I only have a digital sub, and rather than reading every issue (probably only looked at 2 “new” mags this year), I do enjoy the archive of magazines and I’m happy reading the PDFs on my very cheap Tablet.

I do skip the reviews though, I’ve always seen ST as being about adventures (local and far away) and awesome photos.

Would be happy to pay more for the digital sub.

I was wondering if there’s a solid route he has to follow, or if he has to ride close to the coast using roads, and the total just needs to be over 4802 miles??

Either way, that’s one hell of a challenge! Good luck to him.

Thanks for that! I’m in Sheffield so very close to that one…

I’m so close to buying a Dune… I’ve always wanted to try a fat bike and the value seems pretty good.

I need to stop looking at this thread!

If you can combine any of those with a beach, then that’s bimblecore.

Bimblecore! Word of the day.

I’m extremely bimblecore. 😛

I was shocked and really upset watching it live, I really thought she was dead. Horrible crash.

My view is some hay bales on the exits of those corners wouldn’t have been a bad idea at all, considering the tightening compound corners and off camber. But hindsight is a great thing.

I don’t think having already ridden before makes it ok, at that point in the race I’d imaging fatigue impairs judgement somewhat and vastly increases the chances of mistakes.

Aren’t e-bikes restricted to 15km/h? That would be a big problem…

I gave my parents pretty much all of my first pay check (£700 ish) to say thanks for looking after me, they used it to go on holiday for a week 🙂 After that I gave them £200 a month.

point this out to your boss at your next pay review

Sore topic that – no reviews or pay rises for 5 years now. Was promised a pay rise a year ago, but I get brushed off every time it gets brought up now!

I could live happily on minimum wage. Anything else is a bonus.

Nick,

I’m convinced that I need to give it some serious thought. 😀

only if you can you get horses with an engine and two wheels? 😀

Nick,

I’ve thought about setting up a mobile valet business. In fact, that’s always been my near-retirement/once house is paid off dream job.

Hmmm, currently selling my T4, which would be ideal…

Cannondaleking,

Sound like its worked out well for you. 🙂

thestabiliser – Member

Smash it and stink, wear it as a badge of honour

😀 😀

Correct answer.

Got a superlight 29. It’s ace!

I’ve tried a few linkage bikes and they are better (a lot less bob when sprinting out of the saddle), but not enough to bother me. I’ll take changing only 2 bearings a year over 8+ any day.

I was glued to it Friday and over the weekend, starting to do my best to stay away from it now.

It all sounds bad, and will go on for weeks/months. I want to think about bikes and sun, not what that lot in Westminster are/aren’t doing.

Oh crap! Was hoping I was the only one thinking of retreating to Scotland!

I’m not angry, just very, very, very disappointed.

I’m pretty disappointed that we are even having a referendum on the leaving the EU.

I hope a lot more than 50% of voters decide to remain.

I’ll go 65:35 to remain.

Most of my older family are voting out, citing the usual angry reasons why (someone else governing us, immigration, bailing out Greece etc…). Me and my wife are firmly IN though.

Really nice part of the world, sounds like it was a great plan too.

Go back for attempt number 2 in the summer…

Forgot to add, try a multi bike policy, will probably be cheaper overall…

I had a BMW K1200GT (later model with 160bhp engine, not the older type) and my old 1980 R100S. Think it was about £180 a year fully comp for both last year.

I’ve now got a 2003 VFR800 and the old R100. Renewal was £330! A bit of negotiating got it down to £250 for both, but I still cant see how a £2k VFR800 is more to insure than a £8k BMW super tourer.

I think when I was younger I wanted everything, and genuinely got a bit of high from owning something cool that no one else I knew had, but I’ve now realised that the novelty/high wears off fast!

I traded in loads of nice motorbikes in my 20s and “upgraded” to faster and nicer bikes every year or 9 months, loosing loads each time. I now know that any half-decent mid+ engine bike gives you the same pleasure and does the same job as a £12k BMW 1300cc super tourer!

I hate to think what I would have owed if I was into cars rather than bikes and did the same thing…

I’ve never got the holiday thing though, I like stuff, rather than experiences (that’s probably a whole other type of issue I have!), so wouldn’t borrow for holidays.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with borrowing, but it seems some can live with it and others cant. After feeling trapped at a crap job because it paid well, and I needed the cash to make monthly payments, I don’t want it again personally.

I had tonnes of it (through depression and buying things to cheer me up) in my early 20s, probably £20k +.

