Thanks for this link, I’m thinking Innsbruck and Livigno so far thanks to this.

Thanks! I’m a freak for the weather already, don’t make me worse – I’ll travel miles just to glimpse the sun! I think I need to learn how to use this trail forks app!

I guess what would now be called Enduro riding? I live in Scotland, and while I’m far from a superhero, I ride fairly steep and technical trails and the odd decent trail centre such as Comrie Croft and Laggan. So hopefully I could cope with at least the easier to midway downhill trails. I’ve been to Kaprun before and have ridden Madeira’s trails too.

Happy to go to most places but northern Italy is probably the furthest I want to go.

Superb, thanks guys. I’ll just get the post then and the Bontrager lever, very much appreciated.

Thanks very much everyone, that’s magnificent and hugely appreciated. Just to sort one element out – my accountant was very much against giving me any information other than suggesting that a pension would make sense tax-wise so pointed me towards finding a financial advisor. I don’t make much money at all but I really need to sort something out for my children hence the need for this. I had a free half hour with an IFA this morning and it was very useful indeed. However, all your information so far has been brilliant and what I have to come expect from this forum.

Perfect, thanks to both, appreciated.

Look at Radon – my mate got a big travel one – 160/170mm or so for around £1500. Amazing equipment on it and light too. Truly amazing and well worth it.

Great, thanks very much.

As I thought – some massively disparate viewpoints! Thank you for all of them. I’m torn, inevitably about going out in the first place but I still think we should try it, about doing Asia or the US-Hawaii-South Pacific on the way. Overall though, it’s not a bad position to be in!

Fantastic, thank you for all the information. We’re not city people at all (we live in semi-rural Scotland anyhow), and my wife’s job would be in Lincoln, to the SW of Christchurch (apparently where folk flee to when tsunami warnings go out) so from the outside looking in, I don’t think we’ll be too concerned about the city not being as vibrant as it once was/ We’re potentially going for our kids – 4 and 1 – the idea of a much more outdoor life appeals greatly – I’m sick and tired of living indoors, cowering from rain.

With the disparaging things I have heard so far, I’m thinking the journey may be the best bit!!

I’d love to cruise there or go by some sort of boat but it doesn’t look easy now that air travel is the way. I’ll be researching sending the cars over as well soon!

Unfortunately this is a debate that can rage on forever – I’ve asked many, many people and have looked at various forums – for every person who adores their life in South Island, NZ, there is another who used to live there and detested it. By the time I’ve read through everybody’s response about how horrific/awesome it is, I’ll be old and grey, and wouldn’t be able to get in anyhow.

I’m thinking the only way of knowing is to go and try it for a couple of years. If I could move to Europe, I would do it in a heartbeat but then I’ve been trying to persuade her for over ten years of that and have hopelessly failed.

Good shout on Sydney & Auckland – I’ll work back from there and see about any cheap flights we could muster.

Good shout – South Pacific sounds very interesting to me – fly to LA and go from there. I’ll have a look at that option…

Unfortunately we have not been – a holiday there would mean giving up jobs and the cost would be astronomical. We know a lot of people who have moved there and love it BUT I cannot say that we are certain at all.

Nah, knees are too bent for me – I’d need something with more leg extension.

2.25 nobby nic fits in an older one too. It’s such a shame – I loved that bike but I was so sick of the rear tyre clearance – main reason for selling, which sounds mad! I tried many different tyres and always found the NN to be the best solution. Saying that, I think I did manage to fit in a Smorgasbord at one point but for some reason I didn’t keep it so maybe it was tight?!?

Yes Rorschach – that’s exactly what I thought because I was told that it was a bike used for display purposes by the manufacturer when going to shows and to shops.

Thanks cloudnine! It’s such a shame it’s an awesome bike!!

curto80 – thanks for that information. It has only been 3 days anyhow. Much appreciated.

Thanks Mike – I have saved a PDF of this so I shall do this. Thanks.

Yes, I paid with a credit card.

cynic-al, I didn’t expect a perfect bike but I did expect a bike that “will ride like new” because that was the advert said. I expected to receive what I had been told? I don’t think that’s unreasonable – this isn’t the same as what I had been told.

Tried the conversation and sent photos, just got an email back saying the photos don’t show that anything will need replacing soon so no success there at all.

Their comment: “The marks are consistent with a bicycle that has been taken around to trade shows and test ridden over the year. I do apologise if this wasn’t the condition that you were expecting.”

which says two things to me:

1. Deal with it.
2. “test ridden over the year” is in contrast to what I had been told and what had been described online.

I would have bought the one I saw for £300 extra from elsewhere but in the interim, it’s been sold in my size!

Sorry, yes, apparently the warranty is standard manufacturer’s.

It’s not a Cotic but I don’t really want to say at which point what it is!

Pics were just the stock photos from the manufacturer, nothing of the actual bike. I’ve seen plenty of bikes run about the country in the reps’ vans and this isn’t one of them!

Discount – around 45% off retail price – I had seen one for around £300 more, brand new so that would probably have been around 35% off retail.

https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-fuse-expert-2017-mountain-bike-EV247436?esvt=886-GOUKE1046956&esvq=&esvadt=999999-0-284562-1&esvcrea=65051768576&esvplace=&esvd=c&esvo=EV247436-XXL-GRN&esvaid=50080&gclid=CjwKEAjwtNbABRCsqO7J0_uJxWYSJAAiVo5LreobIf9fUQMRqtPhq5l0pcWIyPrbVlo_hYgOX6IiUhoClz7w_wcB

Is it that one above? If so, it’s running SRAM GX so will need a SRAM XD driver and a 148 boost hub.

It will need a boost hub – 148mm. Do you have the spec sheet there? If it’s a 10-42 cassette, it’s definitely a SRAM and will need an XD driver (SRAM) hub.

Everyone is very different so you should go zero gluten for 3 weeks or so. Bring back gluten and if no changes in energy, toilet habits, pains etc etc then make a decision from there.

Going down the gluten free aisle and buying products full of nasty ingredients isn’t going to help much but pay attention to packets of all sorts – you’ll be shocked how much is packed into various foods, watch out for wheat, barley, rye and don’t have even a tiny amount for the 3 weeks.

I’ve been GF for 4 years and my back agony has mostly disappeared, I don’t have hideous IBS anymore and so on. So mine is very much a necessity rather than a decision. If I make a mistake, I’ll go back to feeling terrible for up to two months.

Try to stay away from the GF aisle unless you just want to feel normal by eating pasta now and then. Vegetables, fruit, meat and fish are gluten free so it’s actually really simple.

Thanks but I’ve now managed to get through to someone so got one in the end.

Thanks for the eBay link! I didn’t realise that was possible!

It’s a Van Nic. It had been a Lynskey but it broke at the rear brake mounting (lots did!) so it was replaced with a Van Nic.

pigyn, I would gladly have spoken to you about your Banshee frame but I need a large unfortunately.

Also seen a Scott Genius LT 720 plus for £2.3Kn looks like a bargain

That Banshee looks great, does it definitely take 27 plus tyres?

Great, thanks! Looking at second hand Giant Trance 29ers now…!

Looks interesting, thanks.

Nothing out there that would do the trick?

Adore?!? ORDER!

The Vee Bulldozer…I’m probably going to put one on the front but does anyone know if it will fit on the rear of a Stache, just in case I accidentally adore two?!

WeeRide is the best option (but a pest to swap bikes and take on/off) BUT when the wee one is a bit older, it doesn’t get any better than a MacRide – AMAZING!!

Thanks everyone, your advice and wishes are very much appreciated.