bikehike or plotaroute

I use Kashflow and find it perfect for what I need.
Try the trials they offer, xero didn’t suit what I needed, which was evident during a trial.

Available online from every major site and all LBSs will be able to order them.

They are specific to S-Tracks.

I have used S-Tracks for years and love them.

Tried eggbeaters and Quartz previously as well as SPD.
S-Tracks are good quality, last a long time with decent bearings. They don’t have adjustable tension, but in a similar way to eggbeaters they don’t need it and they do offer an easy exit cleat, but I have never felt the need for it.

The only downside is a CX point mainly and in really thick, gloopy mud they are harder to clip in than eggbeaters or newer SPDs.

Got to love mountain biking in Wales but this trail is a waste of petrol. Really, really don’t do it, you will be disappointed.

It splits opinion for sure, trail centre warriors who don’t appreciate mountain biking for the surroundings as well as the riding are best to skip it.

It is never dry and there are multiple stream crossings, so it is not a ride to do if you are not ready to get wet.
In the summer the ferns can be a nightmare, so personally I think the best time is when its frozen, or just in the winter as you expect to get wet and muddy then anyway.

It is very, very quiet and absolutely stunning,
It couldn’t be more different to a trail centre, so if you are expecting long, flowing singletrack you will be disapointed. Lots of start/start, lots of little mini technical bits.

There is a shorter version that skips the upper section and due to the major water damage on the fireroad that accesses the full doethie I would recommend the shorter version. You still get all the best bits of the singletrack IMO, but skip more of the unrideable bits.

Not all Beagles are soft, cute and docile. Just like any dog they can have a nasty streak and something that their strong mindedness can make worse.

While they can be great dogs, there is good reason why so many of them end up in rescue shelters.

richpips – that is cheating!! Almost as bad as the Southern Hemisphere guys!! :D

I am in again of course. Planning on cycling to Bethlehem on Christmas Day again.

Bought one of the Dyson cordless things recently and its brilliant. Small, powerful, wall mountable and convenient.
Had a Henry before it and although that was better than the very first Dyson (which was crap) the new Dyson we have is fantastic.

Battery lasts for ~10mn, but I find that you use it differently. A bit here and there rather than spending an hour and cleaning the whole house.

Few and far between, but there are a few off-road/cross duathlon events which are mostly Autumn, Winter & Spring.

I have a 4wd Duster, 1.5DCi commercial.

Work car, not family car so can’t comment on space/seats for family use.
As a car though it is great and quite capable as a 4×4. Ground clearance is the main limiter for serious off-road use.

The 4WD has a superior gearbox, but it is low and short, so economy at 70+ is poor.
The 2WD I believe is better economy wise because of the gearbox, not the 4WD (inactive over 40mph).

Feels a bit cheap in places, lots of plastic but no issues in 10000 miles so far.
Overall I am happy. Great for the money, but better vehicles out there if you can spend more.

Can you get a family member or trusted member to buy the car via finance, write the V5 over to you ASAP.
If you are married the dealer can do this – finance in one name, vehicle in partners name.

Then just pay the finance company off before any interest is paid.

Good titanium bolts can be fine for use on XC and road bikes, they are fairly common.
Choosing them to prevent rounding is not good as Ti is softer than steel.

Invest in better allen keys.

I’ve got an Inov-8 Race Ultra vest and find it brilliant.
It isn’t for everyone mind and is fairly small in size to keep the weight really low.

If you want to carry loads of water and loads of kit then its not suitable.
I use it with 2 x soft flasks on the front for ~1 litre fluid and then use the bladder pocket for holding kit/waterproofs. It comes with a 2 litre bladder though, so could hold over 3 litres plus small bits of kit.

Rim shape is more important than rim depth.

MTB stuff in general around AdH is nowhere near as good as other resorts.
The Mega course is fun, but if you are not doing that I would just ride your road bike. Plenty of incredible cols that you can ride. At least 3 ways back up to AdH, plus a few more that join the main climb lower down so you don’t have to climb the same mountain back up every time.

Never used a cover despite using year round and for long journeys.
Really can’t see the point.

He didn’t get a wildcard, he was selected by his federation.

If you are a good descender, then they will be fine.
If you are nervous, drag the brakes or if mentally you will not be confident with the wheels then take aluminium wheels.

Tubes can explode on aluminium wheels as well as carbon mind.

Looks like a copy of Acros Block Lock.

Mid Wales, around Rhayader or Llandovery/Llyn Brianne area.

No Tubes Valor… or if you want something a bit different, Bike Ahead BiTurbo RS.

George Budd does.

We have a Superb and although I think a DSG would really suit it, the 6 speed manual is very good too.
I didn’t spec it as it would have bumped up the lease considerably and being a lease residuals are not a factor for me.

For £36 a month over 4 years, I’d take the manual.

IMO its a toss up between Transvesubiene and MB Race.

Transvesubiene – Short distance but extremely technical DHs with climbs that are brutal, mostly pushing.
MB Race – 140km, 7000m climbing. Technical terrain also, more technical than Grand Raid or Salzkammergut.

