oops wrong way round – should be

Rumblefish 21″: Stack 630mm, Reach 452mm, Wbase 1179mm, Seat Tube Angle 73.6, Head Angle 69.8, Chainstay 452mm, Seat tube 529mm, Top Tube 626mm

Nail Trail 20″: Stack 635mm, Reach 461mm, Wbase 1180mm, Seat Tube Angle 74, Head Angle 68, Chainstay 435mm, Seat tube 520mm, Top Tube 617mm

https://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m15b0s864p22626/Mountain_Bikes/27_5_inch_Hardtail/MARIN_Nail_Trail_7_27_5_2017

Edit: 19″ is Large, I am bob on 6′, 33″ inside leg and normal arms, fits well.

That looks interesting … not that I thought I needed another bike until I read this thread but it almost seems rude not to, esp as they have my size in stock. :-)

From what I’ve read up them today it reckons that the larger sizes are 29ers and the medium and below is 27.5. I might just have to call the shop in the morning and see …..

Howsabout applying to go Uni in Barcelona – lots of courses taught in English – Course fees about €2000 p/a last time we looked. Halls about €400 per month.

We investigated it for our son (we lived in Barca 2006 – 2008) but he’s not due to go Uni until 2020 and so I think the Brexit may have screwed us over on that idea.

UAB campus is just out of town but it looks good and its on the train line.

You might just squeeze it in before Brexit …. and save a bundle on Uni debts.

You get my vote too :D

Is you BIL Danny Devito? Good job you also had a mile long seatpost left over from the Rumblefish build.

That’s a Decathlon Rockrider in XL with the standard post on the limit !

dozen unfit old guys in bright orange lining the roadside

I first came across the hunt a few years ago riding in woods over one Xmas. I came belting down a track and suddenly realised that there were men with guns everywhere who weren’t to keen on me being there.

What’s that fort thing? And why does it have the GMOAT?

No idea what it is – it’s bit weird yet rather cool. The goats seem to like it.

St Savinien 17350 – about 35 miles south of La Rochelle and inland a bit.

Tiz a 58cm – I think they size up big. At 6’3″ I would normally of gone 60cm but that felt massive.

My donor bars came off my Runblefish so they were 760mm – I chopped them to 640 as per the bars on the factory spec Flatbar Grade – seemed too wide so have chopped them twice since – now at 600 and feel about right. Pipe cutter for the bars is only £2 from BnQ.

Running Ergon GS3 combo bar end grips on it so you can get your hands further forward / change of position if need, Seems to be the sweet spot for me.

I ‘only’ had to buy the shifters and they were about £100, I figured I’d sell em on if it didn’t work out and recoup a reasonable chunk.

I already had a new set of XT M8000’s brakes that I bought sale price some time ago kicking around that were to go on my Rumblefish but I never got round to changing them.

I may yet swap the brakes between the two bikes as the Rumble needs better anchors than the Grade.

Its all Man Maths …

I flat-barred my GT Grade as an experiment as I had most of the bits already kicking around. It was my first drop bar bike and I always rode it on the hoods.

I’ve chopped the bar down a bit and now have bar ends on it instead of the grips in the picture. With combi Flats/SPD pedals on it its a really all purpose bike. I mostly use it for 30 – 50 mile mostly road and forestry track bimble rides.

GT now sell the Grade with a 640mm flat bar and the same geometry.

I know its not right … but it works better for me than with drops.

My goto Veggie Indian food book is:

Classic Indian Vegetarian Cookery[/url] by Julie Sahni

”The book begins with a simple explanation of all the ingredients and techniques characteristic of this cuisine. Julie also describes every classical blend of curry in the Indian tradition.”

Excellent reading

First time modeler here. Saw this in my local Oxfam for £5.99 unopened so I thought it worth a punt.

As a raging ear infection has curbed my New Year’s Eve riding plans for tomorrow I’m going to attempt my first build.

Park Tool P-Handlel Hex Wrench set & some books – perfect.

You might be able to fix it ..

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Magic+Trackpad+Click+Adjustment/6171

I fixed the non clicking trackpad on my old MacBook the other day – just needed a special tri head screwdriver off eBay – 99p

Took about 10 mins to do.

Worth a try

Mum praises kids for decorating tree while thinking ‘what a f**king mess’

Merc E320 cdi class estate here.

