Terrible news.

I don’t think pilots should be doing tricks in old aircraft. In the case of the invader, the pilot was trying to barrel roll a 40 year old bomber!

I would agree – leave the stunts to the modern acrobatics aircraft and RAF jets which are built for it and presumably maintained to much higher levels.

Chance can always rear its head but I feel it’s much more likely with 50 year old airframes.

so I think, after careful consideration, although in principle I’d love anyone who wanted (and was able to benefit from it) to go on through college & university level education for free, the reality doesn’t appear to be quite working out

I tend to agree, it would be great if we could have fewer people who are actually academically disposed going to do proper subjects and good universities for free – which is happening with PhD funding at the moment with the DTPs. But I’m not sure how you’d do that fairly.

‘So you can get a degree without intelligence and application?’

If my Facebook feed is anything to go by then yes.

There seems to be a disconnect between aspiration and reality whereby we believe a degree is a ticket to happiness, a good career and social mobility but somehow also that those results can happen when graduates make up 50%ish of entries to the workforce.

I guess that’s why employers for graduate schemes have a number of screening steps for applicants – there’s such a number and variety of the ‘quality’ of candidates holding that 2:1 or 1st that there needs to be many rounds of QC.

Still, it does allow those who’ve gone to a naff uni but who show aptitude beyond academics to get through and get on.

If at rrp 40.7% but probably 8-11%

I always say if you’re comfortable after a few runs on the red then think about the world cup too, it’s harder but it’s not massively harder to take slowly. Even if you just trundle down it once it’s an experience.

Good advice – I even found the Red harder in parts as it catches you out if you go too quickly while not knowing the track. The main course is obviously meant to be ridden flat-out so as long as you go with the flow you’ll be fine, don’t worry about not riding a DH bike.
This was in 2011 though so the alterations might differentiate the level of the tracks a bit better now.

Did that Blue DH ever get built?

There’s plenty of great riding at Nevis Range off the beaten track, particularly towards the western, Torlundy side – some of the steepest, muddiest tracks I’ve ridden!

I’ve got some 140mm revs and recently serviced 120mm rebas both with 20mm axles if they’re up your street? No external travel adjust though – you’d have to change the spacers.

Talisker, Lagavulin, Kilchoman, Glenfarclas, Old Pultney.

Ralph? Or if you don’t mind not matching brands then I found the Bontrager XR1 to be fine on the front in most conditions. Spesh Renegade and Fast track also look like a decent tyres, and likely cheap.

Norco Sights are going pretty cheap in Evans’ sale at the moment. Loved my Shinobi and a friend in BC loves his sight carbon by all accounts.

If you’re not on a budget then the fancy new float is supposedly a good deal better than the older rp23/ DHX shocks.

plymouth itself is a bit of a dump.

A lot of the post-war suburbs are a dump but you’d have no reason to go there. It’s getting a lot of redevelopment as well, in the two years I’ve been here it’s gotten noticeably better.

The road riding is great, the beaches are great, the food is great but there are no proper hills or maximum nadgecore trails to be enjoyed if that’s your thing.

Rents are very cheap too, on a phd student budget I could afford a seafront penthouse or a flat in a Victorian fort that came with tennis court and boat mooring.

I was just about to shout Ben Macdui/Glen Derry but I think that’s already quite an epic day out without knocking out Munros; sounds like a lovely route!

I did Braemar to Aviemore following much of the same route but carrying on to do Carn Ban Mor on the way there before roading it back to Aviemore.

It’s a good route but likely hard going for the middle 3rd if it’s been very wet.

I’ve fallen for the Cairngorms after being a West Coast fan boy for too long.

Don’t move to the South West, there are no mountains and I’ve yet to find any technical riding outside DH trail centres. Dartmoor is mostly grass with a few tiny bits of nice woodland trails.

Get thee sen oop north!

Where is everyone buying theirs from? Any outlets doing 1×11 11-42 with brakes yet?

Got to be Beryl for me too. Riding a hundred miles to races because the car broke down then smashing an international field is one particular highlight.

here was never any reported issues with the strength of the 35s

I and a few others on this thread have smashed some.

Those the 38s do looks a lot meatier but even if it make sense they just look cartoonishly OTT to me.

Might look into it to replace the 35 if they’re considerably stronger though.

Anyone have an opinion of how they ride with standard-sized tyres?

I don’t get the “aero bikes are heavier” bit as with the UCI weight regs they would be the same anyway; an aero frame is maybe only 150-250g weight penalty after all. I suspect it has something to do with handling and compliance.

Sure, if you’re gunning for a stange win in a sprint or breakaway take the few extra watts of the aero bike, but if you’re going to attack on the mountains or in the TTs I’m sure a lot of pros would prefer to be sat on a comfier climber’s bike for the rest of their 3 weeks in the peloton.

