LOL, loving the diverse replies and my views so far

!) Ebike – no, no and thrice no. Sorry not for me all the time I can pedal I will pedal and when I cannot I will then consider an ebike.

2) Motorbike (other than a grin) illegal and cannot ride – so that’s a no.

3) CX Bike, whilst I can see the appeal it is not for me, it’s the drop bar thing I know I can ride on the hoods and so on but other than the long rides I have to ride it all the rest of the time too. Great for what it is but not for me.

4) DH bike, thank you cp you made me LOL

5) Loved the comments on the Boardman HT and completely agree comfort is not related to price and they do make some cracking bikes for VFM

All the events I am doing are planned so I don’t get the luxury of picking when I ride so I just have to pick, ride it lots and hope.

Seems to be a few saying 100-120 FS and a few going HT and a mix of others thrown in for good measure so that is cool and always up for more ideas and suggestions.

Thanks once more.

James

Wow thanks all for the rapid response, have no fear I am not buying a bike just to do this, I am not that rich but thinking about changing my day to day bike to one that can do the day to day rides I do and the longer distance stuff.

I must confess in a bizarre way I am actually really enjoying the longer rides and prep and hence a chance in ride could be called for.

Completely concur with the ideas and hadn’t thought about a 29+ bike but had got stuck on the idea of a 29er or similar to keep maintenance down as I ride a lot and am not (cough) that mechanical to service etc.

The links have been a bonus and surprise thanks, whilst the Element looks nice the price tag is a bit scary and the Anthem looks like good VFM.

Thanks for all the ideas and keep them coming.

Sadly as much as I love the fat bike I think the weight, drag etc over a huge distance (no snow) is going to make it  much harder than it needs to be. Will have to explore n+1 option as I don’t really want to part with it.

Thanks again.

James

Before someone jumps in with a L’Oreal reference or an ive got so that type suggestion how about the bike you list after within your budget, the one tgat makes tou want to ride it and puts a smile on your face :)

This is often not aligned to what you ride, wheel size or what’s rad but you and what makes you grin.

I took that approach last time and have had no regrets as it’s always wrong for xc, commute, trail centre, enduro, e.g. and trials but … it always makes me want to ride it and grin.

#grinsfirst maybe?

James

I’ve done Winchester to QE in the last month, the Winchester end is muddy sticky gloop, the bit in the middle around Exton has a section which made the Somme look like summer camp and the QE end has lethal chalky / mud combo – so that’s a no ;)

Great ride when the weather is ok even but in summer it’s a blast.

James

Have you checked the carbohydrate level in the Jelly are you using it as fuel?

Will there be special jelly fuelled strava segments? ;)

I think in principle this has to be a good thing but I think there is a few aspects to this, no one can disagree we need to stop doing stupid stuff to destroy the planet (and if you think your little ‘bit’ doesn’t make a difference you’ve obviously never slept near a mosquito!)

Aside from that:-

* If you go to the supermarket and shop it is a little bit of faff but not a lot and if you don’t then yes it will cost you, what price a little inconvenience? Oh yes the planet … then give / get / pay someone else to do it for you maybe? Or JFDI

* Assume if you get delivery groceries they will also collect them too? Probably.

* I have to wonder if that means that councils will reduce (cough splutter) the council tax as we all won’t recycle so much (thinks snowball in hells chance) but an interesting argument.

* What I struggle to understand, beneath the politics, is why the focus on drinks bottles and cans as opposed to all that plastic and cans.

Sadly I think this is just a politically driven thing as opposed to a doing the right thing :/ Politicians …

James

Heh Tdog and what is that pointless in summer thing based on eh?

Ever tried one or just being a grump?

Ride mine all year and just as fast as anyone else so perhaps whine less try more?

Back to the OP I love the military type look but not the whole dropped top tube thing, check out Charlie the Bikemonger as he sometimes has the odd deal and also look around online as peopel like Tdog make them come up cheap regularly.

James

Fatbiker and yes #itsmyonlybike and I do everything on it all year too – as if …

Ghostlymachine beat me to it!

I would just install as is and then “persuade” them to the right angle and fix with large galvanised fixing or bolt cross-member to wall etc.

Never forget it is a log store, not a house, different tolerances apply ;)

James

I’m using some of the fat options from Ergon bit tricky to buy (used Amazon in the end), have hands like shovels and they work for me.

