29er – nope
fatbike – nope
singlespeed – nope
plastic – nope
rigid – nope
stupid bars – nope

Old School! Like it!

Intelligence, probably. Regt, definitely.

But they perform vastly different roles. Spending 6 months patrolling local villages is not the same as “being sent to Afghanistan” and spending 4 months on Bastion in an air conditioned office.

head for weacombe combe , stert combe,somerton combe and hope you bump into a local guide . I maybe up there saturday but wont know for definate until nearer the weekend. Oh and a blast down Holford combe is a must.

This is pretty much the best suggestion. Anywhere with “Combe” in the name will be a blast – Holford, Somerton, Stert, Smiths… You’re in for a good day.

Bound to happen unfortunately…. Nice way to spend a lunchtime, by the way!

Dont agree, if you do the research you will find some damming reviews for Specialized bikes too, esp the road lines.

Apart from that ive had loads of Spec bikes and ive loved every one of them, they arent that bad!!! Its a bit sad that some feel the bikes get good reviews because of some conspiracy theory, 90% of the range are class leading

Check out the archive on bikeradar, its not as clearcut as you think.

Are you getting Future and MBR mixed up though duffer?

Perhaps i’m mistaken…. Don’t get me wrong, i’m not knocking Spesh – I’ve had many a happy ride on mine, and i happen to know their after sales support is second to none.

Unfortunately, i have no evidence to support my claims, as i stopped buying the magazines years ago…

Specialized dont make a carbon trail hardtail….in fact i cant think of anybody else that does…..might be a reason behind that?

I think you missed that comment altogether…. He was referring to the fact that Specialized always do inexplicably well in Future Publishing magazine grouptests….

Someone told me that Concorde used a tonne of fuel just to get to the start of the runway! crazy.

I’ve never worked on a Concorde, but for some of our bigger aircraft we work on 900kg taxi fuel. So 1000kg is believable…

Done!

Apart from this?

I can’t believe it’s using standard, off-the-shelf transmission. Plenty of people on this forum will have experienced them freezing up on winter night-rides in the UK, never mind the Artic Circle…

Surely it’d have been better off with some kind of internal gears, and specific low-temperature lubrication?

@ Duffman – So you’re the one who stole my usual alias… 😡

I use Mavic hubs, but with shimano 6-bolt discs. The adapter screws into place nicely, and tightens with a BB tool.

Neither (if she really needs her man to decide via a mountain bike forum).

Not entirely sure what you’re getting at there, buddy. She doesn’t “need” me to ask on a bike forum, but i’ve taken it upon myself to try and get some more information from people that have experience in these fields.

A very enjoyable documentary – as is everything Brian Cox does.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the info. Looks as if Aston Hill is out, unless i find myself with free time during the day.

@ b r – Thanks for the offer. I’ll bear that in mind. My course is in May, so stand by for a PM around that time.

I have the Bora – same engine/gearbox, slightly bigger car.

I’ve had it 4 years now. Had 55k on the clock when i got it, and it has 110k now. In that time there have been a few niggling faults (brake caliper sticking, turbo vacuum hose collapsed, boot-released failed… all cheap fixes) but overall the car has been great. No intention of getting rid of it any time soon.

130 bhp isn’t an awful lot, so don’t be deceived into thinking it’s a fast car. But it’s got a hell of a lot of torque and, driven right, it can really shift. Leave the cruise control on, and it’ll do 60+ mpg on the motorway.

Highly recommended.

Edit – go steady in the lower gears, especially if it’s been mapped. They are renowned for destroying clutches….

Friday Night Comedy – especially if it’s the Now Show, which is bloody brilliant.

Just A Minute – always good for a laugh.

The Unbelievable Truth – a personal favorite of mine. You’ve really got to listen closely, though!

Here are a few openings at Rockstar Games (Makers of Grand Theft Auto, amongst other things). UK openings in London, Lincoln, Leeds and Edinburgh. International openings, too.

I can’t imagine “Games Testing” being a serious career proposition, but perhaps it’s a step on the ladder to becoming a programmer, etc?

It’s been said before, but Opeth; pay close attention to those bass fills!

I ride a Pitch, and i agree that it’s wonderful! However, be aware that it’s a big bike, and you need some big terrain to get the most out of it. A short cockpit and a looong wheelbase make for a bike that’s very stable at speed, if a little unwieldy in tighter sections. Sometimes i find my riding buddies having to pick their way around obstacles that i simply don’t notice. Unfortunately, mine is wasted most of the time, but that’s why I’ve also got a HT.

The problem i find with the Pitch is thus; It’ll storm down difficult trails, and that’s great. But on a slightly less difficult trail, the bike simply flattens everything. Therefore, your interesting local trails are now longer interesting.

I’m not trying to discourage you from buying it – i love mine. But you should only consider it if the area in which you ride justifies it. If not, then perhaps you’ll be better served by a Stumpjumper / Camber or similar.

I’ve been running HRs for a couple of years now. Any weather, any terrain, you know they’ll work.

