Oh, here's a pic of it lined with just the trance in:
http://lobster.selfip.org/stuff/17072009705.jpg

DB, is it you with pics of the crashed berlingo I saw on flickr when I was looking for pics of berlingos with bikes in a couple months ago?

DB, i've got a 92hp HDI engined VTR. The rear seats split 2 and 1, which seems fine flexibility wise for me. IN terms of sleeping in one, I plan some sort of ghetto conversion myself for the occasional time I don't want to use a tent, but have you seen Amdro's stuff?

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=88499&id=49029340221

Here're a pic of mine with bikes in, before I lined it properly:

Not obvious from that pic, but all the wheels are on all the bikes, and the double seat's out the car. The 2 bikes on the left are BIG. I'm 6'4" so ride proper gates. That's a large Socom, and an XL trance (the socom's longer and taller bars than the trance, and most other bikes). The superlight's my SO's and smaller, but I had 3 big bikes in there just yesterday for the selkirk merida.

all-mountain

Troutwrestler, the new berlingo XTR is raised slightly and has a sump guard too, for better off-roading powers. The FC and the like use them. I have a regular one however.

There's the van variant of the new kangoo that parks on my street sometimes, and I think i prefer the berlingo.

I just got a new shape berlingo and it's an ace biking vehicle, better than the old ones as they drive a lot better, are a bit bigger and the seats come out.

3 bikes and 3 people, no wheels have to come off and you just wheel the bikes in longways. Loads of room for kit.

4 + 4 means wheels off, and bikes in the boot. If you want to do 4+ 4 bikes complete, you'll need at least a LWB transporter. In one of them bikes will go longways behind the rear row of seats. If you've got the cash they do fast versions too.

Eh? Why do you need sus for a town bike? Admittedly on the crap edinburgh roads 23mm slicks at 120psi are a bit uncomfy, so something bigger is nice.

For Edinburgh I have my ultimate town bike, it's a specialized tricross single, running 42:18, with some semi slick-ish cross tyres on at about 60 psi. Gets me up all the hills fine (even with a pannier and bag full of stuff) comfy and fast round town, and it's great fun for occasionally ragging round the pentlands.

The FSA headset tech book will tell you all you ever wanted, and didn't want to know, about every FSA headset:

http://www.windwave.co.uk/documents/techinfo/FSA_headsetbook.pdf

(BIG pdf)

Just skimmed the thread, but the answer is:

For some buying, maintaining and upgrading bikes, trying to get them "just right" is a rewarding activity in itself. There're two sides (at least!) to MTBing – sport and hobby.

Bikes are expensive, but not compared to a lot of other things! And if there's pleasure to be gained by riding a new bike, then why not?

It was big drums last year.

I just did it with one bottle last year, but i was aiming to go briskly for a <5 hour*. Though on the long one, there's a bit of a gap between 35 and 70k this year. If I was planning on going slower I'd maybe take more water. Depends how much you drink and if you want to ride with a bag or not I guess.

*crash then cramping scuppered that :(

The rational strategy to win on ebay is to bid your maximum as early as possible. As if someone else bids the same, the earlier bid gets it.

However this assumes everyone else is rational – they're not, some people will wait and see how others value the item, and up their bid. So bid once, your maximum, near the end.

Middleburn are making (make?) 38t unos for rolhoff use – give them a call?

Not to mention pricey – mind, that'd be one tart-tastic wheelset.

Well one thing I will say about intense, even although their QC at the factory is a bit iffy, Extra (the UK importers) are excellent to deal with. Some of the best after sales backup I've come across.

"Cant understand why they would put such a long stem on that sort of bike anyway."

Because they're European?

Glad to hear I'm not (that) weird!

And better this has turned into a good thread on things people do to keep commutes interesting, so keep them coming folks :-)

Haha, the racing at lights is a classic too. Best is when you stop at the lights, another commuter pulls up, looks at you, you look at them and know it's on. Sprint for the lights!

Admittedly that's only happened to me twice, but it was quality both times.

Coffeeking – either your work's amazing or you should try lightening up a bit, make the commute a bit of fun in the morning :-)

A brief synopsis of what I always post on these threads:

I ran a carbon DH bike for a few years. It eventually cracked in a massive crash at fort bill, which put me in a neck brace in hospital.

Where did it crack in this massive impact?

The Alu headtube insert. The carbon was fine.

Most estates are only as long as the non-estate versions, and easier to park due to the flat back.

But of a similar ilk, focus estates seems good. If I was buying a smaller car I'd have one of those. You can get 3 XC bikes, and wheels, in the boot with the seats still up. Which is pretty good. And I'm pretty sure my mate's done it with 4 too, with a bit of cunning.

