Thanks all. My ex-wife drives a Toyota so not a popular choice with my fiancée (nor my eldest son!) so I won't be experiencing that famous reliability. I'll have a look into all suggestions. Started to get very excited for what it'll mean to the family and to my choice of routes 🙂

Budget is roughly c.£3.5k with a little give (it'll be clearer in a couple of weeks or so) – which means the 206SW/Focus options pretty much fall bang on there (i've already found a 206 at a local garage at 3500 bang on with 38k on the clock; petrol rather than diesel but i guess i can't have *everything* for the budget i'm on).

First of all congratulations! One of the best days of my life passing my test

Cheers 🙂 I'm still in a state of shock. I've got a meeting 10mins and I know I won't be able to (a) concentrate or (b) contribute anything 🙂

Yeah, I can appreciate the 307SW being a bit roomier for the children – they're 7, 3 and 2 – it might be that we get a 206SW/Focus/(Zafira?) for a couple of years and get something a little bigger then. We'll be moving in around 2 years time so will have more space to park in too.

You've just heard 3

Yeah, there was a gap between typing and pressing 'Send Post'. I get the feeling that faults happen with all cars but some less than others rather than any (cheaper) car being a model of reliability. The 206 and the Focus seem to tick a lot of boxes for me with the acknowledgment that there won't be a 'perfect car' just as there won't be a perfect bike…

Words of caution duly noted. So far I've yet to hear a bad word against a Ford Focus; I've now found out that a Zafira isn't an r'n'b singer; Skoda – yeah, maybe a consideration; Citroens? I'm not taken by the berlingo/xsara looks – shouldn't really be a consideration but I can't help that!

Cheers all 🙂

Heh, the SW is still looking a bit of a favourite then 🙂 Cheers.

Ford Focus is a definite contender – I like the look of the Golfs but year-for-year they look a bit pricier initially.

Ask him who his dealer is? What Dr Fuentes' phone number is? etc.

I had a bit of a look around today and had great fun 🙂

The special walks i mentioned above were a blast and, despite making a mess of finding my way up Black Rock I still found a nice gullied descent in Birch Wood (I told you I messed up! – in my defence, if I hadn't got a train to catch I might even have found my way to BR itself)

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click my leg for a couple of pics (the order seemed to go screwy when I uploaded them).

Also, tried out a Trek 520 at Stanley Fearns – lovely steel tourer which Cycle to Work/Cycle Plus should see coming my way :-). First time I'd been to Stanley Fearns and I was really impressed; great shop with really helpful staff.

Heathen does it mean I can't buy the fork

Probably – if it's not needed for this project I'd still feel bad selling it and not passing it on to a worthy cause as it came to me FOC. I might swap it for a less expensive part but, as I said, I'd really like it to go to a project like this 🙂

Magazine in 'trying to make a viable business' shocker.

Aren't they already the market leader? They could easily have put Peaty on the cover and not lost a sov.

Two equal firsts.

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9 (yes NINE!!) whole views each. Least popular on STW? The gauntlet is down.

Cheers for the effort TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR – much appreciated, ta.

I'll need a OS map though for that

If you ride the area even fairly regularly then they're pretty cheap for what you'll get out of it. (Although the extra bulk of the waterproof ones might be worth it in crappy weather – i still shudder when i think of the two days my Long Mynd one lasted before it fell apart.)

I've taken one on a 'normal' bus from Sheff station to Hope before. It was a replacement service for cancelled trains. On the way out it was a standard shortish regular bus. Sat with it in the buggy zone, driver was fine. On the way back, *covered* in mud and asstd. farmyard filth, there was a coach. The driver wasn't too enthusiastic but after some negotiation I got on (bike in luggage space and I was made to take off my outer layer and put it in there too).

There were some v.amused Japanese and Italian tourists just come from Manc Airport photographing my partial strip. There must also have been some confused relatives when the slideshows started with a muddy Brit in a car park stripping down to his liners in the rain…

I may just do a recce round there anyway and take some photos so fellow special walkers can judge for themselves

I purchased said book and did the Ashover route. Was dissapointed tbh

What was up with it rumbledethumps? I've got both – just got the White Peak one having found some good stuff and been encouraged to explore the Dark Peak a bit more through the DP book.

I'm thinking of doing a special walk next week. Are these paths good for special walks?

Im late, can someone summerise?

just googling

Yep, it's all there: Kael's thoughts on Paris Hilton, Lehmann Brothers, his search for bearings around the world, his thoughts on Demo 9s. In summary: a genuine and enthusiastic cyclist with an unusual outlook on the world. And Barnsleymitch.

Evermore bizarre with every turn. The Stalking of Barnsleymitch is a future classic spinoff serial in the making…

If this loon made lights this could be the biggest thread ever

…

You know he likes his animals

Quality.

Also, I've noticed that this thread has been tagged: "beware this guy has only been on the forum 1 week" which made a little bit sad.

That's easily remedied – just let everyone know your old login and/or act as 'project coordinator' and look for an established member to come forward to act as the hub for the bike bits/wrenching central. That way you can still oversee your idea, control the flow of parts and remain above any cynical suspicion.

