Not strictly true, i got an old stock one from atb-sales direct: http://store.atb-sales.co.uk/ some good deals.

Yeah, I think it’s better. Also means it’s better sealed for most of the time (when it matters) as there’s one less hole in it. And if it did get manky inside, you could clean it out with the easy access. I think it’s good design…

As above, I recommend virtualbox. Great piece of software.

Then download a distro of choice. Ubuntu is not necessarily for dummies – easy to use doesn’t mean simple…

Fedora core would also be a good start though, or Gentoo if you’re feeling a bit more hardcore.

Any dixons group place will pricematch anything you find, even online if it’s in stock and the same model etc. Bring a printout with you and haggle with the person at the till etc.

If the letter makes points – what information is their opinion based on? Or are they reporting fact? If you agree with their opinion – maybe also reference a source for the facts this is based on. If they are reporting fact – can you back it up from somewhere else? Or if it’s the case they make points that you agree with – can you find references for an opposing view point?

Try thinking of things the other way round, even if it’s obviously “wrong” – it’s not always, and other people may have thought the same thing. This can help you find references – be objective.

I’ve one of edinburgh bike co-op’s own brand ones, seems decent and has stood up to everday use for over a year now.

I have actually been in a similar situation, just not carbon rims.

Lent my mate a front wheel for a day DHing – he messed up a double and rode into a tree, pringled it. He was happy to replace the rim, but as he was a mate and I recognised the wheel wasn’t new in the first place I said I’d pay for the new spokes – and he did the build himself with my help.

I think your mate has every right to expect you to return his wheel in the condition he lent you it. If that means a new rim then so be it. It’s your problem that someone crashed into you, not his. I’d be pretty pissed if I lent someone a fancy carbon wheel and got something average back though.

Eh? Just a regular crud catcher. If the rubber bands don’t stretch, use some zip ties.

If I was gonna bodge it, I’d be tempted to go for the slightly larger shim and then if need be take some wet n dry paper to the outside of it to reduce the diameter a fraction.

Well it’s the axle that costs yeah? Some bikes use 10mm thru QRs (some of the 6″ commencals) or 10mm thru axles – hence why hope make the hub. Get one of those axles cheaper than a RWS maybe?

“I am already waiting / hoping that Hope / someone will produce a bolt through rear for standard dropouts and a Pro2…”

They do. Buy a 10mm thru axle pro2 kit from hope, and a 10mm RWS thru axle from DT.

Aye, I’ve had a look at a haynes manual. They come out easily enough, and I’ve a garage to stash them in.

Cheers mugsy and mick – that’s some good info.

Getting some seats put in the back of a commercial is something I considered, but seems to be a bit of a minefield getting it done so it’s all legal, and more importantly safe.

Aye I noticed about the modutop – but looking into it that appears to have been an option stopped in 04? And the one I’m looking at is an 06 one, so shoudln’t be an issue.

Was the one seat out to allow bikes to fit in better? How did that work out?

OK, question for those that actually have a berlingo:

When the seats are folded up forwards, would I be right in saying they’re about 30cm thick?

That’s an estimate based on the van dimensions, and looking at pictures. If that’s the case, the 30cm extra room from completely removing the double seat from the back might just make it fit my needs.

One of them would be ace, but also very expensive – don’t think they’re old enough for cheaper ones, plus the VW “tax”.

Plenty other stuff goes wrong with espaces though by all accounts, and they’re a fair bit bigger. Also I don’t know if they have the height to take complete bikes. Feel free to counter my assumption with facts/links/pics of them with a million bikes in ;)

Mick_r – cheers some good info. I had considered dispatches, though the problem is it sounds like they really only sit 2 -the 3rd seat is a bit cramped for all but the shortest trips. I can’t afford a new one, and combi style old ones are few and far between – none anywhere near me anyhow, and all seem to be really high miles ex-taxis.

Reason the berlingo is particularly interesting for me is I know someone selling one – though they’re too far away for me to easily answer my questions, and I’d like a bit more info before I make a long trip etc. But everyone on here so far’s been pretty helpful. So cheers all for the advice, and feel free to keep it coming.

I’m in edinburgh, so I had considered just rocking up to GT and asking folk one weekend.

I’m at the inners uplift this sunday, so I reckon if I see anyone else with one there I’l ask them. Reckon there’s a good chance someone will have one.

2 seats and 2 bikes assembled would be fine – but my bikes are more like 22″.. Or 3 seats and front wheels off – dunno if that’s plausible though.

Though it’s seeming more and more like there’s a good chance one is *just* big enough, but I’ll have to try it and see.

Escort agency stuff? not seeing anything here?

Bump for the monday crowd..

Hmm, sounds like my bikes wouldn’t go in lengthways one wheel off then, as they’re pretty long. Or if they do it’ll be just. Mind there is a fair bit of clearance in that above pic. But then they’re smaller bikes. Sigh, still looks like the only way I’ll know for sure is to try it.

If both wheels have to come off there’s no point me getting one. Defeats the point of it for me entirely.

Cheers all for the pics and detailed info, keep it coming :-)

Carbon337 – need to take the wheels off the bikes to do that?

