+1 for Gore windstopper. Can’t remember which one, but the sleeves zip off which makes it more versatile. Although not a waterproof it keeps a shower off, so I only carry a vey light waterproof(ish) jacket when the forecast is bad.

I have no problem with paying my share towards the upkeep of the trails and forest in general, and have an annual pass.
I don’t like the idea of car park fees, as it is bound to mean people just move to other free car parks nearby, but after a while these get full up, and so charges are introduced too. Once all nearby car parks have introduced a fee, every layby, verge and other spot of land available will get parked on. The council will then have to act because of inconsiderate or dangerous parking in the area, resulting in miles of yellow lines and bollards in all surroundong areas. By this time a number of friendly clamping operators will have offered their services to local land owners, and the whole experience of visiting Swinley will be a pita.
I’d rather just pay for my annual riding permit and have hassle free parking.

Do they keep their legs apart the whole time because it helps with the aerodynamics, or just because their balls are so big?

I made a pair last year which worked well, so I hope to make a few improvements this year.
Ir bandito’s photo shows good positioning of the screws, if anything I found they can be spaced even further apart (around the circumference) without any loss of bite, but it needs to fit the tread pattern you start with.
I would advise using the shortest screws possible, they only need to be just proud of the rubber. Despite a few well gritted sections on my commute where the tyres rattle along on the tarmac, the screw tips did not wear hardly with a couple of weeks use.
Preventing punctures was the biggest problem. I used duct tape and an old inner tube split open to line the inside of the tyre, but still got punctures after 3 or 4 days use. I used countersunk screws rather than roundheads which may have been better. A half decent tyre to begin with helps, one of mine was too worn out allowing the screws to flex too much in the carcass.
Riding is hard work, but there is a sense of achievement riding past BMWs and Mercs with ther rear ends stick in the gutter, and being one of the few people to be able to get to work on time.

I choose to cycle, a 15 mile round trip on the more scenic route. I have a car parking permit I’ve never used, can get a bus which is mostly quicker, or go by motorbike which is loads quicker. I cycle at least 90% of the time. Even in the suburbs I get to ride about a mile of singletrack and a couple more of towpath.
It is worth riding through the coldest of winters to see the first snowdrops of spring, ducklings, lambs etc at sunrise or before. It is only when cycling in that I’ve been late for work because I’ve stopped to take photos on the way.

The Tube map is hugely distorted to make it easy to follow and look good, which is fine when you are travelling in a train underground and distances are pretty much irelevant. When cycling, an accurate scale must be one of the most important details to help plan a route.
The whole idea of a Tube style map for cycling anywhere seems pointless if you can’t work out how far you’ll have to pedal, or how to cut across between marked routes to the places you actually want to go to.

Yes, and they cover more miles per year,so why not?

I worked nights on a rolling shift pattern for 5 years and never worked out a good way to cope with it. It is impossible to sleep in advance, knowing you will be tired later. I think you do get better at just coping with being tired, and not quite as grumpy.

I’m headed down tomorrow, riding with a 24 hour team. Lets hope the rain stops.
Just checked local forecast and it shows last showers Friday pm, then dry for Sat and Sun.

Mine’s with Virgin. I got a slightly better rate for having cable telly and broadband with them too. It’s only 50 mins, but I don’t use that much, and Virgin-Virgin calls are unlimited (ie. counts down from 3000).

I got a HTC Wildfire because it was free on a £10.21 contract which gives me more bytes and minutes than I’m ever likely to use. Of course there are better phones that do more things, and quicker too, but as a basic smartphone this seems to do the job perfectly, and it’s not too big. I can get three days use without loads of stuff running before charging it.

I used one of these on a 16 year old Escort a few years back. It was only a smallish panel blue tacked to the top of the dash and plugged into the cigarette lighter. Before using it the car would regularly need a jump start if left for a few days, but after fitting it, the car would always start no problem. The only time I remember it not starting after fitting the charger is when the car had been covered in snow for quite a few days.
When the car got nicked, it was one of the few things not in the car when it was recovered, so the thieving gits who took the car must have liked the solar charger too.
I’d definately recommend one for a vehicle that spends days or weeks at a time parked up, and I’d think newer ones would be more efficient too.