Little Haven/Broad Haven is super and Dale is a nice quiet place too.
I took a kayak from Dale to a super amazing little beach tucked around the corner which was deserted.

Tenby is nice too, but for other reasons and I absolutely love the Ceredigion coast and Mwnt.

We have the Superb SE Business and I am very impressed with it.

Drives well, brilliant car to be in as a driver or a passenger and the boot is HUGE!
Enough toys, but the L&K version is the one to go for if you really want everything.

Would I pick the Skoda over a BMW? Yes – unless it was a high spec BMW, in which case it is likely to be far more expensive.

The 150PS diesel engine is pretty good, but needs revs to get the best out of it. It is a big car and handles well for a big car, but isn’t a hot hatch.

The 190 needs AdBlue (never used it, so not sure how much of a hassle this is) but doesn’t offer that much more than the 150 and I have heard the 270 is a peach.

Also, for what is it worth I thought our previous 2007 Octavia 4×4 was a pile of crap in every way.

One thing that Peter Kennaugh perhaps doesn’t appreciate is that no one in the UK really knew or cared about the Tour de France until Team Sky. Cycling wasn’t a mainstream sport and watching cycling was pretty much unheard of.

You have to think, had some money also been pumped into the Womens sport, would more people know about the Giro d’Italia Femminile?

I wouldn’t say the Dacia is basic, as standard the model I have has air-con, bluetooth and cruise control.
But its basically a Renault inside and the plastics are not as nice as something like a VW.

It has a certain charm about it and it handles surprisingly well too.
I get 43mpg pretty much all the time, but I don’t drive it in an economical way.

The 4WD version has a different gearbox to the 2WD version with a very short 1st gear instead of a low range gearbox.

I test drove a Stepway and was less impressed, but then it is several thousand less.

Dacia Duster is superb. It uses the previous generation X-trail 4wd system, so its capable off-road.
Not the biggest, but available as a commercial with 2 front seats if that suits at all.

Really pleased with mine. Drives well, nice enough inside and enough mod-cons to keep me happy. The 2014 update made the inside a much nicer place to be. It is still no luxury car though, so depends where your priorities are.

Can’t go wrong for the money and they do seem to be holding their value well too.

I have a set, but only use them very occasionally.
Depending what your terrain is they are either totally unsuitable or absolutely brilliant.

I think the Grit forks is probably where the technology is best suited. For MTB’s they can’t really handle “normal” mountain biking… not if you want to go as fast downhill. For less technical terrain they do a good job and for for smaller bumps, or road corrugations they can’t be beaten.

Feel weird when climbing at first, but you do get used to that.

I am in disbelief & awe that Tom (minipips) finished at 11 years old.
I think I was capable of riding 5km back then.

Super tough day in the saddle, some very low moments. Pleased to finish in 8hrs 42.
George Budd fastest finisher 7hrs 58.

I guess we won’t know for sure until the final date, but 300 points difference is quite big.
I can’t see our top 3 riders being able to gain that many points over the coming months, but I could be wrong.

Evie Richards is flying at the moment and could be a medal hopeful, so it would be really sad if she was not able to compete and also makes a mockery of the qualification system to an extent.

That isn’t letting BC off the hook, they know the drill and should have had a much better plan to qualify riders… although I suspect they didn’t really care at all in the first place.

I thought it was pretty dull to be honest. A bit too much of the slow, muddy tracks around the edge of fields.

The Pioneer was a great event and I would certainly recommend it to people.
One of the tougher ones, but physically and not technically. The scenery was stunning.

Lots of climbing, super hot and dry and some days were rough which made it slow going.

The rigid epic… no one knew why he was doing it. Very odd.

Pembrey is ace. Loads of nice singletrack, although lots of the forest roads are flooded and its a maze to get around, so not the easiest place to find your way around at the moment, especially as nothing is waymarked.

No official trails, but no ROWs either, so nothing illegal. Lots of walkers/horse riders, especially near the park.
You can ride into the forest from Ferryside, use the Sustrans Path past the airport and then look for singletrack.

Rotor here too. Last longer than the standard BB.

Absolute Black ring here and it is great. Best chain retention of any narrow/wide I’d have to date.

Leasing makes sense so long as you don’t want a very specific car and don’t load on the options.

If you look for a certain type of car, say an estate or 4×4 then look for what deals are around, that is the best way to do it.

If you add extras you will pay for those in the lifetime of the lease, so £1000 of options over a 2 year lease will cost you £40 per month, since they don’t factor into the value at the end of the lease.

Our last 2 cars have been through Lings. Really easy to deal with a good rates. All the deals are 3+, so lower deposit up front and usually have some really good deals.
Watch out for 4 year deals as you will have to pay for any repairs needed. VED is always paid, but servicing is usually not – but a serviced option is usually available.

Some excess mileage charges are reasonable, around 4-6p per mile. Others can be really high, 15p+ so be aware of that.