My elder boy always hates going back. Stresses about uncomfortable uniform, moans about it being boring and strops his way to school. I think it’s mainly about change for him – he’s never liked it. Ask him in the evening and he’s usually had a great day. We usually expect the first few mornings of every term to be a stressful nightmare as we alternately cajole and bully him in.

No useful advice – other than to say they’re not the only ones!

The last Aldi bike thing had some nice shirts that would suit. The one this coming Sunday only seems to have softshells and short sleeved jerseys – worth keeping a look out in the future though.

Erm this isn’t necessarily a great recommendation, because I haven’t actually ridden them yet, but I bought a Geax Saguaro TNT for £8 from On One for the same reason (albeit to replace a Crossmark rather than Ralph).

£2.5k sounds about right from quotes we’ve had.

Be wary with the grants. Our local council grant scheme (warmupbristol.co.uk) came up with a £4.1k quote, £3k for us to pay. Essentially the supplier they foist on you marks up their prices, a bit like garage insurance quotes. A great idea from the council, scuppered by a greedy supplier.

Is there such a thing as a Captain 2.3?

I love that manifesto: “After falling over at a stop sign because I couldn’t get unclipped I figured I would have died if that had happened on the trail”.

Not hysterical in the slightest.

Also amusing that spending £100+ on proper sticky shoes & flats, it’s actually at least as expensive as clipped (£50 shoes + £20 M520s).

Ride clipped myself ‘cos I like the security of it. Did a “two rides only” trial recently but made the mistake of doing it the same time as changing my bar, & stem.

Might try again but…

Hmm I’m happy enough with a Purgatory front.

What’s the Ground Control rear like? Worth a 2.3 rather than 2.1 for extra squishy grip? Or a 2.1 for speed?

markshires, I removed the straps and zip-tied the plastic mount to my helmet.

Like z1ppy, I used to use the elastic band directly to the helmet but my new helmet wasn’t the right size.

A colleague of mine tells me this is what they use on motocycles – where saving you from having to call out a recovery truck makes it worthwhile. Guess they’ve just tried to copy the idea for MTBs.

Tubes are great, aren’t they!

Badly Drawn Boy’s 1st LP. Er forgotten the song.

Mud tyres might be overkill for the man-made trails of AC/LW. I’d just get something a little bigger and stickier for the front, a big Beaver (haha) like z1ppy says or one of those nice cheap On-One Smorgasboards for example, and then run it at a less than 30psi.

Mine usually goes sideways. Especially in the winter.

(another vote for with the arrow)

Although that video is great advice, I can’t help but laugh at the “hottest UK summer ever” style conditions.

(yep I do know it’s really Oz)

Lower pressure in Specialized Purgatories for me.

Here’s wot it looked like.

My 2005 Kona Sutra came (as stock) with 9 speed 105 STIs/Avid BB7/105 front mech/Deore rear mech. So you’re fine.

Still got them sitting in the shed (never got on with drop bars) if you’re interested.

It’s only the front mech setup that’s different – when I went flat bar, I had to get a road specific (R440) front shifter.

Have been running between 25-30psi according to the track pump gauge. Now upped to 35 but quite liked the grip the lower pressure gave. Guess I need to lump it for a while and then make the effort to go tubeless.

Dad’s club for me is a one evening a week ride. Same night every week so it doesn’t get booked for other events and the usual group of dads are free.

Have tried late rides before, but I have enough trouble sleeping after an evening ride.

Maybe I should try a morning ride – at least I’m meant to be wide awake at that time of day!

I’m liking the idea of oval wheels. We could call them “Biopace”.

ukcampsite – good place for campsite searches. The Dundry one is not too far away.

Trouble is, if you live here (like me), you never camp here.

I’ve got a set of Ergons on my commuter. Don’t think they’re any lighter. It’s really nice riding with your palms on the bars. Don’t like the bar ends as much as I did with the Cane Creek Ergos though – the latter are much more comfortable when pulling up a hill imho.

btw only the 2.1 version of the Ground Control is on offer. Which is a shame as the 2.3 version sounded just about right as a rear.

fyi Evans appear to be selling a 29er Purgatory for £20 anyway.

