oldskool vacuum merc autos are absolutely brilliant…

Hmm, I particularly hate punctures in the winter, so gator skins are my winter road tyre of choice. Grip’s bad but not that bad…

gators don’t grip but don’t puncture IME. Ultimately I’m not racing but I hate punctures so I use them.

Got on well with Barons in the alps this summer, got me across snow on the passportes that other were pushing / carrying…

Generally, you end up eating less so it works. As would any other plan where you eat less. It is supposed to be easier to stick with though, which is the important bit.

and the 1/20 definition of chance is arbitrary.

Quite so. Just because it happens to be close to 2 sigma, it’s been adopted. Appalling laziness.

Yep, I’m a wolf. Not sure about the dogs, though.

paleo diet. our dogs eat BARM (Bones And Raw Meat) only and the vets always comment on how powerful they seem. Our Scottie recently saw off a bull terrier quite effectively, much to the horror of its tattooed owner.

our YouTube improved significantly when I wired the TV rather than wifi-ed it. wifi was throttling it, but this only applies if you have a good broadband connection.

However, I am waching with interest because the only way I can get what I want at the moment is to plug our macbook into the TV, and even then the picture quality isn’t perfect.

What I don’t understand is why this is so hard.

best hammer soundtrack is in Easy Rider…

Can’t post photos (haven’t got a photo hosting account), but ours is mostly single wall, twin wall starts about 20cm from ceiling. The twin wall is hidden in a shroud.

fat boys are fast but wear quick IME.

try and find some conti sport contacts cheap.

On my road bike, I haven’t had a puncture since fitting Conti Gatorskins.

This. Remarkable toughness. No grip, mind…

+1 for the BORS.

Pleased to see that the Ibanez has 24 frets, like mine from 30 years ago.

if you’re in this for the long haul, tiggs has it. Let the spuds outcompete everything else, which they will. IMO Don’t nuke unless you have knotweed. Rotavating just makes more weeds and ruins the soil. Google ‘no-dig’.

Oh, and unless you live very north, toms do fine outside. But not on ground you’ve done spuds in recently, google crop rotation.

It’s the BB drop. Seems to have a massive effect on where the C of G feels it is. Disproportionally larger if you ride a big frame.

When I first got into mountain biking in 1996, Tym Manley did an editorial in MBUK where he conjectured that if mountain biking ever fractured into different build standards that were not inter-changable then it would wither, as sailboarding then seemed to. I really fear for this.

Sorry for the seriousness. I need another beer.

I was so impressed with his transformation on his Scale that if I had the money I’d have one. And. of course, he leaves us for dead up hill.

Broadside on 4 for £6 at Waitrose. I bought 8. 2 down, if I want to do anything sensible tomorrow I should stop now…

Keep the scale and brush up your skills – we’ve a riding buddy with one who keeps with us FS boys no probs, and he’s much faster on it than he was on his stumpjumper.

I do the unlimited broadband £12 a month. No minutes nor text, but then I don’t have friends so that doesn’t matter. So far brilliant for UK. Roaming expensive, but I don’t go overseas much.

@jamesfuller

where do you get yours fixed / serviced ? My favourite independent retired recently and I’ve not had much luck since…so I’d go quite a long way for a good one. Hopefully you’re in the home counties.

thanks

I would recommend a Mercedes 124 estate (the one from the 80’s and early 90’s) The 3.0 24v diesel or a 6 cylinder petrol.

Not the best on fuel but they are very reliable and will clock up 4 or 5 hundred thousand miles.

You will have to pay quite a few thousand for one but they hold there value.

I’ve got one of these. Now at 198000 miles.

30 mpg. No performance. Not as reliable as people think.

However, massive, comfortable and the most relaxing drive imaginable. We did 350 miles non-stop on the way to Morzine this year and only stopped because we needed fuel. (60 litres, BTW)

It’s fine, because when it goes wrong I borrow my wife’s Golf. Would not recommend one as your only car.

Stuff is expensive and rubbish. I get one ride out of a chain then it’s goosed according to the park tool. Brake pads can last one ride if it’s wet. I could go on…

IMO the original XJ650 was closest to a stock cafe racer ever made. That ridiculous big headlight did it for me. Just add ace bars, rear sets and a 4 into 1 and you were set. Loved mine, ALJ161Y where are you now…

p.s. that wasn’t mine, but pretty close…

Big up to the OP. Now, let’s get this miracle plan trending…

Got floating floors of both. Real wood looks better but has opened a mm or so on some of the joints. The engineered has a click-fit system so hasn’t moved but looks a tiny bit more artificial. Would recommend either, and even a clumsy oaf like me can fit them…

Best album: ‘What I’ve always waited for’ – Nu Logic

Track of the year though is Fred V and Grafix’s ‘Goggles’. Jaw dropping on a proper system.

@wrecker

itunes no longer supports wav files – well, it plays them but won’t import them. Total PITA.

Do it ! The organisiation is superb, signage brilliant, and it feels way less busy than a UK trail centre. Especially if you choose to pedal up some stuff rather than take the lifts.

My best MTB memories are based around this event.

It’s mostly the same but I think the permanent signposts miss some of the best riding and send you down fireroads instead.

Indeed so. The descent into Champery particularly, which was utterly epic this year.

Pretty much so, although there are small variations year to year. They often start a lift that isn’t used for the rest of the season.

However, it’s the food stations that make it so good.

Oh that sticky bit was epic. I’d forgotten all about that. They’d taped it off to stop riders just ploughing through, but most I saw didn’t have a lot of choice!

I think that was because of the helicoptor rescue on friday ? Got there whilst the guy was on the ground…I was a couple of minutes ahead of my mate, who got quite a fright as the guy looked just like me (and, admittedly, many other bald IT workers).

Hope he was OK, he was certainly getting well looked after.

It is a great event. I’ve done 2005, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 13. All on an XC bike, a 1999 Marin. Conditions have varied from 35C madness to getting snowed on this year.

You must do it.

I have a Marin from 1999 that’s still my main bike, and (amongst other things) has survived 7 passportes…

Does anyone else remember the blues all-nighter on C4 back in the 80s ? Introduced by John Walters. Top stuff, wish they would re-run it.

Not an apartment, but enjoyed staying at the Aiguilles Hotel in Les Bossons.

Have you contacted Phil at MBMB ? He may have ideas. He found us an apartment a few years ago owned by a guy called ‘Edskitherapy’.

Nearly everything before ‘Rocking All over the World’ = brilliant.
‘Rocking All Over the World’, and everything afterwards = rubbish.

It was as if they had got management consultants in. Can remember the disappointment as if it were yesterday.

Mystery Song high point for me. Only single I’ve actually got is Gerdundula, also magnificent.

i think the Phil Corley shop lead night rides. Go see them. Go today, actually, as they’ve a big event on at the shop.

exactly half my real age. nonsense.