I think one of the usual questions that pop up on these threads is “how much of a paycut can you take and for how long, plus how much money for courses and qualifications”.

I’d also add that going back to being the most junior person / apprentice in any profession can be hard, if you aren’t setting up by yourself – being aware that you are sometimes working the hardest and being paid the least requires a fair bit of good will once the first few months novelty has worn off.

I can’t comment on joinery, I’m an ecologist – we get a fair few people looking to get outdoors, work on their passion and so on. I wouldn’t discourage them at all, but it’s a long game to the rewards really.

Why am I reminded of flying boats?

There’s someone on the QECP FB group asking the same thing – the photographer is Click 466 (.com) apparently, does a regular thing there I think

Edit: here you go, from the FB page:
https://www.click466.com/motorsport/mountain-bikes/qecp-sunday-30th-august-2020/

So all those non-enthusiast riders were aware enough and motivated enough to be observing the voluntary bike ban and were up there by dawn?

That’s pretty cool and redeems their elicit e-bike / dubious helmet choices in my eyes!

I’d be interested if there’s a surefire answer to the OPs concern.

I do struggle with the same thing, but there was a thread on here recently about people who lived near really big hills, complaining they struggled for motivation because every ride involved so much climbing/descending and they’d love something flatter. Try imagining that if you come from the more flat/muddy/field-filled parts of the UK!!

So even if I moved somewhere with a better trail network, maybe I’d still find something lacking in my motivation to ride more. Although I do think it would be better!

I suspect I have to keep adding variety – over the last 5 years that has been variously the rigid 29er, or XC racing, or travelling by car, or investing in better lights and mudguards for winter so mud isn’t as much of a deal breaker, and so on. Right now I’m in a phase of e-“hardcore”-hardtail and driving 35mins to places I know well, but are worthwhile trails for me. The speed up on the ebike negates some of the travel time for a good ride for me. I’m aware it’s just a phase, couple of years I’ll need to do something new with bikes.

Also riding alone – I think that’s a big factor in poor motivation for many, me included.

Hold on, wasn’t one of the characteristics of the Beast of Craggy Island that “it has a tremendous fear of stamps”. Surely that must be on there!

Yep!

Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep, if I remember the episode.

Both look like really nice bikes, and it sounds like you have a really clear idea of what you like in your bikes size-wise, which is really interesting to read.

One thing on the medium Clash – it has a steep seat tube angle (over 77 degrees). I know you said pedalling isn’t high up your list but as a tall guy with the seat up and a low-ish stack, that might feel really weird in the saddle, even if it worked when stood up. That might spanner up the comparison with the Nomad a bit.

Gearing will be personal to you and your local riding really, that setup will work but is similar to what I generally run in SE England for XC, might be a bit much if you live somewhere with big tricky climbs.

Mech and chain combo might work, but need to check the shifter pulls the right amount of cable for your mech. The other thought is that a 10 speed mech might not be a “clutch” type and if you are going to single ring you need to think about how you will keep the chain in place

I’ve got a Fazua motor, removing drivepack and on roof on a Thule fork mounted rack – that keeps it in the rack weight limit and the lift up isn’t too bad at all.

Appreciate that isn’t an option on every system though.

It’s great, but best if you can ride with someone who knows all the trails, there are some sensitivities around when/what to ride.

I’m there some evenings and early on some Sundays if that helps!

I think they’re a great option, same as everything bike-related, you just have to decide if it’s for you or not (and which one – emtbs do seem to be spreading out in choice a fair bit, like errrr, mtbs).

Rider A has only a few hours a week to go riding around other commitments. They want the most fun in that time, focussing on the trails they like most and limited range isn’t a big issue.

Rider B gets up at the weekend, potters around their bike adjusting settings, sets out with or without a group of friends (who may or may not be on ebikes) and has all day to explore and pace themselves before heading to the pub to chat bikes.

Those two riders will have a very different view on what ebikes will bring to their riding.

As long as it isn’t a 29er!!! Throwback LOL.

