The most important advice is to go as a group all the gear and space balankets wont be any use if your have a serious off. A partner can provide help and summon assitance which will save your life.

Go light weight. What do you really need? Use merino, B&B, dedit card. Most people carry luxuries not essentials.

Kit list all fits in Mule

Camelbak hydration, tubeless kit, mutli tool, gortex jacket
debit card £20 note
power bars
trackster bottoms so I can get out of muddy shorts
Ipod for music
Garmin GPS + spare batts
toothbrush

Off the bike I wear a short sleeve merino that I used as base layer for riding, gortex and tracksters and use the washing facilities at B&B. Merino sox’s dry almost instantly. Im pretty fit so a power bar seems me through and or I grab any food I can on the way. My main concession is that I aim to do my long distance stuff in good weather as I want to enjoy the route.

normal lid

too sanitised lacks speed bits

+1 headfirst same here I use same shoe I am comfortable in all day. Specialized mtb tahoe. Did 205km yesterday on road bike in pair spesh no problems whatsoever and I can still walk in them not like our duck feet roadie friends

add Spicy its lighter

+1 superfical advice – same experience I meet face to face no issues. Small items and small saving I just buy from online retailers

ardent lust

Demo nikes Zesty etc Nirvana cycles

Sufferfest …?

always think the £100 service once a year is a sound investment against trashing a set of forks and replacing them at about £800 – £900. Dont forget to get your shock serviced as well 😉

Zesty 714

W2 and after wall turn left and do it all again 3 total loops is best I done so far then back across to Whites level for end

It would be classed as an act of war. A preemptive strike during a war is good tactics. Starting a war using such tactics condemns you as the aggressor and would ultimately be self defeating. I can see no justification for war between Iran and Israel. Rehetoric is just that not an excuse for war.

Depends on budget I guess but I would suggest its more important to get fitter than try to save weight on the bike it will have a larger affect on your results. New bike wont give you 70 position boost on a race 😉 Thetford is flat compared to say Wales or lakes. Road bike, turbo, gym, HRM and some MTB whixh you did as winter training yeah?

Giant Trance is a very good bike. Could be ightend with better wheels and tyres for a quick up grade. Maestro Suspension gets good reviews maybe check your set up if you feel its not working correctly or get it serviced. The Fox Float RP2 is a good shock.

+1 Ardent user LUST 2.25 front and rear. Awsome all round tyres. 20psi in winter. I found Medusa wasnt very good on roots or rocks, sort of spun out or slipped.

=1 garmin Oregon 450 here – bigger screen 🙂

I understand your arguemenst but wouldnt vote for more red tape and expense. I think people should accept responsibility for their own security. If you had home and away insurance at least your covered. Wouldnt ever leave my bike in car it was an opportunity theft I guess. Sorry if I sound harsh but I think we have enough nanny state already.

+1 for road, frequency, turbo and in my case gym. Off for fast 3 hour 80km road ride at 10 am with mates in the Cotswalds should be brilliant in this weather. I think gym is a must to strengthen core to support fast legs and back for endurance and speed. Gym can be very useful for targetting power increase in legs.

One 10 – 15 mile MTB ride a week isnt enough really. You will get fitter quicker on road or turbo because its a constant effort. I do 2 x hard 4 hour sessions a month in the winter to keep it real at Afan.

Try changing life style approach. Commute to and from work or get a turbo set up in front the TV? A polar heart rate monitor is ideal for turbo and gym work.

I should have mention that my views on a 714 were only based on owning one for two years 😉

Have 2010 model – would buy the same tomorrow. Very happy with it and its been all over europe nothing it cant handle. Weight is one factor but geometry is more important and how it rides as a package. I feel its pretty sorted. I have added haven bar, 55mm stem and reverb. Can I add try before you buy or else you are just buying in the dark on opinion. I see so many come on and ask which bike and dont spend the time to try demos. You can demo a bike for £40 – £50 and its money well spent.