Think I might pick up a retro 26″ Purgatory if Evans are doing the deal.

A 2001 Specialized BG Saddle which I hated on the Sirrus it came with, but oddly turned out to be supremely comfortable on my 2011 full sus.

Don’t you need a 1/2″ thread on kids bikes?*

*As always, I’m approaching this topic from a position of ignorance.

659er – the next niche?

I got mine from lightmalls – usual wait times from China/Hong Kong apply.

Thanks colournoise – to be tested on Tuesday night’s mudbath.

So, colournoise, Purgatory faster than a Storm? I’ve been considering replacing my usual winter Mud-X with a Purgatory, because I prefer a bigger spongier tyre.

I know where you mean, andyl. The alternative bridleway is awful, because there’s no distinct path you get more people walking/riding over the moorland edges and widening it out. Plus it misses out on the top, where we usually stop to enjoy the view and have a chinwag with the walkers.

What I don’t get is why there is a problem in using the original path? If anything it keeps all the erosion nicely in one place and, being slightly sunken, discourages people from going over the edges.

Rarely ride there in winter though. Bristol’s hardened trails are a godsend in this weather.

You need tyres “compatible” with your behind if you’re going to do that – I believe Specialized Concept Stores provide a fitting service for their “Body Geometry” tyres.

Thanks all. Good luck SiB! I’ll try it on an Shimano HG74 (10 speed SLX) chain this weekend. Will report back if there’s any difficulty.

Erm probably covered elsewhere but at the risk of sounding stupid:

Can you keep re-using a chainlink? Thinking that removing my chain on a regular basis would make it easier to clean (the chain and the jockey wheels).

I would buy an off the peg Giant in the sales and spend the rest on hiring a team of sightly female mechanics* to wash and maintain it after every ride.

Surely more practical and pleasurable than any amount of 1×10, wheelsize tennis, bling and small-US-niche-name-dropping can give you?

*must be versed in bleeding avid brakes.

Thanks for the thoughts avdave2. Hmm may think about single speeding and fat tyre-ing my Kona Sutra when commuting finally puts paid to it’s drivetrain. Mind you that would mean I’d need another commuter/road bike.

It does doesn’t it.

Speaking of which I really enjoyed the new, muddy, slightly off camber singletrack they’ve done at FODs Freeminer trail – was a nice mix with that and the bermtastic Verderers. Hopefully Cwmcarn will be similar.

D’you think it’s worth it, a winter bike?

OK so you have no sus fork, rear shock and gears but bottom brackets, brakes, hubs and headsetstill need tlc. And surely you’d still want to clean & grease your chain to stop it rusting after a wet ride?

Asking cos I’ve slung my full sus into the shed without cleaning it – guilt will make me do it in the morning. So a maintenance free bike is a nice dream.

My Trustfire torch did that, and stopped working altogether later. So, er, no ideas, sorry. Have since had another which works OK.

There’s nothing quite like threading through trees on a downhill steep enough that you don’t dare move your hands off the bars, with your head torch in flashing “disco” mode!

Or those new fangled Ikons?

Hang on, he’s after less drag not more. I’m still running the much-derided Crossmark on the rear (HR front for me) in the winter. It’s fine most of the time, and certainly never slows me down. Every now and then I swap it for a Mud-X and then wish I hadn’t.

There must be other slightly better options out there – Saguaro perhaps? Might try one when the Crossmark eventually wears out.

I might be being a bit thick her but…

Is there a way of getting a gpx (or similar) from the google routes shown? The Fountain Inn and bigh’s routes look good, but I’d like to plot them out on an OS map somehow.

Cheers.

He’s basically trying to angle it so that they (USADA/WADA/UCI) allow him permission to compete (at triathlon) in return for him testifying.

He’s been given plenty of chances to testify, as his ex colleagues did in order to earn their lenient 6 month sentences, but refused to and thus got banned. Hence the discrepancy.

As to the money angle, I certainly have sympathy with those he sued and slandered (and lost their jobs as a result) and believe they should get their money back.

As for prize money and sponsorship, that’s a bit harder to justify, a lot of the other pros still have theirs, along with their reputations.