Rapha was sold last year after it left sky. I believe to family members of Wal-Mart. Don’t quote me on it but pretty certain. The new owners are highly into MTB also so a new market.

There clothing actually in deal format isn’t that expensive and is some of the best road gear you will buy.

As for Evans anyone that follows the high street for a living or retail at the least is well aware its been for sale for ages. Sports direct looked at it seriously but at 50 million didn’t see it viable.

The savvy just won’t pay the prices in store and the rents are simply what are bankrupting all high street business.

If YOU ‘re selling from a warehouse or offering a proper LBS service which Evans doesn’t then you won’t survive on the high street.

There pricing although profitable in store is not competitive in the market place. Example Conti all season 25mm £85 per tyre. I had to query it in branch and the young lad just told me to go to crc as way cheaper.

I absolutely refuse point blank to use any Evans store today.

I have absolutely no issue paying more than online but that premium must match premium service and unfortunately today this is very hard to find within any chain.

Hard tail, skinny tyres blown up hard. It’s a fast ride and about 30 to 40 mile of tow path and other bits and bobs plus a few climbs. Worse one is torretts before the big down hill into Brighton. When you see the fooker you will start swearing if you wonder about the name.

It’s a great day out and it is a easy ride. 75 miles in total i recall. Start as early as possible if you are going for a fast one.

Yep Shimano and avid.

Faultless and excellent.

Nothing negative from here.

Note they also have a shop in Nottingham.

Sonder. Get up there and have a look. Multiple builds available.

No

Your simply not fit enough.

Note high 5 are isotopic so they dehydrate you.

Simply 4 bottles of water and 3 gels. Take the gels after 50 miles as your 3 egg omelette with ham for breakfast will carry you through to the 50.

IF you are still dead now after 40 miles it’s mileage and fitness you are lacking. Just ride more so 3 days a week ideally over 8 weeks preparation.

The tour de broads is flat. I live here and have done it so nothing is hard or hilly.

More importantly just enjoy it if you are new to the sport or do the 50 if you feel unfit. There’s always next year.

Advice.

Only.you know your body.

Listen to it.

I have a fussed 4 and 5.

Told I have lost use if left let due to nerve damage.

Total shite but they are only telling you what they see in the mri.

What I suffer with is an inability to stretch left leg when riding and it cramps heavily but just keep working it works for me.

Simple terms cycling is low impact so just ride and take it easy or as hard as you like. Ad said, only.you know yourself

Why do people pay to ride in an open road event! Enjoy regardless.

The challenge is the speed. It’s flat apart from a couple of hills one which is called torretts as once you see it you say o fuxx.

Apart from that do it On a hardtail with the skinnier rubber blown up to 60psi .

You don’t need any suspension so if you have a dropped bar hybrid or similar take that.

It is enjoyable if you take it for what it us.

Suggestions.

Skinny tyres running 60 psi.

Start as early as possible as it does back up.

Go all out for a flat out time.

It’s ideal for a fast road sportive rider.

Enjoy the beer on the finish line.

Marshall and directions etc are excellent.

Be careful with the road sections as London **** driving and be aware of huge amounts of runners etc on the Thames path. Start 5.30am.

IF it rains hard before do something else or ignore all of the above.

You also fund that if you crunch your toes up then the shoes aren’t fitted very well.

Insoles etc are available but just move your foot every now and then or pull up on the up stroke to give your foot a different movement helps.

It’s similar to numbness on a seat. Stand up and pedal a couple of times and it goes away.

Planet x have been absolutely spot on recently.

The main use is for agricultural tyres. It’s something we have used for donkeys years. Buy direct from rema tiptop or simply nip into your local truck tyre dealer (not car tyre dealer).

Cut the agri ones in half.

They just feel different. Wife uses a hope 32 but will go to a 34 as spin out.

Gearing difference isn’t different so if you ride a 30 standard a 30 oval is the same. Just feels like you drop quicker on the down stroke.

They say that we are in the habit of buying long cranks. It’s coming out more now that we should at the very least try 165. If you notice the comments by people with 165 length it’s positive. Main issue is trying them.

Forget sizing the conventional way as this is part of the issue.

Also if no entry just ride it anyway. Go up the road to the next junction and ride in. Thousands of entry points.

Ernie Haha yes how it should be ridden. Non stop. Don’t get going for a time and stopping for two hours with Strava reporting 20 mph average but not showing your stoppage.

Yep I am not as fast as you I’m going for 4.30 with zero stop. Same as also. I ran out of fluid at box, grabbed a bottle and went again. I plan 2 bottles and one in pocket. Do one before Leith hill and go for the finish.

I completed the Cambridge closed last month at 20.3 average with a 60 second sprint to the water container haha.

Have a good ride bud, I’m lucky as get VIP so no queing and straight off the front.

