Thanks for all that, I’m already in touch with Steve at CrosscountryHK and I’ll be heading out with him at least once.

Any other gems?

For anyone riding the Roman Lakes/Western Peak/Hayfield area, you’re spoilt for choice but the regularity with which we end up in the Ring’o’Bells in Marple means it deserves an honourable mention. Decent beer (if you like Robinsons – nbt this could be aimed at you), a nice warm fire and a big pile of newspaper to sit on so you don’t need to ruin the upholstery or drop trow and upset the regulars.

But I am fat. Not sure what you’re getting at. Maybe you could post a video of your explanation to help me out?

We look forward to your hugely amusing future youtube links with titles such as Look what this tool did when I intentionally provoked him, and Can you read that number plate for me through the blood on my lens?

Return it for a refund before it turns you into a fight hunting self righteous moron.

Actually, as I don’t know you, you could already be a fight hunting self righteous moron in which case you may not be entitled to a refund because you’re already barred from the shop, having videoed yourself poking the sales assistant with a biro saying odd things about them invading your personal space and having as much right to be there as them and goading them into making comments of your lack of road tax.

I’ll work on the assumption that this isn’t how you conduct yourself in public and again recommend the return for a refund approach.

Maybe you shouldn’t have called the guy in the white Audi a f^^^^^g prick in the first place?

Do the jobs, do a few rides fairly close to home with the phone easily to hand, sleep, enjoy some loud music and prepare for life to improve 10 fold. If you don’t shed a tear when jnr arrives, you’re some sort of wierd robot. And get ready to realise your missus is so much harder than you.

As above, why are you holidaying now when you could have extended pat leave to 3 weeks or was it not an option?

Reynolds 520 is nothing special and pretty close to On-One’s gas pipes anyway. A new frame would probably be cheaper than a new top tube and some sort of re-finishing.

I’ve had a few frames done by Carl at Stockport Powder Coating in Hallam Mill (Opposite the Bamford Arms on the A6) and the results have always been good. You’ll need to do the masking bits though as he’s not a bike specialist.

A weekend of long MTB rides, a couple of longish bike carries and a couple of bivvi nights with suitable refreshments will see us right, the added bonus being come day 2’s viewing on the 3rd day of riding, we’ll stink and get loads of room on the roadside.

No, once lived somewhere less good, never will again.

If any expansion is needed; I grew up within half an hours ride of Hayfield and got into MTBing because the local trails were so good. Spent my mid 20’s to early 30’s living elsewhere with less good local riding but still within reach of a (long) days ride out to the Peak Distict and back. I now live back within a couple of miles of where I grew up and still love the local trails.

Mrs FBJ’s family live either side of the Humber on the east coast and when we visit I wonder what on earth I’d have grown up doing as riding round there holds no appeal at all. Even on the road.

I’ve got 8 of the longer ones and 4 of the shorter ones. I’m in High Lane or Hazel Grove depending on when you want to collect.

A road trip over a few days should be on the cards I reckon. Something which samples the delights of different regions. I would be thinking along the lines of; 1) head into Wales to do Carair Idris and Coed Y Brenin, 2) head to the Lakes for Helvellyn and Elterwater/Claife area, 3) over the border for Kirroughtree and Mabie, 4) back a little way south to Appleby for High Cup Nick and Cross Fell before heading to 5) the Peak District for Ladybower and the Hope Valley.

Sounds grand to me.

Finished today for a nice round ten grand. Can someone explain how the winning bidder has ended up on £10k when the second highest is only £8200? I thought bids went up about £100 a time automatically in that price range.

Very old model Marzocchi forks had replaceable steerers but you’d have worked that out if it was those by the split crown with bolts in the back. Other option is a new upper assembly but you’re well into 2nd hand fork money for those.

You can buy steerer extenders. Essentially a quill like an old type stem with a selection of spacers to make up the external diameter of the extension as needed, then you just clamp the stem on the outside. They work with steel steerer but seem to be too big for alloy ones. Try the System X one, available from any LBS with an ExtraUK account.

We’ve had what’s commonly known as autumn and some winter. Yes OK, it’s been wet (doesn’t seem to have been any worse than recent years either) but if you want to ride, dress appropriately and ride. My ride this morning was 20 ish miles of mud, mud and more mud but it was great to be out and my bike is now clean, ready for next time. If your bike cleaning kit and kettle/tea bags/milk are ready for your return, you can be supping the dregs of a brew with a clean bike in about 15 minutes. I’ve flogged both my road bikes this year as they were so under-used and now only ride MTBs. S’just good fun innit?

