+2, paulsons have been grumpy for at least 15 years.

you'll not need planning to knock it down but you will need planning permission to build anything back on the site so unless you want to/need to reuse the old foundations then dont worry about the old footprint as you could build 'anything' within the remit of the local plan/Local development framework. If its washed over by the greenbelt then rules are stricter but if the new house is architect designed, not more than 50% bigger than the old one, you speak to the council early (i.e. before you knock the old one down) and you dont get unlucky woth a renegade neighbours or parish council objecting you should get a fair chance of approval. No ones building anyhitng at the minute to the planning office will have more time these days to give you adivce now before you even bought the plot.

yes

its great

white, very light and with good ventilation

its a road one though without a peak.

got it here: http://www.prendas.co.uk

its not a real bricks and mortar shop like you asked but i think you'll struggle to find them in such things in the uk. Not extensively imported i dont think

mudguards: definitely sks

jacket: the dhb event jacket from wiggle. Its the same jacket as the old gill event stuff and its very good. Fleecy tights and longsleeve baselayer or two underneath is all you need

lights: if its all well lit then something flashing up front like a 20-30quid catlight. But i would festoon your back with red flashing lights as i reason thats the side that somethings going to hit me. I use a catlight on the bike, smaller tesco thing on the bag and a little knog on the helmet.

yeah yeah… so you've got an rc300, show off ;-)

not jealous at all.

Didn't realise they made 400. Theres a 420mm which is sold as the 80mm and a 440mm which is (was) sold as the regular modern suspension corrected fork. By simple maths I'd guess the 400 is a corrected to = a 63mm fork i.e. a bit short for even old bikes today.

vaude are good.

We use a macpac which is bulletproof in construction which is useful as they take much more of a beating than a regular rucksack

I last got MBR a few years ago for the train and was struck by how short it is. There was only about 4 articles in the whole thing, some were fine but just on quantity terms its not worth the £3 quid.

re MBUK, i kind of accept its for younger riders coming in so they have a 2-3 year turnover of articles but I did chuckle the other month leafing through it in the newsagent (cos it still has mint sauce in it for all its failings) and they had an article where they built up comedy shonky clunkers from spare parts and raced them. That must have also been in the last one i bought 5-6 years+ ago (and may or may not have been in again in between). It stuck in my mid as its such a barrel scraping article to start with. What made it funnier was that it was that doddy guy who did both – see it could be worse we only have to read it.

FWIW: Dirts quite good now and again. The decision to theme STW has been a success until recently.

Its been like that a while hasn't it? I've never ridden it but have walked it and it doesn't look much fun. I know people on here do ride it but to me i'd rather be somewhere else. To be honest it also spoils it a bit for walking really – am i climbing a mountain or just a large flight of stairs…

I guess its the other side of trail sanitisation – make it too hard to cycle down! Seriously though i get your point about it being bridleway but the naitonal park turning it into a staircase, i.e. essentially a foot only route. Could they (should they?) not provide an equally well constructed route for bikes alongside?

This and the route down to patterdale has been touched on before and if i recall right someone on here has spoken about it to park rangers and they said just ride round the steps.

cinelli gel tape. has a gel on the back like you get on cycling short legs. Grips the bar very well when its all wrapped up a the end taped. Longer than normal cinelli tape as well so good for 44-46cm bars.

It'll be fine, front loading stems can accommodate the .4mm error. I think even the great sheldon brown has ok'd it too. ive got the same setup.

first house – a golf putter and a pair of crutches
2nd – smell of cat piss on every carpet in every room. lovely

I thought this was going to be some kind of dismemberment thread.

sorry, only damage to pride and wallet

ours first went at about 2 and a half months. started going every week at about 5 months.

oh dear indeed

hmm thanks, i only undid it a little bit so hopefully that washer is still there. fingers crossed

yes

i have stronger rims and/or more spoke count at the back than at the front on all my bikes.

