And he kept saying Country instead of County the daft bas>>>d!!

Cheers! The cost is based on Fri to Mon and for 3 of us. Does the PdS entrance fee include lift passes for the area or just thhe start points? Can you ride both days?

Morzine isn't one of the start points this year so would need to get to the nearest one.

The Brits are always poor…..every year. Watched 10 mins which included the Liam outburst…got bored…watched Womens Boarder X qualifying via the Red Button on BBC2. Far better choice of evening viewing.

I'm on my own too…….in Hanoi.

Low – Intermittent year through injury the worst being a crash in July taking me out of action for 6 weeks (although the weather was mainly 5h1t throughout so not too bad)

High – Cute Gate & Langsett ride last September with mates. It had been dry for weeks and it was a lovely warm sunny day. One of the best rides ever nevermind this year.

Move to Shirebrook a quaint little ex-pit village on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border about 7 miles from Mansfield and 10 minutes from J29 of the M1. That's where I was born and bred. On second thoughts don't.

Have you considered Sheffield and commuting?

lol @ mrchrispy. I think now that I've had time to think about it thats the approach I'll be taking.

Thanks pigface, I've heard from several people that crossing the road is an experience in itself. I'm soooo looking forward to it now. Only 8 weeks left until I fly.

A dollar a bullet? It would be rude not to unload an AK47 when in 'nam. I fired a Berretta 9mm in Prague ans sh@t myself so this will be something else.

Jesus Zaskar, that's far too thoughtful and sensitive.

Gohan, I hope you kicked her back door in for good measure. Fair play. Brilliant post. Good on ya.

I've booked a 6 berth room at the hostel in Trawsfynydd. The main problem with a lot of the other suggestions was a min of 2 nights stay. Which is a dealbreaker when only needing one night.

Thanks for the posts.

Is this what you're talking about will?

http://www.trawsfynydd.com/index.php?loc=33

Thanks Capt, I'll take a look.

This may sound a strange question but having only ever having travelled with the missus or on my own for work (where you just sit in a hotel bar)is there a lot of potential for meeting fellow travellers?

Whats the best approach for meeting folk? Staying at Hostels or Hotels? Organised trips?

Excited about the experience but nervous at the same time.

thanks c_klein. Sapa is a definte as is climbing the mountain. Trying to work out a rough itinerary.

Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long Bay, Tam Coc, Hue, Hoi An, DaNang(?), Nha Trang, Mui Ne, HCMC, Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta so far.

Gonna get the Rough Guide book today. Intend to travel north to south via trains and hire bikes everywhere else.

Did you book the Sapa trip with a tour operator?

Fecked my left knee two weeks ago in a freak drinking accident (leg/knee/ankle buckled underneath me as I stepped off a train and leg fell between platform and train).
Still painful and would like to get it checked out at the quacks before riding again as it doesn't feel right. Not ridden for two weeks and desperate to get out rain or shine.

I'm shocked at the quality of RF BB. I've had 3 in the last 2 and a half years. The first that came with the bike lasted 6 months, the warranty replacement (which you might want to consider to offset any cost of a different new BB) lasted 6 weeks, the third 2 months.

Replaced with Hope Ceramic BB. Fit and Forget. Simple.

Thanks folks, I'll keep you in mind but I'm going to look local first. He's chipped, vacinated, wormed regularly, etc, etc. In fact here he is enjoying Bamburgh:

He's a good looking fella and due to his gundog heritage althletic in shape. Goes by the name of Marley.

BTW Barney, Kobe looks a tough lad.

Thanks for the responses folks, appreciated. I'll start investigating the avenues.

Having thought about it this morning I thought I'd ask the vets, the people who run the local dog walking firm and puppy training/socialisation classes. Thinking about the gundog breeders we bought him from although they live miles away.

Its tough to think I'll never see him again. As I work from home we've kept each other company for 2 years. Gut wrenching.

Steve McQueen is Dead! b0ll0x. When did this happen?

I'm 6 foot and a smidge, 13 stone and find the 18" Five a perfect fit. Owned mine for nearly 2 and a hlf years and still love it to bits. Looks good, rides better, easy maintenance, set up just right for the UK.

As Capt Pugwash states, you may want to consider the new Yeti ASR 5 too. Its a thing a beauty in White and makes me do sex wees in my pants. [must hold onto my savings and not try to save the economy by buying a new bike].

Worth demoing both or all three inc. the 575, either back to back in one location or over a couple of weekends on the local ride.

Steve McQueen. End of.

Although I agree with a few posts on here….

Valentino Rossi – fo' sure. The GOAT.

