Took me a while (and much swearing) to arrive at this combination on my vagabond. Ultegra shifters, SLX calipers, XT cranks and front mech, 105 rear mech. Are you running a road link or something with that rear mech?

Lovely looking bike. I like the silver hubs and brake levers. Looks very classy. Hopefully you are able to return to full fitness soon.

Playing guitar
Making sourdough bread
Working from home
Walking
Kettlebell workouts
Sufferfest
Reading
Zoom with family

Pretty good. I recently got a new hardtail, training has been going well and I’ve lost a few kilos this year. Part of me is not looking forward to the relaxing of lockdown – I’ve enjoyed the relative quiet and staying at home. I’ve also just finished 6 counselling sessions that I was able to get through work for anxiety. That has been very helpful. It has reset my attitude a bit so I’m trying to look for the positives more often and choosing to be happy rather than get upset over things I have no control over.

I hate the thought of having to go back and work in an office. However the signs are that my company is going to offer people the choice of where and how to work in future. The company branding promotes itself as being people-centric and liberal so I’m optimistic that we won’t be forced back into the office. I still worry though that the flexible way of working will be kiboshed at the local level by managers who are far less people-centric and can’t wait to get back to the way things were. In some ways I think what happens after all this is over will be a test of exactly how forward thinking, flexible and innovative this organisation is as a whole.

That Signal and P7 look ace. I too would probably have gone for a Signal ST if they had one in my size. Squatch should arrive this week, but it’s frame only so I need to move parts over. I very nearly went for a Big Al based on the Hardtail Party review, but the reach is on the short side in XL at 480mm and Ragley also recommend a 140mm fork and mine is 130mm. Neither are huge issues but it was enough to push me towards the Squatch.

@SlimJim78 I’m looking forward to reading your ride report when it arrives.

Mini-PSA – Plush Hill cycles have two Big Al frames in stock in XL, if anyone is looking for a frame.

That Moxie looks amazing!

I’ve been following this thread with interest. The comments about steep seat tubes and pedalling on the flat gave me a bit of pause for thought, but despite that have pulled the trigger on a Squatch. The way I look at is that the Squatch appears to have a lot of upside in terms of fun and ride feel. I’ve not tried a bike with a steep seat tube for myself so who knows? I might love it and I might hate it, but I felt like the potential upside outweighed the downside, and if it doesn’t work out I can always sell it on, having learned a little more about what I like and don’t like.

The one thing that’s clear from this thread is that current levels of supply notwithstanding, there are so many great bikes being made.

I don’t know if these have been done already, but I thoroughly enjoyed both the Lemmy and ZZ Top documentaries on Netflix. I’m not a big fan of our their music, although I do enjoy hearing them from time to time, but that really didn’t matter. The thing that stands out with both of them is their longevity and adaptability, that and the insight into what it is to be a rock god. I’ll happily watch either again. Definitely recommended.

I’m also 6’3″ and rode an XL for a while. I always felt stretched out, enough that I felt slightly uncomfortable, despite fitting a shorter stem. However my upper body is relatively short compared to my lower body. Having said that I enjoyed riding the bike, but I would not get another one due to that reach.

That’s so sad. I enjoyed watching those videos you posted and was planning on making a trip down when all this is over. Gutted.

I’ve heard a rumour that the amazing rink in Cumbernauld has permanently closed too. I don’t know if there’s any truth to it but it wouldn’t surprise. Such a shame as that was as good a rink as any in the world.

Went to the transport museum in Glasgow on Saturday and there were a couple of brave souls rolling around. I think I’ll wait for it to get a wee bit warmer before I head out, but seeing them made me realise how much I’m missing skating.

@sanername what skates did you get? I’m just curious what they recommended. I’ve bought loads over the last 6 years since I got into skating but have slimmed down to just the 3 pairs now. At least they are cheaper than bikes!

@binners I too am worried about local rinks. Here’s hoping they can come through this OK. Our local, Rollerstop is ace. During the summer we were looking for somewhere to skate so went to the Glasgow transport museum as it has a large paved area, only to find that everyone else had done the same thing. Some people would take sound systems down there and I think there were a few street hockey games that took place too. It felt like a bit of a roller party ‘scene’. It was one of the better things to come out of lockdown.

Another recommendation for loco here. They are really nice guys and have a great range of skates.

I don’t know a great deal about hip hop but when I did listen to it MF DOOM always stood out. This news makes me very sad. RIP.

I’ve recently bought a kickr and got a years sub to sufferfest along with it. I’m happy to report that sufferfest is now smart and there are loads more workouts to use than when I last used it, a couple of years ago. The first workout I loaded up was ‘do as you’re told’ – the mix of humour, music and footage of the Strade Bianche almost made it a pleasure.

There’s a calendar function built in now so you can apply various training plans which means that when you login the home screen tells you what workout you’re doing today and you just click on that and you’re away.

FWIW, the Tour of Sufferlandria starts in Feb, if you’re interested in that sort of thing.