Personally, i don’t mess about with fancy tubeless, LUST, etc. Just bog standard[/url] 60a wire beads, front and rear. Stick some Joes tubes in there, and forget about them for a few years.

5’11” on a Medium, here. I find it a little short, but for a trail bike it’s ace.

Those of you in the nay saying “fit and forget” brigade – could you help me out with a couple of questions:
1. How did you come by the tyres that you have now?
2. Do you genuinely think they are the perfect tyre?
3. What will you fit when they are worn out? (will they ever wear out?)

1. They’re well recommended on STW and in the magazines (high rollers)
2. I’m not good enough of a rider to ascertain what is ‘perfect’. But they work well enough for me no not think they’re holding me back.
3. I imagine i’ll replace them like-for-like.

In the meantime, maybe a belt drive that uses a special kind of belt made from material similar to the d3o stuff or cornflower. I.e. you can stretch it by applying a gentle force, but as soon as you apply a large amount of force, e.g. pedalling, then all the stretchyness instantaneously disappears and you get 100% power transfer like with a chain.

A Non-Newtonian fluid?

In a non-Newtonian fluid, the relation between the shear stress and the shear rate is different, and can even be time-dependent. Therefore a constant coefficient of viscosity cannot be defined. Obviously.

High Rollers, front and rear, all year round.

We did the TARW trail, as we had heard it had been regraded to black. DO NOT bother.. lots and lots of climbing for minimal singletrack! (downhill fireroads and uphill singletrack!??!)

Couldn’t agree more with this statement. Honestly, don’t waste your time. Ride the blue, instead.

What about the bombing war?

Among the Dead Cities

Ok, in conclusion; I have been handed issue three of Privateer by a colleague. My conclusion is thus:

Really well thought out articles, lack of adverts, gorgeous photography… A quality product.

When i get a copy of MBR or similar, i usually flick through in about 15 minutes, and never read it again. With Privateer, i spent days absorbing it. The framebuilding article was a great read, and the column about riding with your kids, only to see them grow into a better rider than you are, was truly inspired. I think i’ll be subscribing shortly.

The Darkness?

Dr Google isn’t helping much, but i’m sure they did some big concert gigs… Formed in 2000 and split in 2006, so they’d be in the timescale.

A decent band from the last five years? I must be getting old – i genuinely can’t think of one. As above, the big stadium acts typically take years to mature…

50000 is nothing, anyway… Iron Maiden, Rock in Rio, 1985. 400000 people!

\m/ Up the Irons \m/

@ bm0p700f – thanks for that! Good info! 🙂

All vertical dropout HT frames are single speed frames in my book. All you need is to pick the right cogs.

I’ve since learned (from another thread) that you can get away with vertical drop outs and no tensioner if you calculate appropriate cog sizes.

Is there a calculation to be run for this? Or is it just trial-and-error?

I used to run my hack on a 16:32 magic ratio – but the chain was so tight that it made the cranks stiff to turn. The chain snapped after a few hundred miles. I run it with a DMR tentioner now.

Laptop? no. PC? easy.

Only problem with these kits is you have to remove the whole thing to fit a tube if you get a puncture which won’t seal

I think i’ve misunderstood the OP. I was referring to the sealant you fill your tubes with….

No experience with Stans, i’m afraid. But i started using Joes three years ago, and i’m happy to report that i’ve never had to perform a trailside puncture repair. Even through the late summer/early autumn hedge-cutting season.

A pint easily lasts me a year for one bike, adding an ounce per tire about once a month during riding season

Either i’m doing something wrong, or you’re a little eager! I filled my tubes up three years ago, and that’s how they’ve stayed ever since! I changed the tires on one of my bikes last year, so i let them down for that, but the sealant remained untouched.

Just be aware not to let any get into the valve – seems obvious, but i learned the hard way…

Joes, for me!

Thanks for the pointers all! Some good recommendations coming out.

nickhart – I’m always up for the singletrack/rock descents. A lot of my riding prior to now has been in the Quantocs/South Wales, so rocks are kinda my thing! Monster climbs are ok, but only if they bring great rewards! I’m not a climbing enthusiast by any means, but i appreciate that big climbs come with the territory.

Where in the east are you coming from?

I’m coming over from the Lincolnshire Highlands….

Thanks for the offer, Pook, but i have plans that weekend. Is it a regular occurance? Perhaps i can tag along in early spring?

Thanks for the quick replies!

Pulled a handbrake turn on the ice in a white van.

I agree with gaberin. Get yourself a cheap HT from the ‘bay or local classifieds, and SS it.

Or if you’ve got enough spares lying around the garage, build one up! That’s what i did, and it’s been going strong for 3 years now. Never had so much as a wash.

You’ll be fine. We freeze Frubes for the kids during the summer.

Duffer – calm down dear, it’s just a bike.

And maybe he likes it the way it is?

Erm… I’m not too sure what you’re getting at here… I’m not getting heated with anyone, just making the point that i agree with Simon1975.

I’m a big advocate of riding whatever you enjoy riding. That’s why i ride a standard 456 with a 100mm fork. It’s not how it was designed, but who cares?

Brant – Thanks for clearing that up.