Had my Feedback bike stand for around 15 years now, although its labelled up as a different / previous brand name, it gets used pretty much every weekend for cleaning if not fixing and building. The clamp head is just starting to fail, no too bad for the work its done over the years. I wouldn’t be without it, saved my back over the years for sure. The clip on tool tray accessory is a must too, even has a mug / beer can holder.

Looking at getting replacement clamp head for it when I have a spare £250! and if I can figure out how to get the existing one off.

Might seem to be a bit extreme given that you have a few bikes already but we bought a Kona Minute and a rack mounted Yepp Maxi. Swapped the wooden deck for a home cut polyprop deck drilled to suit the seat base.

Big centre stand and enormous panniers made this a really practical vehicle that served both our kids until they were competent on their own bikes. Not too bad up the woods either when its dry with decent tyres etc.

Still own the bike but its on loan to another young family while the child gets more confident on her own bike.

I read that as committing to being an utter SoB for the whole of October. That I can get on board with.

I have never had a problem knocking headsets out of older frames. Often it will feel like you have to hit it a little too hard to get it going but once its ‘cracked’ away from the head tube they generally come out readily. Keep it coming out square as possible so not to ovalise anything.

Probably telling you how to suck eggs, sorry.

Brink are great. Bought my lads bike from there a few years ago. Bought some forks of them more recently and when they arrived, I decided they weren’t for me and they managed to source what I wanted and swapped them out with no problems.

@yoshimi, I have similar concerns. Never been before, though been aware from the start, and my lad wanted to go we are going as a family. I can’t fit bikes inside my vehicle so they will be on the towball rack. Have locks etc.

What is the crime rate like at this event? I’d rather not take my bike than risk some toe rag having it away in the night. Is it just a disclaimer type notice or is there history of bike theft?

I haven’t used my gravel (CX) bike since I built my latest HT a couple of years ago.

Fast rolling tyres and short travel forks with decent Geo just gives me more options. The gravel tracks are all well and good but being a mountain biker at heart but found I just got FOMO on the gravel bike where with my HT I am more likely to dive of the fire road into the undiscovered singletrack that disappears into the bushes and just find it more fun.

No mention of the Budgie? Smaller than a Chipper or Tomahawk.

The Raleigh Bomber has real Klunker vibes, perhaps not as iconic as the Grifter.
I remember urban myth from back in the day that there was a lad who was winning a lot of BMX tournaments on Grifter. Got a sponsor deal and asked them to make a BMX to the Grifter geo.

https://www.konabikeshop.co.uk/p2-cromoly-fork-for-29-275-plus-110mmx15mm.html

I have popped a pair of these into my mates Decade Virtue 26″ hardtail frame with a 27.5″ wheel. Sets the head angle at around 68.5″ and rides like it used to on 120mm 26″ forks. Wheel and tyre size can be changed to tweak further.

I bought a steel hardtail couple of years ago for woods in the south and longer rides much as you are referring to. YOur short list looks very similar to what mine was.
I went for the Switch9er over the Sherpa but built the Swich9er light with 140mm 34’s and Hope 26mm rims.
I have no regrets. I did wonder whether it would be too long and slack for the local woods and it does need to be going a little faster than my 27.5″ 2015 Scout to find the flow but I do love it for this and its lovely on longer rides.

I had a good experience with Argos Cycles in Bristol a few years back. Aluminium frame (early Heckler) with alloy seat post. We tried all sorts before we sent a real mess for them to look at and they were done in a couple of days.

Stanton Sherpa. 29″ Wheels, takes a 120mm fork, available in V big.

I had a pair years ago. Very fast rolling, sound like a Tie Fighter when doing 30 mph on tarmac which was a nice bonus. I don’t remember any issues with getting punctures but I do remember the side walls tearing / splitting. These were from before tubeless was a thing though so maybe they’re a bit more sturdy now.

