notmyrealname, thanks for that, appreciate it.

I’m hoping any excess charges will then be based on the extra weight rather than a fixed charge, I’m likely to only be a few kg over.

Ah, at last! The company that I’m going with have managed to get an answer from Air China – don’t know how, but it seems I might get charged up to £95 each way, depending on how much over I am, so I’m happy with that (hopefully) 😀

Fantastic! .. Thanks 😀

Thanks for the offer notmyrealname but I fly tomorrow.

I haven’t left this until the last minute I’ve been trying to contact Air China over the last few weeks so came here for any suggestions. Think I’ll be a few kilos over so just have to try some of the ideas suggested here 🙂

you may have to steady the bike bag on the scales at check in meaning it may not weigh as much

🙂 had to do that coming out of Nepal once, they wanted a lot of $ to get it on the plane, had some kit in with my bike so had to empty it out and they stil said it was over. Had to sneakily put my foot under their scales and lift it a bit.

18 days in Mongolia, always wanted to go there and decided to do it this year, but I didn’t sort the flights out. It will be worth it but it’s the hassle of just finding out information from Air China, happy to pay a bit more but I don’t know if I can or how much it might be. Might just have to hope I can sort out something when I get to heathrow. My partners dropping me off, maybe go really light and if I find out I can add some weight to my allowance have a extra bag of stuff I can bung in there. Weather looks good so shouldn’t need too much kit.

I did wonder about buying stuff out there but most of my riding kit fits in cabin bag, it’s the bike that’s at or above the limit. Not planning on checking in 2 bags so don’t think I’d get away with things like chainset, pedals, seatpost in hand luggage.

Hi mikewsmith – flying from Heathrow, I’m sure I’ve tried all those contacts you’ve listed there, some go to the same office, all I got yesterday was a message saying extension unavailable, even the customer sevices in Europe couldn’t get through to anyone. I’ve emailed as well. I’ll try again today, maybe I’ll have better luck.

Haven’t flown with my bike for about 6 years and this is putting me off doing it again, especially as allowances seem to be a lot lower than the last time I did it.

Thanks.

Seatguru says there’s a ‘premium economy’ which gives up to 32kg. That would be better, I might even be on that ticket, if only I could speak to someone at Air China to find out or pay some extra!! 😐

Santa Cruz Heckler is about 30lb, my case is about 17lb so about 47lb, I have a limit of 50lb, or the limit could be 44lb on the domestic flight … soon adds up but airlines don’t give much of an allowance!

Travel company booked the flights. I did ask them if they knew but they had no idea. According to the customer services I spoke to in Europe, not the UK, if my connecting flight is within 24hrs it’s considered as one journey. Land in China about 4.30pn leave the next day about 8.30am.

Ha, wear the helmet .. can you do that?

I’ll be wearing as much as possible and most of my stuff will fit in a cabin bag anyway, it’s just that the bike case thing is about 8kg and my bike, an mtb, about 14kg, so about 22kg before I add some more protective packaging.

leffeboy, I can’t get to talk to anyone in Air China to see if I can add additional luggage, have been trying! Ticket was part of a pre-booked trip so I had nothing to do with booking it.

I’ve seen most of that info but it’s still not that clear to me. Don’t know if the excess charge will be for all the flights or per flight, it’ll be four flights in total there and back so could end up expensive, but no one will tell me.

So not worth breaking into 2 bags, just go with being a bit overweight and hope for the best.

Oh, another thought was to put some things into my carry on luggage like pedals, seatpost and saddle – would this be seen as dangerous weapons or something?

Yep, I look at the BBC News first thing in the morning, throughout the day, on here and the odd occasional links. It’s mesmirising, but I don’t think it’s doing me any good. Most shocking is the excuses I’ve seen for voting leave.

It seems most of the talk and headlines is all doom and gloom, can someone tell me the real facts for this being a good thing, a good thing to leave the EU? Doesn’t seem to be much in the news about this being good, or am I not looking in the right places. I probably don’t frequent the right type of forums or read the right papers where they’ll be banging on about how this is so good. Even those few at work that have voted out only seem to go on about how ‘change is good’, ‘we’ll see’ or just come to the conclusion that it’s good because it’s what the country decided … 😕

Ah ha!

Found some q-tip things, boiling water and …

job done!

