips (which have been very useful for closing wounds up to get off the hills) and some small tweezers for getting crap out of wounds/eyes etc.

It’s been used probably three times in ten years – so I do understand those that say it’s not worth having. But – it has been useful in those circumstances.

Better safe than sorry.

Try another wheel or put (at least your front) in wrongway round. If the offset is the same (and in the same direction) then it’s not the wheel.

Engine oil is thicker and will just mess up your spark plug…..

Me 🙂

You go round and round anywhere between 1 and 7 times. The utter trudge of pedalling around there is murderous (it’s not got any big hills so there aren’t many places to rest legs).

Thaz about it really.

Lots of singletrack (which will be axle deep mud baths), lots of fire roads, lots of short sharp climbs.

So at the weekend I did a ride that would agree with TJ. A social bimble around Derbyshire.

Next Sunday I do a ride that doesn’t agree with TJ. An enduro race in Swinley where I will be measured against other riders.

However, I still intend on riding at a social bimble pace. So perhaps the definition isn’t about what you do, it’s about how you ride it.

As for being dangerous – I guess it’s a matter of perception. Some people will think biking is dangerous, some will think going on a roof is dangerous……