It depends what it is? I recently sold an YT Izzo for a very good price as a whole bike as they are popular. It yielded more than the sum of its parts. But that might not apply to another bike.

£230 for a rain jacket 😂.

I just spent £19 on a Specialized altered-edition trail rain jacket.

But I am a tight git and always really lucky with deals.

Try without first. You never know, you might not need padding at all with the right saddle. I certainly don’t.

Save yourself £50 potentially.

Nice image! Wide angle. I like it

Thing is, despite weight and geo, it climbs really well too.

Although it’s my first 29 HT so perhaps I just perceive the wheel size effect primarily.

https://www.acebikeco.com/clothing/jackets-gilets/specialized-altered-edition-mens-trail-rain-jacket-in-green__38534

I just bought the above for £19 after the £10 discount for spending £50 as I needed other bits from Balfie’s.

RRP at £150 seems lumpy though!

I got it today and it’s really well made and perfect fit.

Big fan of BPW on a burly hardtail up to the reds. I imagine similar at Descend.

I absolutely love to stay with or overtake bigger FS bikes, which I know is wrong and sad.

I do the same on track days with faster cars. But not on my push bike.

I forgot to wear my padded shorts a few years ago and realised they made no difference, as in I had no pain or discomfort without them. But perhaps the key factor is that the Charge Spoon saddle that I have used for 10 years in different guises is perfect for me.

I wear Under Armour sports underwear.

Sorry. Can’t help using the French spelling and then fat fingers for the last t. I wasn’t doing well last night.

That’s disappointing about the Lyrik. Are they recent? Or could it because they are recent? Oil level ?

As you can see I don’t know much about forks but I had old Lyrics and they were brilliant.

TBF I am really impressed with the cheapo 36 Rythm and the old Grip damper so perhaps that says more about my inability to push forks 😂

Thanks guys and sorry for wasting your time. I probably invented it. I got a Specialized rain jacket from Balfie’s for £29 and some bits so got the £10 off £50 and free delivery.

Dakine very secure for me too although I have now gone totally packless with an Evoc frame bag and a side entry bottle cage. Free at last.

^^ exactly. Living on the South Downs it makes the need for FS relatively limited. So much so that I have sold the Izzo.

I am really glad I went for L at 6ft. XL would have pushed things a little too far. And reduced the dropper travel.

How are you getting on with yours?

First ride / shake down, finally.

Nothing has fallen off so always a bonus.
The Ragley Big Al is one comfy yet super quick bike that is going to prove super versatile I think.
Those 36s turn in very well indeed.
XT/SLX 12 is quite superb.
200mm dropper really nice and slammed.
TRP 4-pot surprisingly good for the money.
Wicked Will 2.6F and Nobby Nic 2.4R a weird combo that is actually proving really good so far.

But please, don’t let that stop the same tedious bleating about someone being able to save a few quid on a new bike.

I haven’t seen that happen in this thread. It’s brilliant that people start cycling and save a bit of money as a reward. But again, the way the idea has been implemented is unfair, as patiently explained by several posters.

As for paying tax, including Corporation Tax, you might not be the only one, incredibly enough. But not everyone feels the need to share that irrelevant piece of information about themsleves.

Don’t use the parts at all. Take them off and sell them as such. If you know you are swapping them then you have nothing to gain as you would just take value off them for little reward.

I don’t see any high horses in this thread, just tiny Shetland style ponies.

Yes, that would be nice, but I’d much rather have a 3-4 year old luxury car than a basic new one. But I’m happy for you to buy new ones so that I can buy them when you’re done.

I promise I won’t fart in the driver’s seat too much for 4 years. My wife on the other hand…

we all subsidies other peoples life choices via tax, every single day. I subsidies other peoples kids having play parks, medical treatment for folks who live unhealthy lives, child benefits etc etc. just the way it is, don’t give it a second thought. I personally don’t see the problem, even if you aren’t cycling to work it’s still a net benefit to society, more people cycling = a healthier society in general

Sure. So let’s go back to square one:

1 – why is it so socially discriminatory? Only PAYE and excluding the lower paid workers effectively while saving higher tax payers so much more when they need it less.