Have previously used ESI extra chunky and would concur they’re great too.

James

Have to echo everyones comments, getting 44 mpg, good drive not going to set the world on fire but then buy a Caterham 7 not a Focus for that.

Given it is petrol the economy ‘feels’ good in comparison to say the bigger Skoda Superb Diesel which is about the same real world mpg for us.

I’d say go for it but then we did ;) Std STW approach of recommend what you have.

James

I’ve just got of the SQLab 12 degree bars to try for the bad wrist position woes (test ride planned for Friday) as others but interested to see the variance of grip position on the bars you have.

James

Ok to try and feedback on all the questions and add some context.

I’m a 6’4 chap with 34″ inside leg, saddle is full back on rail adjustment as far as it goes, saddle height is right as per a bike fit a year ago (and also feels right, did try a little up and a little down).

Have stem with all spacers under it, so no height to go up there.

Bike is an XL and I’m bang on mid band height (not that I really trust those sorts of guides, but the L felt small to me).

Tires run between 4psi and 7psi depending on where and weather so I doubt its reverb from tyres as I’m riding on a 4.8 round sofa ;)

The gloves are just Endura Humvee not some Halfords mega padded boxing love type affair – but that mental image made me laugh.

I did notice over the weekend that it is worse with prolonged downhill so it ‘feels’ like a weight forward issue, just not sure how to fix it.

Yes I am stepping up slowly, but gone from 20-30 mile ride to 40 mile ride not a massive shift and legs don’t say otherwise, so suspect it is just spending more time in the saddle on each ride and hence showing the symptoms up.

I went for the none winged Ergon grips (https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/ergon_ga2_fat_mtb_grips_2018-ID_74616) as I have bigger hands to go with height and hence thought that might help.

Sounds like my best / only option might be up or closer? Shorter stem or higher bars then?

Thanks for all the great questions, ideas and smiles – appreciated.

Keep them coming if you have any more ideas, all gratefully received.

James

LOL great idea colournoise if I had those skills, no hills, no tech trails that could work ;)

Thanks for the smile if nothing else :)

James

I’ve been a one bike guy for a while, kind of take it as a challenge to be honest, OK so I don’t have the right bike for all situations and occasions but just man up and get on with enjoying two wheels – whatever and however may you have perhaps.

My current bike is a Fat Bike and I do everything on in, trail centres, XC, DH, whatever just ride.

James

I’m on creative outlier at £27 direct from creative but regularly can get deals on them.

Good for music and calls and a simple design that seems to work well for me at least.

James

Be careful with the smart requirements as not all smartwatches are actually that smart!

I’ve had a couple and in traditional STW style is recommend what I now have the Huawei watch 2 for £200 Charge lasts 3 days, works on iPhone  (not that I have one) and android and has been a cracking bit of kit.

I don’t swim so not sure what ip rating it has but you can make (yes make! If you want to look like a tw#t) calls, notifications of emails and reply eta, I use Endomondo / viewranger and both perfect.

Best thing for me has been Google map on the wrist so I don’t look like a tourist and the capacity to delete / reply / decline so much without touching the phone but your needs might be different so think long and hard about what you need or want it to do.

James

Did Fareham to Winchester off road all the way (mix of bridalway and SDW) a mammoth (felt to me) 41 miles and the going was soft mostly not somme like gloop as it is heading towards QE on SDW.

Pic of SDW to QE from Wickham railway line from last weekend below or would have been if I could have worked out how to post it properly and cannot search at present for the answer, if you right click open in new window you can enjoy the view of mud glorious mud ;)

This weekends ride was mostly grinned apart from last few miles which hurt.

Good practice for London to Brighton off road later in the year (I hope!).

James

Like you got a shot to do mine after I had tapped my own rims using proper Gaffer gaffer tape (100mm cut down) and they went up ok.

Have had them off and on since and all good for me but did use a shedload of sealant for big tyres) ;)

Appreciate it doesn’t help you but it possible, mine are currently on Mulefut 80SL but about to change across to something else soon so (if I can find the thread / history comes back) I will post here again if I have ‘challenges’.

James

Hmm OK I can see the need to change, to update behind the scenes and have to say I like the new home page layout, will take me some time to adjust but it’s ok.

But the forum, please come on … say goodbye to 1/3 page to follow you (I already do where I am and don’t use Facebook) and makes the forum bit of the forum tiny.