202,000 on the clock. Owned from new. Only got pricey to run after 160k

Between 160k and 200k it had –

New shocks all round ( air suspension on rear ) £1000
Wheel-bearing and engine mounts £700
Ball joints & track rod ends £500
Turbo £1500
Odds and sods £300

Plus the usual servicing, brakes and tyres.

As we’d spent so much on it we figured we’d replaced pretty much all the running gear so we then paid £1500 to tidy up the paintwork, replace minor damaged trim and refurb the wheels.

So its had best part of £6k spent on it in the last 40k miles but … it now looks and drives like a three year old car.

Bit of gamble but hoping for another 200,000 miles out it without too much hassle. We know this car’s history so buying another used one is also a gamble.

A new one is £50k and depreciates at £800 a month or silly money on PCP

On balance 200,000 miles is not a big deal.

I’ve got a V8 itch I need to scratch. CLK 500 convertible seems the most sensible, but I keep hankering after my old TVR 350i from 20+ years ago.

Ahh the V8 itch … Got a Merc E500 here, same sort of idea – a most ideal MLC.

Surprised no one has mentioned baking your own bread yet – this being STW and all that.

Works out a 70p / loaf using Waitrose organic flour or abut 50p / loaf using Supermarket flour. Tastes better than cheap supermarket bread too.

Shock bolt for my Rumblefish was about £7 – I emailed Trek support in the states and they gave me the part number. Local Trek shop got it for me.

I’ve been testing a flat bar set up on my Grade with flat/spd combo pedals. I ride it loads more now.

I don’t think I like drops. I’m not bothered about speed – I’m a confirmed bimbler,

The Grade is now very reminicent of my Muddy Fox courier from back in the day. Not that I ever rode that on mountains but it did get plenty of forest track (gravel) action.

Full circle for me then!

Though actually – looking at where you are staying –

Take the Aerobus – just outside the terminal to Plaza Catalunya. This drops you outside El Corte Ingles – massive department store. Then its a couple of blocks – less than 10 mins to walk it or a couple Euro in a taxi.

(Taxi from centre of town to the airport was about 35 Euro last time I took it.)

There is a train station (RENFE) and now a Metro underground station at the airport.

You are likely to come in to terminal 2 unless you are flying Vueling – in which case terminal 1.

Follow the signs for the station – covered walkaway from terminal 2 – the new metro terminal is next to the overland station.

Metro takes you to Universidad where you can change onto Line 3 and access the rest of the metro system.

Train takes you to Sants where you can access Line 3 & 5 of the metro system.

You buy a airport ticket from the ticket machine to get into town – about 5 Euro one way I think. Different tickets for Metro and RENFE train though.

Once in town buy a T10, one zone ticket at the metro station – this gives you 10 journeys, you can this on the metro or bus. About 12 Euro I think.

Don’t lose your tickets as you need them to get out the station. Fixed price fine of 100Euro to leave if you have no ticket!

Aerobus is OK if you are heading to Plaza Cat in the centre – I think it stops at the Sants Station as well.

Train or metro is generally nicer from the airport.

Teaching assistant at a primary school, my sister does this – gets all the school holiday off as well!

I ended up taking the Rumblefish as my other bikes in France atm. Would have been doable on a cross bike as wasn’t very hardcore but was very muddy in places. Rained for 75% of the route,

Good fun though – more of pleasant bimble through the country-side but not an area I knew so a grand day out really.

@paulx
What bikes are those? Ténéré?

That is basically what I want to do, any feedback on the bikes?

This was back in 2002 on Honda XR400r s- they were bullet proof – not the most comfortable but oodles of fun. I se they are running KTM’s now,

We went with these guys Wilderness Wheels. I think they had just started back then. Peter is the guy to speak to to at WW.

The thread has got me thinking I should get the gang back together for a 15 year anniversary re-run of the tour. Might have trouble getting that past the good wife as I have explained many times that the MTB’s were to replace the dirt bikes…

I’m running a kenda happy medium 700x32c on thereat of my Grade, Can’t get it to go up tubeless though. No punctures as yet. Grippy but not really draggy on the road.

Ah yes – Morocco back in 2002.

We did a 6 night organised ‘follow the leader’ dirt bike route.

Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Erfound, Merzouga, Zagora. Was just superb.

I’ve got the 105 Carbon it came with the Stans ZTR Grail rims 28 spoke.

I’ve just replaced the wheel set with the same but 32 hole ZTR Grails.

I’m about to list the originals in the classifieds. Dunno if they are stronger than yours.

RIMS/HUBS Stan’s NoTubes Grail Disc specific Road 28h,
Formula 4 bearing sealed, centerlock 15mm thru-axle 28h,
Formula 4 bearing sealed, centerlock, 135mm spacing standard QR

Depends a bit in the tyre / wheel size I reckon. If you have fancy 19” wheels with low profile jobbies then get a car with spare wheel.

I got puncture at 10 at night in Plymouth heading back to Cheshire driving a car with no spare – if I’d called Merc recovery they would recover me to a Merc dealer who would charge me £400 for a £200 tyre. Plus I’d be stuck somewhere overnight.

I limped home pumping air into it at every service station on the m5/m6

I had three punctures in that car in 12 months and sold it because no spare just was too much hassle.

In my old Merc estate I get a puncture every 12 months or so and just pop the space saver spare wheel on and go and get the tyre sorted.

Though I have driven back from Barcelona to Cheshire on the space saver spare wheel at 50 ish mph over a bank holiday weekend – no tyre dealers open in France or Spain.

Personally I’d never buy a car again without a spare wheel. It takes 15 mins to change a wheel and it a proper man thing to be able to do.

I just picked up an Endura Singletrack Jacket from Evans for £34.99 in the clearance. Might be worth a look there.

Here’s my 58cm Grade hiding in gate last Sunday. Broken spoke culled ride 10 miles in. Was sitting waiting for international rescue to pick me up.

Try this lot

Breakdown Cover

If you take the personal policy you also get cycle breakdown cover – They will get you home if you break your bike!

Better link – its a daytime ride.

Cheers – Gnarmac bike it is – I couldn’t really see it was a MTB ride.

Well .. I’ve been blagged into doing this. Looking at the route it seems apart from Rivington its all lanes / hard-pack, canal paths etc.

Now do I take the Rumblefish with Bonty Xr4 rubber – which I think will be too draggy most of the time – or do I stick on the Big Apples and just accept its a bit sketchy over the moor but way easier everywhere else.

-or-

Take the Gnarmac bike ?

I’don’t know Rivington area at all – anyone clueful care to take a look at the route and advise ?

Somewhere around Perpignan to Girona. French or Spanish Catalunya. Great transport by air, road or train. Barca on your doorstep. Fabulous countryside, mountains and lots of great beaches. Nice weather – hot enough in the summer and mild enough in the winter on the coast or proper snowy in the hills.

It does exist in France and is applied to accommodation. Taxe de séjour.

We collect this in France on the place we rent out – .80 cents / 73 p per adult per night. Goes to the local tourist board coffers. Last year we collected about €300. No-one has complained about paying it. Good idea I reckon.

Pont de Pedret, Cercs, Catalonia – medieval bridge over the River Llobregat – as found on an impromptu ‘chuck the bike on the plane’ for a long weekend away trip.

My estate car with the bike carrier on is over 5m – done that trip loads of times with the carrier on and Brittany Ferries have never pulled me up on it.

I hire a car in France every couple of weeks. Often at Bordeaux. I use Holidayautos.com and Rentalcars.com for price comparison. Use both as sometimes the same deal is much cheaper on one of the sites.

I generally pick the cheapest but I buy an annual car hire excess insurance policy – £38 pa from icarhireinsurance. Otherwise they will try and charge you about £20 a day for the same cover at hire desk.

To avoid queues trick is to get off the plane first – sit near front or back doors and then peg it passport control and then to hire desk. Check the airport layout online before you go so you know which way you are heading.

If you fly in on a budget airline to Bordeaux you will fly into the basic terminal. Out the door and back into the main terminal for some of the hire companies but others are in the car park just outside arrivals.

Photograph the car before you take it and again when you return it – make sure the hire desk notes all marks on it.

Avoid Goldcar.

hth

I was in a SuperU supermarket today in a small French town. They had a full on selection of GF and Free From products. Pretty much the same as our local Waitrose / Tesco in the UK.