2 – why is evasion tolerated and what health benefits do x2 torque wrenches bring?

3 – why is it that other forms of getting a healthier society in general like gym membership or Kayaking or whatever are not included? No one knows or care if 1% or 99% of C2W bikes are used for even occasional commuting? So who is to say that a fiscal incentive of the same cost won’t bring even greater health benefits if focused on gym membership for instance? Plenty of people won’t ride a bike sadly, particularly on the public road whereas perhaps plenty more would go to the gym.

It’s a great idea on paper but implemented very badly.

In any case, a 1-2 year old car is going to be cheaper than a new one, and still just as good in every possible way.

Yes sure it should be. Back in June 21 when we bought, the broker price was slightly lower than the cheapest 1 year old used Xceed. Not the first time it happens but that’s obviously not a rule.

And traditionally for us buying 2 year old meant that you only get 1 year warranty. And if fairness 6 years would have been OK but we got 7 for the same money.

I also quite like the newness and choosing the colour / spec.

The money you lose on a new car is almost guaranteed to be far more than you’d ever spend on repairs on an older car.

Sure but I prefer recent(ish) cars so even 7 years is pushing it a bit for me. I can’t be dealing with expected repairs and enjoy a car with less miles and fresher suspension in particular, not to mention better tech and usually lower mpg.

The exercise was to compare buying new cash vs leasing new not comparing used to new anyway.

I’ll happily pay more depreciation for the benefits. I could have bought a year old car though but that was about the same as new through a broker.

And other tax payers support or fiscally subsidise the bling or tools.

Yes but the pension tax relief is open to everyone. Even if you don’t pay tax, on up to £2,880/year contribution!

And it also has some tangible benefits by being an incentive to plan for your retirement and not potentially rely on benefits. Plus, you will eventually pay some income tax on it. And someone may pay a lot of IHT on it.

Pretty much every other leisure activity increases traffic. Everyone drives to the gym, then seems to get a Starbucks on their way out and a KFC (via the drivethrough) for lunch.

On that basis pretty much everyone on C2W doesn’t comply and is evading tax. So let’s have neither gym membership nor leisure cycling tax free unless both can be checked for compliance (which neither can practically be) or stop discriminating against low wages and non-PAYE.

Shouldn’t non PAYE or poor people also take part in the improvement of fitness and reduction in traffic.

When you actually look at C2W, it is absurd. And not to mention the cost of administration and the fees to retailers, which are passed on…to all the customers.

It’s not subsided is it? It’s just tax free

If it’s “tax free”, then there is a tax shortfall compared to people who buy a bike without the tax benefit. Who do you think pays for that fiscal shortfall?

That’s right, all other tax payers, including those who don’t have access to the benefit as not PAYE.

At that price it needs to be great 😂

It’s not free money. Other tax payers subsidise the perk.

But they may not have access to that benefit themselves if they’re self employed or retired, basically if they’re not PAYE.

I would have no issues with it if other leisure activities that don’t have to reduce traffic either like gym membership were also subsidised by the tax payer and if everyone had access to them. But that’s not the case.

It’s absurd IMO. I appreciate this is a very unpopular opinion however 😂

Not sure about leasing anymore. We used to as we value the new car warranty and it was less than depreciation vs discounted cash. But with higher IR, not too sure anymore.

Anyway I resolved that equation by buying a new Kia with a 7 year warranty. Probably cheaper than leasing it, although the opportunity cost at say 4% makes it a little closer. We have probably been helped by a massive discount and lower than expected depreciation. Probably £140/month depreciation so far and £50 opportunity cost so still less than what a lease would have been by about £100/month. And then we have another 4 years of warranty.

