i like the look of membermojo.  thanks

rome is a fabulous city to visit.  the tours are a great way to understand the history of the area.

we took a really good cycle tour.  don’t take the street side tours, some of them are a total ripoff. i think you’re better to book online using companies with good reviews

Thanks for the help. I’ll have a look at those options. It’s a right pita.

bike packing.com  is a brilliant source of routes and ideas

phone + bike mount + komoot app.

i have used this all year and find it simple to use and very accurate. i plotted an off road route around slovenia. a country i knew nothing about and the app took a bunch of us through vineyards, fields, forest tracks etc. a really brilliant holiday thanks mainly to this app !  the app was free and access to maps of most countries of the world costs less than 30 quid

just back from a 10 day cycle tour of slovenia.  it is quite simply a fabulous place for anyone into the outdoor life.  bovec on the soca river is a buzzy wee town full of adventure providers.  google it – any type of outdoor activity you can think of. a real gem especially for teenage kids.  the lippizanner stud is quite a bit further east , out of the mountains in the wine/agricultural region near trieste.  you will have a ball, weather permitting!

just back from a 10 day cycle tour of slovenia.  it is quite simply a fabulous place for anyone into the outdoor life.  bovec on the soca river is a buzzy wee town full of adventure providers.  google it – any type of outdoor activity you can think of. a real gem especially for teenage kids.  the lippizanner stud is quite a bit further east , out of the mountains in the wine/agricultural region near trieste.  you will have a ball, weather permitting!

just back from slovenia gravel tour. flew through venice,  all bike boxes checked at easyjet desk to make sure tyres were deflated !  didn’t check other contents

i have used several of the chinese jobs off eBay.  they have all been grand, no issues. and usually £ 60 – 70   sometimes maybe need a wee file to straighten the brake mounts.   occasionally lynsky second hand on eBay.

i use komoot, which i find to be one of the easier apps to use.  20 something quid buys you most countries of the world. you then download as you need. can be used in aeroplane mode to lengthen battery life

i have started to use komoot. i find it good, but you need to practice by planning a route then ride it to get a feel for how it plots courses.

i am trying to understand to  glitches before using to guide me around slovenia!

i bought a horse, unsight/unseen for £80k in japan, with £30k for his flight home ! seriously nervous time but worked out well.

on the bike front i bought an ibis riplyLS  (£3k) and a santa cruz handboy (£800) on eBay . both have been great buys, delighted with them. i have generally been very lucky on eBay but it does take a lot of hard work trawling the lists

hanks guys, that chinertown is a source of info,

much appreciated

for what its worth the guys at Works are very good to give help by email

i bought a ‘new’ geometry full sus last summer and love it. however as the winter progressed i got fed up spending half an hour cleaning it each time i rode.
so i got a 29 hardtail. it is easier to maintain, quick on the flats, the ups and great fun on the way down. maybe just not able to swallow the big tech lines, and not just as forgiving. worth getting a modern geometry frame and a 120-130 fork

the wild atlantic way, on the west and southern coasts of ireland. all small roads, fabulous scenery and loads of great cafes pubs and restaurants . for 2 weeks i would especially recommend west cork/sheeps head/ beara peninsula

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inspirational ideas !

some brilliant ideas here, we are off to slovenia next year

Bikepacking Routes

hanoi is an exhilarating city, so many difference sides to it. we also went to sapa in the northern highlands and ha long bay.
the scenery is fabulous, the people modest and lovely – we twice were invited into small wooden shack houses for tea !
went with a super wee company called backyard travel, nothing was too much bother, and quite cheap.

