Brilliant – thanks!

Could be interested in that @rossburton. Would mean I’d have to come on a surf trip to the SW too. Shame.

All of the above.

And this is true, if a recent break-up I was close to is anything to go by:

You are entitled to half the rise in value of the house in the time you pai8d half the mortgage.

And whatever she said, you did pay half the mortgage. Or you could ask for half the money you’ve spent on food/drink/utilities/fuel etc.

The BBC isn’t left-or right-wing. It’s establishment. It will report whatever supports and maintains that establishment.

That’s certainly my take on it. It leans toward the incumbent government.

I’d look at the fuel consumption and what you’re planning to do. If there’s a lot of distance motorway work at consistent speeds or you’re lugging a lot of kit I’d go diesel as the torque is great at low revs and the fuel economy is better. If it’s more winding roads I’d go petrol for the more flexible engine and lack of issues with a DPF.

I’ve not been, but judging by the roads to the highlands I assume the roads to the north coast are not motorways!

Long term value? Your car is going to depreciate like a stone regardless. The rest is in the lap of the gods.

I used to work as a guide further south on Korčula and am going on the assumption Losinj is similar (from what I saw of WC coverage). It’s worth checking out the Tourist Info as there may be maps with marked hiking paths (certainly not OS standard, but enough to give you an idea). The rest I discovered by having a good wander; there was no shortage of interesting riding and crowded trails were definitely not an issue.

If memory serves there are marked trails on Brač now too, should you be heading that way.

This is very different from my experience. Further proof of how far out of touch our government are from what happens in the real world

<div>You could also argue that it’s the bad eggs that stand out and give everyone a bad name.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Certainly my anecdotal experience of visiting traveller sites while working with the LA many, many years ago suggested that there are sites that have a patriarchal ‘family’ that look after and police their site, and there are others that don’t and the sites are thoroughly abused.</div>

That place is hideous, far too much space.

It’s America. Bigger is better.

I favour a slightly coarser grind than espresso. about 3-4/12 on the grinder settings.

I experimented when I first got it. Maybe it’s time to experiment again.

(And it’s always good to do the occasional bit of experimenting)

Because you have been listening to everyone telling you to use espresso grind.

:lol:

I believe the Evoc packs are made by Hydrapack too.

<div>Could well be. They make them for Dakine and Ogio too.</div>

Run a front and rear set on Hope Pro 2s. Small boutique US company, name escapes me. Absolutely zero problems.

Batfink I’ve never seen a Starbucks in WA

WA = Western Australia, not Washington State?

In Seattle (and surrounding area) you can’t move for fear of falling over a Starbucks. Saying that, the reserve roastery just outside downtown is very similar to the Milan store above and pretty good.

Make sure it’s a fine/espresso grind.

Hate to say it as it sounds very smug/STW, but I use a local coffee and grind it myself. However, I have also enjoyed Lavazza Caffè Espresso in it too.

Used several reservoirs and stuck with Hydrapack.

Camelbaks are good, but cleaning and drying is awkward.

Osprey hard was uncomfortable (but is a brilliant idea).

Hydrapaks don’t seem quite as well made as the newer Camelbaks (the better half uses a Camelbak), but the dry bag-esque closure makes them really, really easy to fill, clean and dry (and you can roll down a 3L res to fit space designed for a 2L bag). The detachable hose mechanism has varied in quality a little on the few I’ve had, but on the whole it works well; I also remove the bite valve after use to let both the valve and the hose dry. All in all it’s by far the easiest res to use I’ve come across.

There’s been a spate on the IoW recently too. Not good.

My bible? A Pantone PMS / CMYK / RGB swatch.

Other than that your reference field is vast; graphic design is so huge and also so narrow with design for so much media, styles and requirements that one wo/man’s bible may be another’s tea cup coaster.

There is a lot you can learn, but there’s also vast amounts of influence at your finger tips. If I were to recommend one thing it would be to learn about publishing techniques and requirements in the particular field you expect to be working in. This could be pixel count on regular smartphones vs. retina screens, adaptive websites, printing of spot colours or how inks appear on different materials.

You are a temptress Merak!

I am walking away. I don’t need one…

Windmill Farm, Dale.

shouldn’t the question be which band has produced a sublime subsequent album?

Metallica. See above comment.

The Prodigy.

Kylie Minogue

Fair one.

From that era (and off the top of  my head):

Jamiroquai

Shootyz Groove

311 peaked with Grassroots

RATM

Metallica

Pearl jam

Yeah, I disagree there too. RATM is the ‘cleanest’ from a production PoV and also arguably the most accessible, but Evil Empire is awesome. The first four of Metallica’s albums are all great in their own particular way. As for Pearl Jam – maybe; Ten is the most accessible, but I have a real soft spot for Vs.

But hey – opinions! :)

I left a collection of (what I considered) really useful tools with a friend and his fiancé while working overseas; I’d collected them up over years and some were pretty old. They split up in my absence, she chucked his (my) tools in the tip. I realise it’s not quite the same, but I completely sympathise with “every time I go to grab random tool I only use once a year after 30 mins of searching…”

What a great story. Inspiring lady!

My local BSAC club wanted me to start again from scratch even with the Trimix ticket!

That’s nuts. I’m AOW qualified (learnt in Greece then West Indies) with wreck penetrations to my name and I’ve been chatting to a friend who dives regularly with a BSAC club; she seems to think there are crossover qualifications should I want to start diving in the UK. As above, I believe the syllabuses aren’t hugely different, but BSAC seems to be more enthusiast-led (which can be a blessing and a curse) whereas PADI is – I believe – a US commercial system you buy into (very happy to be corrected on this), but pretty decent nonetheless.