My Mother-in-laws vicar is Sims dad (i think)

i win.

oldagedpredator i'd forgotten that. Robbie williams had a pashley TV series trials bike at one point.

John Squire is/was.

Broke his arm doing it and the Stones Roses missed healdining glastonbury because of it. Pulp stepped if i'm right. Theres an old picture of him somewhere in a yeti top.

no they've moved it. Its in the Tees Valley now.

ah mr bandito, good to put a (forum) name to a face. :-)

from eddie up the road.

http://www.backpacking-lite.co.uk/diy/making-your-own-kit.htm

Have a root around on this site. Guides on what size based on a weight/comfort trade off. Tells you how to make one too.

sunn = cool +1
any curtis = cool +1

may i also suggest

Pace rc200 = cool
gt zaskar = cool
Kona Ute = sub zero!! :D

Perhaps i'm getting old but the road, cyclocross and asphalt stuff looks really interesting. All the mountain bikes seem a bit well, meh. They've sorted out the gash paint schemes this year though.

Mr Blond wheres that?

in darlington theres a 4x track on an old spoil heap in a new housing development next to the A1 but otherwise i second Reeth.

is it worth it? probably not
is it full of music you already have on umpteen different formats? yes

Has my preorder arrived today anyway? yes

And its big and shiny with lovely pictures and i'm working my way through the LPs now before moving onto the cds. hmm… stone roses :-)

anyone else made the 'investment'?

routes?

the classic i guess is the coast to coast (c2c) workington/whitehaven to Newcastle/Sunderland over the lakes and pennines although ive never done it.

I can recommend the hadrians wall cycleway ravenglass to newcastle. About 30%-40% is on traffic free cyclepaths but ive done the whole thing on an audax frame with 25mm gatorskins but if i'd had clearance and were doing it again i'd chose 32mm

over two days i managed just a backpack by using minimum of clothing, refilling with water as i went and using accommodation places that provided bedding.

my experience of endura –

1. The usual one about sizing being all over the place between products. this can be resolved by buy from LBS after trying on but its annoying you cant buy online with any confidence

2. The finish of a lot of endura stuff is average to bad with loose threads etc. However, strangely it doesn't seem to affect the performance or durability in my experience – not sure what those threads were meant to join together but they are still there and still loose 3-5 years later yet the gloves, shorts and baggies are still going strong function wise.

haha! second both 'in the bike not on the bike' and 'stiction'

– anything about the unique feel of titanium
– when magazine reviews still feel the need to tell you that a suspension design doesn't bob when this must have been a given for about 5 yrs now surely?
– anything moto style

I wanted a catlike helmet when they came out 2-3 tours ago so much i bought one! Can't imagine there are many folks mountainbiking in one but i like it. prendas.co.uk for those who are interested.

oh, and nice big hills (ITV4 said they were decending for 30mins the other night – i go on whole rides shorter than that)

Wash with Nixwax techwash(i think graingers does the same job but not sure)

then water proof with a wash in waterproofer again by nikwax. Most outdoor shops will have a little branded nikwax display somewhere in store. Be warned its not cheap but will make your jacket work.

I can't imagine ironing it has done it much good though…

Two cycling books that reference the tdf but not necessarily about it:

the death of marco pantani by matt rendell, really captures the excitement of racing

and the rider by tim krabbe. Easy read but almost a mediation on riding. satisfying.

ahem bikeradar ahem seem to like them very much in 2.2 non black chilli compound

again, not that cheap but mid prce by paris standard: Jardin du Cluny, Best Western. It was nice and just up form notredame

you’ll get something decent from planet x for that as its just on the cyclescheme limit, but if it were my money it would be a bianchi in that lovely green (which not all bianchi bikes seem to be available in anymore which is a grave grave oversight on their part).

2nd gemm.com

maloja?

Have you seen what passes for highstreet fashion at the moment? Its all 80’s. Be warned that unless you go as something extreme like a transformers/cast of grange hill/Margaret thatcher no one will know you’re actually in fancy dress. :|