I’m another P and yes I see the stuff on here, in magazine etc but this constant need to stick stuff in my face is tbh quite wearing.

If you’re going to change stuff you could always get opinions before in terms of what people want, like, desire, use etc and I appreciate you cannot please everyone.

But looking back through the passed pages of this one it has not gone well.

I had assumed advert free was advert free and that includes your own :/

James

Those Salsa’s are a bit of a steal, but I am stuck with my Rocky Mountain Blizzard, can’t part with the old thing :/

James

Oh my god my eyes, I can never unsee that apparition, I live down saff but I’ve never seen such a sight near anything muddy and please god let me never see one … please.

Imagine the ride, old tech suspension, big tyres, motion sickness anyone?

Reminds me of playing Moonlander …

James

I have sadly had the same experience and those same moments your in right now way to many times, 8 at last count.

The best thing you can do is absolutely the positive be there stuff but also I think a big dollop of just treat them as much as you can as you always have.

One of the people I know has one leg and it really pisses them off that people treat them differently or don’t talk to them etc – just bloody stupid.

Just go and be you, be there and be a good mate.

Best of luck,

James

I signed up for the London to Brighton off road and so far have had a couple of emails suggesting ways to train (naff) and ways to raise more sponsorship (meh) and that’s about it.

James

For me it is a short but steep one, my 13 yo just starting out riding and I need to ride some hills as I try to get my arse in shape to ride London to Brighton offroad later in the year on the fat bike #itsmyonlybike

So I will be doing a local plod, Wickham railway line to Exton, up Exton Hill (and back to catch son and up again and maybe back to catch son depending on how he does) then down Wheely down and return.

Should be a nice but suspect chilly bimble.

Have a good one all.

James

Like many of the above comments I go a few times a year despite being a ‘soft southerner’ and love the pedal up and down and all weather / rain dependability – it just feels like a proper ride when I am there.

For me, personal choice, I don’t want the rinse and repeat uplift I like to earn the down and love the way my bike cycles up the stream that some trails become in heavy rain.

Last time I went car park was dead, coffee shop dead, bike shop dead and I am really pleased to see it coming back to life.

I don’t think it died, I think people got distracted / lazy and now that sheen has gone they’re coming back.

James

Had 29er hardtail (sold it), had carbon full sus (sold it) and still have fat bike.

I think it comes down to what you ride locally or mostly, fit the bike to that in some ways but also what makes you grin.

For me the FS was good but you get complacement and lazy and it forgave you, but, the fat bike is plush to ride (once you frig the tyre pressures right), goes up and down anything (think pedal a landrover) but has its own challenges (weight, piss take from makes) but I forgive it that .. oh and it doesn’t cost me a couple hundred quid a year in servicing and pivots :/

Will you miss it? Maybe, like I sometimes miss a CX bike, never had one but miss it ;)

James

I’m another learned how on YouTube advocate and if you take it steady, aren’t hamfisted (or trying to do it in less than ten minutes) you should be ok :)

I was actually quite disappointed in some ways how easy it was once i’d finished but was very ginger tightening some of the fixings.

James

Think long and hard about what you want it to do before you shop and apply a big dollop of reality.

I bought a smart watch two years ago thinking i’d use it for Navigation mostly, in the end I used it more for email (notification not reply), Googlemaps (as I travel around a lot and it prevented me looking like a tourist), music control (bluetooth) and as a watch.

Depending on what you want it for will quite severely restrict choice potentially.

I’m looking to upgrade mine as after two years of life I bust it on a rock in Wales (bugger) but I want the next one to have NFC so I can wave and pay with watch as opposed to pull out wallet, swipe, replace etc as well as my previous things but the upshot of this is think about what you want it for before what device :)

Makes the choice easier then.

James

@zippykona I used to have that challenge then bought some BBB fat bike mudguards from flea bay and since then all good :)

Hope that helps

James

Hi Larky,

Welcome to the big grin fat bike family, the most interesting thing I found was that so many people want to talk to you about the bike!

I am local to you, Wickham, and as others have said simply ride the same trails but you can also ride trails that you would avoid like plague in winter normally.

QECP is a hoot, but even more so you can ride around the Whiteley Woods tracks all year (all your skinny tyred mates will drown in WW1 style mud), there is a great 10 mile loop out the back of QECP (used to be on Hants CC website but they recently started charging for it, bastards!) but a google should find it and that is a mud fest in places but a great mix of everything.

