Buying cheap will leave you frustrated in inclement UK weather. Waiting on a brew whilst you freeze and really want to get moving again is no fun. It will be found in the cupboard next to the food processor shortly afrerwards. Spend wisely and you will have a companion for life. I would recommend anything from MSR. I think you are specifically asking for the WindBurner. Check out the range and you can find one that suits your requirements .Really dependable kit .A joy to use .FYI, I use Dragonfly for everything . Just change my pot/kettle as the activity requires.
For some reason it totally passed me by that was for one, because of the price I assumed two, and I thought they were still on the expensive side. Must be good though, not that I’ll ever find out unless pop up used .
Only count by how much clearance you have. Tyres come up different too. The side knobs on say a Magic Mary/Dirty Dan are huge say compared to a WTB Breakout etc. So tyre choice also influences.
Wider inner width spreads the tire’s beads, making for a tire that folds over less at low pressures while corning hard, and resists bottoming better during hard impacts. I’ve run 2.3~3.0 tyres on Scraper i45 and like it. Pressure around 12psi. I’m 85kg in kit .
I wouldn’t do the black at this time of year. You’ll be cold and wet and won’t appreciate the last hour. Better kept for milder weather. I would suggest the red route twice . Gives about same mileage but with the added bonus after the first lap you can refuel at the café .Also you’ll appreciate the trail second time round as you know what to expect and be able to really attack the features, which is the secret to getting the most smiles per mile at Kirro. Any mechanicals/injuries and you are never far from the trail head car park .At the outer stages of black route you are a very long walk from help/car .
I’m looking at Transit Customs too as in the middle of house renovations. Scared to take on a new diesel though as I suspect the government are taking aim to tax them out of existence. I’ll be looking at the petrol hybrid they are bringing to the market and hoping for some kind of early technology adopter financial benefits and hopefully a healthy trade in for my current 12 year old oil burner.
@ mariner, why do you wish you went for apex now? It will be used for a garage and storage of normal paraphernalia. The steel will be plasticoated and have other anti condensation barriers. Talked to two people first hand who have bought from the company and so I’ve looked at the build quality close up. Both assure me no issues with condensation at anytime of year.
The only advantage I can see in apex is additional storage? A pent would give me a better run off for the water as on the apex one side would be shedding towards the house with no drains to tie into. Pent straight into a field. It is not flat pack. Will be made to order agriculture/industrial spec.
Looks a good event, but is it mainly attended by people who take themselves way too seriously although displaying less than average riding ability? I would like to go with a friend new to biking but constant shouts of ‘racer coming through’ etc may put them off. I enjoy the Puffer. Is the atmosphere more relaxed like that for mere mortals?
Gränsfors maul user here. Does what it is supposed to. Can’t say fairer than that. Likely to outlive me and my son will be inheriting it. So when we are out working together it does gather sentimental value too.
I like to chop most days as I find it quite enjoyable. If I need logs rapid then I concentrate on the straight grain stuff. More time and just want out the house I concentrate on the knottier stuff. If you don’t like/have the room for logs lying around a splitter is probably the answer. That’s if you can be bothered getting it out/setting it up etc. I cant. I enjoy the shear simplicity and reward that comes with the maul and manual labour. It is very surprising the amount you can get through when you get in the swing of it.
Using the maul lets me catch up with the children too. They load onto the chopping block, then gather and stack. Between blows we have great talks and laughs. I think this side of it would be lost with a machine.
I picked the Gränsfors over an X25/27 as I wanted a more traditional tool made by a craftsman. Not a plastic modern affair. Saw that as a bit of an intrusion into a timeless activity. (Yes yes I use a chainsaw) but it is nice to have a last bastion of simplicity in your life.
The cost I reasoned would be worth it because of the longevity.
Marathon Plus if you really can’t face the nightmare of a puncture on the inward leg of the commute. Yes they are weaker in other areas in comparison to rivals, but to suit #1 in your criteria there is simply no comparison.