Though having said that, and driven golfs a fair bit too, I think the golf is a nicer car to be in, but the focus drives better. And for me the money saved on the focus means that's where I'd go.

42:18 on my SS CX bike that's used for commuting and occasional off road forays.

But it's a bit of a daft question. I mean, it'll depend how fast you can spin comfortably and how much power you have at the low end for steeper stuff. So what's fine for me, may be too long or short a gear for you!

Yup, got a pile of bits on the basis "too good to through out, but not actually useful to me".

Stuff like wheels with wrecked hubs, but perfectly fine rims – only I can't be bothered to unlace them, and even if I did I CBA posting a rim, etc.

What's needed is some sort of massive bike kit car boot sale.

You'll need a copy of office though:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/Office2008/default.mspx

(but then you would for a pc too)

Free alternatives also exist (neo-office – mac native port of openoffice)

Vinny, google NTFS-3g and macfuse. It'll give you read-write NTFS support.

I use it to strap mine under the top tube, wedged at the headtube junction, holds it nicely there and stays fairly clean/dry.

Since switching to macs 5 years or so ago I've still not found something I could do on a windows box but not on my mac. Plenty examples the other way round though…

LOL, if you think a maxxis DH tyre rolls well, you've never ridden a tyre than rolls well.

If you like maxxis try some crossmarks. That's a fast tyre.

Minion DH Fs are good F+R. Most people just run the Fs.

CF is great for a full sus, lets you make the odd shapes you need easily.

"Go for a rucksack or large camelbak rather than panniers."

Really?! Have you actually tried a pannier(s) out? So much better, and more comfortable. Less strain on your back, keeps you cooler, easier to carry heavier loads if you can etc.

If you can change at work then mudguards are less essential, but it's amazing how often you get wet from road spray rather than rain, so mudguards make a bigger difference than you think. And it's all about full-length one.

Also no-one's mentioned the benefits – I find that a commute of that sort of length makes a big difference to fitness – it'll be hard the first few weeks, but when you get into it then it helps a lot.

Also eat more breakfast, and make sure you have something healthy to snack on when you reach the office – commuting makes you hungry!

Are XT still steel freehub therefore a fair bit heavier?

LOL at all the hope comments, every time someone mentions them you get about a 50:50 "they're great"/"loads of issues" split. I think if you get good ones, they're good, otherwise… So I accept some pairs are good, possibly great. But hope fanboys need to accept they're not all good! Also the comments above about "good customer service", I'd rather not need to find out!

Having said that, I love their hubs. But i'd not touch one of their headsets. "great spare parts availability" hah, try getting some replacement bearings for a previous generation headset. Or try getting them say, a couple of months after they stopped selling them…

I'd point out that I've just been in a similar position (just got a new car) and looking at the small print in my insurance policy (direct line) for the first year, as I'm the first owner, they will replace it with a new equivalent spec car. Same as the gap insurance appears to offer. And then after the first year I'm not so bothered – as said above, in 2 years time, replacing with brand new puts me in a better position. So maybe have a close read through your insurance?

When I was a lad, my lego lived in cheap toolboxes from b&q.

New bikes are a bit like new shoes… they feel a bit odd at first till you get used to them.

20lb hardtail? What are your wheels/tyres/stem/post/pedals?

Remove it yourself, they're just bolted on. Should be able to get instructions here:

http://www.fittinginstructions.co.uk/

Even better if you get the wiring stuff out too, useful for the next person. If it's in decent nick I'm sure your towbar's worth £50 to someone. (a new one would cost them £150 ish).

+1 for blackburn. Or I had a specialized for many years too, and it worked pretty good.

Read the OP skimmed the rest.

My GF had the problem on her old bike, and we swapped the deore rapid fire for a grip shifter. But the XT kit with decent cables on her new bike is fine.

Assuming you have nice kit on your bike, give her a shot with those shifters see if it helps.

Fire up itunes, then subscribe to the weekly (free) Above & Beyond podcast, that'll keep you going. There's also a tiesto podcast which is decent too.

Oh, and pro2s are plenty strong, I (and many, many others) run them on DH bikes.

Without wanting to open that can of worms… be aware of the alu freehub issue.

Or to put it differently, don’t put a heavy all-steel deore cassette on your nice light expensive new wheels!

Some here: http://vimeo.com/iainw

If you’re a member you can download what I uploaded down the bottom right of the page.

OK footage, I’ve certainly watched it on the telly with mates and it’s been fine. E.g. after our qualifying at the mega last year we all sat and watched thru the vid of my run with a few beers, chatting about what lines we’d all taken where, and all the stuff that happened to each of us etc.