Super Gravity front and Liteskin rear, have I misread that? Seems to run against consensus for HTs of a much tougher rear than front. Any inserts in there? (Not that they will save you ripping a sidewall, mind)

Edited for only reading page 1 :)

Had a TyreInvader, now using ProCore (got a new set when they were on offer for £64 a pair last month).

Didn’t get on with the TyreInvader, but the drawbacks of that kind of insert are well known.

I like the ProCore (on 35mm alloy rims) but am using the OKO high fibre sealant in an attempt to stave off valve clogging. At the price you can get them now and assuming the change in sealant works, so far so good for me and ProCore…

Sorry, wasn’t out that side today but it might be worth a message to the Hampshire Countryside Service on Facebook – they manage much of that area (along with FC) and their depot is at Crab Wood, so it might get either handed in or left for a ranger to pick up. You could also try a post on the South Downs MTB Trail Spotters FB group if you don’t get any luck on here – hope you get it back.

I’ve got a Fazua Evation motor in a mtb hardtail. It is customisable for power in each setting, straight power vs matching your effort, and cadence. You could tweak those, but above 25kph it’s all off, no opportunity to have a minor boost without a warranty-voiding mod.

I went for the fazua as a lot of the terrain I ride on is “rolling” rather than winch/plummet. The subtle disconnect at the limiter was important to me, but above that you are on your own (in my case with extra weight and big sticky tyres!). I find it’s a hill assist around here, most of the fun and road stuff is at or over the limiter so the Fazua was my choice to minimise the cut off being obvious and any drag over that, as I don’t have enough local gravity to hide it.

I’m Kings Worthy and pretty strictly on the mtb side of things – but it’s not like you can get anywhere around here without riding at least some gravel and double track!

I’m assuming that you’re coming in to it from a fresh start, so no previous experience of snowboarding?

Sensible option would be to use the supplied kit for indoor lessons, and rent initially. It really won’t hold you back at the start.

But if you want to buy your own stuff, and hey why not if you want to and don’t worry too much about it being a strict value for money thing, then there’s lots of buyers guides out there.

Most boards will suggest a weight range, which is important so the board will flex correctly and ride as designed. Beginners are generally advised to go with softer boards for easier turning, but as a bigger fella you don’t want to be going too soft! Look for something where you are in the higher part of the weight range perhaps. Board width will be affected by shoe size, factor that in too.

I’m 188cms, 80 to 85 kg ish and own boards between 157cm and 167cm. I’d be perfectly happy to go second hand with a general twin-tip or park board for learning, avoid all the fancy shapes and specialist boards which won’t help with the first few weeks.

Can’t access the Monbiot article, but can anyone clarify if the details include the terms of the contracts? Are the contracts “x” value in theory, but only payable on delivery of e.g. PPE?

Still not good if non-competitive and ignored better placed firms to favour personal contacts, but from comments above there’s a feeling of fixed fee payments in return for nothing, which would seem very odd indeed.

Yep done it a couple of times, most recently on a hired tandem with Mrs P.

Highly recommended as a fun cycling challenge for those who don’t cycle a lot. We did Ilfracombe to Plymouth, stopping overnight in Okehhampton. The first day is the hardest but neither is bad as such, lots of gentle climbing and descending.

We parked at Plymouth station, train up to the start then rode back to Plymouth. Avoid busy days to get several bikes on a train up from Plymouth to the north coast though, those trains get packed. Think we stayed at the Marine Court in Ilfracombe and White Hart in Okehampton and both were cool with secure bike storage.

I think it’s a great casual cyclist “distance” route and very accessible from a road safety / technical skill point of view, but I think over 2 days it’s around a 60 mile / 40 mile split, so the “family” description is presumably reasonably fit couples and teens?

As someone else who lives somewhere with low rolling hills, this thread has been a bit of an eye opener for the flipside of bigger hills. Makes me feel a bit better about our 200m “peaks”, so thanks for that :)

Do you think you could find what you are looking for by riding more with others?

Going out with others or a group (friends, shop ride, whatever) would take some of the navigation pressure off you and help you to find new trails as people share their local knowledge.

From personal experience, I ride alone a lot and also get bored of my local trails but I always enjoy them when I get the chance to ride with friends.