I’ll use some fresh stuff on the threads, these wheels had been in the loft a couple of years.

🙂

I’ll try that. Internet says heat or some chemical and I don’t really want to put a blowtorch on the hub and don’t think I’ll be able to get the chemical stuff today.

I feel genuinely sick from this.

n+1

I’m really surprised by all this. This is what happens when you let the whole country decide on something this important. I don’t think there was enough focus on what’s good about the EU. Working in an education establishment everyone with an ounce of intelligence and reasoning was ‘in’, anyone that I spoke to who was out just seemed to focus on, immigrants or ‘we won the war’ and wouldn’t listen to anything else.

This can’t be good for our economy short or long term, I hope I’m wrong. But, I’d just like to ask all those who voted ‘out’ what’s so different for them today? .. Er, weaker pound, political instability, possible price rises, wage freezes, economic downturn, deeper recession, Boris for Prime Minister … Thankyou!

Had a similar thing on my car. Freed up the callipers/pistons as described above and was fine for a few weeks, then went down some steep hills and it started sticking again due to heat building up and expansion. Whole new calliper fitted and new fluid in the end, better to be safe than sorry!

The wheel got very hot when this was going on, could barely touch it, I’m sure this could lead to a tyre blowout if it all gets too hot?

Pee’d down, thunder and lightning about 12.30 to 1.00 pm in Brighton, hazy sun now, the SDW was dry Sunday so it’ll dry up quick today and forecast good til Sunday

Another viewranger user here, it’s a fantastic app. I’ve got OS mapping of the south east on my phone which also means I can use it for route planning on their website – was only something like £10! Never seems to lose gps signal either so I get my rides all tracked correctly unlike some other things I’ve tried – I’m looking at you Strava!

We did a 4 hour ride on Sunday and it used up about a third of my phones power so not bad.

But also get a paper map, nice to spread out a whole area and look for routes, then plan it and put it into the app.

I’ll check some of those things out. Laces tucked in and I don’t rub the heals. I’ll check the chain, pedals, etc today. Chain, cassette and rings all good. Nothing stiff but it might just need a bit of lube somewhere.

Thanks all. 🙂

The climbs up Itford Hill and Windover Hill are like single road width chalk tracks, inbetween it’ll be wide grassy sections. Not much singltrack unless you head off the main SDW. If you do it on a sunny weekend you’ll find lots of walkers etc. It’s become a really busy area with bikes, horses, walkers, paragliders, runners, DofE school kids in recent years, but it’s quite a wide area so plenty of space to go around people. Worst thing will be if you get a headwind, it’s all very open on top of the downs – prevailing wind is usually from the west.

RustyNissanPrairie – thanks for the info, not too bad on tax and insurance then. I usually commute by bike, or bus in the worst months of the year, as no parking where I work so maybe a larger van could be justified. A toilet would be good too, a few years ago in France we couldn’t get into a campsite as they all seem to close about 8pm. I’d be looking to convert to a registered motorhome too.

I bought an ex Network Rail Transit welfare van for £6k with 70k miles in mint condition. Ebay search Welfare/mess/messing van.

RustyNissanPrarie, those look interesting, never knew such a thing existed. We’re thinking of getting a T5 to replace my T2 but I often wonder about getting something bigger that will take bikes, can stand up in normally and still have a living space and these look ideal but it would be used as a runaround, not a daily driver as we have a small car too, so not sure about having something this size. How do you find yours RNP, have you partially converted yourself, and what’s it like on insurance and tax? Any photos? 🙂

From what I’ve seen straight steerer 26in forks seem to sell quick these days, frames not so much, I think people still want to maintain and ride their 26in bikes. I’ve noticed that on ebay the bids and buy it now prices of older straight steerer 26in forks have gone up – I sold some old Pikes and Revelations that were spares about 3 to 4 years ago and I’d be lucky to buy them back at the price they went for now!

I do anywhere between 7 to 14 miles to work and am a sweaty old grump, but as said I find cooling down time helps so make sure I get in early and have about 20mins before I’m due in the department – use this time to do a bit of stretching too, I towel myself off and you can get dry travel wash stuff from big Boots shops very similar to the muc-off stuff, in their travel section, I find that works better than wet wipes, and clean clothes every day.

