Some of the stuff mentioned above I really like ( Nobby Nic tyres, hope and endura stuff).

Worst thing so far has been a solarstorm x2. Very bright for 10 mins then the battery is flat.£12 though so what do I expect!

In the late 70’s my mates and I all had “tracker” bikes. Knobbly tyres and cow horn handlebars, looked like mountain bikes. And we copied other peoples bikes, so I am pretty sure mountain bikes were invented elsewhere, and maybe just the name was invented in the US.

I bought a 12×8 tiger shed at the end of last year. Good price but they marked it as despatched 2 weeks after I ordered it and it turned up after 5 weeks. I wasn’t enamoured with their delivery timing but the shed is ok. Seems solidd enough but I imagine if you went to your local timber yard / shed shop you could get a better shed for not much more.

Read the top post pawsy – links are dead until Mark has finished the ride (Monday)

Good luck Mark, very interested in this as a training for a big one ride!

They could be £3.15 and I still wouldn’t go there.

My LBS is ace. Went in to buy a XTR crank tool for some 2nd cranks I bought, and they didn’t have one for sale, so the mechanic gave me his spare from his toolbox, saying he never used it. Proper Shimano one as well. And I get lots of little bits and bobs. I do buy energy drink, bars, gels, clothes and a bike 12 years ago though, and I don’t freeload advice or sizing.

that’s why you draw it, and get someone else to make it.

With a metal folder, guillotine and spot welder a half decent fabricator would make your design in a day or so – £300 plus materials (ish)

given that our extractor is just some folded metal sheet with a filter at the bottom and a fan at the top, you could buy a cheap one, scavenge the bits you need and get a folded metal sheet made to your design that would do everything you want in a material you like.

You would need to come up with a design though, but go and have a poke about in a kitchen shop to see how they are made. You would probably have to spend 500-600 to get something quite nice made (more if you want lights and any other fancy bits).

So was this a 1 off? It isn’t unknown to use stuff like Strava to look at people’s timekeeping, but you would normally need a reason to look…..

Selle Italia carbonia or something. 135g and it’s comfortable with my backside.

Bought off mtbmatt a while ago but it looks like he went even more weight weenie!

Just ordered some hardwood windows to replace some of the softwood frames already in. For Georgian 3 casement windows it’s about £700 per unit. Not cheap, but on older houses plastic windows can look really crap, and I would look at the plastic windows every day and regret buying them. Wood all the way. Did have to search for a decent joiner though!

Yes, get some solarstorm off eBay. £15 or so will see you sorted with a light unit that has 4 modes of which only 1 will work, with 5000 lumens that may actually be 800, and a 6000mAh battery that will power the light for 20 minutes on flashing mode ( so more like 60mAh), and a charger that gets a bit warm. Of course I may have been unlucky.

Whereas my 2nd hand exposure Maxx d that I bought a few years ago has worked faultlessly. Of course I may have been lucky, but I do think you get what you pay for and my next purchase will be an Exposure joystick to compliment the Maxx d.

Tell him to unfollow me. I won’t be upset :lol:

I destroyed my dads 12 year old Flymo one last year so am looking on eBay at the moment. 2nd hand flymo vac and blowers seem to be £25 or less….

The wildcat gravel rides were cancelled this year due to the same access issues with FC land. It’s unfortunate, and you can decide to go 1 of 2 routes. The first is just do it, but you are then wholly liable if something does happen ( and may technically be trespassing etc). The 2nd is the formal official route which will take time, patience and possibly some money. But once it is done the first time it should be easier the next….

I am finding Alex salmand a rude and overbearing individual who doesn’t like to answer questions. Alastair darling isn’t great but at least he isn’t doing much cheap point scoring……

7.35 is 2 hours after it gets light. Sounds ok to me.

Just finished chainsawing some logs just as it got dark.

Noise should be within hours of daylight, and peace and quiet when dark.

They like lentils from what I have read. That’s one reason to kill them….

You can use insecticide to get rid of them, but given they tend to be near food be careful with this.