“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” – Einstein

I’ve also had one for over 4 years. Used for commuting and off roading, it’s one of the toughest, best built bits of biking kit I’ve ever used. Still going strong so well worth the cost.

You may be able to save a few pennies at Halfords by ordering and paying online, then going straight to the shop to pick up.

I think the two brands are compatible, ie you can use the bars from one with the feet from the other, as long as it’s the square section bars, not aero.

Another brand to look at are Hardas. Mine are a few years old now, but bought them at a show having tried other brands on in direct comparison, and these just seemed best fit and well put together. The flixi armour is comfortable and stays in place better than others. Definately worth trying on before you buy if poss.

I’ve used this for some time and would recommend it. If there is any other lube on the chain at all it will gunge up and not dry out, attracting grit, so you need a really clean drive train to start off with. A solvent cleaner may be best to do this.
Apply the Clean Ride sparingly, and wipe off any excess, or you can get lumps of wax building up.
On wet rides it can wash off pretty quickly compared to other lubes. I gave up using it on the commuter as it could need applying twice a day in really wet weather (and it’s not cheap), but on the fs which generally gets some tlc after each ride it is ideal, espescially this spring as we’ve had no significant rain here in the south east for months.
I can’t say whether or not it will make your chain last any longer, but it is an easy way of keeping a chain free of grit or grinding paste with minimal effort, as long as you don’t mind applying it a little more often in the wet.
One more thing, don’t apply it right at the start of a ride as it needs time for the solvent to evaporate to work best.

Whether it’s washing up liquid or a ‘proper’ degreaser, use the hottest water you can without scalding yourself. Makes a huge difference.

Consider getting some suction cup handles for lifting the glass out and in again.
If it’s a uPVC plastic frame, a wallpaper scraper or similar can be used to prize the internal beading off, and the rubber should reseal fairly easily afterwards as long as it isn’t damaged, but you wouldn’t want to drop the sealed unit.
I’ve not actually done it, as I managed to squeeze my new sofa through the door, but I watched the window fitters when a pane had to be taken out because of a jammed lock, with this in mind.

+1 for ‘The Ones’ The only Formula brakes I’ve used, but way more powerfull than anything else I’ve tried. R1 are very similar, but few grams lighter for the weight concious.

My front brake sometimes decides that it wants to ‘sing’ ie make a continuous high pitched note when its not being used, espescially at low speeds. Riding faster is the obvious solution, but the best thing to make it go away is to just do some heavy braking on a downhill section to get it nice and warm, then it’s fine for the rest of the ride.

Does it follow that it would work on ‘the one’ as well then.

Got rid of mine about 5 years ago and don’t miss it. The battery kept going flat it was used so little. Commuting by bike is much better.
We do still have one old car, but it does very low milage, as does my motorbike.
At the moment I wouldn’t want to be totally car free, because I like the convenience of having your own vehicle ready to drive whenever you need it, and the motorbike is so much quicker than public transport.
Anyone belong to a car club? In theory they seem to be a good option, but unlike hire cars they aren’t going to have a full clean between each user. Anyone who’s used a pool car or van will know how gross the interior of a new vehicle can become in just a couple of months

As a total novice, when I made enquiries with the training centre for my DAS, I was invited to go down for a quick try out. Only 10 mins on a 125 squeezed in when an instructor was free, but by them seeing if you had basic clutch control and balance, they told you there and then how many days training you’d need to get a full licence. This was free, and off road of course.
They seemed pretty good at making judgements, and I felt far more at ease on the day of my CBT having done it. This was a few years ago, but I’m sure good schools will still do the same thing.

One other thing, 10 mins with my head inside a bike school full face helmet convinced me to invest in my own crash hat and gloves before I started the DAS for real.

I got mine just before Xmas. A well specced bike offering good value for money, at a respectable weight, and they look good too. Has coped with everything I’ve wanted it to do easily. The Talas fork gives a XC feel at 110mm, and trail/AM capability at up to 150mm.
The only fault I’ve had is the pivot bolts on one of the Forula The One brake levers coming out due to a lack of threadlock. I suspect this is a one off and was very easily sorted.
I’d definately recommend as a good all round FS bike.