Thanks, I’ll have a look and see if I can do that 🙂

scotroutes – looks great! I want to try and get some epic routes and must-visit trails and trail-centres and plan a route around the UK

Ah, these places look great, just what I’m looking for! I’m planning a UK road trip this summer so looking for stuff just like this, I’ll be asking for more in a thread soon so will probably refer back to stuff like this … ‘like’ a lot! 😀

Cut him up

Ha, there’s no way I’m going to get in front of him, don’t want to tangle with him the speed he’s going … which maybe 25-30ish, it’s fast, he overtook me at the beginning of the marina this morning and he was out of sight pretty quickly and that’s a short stretch along there.

I’ve got a go-pro so I’ll try and catch him sometime, seen him 2 times this week so far, one was at night and he had some pretty decent lights going on it too. I did wonder if it was engine powered first time but all you hear is a motor going zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and he’s gone.

Who would I report it to, would the police be interested?

There’s a sort of beach patrol car I see going up and down sometimes I’ll have a word with them next time I see them – for those that don’t know it it’s quite a wide concrete path in places, big enough for cars.

I remember these, but I’m not convinced about cooking rice lentils etc quicker, basmati rice is done in about 10mins, I can cook a dhal on a low hob in about 30 to 40mins, soups in about 20mins, surely it’s not that much quicker in a pressure cooker when you take in the time to heat up etc … BUT that pressure king thing I’m liking, set the timer so foods ready when I get in, great, this will stop me snacking while I’m waiting for food to cook 🙂

This thread needs more photos – if you manage to get bikes in and bed in a swb lets see!

I’ve been thinking along the same lines myself after seeing the exploria ‘tri bike kite’ conversion but doing it myself so I can custom make it so I wouldn’t need to remove pedals (think the photo above is the conversion they do). Would prefer a swb but don’t think it’ll be possible to have a bike garage as well?

So more photos of your conversions please 🙂

I’ve only seen it mentioned once, but as well as all the good advice above keep hydrated during the day. My commute is about an hour and I don’t have water with me but I noticed on the days when I forgot to drink more than usual (when I get the bus in) I was more fatigued at the end of the day and suffered on the way home.

Thanks all, I’ve seen some that are 42mm so I’ll probably try those and cut a bit out around the seat stays so it (hopefully) won’t catch on the tyre but still stop most of the spray. I’m thinking mabe a soldering iron to shape/cut the plastic.

I had some Renthal Fatbar Lites that I couldn’t quite get on with too, I now use Easton as they have a 9 degree sweep and just find them better – also the Havocs are on sale on CRC at the mo for half price, bargain, and at 750mm width they seem to be the sweet spot for me.

That’s good thinking, I was wondering about cutting around the seat stay bit but maybe try that first?

Actually thinking about it – does anyone know if I get 35mm mudguards, is that the actual measurement of the guard or does it mean it will fit 35mm tyres with space either side/around the tyre?

My partners mother retired last year at 75, she wanted to carry on, private prep school though so quite different to the local primary school where my partner works where at 48 she’d retire tomorrow if she could.

Like ‘CountZero’ I’ve got one the same, just like the first image, it’s a Royal PITA! Twice a year, and if ever I take it abroad, I have to sit there waiting for the hands to turn as they only go forwards, get it wrong by a few minutes and you’re back to waiting again, the hands WILL NOT GO BACKWARDS, and I can never remember how to do it when the time comes so have to spend ages looking through the manual. If you get one with anolog hands make sure the hands can be turned backwards …

And, on that note, anyone know which model has hands you can turn backwards, something with a normal winder thing on the side rather than buttons – I have seen one but they never say in the description, anyone have one?

Argh, no! So this is an actual thing. Thought something was wrong with my phone yesterday. Haven’t read the whole thread but why has this happened? Different text sizes, can’t zoom, ads in the middle of threads, having to click about 4 different things to change from one forum to the other, etc. It all worked fine as it was! It’s like when supermarkets change things around, it’s annoying and unnecessary. It’s not about not liking change, why change something just for the sake of it, or am I missing something?

