I have a Pendle rack that clamps onto the towball, and has an offset to go round the spare wheel (check out their website for info). It suspends the bikes and is not a wheel support type. Will need to modify it very slightly to fix the anti rotation lugs (I can explain if needed), but it has never been used. Picked it up very cheap so will only be after £30 plus postage (probably about £14 as its quite heavy) if you're interested. You won't be able to tow when it's fitted though.

I have 2 pairs of bike shoes – some Spesh Tahoe, which are a do it all shoe, easy to walk in with a flexy sole, and some Spesh BG Pro race shoes with a rigid sole that are difficult to walk in. I think that the BG Pro (stiff shoes) are great to ride in – it always seems so much more efficient and smooth to ride in them, whereas the Tahoes are my commuter shoe and it always feels a bit sluggish when I ride in them. So, based on my experience I would say that a stiff shoe will help you enjoy the riding more, but if you walk loads then avoid.

Try the Giant Defy road bike mudguards. I have a set, they are full length and have cutouts where they go under the break calipers/ through the frame and forks. They are close fitted as well, so they don't make your bike look like a touring bike. You may need to use P clips on the seat stay and forks to hold the mudguard stays, but the setup works a treat on my road bike

So, where will you be riding this Saturday, Rusty Trowel? I might just happen to turn up with my lucky pants on…..(not for your benefit mind)….. :D

Ask what charity they would like a donation to instead of presents. I don't give wedding presents, as most of the weddings we've been to have ended in divorce anyway (and I am not married, but have cohabited for 20 years, so I am not bitter about never having shedloads of presents we didn't need)

A story years ago in the papers about two prisoners (handcuffed together) who escaped, and being chased down the road by the plod. The prisoners go either side of a lamppost, and knock themselves out. Classic!

Kids are great when they are young. The older they get the more expensive they get, but biking time can increase. Welcome to the world of "thinking about someone else rather than oneself" (oh, she's just read that and asked "when did that start then?"

Another few months then you'll be wondering where your sex life went, your spare time, your OH's flat tummy, your money, and you'll be looking for a nice sensible estate car (good for bikes!).

Can't wait for mine to leave home or start paying rent now……

There's also TYF in St Davids – they do climbing , coasteering, surfing, kayaking activities – half and full day. My kids did the coasteering a few years ago and it was about £30-35 each for a half day. Brilliant fun.

The Farmers Arms in St Davids is a great friendly pub with good food – not as pricey as the Sloop in Porthgain.

If you like swimming – there is a Blue Lagoon at Abereiddy – good outdoor lagoon safe for swimming and jumping off big ledges.

Also, fast boat trips to Ramsey, pick a choppy day and it is so exhilerating to speed over the sea at 30mph (Thousand Islands are great). If you want peace and quiet – get a day trip to Ramsey on a slow boat.

Not much mtbing unless you go over to the Preseli's, and with the rain over the past weeks it will be waterlogged so don't bother.

There's enough to do if you like walking and being outside.

If you want amusement arcades you'll be very disappointed…….

Am in the same boat. Broke my tib and fib 4 weeks ago and have a plate in the tib. Have an "aircast" boot on, that I can take on and off so I can move the ankle and at least get some movement going (seems to be better than a full cast). I am expecting to be none weight bearing for another 3 weeks, then will be doing gentle spinning (no load) to get movement going again. For proper riding I am expecting to be off the bike for 3 months.
To get fitness back and replace the muscle wastage I expect it to be 6 months.

No matter what, it isn't going to be quick. It isn't much help, but it's something you need to get your head around – it's going to be quite a few weeks/months before you are back on your bike and riding the local woods – bear in mind that one wrong move and you'll be back where you started.

I am spending my time doing upper body stuff (am up to 130 sit ups in the mornings), and walking with crutches is a real shoulder/tricep workout. I am hoping that this will help me when I get back on my bike as my upper body is quite weak. Helps to concentrate on something else as well.

Oh, and the savings made by not commuting / eating loads can be spent on shiny bike bits (thats how I spend my time – ebay is your friend!!).

Good luck and healing vibes

Mine are 16, 18 and 20. Been through all that and am now counting the weeks till they all start paying rent…..

What's changed is that now everyone who has something sh*te to sell can make use of your phone number, calling at inconvenient times. I would prefer my phone to be used by people I know, rather than "Colin, from India". I am on the TPS for my landline, and don't get bothered, I also don't want to be bothered when I am out and about.

Of course, if people aren't fussed, don't reply to this post. If you are, I have provided some information that may be useful to you.

at the moment they're prohibitive, but just wait for the market forces to work.

It's very unusual on a trailquest for you to have to take bearings as you are mainly using established tracks etc, so a detailed compass like the Silva Expedition are probably unnecessary.
However, you will need to know N,S,E & W, as some of the control descriptions will be "Tree, N side of track" type thing, and it helps to know which side of the track is North. A small compass that clips onto your watch or the carabina one above are ideal for this. You should only need to pay a few ££ for one like this (from any outdoor shop).

If you are ut on the moors (or in forest) though, get the Silva Expedition type and learn how to use to (to orientate the map and figure out which way you need to go)

Have a look at some road bike mudguards made by Giant for their Defy road bikes. They are very close clearance, and have a cutaway around the crown and rear brake as there isn’t enough clearance for the guard to fit.
They fit really well on my road bike, and I’ve not had any issues with debris being caught (but I haven’t had any issues like that without mudguards either)

He’s a criminal who spent years on the run, failing to do the time for his crime. Let him rot in jail. Life’s tough isn’t it, but sometimes the things you do catch up with you. It’s time he learnt that you don’t get let off for being an old decrepit scumbag.

