I live in Dunblane. We moved here for access to green and solitude from my back door. Good transport links to Edinburgh and Glasgow for my other half’s work and holiday flights. Comparatively cheap house prices. Still have all the usual amenities of a decent size town. Great gateway to Scotland Holidays too.

If we didn’t have to work in cities, we might have chosen somewhere more rural, but this about the best fit for us at the mo. I can’t see us moving when we retire though, mainly due to the circle of friends we’ve built up.

They do a frame only option too!

I rude a SC Hightower. Longest travel bike I’ve ever owned. I’m far more a trail bimbler than FH winch and plummet.

Sounds like full fat is the option if I do decide to go. My ideal would be to get a frame and build from there (how I’ve put together bikes for the last 25 years). May treat myself to a cycle to work purchase later in the year. Thanks for the advice.

I will be keeping my normal (very good) bike for shorter days, but big days are getting really sore nowadays. Hence the idea of an ebike.

The basic question is … are light ebikes ok for heavy folks? I’ve only ever ridden an inner city ebike, so have no idea about how they practically perform.

I somehow have the impression that like ebikes are only suitable for featherweight folks.

Yet another reason to have a Japanese toilet. It is the future I tell you. Minimal chance of tapeworm bottom to mouth transference.

Echo above. The Tarland trails are easy if you go relatively slow. Also try Glenlivet if you’re in the area.

Much worse for me. Significantly less physically well (seem to catch anything), chronic tiredness (could be long covid), but also consistently unhappy and mildly depressed.

Brevity has.t affected me emotionally. Just another ridiculous decision made by a (very slight) majority I share virtually nothing with in terms of outlook.

I just wish I could get some sort of consistent health back.

So disappointed in this thread. I was hoping to get some top recommendations for champagne.

I’ve definitely got that. Broken metatarsals that have never healed (18 months on from breaking them). I use shoe inserts from Footactove that help a bit. Can’t wear shoes that are too soft soled. Really struggle with shoes with any sort of heel.

I do dips on my foot every day (200 at the moment) to try to strengthen my foot. They don’t seem to work particularly to be honest.

I don’t have as much of an issue cycling compared to walking, but it does hurt after a few hours.

If you get any good remedies from your doc, I’d be interested. Mine were useless.

One of my favourite dishes ever. Garlic and chilli prawn tagliatelle. Get about 25g of butter, melt it. Add crushed garlic and finely diced chilli to your taste (Id go fir about 4 cloves of garlic and two chillis). Fry them gently over a low heat until you can really smell the garlic. Add about two glasses of white wine and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat to simmer to reduce the liquid for about 5 minutes. Add prawns (i normally go with about 6 to 8 each). Cook for about two minutes then turn the prawns over. Cook for about 2 minutes on the other side.
In parallel, boil up some tagliatelle. Once everything is cooked, spoon out the prawns and sauce out over the taglietelle and then sprinkle chopped broad leaf parsely over the top. Yum. Making me hungry just thinking about it.

Lavatrax+1. Had a couple of rides with them. Enjoyable.

I lasted half of one episode with the new adverts. Caved and paid for no ads. First world problems.

I’m a life long “Labour first” voter, mainly as their values do align more closely (but not very closely) with mine.

Politicians I think have been good … John Smith (who I met) and Barak Obama (who I wish I could meet). On thr flip side, Graeme Stewart is someone who has impressed me with his intelligence, understanding, and sense of humour even though I disagree with the majority of his party’s stated policies.

I’ve met quite a few politicians over the years and generally don’t take well to them in person, no matter what party they are part of. Far too many who have opinions without knowledge or any apparent thinking into issues on their own behalf and far too many powered by naked ambition.

Hydrogen is more energy dense than petroleum? Really?

Sadly seeing my riding buddies winnowing away over time. 50s, super unfit due to a bunch of injuries and general whining. Love riding singletrack and “adventure” rather than jumps and berms. Been riding MTB since my teens. Dunblane local.

