yup ‘fraid you do. I made the same mistake a while back

Good stuff.
I didn’t like the look of the stock bar mount so was interested to hear that the Barfly outfront mount fits. I couldn’t find any mention of the Barfly being suitable, is it a standard Garmin type mount on the Satmap 12?

I had a snigger at the UniMog – the equivalent for towing a small trailer of insisting on 150mm of travel for your pub bike.

Looks well made and will have the exclusivity thing of only a few other cyclists having the same jacket.
But I don’t like the location of the zips/vents.
I’d want more rear pockets.
It’s expensive.
I can’t see Assos or Rapha worrying too much about the competition from Isadore.
Wouldn’t a longsleeve Gabba be a better buy?

My local trails are twisty rocky singletrack so 26 inch wheeled bikes with short or no travel bikes are fastest and most fun. My ten+ year old bikes are gettng a bit creaky and likely unreliable for a multiday epic but for my riding they are fine.

If I cut back on the road riding and plan more rides off road and away from home then likely I’ll invest in a 29 inch wheeled bike or a modern decent travelled full suspension bike.

Definitely don’t rush back to biking or any strenuous activity as you can cause damage to end up with uncomfortable scar tissue / repeat proceedure.

If I had to wear one pair then probably a soft soled Shimano SPD touring or trail shoe. Best option is to have two pairs of shoes for the different tasks

Have a good shift and enjoy the riding

Roads around Exmoor are pretty and you’ve a fair chance of mild temps – better than Scotland anyway

I’m v happy with my Exposure Strada at all the speeds I ride at. I’m cautious about fast descents in the dark; you just can’t be as sure what’s there compared to daylight regardless of the lumens

I’ve been distracted from doing so by Christmas but I’m selling my rather nice Salsa Vaya frame and forks which takes front/rear racks and full guards.

Get back behind me Satan; for I do not need another bike…..
hmmm well actually….

I’m sure each festive 500 holds it’s own challenges as British conditiosn are so variable. Horrible wet and wind this season but I can imagine on other years, it is the ice or snow which adds interest

good stuff.

good to hear, well done

Lovely road ride in Northumberland for me. It was dry but terribly windy.

Discless will work fine, just as they have for the last few decades. However, I’m sure resale value will be less compared with bikes with what is becoming the “norm”

The worst thing about the link is the Raphaesque inspirational description at the bottom. The bike’s ok in a retro way but that description wouldn’t sell many

I use a large carradice saddle bag with a SQR black mount which fits on the seat post. It can be used with any saddle. I’ve carried my work laptop/paperwork/other stuff for around 4 years. It doesn’t affect the handling of the bike as it’s central and close to the rider.

Has anyone either bought or made up some of those “cat’s ears” which attach to your helmet straps and supposedly reduce wind noise ?

I still use grip shift on one bike. I bought SRAM grips off eBay for not much. If you want decent ones, possibly buy a pair of short ones and a pair of medium, then you’ve spares for next year/to smarten up the bike when ready to sell. Also Islabikes use that set up, possibly email them to see if they sell spares

Damn – hope they were insured well

Thanks for the replies.
Yup it’s a Mk 6.

The remote switch seems to work really well and I was able to switch between modes using the heel of my hand so should work with Winter gloves on.
The connection wasn’t terribly snug so even though it’s worked perfectly so far I’ll have to see if it slips on longer rides or is affected by wet weather.

The fit seems more important with roadie clothing and different manufacturers mean different things by “large” etc
I’d be tempted to have a poke around local bike shops, try on stuff and with luck there’ll still be some deals about in end of season sales.
It’s definitely investing in decent longs for comfort – probably of different grade for Winter than Autumn. I like Gore longs but just use an old pair tracksters for warmer days

I’ve ridden it. There’s quite a few options. Cyclocross was fun the route I took but the Alnham to Wooler Common bit is really good and is best on a mountain bike. Signage is OK but I’d definitely take the printed route map to ensure you don’t stray. It’s doable in a day if super fit (I’m not!) but I reckon 2-3 days and enjoy the views/pub opportunities would make a better experience

My most used bike is a 26″ hardtail with a v short wheelbase. It is perfectfor the tight twisty singletrack near where I live. Most other places inc. trail centres, open moorland and scary steep stuff it would be inferior to most new bikes

Gunga Din on the telly at the moment.
Racial stereotypes/flag waving empire building in abundance.
Still a spiffing adventure old boy

I’ll hang my D lock off my belt if riding with my lap top as you’re right eventually it will trash the screen.

Thanks for that link

Aren’t they a nightmare with small wheels and big potholes? I nearly had an off this morning with a 26″ wheel in a pothole I didn’t see in time to dodge

I stopped looking at road.cc a while back as their site is half filled with stuff like this – cyclist road death/head cam near death experiences and consequently is depressing. Occasionally to lighten the mood they include a drugs scandal.
Logging onto a cycle site, I want to see new toys, ideas of places to visit and accounts of heroic 2 wheel deeds done.

Repetition.
Retraining yourself by picking an easy gentle slope that feels safe. Riding and re-riding it, modifying position to find one that keeps front wheel traction without the risk of tipping over the bars.
If you’re feeling heroic find out how far back or forward you can get before you lose the bike whilst there’s nothing nasty to land on

Tinribz,
You’d think there’d be a 0.2 inch increase in width from a 2.2 to 2.4 but it’s way more on the contis I have. I think SundayJ is right that tyre is fairly arbitrary. I’ll probably buy and hope. The tyres I have at the minute are shot so if I’m unlucky I’ll have the bike off the road for a while experimenting

I doubt you’ll get an exact year on the Raleigh because they didn’t change the models/paint jobs annually. I had one in perhaps 1989 which was a similar model to the pic. I think I got a deal on it because it had sat for a year or so in the bike shop

I wear longs on any ride with a lot of vegetation even in the Summer as it substantially reduces the risk of picking up ticks.
Ron Hill tracksters look cr@p but are thin enough not to cook me. Nettle stings will be stopped but gorse and thorn won’t. Thorn is tough enough to pull off a rear mech so on local trails I’ll clear it back from the track

Sounds perfect. Ta

Dunno why folks are being snooty about first aid kits? They’re quite handy for making minor injuries comfortable for multiday rides or possibly some long rides. Painkillers/antihistamines/plasters for grazes etc all make for an easier second day. For sure if you can see bone then probabl? you’re farked but most accidents aren’t like that

Weight on the bars can take some getting used to.
But I like to use the bottle cages so I have used a dry bag on the bars and avoided frame bags before

Cheap light walking boots?

I’ve ridden chunks of it. It seems a nice route. Some parts are fairly gloopy at the moment but when (if) it dries out then it’ll make a nice fast ride.
The published map is excellent showing enough information so you could divert between road or off road depending on condition of trail or how your legs are feeling.