Could be wrong though.

I jammed some electrical tape in mine and that worked a treat for a whole alps trip. Looked a bit naff but better than rattling bad times.

Depends on how hardcore the organiser is. We got away with 30ltr sacks for our bronze and silver. But teacher in charge changed as we were doing fell bagging in a heatwave with 65ltr sacks and 4ltrs of water for gold.

I think a 50-55ltr sack with careful packing would see you right for all three levels; just stay away from the Trangias!

his is often decent kit and replaced often. Try out that first, for maybe the Bronze level.

Yep, we had some old but good terranova tents and vango sacks which saved a few pennies.

another very happy Soundmagic E10 user here.

+1

Mine even survived a 50C wash when I left them in my pocket.

Fellow LB rim smasher here – 4th ride. (Admittedly in Torridon but wasn’t on a water bar and had a thick-ply tubeless tyre on with 35psi).

Looks the same as the above picture, cracked and delaminated inside.
Front wheel is fine.

No help from Light Bicycle as I built them up so long after ordering (which I guess is fair enough).

This build has sent my Yorkshire senses off the scale.

If you don’t mind doing a little homework then Bridleways around Hebden and Tod are probably better but Lee Quarry can be fun if it’s not too wet and windy. I would definitely avoid it in anything above a moderate breeze as it’s really exposed. If you’re on an xc bike/hardtail Crag Quarry is a good leg busting, flowy trail.

Naw

Had XTRs they broke. Replaced with Deore for very little weight penalty and much less dolla.

Not sure why you’d buy XT over Deore? Doubt they’d last more than their difference in price would account for?

Butcher control up front and no problems. Good tyre and great VFM. I have a thicker bonty xr4 on the back which does fine. Not a fan of Eskar/ Purgatory.

Last time I looked a low front end was ‘retro’ and everyone was going wider and higher.

Lower is better IMO. Otherwise your arms are in a bad orientation for absorbing impacts and it just feels awful to climb.

I find cornering and techy descents much easier with weight a bit closer to the front. I mean, as long as you don’t break stupidly you’re very unlikely to OTB and having weight on the front gives much more control.

The bar height on the Alpine 5 ruined it for me, just didn’t feel engaged.

But then again I know someone who ran cooking oil in some of the previous gen XT brakes for about 3 weeks while touring across russia!

Hmm, I did it for two days in Scotland and ended up ditching the bike at about 25mph and thankfully sliding on my arse through wet ferns for a fair way.

The smell of the brakes was amazing though!

I’ll stick to LHM in future.

I find goretex active to be good for cycling and medium-paced jogging. If you give it the beans then it does get sweaty.

Pertex Shield should be more breathable though?

Aye, that’s what I thought. Just wondered if there was a specific time to use either.

Yep nothing for me either. Absolute rascals.

All I took from that is that wheeling on a fat bike looks hella fun.

Alice Roberts > Miranda Krestovnicov

Vittoria Pave evo? Tough but still nice and light.

Spots pursuit are great for waterproof at cheap prices. Dare2b also have some decent, if heavy jackets in their range.
Marmot precips can be had for cheap too.

Oxford PhD student (though mostly based at a lab in Plymouth so no student life per se) generally no. I get to go to sea on the new RRS Discovery and be involved with some cool projects but ultimately it’s a lot of work (typically 370-410hrs a month at sea) and an often weird culture. Only carrying on because I know I’ll regret it later in life if I quit; I don’t really see academia as a rewarding career that allows a reasonable and secure family life except for the very few.

You should be able to stick a single ring on as long as you don’t want smaller than 32t from cog. I could be wrong though.

I had the older 57 model and a newer 59 estate and loved both. Great handling and typically have more power than the mondeo equivalent. Definitely the driver’s choice of the Insignia/Mondeo/Passat level of cars.

DPFs can be a problem so change your oil regularly as this can contribute.

I can’t find anything about Bespoke financial on t’internet. Anyone else any wiser? I’d like my cynicism to be justified.

Old Pulteney, Jura is rubbish, with added colouring

Superstition’s alright but when Talisker’s knocking about for £2 more it’s not really worth it (still a good value step up from grain-heavy blends).

Old Pulteney is a cracker though, maybe not as many flavours but much more refined. I tried it again last night after trying Jura Turas-Mara and it just seemed much more “full-bodied”.

My tip for cheap peaty business is The Ileach, think it’s just watered down (40% vs 56%) – though they do a cask strength- young Lagavulin.

NOT OP: My best deals this Christmas were Ardbeg 10 from Booths for £32 and A’bunadh for £35 from Tesco.