Have had bikes with both. Best result of all was invisframe fitted by the folks at invisiframe. Amazing. Still looking good 10 years on. My latest bike has ride wrap. Hmm. It bunches up very easily if you use bike racks / hooks to store or transport the bike. However, it is really good at shedding mud. Almost like silicon spray. The bunching thing doesn’t look good, but the bike is still protected, so kind of acceptable overall.

If it is an option, get invisiframe to fit their kit fir you.

Shimano clips set loose.

+1 for not agreeing that fancy restaurants are a waste of money. They can be, but equally, they can be amazing experiences.

Also +1 for brand new cars being a waste of money, but someone has to buy them for 2nd hand cars to exist.

Finally +1 for super expensive (generally swiss) watches. I’d be afraid to go outside with that much “worth” on my wrist.

@tjagain. For super mattress comfort, a Tempur cloud mattress is reassuringly expensive. Seriously though, amazing mattress. They last forever too. Got two Tempur mattresses. One original one, 16 years old. One Cloud, 12 years old. Both still as new with daily use.

My missus hates “warm” cheese (can smell it as an ingredient from a mile off) and eggs (their sole purpose is to be an ingredient in cakes).

Me, not a fan of olives, but I wouldn’t say I hate them. I do have a “memory reaction” to curry having worked in India many years ago for a few extended periods and getting Dehli belly. The mere smell of it makes me feel unwell. Saying that, I’ll still eat it to keep others company, just wouldn’t choose it.

Mild dislike is as much as I can muster against food.

Does anyone actually have experience of a propane base ASHP? I really think this is what I need based on a low temperature ow test in the house a couple of weeks ago. I can’t see a downside apart from having to site it away from the back door of the house (but not too far).

Chris King headsets and bottom brackets

Meile appliances

Clothes that actually fit

Experiencing new things 

I read the books and found them poorly written (probably due to a completely different language structure). Even then, the concept behind it all was … OK? … but not amazing. I’ll probably watch the series  but I am a bit puzzled why there doesn’t seem to be too much of a focus on China in the trailer as the context was quite important (and one of the more interesting parts) in the books.

Good to see he’s using a rear mudguard

Definitely get a controller fitted though. Relatively cheap to do. Many options available (Hive, Tado, Honeywell, etc.). Really simple for a plumber to install as you add some wireless thermostatic valves to each radiator and then wire a controller into the “feed valve” that runs from your hot water system to water/radiators. A limit switch on the valve communicates back to the heat pump to turn it on and off. It will be a cost, but not huge to do so and does pay for itself over about 18 months from my experience (4 bedroom house with Honeywell system that was installed about 10 years ago).

Still running TALAS 36s. They are the best firks I’ve ever used in terms of smoothing out trail chatter. Even the latest 36s with bleed valves, evolution, etc. Aren’t as good for me. They also ramp up really well. If only they could fit a 29er wheel.

I have some ancient Gore bike winter gloves. They’re almost like loose and thinner ski gloves. Very good down to about -8 to -10. Then it gets too cold for me to go out at all.

I’m with @martymac, looks like a Marcos to me. Particularly if it is bright yellow (a mate has one).

Choux pastry balls filled with molten Guyere cheese and peppered with crumbed Comte cheese on the outside. Incredibly laborious to make, but oh my word, tasty tasty tasty goodness.

Well, proper treat would be Glenapp Castle ;)

Super happy with my exposure trace r saddle rail mount

The Brothers Sun on Netflix. Enjoyable schlock-suey tosh.

Many trips in and around Scotland plus a long weekend in Massa Marittima.

Cheers peeps. Surprised about the Saalbach feedback. Had word from a friend’s son (who is a sponsored rider admittedly) that he reckons it is one of the best places he has been riding, and he gets to go to a lot of riding destinations.

Hoping it is all natural singletrack goodness with very few “features”.

My Endura mt500 water proof and my thermal mt500s are both plenty long and I’m 6 4 with a 34 inside leg.

Very slow and I’m a bit surprised that the “best” picture quality isn’t as good as TNT Sport via Sky.

Stuck in Westhill? You have my sympathies.

Chris King. Natch