I’ve had fridges in mine (old model) and it will carry a double wardrobe. Or two solos and a tandem with only one wheel of the six removed.

You didn’t take two minutes to remove the back seats? As it takes two motorcycles there’s not much you can’t get in it. And at five foot nine I’ve slept in it often, laid straight out.

I saw a good looking 1.9 normally aspirated the other day (O6 reg possibly) which is the motor to go for if you want real reliability.

Oh yes, get the one with the tailgate, not the double doors (very rare anyway) as it provides a good sheltered area in the rain (though has to be tied at a slight downward angle to prevent water draining in to the rear floor) – a rather obvious design flaw.

Use mobile phones. Seriously.

Not if you’re at Glentress.

I get two bikes and a tandem in the “old” Berlingo car with only the tandem front wheel out – you’ll get less in a van as it has the bulkhead.

Watch out for the rear axle design flaw which causes the wheels to go off the vertical, only a few hundred pounds to get a new axle then it has to be fitted. In other words not economically viable, though some places do a refurb for less but then you need to know how long the rest of the vehicle has left in it.

I’ve cycled there two or three times. You could, if keen, cover all the roads in a day, certainly two. Alas no experience of the MTB stuff (there is a club website with info) – I would take both. Arran Bike Club[/url]

And there’s a cracking sit-in chippy for afterwards!

This thread has come just in time to remind me about sorting out a new setup. Can I ask a numpty question?

None of the packages I have investigated mention e-mail. My account has a primary @btinternet.com address but I normally use one of the associated @yahoo.co.uk addresses. If I change provider do I have to go through the laborious process of changing e-mail address with knock on effect on multifarious websites, forums etc etc?

Personally I never eat a sandwich unless it has been out the fridge for at least two hours – I like to taste my food.

Well they shouldn’t be in the fridge in the shop if they’re fresh. Can be eaten cold but best lightly toasted. You don’t want hockey pucks.

Given that you are asking on a cycling website you’ve obviously suggested that she gets out with her local CTC or similar cycling group?

Wasn’t there a guy regulalry doing the Dakar on a TT500 (or XT)?

Long, long ago the original Dakar bikes were just modified XTs.

Watch out for mice.

Boba,I thought that fella finished the Dakar, at least one year he did.

Had a look on the Dakar site and it would appear he withdrew at stage 6 in 2011 and 3 in 2013. Would love to see him finish, nice to see a guy just doing it for the hell of it in his own way.

He must have had a fair few primary chains in his bag for the Dakar.

Have you tried these? Rack

“Orange Crush – I dont think its that fair to compare them with mototcycle forks. The forks on my motorcycles are chromed, thickly coated, heavier and can put up with tougher seals.

The ones on mountainbikes are expected to have no stiction, weigh bugger all and still work.

You ride a KTM by any chance ?”

No, currently a 10 year old Beta (with perfect forks) and a 35 year old TY (with only slight chip marks, no wear).

I don’t think it is an unfair comparison. The expected criteria you quote are the same though I concede the slightly higher weight of a trials bike will overcome more stiction. The usual problem is damage caused by landing on a rock and the user not taking steps to protect the bare metal resulting so the chrome starts disappearing.

A thicker coating on a mountain bike fork would weigh a lot less than what most folk carry needlessly in their bag or pocket and so not be noticeable. The extended life might be noticed. Proper seals should provide a good enough action too.

Having said that, my five year old Foxes are fine, this week.

The advice to me when I asked about, before buying a bike, was to go Shimano on the basis that you can generally get bits anywhere should you need them in a hurry.

“

90% of people are incompetent

such arrogance!!!
This number is pure rubbish – they’re very simple to service – maybe even you could do it.

The argument here as has been stated over and over again is about required length of service intervals; and how they are much shorter than other brands – which they are. Quote”

It’s only two weeks since one of my cycling club told me that the bike goes in to the dealer to get the tyres blown up!

Simple they are to do but there are an amazing number of folk out there who have no mechanical ability or sympathy (but are intelligent enough to recognise that and so get the professionals to do it).

My Foxes had far less than the recommended amount of oil in them from new but I caught it after a year with no ill effect.

But there really is no excuse for poor life – I’ve said it before but forty years of motorcycle trials experience, seeing what hundreds of other bikes have been like on no fork maintenance (trials riders are notoriously tight and, sadly, these days also mechanically ignorant), tells me that mountainbike forks should be a lot better than they are.

Wouldn’t it just give those so inclined a source of legit numbers to teap on to dodgy gear? LIke cloning a reg number on a car.

Struggling with the Eorocarparts website so tried elsewhere – reviews pan the Osrams for very short life – typically less than a year (only weeks in some cases).