…including stuff like what to do if your regulator is ripped out of your mouth…

I nearly had this inside a wreck down at around 30m. Reg hooked on an obstruction while swimming up a stairwell. I managed to bite into it before it was torn out, then I had to feel back to find cause. That was an interesting few minutes. :)

You sure about that?

I would also check service intervals; Fox used to be every 15 hours of riding (which is slightly ridiculous).

What’s the offset on your Pike @Alex?

Initial thoughts (I’ve looked at the homepage, ‘galleries’ and ‘about’):

– Get a proper email address. You have a site, get the email address that does with it. Hotmail screams (to me) of amateurism. I’d also go with the contact form suggestion, unless you like spam.

– The ‘about’ page is far too wordy. You can lose a few paras there. I don’t want a welcome and I don’t need to know about your avenues, ‘taking shape’ or personal commissions (that suggests vanity projects, or things that aren’t commercially viable); I’m far more interested in your what you’ve done for others and what you can do for me.

– Font is either needs to be bigger or different. Tough to read at the moment.

– Too many photos. Show your very best work – less than 10 per gallery would be good. It’ll also speed-up any pre-loading. You can use Instagram and FB as bigger evolving backstory galleries.

I’m sorry if this sounds harsh but I work with content quite a lot; the above are personal bugbears. That all said, very best of luck with everything! I started out wanting to be a furniture designer before making a decision based on ‘rational’ logic  (ha!) and switching to graphic design on my year out (purely because of employment opportunities) – it’s a wonderful, wonderful thing to do.

I don’t think they’re dangerous to humans outside of rare incidents?

I’ve dived with them a few times. They like shiny things so follow divers around.

Are they dangerous to humans? Not in my experience. Should they be treated with respect? Absolutely. They are reasonably large “ferocious, opportunistic predators.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barracuda

I feel bad doing this. But it is actually a good tune:

For extra comedy value get one of me falling over in 2ft of water trying to wade out with flippers on.

Fins. Not ‘flippers’. Tsk!

Done.

Similarly, can’t speak for Fox (and you don’t specify what length fork you’re running) but I ran two different 2.8″ WTBs on a 40mm rim on a set of 29er Marz 320s and X Fusion Slides. I could also run an enduro guard, but the tyre fouled on a Mudhugger.

I suspect a 3″ tyre would also be pushing things.

As an aside, I also run a 2.6 650b Conti on an X Fusion 650b non-Boost fork with a Mudhugger and no issues.

I have one of the older Octavias with the drop floor. No way could I fit a bike in upright – not tried with lowering the forks though.

Same here – late mk2 with lower internal floor. I used to be able to get my older bikes upright into a mk1 Focus estate with forks lowered, but newer bigger wheeled, long travel bikes rule that out. As above, I think you’re looking at an SUV / Berlingo.

People’s practical info from stuff they own is helpful though, some good data points above with specific examples.

I like the Octavia as an estate – it’s very practical and a great motorway car. I run a roof rack which hits fuel economy a bit, but does keep bikes out the worst of winter road filth. The roof rack is also relatively hassle-free to stick the bike onto, which is a bonus.

Not many left, everything has been gentrified over the last 20 years.

Haverhill. :)

Actually there has been a lot of money ploughed Haverhill in the past few years – it’s arguable whether this has changed it thought – and there’s a lot of lovely surrounding villages. However the train service is awful – I seem to recall, post Beeching-cuts, Haverhill is the largest town in the country without a station. However it’s an easy drive into Cambs park and ride and a regular bus service.

First Reverb (mk1) died shortly after selling it. Used a second (mk2) for a year and it was fine.

Got two KS LEVs and they’re both fine (although I think I’ve just killed one trying to extract it from a steel frame…); the one I’ve potentially killed is four years old and has been ridden all that time through all seasons, with only one service. I like them.

Had a KS i900 – avoid.

Other half has my GD that I bought second hand. Agricultural, not that well sealed, but so simple to maintain it’s amusing.

Looking to get a Revive to replace the potentially deaded KS described above.

Amorous couple in a car in Spain. Considering the size of the car, it was impressive.

Stumbled through the set of Robin Hood.

A friend turned a corner to be confronted by space ships – it was the set of Phantom Menace.

Bumped into a guy on a penny farthing a few weeks back.

A load of ladies underwear and lingerie pages from catalogues inside a cold war bunker (Croatia). I believe the ‘owner’ had been pinching the underwear off washing lines in the local village.

A knife fight, with a machete (Grenada).

A load of kangaroos. In the Chilterns.

Edit: guiding a group of school kids on a low-level alpine ride in Austria. Met a gorgeous red-headed lady sunbathing topless outside an alpine hut by a trough I’d planned to use as a bottle refill stop. She was lovely – in many ways – and totally non-plussed by the 14-16yr old English boys with their jaws on the floor.

Have you tried the same tyre at a lower pressure?

This. And what’s the internal rim width? A lot of older tyres are designed for narrower rims (< 25mm ID) than those that have been produced in the last few years; this can cause side knobs to be sitting further ‘up’ the carcass. Maxxis’s take on it is here:

https://www.maxxis.com/wide-trail-wt-design

2.6 would probably fit. Currently running a 2.6 Conti on my non-Boost X-Fusions, with a Mud Hugger.

You sleep in a Walmart caprparks overnight in a motorhome.

As for camping – I suspect this will alter state-by-state.

Plan Praz / Brevent lift up (even only halfway will see you on some excellent singletrack).

Find a way down*.

*Disclaimer: I don’t know how much of this is classified as ‘footpath’ which is affected by the July/August ban.