My friend in holland wears 28/38 trousers and has no real trouble finding a road bike there. Not much help with a £500 budget i suppose…

Just had a look on the Nhs website

21.3

165, 58kg and 36 y o female, still think I have heavy bones!

Simone

We had a similar problem with our bathroom, tiling was aweful! I decided I could not live with it and we got someone else in to take off quite a few tiles and re tile.

You have given him the chance to rectify the problem, and he hasn’t (sounds like it’s not up to the standard you would expect from a tradesman). I would not pay him any more money and put that towards getting it sorted.

Simone

I run a bash and a n-gear jump stop. About a Tenner for the jump stop I think (plus post). I have this on both the kids bikes too.

Simone

Yes, get some kids snowboard impact shorts, burton and head will do them.

My son as some junior 661 knee pads that are a bit like the veggie ones, from crc. Not sure if sizes go small enough for a 7 year old, but worth a look.

Simone

Got husband for some brute force and ignorance (and a mallet), looks like they are in now!

See if we can both sort these wheels without getting a divorce! Managed 2 ikea wardrobes and we are still married, so there is hope…

did notice on another post on here that superstar valves also fit drilled out and schrader rims, so this would mean I wont be able to get them in as far in my presta rims?

I don’t think the valve is in far enough, however it does not seem to push in any further just using my thumb.

Just took it out and hole in the tape looks fine.

The hole on the inside of the rim is 5.5mm, same size as the presta valve. Is it too small? Or do I just need to bash the valve in with something? perhaps stronger thumbs are required…..

Simone

Thanks so far, and Bol I will try not to bother Gary with this, don’t think it would go down well!

Pics below, hopefully this will explain what I mean by hole being too small and valve being very short. Checked superstar facebook page, and they say standard valves for these rims, so should work.

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Suggestions?

Simone

Running into trouble already! I have superstar valves and superstar tactic rims. The valves don’t seem to go into the hole very far, is the hole too small? And when I then remove the core the pump won’t stay on, are the valves are not long enough, rims are quite deep? Perhaps I need the longer valves….

Shame as I was hoping to sort if today….

Simone

Thanks!

I know, it should not be a chore, but with a family of 4 there is rather a lot of it to do….

Don’t get Atera ones, we had some and sometimes the clamps would come undone all by themselves. Roofbox co was great and swapped them for some Thule ones (I think 591’s). The Thules have fitted anything from my kids 24″ dh bikes to my friends xc 29er without too much adjustment.

Simone

Sorry, sold it a few months ago! Great bikes, but by the time we sold it only the frame was original, everything else was upgraded. The kona stinky 24 was lighter (custom build though), but also smaller. B line 24 comes up very big for a 24″ bike….

I’d say check these out:

Bergamont big air tyro

And these:

Propain yuma

Sadly mine have now outgrown these and are on 26″ bikes. The bergamont big air tyro does come up used sometimes in Germany.

Any b and b’s you guys can recommend?

Simone

At age 10 a 26″ wheeled hardtail with small frame should do nicely, depending on how tall he is.

We started our boys on xs rockhopper frames, really nice ride. Used 14″ on one scandal too, but too long in the top tube for kids.

I had no problem with 170 cranks for my 10 year old. Probably not perfect, but then my boys have quite long legs. 13 year old now wears 32″ length trousers, they soon grow! My oldest is now on his 3rd 26″ wheeled hardtail frame.

My oldest actually outgrew one frame before I built it up! Bought him a knolly xs frame for the alps just after last years trip (when he still used his norco b line 24) , but by the time I got around to building it up he had outgrown it. His little brother loves if though….

Simone

Hi carlphillips,

I’d suggest morzine with a family, this will be our 3rd year in morzine and 5th in PdS (first 2 years in Champery).

My boys are now 11 and 13, and my youngest has been riding morzine since age 9. He is not a natural rider at all (oldest is), but he loves it in morzine! Last year he even overtook someone that had not stopped at the time :0), bless!

Easy family trail on pleney in morzine and easy route from morzine to les gets, and les gets bike park is also very child friendly.

There is also plenty of riding you can do if the mrs and kids want to do something else. Lots of other things to keep the family busy, incl walks and the pool. If you stay in the right appartment you can get a multi pass to get access to the lifts (without bike) and the pool and money off lots of other activities in PdS. Pass is £8 per person for the week.

I’d say make sure you stay in the centre and on the side of pleney lift (not on the other side of the footbridge if that makes sense). The first year in morzine location was not ideal, but last year it was great. We are staying in the same appartment this year (mountain high – appartment chalende 24 – 650 euro for the week for up to 6 people incl garage).