Mmm,thougt this might be interesting as my petrol mower is on its last legs but how on earth do I find out if any stores have them, that link leads to an error page and lidl’s website is awful, seems I have to keep selecting a store before it’ll let me know what it sells, I can’t seem to just search for lawnmower? Or does this mean there all gone? 😕

Ah ha!

click on the green url text for each result, it offers you the google cache version

Thanks, using this I was able to find the text that was written and used, unfortunately no full page but the text will be useful for when they get it up and running again 😀 thanks all.

Thanks, tried the above and managed to find some photos and images that were on the website 🙂 but no complete web pages or text 🙁

endless plains … barren and featureless

Quick google image search:

Bike Mongolia

I quite like endless plains and big open spaces, looking forward to zooming along some nice open tracks 😀

Plenty of companies do this sort of thing, Exodus, Red Spokes, KE Adventure, Saddle Skedaddle. I’ve used Exodus a few times, usually their cost includes flights but it can be expensive sometimes but it’s all organised and sorted out for you. Really liked Morocco – Atlas Mountains, did a trip around Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam but this was more of a road/dirt track trip but wonderful countries, people, history and food. Lhasa to Kathmandu was epic but not technical. Haven’t done anything interested for a few years so this year I’ve decided to go to Mongolia, really looking forward to that.

So, have a look at some of those companies, but be aware that some have the cost of the flights on top which can be expensive if you want to go to places like South America.

Check rear rotor, caliper and adaptor too?

I’m sure I’ve read somewhere before that the best replacement is a 190mm i2i shock … anyway CRC have ex-demo RP2 190 i2i 55 stroke for £150, or ebay will have a few this size.

Your rims lasted 12 years?

🙂 It mostly got commuted on in the spring, and as soon as the weather got good and days longer I would commute over the South Downs so use a different bike, so it’s not had continuous use over those 12 years or so.

My commute takes me along the seafront for a few miles – Saltdean to Brighton, we get salt water, stones, grit and chalk on the undercliff walkway in the winter, wonder if that didn’t help? It’s only the last 2 years I’ve been doing the route in winter. There’s a couple of steep hills on my route, must get nearly 30mph down one of them, that could have been nasty. Anyway, been looking for an excuse to use the 29er to commute on, just need some road tyres and tubes.

I had a Bullit 2.0 for a while, got it for the Alps so it had dual ply tyres, Mavic 729 rims and Boxxers, I took it out on the South Downs once like that just to make sure it was all running ok and I was surprised how well it climbed. Just like any other bike you need to winch up a hill really. It was not good on the flat though, pig to get going but not surprising considering the spec. I found it great in the Alps, really solid bike, the rear stays were about the same size as the main tubes on my 90s mtb. I’m sure the frame is just over a pound heavier than a Heckler, the Heckler’s much better for average riding but I think you’ll struggle to get one of the 2013s with the tapered headtube and slacker angles – I’ve been trying to find one for a few yaers!

Nomad 2 frames seem to go for reasonable prices sometimes and they will take a 180mm fork and any combination of steerer. I’ve also taken my Nomad to the Alps, coped fine, not as solid as the Bullit but the Nomad gets used here too.

Shocking 😯 that’s on part of my ride home, now I know why that was all cordoned off by the police, hope he makes a good recovery.

Yep, all 26 … apart from a 29er that I got at a bargain price so couldn’t resist just to try, although I wasn’t amazed by it, it’s just another bike to ride. Thing is, all my 26in bikes are so good I don’t see the need to change, I’d like something new but there’s no point now so I rarely buy anything, read articles or reviews or have any intention of buying a new bike probably ever! I feel that any MTB magazines are irrelevant as none of the stuff reviewed would fit my ancient, now 5 year old, straight steerer 26in wheeled bikes … suppose I’ll just have to get out and ride them!

Little bit bored, looking at STW and changing to an internal email or document to look busy now and then, but only because I’m waiting for our CNC router to be sorted out so we can start cutting stuff on it, keeps tripping the main board, every now and then I go and play on our CNC lathe to try and get that working too – we’ve only just had some training on it and it’s a bit of a headache to get it working properly, I’m quicker on the manual lathe at the moment … coffee time I think 🙂

Not much in the way of ice down south but my commute is along a cliff top/seafront and today it was into a 20mph icy headwind so yes numb fingers and a bit of a slog – hope it’s a tailwind on the way home but it seems to have the tendency to turn during the day