have you looked at pauls cycles…
this is probably too big, but, for the money, i think it's superb

this is a small kona coilair deluxe and looks awesome for the mullah

giant reign- less suited to DH but pedally and highly rated… and cheap

women's specific Giant Cypher. Not so suited to DH, but looks pretty tidy all the same.

have a look at marin's too. I got my marin quake frame (practically brand new) for £350 on this forum. Put on a good shock and cheap 1.5'' forks (i have lyrics but domains will be ok) and you're half way there.

Otherwise, Konas are the best. Look on pinkbike, i sell all my overpriced stuff on there. I should feel guilty, but it keeps me racing at BUCS :D

was pushing up a quarry track and there were A4 pages ripped out of a pretty nasty porn mag in the bushes, trees and on the track itself. Then a big group of girl guides were walking down (they will have had an education/counselling after walking down there). Then, got to the top and there was a 2ft high pile of knickers, bras, suspenders, etc in the on the edge of the bridleway. Looked like they were from the 80s (nylon and vivid colours) but left recently.

Internet research confirmed it's a big dogging site… 8O

offroad – Hans Rey.

people at work seem to think I'm a hero for cycling 8 miles to work

Hehe yeah i got the same response biking from Sheffield to Rotherham. The hero status was a little deflated when they realised i took the train too.

I hated driving to work (even more than i hate trains) and i'm sure lots of people stuck in traffic did too. If the train companies would accept more bikes on their trains i'm sure more people would commute on bike.

i'm sure i saw one near to SMC Sheffield Motorcycles. I can't remember what it was called…(http://www.smcbikes.com/location.html) … No idea if it's any goood though

i like the idea, but it'd be a ballache to maintain.

hey stonemonkey, would i be free to come by tonight to pick them up? What's your address? I'm v.near to the Old Grindstone and Noah's Ark. Email in profile if you prefer

ok, yes you're right. It's the same size as my BB. I'll order one and have a look inside, hopefully it's nothing more than dry, squished bearings… Otherwise there's going to be another shimano rant from me coming to your local cinema very soon…. :D

is it? ah, good. Well, i still haven't got one. I may well get buy one then… Cheers

seems fine on the right side, but i can't access the rotor side as i haven't got a centrelock tool. Hmm, i'll try to source some thin spanners and a C-L tool and give it a go, cheers

bugger. Ok, if you see anything post up. Plus, if you want a riding buddy (i'm taking my xc bike too) send me a message (mail in profile). Rich

you shouldn't have been biking at that speed around animals if you didn't have control. End of.

if you want to ride DH, it's worth it. If you want to ride XC go to the peaks. There are XC tracks and so on, but you'll need locals knowledge to make it a worthwhile distance.

i wouldnt take jeans cos you'll get wet and stay wet. Also, depending upon the calibre of your mates do NOT tell them that you're wearing a cricket box if you choose to wear one. It only serves as target practice!

seems to me that the site is down. …

i gave up with club riding about a year ago. I ride with my mates who share the same exploring ideals as me. However i do miss the trend that in a club there are always better riders to push your boundaries.

have you looked at transition AM? I've never ridden one, but i like the look of the thing.

merlin will do some fantastic wheel builds. I wouldn't get them from anywhere else, unless you go to your LBS

btw, that ultrasport looks very good, despite the modest customer reviews

I won't be flying out with a bike so wheels are of a priority as i'll be lugging it about ferries, buses and trains. Hence i went for the CRC bag instead of the avenir, despite the good price.

I'll post up my first impressions of the bag when it comes, hopefully the stiching will be good considering the cost

longest, 60miles in the peaks. Ran the Manchester BUPA 10km race the next day, and i somehow beat personal best by 12minutes. Fitness was awful, as i couldn't walk for the next 2days due to very little recovery time.

and who windsurfs in??

something like my marin quake. With the RS Lyric Solo Airs, saint m810 brakes (203f/180r), sramXX chainset, X0 gears, goretex outers and my DHX Air. Some nice tubeless wheels from Merlin would be nice too. Chuck on some thomson bars, post and stem and it'd be perfect!

It is a bit burly, but the frames reasonably light and the propedal makes climbing pretty easy.

But, the ideal STW FS? Surely it should be made of steel scaffolding and from really niche manufacturer? I nominate the BMW Race Link! If only it was SS specific…

yeap, always wanted to ride those bits chase, but the old railway line is mega dull. The only good thing is the many pubs in RHB imo.

Ever been north to runswick bay along the railway line? Set off from sandsend and then you go past the Moon, and either up some steps (cheeky and dull) or through the tunnels and mine shafts? The latter is the best, and extremely dangerous too.

i live in goathland, so i might be able to show you a few places around here. I'm probably busy fri and sat, but i should be free sometime sunday or monday. Easy pace because i've only got the big bike here

there are a few bridlweays, but lots are fireroads through the moors, or access to Fylindales. However, if you head to rosedale, grosmont, danby, goathland, levisham you'll be able to link up a legal route with a recent OS map.

The footpaths are littered with tourists now, so it may not be wise to take a cheeky footpath (which is a shame cos lots of these make very good descents).

perhaps, it doesnt say. Regardless, the video shows that he needs a stick to get about. All the same, it's very inspiring

if it's really wet, get some wet-gloves (as in surfing), with a 1-2mm thickness. They're warm, but not so windproof.

i've got the same problem. I've heard that keeping forks upside down is keeps seals from drying out. But take off the brakes, cos you don't want to leave them USD for that long. I'd oil stuff up and take off anything that may seize due to lack of use, especially if you don't regularly maintain your bike (e.g. BB, seatpost)

neil's-on-wheels – Member
To the pub and back.

i could get to the pub, but be in no fit state to mount a bike… ooerrr

are you staying in halls? I'm at sheffield uni, so i can give you some tips. Email in profile, and visit http://www.weridebikes.co.uk too.

there are friendly locals, ways to get around leaving bikes in residences and storage firms can be used, although they're a PITA for those spur of the moment rides. Got a choice of meadowhell, hillsbro, parkway and centre of town; all of which aren't close to any of the routes out to the peaks.

laphroig quarter cask. or do a google search for Demijohns for further inspiration

here's mine. Old pic and finished now.

no regrets at all. I got a highly upgraded merlin malt (before they raised the prices) for £500. Rebas, dependable LX groupset, 717s and RF Evolve II finishing kit. If i get another chance to use c2w, i'll definately do it again

go buy some books from Oxfam. Every now and again i see a selection from my reading list at my local.

PS if you don't like the maths too much, think about Material Science/ Engineering. I got 96% for my first year maths, which didn't scare me off maths for the rest of the course. I'm going to be doing some finite element modelling of human skin this summer (and that's pretty maths rich)

good, well this sounds ok then. I might even take some pics and post some up too.

not a joke. My dad rides road so fitness is not an issue. Driller, why would it be a complete nightmare?

I've sourced some high volume mud tires for him to make it easier for him. I know the WC route is a little mad, but surely the red can't be that technical?!

first year for areas such as civil, material, mechanical, electrical, control, biomedical and so on are massively different. But, Advanced Mathematics by K.A. Stroud is referenced quite a lot.

if you're after a light weight read, try the latest MBUK. I seen NEXT catalogues with more non-ad content