3-4 lbs after a pee in the morning

i am experimenting with this at the moment. first of many tyres do not measure up as labelled, i.e.. some 35mm tyres are actually only 33ish, some 38mm tyres are 40mm and vice versa

i triedWTB nano tyres 40mm ( v good reviews) they don’t fit !

also tried specialised tracer 38mm – it just fits with a couple mm to spare
i have fitted specialised tracer 35mm ( which measure up as 33-34 mm ) these are a cx tyre but roll really well on the road. i used them on an adventure race at the weekend, fast on the tarmac and coped well on forest tracks, mountain paths etc. really pleased with them
BTW i bought a cheap carbon fork, 27.5 sized – keeps the geometry more consistent and allows a bigger tyre in front if required – it will definitely take the 40mm tyre.

i have used them for years. they are a good rim brake. more powerful than cantis and much easier to set up

thanks very much guys, i think i bought a 110 the last time and thought it was a bit tight, so 113 makes sense.
i’ll buy a 113 anyway and then have a go at replacing the bearings for a spare. you help is much appreciated.

gran canaria, high mountains great bike hire and guiding
beaches and sunshine

‘da cooley thriller’ is a brilliant xc race. 52 km circuit of the cooley mountains in dundalk, ireland. great single track, open mountain etc

cycled 3 days in the burden last weekend. road bike needed, plenty surfing in lahinch. the wild atlantic way is a fantastic resource, there is only 2400 km of it ! a brilliant area for bike packing

i don’t think you need big lumens to have a good night ride. i have a 300 lumen bar light and a similar helmet light, sometimes i use one or other and sometimes both. when using both you get a nice 3D effect for more technical stuff . there is a 2 mile riverside path which is nothing much in daylight, however at night it is totally absorbing. pick the wrong side of the wrong tree and you’re in the river etc. we have 2 forest parks where there is a good 2 hours hard riding. As someone above said, even on terrible weather, once out on the bike, the fun is great, you always come back buzzing

it is a fabulous island, especially the tramontana mountain range. you will have a ball with either bike. however the roadike is easy to navigate on your own , whereas booking a tour with tramontana tours gets you to the best trails/scenery, i booked bike and guided Soller tour(technical) for about 70euro

http://www.tramuntanatours.com/mtb_soll_tech.html

this sounds brilliant

file:///Users/hughsuffern/Desktop/FOLDERS/bikes%20etc/holidays%20trips/Bikepacking%20Slovenia’s%20West%20Loop%20-%20BIKEPACKING.com.html

if the eye is irretrievable then the best thing is remove it. that will immediately get rid of the pain and discomfort. the dog won’t be a bit bothered!

absolutely gorgeous scenery, road bike

“I’m heading there next year, was planning on hiring or taking my road bike. Mountain biking in the canaries isn’t fun unless your over in Tenerife.”

not so, Gran Canaria is class. went there last year to maspalomas. hired bikes and joined two tours with Free Motion. good fresh bikes and great routes up in the mountains. thoroughly recommend them

( sorry not much use to the OP )

yep, new inner air it is. just makes my eyes water at the price !

thanks guys for the suggestions. i have had look through them. are there any carbon or aluminium frames that fit the bill and a little lighter ?
i have just bought a new ibis ripley which i love, now need a winter equivalent hardtail, but funds not available for a high end option

hi, i have the ripley LS about a month now. i had a turner flux (26) before.
i absolutely love the ripley. it climbs technical stuff brilliantly and its really stable and confident on the technical down stuff. aside from the new bike factor, it has renewed my enthusiasm for the sport. before buying i tried the evil following, a spec. camber and a trek fuel. i am happy to discuss if you want to get in touch

i see an occasional santa cruz tallboy frame secondhand on eBay/pinkbike. put on one of those headset angle adjuster

you need to check the bb width – if using hollowtech cranks, mtb cranks have a different axle length to road cranks, mtb bb – 73mm, road bb – 68mm.
and if using square taper, you need to check that the cranks or chainrings don’t rub against the chain stays.

both were problems i had. had to use mtb cranks with bigger chainrings.

maspalomas, gran canaria. excellent

i drove a leon for 120k miles, 40% on motorway . it was a brilliant wee car never gave bother and was happy to sit at 90 mph on the motorway if required. good economy too. i would thoroughly recommend it.

don’t forget to make sure cables and outers are clean and moving smoothly before starting, also use a little light lube.it is a real PITA if the cables are sticking before you start.
sometimes you can spend ages trying to sinc the gears, whilst a short ride round the garden can show that they are working ok in use