Surf always comes first for me. I ride when there isn’t surf.
A lot of my riding now is an excuse to go and explore a new area in U.K. or play in the big mountains. Rarely ride locally, feel generally uninspired by a lot of the local riding – love riding when I go but surf comes first

It’s dark and cold enough down here in the SW. Can’t help but feel he is going to have many many cold dark hours.

Silk liners for me. Any colder and I just don’t bother….yes I’m soft!

You don’t have to compromise, you don’t need a bike rack, you just need to not buy a t5!!

They are too snall. Sen Peugeot boxer here.fits in parking spaces, has a boot for 3 bikes, corner sofa that pulls out into a double bed and a kitchen unit. Love it! We have done 100 nights away from home this year…..I wouldn’t do that on a camp bed!!

I’ve had a good enough seal with track pump on the bleed nipple

Difficult to call. Woolacombe is probably nearest for getting to exmoor, easily 40 min drive once you have wiggled to somewhere. I live in Okehampton, it’s 40mins to westward ho/bude , nearly an hour and a half round to woolacombe to be honest. These are not fast roads! Good Dartmoor is easy another 30mins from here.!okehampton is definateoy no good for riding!! Polzeath to cardinham is probably 40mins but it’s your only riding option.
I would just have a beach holiday and settle for a bridle path explore at max. Some nice bridleways around llangennith but afan is probably 45 mins away easy! The 2 activities don’t go together well!!

The ride to sandwood bay in scotland is lovely and it’s never flat!!! You can do both in the same day, everyday then!

Thats great, good to know for the regular Europe adventure. Thank you

Very interesting links….

We entertained this idea for our van. We surf all around uk all year. Surfing on Scotland is December is a reasonably common occurrence, along with mtb obviously!
With eber on inside getting hanged out of wet wetsuit is fine. (We can change in our van). Last week I had a few outside cold showers on Skye and then just jumped into the van…warm almost instantly.
The effort, cost and space of any hot water system made us go for just eber for air and a campsite when we crave a hot shower.
Always worth considering how often you think something will actually be used. Eber is essential though….best thing in our van!!

PE Teacher here, Im in around 7.30, leave around 5.30 each day. Friday leave at 3.30. Fixture will mean I get back to school around 6ish, sometimes later. Cricket in the summer might be 8, but im being paid to umpire a cricket game (hopefully in the sunshine).

I feel like I work hard, im exhausted by the time the holidays come around. I don’t do any work in the holidays or weekend. Rarely take work home.

I love my job, I think there are definately harder jobs and I wouldn’t teach a different subject, they are heroes, When I think how long my marking etc… takes for my few classroom lessons there is no way I would be a teacher of anything else. They work really hard.

But I don’t think teachers are heroes, the pay is good, we get lots of time off, I don’t think we are under the crazy pressure and targets of some private sector people. Maybe our pay reflects that?! I am under no intention of retiring early….35 years to go! :D

Lustleigh today- brilliant as ever

Bored already. I couldn’t do it but it’s not exactly gripping!!

Didn’t even trickle charge mine over winter. Still started first time! Just park it up. Maybe in a wheel chock to save the stand?

It’s me and gf taking boards, none of boards are over 6ft. Found a friend with a bag to borrow so all good. Thanks for advice all, time to read small print before booking I think!!

I’m thinking that too! Doesn’t seem worth the hassle/stress!
Thanks

50psi is your friend if you want to reduce rolling resistance
Leave soft and squidgy for training
Or put some 29 wheels in

I would say that straight steered forks are definitely hard to find now and will soon disappear. Particularly ones of good quality. Sold my 5spot for that reason alone.

Always used to until proper flat pedal shoes arrived. Find them fine grip wise for a short ride but a stiffer sole of five tens and improved grip is much nicer.

I have some of the fox tech t shirts. Feel and look like a normal t, but less smelly nd breathe better

You have a tv in your garage?!?!

Brentacre. They are great.

If in was buying from a friend I would happily pay the going rate/market value / last one on eBay. Why should my mate not do well selling and I would rather give my money to a friend than a stranger….

ctk – cyclopaedia were doing bike fit years ago, I assume they still are.

The issue arises that as they get taller you are sat further over the rear axle.
Hence why he used a tandem frame.
My friend commutes in Bristol on his and has no real issues. Not sure they are built /ridden by people too concerned about how they actually perform.