We are going this summer, family of 4 and my mum and sister (with her 2 year old) are joining us. They do not ride mtb, but also really love morzine.

Also, day trips to perhaps mount blanc are possible if you bring the car.

I’d say drive over and bring some nice bikes for this kids, bike hire for kids is limited. I have always taken all our own bikes including the kids. They have used kona stinky 24 and norco b line 24 in the past, bought used, upgraded a lot and sold for more than we bought them for (Or splash out and look at propain kids bikes, nearly nice enough to make me have another child…..nearly!).

Email in profile if you need more info.

Simone

Only shop I have ever seen dogs was pets at home (getting stuff for my sons hamster).

I don’t really like dogs, and don’t really want to encounter them in shops to be honest. Sorry dog lovers! I do think lots of people feel the same, which is why shops don’t want dogs, they don’t want to put off other customers.

Not sure here. We have an old style 04 zafira, last of the first shape. Done 145000 miles, things have worn out, but overall it’s been good and cheap to run. It’s a 1.9 tdi.

I love my zafira, it fits all our kit, and some. We have managed 2 kids, 2 adults, full ski hols kit incl 4x skis and 2x snowboards INSIDE the car last winter. Kids were 13 and 10. Seats in the boot slide under the second row leaving more space in the boot than in the touran. Height in the boot is great, giving loads of options, but then I do love a good game of luggage Tetris!

My brother in law is our mechanic, and he says it’ll make it to 200000 without too much trouble, so we decided not to replace it.

As a replacement we were looking at a touran, as according to my brother in law the newer shape (not newest) zafira diesels have fiats bits (or something) and we are not allowed to buy one as it’ll be too much trouble. This only really left the touran, as we wanted a car with 100 kg roof load for our bikes. I sat and drove a few priced at £9000-£10000 and did not think they were much nicer than my good old zafira, hence we decided to keep it.

We used the seats in the boot a lot when my boys were smaller, saves taking 2 cars. The seats are too small now really, apart from short journeys, so we don’t really use them anymore. We decided to replace the old girl with a Volvo v70 when the time comes. Much nicer car, 100kg roof load and middle seat folds down for skis.

Getting extra seats does mean you will forever be giving people lifts we found!

Perhaps spend £1000 and get an old zafira! Loads about, and we keep seeing them on the ferry on the way back from the alps, which must be a good sign….

Lunch boxes – not odd at all!

I mean those thermal soft ones with the zips, come out lovely and clean!

You can pay someone to clean your wheelie bin….brilliant!

Will have to check that out….

I sort out colours (white, dark, light and red), but don’t mind what it is and usually all are full loads. Everything that fits through the door goes in the machine incl trainers, lunch boxes all muddy mtb kit (start with a cold rinse and then wash, gets lovely and clean).

I only wash whites on 60, everything else on 40.

I did used to wash the kids nappies in a separate wash, but same machine. Same one as we are using still now….

People actually still boil wash stuff? How high is your electricity bill!

I love the morzine pool 😉

As far as I know you have to be an ADI first, before you can become a fleet driver trainer (pretty sure you used to when my husband did it 10 years ago). Not sure if that makes it a ‘higher’ qualification, but it does expand an instructors knowledge, experience and ability. Doing fleet work as well as Learners has definitely made my husband a better instructor. I don’t know, but wouldn’t experience of where people go wrong later on in their driving career make you a better instructor for Learners?

Also watch out for instructors teaching on their training licence. Trainee ADIs used to be able to teach for a certain amount of time before passing the 3rd part of their test, they probably still are.

Again, ask for their current grade, decent indication (but don’t go on this alone).

No to BSM and AA. Recommendation, and high grade instructor (most are still graded under the old system, so grade 6 is the highest, would not touch an instructor lower than a grade 5 under the old system).

Some driving instructors are not just ADIs but also fleet trainers (my husband is a grade 6 fleet trainer), which means they are higher qualified.

Then again, recommendation, make sure your son does a 2 hour trail lesson and gets on with the instructor and the way he/she works.

You get what you pay for, cheapest per hour is probably rubbish. Cheapest way to learn to drive in the long run is to get a good instructor. This should also make your son a safer driver, not just pass his test.

Be consistent and take regular lessons, and find out what length lesson will suit your son best.

Feel free to get in touch with my husband if you need more advise (although we won’t know anyone local to you).

Good luck!

Never did it, but asked at a shop in Morgins once and was told you would have to pay trade price for the parts you break. Seemed fair, however lots of parts may have worn out and then just go pop when you hire it….

