Brycey – mine is a company / lease car, and despite being noticeably slower, the lease company and VW both say there is nothing wrong, even though ts out of warranty…. At the last service the diagnostics computer picked up serious faults with the fuel injection system, but the leasing company wouldnt pay to fix it, but said to wait until it breaks down!! Just what you want to know when planning on driving to the alps in the summer!!

Brycey / Waihiboy,

Im saying a very sad goodbye to my mk5 golf gti in a few months – 100,000mls in 3 yrs, the best car ive ever owned, despite a massive loss in power over the last 20,000 miles….

Looking closely at a scirocco next, but not sure how practical the smaller hatchback would be for bike carrying duty?

Flatmate at uni once commented on the use of “mongolia” emulsion paint on the walls.

I’m doing it for the first time this year too. Getting really excited now. Im trying to pick up either a bullit, patriot, yeti ASX or maybe a new Alpine 160 over the next couple of weeks.

That was us – the southern contingent of the bogtrotters MBC. BAD (Blackburn & Darwen) were also out last night.

We ride every wed night, not normally going further north than Nicky Nook nr Garstang, but have ridden Parlic, Pendle, Longridge, Rive etc in the last few weeks.

Drop me an email if you want to be copied in on future rides planned.

John

Well apart from myself, I think everybody featured at least a couple of times in the video – but sorry to anybody who I missed off!

Now, where to ride for the rest of this week as im Hols…… 😀

The video from todays ride is currently uploading onto vimeo. Should be done in an hour or so.

Enjoy The Sunshine

Thanks everybody for an excellent ride.

I took plenty of video today so will piece it together and bung it on youtube in due course.

John
(Not Marin’ing today, just summer-seasoning)

It seems there should be at least 4 other Trotters too

Actually there will be me, six other boggies plus SFB hopefully.

Calgary’s probably got the edge.

You should go easy on that cake though.

GF got a Trek WSD EX8 from them. Delivered the next day, bike was well set up.

Surely the STW massive cannot all be agreeing on something?!?

Looks like he’s actualy just found himself a Commencal 5.5.2 secondhand which looks like it fits the bill.

Cheers folks,

There seem to be a few Pitch Comps left, but not so many of the higher spec Pro’s.

Anything else worthy of consideration?

Problem is not much else comes close for the same money (less than £1200)

Any other suggestions worth considering?

FreddyG – I went to Hutton too, what year did you leave?

TBH, of all the places listed, apart from the Trough of Bowland, I’d suggest just living in Manchester and travelling to a ride. Definately avoid Rochdale, Oldham etc – My GF’s family are from there.

They were going to film a new crime drama called CSI Rochdale until they found out that none of the locals have any dental records and they all share the same DNA 😉

Oops, Ive just checked, and she’s actually 5ft 5. She tells me that the 15.5 is definately too small, so may be for sale if your interested!

My GF’s got a 2006 EX8 WSD, and she’s about your height. She has the 15.5, and if anything, she could have got away with a larger size. Theres plenty of standover height, but she’s had to fit a longer stem as she was a bit cramped.

Freehub is a DMR Revolver, just replaced my second one in six months! First one wore out gradually, second just failed and now spins in either direction. Apart from that, strong, robust wheel.

Ahum, how aboutThis very nice, reasonably priced downhill bike

Not on Footpath: ??

Well im a Building Surveyor / Designer / PM, but work alongside our architects day in day out, and they are not having a good time right now, esp considering roughly half the architects in Manchester are currently unemployed (as so many of them worked for developers and housebuilders – remember them??).

To make matters worse, all my colleagues spent about 95% of their time working on BSF / Learning Skills Council school and college designs, which have all now basically been put on hold (*read “panned”) by the Govt. Constructions a shite industry to be in right now, infact, I bet they’d even consider working for TJ right now!

Ive stayed there – rented the larger cottage. Really pleased with it, plenty of space. Your correct about the owner – decent bloke. They will make the bedrooms up as doubles or twins, plus theres another single bed on the landing, and another single in the lounge.

If I was being picky (can’t help it – im a surveyor!!) a lot of the joinery looks like its been fitted by drunken blind albanian builders, but if you can live with wonky skirting boards and architraves, then its fine.

Best bit is that its within stumbling distance of the bar.

You can probably find much cheaper accommodation nearby (The Bikelodge), but for one night, split between several people we thought the £150 was reasonable value.

Hope this helps

John

Sounds great – incorporating some elements of The Mighty Deerstalker would be fantastic

One of the banks that I work with specify a sandwich of ply – mesh – ply to the underside of ceilings to branches where they have flats etc above. Same principal would work well on a shed roof.

Stonemonkey, drop me an email (in profile) re graduate opps, and about LJMU students!

I used to snap/bend/crack a Marin mech hanger at least once a month before I discovered the BETB ones, which now last on average six months.

Riviera Bike

Finners,

Go to Rivierabike, it’s ace, even if you only go for a few days 🙂

I had a week with RB in 07, and a week in Morzine / Les Gets in 08.

Morzine and Les Gets was good, but you will be sharing the trails with 0000’s of other riders. (think busy, rutted, braking bumps etc) Not necessarily a bad thing, but during the week with Rivierabike, we rode every day and Im struggling to remeber seeing more than 5 other mtb’ers apart from a shared day with some people who had come over from france for the day.

The trails around Molini (where we rode) are fantastic, natural trails in truly stunning surroundings.

Horses for courses, but I know which I preferred.

Stonemonkey – just out of interest, where are you studying for your MSc? im a chartered BS, and am putting one of my team through an MSc in building surveying at Liverpool JMU, but if that question is typical of the LJMU courseworks, I might start making him pay for the course himself!

snowslave – there will probably be enough people to stand guard outside whilst others go in for refreshments. If Jacksosn Boat is visited after the ride, thats safe enough anyway.

I ran the Mighty Deerstalker in Traquir nr Inneleithen on Saturday evening, having not done a single run since the 2008 event….. The race is about 13-14k, and climbs Caddon bank and then the big scree slope behind Inerleithen. Despite riding every weekend, I struggled, and although I still finished mid field in 2hrs 15 (464th out of about about 890), my legs were tight on Sunday, and by Monday I had to work from home as descending the stairs was almost an impossibility!

Binners Im planning on turning up tmw.

Cheers

John

If you have ever been to Shotton you would probably start to look at redundancy as the most favourable option.

My mum did the first two years of her law degree as a mature student at Southampton, then as the family had to move up to preston she applied to do the final year at both Manchester and Liverpool, who both said no, but Lancaster said yes. This was 15 years ago mind, so things may have changed since then.

Si – It’s all balls……

If you think Rochdale is in South Manchester, im not letting you guide me on any more rides!

IHN – They may be your initials, but I bet your birth name is not the mighty “South Manchester Massive” ?

Exactly the same as you. Big grass hill. the rest is history.

I swear im not doing it again next year

yes, Andrea said today it’s one of those things you only do once:o)

Ha – I feel like I have been run over…… My leg muscles are so tight I can hardly climb the stairs!

Binners, Ive not been out with the SMM for a while, hence not meeting your good self, NBT, Xherbiorerx or even Hora (apart from buying bike bits off him) for ages, I’ll put it right soon hopefully!