My 11 year old lad is 4’7″, currently on a Ripcord which he will be grown out of next year I fear. I have already started to research, and save up for, his next bike as I think he will be needing a XS or S in 27.5″ flavour next time around. He does rip and would be a willing test pilot for any feature you would like to do to support this.

Is the next episode dropping tomorrow? Checked last night and no ep2 so assuming we are going to wait for weekly episodes, old skool.

Quietly hoping the wide range 9 speed cassette will be compatible with my old 9 speed XTR shifter, and the 10 speed with Mrs Wachowchow’s 10sp Saint shifter. Hopefully breathing some life into the older spares box parts.

@tuboflard, sorry. I got my ‘@’s muddled .I had the same thoughts it seems. Initially built mine with DMR trailblade and a 26″ wheel. It just felt too steep and twitchy.
I found the 485mm a/c and a 27.5″ wheel set the head angle between 68.5 and 69 degrees hit the sweet spot.

They look really useful Susepic.

I do the front squats regular, without weights mind. I don’t think I will ever be able to do that one leg dead lift on the broken leg with or without weights. Some great things to work with though.

Out of interest, are you still under the umbrella of the NHS physio or have you looked to seek out some private after care?

@squirrelking. That’s a lovely looking build. What forks did you use?

I had an mk1 Kenesis Decade Virsa frame hanging up in my shed and the same quandary as yourself.
I built a low budget 1×9 full rigid, mostly from the spares box.
DJ forks (420mm a/c) proved to be too short to get the handling right. The bike initially rode best with 120mm travel forks in my experience.

So, I went fully rigid steel mullet.
Found some 29″ Kona project 2 steel (485mm a/c if memory serves) forks from ‘Bikesandbuddies’ and fitted a 27’5″ front wheel. It sets the front end up just where you will remember it was.

I have the same injury. I’m 2 years in now and just over 50 years old for reference. After doing the NHS Physio regime and some turbo work to get going I found the same issue.
Pedalling in the saddle was fine though I did find my good leg taking most of the strain which is why I guess you have been doing the singe leg drills. I was doing the same.
It took ages to get the bad leg over TDC when out the saddle. It just too time and plenty of trying to do it without too much load. Every time I went out it was light pedaly warm up in the saddle for 10 – 20 minutes just to get the blood through it and warm it all up properly. All climbing in the saddle in ‘sit and spin’ mode but always spent time trying to pedal out the saddle once warmed up. Again just light. I have to say that I can now crank it up climbs out the saddle, no way like before but its coming back.
I found once you think you are there, it doesn’t take much to make you realise that you are not there yet. It can be demoralising for sure but it does just take time. Keep doing the physio as recommended and just keep it going on the bike without expecting too much.

@northernmatt

Affectionately known as ‘The Smiths Medley’ in our local;

Scampi Fries, bacon fries and cheesy moments.

Ooh, I bloomin love a flapjack. I make them at home for the kids and general pack lunches as well as ride snacks. We generally don’t buy biscuits at home so they have to pass muster or the natives will get restless.

I usually just use butter, salted, but have been using more coconut butter of late. Doesn’t negatively affect the flapjack but they do taste more coconutty as you would expect.

1 measure of butter / coconut oil
1 measure of sugar. Soft brown, sometime blended with a bit of muscavado
2 measures of porridge oats. I use about half rolled oats and half finer, or waz up some rolled if that’s what you have.
Golden syrup
bag of mixed seeds ad mixed nuts and or dried fruit etc

I use measures as it can depend on what we have in the kitchen and the size of the baking tray you going to use.
I usually do a 6 oz mix where 1 measure = 6 oz, so, 12 oz of oats.

Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pan gently. Do not not allow to get too hot, just melty.
For a 6 oz mix I would add about 5 dessert spoons of syrup.

Measure the oats into a bowl and add seeds and nuts. I will use a sprinkle of plain flour to aid the binding as well.

Once all the good stuff is melted, poor the oat mix in, stir it all up until no pan is dry and oats are all sticky.

Poor into the baking tray lined with grease proof, pack down firmly and evenly with spatula.

In oven at 180 deg C for 15 minutes.