I was wondering if this had been mentioned on here. Just installed this myself – had to update the app and then update my maps with the skyline data. Pretty cool feature, even sitting in my house it shows me where my local ‘peaks’ are (South Downs so more like hills really), like the blue follow trail thing, could be really useful when exploring new trails and there’s 2 paths close together. Supposed to work offline too so you don’t need a phone connection. Amazing!

do things improve if you alter where they sit on your face?

Funnily enough yes – I tried this last night as the lens sit very close to my eyes, if I move them to the end of my nose they’re a lot better, but I can’t wear them like that so think I’ll have to choose a different frame.

I got some safety glasses through work, they have a curve to the lens, not as much as the cycling glasses, but they sit further away from my pupils and they are ok.

I’ll try wearing them around the house for a bit to see if I can get used to them, but it makes me wonder if I’m changing glasses regularly how will my eyes cope with all the changes – when I start commuting next year I’ll wear the cycling ones then change to my normal ones at work then back to cycling ones for going home.

They were done by a sports glasses specialist, they say they can deal with the curvature. Thay did say send them back for inspection, not sure if that can help if I can’t get on with the lenses. They’re onky an hour away so I might ask to see them with my normal glasses and these ones, maybe try another style while I’m there, just don’t want to be sending them back and forth a few times.

Don’t think I could ever wear contacts, thought of trying to put something in my eye seems wrong. After a bit of research I decided on prescription lenses as I’d read that with inserts you’ve then got 2 sets of lenses to mist up and clean. I’ll see what the company suggests, I’ve read that it could just take a bit of time to get used to them but I was hoping it would be the same as putting my normal glasses on. Tried varifocals after my last prescription but hated those so just had 2 different pairs done, the new cycling lenses feel similar to those although they are just single precription for distance.

My precription is SPH +1.50 CYL -0.25 for both eyes, Axis 160 for right 25 for left – so I don’t think it’s too bad, but maybe I do need flatter lenses? I tried a few frames before buying and got some with a fairly large lens and wrapping as the frames didn’t interfere with my vision like some did, so annoying getting old 😐

yeah, I gave the distance as given by the opticians.

I’ll have a look at it again today, didn’t try going up or down to change seasons so I’ll try that.

No idea if our account is .com or .co.uk, doesn’t say anywhere and nothing under ‘your account’ unless I’m missing something? We sign in on .co.uk so you’d think it would know, will look later.

Thanks all

Just ordered it from Amazon.co.uk, arrived in a day, looking at the box it doesn’t say ‘UK market’ anywhere but there’s a series of 28 small boxes with different countries in like IT, AT, DE etc, last one is UK.

if you google santa cruz test mules you’ll find a few images of similar frames – raw finish, no cable guides or bottle bosses. Wonder if it’s a prototype 650 Heckler, maybe the serial number means 2013 number 07, didn’t it all go 650b in late 2013/14?

Actually, it’s quite odd. The top of the swingarm where it connects to the shock doesn’t look like the 650b Heckler or Bantam? Maybe someone replaced the swingarm at some point, might be the reason it’s ‘rawed’ – did SC even ‘raw’ any of there frames in the last few years, thought they were all painted?

I think it’s a Bantam frame ?

Edit – Oh, no, just googled Bantam and it’s not, possible a Heckler then? Don’t think even the last 26in Superlight’s had the bolt through rear but they did have a tapered headtube.

Heckler maybe then?

Knew I’d seen something like this on CRC a while back, found it after a bit of searching, this the sort of thing you looking for: Tech Casual Flannel Shirt

Interesting…

First car was one of these, J reg. Cost me £200 and I put nudge bars front and back and lots of spot lights on the front. You could open the door and start it with a flat head screwdriver. Think I managed 75mph out of it one day.

Then one of these when I was 19, both drove like go-carts, corned very well, both very underpowered. I had 3 of those X1/9s, liked them for some reason … would I have any now, NO

Not my photos but nearest I could find 🙂

sandwich – I did look at that but to be honest I don’t know what I’m doing when it comes to stuff like that, it said ‘Caution is advised in deleting items that may be part of normal operations’, so thought I better not.