I’m 6 4 and went xl on the frontier.

Rainmaker is faultless. I have done more off road than toad on it. Enjoy not having to stop every five minutes. Just load and go.

Umm! Nightmare ain’t it! I went for a new hobby within an already had hobby. Went bike packing and loved it so now have a road bike a hardtail and now a rigid for bike packing.

I have been itching to buy a new hardtail but couldn’t find reason to replace the one I already had. Proves bikes today are good regardless of development. Ride is different though so you need to convince yourself to go away from in my case a arse up head down xc bike to a long slack and low new trendy thing!!

If I had I would had bought one! Look sweet as.

Test ones available at alpkit? Give em a Call, brilliant people. Just bought a frontier.

Use  Garmin 1000. Had it a few years now. Faultless for me. Been every in the uk and Europe. No crashing, keep the screen brightness down and battery is Good, turn the map screen over  to another screen do not doesn’t drain also helps. It’s a big screen so if eyesight isn’t great then even better.

If failed today I would buy another one as not worth looking at something similar with a black and white screen for example.

Weight. Negligible. No different than seat posts in all honesty. For strength they increase weight on carbon unless going for very performance related it will be identical or heavier often than carbon.

Worried about alloy and fatigue? MX bikes use renthal alloy so that answers your question. Issue with alloy as always is bending them back to shape. Never do that as they will fail.

Ride quality. Negligible again. Just try different bars or seat posts. Alloy is more than capable of damping.

Price. Alloy is always cheaper. If it’s not then don’t pay it.

So basically just common sense . Top job guys and many thanks for you help, gpx files sent and lodging ideas. It is really appreciated.

Wife is looking forward to it and as am I, will be doing the Dartmoor ride sent as appears more guite than exmoor. Lol simply I hate bumping into people!!

Enjoy your weekend all

Your not abnormal mate your only 6ft 7. Bikes in XL will be fine. At the most add a little in the stem.

I’m 6ft 5 and ride an xl forme flash 2 as my race road bike. I also ride a forme winscar hardtail in a 19 inch which is okay but should be a 21 inch but it’s more squirty round the twisty bits. Also just bought a Sonder Frontier in rigid off the shelf and it’s a perfect fit again in xl. Simply add some stem or high post if Ness but it won’t be.

If the shop won’t order for you to test ride then go elsewhere. Today I use alpkit.com for anything Sonder. Highly recommended.

It’s all about the standover mate. If it hits her bits it’s to big.

Wife is 5ft2. Need plenty of room as trails are on slopes obviously so often one leg further down.

Eviljoe, all sorted and opened. Looks good and not to massive climbing.

Will see what happens with the weather and book somewhere local and then camp half way round.

Stupid question. We will be wild camping. What is the issue with wild camping away from the wild camping designated areas? Is it simply just trying to restrict or am I going to disappear down a mine or get landed on by a helicopter or something stupid?

Cheers tuska. Will have a look.

Top job guys. Will look when home tonight.

I’m in Norfolk so long way away. We ride a lot around Yorkshire and peaks but understand that’s different.

Looking for a circular ideally and happy with 5 hours on the bike per day but don’t want a ton of hike a bike but also happy with 3 hours and lovely views.

When I rode Dartmoor last time is was from oakhampton from the old railway station out on to the moor then back round the reservoir.

Ref the military ranges, are they currently all closed?

Haha admitting I did fall asleep in the car so may had been done earlier!

Will do!

Rapha. Give them a call If ness.

Expensive but once you use rapha you always use rapha.

Frame bags generally mean no water bottles so take that into consideration.

I use Blackburn. Fit well and if you take the next size down you can keep the seat stay bottle mount. If you fill the full frame you can stick a bladder in the bag but you start asking why am I doin this.

Alternatively use a feeder bag on the handle bar to hold your water bottle or use a rucksack with bladder in. It’s simply a constant balancing act when bike packing.

Purchased one last week. Complete bike.

First thing. Alpkit people really looked after me. Went up and test rode one with no charge. Built the complete bike while I waited.

For the price you can’t go wrong. Rides spot on. Took it in fully rigid.

No concerns about the rigid fork at all. Comparison to steel, there us none as you are running 2.4 inch rubber at 25 psi. Fully loaded with 20kg of gear is identical to it being empty. No BB away. Yes slower but perfect for packing.

Way to much negativity about the boost situation in my opinion, especially if taking a complete bike, it’s too cheap to be concerned. Yes I understand if using up your spares or converting another bike which was my original plan but in this case I just have another bike.

Alpkit is also someone I hugely recommend. Service was exceptional. Neil built the bike in 2 hours for me so I didn’t have to call back, I expected some faults here but not a single bolt lose or anything out of line.

And note they have 3 shops not 2!!