Cons
– No commute to work by bike
– Idiots racing around the streets during lockdown
– No outdoor events (was looking forward to my first organized gravel rides this year)

Pros
– Finally got my gravel bike built up and discovered a few new routes
– Built a pump track bike in the autumn and got down to the local track regularly after that
– WFH meant that I could enjoy a bit more of the TdF and Giro this year. Having road racing back was a joy. Strangely while I enjoyed watching cycling, I’ve not been at all interested in watching rugby – it just isn’t the same without my pals.
– Watched my first downhill races on TV and loved it.
– Getting a turbo on black Friday with a years subscription to Sufferfest

2021
Using Sufferfest to build my fitness. Maybe joining Zwift for a race or too. I’m hoping to be able to do at least one event this year, but I’m not hopeful for the Etapes Loch Ness and Caledonia. Planning on riding the King Alfred Way in late summer. But mostly just looking forward to riding a bike more often.

Just spent a few hours with ‘just’ an Ipad, a THR10ii and my JTV.

Out of interest, what were you using / running on the ipad?

@scapegoat LOL!

There are some really encouraging stories here. A common thread is that better public transport is needed if more people are to do it. We used to live in a village with a station and in hindsight we could have lived without a car there. It would still have been more restrictive than where we are now (Glasgow) but definitely doable.

We considered getting an electric car at the time we got rid of ours but emissions are not the only downsides to car ownership: noise, congestion, isolation from the world around you and space consumed for parking are also problematic, and electric cars don’t solve any of these. (I was amazed at how much tyre roar a Tesla produces at 30 mph – it’s barely any quieter than a diesel at the same speed).

Cargo bikes, particularly electric cargo bikes, solve many of the problems posed by shopping and of carrying kids. I also like the look of these car share schemes where you can hire a car for a few hours at a time, although I was struggling to think of examples of where I’d want to use it.

As with any big lifestyle change it’s easy to think I can’t do that because X which kind of shuts down any problem solving, whereas if the change in question is forced upon you, say by redundancy or by some miracle the greens getting in and banning cars, in that situation you start consider what you can do, both in terms of what is possible and how you might adapt.

I ended up buying a few knives because of an earlier Edc thread. I started with a cheap locking kershaw but as that was no use outside of the house I ended up buying a few more.

There’s a couple of things I like about them. First, on occasion they are the right tool for the job and while I could get by using a kitchen knife, scissors, a key or my bare hands there is a sense of satisfaction in using a sharp blade, especially if you don’t have to go looking for it.

Secondly, I like knives as objects. They have a tactile quality like a good pen or some other well designed, well machined object.

As for owning more than one knife, why does anyone need more than one bike?

I’m 6’3″ and bought one of the PX Jumping Jack frames a month or two ago. It’s usable as a normal / pub bike with a 450mm seat post and 70mm riser bars. I’ve set it up rigid with an Identiti Rebate fork (465mm ATC, IRC), which is a bit more than is recommended, but it raises the handlebars a bit, although slackens the front end too. I like it a lot more than the Calibre Astronut that I used to have, although it’s not quite as nimble. It’s one of the raw frames so a bargain at £100. It’s a lot of fun and definitely a keeper.

Signed

I’m 115kg and have been regularly carrying loads of another 20-30kg (split front and rear) on Andra 321 rims for over a year without a problem.

Thanks @poah I am still exploring the trails round Mugdock but will give that a go today. Cheers!

@poah which trail is that? Looks like fun.

If I was you I’d already be handing my money over for a Bowman Palace.

People who park in cycle lanes.
People who block the pavement with their cars.

+1 for the Bosh book. I’ve made loads of things from there and they are all easy and delicious. It’s a good starting point.

To replace a car, Riese & Muller Load 75. Had a test ride on one a couple of years ago and it was just amazing. You could buy a car for the price though.

I’ve used Vaude roll top ones for years. They have been completely waterproof and held up to being slung about and carrying heavy loads on a daily basis for years. I would have no qualms about buying Vaude again, although that may be a while off yet.

I’m very tempted by this, but I’d really like a bike that can take a 2.8 or even a 3.0 up front.
What’s the biggest tyre anyone’s managed to squeeze into the fork?

Thanks for sharing this. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to watch this. I love skating. I took it up 3 years ago. We go to Rollerstop in Glasgow. Even joined in a virtual roller disco on zoom at the start of lockdown. We make a point of taking our skates with us when we go away just in case there is a chance to do some skating. There are some great rinks all over the country. Rock’n’roller in Cumbernauld is out of this world. Amazing rink.

I recently signed up for the Northern Monk subscription box. I’m two boxes in now and loving it. They did a peanut butter & jelly porter in the last box – I’m not that big a fan of porter but that one was amazing.

Also, another thumbs up for six degrees north.

I had one of these and it was a nightmare. The problem I had was that even though there was a Bluetooth logo on the trainer that was only for cadence and not for power.

