I’ve used the Phoenix Hotel a couple of times and it’s been fine.

Go!
The trails are great in Whistler and the surrounding area. The bike park is great fun for a couple of days descending. The Helidrop is expensive but since its not something I’d do very often (if ever again) it was well worth it. Also took a float plane to the start of one trail in the Chilcotins.

My BT Broadband was changed to infinity a couple of weeks ago. The whole process took about an hour and the new broadband was working before the engineer left.
Download speed appeared to increase from 2mb to 20mb using a wireless connection. However, connecting the laptop to the home hub using the supplied cable improved things loads more. Well worth the £2 extra a month.

My Heckler was the same. Only creaked under pedalling. Ruled out cranks, pedals and seatpost. Thought it was bottom bracket but turned out to be the suspension bearings. Changing the bearings wasn’t too difficult and creak has now gone.

Easyjet is first airline I look at. Only time my luggage didn’t turn up was with KLM.

I’ve had mine with 100m and 120mm forks. The 120 is the better option in my opinion. Go for it!

I’ve watched the first five. Enjoyed the 5th season most.

I was reluctant to spend that much money on one. Got a long service bonus from work and bought one! Not regretted it at all so go for it.

I saw Bjork perform in Manchester a couple of months ago. The TV studio and even the recent album just didn’t do her justice. The live show had to be seen and heard to be believed. Brilliant!

Got the Lou Reed/Metallica album too. Not easy listening.

I’ve had a 2.7 Boxster for a couple of years now and love it. It isn’t my main car but I do use it for trips away with the bike on the back. Tax, insurance, servicing and fuel consumption aren’t excessive. Yes, repair bills can be pricey but they can be with any car and hopefully few will be needed.
If you really fancy a Porsche – go for it. If you just want a little convertible there’ll probably but more sensible choices.

The Eagle and Child in Staveley. Good beer and food and location.

I’m 6′ and ride a large Heckler with 140mm Pike forks and basic Fox shock. Plenty stiff enough for me and rides very well.

Be wary of the weather it can get nasty up there. There is a good trail from Garrigill to Dun Fell with the radar thing on the top. Both trails can be combined into a loop in either direction but it’s a big commitment i.e. once you go down the other side you need to climb back up.

Yes, they can be a bit slow at replying to emails etc. But … don’t worry. The holiday will be great. Well worth going.

I visited The Van Gogh museum which I was impressed with. Just as I was about to leave there was a huge downpour so I stayed in the cafe for a cake and ended up having a couple of bottles of very strong beer :)

I probably have the same Nokia deal. 12 months of downloads for about £50 extra. I bought Aimersoft Music Convertor to remove the DRM. It’s a bit slow but works.

Mine’s about 32lbs with Foxfloat R and Pike coils. XT drivetrain, Raceface Evolve bits, XM719 rims.
I find it climbs well enough, just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Why do so many people just criticise things on threads (that’s my criticism :-))?

Back to the original question – definitely read the 2nd book before the 3rd.

Not an actual song but … Newcastle supporters to the Arsenal supporters last weekend:
“You only sing when you’re looting”

I watched the racing in Durham. The course was short enough (1.5km) and the race long enough (80 minutes) to have a leisurely stroll right around the course. Similar to mountain biking the TV coverage doesn’t really show how steep the descent into the very tight corner before the cobbled climb is.
We can’t test ourselves on the course as it goes the wrong way along one way streets.
I then watched the race on TV so I could find out what happened.

The soldier in Pans Labyrinth.

Another mention for “Dancer in the dark”.

Thought I’d respond to this to see if I can remember them all:
Ford Cortina mk3
Ford Escort mk1
Citroen 2CV6 – great fun but rotten
VW 1200
VW 1300
VW 1500
VW 1303
VW 1303S (those 5 were all Beetles)
VW Karmann Ghia Coupe ready for scrapping
VW Karmann Ghia Cabrio sold for rebuild
VW Karmann Ghia Coupe lovely 67 mild cal look
VW Karmann Ghia Cabrio 70
VW Polo 79
VW Golf 79
VW Jetta 88
VW Polo 95
Seat Ibiza 95
Seat Ibiza 04
Seat Leon 04
Renault Clio 00
Renault Megane Cabrio 00
Renault Megane Cabrio 03
Porsche Boxster 00
Think that might be it. Lets hope nobody starts a what bikes have you owned thread. That could get a bit lengthy.

.. you could sell the seatpost and buy another (if they do the other size).

Yes, a couple of years ago with Riviera Bike. Lovely little village, great riding. Going back ina couple of months.

Received an email this morning saying mine are on their way :)

I’ll miss The White Stripes. Saw them live twice, they were brilliant. Meg was perfect for the band. Also seen The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather. Alison Mosshart is a fantastic frontwoman for the band.

Chester-le-Street is decent for getting into town (Newcastle that is)and there are plenty of places to ride nearby although not necessarily technical. Of course, Great Lumley is nice, but makes the commute that little bit more awkward.
Someone mentioned riding on Waldridge Fell. The day the new Durham County Council was formed they slapped a ban on bikes on the Fell!

I love mine. It’s green too (from when there were about 7 or 8 colours to choose from). Got the float R shock which suits me fine, 140mm Pikes on the front.

Salon?

Pity Me is very close to me.

Hi, I’m hoping for about £7k and am based in the north east near Durham.

I have a 10 year old 2.7 Boxster. I’ve owned it almost a year and have had no problems. The rear tyres were replaced and were £130 a piece which I thought was very reasonable considering the performance and their size. I’ve not driven a 3.2 but quite frankly mine has more than enough acceleration for me. A dab of the throttle in 2nd or 3rd and the speed limit is soon passed, overtaking feels very safe and easy. I typically average about 30mpg but did achieve 37mpg on a longish motorway journey. Presumably insurance is cheaper than a 3.2.
Just considering selling it, no reason other than its an expensive toy.

I have both a Heckler and a Superlight. The main problem I’ve had doing bigger stuff on the Superlight is the relative lack of ground clearance. I tend to use the Superlight for more cross country rides and the Heckler for Alps, Lake district etc. For trail centres such as Glentress the Superlight is great fun, probably even better with tyres bigger than the 2.1’s I usually use.

Looked fab in very clear skies while I was driving to Newcastle. Didn’t quite have the full eclipse or the red colour but still good.

That last photo looks just like my garden about 5 miles north of Durham. Snow over a foot deep last time I checked. Didn’t even attempt to take the car out today.

My Superlight weighs in about 28lbs with not too light and not too expensive gear on it.
XT drivetrain, Deore brakes, 100mm Reba forks, Hope/mavic wheels and Raceface Evolve XC finishing bits.
I like it lots.

CicloMontana is excellent but nowhere suitable for a night on the town nearby. On the other hand I never had enough energy left at the end of the day to be bothered! Be prepared for really good food and coffee stops.

I did a 10 miler once. They did set me off first so I had no one to chase. Everyone on a road bike beat me but that wasn't really the point. I just wanted to push myself a bit… and I did, averaged about 20mph which I was pleased with.

I'll miss it. Only station I know of that will play Velvet Underground next to Laura Marling. And as far as X-factor stuff goes they seem to hate it as much as the rest of us.

I bought forks from them. Good service.