From what I’ve seen the line for retro value for mtbs is around 1996/7. I think the bike in your photos is a couple of years the wrong side of that line for the nostalgic “retro classic” prices that some older Konas seem to attract.

Although I have a ’99 Kula rolling chassis kicking around, so I’d be happy to be wrong!

Also depends if you need to park “at” Swinley, in terms of the trail start points. It’s a large area of connected wood/heathland – I routinely ride from the in-laws in Sandhurst through Crowthorne and it’s pretty much all off-road for about 20 minutes to a point you can join the red trail. So the risk of not being able to park at all seems very low.

If I had small kids with me, I’d want to park closer, though.

Ahh I see, break locations rather than stopovers. On that timescale I’d be tempted to use the autoroute services. Depending on your own preference, I’d cut off the autoroute at Lons Le Saunier and go direct to Geneva through the Jura and up to Morzine from Thonon. Plenty more nice places to stop with the kiddie and a more interesting drive for not much time difference.

We have stayed here Villa Primerose when driving down with a small baby before, and they were great.

It’s a village / rural location with nice grounds/garden just outside Troyes a few minutes off the autoroute. Don’t know about dogs though.

Different cultures have different ideas of what is acceptable

But in this case, many of the bird species named as targeted by the product are migratory. The treatment of a migratory population in one nation can have a wider impact on conservation efforts elsewhere. So there’s that.

I do think it’s sad that enough people specifically want to target these bird species, enough to market a specific cartridge for it.

Only time this has happened to me recently, I’d messed up the taping and gone a bit wide/deep on a shallow profile rim. Sure you’ve checked that already, but it does sometimes still catch me out, apparently!

Swinleytist?

I’m also genuinely interested. As one of the only three trails that exist in the South East (along with Peaslake and the woods behind the Nationwide in Swindon, obviously) I’m wondering how Swinley won this accolade?

what will be the next big marketing bbulsh$t term will we have next?

Well I’m not sure these things are entirely created and forced on us. From the OP’s examples, I recall Enduro became popular as a backlash against too much publicity of bike park riding and groomed trails. Natural trails and riding things on-sight whilst also climbing the hills appealed to people as it “better reflected what they did already”.

Gravel seems to be the same. A rejection of driving to specific trails but just getting out the door and covering distance – you could do it anywhere. It’s popular anyway so the marketing hype focuses on it.

If you want to know what will be next, look at what people are already doing (or getting fed up of). I’d agree that “downcountry” is becoming popular but bikes like that have been around for many years – may well be the next trend which fits in with some of the gravel thought process.

My 2 pence on this is that ebikes are a gateway. Whether they are a trend themselves or not, the way they allow us to ride will lead to subsequent new trends, probably very rapidly.

Thanks for the trail suggestions. I got out this morning on the Kinesis Rise, headed up onto the SDW and then out and round Whiteways. It was drizzly, windy and greasy/puddly out, but not full-on rain. Good testing conditions.

I covered 30km in about 2.5 hours messing around as well as covering ground, and climbed about 650m over that distance. Battery dropped into it’s limp power mode just before the last descent, about 10 minutes from the end.

I weigh about 85kg and used a mix of all modes – most specifically I blasted the first 200m climb on greasy wet trail in the highest Rocket mode, to test the battery impact and for fun. After that I used mostly the lowest or middle models for riding around, until the last 250m ish climb, when I thought I’d finish off the battery and used a mix of the highest two modes.

I liked the bike. High points for me were the geometry, which fitted me well and felt well balanced in the slidey conditions, and the surprising lack of harshness on those trails from the alloy hardtail back end thanks to the big tyres. Dont get me wrong though, it was clear that if you had lots of rocky riding or lots of cobbles etc it would be harder work.

There isn’t a perceptible point where you hit the limiter. That’s a big deal to me, so you can pedal through and over the assist limit without needing lots of gravity or it being noticeable.

I rode the longest L4 size with 510mm reach. I was worried it might feel a bit long on a hardtail, but nah, the opposite. The low rise bars and 35mm stem combined with the steep ST angle made it feel super short and low at the front, to the point it hurt my hands on normal sat down riding. 50mm stem and proper rise bars need to be on there for me for sure to address this without messing with the handling while stood up. Saddle was all the way back too.

