This is the stuff I need to know!

Now just seems a good time to sacrifice a few things to improve things for the future (we really don’t need to be living in s house worth nearly £700k at the moment)

There must be an option?

Another option is to look for a property with some outbuildings I could convert to holiday let’s but haven’t found anything in a year of looking

Rent a (self drive) rib boat for a day or two at gulf de orosei (about £100 eu a day) and enjoy heaven…. boat only access beaches, warm turqoise water, ace snorkelling etc. Then spend your evenings eating enormous amounts of cheap, delicious food at proper agro tourismos…. I love Sardinia!

Got lucky, with a good design, good location and 18 months of backbreaking, brain breaking work 6 years ago!

I will build another house (house we really want to live in) in a few years, when both kids are fully ensconced in school and I can handle the stress of doing it again

In the meantime it seems crazy not to try and take advantage of our equity to improve our finances/freedom in the future.

Just not sure how best to go about this

Saw loads up on Exmoor two days ago, very early!

I’m definitely of the , everywhere is fine on a hardtails, camp! That’s all I’ve ever really ridden and love coed y brenin.
I have recently been working around most in my gravel bike and living it but penhyyd at afan sucks on a rigid, zero fun. Reckon it would be a laugh with front bounce though.
Small centres that rule on hardtail or rigid
Haldon forest park
Cwm Rhayader
Cwm carn

I’ve backed it and joined the rsf. Membership gets you access to archives and all recorded routes! Amazing!
Best thing I have seen on Kickstarter, a very worthy project to back

Malagacar, always used them. Very cheap hire prices but their insurance is high.
Buy your insurance online (independent car hire insurance) before you go, it’s a tiny fraction of the price

Welsh farmer, your a legend… replied to your pm

Thanks everyone,
Djglover… that looks just my cup of tea cheers
The gap also looks perfect for what I’m looking for but a bit short. Will have look and see if I can extend it with some quality extra miles.
So far that Yorkshire loop is winning, damn it, it’s a long drive though

Devon/Cornwall c2c’s are a good option but done most and it’s on my doorstep, fancy some new terrain, while I have a window

Cheers, they sound spot on but I’m on my tod and will be sleeping in the van, so I’m stuck with loops this time

I almost want to avoid canal towpath sort of gravel… I’m pretty happy with Xc mtb style trails, rocky bridleway etc. Although for 100 odd mile routes, some good long sections of welsh fire road style gravel would be handy!

Thanks for the offer of a route around north Brecon, I did a great loop near Lyn Brianne, taking in cwm rhaeadr trail. It’s so good round there. Any advice on other sections would be great

A gravel bike is definitely not a compromise, in fact quite the opposite where I live
Most roads aside from A roads, around me, are rough as and just downright painful and sketchy on my road bike. Whereas the gravel bike is a pleasure, it then has the bonus that I can jump onto any bridleway I fancy mid route and have a blast in the mud and if I have ridden far enough I can even go for rag around one of our local trail centres.
A standard ride on mine is: straight out of my front door 30-40 miles of rough coastal or moorland B roads, some greenlanes and as much gravel/bridleway as I can find.
I have done several long and fast road rides but being able to take roads that don’t really see traffic, without puncturing, ruining wheel, or shaking myself to bits…
I bloody love mine and it has become, easily, my most used bike

Many moons ago in the mid 90’s when I was 16, on my beloved Diamondback apex. I had cycled about 27 miles on road to enter an xc race in the Peak district, raced and did quite well (cant remember position) started cycling home post race and about a mile in, my non drive side crank arm fell off.
couldn’t find the bolt and couldn’t fix it, so popped it in my water bottle and cycled the remaining 26 miles home with one leg and the spare leg stood on the chainstay.
Went well and was almost entertaining until I got home, stepped off the bike and my hardworking leg just gave way under me. Resulting in me falling head first into the corner of a brick wall and splitting my head open!

Thanks
Really useful…. Sigg hot and cold one or Deboyo by the looks of it.
Cheers

+1 for Tacx flow 2240… faultless so far and seems to work very well with zwift
There’s a company on eBay selling reconditioned ones at £120 delivered (second hand frame, brand new power bit, whatever that bits called) bargain!!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TACX-RECONDITIONED-CAT-B-T2240-FLOW-SMART-TRAINER-SRP-264-99-/223326334148

Another for nano rear and resolute front. Great combo but you still need to unclip and speedway turn on very fast, wet, muddy, loose corners.

My newly built fearless vulture https://www.fearlessbikes.com/vulture/
I knew it was going to be good. What’s not to like about a well thought through and well built steel frame, be it mtb, road or gravel but this one…… is awesome, I can’t stop riding it it. Ace on loooong rides and tonnes of fun when it gets tech,I’ve found myself searching out red+ mtb trails on my long rides and still haven’t found the point where it stops being fun…. it’s just one of those rare, sweet spot, bikes!