I tried connecting through ant+ on my phone but with no joy. I was eventually able to connect using an ant+ dongle on my laptop.

However I found the trainer very slow to react to gradient changes in zwift and it would often lose the connection.

It’s a shame as the base trainer is a good piece of engineering but the power and connectivity features feel hurried and ill thought out.

The long and short of it is that I would never even think about buying another elite product as it nearly drove me to despair.

I started using one on a whim about 9 years ago. Nowadays I wouldn’t be without one, but I have to make a point of setting time aside to write.

I have only ever used Lamys. My first one was a lovely metal one but the catch on the lid gradually wore away until it no longer stayed in place. Built in obsolescence? Anyway it was a sad day when I had to replace it. I stick to the studio now.

Started a few days ago with feeling very cold and tired. Since then I have had a slight tightness of breath, the odd dry cough, a few aches and pains, an unsettled feeling in my stomach, a few minor headaches and feeling tired. All symptoms have been pretty mild though. But, again I have no idea if this C 19 or not. However me and partner are self isolating anyway as it seems quite likely.

Sorry, I just noticed that the blue ones are out of stock. They dont have 8 of any type but if you dont mind mixing and matching colours you can get 8

Rio Roller Wheels

More wheels

Link not working. Let try again…Wheels

These are 54mm

5 day Bigger, Leaner, Stronger routine. I’m really enjoying it but am building up the deadlift, squat and bench press very cautiously as I have never practised them regularly. I finish each workout with 2 x 20s max efforts on the rowing machine. I’m only 2 weeks in so far, so early days.

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I really appreciate it. I didn’t expect to get this much feedback. It has been very helpful.

@thisisnotaspoon – good question about what an ‘upgrade’ actually is.

Other than being shiny and new, my only real experience of the difference a good set of wheels can make is on a road bike. When my father passed away I inherited his Trek Domane complete with some very nice Mavic wheels – I can’t remember exactly which model, but they were alloy rim and non-aero, but still around the £1k mark to buy. Those wheels were absolutely amazing when descending. I have never felt so confident going downhill on a road bike.

However, I later found out that I was over the recommended weight limit for those wheels and couldn’t live with the nightmare vision of them collapsing under me at 50mph (exaggerated for dramatic effect), so I gave them to my sister and bought wheels that were suited to my weight (Tune TSR 27s). The Tunes were decent wheels but they didn’t have that magic feeling of the Mavics.

If I had to guess what the difference was between the two sets of wheels, I think the Mavics were stiffer but I suspect that there is a lot more to it than that. (Although this sounds similar to the experience of @BadlyWiredDog). So I guess what I hope new wheels will give me is more of a direct feel on the trail and more tautness through corners.

“I am 118kg.
I’d upgrade that first!”
LOL! I am on the case with that but am also working on building strength and muscle, so I can’t see me getting below 100kg in all honesty, if that … but you do make a good point. I do know that I’m never going to be in the market for a light weight set of wheels and can’t see my buying anything with less than 32 spokes.

@BadlyWiredDog – That’s very interesting. Do you have any thoughts about what part of that combo increased the lateral stiffness? Flange height? Spoke type?

@joebristol and @thisisnotaspoon – I do build my own wheels – I’ve just completed some for my gravel bike – my 10th and 11th builds – all done following the Roger Musson prescription. The reason I was looking at complete wheelsets is that I have the option of buying some using the Halfords C2W scheme, so saving a bit of money on the full price. I think I’m now convinced that off the peg is not the way to go.

@thisisnotaspoon & @Pierre – I like the idea of using second hand hubs. Especially as I can buy rims through the C2W scheme, although not hubs (so still saving some money). There are some DT Swiss HX-531s that I can get that are rated up to 150kg so they may be a good place to start, but I’ll need to look into that in a bit more detail as there are others I can choose. I also like the fact that with building my own wheels I also get to choose which hubs and spokes to use.

@damascus 29er and 2.35 at the rear and 2.6 up front. Hunt wheels are not an option using the Halfords C2W scheme unfortunately.

@Pierre & @chakaping – My nearest wheel builder is Big Al at Wheel Craft. I’ve had him make me a wheelset in the past which was totally bomb-proof but also felt a bit lifeless. He also wouldn’t build those wheels with black spokes or Stan’s rims ;-) I’m certain the quality of the wheels he builds are way ahead of what I can do, but I’m not sure I’d get what I wanted.

@oikeith & @baldiebenty – Thanks for the feedback on the vortex wheels. I’m really glad I posted here before pulling the trigger – I could easily have gone down that route.

@oikeith – I’d love to hear how you get on with those new wheels.

@jameso – Thanks. I really value that feedback. It does looks like I’m going down the hand built route now rather than buying off the peg, although the builder will be me, so definitely not someone reputable :-D. What you say makes a lot of sense, and echoes the comment made by @thisisnotaspoon about hubs. I’ll need to do some more research into building wheels for someone of my weight.

@chapking – my current rims are the ST ones, which may explain the problem.