…as a youth I thought Ian Brown, Tim Burgess and Shaun Ryder were the business.

Ranulph Fiennes is pretty cool.

Clint Eastwood, Robert De Niro.

Nathan Barley?

Spot on langey. I like mine and have been running 2.4 MK Pros (with 40+ psi) for about 18 months. They're fast, offer reasonable grip in most conditions, fairly light and quite long lasting.
I do understand certain riders not liking them as there is an element of them squirming and sliding in some conditions which can be unnerving. But if you're aware/used to it/anticipate it, its not a problem.
I recently swapped out my MKs for a Kenda BG and Nev combo. After 1 week/4 rides I put the MKs back on. I just couldn't get on with them. I couldnt get the setup on the Kendas right and found that at high pressure I was being pinged about, at low pressure they were draggy. They were a lot heavier and if this makes sense seemed to offer too much grip.
Anyway, I like mine.

Was that you last night climbing to Whinstone Lee Tor BWD? I thought I recognised you from a photo posted on here. Twas about 4:45.

Maybe poppa maybe. All my local trails are Sheffield and the Dark Peak and the trails have been generally dry for some time now. That is due to change soon though. Although I've run 2.4 MK Pros without issue in all conditions for 15 months or so.
Maybe I'm still yet to find a sweet spot with the Kendas but my patience is wearing thin.

After some new wheels myself and would be interested to see what price you get for a set of Pro2's on Flows.

Am I missing a trick with the Kendas?

I've had them fitted for a week now and have managed 4 rides. All of which are regular routes for me (local loop and Ladybower Classic). From a comparison point of view with my Conti MK Pros they're slower and do not seem to offer anymore grip.

If I run them with higher pressure for faster rolling as soon as I hit the rough stuff I'm pinged all over the place. If I run lower pressures the ride is very draggy. They also feel like big heavy tractor tyres.

Any tips for getting the setup right as I'm verging on throwing my dummy out of the pram, putting my MKs back on and sticking the Kendas in the classifieds.

The hub is a Pro2. I took the wheel into the LBS today for them to have a look and they believe the issue might be with one of the bearings. They are replacing both as a precaution.

Hopefully this will resolve the issue. Thanks for the feedback.

Everytime I order from Merlin, its here the next day, without a delivery charge. Which is something that cannot be said about Wiggle. Usually cheaper than the big players too. Good stuff.

Thanks khani, I'll take a look at that. Wasn't sure that you could adjust anything that side.

I've also found an old forum post (via google) on here regarding the spacers and bearings. So I'm going to remove the spacers and tap the bearings a little to reseat.

With AndyP on this one. Dark Choc Hobnobs are the King of Biscuits.

Damn right! Glad I own a Xen too. Prob the best £90 the rider spent in a long time.

I couldn't help myself….

Jammy Dodgers are pants. Those Pink Wafers are pretty naff too. Never really cared for plain biscuits such as rich tea, digestives and the like.

Generally though biscuits are brilliant.

Well done flow.

According to some of the responses to my Cut Gate post you probably did the wrong thing by calling in the emergency services. You should have just told the rider to MTFU and ride down :D

I should really get involved with this thread…but I won't. :-)

I might do next time :D

I still would have contacted the emergency services

I do not have a medical background or indeed have any first aid training. Therefore I am not qualified to make an assessment.

I stand by my decision to ring the emergency services. The lad took a heavy fall, was sure he'd broken his collarbone and laid down looking pale.

I didn't ask for the air ambulance I asked for mountian rescue. I thought if required they would stretcher him from his location to where an ambulance could pick them up.

The air ambulance decision was made by the operator based on the information I provided. Apart from a grid reference I told him about the fall, his suspected injury, and location.

Thanks everyone for your input, appreciated. There is nothing like a what tyre thread to rouse the masses :-)

I've clicked on the Buy Now button (although I wish I'd saved those wiggle vouchers they've been sending me for the past few months).

votchy and neil853 sealed the deal. A Kenda BG and a Nev in 2.35 DTC form are on their way.

One of the guys in the office I work from now and again is called Richard Fiddler. Surprisingly he likes to be called by the shortened version Dick. Go figure?

Yes, I know the Kendas are seriously popular and are a cheap buy compared to the Contis (which is another reason why I fancied a change).

My bike did originally come with Nevs but I had the shop swap them out for a slimmer Maxxis Advantage tyre.

My only concern about the Kendas is rolling resistence/speed. My Contis out accelerate my mates bike shod with Nevs. Although I'm sure the Kendas are probably more suitable for the ever approaching winter than the Maxxis combo.