Nice video … is that what 'trail centres' are like, never been to one but hear a lot about them, is this typical, and are the trails through the trees done in a similar way or more natural?

The one at Southease just outside the church is atill working and ok a week ago … that's the only one I know cos it's local

I don't think I'd need another suitcase, I'm only going for 9 days so would find it difficult to fill another bag and I've used clothing and bits and pieces before to pad out the bike without any problems, would they make you remove bubble wrap and pipe lagging as it's not a 'bike' if you put it around your frame? First time taking a bike with easyjet for me.

But, my point was that 'Pay the bike charge and you can take; 20kg suitcase and 30kg bike bag' seems to suggest if you pay for just the bike you can also take 20kg in a suitcase, I'm sure when I booked a suitcase was extra and not inclusive in the charge paid for sports equipment, correct me if I'm wrong then I'll know I can take a suitcase as well without extra charges??

Yes. Pay the bike charge and you can take;

20kg suitcase and 30kg bike bag

I thought you had to pay seperate charges for bike/sports equipment and suitcase? … I've paid for my bike and I'm hoping to get some clothing in there too and take the rest in hand luggage as there was an extra charge if you want to put a case/bag in the hold?

Cables under and in front of the handlebars, brakes shifters etc, tend to knock and rattle about a bit, that's about the only thing I notice on my Pitch, and other bikes?

Thanks for the replies, I'll be in touch later, no interweb time at work today. Mine are 2009 wheels, I'll check the lengths later but I remember looking at them a couple of days ago and thinking one side of the rear looked a different length?

cut a slot with a hacksaw

Only if it's a sealed bearing headset, NOT if it's a loose or caged ball bearing headset

no problems at all with getting bikes on a TGV

I'm surprised, travelled from Paris to Lourdes with bikes in cardboard boxes on the TGV about 15 years ago and had no end of trouble and threats and demands for money, put me off taking my bike on the trains in France forever!

Yes, it's part of the Transalp race route, really looking forward to it! 😀 although I can't seem to find much in the way of photos/pictures for that area?

That looks a fantastic trip, none of my 'mates' will do anything like this 😐 did you get manage to get your bikes on to a French train without being shot then?! I'm doing an organised trip from Germany to Italy across the Alps soon, can't wait!

Where or how did you plan the overnight stays, just hope to find something where you ended up or did you plan it?

My old '99 Heckler dragged out for some fun in the last few days, lastest addition is the forks which were those Tora 318 Air that Wiggle knocked out for about £100ish a few months ago 😀

Same as others, any fruit but mainly strawberies banana pineapple mango, natural yoghurt, but I also add a coconut or blueberry actimel and use alpro vanilla soya milk (this seems to thicken it up) some runny honey, and some mint can add a nice touch, protein powder if I have one for breakfast and a bit of ice when the weathers hot … yummy!

My name is Kojak and I have never been to a trail centre … but I'm wondering if I should?

Any in the South East ??

I want to, and do, like my G-Shock but find them a right PITA when you need to change the time like altering the clocks in spring autumn and when I go on holiday and have to change the time, usually takes me a while to figure out which buttons to press as there are a lot of functions and options, more annoyingly is I have the one with the analogue hands too and they will only go forwards … so if you want something more tradional this looks quite good vfm?

http://www.watchshop.com/mens-sekonda-chronograph-watch-3902-p99927464.html

Funny how people prefer differing sizes … you really need to try one?

I'm about 5'11" and found the medium felt too small, or rather short, and the large felt better to me, but looking at it it is a big bike, 4" more wheelbase than my old heckler but the saddle to bars is the same!

I ended up doing lots of comparasons when I was looking, eventually settled on the VIO POV 1.5, expensive but decided to treat myself, some footage here http://www.vimeo.com/8597091 but I was looking for something that had a good run time on easily replacable batteries to use abroad where I might not be able to charge it – my other videos in Tibet, Nepal, Morocco are taken using the POV 1.5, it's nice just to have the camera head to mount on your helmet, you don't notice it at all, and a small screen to see where you're pointing it and that it's working, but it can be a bit of a faff with the cable and recorder unit – I've had it fail a few times when it's been on the waist belt of my camelbak from all the jarring around and find it better to put it in my pack, but the remote is useless when it's in my pack.

Got one of the Muvi copies too, was good at first but now won't record unless it's on the sound detection mode and the battery won't last long now, maybe 25 mins.

I like the look of the Contour but never tried one, if only they made it to run off of AA's I'd get one – the Tachyon XC thing has an incredible run time off of AA's, and the look of the GoPro has always put me off, looks like a cheap camera stuck to the side of your head, they could have done a really good redesign with their new one, but the footage from them always looks good.

Maybe check out any used one's on ebay?

These still build into a very good bike, still using my '99, but if it's close it would be worth checking out if your interested to see if it has disk mounts on the rear swing arm – although in the photo it looks although it has the later shape dropouts and the beginning of the top of the disk mount, and check the welds on the bottom of the dropouts on the rear swingarm too as some stress-cracked there – on later models they increased the length of the weld.

That 'one sheet' ad is making me larf at the mo! 😆

Said in a spanish, or is mexican accent, 'one sheet is all you need, one sheet!'

Well, I emailed the company after no luck from calls and this was the response, just hope they do do something about it even if they just remind their drivers to be more aware:

Hello Mr 'kojak' 😉

"I am concerned to recieve your e-mail this morning and read your discription of what happened when you were cycling west bound in Newhaven today.