Yeah, I do think about that… but then the main reason i have a vehicle is to move bikes – so maybe it should be the best one for that task?

My current vehicle (mk2 mondeo) shifts bikes pretty well, 3+3 fits “easily” tho both wheels off and a bit of faffing. I’d quite like to cut down the faffing involved, as I get a bit sick of it. In an ideal world, if there’s just 2+2, then I’d wheel bikes straight in. But if there’s an extra person maybe one wheel off.

Also whenever I drive my car, it always seems to be jammed full, so something bigger would be good. Especially for when there’s any camping involved.

So if I admit defeat on the wheels on thing, how do bikes fit in berlingos with one wheel off? Do *long* bikes even go in straight? (wheelbase on my socom is 47″, so I think not? but then I turn bars, and the bars get in the way…) Pictures of how this works would be great..

Cos if it’s just one wheel off, and wheel them in, that’s still a big improvement on my current setup. Plus the berlingo has other advantages – like a big boot lid to hide under, more space for other crap, presumably better at lugging big loads as it’s really a van, nice and boxy which is good for fencing kit (my other sport) etc. But then if i’m spending a lot of money (to me) on a new(er) vehicle, why accept compromise?

Though having said that, feel free to give me other views and opinions, or suggestions of other vehicles.

Hmm, some more promising news from folk then. Anyone got pics of 2 bikes in one, other than the pics I have above?

Yeah I did think a bit about people carriers, only the luxury is a bad thing – means more cost! The big advantage of a berlingo is I know of someone looking to get rid of theirs, problem is they’re a couple of hundred miles away, so it’s not easy for me to check bikes fit etc. before pursuing it further.

Spooky – I posted that link earlier, it’s the measurements I’m working from ;)

Hmm, twinklydave, that’s promising. Though I think the problem is, I’ll never know for sure till I try my bikes in one. Which is awkward for various reasons.

I do wonder how much extra length taking the fold up seats out would give me tho? The van variant has a 30cm longer load area from my research, which might be just enough to do it.

Hmm, I am worried I’ll have to go bigger. Dunno that having say just front wheel off would be acceptable to me, the whole point of a bigger vehicle is to just chuck bikes in. Think i’m looking at combos or Expert/dispatches/scudos at least. Problem is, the ability to sit more than 2 folk occasionally is handy.

Sounds like a lot of air in them, even for 95kg. I’m 80 + kit and was running mine at about 105, and you’re not half again heavier than me, but it’s half again as much air (and I know it’s not quite that simple, physics pedants :-P).

Also the easiest way to check, take all the air out! Remember when re-filling to do the positive chamber first, then fill the negative.

Dunno but I DIY’d mine this week, was easy enough if you’re competent at that sort of thing. Top tip would be reset the PRAM afterwards, to prevent a delay on boot as it’ll be confused the boot device changed.

T4s and all but the smallest vans have lower speed limits. 50 in a 60 zone, 60 on dual carriageway. Anything commercial that can go over 2 tons total weight laden basically.

Wheels off you can get 2 bikes in the boot of a mk2 mondeo, lid down, easily.

Newer mondeos might not be as wide in the boot though?

6’4″ XL 08 trance, 110mm stem – spot on. No issues lowering it, plenty room on an XL.

Trances come up quite short mind. Or short in bigger sizes at least.

“can it keep up”

The bike can, the real question is can you? :-p

“I think you can assume consistency in how the system and device works from run to run.”

That’s precisely what you can’t assume (unless it’s in the same place at a similar time, with a similar view of the sky). As I said it depends on the constellation of satellites in use. The accuracy varies along different planes dependant on this.

To give a (very) simplified example, imagine all the satellites are in a line, and the only method used for position is triangulation. You get very low error in one axis (across the line), and very high in the other (along the line).

Depends on the frame.

The on/off option on the rpX (had various) on my single pivot prophet was great, made a big difference on long climbs. However on my shorter travel, linkage trance I never use it – a properly tuned float would be as good.

I’m sure all the folk posting about speedo’s reading over etc are right – but all thinking GPS is accurate? It’s not. Or rather you can’t say it is without information on the errors, the constellation of satellites in use and the filtering algorithm in use by the satnav software. GPS is no-where near as good as most people think, even very, very expensive DGPS systems. It’s a lot of clever filtering and fitting algorithms that make tom-toms and the like seem as good as they are. For average speed over a reasonable distance the GPS will be very good however. But to get a better idea what your speedo reads, you’re probably just better getting a stopwatch and using the blobs on the road like the police. (disclaimer: i don’t know what algorithms etc tom-toms use, it’s probably a trade secret. But i have worked with processing data gps systems etc before).

Oh, and all the people debating it – the issue was he was in a van, so was done for being 11mph over – more like 20% not 10.

I like the way my f100s work, not had them long enough to recommend on reliability though.

If I was buying aftermarket, it’d be the SID races everytime.

Reliable/proven damping and seals, and dead easy to service and mantain.

Try phoning up HMRC and asking them?

They’re felling in craigvinnan (the forest at the hermitage) so you can’t ride there at the mo.

Yeah, I’ve seen their QR adapters listed as 9mm in places, cos they fit a 9mm dropout.