Maybe find someone in need too so that a clear destination is in place?

As soon as there's someone to post it to I'll get the frame (and whatever else I find in the shed) posted on. I'd offer myself but I don't drive and I suspect it would probably be best if the person at the central hub does.

Given that the frame was given in kindness to get a cyclist back on two wheels it would be great if it carried on in that vein.

Didn't we all do this a while back for Andrwe from Derby?

Yep, last year (to cut a long story short involving computer viruses, lost email addresses, new email addresses, new logins everywhere, recalling lost email address passwords, gah! I have a new login now. I *think* it was andrew_f at the time.)

For those that didn't follow the story or weren't here: I had my bike (456) nicked last year and was in a bad way financially. A good number of forum folk sent me enough bits to get me out and about again and hugely restored me and my family's faith in human nature.

I'm out of the financial hole I was in and up and autonomously biked up. I tried passing the frame (Specialized Hard Rock) and various bits on through the Classifieds a couple of times, for free, natch, but despite some interest no one collected. So it's still in my shed along with some Manitou Minute forks that have V brake bosses (but one knackered disk mount bolt hole) and one or two other bits that haven't been passed on to friends/family.

I was going to Freecycle them at some point over the next couple of weeks but if there's interest I can pass them on to anyone on here in need – just let me know via the email in my profile.

what in the name of almighty arse is going on?

Everybody in the world is, deep down, quite reasonable. And then they get on the internet, log on to STW, hit the invisible 'Gobshite' key next to 'Caps Lock' and then type angrily away during daylight hours. Then the sun goes down, beers are drunk and everyone calms down a bit.

Repeat until fade.

Why didn't either of those work?

Torx: no vice so i couldn't get the brake still enough to get an accurate shot at it – more no facility than fail

Cut slot: the bolt looks semi-corroded in so I'm trying to do something about that…

Torx – fail.
Slot cut – fail.

WD40 penetrating hypothesised rust.

Round two….?

Yep, website seems down.

That really sucks.
I'll keep a look out in the scally part of South Derby that I live in.

Calm down kaesae and your crazy typing; you might put your back out.

Avids??

Old deores but I've got Avids on my bike so it's useful to know about the torx trick 🙂

Is it a hex bolt?

Well, it was, now it's a 'circle bolt'.

Hmm, might try the hacksaw/flat head route first but failing that some other good ideas. The Torx bit also sounds a goer if I can't work the hacksaw blade in there (no dremel – how i realise i should have one now!)

Molgrips were my first attempt but there's not really enough room for the fat ended ones I have.

Cheers folks 🙂

I suspect warm stuffy conditions are far more conducive to colds than the outdoors.

You're undoubtedly right but the double dose of self-pity that accompanies colds can skew rationality 😉

I've been keeping an eye out in Derby (and I live in a scrotastic area too) but, obviously, no sign.

Just wanted to say thatI'm pleased for you that JJ has found a replacement – I've had bikes stolen in the past and know how gut-wrenching it is. Mine were easily replacable so I can only guess how wretched it must have felt to have found 'your' bike only to potentially lose it forever. As I said, good for JJ, PW etc, great support.

I hate getting wet and today I've got a vicious headcold so I especially hate the thoughtof being cold and wet today but I can't understand the attitude of some people on this thread: if water is such a risk what about mud?! It's wet AND dirty and sticky! I'm not sure how their bike wheels can touch the ground without compromising the integrity of their King of Pop style oxygen tents.

As rediscovered in my dad's shed last year. I do have some photos of it in its 'prime' (not quite the right word lol) but I'm not sure where they are right now.

Cheers all. I may well give some Torq Energy Drum (love CRC's 'Sale': £7.99 from £8.00)/Hi5 zero pills/pizza a go.

Why do you feel you need them? Are you bonking or struggling to hydrate?

Energy loss but not bonking at around 2 hours or so. Judging by some of the above answers I'd guess that it might be worth investing in some.

Thanks for the thoughts and advice so far 🙂

Yep, high five, SiS, torq; thomthumb has confirmed my suspiscions 😀

okay. that's pretty straightforward! Cheers 🙂

I heard Vertebrate Publishing (me and some other guy) were thinking of doing a classic walks in the Peak District book…

Lol. Do it! 😀

Cheers Joe – I never get to ride on weekends anyway as my boys come over Fri-Sun but next time work's quiet on a weekday I'll have a look round Black Rocks for 'special walks' in that area 🙂

I like the stuff West of Belper too – I think we'll be buying somewhere up that way in a couple of years time and those two tracks are part of the reason Belper's top of the 'close to Derby, close to riding' pile.

The Ashover route is really helpful too Jackal – I've looked at those BWs on the map but always ended up doing the usual stuff instead, I'll have to check them out next time i get a train up to Matlock.

Also, I always thought that the classifieds were primarily a way of circulating bike bits (and the odd off-topic bit) amongst other cyclists whereas Ebay was the world's biggest carboot-auction hybrid where the madness of *winning* something drives prices beyond what good sense (as opposed to the stupidity of 'the market') suggests they're actually worth.