My Bucket List:
Mach carbon 5.7
Carbine
Trek Remedy
Spicy

But the will have to go some to stop me jsut buying another Zesty 🙂

Black mountain classic riute should be ok to. Yeah DH runs are around the car park off to the west, follow obvious tracks 🙂 Their quite soggy, more a slide DH 🙂

would suggest the Quantocks not wales off road if your looking to avoid mud or Afan

My 9 speed works fine but having used 10 speed on road bike I am wondering if I should up grade. Seems to be a lot more useful gears now? However I want to ride trails up as fast as down – will 10 speed still give me that? I have the legs for it and wouldnt for example need granny in trail centre and a better range in high would be more useful. Im at the point where my 9 speed may need a complete change. Do i jump to 2 x 10? I cant see the point of swapping to 3 x 10 from 3 x 9?

I think the point is that if you commit a crime you should face the penalty. Whining that its not fair isnt a defence for breaking the law harsh penalty or not. All the above had the option not to break the law and avoid entanglement in extradition to face the consequences – sorry no sympathy. And I dont suppose they extradite you for petty crimes.

Yes and no. Road bike is great but it’s a means to an end of being really fit for MTB. So I enjoy both worlds. I enjoy MTB for all the reasons I hate road riding. I don’t miss the traffic and idiot driver.

Aredent LUST 2.35. In winter I run then @ 20 psi front it more rear. Awesome light and spin up well.Maxxis fit really well

HRII 2.4 tubeless on front Lust 2.35 on back. HRII went up with some tatex tubeless no problems. Rolls great and ideal for wet winter use. I run ardents FR LUST 2.35 summer.

Saw the same news report. To be fair we and US have a joint extradition agreement. All the report said was that the US had made more applications than UK. The defendent was saying it was unfair as he was not being protected and he should t be extradited to face the charges. Not sure what his point was but I think we can agree he will face a fair trial. He alleged it wads CIA sting operation. Well good, then they have caught someone pedaling restricted items to Iran. I would have thought any honest business man would have no grounds to fear an investigation and chance to prove his innoncence.

+1 aracer such force also acts as a deterrent to would be aggressors thus avoiding bloodshed.

But if we have to use it I for one want to be on the winning side. There are no prizes for second place.

at 30 bpm I had to have pace maker fitted as I kept greying out when I was resting- steady 45 now thanks to technology 🙂

you dont see a moral dimension to this? Is it reasonable for a foreign power to impose trade sanctions on another country just to further its own political objectives?

War or trade is just the continuation of policy (politics) by other means. Nod to Karl von Clausewitz whom I have badly misquoted 😉

The new free garmin base camp comes with 3d option. Its a lot better now and easier to use.

You down load your route from garmin as gpx format to hard drive then upload to base map. Or attach your garmin and transfer directly from gps to software.

Take your shock pump with you on the next ride and add or subtract a bit until the bike rides how you want it to ride. Then note pressure for future. Im 74kg with camelbak etc and use 150 psi in Zesty RP23. If the pro pedal makes the shock locked out your using too much air. It should provide a stiffer ride but still provide full suspension action.

Oregan 450 here very good and I think pretty robust after a few years use. Great on off road. Road mode was a real plus with car like gps routes with turn indicators etc. 800 lighter but maybe no so robust?

2 x 10 setup looks nice. I have same on road bike and very impressed with useful gear range. My MTB could be in for a revamp soon 😉

It will go a lot better with pedals IMHO. Very nice, add a dropper seat post Haven bar and 55mm stem, High Roller II up fron and 2.35 rear for some serious action. Lot of very good 5 – 6 inch trail bikes about.

The point is – whatever either government wants – the people of the FI have a right to self determination. Its democracy they can vote and they have. Oil, history etc etc has no relevence to today.

I turbo I the winter, makes a significant difference to my mtb riding. I’m just that much fitter. It serves no other purpose. When it’s warmer I ride more out doors. Makes sense to me.

Think you will have to throw a lot of money at the bike to make it any lighter. Buy sometghing like a Zesty 714 – 914 and you wil have about as light a bike as you can get. As said above turbo and gym get fitter not too loose weight but get stronger. The bike isnt holding you back for example I run tubeless 2.4 HRII up front and HR2.35 on the back for winter. Large tyres maybe but I can power them and I can use the traction.