Brilliant, thank you. Will book just now.

Thanks very much for your help.  Things have now changed and there’s the chance of a job in either Villamartin or Murcia so we have to work out which is best!  Not the worst dilemma I realise!

That’s hugely helpful, thank you.  PM sent.

I’ve ordered that book too!  Thanks!

Magic, thanks very much.  I shall.  We’ve been nearby a lot and I’ve been asking family in Pinoso too.  My idea of Spain is more what you suggest – rural Spain integrating where possible amongst Spaniards – I’ve always found them to be friendly and I love it.  Very much appreciated.

I’m no SRAM fan at all BUT I’m not content with Shimano 11 unfortunately.  I now have Eagle on two bikes and it’s brilliant, not missed a beat and for a little more cash, it’s great.

Superb, thank you.  Rock razor it is for now, I’ll be looking back at others if it doesn’t live up.

Anyone know?  Is it worth buying a Fox and hoping it can be lengthened?

Perfect, thanks very much.  It’s hilly around Stirling and I have injured quads so won’t be running a 1X with 11-36 any time soon!  I used to be a roadie so like to spin too.  I think it’s time to splash out!

It’s a lot of bike – it pedals well and isn’t too low, even in the low setting. It’s amazing on technical climbs! I need to get the stem even lower though I think, as I’m not in control on flat and downhill twisty, technical trails. So far, so good though, thanks everyone!

Thank you!

Uh oh, that sounds ominous…

Banshee Prime is on its way! Thanks very much everyone! I haven’t forgotten the other advice but found a bargain so am in the process of a potentially cruel experiment…!

AWESOME! Thanks for that! I can finally put my irrational love of the Switchblade to bed, much appreciated!

I like Mondraker and really love Propain but neither have 29ers unfortunately. Orbeas look awesome and I’ll look again at Banshee.

Nope. I love the new one, it’s great. The other ones just annoy me way too much!

Thanks guys, hugely appreciated. I’ll be looking at all of those. Bit worried about the Trek because I heard they’re quite low. How does the Smuggler pedal? I had heard quite well to be fair.

I loved Whyte – great warranty support and used to like the bikes but flexy rear end and not much room for wider tyres didn’t work for me. Plus now they seem to drag their BBs!

Hightower sounds awesome and VPP is pretty efficient I believe (love the DW link so anything close would be great!).

Thank you so much for your response. I am in Stirling so great trails everywhere including Comrie Croft – only trail centre I use, although I normally ride a hard tail and short travel 29er, which are fine until I try to get all enduro and go to Dunkeld, Alps etc.!

What’s your view on the Slash?

Thanks again.

Perfect, thank you very much. Just wanted to check before I bought a whole groupo!

Magic, thanks for that guys. I’ll stick with Magic Mary for the front I think – Addix Soft for the next one- but will use a Vigilante on the rear.

I did try a bike today with Rekon+ on the back and Minion 2.8 on the front and loved the tyres. Admittedly they weren’t on full on mud but overall I came away really impressed.

Perfect, thanks very much. I’ll be able to do the same in FreeAgent. Perfect, thanks. I was thinking I would have to charge interest to make it look better – i.e. doing something to make money, which is what a business should do. However, I shall now charge him just the amount he owes for ease of use and because it’s what I think is right anyhow.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

Pete from earth, thanks – I shall do precisely this.

Thanks for all the advice, I was more concerned about the accounting side of it to make sure I’m not looking like a wrong un in HMRC’s eyes for example.

Believe me, I know about friends screwing me in business (and yet I still trust a few people).

Much appreciated, thanks for all comments so far.

Can’t see past my 29+ hardtail – it ensures my more expensive full suspension bikes stay in the garage.

Loving your work, thanks for that!

Thank you, and a very good point!

Perfect, thanks so much.

Great, thanks. I’ll look those up.

Northern Spain was on my list to visit this year – too many people say it’s an outdoor wonderland and would be a perfect place to live. Thanks for that. My wife’s from EK so no offence, but we know that and it hasn’t been considered…yet. I should have said mainland Europe, that was foolish of me!

Ha ha! That’s exactly what we would have done – either lived near St. Gallen and done our shopping in Germany or lived in Germany and commuted in!! Now it’s up to me to earn more money (I work from home so not a biggie where I live) and we can choose where to go therefore, not based on where my wife gets a job.

Schwarzwald is definitely up there – beautiful and as you say, close to a LOT!

My wife was so close to getting a job in Switzerland just on the border, that I did have dreams of living just inside Germany until it went pear-shaped!

Innsbruck would be awesome but I fear the cost may be too high. I miss Germany, Austria and Switzerland every day.

Thanks everyone! Haute Vienne sounds awesome, I admit I had never heard of it.

So, the dream list is now:

South Austria – Radenthein, near the lakes etc.
environs of Granada
environs of Girona
Haute Vienne

Thank you very much.

No, I didn’t find any either, bugger!

That’ll work, thanks!!!

It’s weird – as you pointed out – some appear to and some don’t. I can see that mine has bolts on the inside so I’m hoping this means it has a removable spider.

Otherwise I buy an XT triple chainset, use the rings for my other bike and then I have a set of cranks to use.

Thanks very much, I’ll keep looking for the right option (or ditch it and buy a Hope chainset – that sounds like my kind of craziness!).

My mate has tried other tyres but gone back to the original. I would never move away from the Chupacabras, they’re superb and run really fast. They obviously slip about in the mud but they’re fairly predictable and a lot of fun.

WOW WOW WOW, thank you very much! I’m going through all of this now. Finale Ligure had been a very real option, as had Austria (to practise my German and because I adore Austria). Maybe I should just come back via Austria. Lake Garda had already been contemplated as my mate has been there and rates it and he will hopefully be able to join me at some point. Thanks again.