Timing – I was just going to post how good I thought these were (+1 on the price). Birthday pressie for me and having never had a winter boot before I’m impressed by snugness and impermeability. Not dunked them yet but two soggy rides I would say I’m OK with them.

Buy my cherry red El Mariachi – it’s bloomin’ lovely and cheap as chips.

Did I mention they ride superb too.

Amsterdam goes full nuts at midnight as the Yoot/stupid set of a bazillion fireworks in packed squares and with no thought of safety. I was there with the ex. 12 years ago and I was genuinely on edge following a huge box of Chinese firecrackers was set off as I came round a corner – they were 6′ ahead of me. Plus all the decent bars were invite only and restaurants seemed to closing very early ahead of the impending Armageddon.

I built a single-speed on at full niche (Singular, flared drops, chunky rubber) and use it as a commando commuter on the shilly roads between Bolton & Manchester. I love it, I rarely flat and I’ve not bust a wheel (unlike I did on my winter roadie x2). At weekends it’s top fun for canals & fire road stuff I do with my kidlings.

Love mine and is a close 2nd to the SS El Mariachi I ran for years.

Looks cool (IMO) too.

I’ve just got some Mavic winter booties from Start Fitness for £80 – I’m well chuffed with them.

Thanks for the discussion – I’m very drawn to the 335d XDrive as the deals are very good at the mo, they’ll need to be to change my favour from Audi.

+1 Wolf Alice

Stroll along to the NQ and try Solita for a good steak or burger (find them on FB and share their page & it’s 25% as they’re completing a refurb). Opposite there is The Abel Heywood – good take on a trad/modern boozer with decent snap.

Not far from Piccadilly – Chinatown is great, Happy Seasons or Red Chilli for Chinese or Wasabi for cheap and cheerful Japanese.

I’ve been telling everyone I know to watch it on iPlayer – top news for the second series.

The writing and the musical choices are sublime IMO.

Prologue in Harrogate is IMO the blueprint

“Johnny Pumps” – gained this moniker after only 1 week at Woodlands Infants school after following the teachers instructions on getting ready for P.E. to the letter. She told the class to line up outside the classroom “in your pumps”. Bless him – he lined up in his pumps alright and not a stitch more.

My favourite at school was a lad who lost a testicle when his brother shot him in “a game” – forever thereafter Womble.

Sounds fine – missing the M20 seems sound advice

Just bought some of these: Mavic Ksyrium Elite Maxi Fit Road Shoes 2015 from CRC for £69.99.

Comfy, roomy and stiff enough – disco slippers.

Great thanks

Thanks – any reco on the Surly? Never looked at them.

The Radvist article has made me smile in my trousers. I’ve got a MK1 Fargo and I love it but this would be awesome for multi day epics – drooling 🙄

Thanks all – so 5 to 8 sounds right. Alpkit or who else that’s not too spendy?

£80 for the TT and as much as you’d like to spend on paint! I’m getting it clear lacquered so I don’t loose the decals elsewhere.

Salsa decals anyone? (i.e. where to buy or have replicated?)

Got to Woodrup last night with the Fargo and we hummed and hawwed about the ding. I decided to get the top tube replaced and due to cash flow will just have a clear lacquer applied to the top tube for now. Should take about a month.
Good looking builds in the shop by their own custom builds – sweet belt drive stuff and lush old school road stuff. Well thought out bikes.
Nice chaps too.

Thanks for the insights – it looks a bit too “creased” to be safe to my eyes so I’m going to look into repair.
I’m Nottingham based but work in Manchester and Leeds so fair to say “The North” works for me.
I might nip into Woodrup Cycles tomorrow as they build on site – lovely stuff they do too.

Thanks – it’s right on the top. So sad, so very sad. 😥

My Raleigh Chipper that my Dad and I “customised” with a red and gold hand painted colour scheme.

More recently a Salsa El Mariachi SS LE that was just the definition of fun! Really loved it but sold during job, divorce, housing turmoil. I’ve replaced it now with a Singular Gryphon running full SS niche and it’s lovely but not quite as zingy!?

+1 on the El Mariachi – I had one and sold it and have missed it everyday since.

I’ve got a Singular Gryphon and I’m running it “full niche” – fat tyres, flared drops etc. It’s lovely, reet loverly.

Woodchippers on my Fargo – wouldn’t have got across some big rides without the alternative hand positions these offer up to avoid wrist tiredness and hand numbness.

Midges on my Gryphon SS Monstercross – brill.

I like ’em

Yep – a big First Double Decker (my favourite bus and chocolate treat)

[With an attitude like his,the next person may well not be niche,sorry, experienced]

Duckman – deffo! I had a Salsa Mariachi SS that I should never have sold and I think that I may’ve found a worthy successor in both ride and looks. Sweeet niche.

I’ve dropped an email to the bus company with the bus route number and a description of the driver. A passenger came forward to see what was going on and caught the end of the exchange i.e. my florid gesticulations – so it might be 50/50 with regard to disciplinary!??

I was thinking last night how good the buses in Manc seemed to be with regard to room given. I’m hoping this chap is the exception to the rule.

“Sighs deeply”.

PF is a pain (literally and metaphorically) – I’m prone to it but I’d not be as negative as some of the posts. I find that if I forget to stretch and warm down properly it starts to creep in.
For me it’s closely linked to calf stretching and if I ensure that I stretch off the calf it usually subsides. Calf being linked to achilles then round to the sole of the foot.
In the bout of PF I use a bottle of frozen water as a foot roller to drop the swelling and then use a tennis ball to roll the arch on too.
It’s curable – I had some acupuncture on a bad bout also which really helped.
Ongoing some kinesio tape (lots of vids on YouTube) can help support the arch.
Good luck and don’t worry too much

I took 10.5 hours to do it only stopping for water and a quick sausage and chips (nutrition of champs).

I really enjoyed it – solo and some really lush bits of hidden England, along with the backside of industrial blight!

Thanks for the imput – I’ll give it a whirl (it’s second hand and nearly a gift so VAT-less IMO).

Ta again

Reduce fruit intake – lots of quick convert fruit sugars. Try exercise first thing on an empty stomach – speeds metabolism and seems to burn fat for me. Drop “white carbs” and bulk up with fibrous greens – loads of carbs in veg.
That’s what I do food wise and then add in some more cycling – nothing shifts the weight like miles for me.

This is all food for thought – I’m a dreadful colour matcher so I’d quite like red hubs and a black crack-set. Will post pics when it’s built up. Hope it’s as nice as my fond memories of prior Mariachi – expectation……

The frame is a really lush red/metallic – it’s a 2010 so a few years older. Coming in from the USA for 300 bucks. The last one I had was simply magic.

Nice work – really like the look of the Middleburns. Take it that the Hope hubs will be lush

Cheers – I’ll get googling. Thanks for the response

I’ve mine bolted on a Gary Fisher 29er with Halo rims and an 8 speed Alfine – the XC (Xtracycle) is a huge hit with my kids and allows me access to the muesli-eating set in leafier ‘burbs of Nottingham!

Aces

+1 on the HipLock – simple and strong plus portable