All of mine have now had their “proms” and all have really enjoyed the whole occasion. A limo between 6 people works out at around £25 each (although you can spend more if you wish). I can’t stand them, but if it helps the kids enjoy the night and feel part of it and mark the end of their schooldays I am all for it.

My daughters dress was too much and a waste (worn once and never again). Luckily (for me and the world) I only have one daughter, and that mistake won’t be made again.
My sons suits have been used several times for interviews, funeral, formal do’s etc, so they aren’t a waste at all (Mrs L wouldn’t allow me to get their suits from Asda though).

What are people moaning about? Is it the fact that other people are enjoying themselves doing things they don’t want to do? Is it that other people are spending money on kids and stuff rather than what they want to spend their money on? Get a f…. life.

I thought the organisation was good, plenty of food etc at the feedstations and proper signage everywhere. I couldn’t believe how many energy gel wrappers people were discarding though (even saw no.218 throw his onto the pavement about 30km from the end). No excuse for that.

And I thought I was miserable – in all the groups I rode in, I didn’t hear a single conversation going, and it wasn’t as though they were all elite riders training to be pros, they were 7 hour riders (for the 190km route).

Having said that, the route was excellent, the climbs tough (especially the Bwlch climb the 2nd time round), and riding past the entrance to Afan Argoed on the wrong kind of bike took special willpower. The weather was fantastic, and the scenery breathtaking.

I’d be tempted to call Tim at ForkEnglish – I am in the same boat, and I know the Pace fork seals for RC39’s are unique to Pace (ref the “Pace” logo in the moulding), however I think the important bit is the internal and external diameters. If you find any that look similar they should be a double lip seal (will be a better sealing wiper and should keep water out and oil in)

Mk1 Escort – great car, fun handling, and as much sideways fun you could want at 40mph. Sold that when my Marlin kit car was finished – that was a cherished fun car,only sold to buy a bike!

Well I am 42 and I am still in my late 30’s. The same way I was in my early 30’s until I was 40. Or am I as old as the woman I feel? (She’s older than me though, so that doesn’t work).

Looks like a 50 year old BSA bike I have just got working for the MIL. She has a basket on the front of hers though. Was thinking of doing a lap of the Mayhem on it – could be a talking point….

Cows move though when you get close. They’re only inquisitive (he says from the safety of a keyboard).

Did a ride in Pembrokeshire near the Preseli’s, and thought I had found secret nuggets of singletrack, only to find shoulder high marsh grass which ended in a 2 foot deep stream, and barbed wire fences all round. Took me 90 minutes to get through that 1/2 mile stretch. And the rest of the riding wasn’t up to much (apart from the Preseli’s themselves, which I always love riding).

Lack of respect (for anyone), but then that annoys me about any part of life.

People who make riding tricky bits look easy.

“elite rider on your left” at Mayhems (when the left is the bit I’m on) – If you’re that effing elite, pass on the side there’s room, don’t expect me to move out of your way.

Standing around in car parks while someone spends an hour to build their bike, that they should have been doing last night. It doesn’t happen much though, as we tend to go and do a quick loop.

The EU fuel economy drive cycle does involve driving on a rolling road, but this includes some hills and accelerating from rest a couple of times. However, this is done without air con, with tyre pressures at the set limits (and sometimes on the lowest rolling resistance tyre option), with correctly set loadings for an unloaded vehicle without options (the spare wheel is now an option on many cars for this reason) (take all the crap out of your boot for a start), and other settings optimised. The manufacturer cannot publish figures that cannot be achieved, and this has to be certified by the VCA, however, on the open road, you will have to drive VERY conservatively to achieve them (and forget taking passengers, a boot full of gear, bike on the back etc). Most people will get somewhere near (to within 10-15%), but only a small handfull will get there. Bear in mind that even driving into a headwind will have an effect.

And I agree, a Prius is false economy on normal roads – it is just lugging round heavy batteries and motors and never using them. Only driven by people who are “environmentally friendly” (and if you told them that digging holes in your back garden would save the planet, they would dig holes….)

How about the Trans Cambrian Way – 100miles of Welsh off road. The IMBA site has details of the route.

I am planning a 2 day ride – the TCW in a day then ride/limp back to the car on day 2 – not sure when though.

I still remember John Peel playing a Sisters cover of Jolene – bloody great

Thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Great weather, great trails, quiet roads and a good atmosphere. Started steadily and had a real good enjoyable ride all the way round – so much easier and faster than last year. Got round in 5hrs 30mins, but riding time was 4:50, which is an hour faster than last year. Seemed like most people this year did the 100km, whereas last year only a small fraction seemed to do it.

And the cake at the rest stop was fantastic.

RooleyMoor,
it’s OK, just as someone who is very closely related to the British car industry, I feel it is very important not to devalue it. Even if innocent comments contribute to the loss of 1 sale, there is an impact to British jobs (especially in the current climate).

Just want to correct RooleyMoor:

The Jaguar XF is not based on a new Mondeo, it is based on the original S-Type (but with significant modifications to body, chassis, interior, powertrain etc etc).

Also, the Jaguar X-Type shares a floorpan and some chassis components with the Mondeo, but is essentially a very different car ( 4 wheel drive vs 2 wheel drive for one (yes, I do know that lower powered X-Types are front wheel drive and share more components with Mondeo’s).

There is a general misconception that if cars are based on each other, they will share the same or very similar driving characteristics. This is generally the area that is tuned out using engine, transmission, chassis calibrations to make different cars feel very different. Most people would be amazed at the difference in the feel of the car that can be achieved by different damper / spring / tyre tunes and engine tunes.