Please accept my apologies for the anxiety and distress you must obviously have felt as a resultof our driver's actions as you described them. I can imagine how upsetting and annoying this must have been.

We aim to provide the highest standards of professional driving and the safety of other road uses is our top priority. Please rest assured that following receipt of your e-mail arrangements are in hand for this to be the subject of a full investigation within our internal procedures so that we can ensure appropriate action is taken and we are confident there will no recurrence.

Once again thank you for your e-mail and taking the trouble to write although I am sorry that you have had cause to do so.

Yours sincerely

Sean
Customer Advisor"

Didn't happen in an inner city, just a quiet coast road, but that bit where it happened is always a nightmare – the one way system in Newhaven, E. Sussex if anyone knows it, the turn to go up the hill towards Brighton.

Yrah … and he's probably gonna make sure he gets me next time!

Well, 3 times I've called the bus company but no answer, just get put on hold for ages, pee'ing me off even more now, think I'll email them and will contact the local police to complain too!

Think he was driving without due care and attention, I wouldn't even consider overtaking something in a car on that corner let alone a bus and he new I was there as I said previously he went to pull out from a stop but braked and stopped as I was passing at the time, maybe that pee'd him off?

I have reg number, bus number, time, road etc.

Not expecting a great deal to happen but just think something like this needs to be made a fuss of a bit, and I'm still fuming, having the side of a bus coming towards you as it cuts across a corner isn't something I want to happen ever 😯

Rock Lobster up somewhere in the Himalayas

My old Heckler, still going strong

Time

Wish You Were Here

Comfortably Numb

Oh, and if you get a chance to see the Aussie Pink Floyd they are very good.

Erm, hang on, how on earth do you stop one of those with no front or rear brake? 😯 *… ok, so you can slow the rear by peddleing but surely if you try to stop in an emergency your gonna sliding your @rse along the tarmac?

* never ridden, and no interest in, fixies so just curious

My last order from CRC took over a week for some handlebars, but this was during the volcano disruption, not sure if that cuased the hold up or not, I did ask CRC but they didn't say? But, a warranty return that I sent back to them a week ago got turned around in 3 days. Think I'll order stuff well in advance now and not the day before I need (want) it.

Red – Medium
Blue – Firm
Black – Xtra Firm

Had to check this myself recently so I'm sure it's correct, it is listed on the sram website somewhere but I can't find it at the mo.

Here's a pic of my new one the day it arrived a few months ago

I also have a 2002 Superlight which is the model I think your refering to vondally, also a very good bike, that one's about 26lb but it has better wheels than the new one, but after riding the new one I do notice the rear end being a bit more flexy. I found the main pivot bearings to last ages on the old one but the lower shock bushes would wear quicker, don't know what the new one will be like yet for pivot and bush wear, you should be able to pick up a nice will speced older Superlight for a reasonable price?

Yeah, there isn't one, ride what you want to ride … simples 😀

When I saw the title of this thread I was going to suggest a Pitch …

Maybe you need to firm up your suspension a bit, have you got the forks at full travel, do you need a firmer spring, maybe try to ride differently so you don't strike the pedals and anticipate the ground ahead … would 1/2 or an inch BB height make that much difference as you still might go through the travel and strike pedals, can you try other bikes first?

Er, good luck!

I'd be interested but working. SW wind today, west forecast, so you might have a bit of a headwind?

Upgraded to a new one couple of months ago from a 2002

As said, bit lighter, although I got an off-the-peg bike and the wheels are a bit heavier than my old XTR's, more tyre clearance, stiffer back end. Wasn't too sure about the SID Race forks that came with it as they had a reputation for being flexy but these newer one's are superb, really like them, and the basic Fox Float R is a lot better than my old Float RL, factory set pro-pedal seems spot on to me. Thinking of getting some Hope/Stans wheels with some ebay money burning a hole in my cyberspace pocket but that's all I'll upgrade.

Check the sizes though, my new large is slightly smaller and longer than my old large and I got a shorter higher stem for it.

Love it! 😀

How much vinegar for a normal wash, might try that one, cup full, half a cup, capful?

So what is the reason for NOT using fabric conditioner? I noted that quite a lot of tech tops say not to use it, what does it do to the fabric that is not good?

I tend to put all my washing in in one go, but sometimes I'll do my tech stuff all together but I can't justify a full washing cycle for one top and pair of shorts after one ride so let the stuff build up over a few days, but I'm guessing this won't be doing them any good sitting there smelly for a few days? I'm looking for the holy grail of cleaning too, my merino top I can wear all week on my commute to work but that's early morning and late evening, wouldn't want to wear it for a hot daytime ride though … any casual fit/look merino anywhere, all seems to be tight fitting?

My Pikes came with the x-firm spring and I found it too harsh, 85kg btw, after speaking to TFT they advised that I could use the medium and if it goes through the travel too easily to up the compression on the moco unit, perfect now … although you might also need to consider the type of terrain it will mostly be used on?

Never had this happen myself and I'm no expert, but from what you describe sounds like a broken spring to me? Maybe you're getting reduced travel as you go along as the coils are winding up inside themselves? I'd take the spring u-turn side apart first to have a look there?

SLX ?

Clicky

Ok Andy, thanks! 😀

Good luck, hope we do get someone else from CRC on here.

Before ye go, any chance of looking into order no. 3774639, ordered and despatched a week ago but no sign of it, wondered if you had problems with post??

Cheers.

Er, Dave Hinde, er, I'd google that first?? 😆

Lhasa to kathmandu, over the Himalayas and visit Everest on the way, slog up and bomb down big hills?