Swb peugeot boxer….
We sleep widthways, but you could easily make it length ways, particularly if your van is mwb.

Corner sofa that pulls out into double bed

Boot in the back is half height, single we width (is emergency single bed) or surfboard storage. Can get 3 bikes in(or 2 fat bikes!)

If the hub is a QR then grease the skewer.

Fresh snow in Obergurgl last night and today- shame we are leaving tomorrow morning.
Had some great blue bird days, cover is still really good.
Am I the only person who quite enjoys the slushy snow!?
Skiers winging about moguls and slush but on my board I love it!

Lots of off piste potential here if there was more snow, may do Obergurgl at feb next year, anyone been? I’m guessing being so high it can get some weather!?

Another vote for the eber, you won’t regret it.
Removing the bulk head if nothing else will let more light in.
We fitting a roof light to ours fairly recently, been a great addition for extra light and ventilation.

I’ll be interested to see the widthways sleeping, we had a peugeot boxer which we sleep width ways in, but it’s the widest van on the market, bed is around 5″10, my van looks a lot wider then a custom…..

Another vote for yurbuds. On sale at sport pursuit at the moment too.

1. Not too bad
2. Yes
3. True
4. Depends on terrain
5. Bit as bad as you may think

Love mine. Love full sus too,. Try one.

Only when on dartmoor, and then bumbag is the way to go.

Best I’ve had was an old couple who stopped us to say what a good idea they were….must be much safer!

Take a very warm sleeping bag and clothes. A bare metal hire van will be very cold at night. I think a tent would be warmer.

What’s the midge situation in July/august? Looks amazing, fear of a scottish level puts me off!!

Buy a comfy one from LBS

St Gallenkirch half term week. Super quiet, amazing snow- recommend it!

we have a short wheel base peugeot boxer.
We go away a lot, we are teachers so spend basically every holiday in, easily the whole 6 weeks in the summer. Most weekends we are away surfing / riding.
Its designed for bikes and surfboards to all go inside.
The boot will hold 3 bikes or 2 fat bikes, or 5 surfboards.
If we have bikes and boards, the boards go ontop of the boot. The boot is only half height so still get light from rear windows / is 6 ft wide so doubles as a spare bed for a friend.

Corner sofa which pulls out to form a a double (width way sleeping, boxer is 6 fit wide, vivaro is too narrow in my opinion for this option)
Cooking pod behind drivers seat.

Conversion costs – cooking pod with smev hob and sink £500
Eberspacher heating, fitted – £1000 (its amazing! Money well spent)
2 rear windows and side window – £600

All other work done ourselves –
Roof light – £45
Insulation, carpet, ply lining, and glue (you need posh high temp trim fix glue which is expensive) will work out around £500
Leisure battery, split charge relay and LED lighting £150
Wood for bed etc…£100 ish
Foam for cushions and material, £150
Curtains I think for cab and all windows around £150
I’m sure there are other small costs, oxnop is clearly taking a very different approach with very different budget to me!

You could spend less than us, it depends how you want to do. You dont have to go SMEV, we didnt for our van before this. We coped without a sink for a long time but it is nice.

Proper carpet is worth it though, and proper glue is essential.

We converted the van 4 years ago, everything still great, will buy a new van in about 2 years, will buy the same again and do the same again.
We have a porta potti, useful for really remote wild camping, not used much in UK, used a lot in Spain.

Have a shortage of photos, but here are a couple to give you an idea.
We still fit in a normal parking space, I can stand up inside but i’m only 5″8.

If your in the South West then you are welcome to come and see the van etc….

lots of wild camping around Chamonix if you wanted to save money.
Otherwise, We did 2 weeks last year, staying in the van, didn’t do any sites, generally you can stay at the lift in the car park, or near by, made exploring other places easy as we didn’t have to return to a base. We have an outdoor shower for the van, £12 well spent!

Top tip, don’t drive to the top of a mountain pass and think it would be a great place to sleep with amazing views in the morning, even in July it was freezing, sad times using the eberspacher in July!!

girlfriend has a strive.

Only criticism would be the lacquer on polished frame seems thin so has left a few marks. Savings mean if we pay for a respray we are still significantly quids in.

Had a reverb issue, sorted within a week.

would happily buy one again.

this is the least STW thread there has ever been…