By Amtico you probably mean LVT as there are loads of brands, most of them Chinese made (including Amtico I believe, or is it Karndean).

It can suffer greening if too much direct sunlight IME. It’s happened in one spot in our house but some reason not in other sun drenched spots which is weird. It’s so much easier to leave with than other solutions however.

Compared to other European countries we are very much a car culture where it’s assumed that the car has priority, irrespective of crossings or HC or vulnerability levels of other road users. I think people genuinely feel that the car should be allowed to go unimcombered by default.

Which is totally at odds with the rest of the fairly considerate aspect of the culture compared to those other countries.

I never really got my head around that one since I moved here. Ignoring a pedestrian crossing in France is socially unacceptable whereas it seems par for the course here. Anything else is pretty much the other way round however 😂

I only sell when 80% off fees as that changes things from quite pricey to really good value for money given the ready they have.

I think they are being quite transparent with their fees in fairness.

Bought from whom though?

Plenty of sources, new, used, trade, private. I sold an M2 privately recently for £33k.

Nobody buys a 35k car do they? Surely almost all of those will be owned by company lease schemes.

Plenty of privately owned cars of that value.

Second is that if you say it loudly enough, I’m sure the MTB manufacturers will come up with another pointless standard that we all need to change to, as a way of drumming up more business…

I recently pulled my much-loved Cotic Soda (26″, 3×9 XT, 2008 130mm RS forks, 25.4mm bars and 27.2mm seatpost)

I am really pleased the industry came up with new standards since your Soda as while I am sure you find it great and see them as pointless, my opinion is the opposite as I find bikes far better, more fun, more versatile and more capable than 15 years ago in no small part thanks to boost, x1, droppers, 29 inch wheels, geo etc etc.

I’m still surprised at the recommendations for 2.6″ tyres given what the OP has outlined as their requirements

Counter intuitive isn’t it? For the front at least I wouldn’t go lower than 2.6 as the benefits outweigh the downsides IME for mere trail use. Difference in weight and rolling resistance vs 2.4 feels negligible compared with the added grip and comfort. Nothing scientific though, it might all be placebo !

Not surprised they don’t make any difference in performance. OE lines won’t balloon in the first place.

Does anybody actually buy any Rapha, Assos, 7Mesh stuff at full price? In fact, come to think of it, anything bike related at full price?

Not sure but I doubt it. The % price delta remains the same potentially though, doesn’t it?

How much would a £130 Rapha womens trail shorts be down to in the sales typically, out of interest?

OK apologies for the Rapha rant. I must be totally out of the loop. I thought they were £100 jerseys but probably far less in the sales in reality. And it’s not my money so I shouldn’t really care!

I have probably reset my price barometer when Stiff were selling Sweet Protection stuff at £20 for the shorts and £10 for the tops laste last year, including Women’s, I bought enough to last me a long time and I’ll now struggle to spend more as the quality is quite incredible, not just for the money.

Rapha 😂

Does anyone still buy this stuff?

I am sure it’s very good but it’s at least 5 times the price compared to quality clothing so it needs to be very special indeed.

Ive never had insurance for European trips. Repatriation is the only thing not covered under reciprocal agreements I took that risk

Cancellation, personal belongings, airline failure, travel disruptions, loss of passport, etc etc etc

On the health front you are also missing out on the assistance piece which is probably as important as the care itself. Plus, the choice of audited providers will be far better and selective. The medical team at the assistance company ultimately has your medical interest in mind. A local provider that you haven’t chosen and won’t be audited might not.

The cost of European travel insurance is derisory too.

Because it’s often far from small, and it’s often far from necessary.

Every time you don’t claim, insurance is not necessary. It is cheap as chips, at least when you’re under 75.

On the other hand, break your leg in the US and suddenly your £75 ww annual policy is very good value:

Best part of 20k USD.

Need a repat? 50k USD.

Not using travel insurance is either brave or stupid IME.

The cancellation section alone is worth it.