I obviously flatted the rear Maxxis Agressor EXO WT, as I do all their EXO tyres for some reason. It had a foam rim protector in it, but as it didn’t have any sealant all that did was make the tyre a pain to get off in the woods. After I put my only tube in I rode a bit more gently, but yeah get forward on the bike and ride light is the message there…

The forks were also a nice surprise. Currently on Fox 34 FIT4, but the xfusions (apparently with 2 tokens in) just worked nicely and felt a good complement to the frame stiffness-wise. I also really liked the TRP brakes, having been on XT for years. On wet grass the better modulation (feels lower power but clearly isnt) was brilliant.

So it was fun. Not hop on and Brraaaap fun, but obviously boosted in a nice way that offsets things that would otherwise be a big compromise like big grippy tyres and a solid, planted feel. I’d plan to ride mostly in the lowest mode (maybe slightly upped in power via the app) to get the most out of the battery. I can also see me buying a second battery, as at the moment longer rides would need some careful management. You could go and climb some stupid things on it in a high power mode, but it would eat the battery life a lot and I dont think it’s aimed at that.

I think I am going to buy one, in full knowledge of the compromises, as it is an awesome “go for a thrash on your local trails” bike for moderately fit riders, and that’s what I ultimately want. I think. :)

Hmmm the feedback so far feels a bit like a synopsis of what’s changed in mtb over 10 years…if you are over, ahem, “a certain age”.

Over that time new riders have grown up into the sport and that has definitely changed some of the influences mtb has had – the younger crop of riders and social media has changed some of the attitude manufacturers seek to reflect in their bike lines, not just 50:01 but that reflects this a bit. Not always great (Sick…) but it would be weird to leave this out of a “what’s changed” update. But then, you knew you were asking on STW…;)

The OP is going to be riding a flatish trail centre / smoother trails…

Cant help but wonder whether a long travel bike on a big motor is designed around that kind of thing? I’d be wondering what happens when you hit the limiter and there isn’t much gravity?

I’m in a not-dissimilar situation in looking at emtbs and that’s my biggest concern – hit the limiter and it’ll be like throwing out an anchor unless you have some decently steep topography? Happy to be wrong.

Happy to share my ill-informed reckon after the ride!

I’m conscious that it cant compete on the power stats with the big Bosch motors, but I’m hoping for something “different” rather than just “weaker” in the power delivery if that makes sense? This will also be my first ebike purchase, so I won’t be comparing directly…it’s the geometry and approach they’ve taken to the bike as a whole that has taken my interest on the Rise.

Cheers all, some good tips there.

so long as you are testing an ebike

I’ve been rumbled… yeah a Kinesis Rise, the Fazua drive e-hardcore-hardtail. I’m quite keen for something a bit different but it has to be fun on trails out the door, normal single track stuff.

I would show you around, but the GF and I are heading out on a. Ride in East Sussex

Ha, that would have been ace! It sounds like I should go up, then left or right – consensus being on the right! That’s my kind of navigation. I’ve checked Trailforks and if it’s just the one trail that’s been removed then all is good. I’ll follow my nose and see what I find, hopefully the assist will mean I won’t be too bothered if I go a bit wrong.

Sounds like Plan A it is then – cheers!

Probably listen to robcolliver, he’s spent a few hours on the SDW…

I’d also be on Vittoria XC tyres for the SDW, but specifically the TNT versions which have held up well for me on South Downs flints. Sagauro in my case, good in the dry and fine in the damp. If it’s wet I’d spend the weekend in the pub in Winchester instead of trying the SDW (no joke) but then I live here so I can do it “whenever” :)

Hold on, is this thread the replacement for “racing”?

For it to feel authentic I’ll need to stand in a pretent queue for a smelly portaloo while replying.

Jerry?

Last place was 1800’s (the original bit) with multiple floor and ceiling levels.

Owned it for 9 years and like to think we added to its improvement and preservation. I’m very much of the opinion you need to budget to own older places though, not expect to pop to Wickes when you fancy a spot of hefty DIY. Maybe I’ll consider it again when I retire…