I was debt free a few years ago for the first time since starting to work (except for the mortgage), but now I have a bike and car on HP. Will be paid off in 18 months, but regret it really.

I’m going to try and clear our 120k-ish mortgage in the next 10 years (could do it in 5, but would need to be skint to do it), as I’d like to be truly debt free by the time I’m 40. That said, it’s very easy to find things to spend money on, and 10 years is a long time!

As others have said, don’t use the saddle position to adjust reach.

Get the saddle position so when she is sat down and the cranks flat/level, her front knee should be over the front pedal axle.

Once you have that, then adjust the stem length (and height!) to suit her reach.

For someone who doesn’t ride much, or has just started, I wouldn’t worry about putting too short of a stem on the bike.

Is it too late to tax all the people who bought council houses for £15k and sold them for £200k 20 years later?

Just looked at it in more detail, 11-32 cassette and it comes in silver. May be a good upgrade for me!

I like campag, but it should always be polished silver, not black.

Wouldn’t mind some hydro brakes on my Veloce equipped Pashley though, the TRP brakes are a bit pants.

Mudguards to keep them dry, or put somewhere away from mud and water (backpack).

I’ve only lost rear lights, never had them break on me or get water in them.

All my road bikes have full guards, and on MTB I attach it to my bag or helmet rather than seat post.

On my BMX, yep, for as long as I like, hop into them, hop out of them, do them across picnic tables! Manual king here! 8) 8) *

* 10 years ago when I was a teenage BMX bandit! I’m now rubbish and fat and can do a few meters if I’m very lucky on the MTB!

Had a blast at Sherwood yesterday.

First race and only fun class, but I really enjoyed it and don’t think I’ve rode that fast for an hour ever. Some of the early single track was pretty torn up and sticky on the second lap, hate to think what it was like in the afternoon.

Was hoping for mid pack (probably way to ambitious!), but ended up 17th of 25, so not quite where I wanted but pretty good for a big unfit bloke!

Has anyone rode Sherwood Pines this week?

Mud tyres for this weekend, or standard trail tyres…

Parkwood is mostly dry at the min, good for beginners too.

First XC race this weekend!

(Not sure if I’m excited or nervous to be honest!)

My current wheels where my first go at wheel building.

I used a torque screw driver I had laying around (1 to 5Nm I think it adjusts to) to tighten the spoke nipples evenly.

Slowly increased the setting on the screw driver until the spokes felt about the same tension as a factory built wheel from another bike.

Then I put the wheels in the frame/forks and used zipties on the seat stay bridge and fork bridge as a guide to true and dish the wheels. I used a spoke key for this bit.

They are still going strong 5 years later. 🙂

I helped my brother build a wheel too, and used a spoke key and went on feel only. Just keep working your way around hitting ever spoke and slowly increase the pressure you apply.

I’d have thought that carbon is much easier as its a much stiffer rim than alu, so should hold true during the build. You’ll just have dish to deal with at the end.

I’ve just gone from 2×9 to xt 11 as my old x0 rear shifter packed in. First ride today.

Its odd, and seemed rubbish on the road in the morning to be honest, but on the trails its amazing how quick you can get into a suitable gear.

I also found the “big-un” to be quite draggy, and not as easy as the 22×34 smallest gear on my previous set up (even though the ratio is the same) , seemed like the chain was crossed so much it added a bit of resistance and noise.

After a few hours in the mud, the dragging/noise had stopped, and I’d got used to and it didn’t seem annoying on the road in the aft.

Can’t really see a downside at the min, although I do miss my shiny carbon X0 9 speed kit!

I’m not sure if the xt kit is lighter than the x0 kit it replaced, but I’m sure their isn’t much in it either way.

By the way, xt 11 speed mini group set is a very similar price to a 1x 10 speed xt mini group set. How have they done that!

Just to add, I had a horrendous cold at xmas (I’ve had flu and it wasn’t that, just a cold but 10X worse than any I’ve ever had), I couldn’t eat or sleep for a few days because my throat was so sore and painful, missed xmas dinner and everything!

I kept getting much milder versions of it ever few weeks and it’s only just gone away for good a few weeks ago.

I put it down to doing a hell of a lot of training in December, and overdoing it big time. On top of that I was converting and repairing my van, so any time when I wasn’t wet and cold on the bike, I was wet and cold under the van!

If your working a lot of hours and feel run down, then any small cold/bug/ache will take ages to heal.

Apart from getting advise from doctors as has been mentioned, I’d suggest taking your rest time seriously for a while, and really try and relax.