Anyone there with youngsters in tow 2-9 august at all?

Simone

Perhaps check inside leg again, even at 5ft, 25″ sounds really short, especially for a woman.

Get a Dutch one (called “oma fiets. “) and just get a kids one. Or just get a kids one here. Seen a few girls on my cycling courses with those kind of bikes. I’d say 5ft and 25” inside leg is definitely kids size….especially in Dutch bikes!

During my last visit home (holland) my mums neighbours 12 year old girl was 6ft tall!

Miele, has survived all the abuse I have thrown at it so far.

I don’t know how tall he us, but my son has been on a small framed 26″ bike since he was 9. Tiny spesh rockhopper frame, then built it myself. Turned out light…. And my son could tell everyone mum built his bike :0)

I have been using protein drinks for a few months now. However, I am a vegetarian and have been on the 5/2 thing since the start of the year. Lost over a stone (tbh, did not have much to lose) and would take a shake (especially on a diet day) after a workout to try not to loose muscle. Does make me feel full and not reach for other snacks.

I don’t agree with the minimum of 1 hour cardio and no weights thing, don’t think any fitness instructors will either. When OP mentioned losing weight, it probably means losing fat, fitting in smaller clothes etc. This is not always the same as losing weight (muscle weighs more than fat). As far as I know the more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn doing normal day to day stuff, bonus!

I try and do 5 gym sessions per week, non include an hour cardio. I am now slimmer and fitter than I ever was. Just looking around in the gym, it’s not the blokes spending hours on the bikes that look the best, it’s the ones using the weights. Body weight excersises are also great, pull ups, push ups etc (no chance I beat my 13 year old who can do 3×10 pull ups!).

I do use cardio, mostly the running machine, high intensity intervals seem to work. And let’s face it, hours of cardio is boring!

I would recommend classes if you have decent instructors. Spinning can be great, also body pump works well (burns lots of calories).

Good luck!

I have always used dulux soft sheen (you can now only get it mixed). Better than the endurance Matt I used in our bedroom a few years back. I have managed to touch up the soft sheen paint years later and it would always dry up the same colour and finish (and we use deep colours). I wasn’t so lucky with the endurance Matt, dries up slightly shiny when touching up bits later, so you can see it. Planning to repaint the bedroom in soft sheen when I get a chance….

Don’t use masking tape, not worth the hassle. Steady hand and nice round paintbrush for cutting in (trade centre do good ones). Decent short pile roller if you have flat walls, and use the roller SLOWLY.

You may need quite a few coats depending on the colour. Once changed the colour of the lounge from red to a slightly darker red and it needed 4 coats!! But then I am fussy.

+1 for bikecomponents.de, excellent service. Did the on line question thing to make sure they could get the magic mary 26″ SG vertstar within 2-7 days as stated and they confirmed it in stock with supplier in ……English (my German only stretches as far as reading and buying bits on line).

All arrived quickly with dhl. Also stocked up on tubes for the kids 26″ bikes, cheap continental tubes. Got some freeride ones to go in their back tyres for our alps trip.

Try dare2be.

Link does not seem to work:

http://www.mountainhighs.co.uk/apartment-chalende.html

Maybe this will…

We are staying in an appartment from a company called mountain high, run by a British couple. Expensive for winter, but cheap in sumner. We are staining in chalende 24, suitable for 6 people. 650 euro, includes a garage to fit a car and the bikes.

Stayed there last year too, and it was great. Would recommend them.

Link to appartment

Simone

Thanks guys, tuns out I had one of the first deviants in the past (a 2006 helmet), so went to my lbs to ask about the deviant II after Tracey’s recommendation. Ordered in the last one in a small and it will cost me just under £50 :0)

Fingers crossed it will fit, if not my 11 year old who has a slightly larger head will have a new helmet.

Cheers guys!

Otherwise perhaps a bell one….

Pop kids and wife in the car, bikes on the roof and drive to morzine.

We will do just that in the summer hols, £80 ish for the ferry, £550 for a lovely, big apoartment in a great location (near the lift and a great bakery) with garage for a week.

2 euro per day for activity pass, half price bike lift pass using winter PdS pass, sorted!

And yes, all during school holiday,

My kids love having dual nationality, at least their Dutch side gives them some kind of chance of winning something in football!

Tried the urge in s/m, my husband has one, far too big. Bluegrass xs best so far. Tempted to try xs troy lee and get some thinner cheek pads, not too keen on the price.

Anywhere that has a few to try on, I am in norwich. It’s a pain to keep sending them back.

Thanks so far for the suggestions.

Simone