Kinesis cross bikes are uaually pretty nice things. Yours is not.

Oh and the whole point of the N+1 rule is that it can never be finished as you have +1’d your self back to N. What’s next?

Has he got a Shimano LX Silent Clutch hub though? I miss that hub, it was like smelling mum’s cooking, made me feel I was at home.

If it’s M97 series, then no is the answer. The axle, bearings and cones are all different too.

Big hills and winter slop both available in abundance round these northern parts.

I usually get 4 or 5 hours from my standard battery, but I don’t tend to faff about with the screen too much as that makes a big difference.

The supplied MM bracket is worse than shi7e, mine wobbled about so much I couldn’t see the screen properly, then it snapped and fell off. I bodged it back together with a different stem clamp and it’s a lot better but wouldn’t recommend buying one at all.

Yak – a very suitable travel adjustable fork keeps popping up in the classifieds but I’m too skint to buy it. I think it’s very local to me as well…

mattbibbings – Member

This generation of slx brakes are just amazing. Anyone who gets on my bike who doesn’t know about the power and feel of the brakes is physically amazed by them. They are just that good.

Physically amazed? Your mates all need some baggier shorts pal.

But yes, Shimano brakes on all my bikes and they’re fantastic. Never given me wood though.

SKS Shockboard front/Crud Raceguard rear on one bike which is a reasonable set up, Crud Catcher and Crud Fast Fender front, SKS 29er guard rear on another which work better on both ends. They all look pretty bobbins but I very rarely take them off.

Quick trails overnight instead of waiting for a few weeks of dry weather to sort them out. I wish I could do a fully offroad route to where I need to get so I wouldn’t have any half asleep eejits in cars on frosty roads to contend with.

Ladybower any day over Wharncliffe

+1

+1 more here

I want to see this amazing rocket powered horse, make the picture work!

They’re definitely Marmite product as above, I’ve got them on all my MTBs and love them, I don’t think I’d go back to round grips. And I’ve got big shovel hands.

Oldfart – I did Slickrock on a Colorado/Utah roadtrip about 15 years ago and it’s still one of the rides I’ll never forget. Need to go back some day and hopefully stay in the Lazy Lizard hostel again. That place had the finest red-necks, including a lad of about 12 who sat in dumbstruck awe watching us cook, eat and talk gubbins until he butted in with a question I’ll take to my grave “what’s your favourite kind of gun?”. He seemed amazed we didn’t really know any didn’t own one between us.

A lovely Derbyshire camping trip with little Miss FBJ. Wife away for a weekend, camping kit and daughter in the trailer, tent on the rack, pedal off into the Derbyshire Dales, , cookies and a brew on the way out, tent up on a quiet site, feed the ponies, walk to the pub for tea, play on the campsite, sit on a picnic rug for the evening with my book and a hip flask while daughter doesn’t go to sleep and jumps around inside the tent until flaking. Sunday started with a nice camping fry up, plenty of stops on the very long way home for parks, picnics, duck feeding, trout tickling, paddling, a hot chocolate, some live music and stories courtesy of Buxton festival and home in time for tea.

Plenty of nice MTB rides this year too and 2 long, one very long road rides that will also live long in the memory.

Durano fan here too, as above, S’s or Plus models are both great.

You know where I am mate, soft play area can be arranged and I’ll lock all the tools away.

Ey up Steve an all, hows yer pedalling going?

Aye, feel free and I’ll give it a look over. Biscuits not necessary, I’m plenty fat enough as it is thanks.

Nip into Bicycle Smithy in Hazel Grove, I’ve got one. I’ve split it open to flatten it but it can be taped back together just fine, plenty of bubble wrap n stuff too. I’m open 9-5 tomorrow or 10-4 this Saturday.

Indeed, but a more suitable repair is easily done so that’s what I’m going to do. And I found a toe strap got me home admirably the other day.

Thanks K, good idea, just made a call to Hazel Grove Angling Centre about a mile away and I could well be back in business. Happy days.

Aye, so long as he’s OK we can start taking the wotsit. Right? He must have previous for the Police, a chopper and the mountain rescue to start looking for him after 3 hours. Not sure my missus would have even sent a wherethechuffareyou text by then.

Cheers, I’ve checked out those 2 sites. Anyone with anything more local to the couth coast? We’re staying between Polruan and Polperro. The coastal path looks like it could well be too steep and full of steps to be a good cheeky alternative.

Why not permanently? Will you be happy to scrape up some foul creatures poo at some point in the future?