I shoot RAW, tweak the sliders a bit on the RAW import and some sharpening then crop.

Yeah, I've owned Floats and Vanillas and prefer the Vanillas. Less initial stiction and better small bump, smoother and more composed feeling in the big stuff.

Cheers Skidartist…

Having a voluntary board is a right royal pain in the tits for everybody involved (you and them) frankly.

Does this apply to CICs? I see all of your points and as this is my baby, I don't want to lose control or have it all get taken away from me. However, I am looking for that degree of credibility so want something kind of official at the same time.

Won't go wrong with either, I agree with maverick, wheels on ground = Altitude, bit more gnar = P7

I've also got an iO

I leave on but in the winter I'm using my dirtworker after almost everyride. I run speed degreaser on the chain and cassette. By the time I've got the dirtworker setup it only needs a quick spray and it's done. Wipre down and GT85 before loading the car (or garaging it) and lube before next ride.

Mike: how's it going and would you be happy for me to drop you an email sometime?

Thanks a lot Mike!

Great article but I'm pretty sure it was a rewrite of a WMB article done last year…

I suppose it's a heck of a challenge so might as well get some writing mileage out it I guess, so fair play!

I'm finding the thought of my first 24 solo quite daunting but reading that kind of belittles it somewhat – although not as much as the Alaska race in the December issue! Argh!

Seriously. DONT laugh (oh go on then)- I was considering using a 19T/32T first.

I ride 32:18 normally anyway 🙂

Orange Five, Orange ST4, Marin Mount Vision. I own a Five and spent a fair amount of time on the ST4 and MV (I've got the 2010 ST4 this W/E actually, can't wait to try it with the new backend)

The Five is the most versatile and hardest hitting (and quite light for what it is). The ST4 is the outright fastest, total singletrack missile, the only bike that's ever frightened me actually (in a good way). The MV is less nimble and fast as the ST4, not as much of a mentalist as the Five. But it's lighter than a Five (only a pound though) and pretty much as stiff.

I thought they said we [the UK] were in for warmer, wetter winters?

It's just another theory as to what could happen.

I love how we have to wait and see for sure before doing something about it. Was sent a cartoon strip the other day: A man despairs at hearing that climate change was a hoax and states "oh no, and we built a better world for nothing!"

Summed it up for me really.

Hainey: but the current uptrend coming out the "little ice age" happens to coincide with a massive surge in CO2 output and the industrial age really getting moving – the graphic also shows how volatile the climate has become since then.

As mentioned, what a load of bollox the livestock and volcanoes argument is.

As for the cold, is there not the belief that although the planet as a whole will warm, the UK will actually freeze? If you look at our latitude, our country is unusually warm, caused by the gulf stream, melting ice caps is expected to cool and stall this meaning we'll have a climate more common for our latitude?

Anyway, I'll move along, I'm no expert like the bloke down the pub.

ST4 rides much better than it's spec – I've got a 2010 one on loan this weekend, shame the trails aren't going to be fast enough for it to go like it wants to…

Lovely village – my first job was in Painswick…

It's only the same temp. near the thermostat. It could be colder (because it's colder outside) in rooms further away from the thermostat.

That's the issue in my place, thermostat is in the hall in the middle of a block of flats – all other rooms are big and with multiple windows – it really is a case of turning up the wick!

Yeah but some riding elements require proper turning of the bars – switchbacks, techy climbs, local squirrelly/stealth trails which are hilariously slow and twisty in places.

(If you can, see if you can set exposure compensation on your camera to +1 or even more…)

Jim, slower speed corners or technical climbs when the bars are going left and right a lot?

I have P7 torch on head, P7 on bars, Hope Vision single on bars. I point the vision further ahead as it has a decent throw but not much flood, the P7 pointing more in front.

Interest idea about head tube mounting but not sure how I'd do it given I'm on a Five LOL

what font is this?

Arial

Times New Roman is awful and looks dated, nothing wrong with Arial or Tahoma

So you're recommending two fonts designed for screen by MS, over a properly designed for-press (print) font?

wayne: if you're just bashing out word documents for this, use Times New Roman or Arial, pretty safe.

Tahoma, Verdana and Trebuchet are all gash yet oft recommended.

Are your plans set in stone?

What else are you doing while you're here?

If I was coming all that way, I'd personally do Glentress/Inners. You could base yourself in Edinburgh and your family will have a MUCH better time.