If you want a guide for that one or another fat bike to ride with holla as I need any excuse to ride more ;)

Fatbike is for life not for winter :)

James

Thanks for all the kind replies and I should have mentioned perhaps that it is for offroad solely as I am not sure if that makes a difference.

Interesting to see all the ideas, as it happens I actually have an android smartwatch and I have to say its not that good for bike gps nav, fab for stats / tracking like with Endomondo but that’s about it in my experience.

The older Garmins 800 / Etrex I will check out, that feels the right sort of thing but will look at the Mio stuff too.

Thanks for all the great suggestions and welcome any more / real life experiences.

James

Ok this is a bit of a specialist subject of mine (when not drinking coffee), don’t buy ads they’e kind of pointless, expensive and whilst have phenomenal targeting but unless it is a job rarely gets any real traction.

Connecting to good people you know (really know including mates, family, peers but not idiots or competitors) And then use the search to find who they know and ask for an intro (using face to face, telephone, email or last resort LinkedIn). Connecting for the sake of it as you think people will read your articles is a trap, don’t do it, everyone else is liek you and doesn’t spend there life there reading stuff from other people – that is Twitter ;)

Content doesn’t make it work, talking to people does, use status updates most but only once per day.

Company page is hygiene factor, could lose you a client but not gain you one.

On the jobseekers thing even LinkedIn say only 20% of users are looking or could be coerced into a new role, that menas 80% aren’t. UK has 24M users and around 75% active on a monthly basis.

If you want a chat or to know exactly how many of your target people are there just shout.

James

With all the options you have above I’d go Cube Nutrail or Felt DD70 as good combination fo parts and haven’t heard anything about frame failures etc.

The other option, if you can, is EBay as there’s some bargains to be had amongst the shite.

James

You’d be fine on CX bike on Blue I reckon.

Enjoy.

Best wishes,

James

Just bought one of my kids a Panasonic, hits your criteria, not sure on your definition of good sound as it is so personal.

From Curries they have a few models £70 and up.

Hope that helps.

James

Cycled just 12 miles, frozen mud (yay) and then slop in the warming sun.

Donned warm gear properly, first time this year.

Easier to justify coffee and roast afterwards :)

James

Nespresso official pods are all sent back to recycling too with freepost etc if ocean saving is on your list :/ That is the only reason we buy their pods not the cheapo copies in plastic and the compostible ones have some hideous compost timeframes so far.

Don’t think Nespresso do caramel latte, but if you buy a lattisima machine it does push button latte in a mug with fresh milk. Personally always found the Tassimo have a hint of smell sock about their reconstituted milk, but might just be me :/

James

I bought a 4.8″ wide tyres fat bike for winter, oh and summer, autumn, spring … although i will confess to changing the tyres for summer or winter.

I think it comes down to if you need an excuse for more toys, your own personal style of riding (the stuff you actually do not think you do) and budget too.

I don’t think you do but then I probably have the wrong bike according to many, but it puts a smile on my face so I don’t care

Time for coffee … and cake

James

There’s a few other not so nice bits to it to consider as well.

When the bank reposses a house they send in the bailiff and there representation – yep the estate agent, so you’re there with a tiny bailiff and a house full of unhappyness – not cool.

Reposessing or taking on a house that been vacant for months or more, often with real sad life stories attached, that when you walk in literally jump – There is a reason estate agents perks often include chargeable dry cleaning – yum flees or worse, much worse.

Then there is all the “really nice” people that you get to work with, all pleasant and ego free, first time buyers, lawyers, stresses house sellers at all stages of a chain as you chase time and time again to try and keep the thing on track and moving.

Sadly it is not all coffee, smiles and location, location, location – well not in reality anyway.

A role I did 10+ years ago and whilst fun in some ways was bloody hard in others.

James

I’m running two pairs, for winter I run FBF and FBR both in 4.8 but found some good deals on line shopping around just watch out for odd OEM type low TPI tyres being sold off as opposed to the 120 that you probably want.

Mid season run summer tyre and FBF as other have, summer wise the JJ I’ve read roll really well but I’m running Vee Bulldozers as I had them and heh it’s more money for coffee and cake if I keep ’em.

I’ve taken a view to run 4.8 all year, kind of feels right as otherwise might as well go the whole hog and run them skinny 3″ or worse ;)

Not felt like a disadvantage to the grin I call 24x7x365 :)

James