Haha, I think you are right. It would be a shame to waste it!!!
I’m on it
Cheers

Anyone else around?

Thanks molgrips
I’ll pm you

Excellent, good starting point, thanks
I think two big 50 odd mile routes, with a night in the van would be better than trying to work out a really big loop.
I don’t know the area at all for biking.

Many thanks everyone, all really helpful. Looks like there should be enough to keep us entertained outside of the knobbly knees competitions (or am I getting centreparks confused with 1950’s butlins, they are all the same aren’t they?)
Will decide tomorrow if we are going for it… other option is visit family in the peak, no shortage of good entertainment up there
Thanks again

I’d love to agree with those saying, the new classifieds are fine but… I have been looking for parts too and hardly any have been posted, compared to the old listings.
Replies to wanted posts have also diminished too.
Sellers also never seem to see messages either, as non ever reply… or maybe it’s just me

cheers but too old for a full suss for me and too much of a beast really, weren’t they 170mm?… despite seeing if an awesome bike can be had for around £600 id like something with fairly modern geo and weight possibilities.

good call on the trail star…. one of the best bikes i ever owned, felt like a game changer when i bought it! tyres lasted ages, as they were never on the ground

it is a bit of a stealth question but also just really interesting to see what folk would do in this time of £3-4k standard bike purchases….£600 should still get you a seriously good piece of kit, capable of worrying the £3-4k bikes on the trails.

I have had many mtbs and ridden most disciplines, just been on drop bars only for a couple of years but really fancy an mtb again, for the odd race and some trail hooning (plus my oldest lad is only a year or two off being able to hit proper trails) but it won’t get used much, so just seems silly to spend loads of dosh on it.

Great replies, thanks… sounds like we are all after something that doesn’t actually exist! Why has no company got it together to make a good nav system that doesn’t crash?
I’m currently using my suunto traverse watch, good Sträva compatability for recording routes, ok breadcrumb nav and about 8hrs batt on gps
Starting to think that wahoo isn’t going to be £200 better than what I already have!

That would convince me, doesn’t look like the deals on anymore though :(

Just fitted some Bluemels and they are ace.
Running with 42mm wtb resolutes
Came back from a very wet ride, clean as a whistle

Generalist

I’m keen for all of the above. C2c as a recce would be good, as I’m hoping to run it at some point.

Added highfell to my favourites, plenty of interesting events, shame they are at the other end of the country

Some amazing options there, thanks
Grit fest entered. Haglofs 5 has been on my radar for a while, soon as I can run again, I’m on it.
Really appreciate it!
I’m also keen if anyone has a hair brained scheme and needs a fellow idiot to do it with.
I’m going to give two moors way in a day, on a gravel bike, a punt once the weather sorts itself out a bit

could be a contender, as i love the lakes and used to live there. I did the dartmoor classic a few years ago, which was ace but as a rule i tend to avoid road events for biking and running. Everyone seems so serious!

I’m loving this one
https://theradavist.com/2017/12/rule-the-woods-with-the-all-city-cycles-electric-queen/#1

Looks squished and not sure about the silly tyres on that one either

If that’s the case then I feel very sorry for Richard, if he was unaware of the situation, then his friend has screwed him over!!

Anyone managed to have a conversation with Richard moir (magicmoir, on insta and Twitter)?
He was as bad as the directors, until he deleted his insta account, after I had asked him if he knew where my kit/money was, it looked from his photos that he was more than just an employee…
Long time friend, bumchum, puppet of James heath.
He openly lied to me and took my money, probably literally as they were locking the doors.
I wouldnt employ him to clean the toilets at peak bike

I too have filed a report with action fraud. I would advise everyone else too as well , it’s pretty straight forward.
James heath could do with at least some uncomfortable interviews with the authorities.
Would love to catch up with him for a ‘chat’ myself!

I was about to write the same, where are all these people throwing threats and insults?

I emailed my details several hours ago…. not heard anything yet. Im used to that now though.
i agree with tomhoward, regarding Peak bike not having any responsibility to us, if all is as Peter says but i am a little suspicious and distrustful. UBYK have broken my trust in the industry it seems.

Ditch the UBYKunts name straight away. Tarnished forever by the criminal activities of directors and managers.
Good luck to you but sadly I cannot see that I could ever buy a single bottle cage bolt, from ubyk, regardless of ownership. Even if I get my money back!

Just out of interest, how long have you been the new owner? It appears you were promoting and sharing posts on your Facebook timeline in November?

I may be one of the victims of this (currently understood to be) crooked business and their underhand, blatant thievery but… this is getting more entertaining by the minute! I’m kind of enjoying it, it’s like a really sh*t movie that I have paid £140 to see.
Who is this mysterious new director referring to himself in the third person? Gripping stuff!