Thanks, will look into that option

Just over 50mph on tri bars down a long hill in the Tamar Valley. The hill wasn’t finished, but my courage was, and the wobble as I moved back to the handlebars to brake really scared me.

I vowed never to go that speed on a bike again. I never have!

In fact, riding an emtb means I don’t feel the need to pick up speed at the bottom of a hill to get as far as I can up the other side. I can be more relaxed coming down, safe in the knowledge the motor will help go back up.

Some really useful stuff here, which I will work through bit by bit – thanks all.

Another vote for Paradiski area – we’ve stayed many times as a family in apartments and chalets in Peisey or Vallandry giving us access to their own ski area (which many people just use as a link between the two big areas and don’t stop in) as well as being able to get to La Plagne or Les Arcs as much or as little as we chose.

On a normal year the snow making is very good and while Easter can be a bit of a challenge with hard packed morning snow and slushy afternoons, the key links have all been kept open by judicious use of snow machines earlier in the season and great work with the piste bashers overnight at the end of the season.

Waterproof socks don’t do it for me as the real pain in the backside is drying out wet and filthy shoes.

Z1ppy’s comment about the GripGrab gaiters being short and slipping off is what I was afraid of. However, we do have a number of failing wetsuits in the garage. I might experiment with longer lengths of neoprene and maybe bits from higher up the leg and wider (calf size bits to be used at ankle height).

Thanks BigDaddy. I’d assumed I’d put them on my leg like a footless sock and then pull the bottom over the boot. The question was more whether they’d stretch to pull down over the top of the boot and I guess that, from your answer, they would.

Off to buy a pair. Is there a way to do that and for Singletrack to benefit from some commission?

Thanks for all the speedy replies:
– Got mudguards, albeit it’s a mountain bike and they’re not the same length as my road bike guards
– Can I do overshoes with boots, flat pedals and pins? Surely the boots are too bulky and the pedals and pins would rip them to shreds?
– The neoprene gaiters look really interesting. Are they big enough or stretchy enough to go over bulky boots?

Does this help https://singletrackworld.com/classifieds/

Thanks all. WRT the welly suggestion, I’m currently nursing a torn calf that a physio suggested might be down to my habit of walking in wellies (Dunlops admittedly)

Thanks @cougar it is indeed still off and unplugged from the router (proper belt and braces approach). The local tech is coming to help at the weekend. I suspect, sadly, he must deal with this sort of situation with increasing relularity.

As I mention it to people, ther are plenty who say “that happened to my dad/friend(neighbour” or “I was about to pay for a DPD/Royal Mail/Hermes redelivery before my wife pointed out my phone and address aren’t linked”. It’s very sad it is so common and the scammers are so good at what they do.

Thanks. My brother also helped and changed passwords across any sites she’d had them for from his machine at home. The bank were also helpful in putting a note against the account although she didn’t pass card details on the phone and doesn’t think they are stored on the browser at all. Thanks to all who advised

Thanks all – now trying to get hold of her, sympathise with her for what’s happen and make her understand it’s not her fault as the scammers are very good at what they do. Will get her to follow the advice above with the help of her local tech wizard

I got my golden ticket last year (postponed to this year), but a health problem means I can’t mountain bike, so I have to pull out.

The organisers are happy for me to sell my place to another rider so for £310 (£300 entry plus the £10 online entry fee I paid) it’s all yours. First come, first served. Comment or message me if you have any queries.

Thanks for the replies (it always pleases me how useful this forum is). It works perfectly well apart from the speedy loss of battery life. I will get a new battery fitted (we also have a local who fixes screens, batteries, charging etc)

Thanks for the suggestions. I’ve resorted to merino baselayers at Cravem Cottage in the past as the wind whips off the Thames. However, the need to wear them in the car on the way there and back, makes them feel a bit over the top.

I’ve also layered, left nice air gaps, worn warm boots, worn gloves (not keen as clapping is muted), drunk Bovril at HT, and plenty of other efforts to stay warm. Hasn’t worked – hence the question re heated gilets.

Will look at the suggestions and report back on how I find the one I get (for Xmas probably)

I’ve been through something similar over the last few weeks. My advice would be:

– Chase, chase and chase again. Noone seems as keen to move things forward and get information to you as you will be. If they have taken away the courtesy car, they ought to be being better at communicating

– Reject their first settlement offer if it cannot buy you an equivalent car. Their calculation of the market value may come from the lowest guide prices they can find, but the financial ombudsman service (where you will ultimately end up if you cannot agree) does allow for advertised prices of equivalent cars to be used in some circumstances. I believe we are in those circumstances at the moment and many second hand cars are selling for advertised prices. I never got them up to what I considered a fair market value, but they did come up by just over 6% on their initial offer

– Ask what they will sell the car to you for. Reject their first offer. Mine went down by 25% just by me replying “Really that much?” I’m now buying the car as a bodyshop has given me a fixed price for the repair which the insurance settlement will cover

Good luck. They’re very good at taking premiums and less good at paying out.

Thanks all – mys kids both immediately said FB Marketplace, but I’ve never ventured there figuring it was Gumtree’s inbred cousin. Need to put my brave pants on and give it a go.

We live in a hilly area and I only get to ride with my wife as she has an ebike. She’s not as keen a rider as I am and used to get no pleasure from riding uphill, so didn’t ride very often. We now ride together once or twice a week and I’m fitter than I was as I have someone to chase uphill.

For us, the ebike was definitely worth the additional cost.

Thanks both – will try those suggestions

So thoughts on how fit is fit enough?

Presumably it’s a case of base fitness while we are locked down and then longer back to back days as summer wears on.

I live in the hilly Tamar Valley so tend to think in time rather than distance. What sort of daily/weekly time in the saddle were people doing who’ve done this in the past?