I can’t understand the Chip way of thinking. Is it complete ignorance or inconsideration for others using the road? I feel quite glad I don’t drive much…

Would have been nice if they had run under the wheels of a passing truck though….

Our T5 suits us brilliantly. We have a tin roof (no pop top), and units down the drivers side, which keep a weeks food next to the fridge, and a wardrobe at the back for a weeks clothes. Under the wardrobe is the leisure battery and electrics etc, and in the space between wardrobe and food cupboard is the water tank. A swivel passenger seat gives seating for 3. If you are going to have a full width bed, just consider where the stuff like leisure battery and water tanks can go. There are solutions (water tank can go under the van), but everything in a camper is a compromise of space over storage over ease of use.

There are only 2 of us in our van (and 1 or 2 dogs), and we are not tall, hence no need for a pop top.

Try some out at van shows etc – there are loads of combinations and there will be one to suit you. Vanfest is not far away in time and is at Malvern and is worth a look if you are local.

How to kill them? They didn’t happen a week ago….

Well done, it’s a cracking ride in the wilds of Wales. I saw 1 person the whole day when I did it.

But won’t an inline off switch just put the stand light on? I’ve been thinking about this issue as I am also thinking about dynamos and lights etc. haven’t seen the perfect setup yet….

And put an older named driver on the policy. For my youngest we added his 70 year old gran who has a clean record etc and it took £200 off the £2000 policy.

5 year old Fiat Panda 1.1 still cost more than it was worth to insure for an 18 year old lad though……

Yes, look on eBay for a mobile phone battery back with a USB output – I have a 3400mAh that has lasted 24 hours and I have 6400mAh that have lasted a couple of days. You should be spending £15 or so. The garmin lead will plug into it and provide charge no problem. The only thing you may want to add is waterproofing – I use carefully applied gaffer tape on the garmin and put the battery in a plastic bag.

Making things, currently an oak chassis for a shepherds hut for the OH’s 50th in a couple of years time.

Take the money, then contest it and the photographic evidence will prove it wasn’t you driving. £500 richer and nil points!

Or tell the requestor to face the music like a man/woman.

I was down there a few weeks ago and enjoyed the coastal path going east, then head inland and there’s a few farm tracks that would be good on a CX bike. The coastal path isn’t legal though so be aware.

Can’t you unhitched his jet ski trailer and push it into the sea as a bit of a helping hand for when he does bring it in. And maybe dump in the heater air intake of his car. And let the air out of his tyres.

Dirty Harry is great, but I am sure it’s a rebranded Chinese frame. Lots of choice from the Chinese direct sellers, or go for a 2nd hand Scott Scale if you can find one.

The frame is not where most of the weight is – if you start stalking the classifieds now though you’ll be able to build a 9kg hardtail for £1-1.5k with some nice bits on.

A common thing to use is the flashing you can get from places like Wickes. It’s bitumen based, and comes in a roll that’s sticky on one side. About £20 a roll when I did mine.
Then use rock wool or sheeps wool insulation under the ply lining – I used the stuff that’s already bagged so it doesn’t send out fibres every time there’s a draft.

Pedalling with their instep. Really gets my goat – I feel like shouting at them when I go past!

Zippy – I had a chainring on my commuter that looked like that – had to change it as the chain started jumping under load. I guess yours was a narrow/very narrow ring not a wide/narrow?

Thanks, the longer lasting chainlubes bit – are there any that will last 12 hours plus of wet riding? (this is not an everyday ride, more a very occasional adventure/race type thing!). Chain is OK – I am meticulous about cleaning and checking chains after rides so I am very sure the chain is good. I am hoping the extra tension/shorter cage the clutch mech has will sort it out, plus the front chainring isn’t compromised for easy shifting so I hope it has chainsucking kind of designed out.

8am is halfway through the morning. Sun is out, enjoy it!

I reckon you’ll lose it today now you’ve bragged about it. I’d be down there walking your dog off the lead to slow people down a bit…… :D

Enjoy the exhaust noise of the F type and leave the bike behind. Bike and this car are not compatible…..

It was a boulder looking at that photo. Wouldn’t mind what she was riding either……

Who cares?