Any experiences on here with short life?

As an effete Edinburgher I feel it might be judicious not to wear anything of the wrong green, blue or orange, depending on where you go. Glaswegians will explain.

Do people actually have “summer” tyres? Or are they just ordinary tyres. Surely standard tyres for the UK are designed to cope with a balance of conditions.

I won’t argue with anyone who says they notice an improvement, in the relevant conditions, with winter tyres but 40 years ago when all we had was “tyres” and generally longer and harsher winters (in terms of road conditions), when a gritter was a lorry with two guys with shovels standing in the back, folk just got on with it and drove according to the conditons. I’ll concede that drivers were able to get more experience of such conditions and the narrower tyres of those days were better suited, but still.

BBC had an article a couple of years ago about insurance companies hiking the premium for those who were fitting winter tyres. Don’t know if that has changed but I’m sure it might be seen by some companies as an “alteration” from the standard spec.

They seem to be doing anything to raise prices or avoid a payout. Fit an EU approved silencer to your motorcycle for £200 instead of £700 for the manufacturer’s replacement rot box? Sorry chum.

What about a small piece of something like this glued on – I’ve used it on umpteen things to prevent slip. I’m sure I used it on a set of sunglasses that were too wide in the bridge.
Gripper

“ask your wife to close her legs”

I thought he said Holland’s not Birds Eye.

The most expensive piece of metal known to man – 2 plain steel countersunk jockeywheel screws for a SRAM mech – thirty odd pounds the pair (plus postage). No, I didn’t buy them.

Not really of much use in the context here but folks may be interested to know of a solution adopted by one of my touring pals. He wears plain glasses, probably of the safety variety, and uses self-adhesive magnifying lenses at the bottom so he can read maps, routes etc simply by looking down.

The other advantage of contacts of course is that you can peel onions without tears.

No real problem using it on the road.

“In my mind the lines/swingarm etc is designed to have the “give” the suspension offers before bottoming out”

Quite, but it is designed to bottom out and therefore receive a fair old force (notwithstanding any bump stops). The force from bottoming out off a drop has to be many times what you are likely to dish out on a run home.

“Halfords, who are the UK’s largest bike and accessories retailer”

Aye, and even after having their “forecourt” done up I still have to lock my bike to the crate of antifreeze cos they ain’t got any bike racks outside.

Four years ago it was £50 to get a demo on an Orange hardtail at my LBS

For off road I wear fleece gloves I got from Semi Chem for about £2. Not windproof but I find this does not matter off road as I’m generating plenty heat. Feel is OK and, while I have never needed to, a thin liner could be worn.

I tested bifocals but could not do with the “moving letterbox” effect.

I’ve been on bifocal lenses (concentric rings of alternating focus) for ten years, no wobble effect and no steps, just clear vison from page to infinity, effectively, and no problems in the rain.

My eyes have deteriorated and I was struggling with the reading and a bit of loss of definition at distance with the strongest available prescription for my two differing eyes. New tech now allows me to use multifocals (I don’t know how they work). The prescription numbers are the same but I can read a map now and distance is grand.

About 50% dearer than the bifocals but put it in context – I’m sure my pal who lost an eye to disease thirty years ago would think it a small price for good vision in two eyes. Look after what you’ve got.

Don’t think I’ve had need to use the toilets but last time I was there I witnessed a staff member pishing off the end of the decking then going in to the cafe. Hand washing? No.

Find a lot of people who are experiencing saddle sores?

Given the rapidity with which those on my pals’ bikes wear out (I’ve a hardtail) I’d be finding a way to fit a grease nipple and keeping ’em well greased.

To ask is to recieve – An actual shed.

As a bachelor I have to suggest millstone grit:)

An airbed with a cheap foam camping mat between me and it has always been warm enough. I do, if necessary, raise it up on boxes (which hold various items) with a couple of slats to support a £10 Ikea slatted rollup bed base.

Racing will certainly warrant speed over elegance.

When we first went to try out a tandem they gave us a few tips to get us going.
Captain gets on first and stands with legs wide apart away from the pedals.
Then the stoker gets on and clips in. Next the stoker turns the crank so the captains favourite pedal for setting off is in the correct position. Captain then clips in that foot and you both pedal off together.

A further refinement – Cap’n gets on by leaning the bike away from him and lifting right foot straight over top tube (as opposed to swinging over saddle as on a solo) then stands as above with left pedal forward and crank horizontal. Stoker mounts by putting left foot on pedal then swinging leg over cowboy style whilst Cap’n holds brakes on. Pedals then repositioned for takeoff if necessary.

Don’t think I’ll be taking up the offer on the left!

Thanks guys – that’s what I suspected but a review went the other way so thought I’d check.