Once out, leave for 5 – 10 minutes. Then score / cut up the individual flap jacks while still in pan.
Let it all go nearly cold before removing from backing tray.
If you try and get them out of the baking tray too soon you are just grabbing handfuls of granola. Let it all set.

The more patience you have once they’re out the oven the better they will be.

One thing I have noticed, well my kids noticed before I did, is that increasingly our local supermarket prices are different at the till than they are as displayed in the shop. Pricing hikes so quick and often that the staff cant keep up with making the changes or sneaky tactics by the shop themselves? I don’t know but as much as I want to I cant bring myself to bring it up for every item that it happens with when there’s a queue waiting.

This is awesome news. Built my first Stanton (Switch9er) last year and I love it. I let Mrs Wachowchow have a little go on it and now, in full on Harold and Hilda style, she wants one. When I buy one, I want to buy it from Dan and Co. so looking forward to the dust settling.

Dirty Harry, first one. Lalo Schifrin at his best I reckon.

I was introduced to The Dickies early and thought their version of Paranoid was an original. Only years later to be shown Black Sabbath’s version, which I thought was a poor cover version at first.

See also The Dickies version of Nights in White Satin, Sounds of Silence and of course the Banana Splits.

They are still one of may favourite bands.

I like Park Tool stuff. Nothing says I care about your bike more than RAL 5010.
However, please do not buy that headset puller. I bought one many years ago and it proved to be far worse an proposition than the piece of wood and mallet option.
I have now replaced with a far cheaper headset puller from another manufacturer with staged pulling plates that fit into most of not all headset cups.

I’m with multi21. Those Effingfecal tarts are pretty good. Not sure whats in them though.

My Reverb is going on 7 years old now and does not fail me.
It needed a bleed about 3 months in but has worked faultlessly ever since.
I am careful never to pick the bike up by the saddle when dropped though as I am aware of their fragility.

I have been the owner of a One Up components dropper on another bike for about a year now and would not go anywhere else.

If the Reverb does start to dick me around it will be swapped out for a One Up without hesitation.

Street Sounds Radio

Yes, from the same team that brought you Street Sounds record label.

Good mix of Funk, Soul, Motown, Hip Hop etc.

It saved my life while WFH over lockdown.

“London should be in the ****ing sea

is that what you mean?”

Give it 30 years or so and it will be.

Cologne should be in France, not Germany

Strasbourg should be in Germany, not France

Capel le Ferne should be in France, not Kent

In my experience, Hope offer amazing support for their older lights.

Working from home, when I could, saved me £400 a month in childcare alone ( I live within sight of my kids school). That coupled with the £200 a month in fuel costs to commute I would happily take a pay cut to be allowed to work from home again.

Why would owning a Go Outdoors discount card be selling my soul? Letting the kids tear around the tent showroom is worth the £5 membership alone.

I did. I built my ‘dream bike’ from frame up years ago. Never really loved it once built. Too small, too much travel. Stuck with it for 2 years and then sold as complete bike.
Replaced it with an off the shelf complete in the right size and and still love it 7 years later.

Get shot of it if it doesn’t suit. Life’s too short and you will ride more n a bike you love.

“So which Square taper do I want?”

It depends on the cranks you decide to go for.

The BB I used replaces a loose ball cheapo that came with the bike.

I am lucky enough to have a very helpful LBS (Owens Cycles, near Petersfield) who ‘leant’ me a couple to find out what I needed. I honestly cant remember which one I settled on but I remember it being the wider option to get the chain line correct.

HUP Kids Cranks: Children's Short Cranksets (104bcd 4-bolt) Narrow Q-Factor

I put some of these on my daughters Ramones 20″. They are for square taper BB and have 104mm PCD so nice and easy to fit to a 68mm BB. Multiple lengths too!

My mistake and apologies.

I always thought the Big Dog was the modern HT geometry and the Scandal was more now older school HA etc.

I’m probably luck I let my wife buy my frame for me. Maybe that’s the way to go?