I’m no help at all as I haven’t ridden both. I do have a Spitfire though and it’s great.

Hopefully someone with more balanced advice will be along in a minute…

+2 for both Run or Die and Relentless Forward Progress. The former for motivation and the latter for tips and whatnot.

I’d also suggest the Run Ultra podcast by Ian Corless and the Science of Ultra podcast. Both good for those loooooooooong long runs.

A-level maths teacher and 6th form tutor.

Lots of good advice above, if she was my tutee I’d encourage her to stick with 4 until end Y12 (with the caveat that she’d drop one quickly if grades in any of them started to suffer or she was stressed) and then definitely drop one at the start of Y13 (with her AS results to guide her and perhaps Uni visits and discussions with admission tutors).

Obviously I’d be on the internet and phone to the Unis she’s interested in to get their opinion, they hold the keys in this situation.

Good luck, there’s lots of tricky decisions to make around this time. I always try to remind my students that although it feels like these things are binary in a happy/not happy sense actually whether they are happy in later life has got very little to do with these decisions. Better to make the best decision you can then keep moving forward.

I had a root canal done on the NHS a few years ago, I had a big abscess and it was off-the-scale painful before. Had no problems since, but the tooth is starting to discolour as it now dead… Since it’s at the front and I don’t want to look like a pirate that’s more ££ for bleaching.

I hope you get it sorted soon, I don’t wish the pain on anyone.

Keepie uppies… 16 is my record.

Wheelies… 5 metres.

Manual… I can manual over a small double, but I poop myself doing it.

Can’t jump either!

Any other life skills that I can fail at? :)

OP.

I did exactly what you’re thinking of (07 1.9 T5). Result was brilliant, much safer to drive (overtake) and better MPG.

Had it done 3 years ago, no problems since (30000 miles later). I’d go for it.

Started Mindhunters after reading this thread. Loving it. Thanks.

Ling? does not compute

I suggest putting a few hours aside and looking at a recent v.long thread about cars/deposits/customer service (and a large amount of other stuff). If anything it’ll make you feel better about your experience!

That’s very cool. Going to show that to my A-level maths class tomorrow :)

Thanks Wwaswas

Def agree about try before you buy.

Skimmed thread so this may well have been said…

There’s a Salomon shop at CyB that do have a test fleet of shoes and short trails to try that out on. Maybe worth a trip (and you might accidentally take your bike, you know, ‘just in case there’s a trail…’

In this thread. Bl00dy brilliant.

Ooooh, I feel that parental pain.

No brainer. Report it.

Cheers scud & shindiggy. I’ll have another go with Twitter.

Cheers neilwheel. I’ve also been taught how to tag people in the comments so at least Jesse will know I’m bothering!

Thanks lucky7500. Anyone FB friends with Chris Boardman? Or Jezza C? :)

Cheers belugabob & bigblackshed.

Anyone with social media knowledge? What about promoting it via payment, is that worthwhile or even possible?

Thanks bigblackshed. I totally agree, Hereford is terrible from a cycling perspective. Trying to ride East-West without fighting the traffic is rubbish and the lack of forward planning for cycling is painful to observe. Thanks for the share.

Cheers Drac.

Cheers both. I wrote it in the middle of last night between my sons virus-stimulated meltdowns, maybe I should work at 2 am more often!

2002 facelift 2.0 Hdi here. Brilliant car.

Echo points made above, easy 3 bikes with front wheel off. I don’t have Aircon and it seems fine to me in the UK.

I’d definitely recommend one.

This is simultaneously inspiring and depressing. Keep up the good work!

+1 for Icarus, amazing!

Easy. Custom titanium. Burls did exactly this for me (wife). I basically said “build a titanium bike that handles like a small giant TCR and that has di2/discs and room for mudguards.

Not as expensive as you might think (obviously that is relative but it worked out cheaper than a equivalent spec S works).

So good that I rode it then sold my TT bike, winter bike and summer bike and am having a similar one built. (Obviously kept my MTBs!). Justin Burl is a lovely bloke too.

Thread closed. EDIT to add winky face :wink:

I hardly ever get past series three of anything (The Wire is the principle exception), I just run out of steam with them, the gaps between episodes get longer then I CBA anymore.

Thanks everyone, now my fingers are crossed for good weather!

Thanks everyone for the replies, I appreciate it. I’ll msg Sam at BV as well as Emily and hopefully get a solo day sorted.

It sounds like driving to La Rosiere and separately to La Thuile will be smarter, I have a PhD in ‘Epic Dad Organised Potentially Disastrous But Saved By The Skin Of My Teeth Bikerides’ so trying to learn from my mistakes (taking Micro to BPW aged 4 1/2 is an example of one such adventure).

Shifter – ref tow rope. It’s a 4.5m long piece of 3mm climbing cord. Double it back and tie an overhead knot so you have a 30cm diameter loop with two ~2m long tails. Tie small loops in the ends of these tails. A mini-carabiner in each of these small loops clips to the shoulder straps of our pack (under your armpits) and the big loop passes over the top of his stem and snugs between his stem bolts. Hi me a pm if you want photos. It seems to work ok for us, although downhills are to be avoided! I can tow him up BPW fireroad, but it’s getting harder niw he’s heavier (and possibly lazier, but I can’t tell as I’m too tired to turn round and CHD he’s peddling)

Cheers both.

@ Rob_Hilton. Thanks, that’s what the map looks like. I have a tow rope for the kid, but I think the altitude would crush me!

@ bigjim. Nice one, I’ll drop her a msg.

Ditto to Singlespeedstu… But I wasnt in the carpark at that time! TBH I’d be more discreet than the bloke in question, but not a lot more. Half the world have willies, I’m not sure what the problem is.

(On a related but clearly tangential note; does anyone else think that the contrast between our mega sexualised society and our societies attitude to nudity is odd?)

Agree with Stato. I’ve tried a few different ways, in the end settled for ghetto rim strips and hunchinson tubeless ready X tyres with Stan’s fluid. Still couldn’t run then as low a a tub, but way better than tubes.

Enjoy and updates please on the subject (or glorious failure) of the maiden Euro roadtrip.

Brilliant, what a great thread and build. I can’t wait to see the painted finished product (and a photo of the first ride).

Lidl nespresso capsules are alright for work caffeine. Brings cost down to about 22p

This is a great thread, really fires up the dreaming.

This is great, I love a van thread .

How fit will you be feeling? From Santa Ponsa the loop along the coast via Andratax, Estellencs, Deia to Soller then back via Bunyola, Esporles, Puigpunyent, Es Capdella is 75-80 miles of beautiful (hilly) road.

I’d recommend the day hike up Half Dome in Yosemite.

The view/exposure from the top was incredible (unless you have trouble with heights, in which case I really wouldn’t).

Not ridden. It but ran the section from Valdemossa to Pollensa.

Access issues aside (I saw a few no bike signs at the top of the pass above soller) I think it’d be a good adventure but you will definitely be hiking a good chunk of the uphills. I remember running along and trying to take my mind off how painful my feet? were by planning to ride it.

Lastly,you’d need to be very good at steep very rocky descents. They love a good rock do the Mallorcan trail builders!

Spot on

I’m my experience quiet and powerful are mutually incompatible when it comes to fans.

After much messing around I ended up with one that sits on the floor (as opposed to being on a stick) so it didn’t topple over (£40 from BandQ) and louder speakers, can’t hear it over the music!