I’ve refreshed FireFox, which didn’t do anything apart from loose all my address lines, home page, etc. bit annoying as I’ll have to re-enter everything. Then I thought ‘ah, system restore’ luckily that worked, so it’s ok now … until next time. Annoying thing is I’ve no idea what caused it.

Hi, read somewhere about the cache thing or cookies, I’ve cleared what I can but doesn’t make any difference. Works ok with chrome, but I’m not keen on chrome and it no longer updates on my pc, internet explorer doesn’t want to work at all. FireFox was always good, no poblems updating, just worked all the time, until now 😐

Thanks.

Had a quick look at some Sufferfest videos, they had a really annoying loud techno tracks on them – can always turn it off of course. So I might set it up and try that first to see how I like it. Might invest in a smart trainer if I like it. I guess with the video you just adjust you resistance and speed to whatever you feel might be right as you watch the video.

Found a video on youtube where someone sets up a basic indoor trainer with Zwift so looks easy.

As always, great to read and see this stuff. 😀

I’d have been 9 riding my Raleigh Chipper around the local woods – a very small and flat place last time I went there, but having great fun. Mountain biking has opened up a great deal of adventure and happiness in my life, don’t know what I’d have done if it didn’t happen.

Ah, this is interesting. I was going to post a similar thread myself, but just thought ‘getting older’. I’m 49 and my commute varies between 12 and 20 miles a day (depending how energetic I’m feeling) but usually less by the end of the week as I seem to be struggling by Friday. Only 5 years ago I’d be doing it easy and long MTB rides at weekends. Anyway, interesting to read, I probably need to rest more (losing a stone would probably help too 😳 ) but I tend not to commute mid November to about mid March. might look at the book too.

Optilabs will send you up to 3 sample plain lens pairs to try for a week. I’m going to get some prescription wrap around type frames myself, don’t fancy the insert type glasses, handy to try different frames as some of the ones I picked were a bit small. I think it was the Mirage that gave excellent coverage.

Also, have you tried varifocals? I’ve only needed glasses in the last 4 years or so and tried varifocals about 3 months ago, couldn’t get on with them, made me feel sick when walking about and found the reading part of the lens too small. But, I’m ok for reading and general stuff with my normal glasses but use another pair for really close up work.

Shhhhh!

It’s just around the corner for me. It’s opened up a lot in the past 5 or 6 years, loads more trails, easy to get lost. I think the local clubs, Cycle Seahaven and Friston MTB, have been great at liaising with the owners to make it a better place. Gets quite busy now, I kind of like that and don’t like it at the same time 😐

For me it’s usually sheep.

The South Downs, particularly the actual SDW, is quite a large area, loads of fields around either side of the SDW nicely fenced off, but NO they have to put loads of sheep actually ON the SDW. It’s the poop they produce, loads of it and it sticks like, well you know what. Sprays up your legs, in your face, has to be scraped off my frame, dug out of tyres and leaves green stains on my kit.

And, and, the stupid feckers actually run in front of you when you pass them, not away from you but actually right across your path.

So, to suddenly find 5 miles of sheep infested trails ticks me off!

Volume reducer is an expensive bit of plastic you can put in the rear shock “Changing volume spacers in the shock is an internal adjustment that allows you to change the amount of mid stroke and bottom out resistance” … easy to do, you can buy kits from Mojo and probably TFT. I’ve had to use one before on multi-pivot biks but not my single pivot bikes.

mattfez, is that a picture of a Racing Ralph? I had one go like that, sidewall just seemed to fail at the bead, not a cut it just came apart along a 3 to 4 inch strip. That tyre was only about a month old, schwalbe UK said it looked like I mounted the tyre incorrectly 🙄 if you google there’s a lot of this happening to Racing Ralphs

Thanks all. Good to know the repairs have been used tubeless again too, read somewhere that stans sealant could react with the glue? I’ve found in my box of bits a sheet of puncture repair stuff that seems tougher than normal patches, doesn’t stretch, so I’ll stitch it and patch it and try it tubeless.