1: Soak it in petrol
2: add more petrol
3: set fire to nest
4: flick more petrol at nest to ensure "good burn"
5: call fire brigade

Now that… that right there is your youtube hit!

Did Cwmcarn early with a mate, but he had to get back home. After I'd dropped him off, and I was warm again in the car, the thought of more snow in the sunshine was too appealing, so I whizzed up in the car.

I hate you so much right now

😛

I heard they were fighting it but didn't know they were back in – ok cheers!

Not a focus but a C-Max. Agree about the turbo lag on the focuses but at the same time, lesser afflicted diesels that I've driven have been more gutless. Given how pokey the 2.0TDCi is in this size car, yet still returns 45 mpg around Bristol, 50mpg on long hauls – I love it!

Only MPV-type thing I've driven that felt like driving a car, and a good one at that – the handling belies the hulk of the thing. (Aside from the Seat Altea but it's just a chubby car and doesn't swallow enough gear)

My only complaint is running costs – when shit goes wrong it's expensive (but this is my first 'modern' car so probably not specific to this car), had two minor things go wrong (car didn't actually break down) but cost was crazy to fix – thankfully both warrantied.

Build quality of C-Max is not that of the normal focus – drivers door has uneven panel gaps (don't worry, car history was sound) and although it seems to be quiet now the weather is cold, the interior is a bit rattly and squeaky for my liking in warmer weather.

Although I had two things go wrong – neither were functionally preventative and I went a month before fixing them at my leisure – it has been reliable. I was worried it wasn't going to start this morning but after a 5 sec turnover it fired right up.

Would I buy again – probably – but if I wasn't forced to buy quickly (head gasket went on old car and we had a week to get something) I'd prob hold out for a Focus Estate.

Afan is 100% hard stone based stuff – it's proper all weather. Penhydd and the wall are starting to suffer from old age a bit and one part of penhydd gets closed a lot.

Maybe look at Brechfa as it's all super flowy. Green/Blue is painfully easy yet still fun and super flowy. You can always warm up on that, pop down the road to the pub for lunch and literally round the corner is the red graded trail – again super flowy but fun and 100% chicken runs.

You'd get bored of Brechfa if you rode it every week but for a one time hit, it's proper fairground ride of guaranteed satisfaction IMO.

There's duller places to ride than Afan lol!

Although they're all red, The Wall and Penhydd are not quite as hard as Whites Level. If I was taking enthusiastic "Greens" I'd ride either or both Wall and Penhydd depending on fitness.

An enthusiastic green will survive whites but it has some unavoidable steps up around the 10"-1ft mark and some twisty broadwalk in places. I don't like to punish my more green riders so avoid whites initially.

Green/Blue: usually ok for total beginners, few are actually fun if you're good (Brechfa for example is actually quite fun yet fine for a total beginner)

Red: anything from very tame and rollable to highly likely to kill you.

Black: anything from very tame and rollable to highly likely to kill you.

Better off talking to riders as MTB grading is a bit of a joke and one centre's black is another's red. And sometimes a trail is black cause of the amount of climbing or length, sometimes because it's technical.

My issue was that I'm firmly in the average range of sizes 43-45 (depending on shoe)

Matt – I think Orange recalled the round stays so check and get em replaced, supposed to be siffer and less chainsuck prone.

Good luck finding any stock! Ended up forking out a bomb on Pearl Izumi GTX Barriers from wiggle. Fingers crossed they prove to be worth the money!

YGM…

You're lying. Whatever people might think about the Range Rover Sport's image etc, it's a VERY capable off-roader and wouldn't get stuck that easily. If it was stuck, it was somewhere that nothing else would have got out of either.

I agree, but I bet this example has got oversized chrome alloys, practically slick rubber bands for tyres, and endless body extensions.

Do not use the cleat bolts that come with the cleats – too shallow, too soft and so rounding-off prone it's almost a given you'll do it unless you remove and regrease the bolts every couple of rides.

Nice pedals but bearing life and cleat life – not to mention not be able to swap bikes with most people – meant I swapped back to 'manos aftera year…

You must be mistaken – this only happens to Fox forks, every pair, and within a single ride.

Troy Lee GP is the best glove I've used… felt like indulgence for the price but still like new after a year and most gloves die on me in months normally.

I use a Camelbak Motherlode

iOs are wicked – I did put a fox float on mine eventually though – riotous little bike!