I’m in too and now need to make sure I’m fit enough to get through all three days! I’ve trained for endurance events before (last time 2008) but not multiple days. I’m excited and scared in equal measure

Ignoring the bleeding gums, I went to my dentist with something similar, only to have him diagnose sinusitis.Sure enough a pill or two later the incredible ache, which had manifested itself in my jaw in my opinion, had gone.

Obviously might not be this at all, but with sniffs and snivles around at this time of year, I figured my experience was worth sharing.

(That motobike gag is one of my favourites)

I remember many years ago when Beckham played for Man Utd and got a Thermos from Victoria for Christmas. Fergie was asking him about it and David was extolling the virtues of something that could keep “hot things hot and cold things cold” (you’ll have to do the accents in your own heads). Anyway Fergie asks him what he’s brought to training in the Thermos, to which he replies “coffee and ice cream”

Just about to check it out now, thanks

If you really want something a bit different, but incredibly interesting, try BBC’s

Tara and George – Series exploring the lives of two people in their late 40s who sleep rough in London’s Spitalfields

It was originally on R4 i think and I’d be interested to know what others think of it.

Thanks for people’s thoughts

In response to the post two above this one, it’s not me, but was a question posed by my daughter.

And it’s not her desperate to change her friend’s mind. In my original post I phrased it as “ My daughter is desperate to get her friend to understand the choices she has.”

The headline is mine, so it’s probably fair to read into that that I don’t think she’d be best served by another Tory government, but my daughter simply wants to try and get beyond her friend not considering any other parties’ policies because “Corbyn is a communist” and “the Liberals don’t ever get in”

In my experience Rights of Way officers at the council used to be great at checking ROWs and chasing landowners where they were becoming or had become obstructed. However budget cuts have meant they are only really able to keep on top of key ROWs in my area (they grade them gold, silver and bronze) and it’s not worth reporting anything other than gold nowadays.

Depending on your CC you may have a better chance with the parish council, perhaps drumming up support for your request above and putting in some man hours in clearing/signposting the ROW in question.

I’ve made the effort to pick up the phone and try and ring the customer service number of the supplier I’m planning to move to.

Although, as Al says above, the majority of switches are fine, I want to know I can get in touch easily if necessary.

My two other tips:

1. Photograph the meter(s) when you switch and check the finishing/starting values the two companies use

2. Don’t rely on being refunded any credit that’s built up without asking, and probably don’t have a big credit built up prior to a switch.

Couple of times it’s been mentioned “that’s why every pet owner has insurance”. Well we do for a horse, but haven’t ever for dogs. I insure things where I have to such as the car or the mortgaged house, or where I can’t, or don’t want, to pay the biggest likely bill.

I understand that insurance does spread the risk across those insured, but there is also decent profits made by insurance companies and, where I can afford not to, I don’t want to be part of paying towards those.

We have a direct debit to put the equivalent of an insurance premium into a separate account each month. So far we are quids in and could cover the biggest feasible bill for a dog twice over. Obviously this wouldn’t have worked how we wanted if our first dog had been sick in the first couple of years of its life, but that was a calculated risk.

As the to OP’s question. No idea I’m afraid, we’ve been pretty lucky so far.

My latest strap is with fastenings you can slide yourself. I had not known they existed until looking for a strap, and learned the lesson of how accurately you need to measure the width (who knew 2mm would make such a difference) but so much easier (and cheaper) to be able to do yourself

Great. Glad to be of service.

I thought the same with a ski jacket hood made to fit over a helmet. Turned out the hood peak folded under itself to make it a head sized hood when that’s what you wanted. Could yours be similar?

When it stopped being an active farm, the RoW had been changed and went around the boundary instead of past the kitchen window

This sort of thing makes good sense. I think we’ve all met ramblers like you’ve described.

We have a footpath near us that goes through the middle of a set of greenhouses, across a parking area between a house and an annex and up the drive. I’d actually rather it was rerouted round the boundary as the current route feels very intrusive.

I’m all for us keeping all the rights of way open, but I don’t mind sensible alterations at all.

This isn’t meant as a criticism of Chipps or what he did btw

Na, the Peter Aliss of DH mentioned something about ‘His back protector did it’s job’ despite the fact he clearly shouldered a tree.

To be fair, he correct himself when they showed the slo-mo

Is it just me who struggles to find a schedule on Red Bull Tv?

Point me at something that tells me when to see the top qualifying women and men pls.

I’m across the border on the Cornish banks of the Tamar.

Biking – if you like dh head to Gawton and Tavi Woodlands

Eating – on a sunny day the garden of the Elephant’s Nest is nice; in Tavi try the Cornish Arms for good food (higher prices and smaller portions than other places locally); or cycle the Drake’s Trail into Plymouth and eat at Rockets & Rascals on the Barbican

Beaches – I know S Cornwall better than the English beaches on your side of the river, but it’s not inconceivable for you to come across and head to Freathy (steep path onto the beach which is only out at low tide) or Kingsand/Cawsand

Impossible to say without seeing you. It may be the style of kayak is very different to the one you had as a child.

I used to coach beginners to paddle in a straight line by doing ‘sweep strokes’ on alternate sides. The kayak would turn one way, then the other, but move forwards along a vaguely zig zag path.

Once you’ve got this nailed, reduce the width of your ‘sweeps’ until you’re paddling along the edge of the boat. At this point you can use a single ‘sweep’ to correct yourself back into line if you feel you’re losing it.

Good luck

Very good, but not perfect yet. In part what others have said before, but also it needs proof reading. Some of the text is a bit clunky, some is simply grammatically incorrect. It’s not the end of the world, and not at a level I’d normally bother giving feedback, but you asked. On design and layout it’s very nice.