In that case, I’d suggest a variation of glupton’s suggestion with CX wheels. See here for my strava ride. I’d be looking at about 2hrs from city centre to city centre.

Starts in town (near my office in my case) and you can just pick up the route from the cycle path at Roseburn near Haymarket. For the way back, I used the canal and then crossed the Water of Leith path in my route. To get back towards town, I would suggest just continuing along either (the Water of Leith path is more interesting).

The above isn’t really a road ride – too many gravel and muddy bits for properly skinny tyres.

How long to you want to be out for? I can dig something out of my strava or garmin accounts. If you are staying centrally, I’d suggest incorporating a lap or two of Arthur’s Seat.

A ride to Gullane or North Berwick and back is quite pleasant on a sunny evening, but probably less pleasant in the dark.

If you get an airport express + speakers, you can play directly from your iphone to the airport.

Um, yup. The key word in the OP was “multiroom”

Install the apple remote app
Run iTunes on the computer
Use the remote app to control iTunes and you can select multiple speakers

I make do with this, but sometimes it might be nice to save the power of running the laptop. I’m pretty certain this will be added in an update in due course, particularly as iPhones and iPads are ever more powerful and I’m sure they could handle the wireless and processing demands. Won’t hurt to email Apple if it really annoys you…

If anybody bought a 21″ scandal V2 frame on impulse and has changed their minds, email me and i’ll take it off their hands.

Similarly, if anyone wants to get ride of their impulse buy 29er Scandal in 16″ then I might be in the market so I can build a 29er test bike :-)

So…here’s a curveball – do Scafell Pike from Langdale instead.

Having climbed Scafell Pike from Langdale, I’d recommend that option. Plenty of proper parking, a lovely walk, and a lot quieter than the tourist route. We saw relatively few people on a stunning April Saturday until we were at the top (although no doubt that is less of an issue in the middle of the night).

It’s £300 at halfords, then get 6% cashback through quidco.

Or 10% off with British Cycling membership (if you have it).

Wasn’t Jessops rescued from admin a few years back or was that another camera chain?

I’ve got a vague recollection that there were profits warnings etc, but I’m not sure if it got quite to the administration stage?

Don’t write them off totally just yet – they may emerge with some core stores intact.

This. I feel there is room of the high street for a well run photographic shop. I was trying to buy a lens this week and looked in the small chain in Kendal and Lancaster. Neither shop had it in stock and Jessops have closed in both locations (I suspect they would have had stock if they had a shop). I am likely to buy the lens in the near future from Jessops or another high street retailer assuming the price is relatively similar to the internet (I was prepared to pay a small premium). I am sure I’m not the only person with this type of shopping habit.

I suspect that the administration process will allow Jessops to exit a lot of stores where they are tied into onerous lease terms (the 3 shops on Sauchiehall St example above is a prime case) and continue as a more streamlined business (no doubt with amended rent terms on remaining leases where possible). One can only hope that the negative publicity caused by the administration process is not fatal.

Ps- based on your cryptic clues, mov8 (yellow)?

It’s not me is it? I’m out of the office for a day or two, but I don’t think I’ve forgotten about any clients coming in… have I?!

I’m pleased to say I don’t work for any of the above.

If I’m doing an hour on the roadie, I sometimes use the Kirkgate to go from Currie to Balerno, then down to Kirknewton and back up to Balerno using Ravelrig Road. Only a few minutes for that climb but another wee stiff climb after the Kirkgate

Worth googling 510 / 810 if you are about to take the plunge. Limited information leaked at present.

the ideal set up is 1×10 and left hand reverb lever….

The ideal set up is 1×10 and right hand reverb lever mounted underneath on the left….

I wouldn’t bother with the blue at Dalbeattie though. We thought we would blast round the blue on New Years Day as we were short of time for the red. Far too much fire track and virtually no singletrack. Nice to get out, but wished we had spent some time studying the map to incorporate some more red sections.

Try here for Dalbeattie. Not sure how up to date this version is.

My Rocco is a manual, and the relatively short throw gearstick means it is great for making quick progress and swift gear changes. I’d happily recommend that option.

I very occasionally use the car for work in Edinburgh and think then that the DSG might be handy when crawling along at 5mpg or in stop/start traffic, but I do that so rarely that my next car will still be a manual, particularly having read the above

Bike goes in the back easily enough with the seats folded (had two bikes and luggage in before). The flaired rear arches take away a bit of space, but it isn’t too bad. I have the VW roof rack too although only use it when I need the back seats for passengers.

My 2.0TDI has been reliable for 2.5 years. Literally nothing wrong with it. The 2.0 TSI is the same engine as the GTI (you probably know that already). I suspect the Scirocco probably handles better as it is lower and wider than the equivalent Golf.

Front seats are very comfortable and the spec is better than equivalent Golfs of the time (RCD510 rather than the smaller screened radio on the golf at the time, adjustable suspension as standard for example). I was also attracted by the fact that it is a fair bit rarer than the Golf (slightly less so now than when I bought).

Scirocco over GTI for me (although I’m looking at a GTI next as I need 5 doors :( )

Order cancelled due to lack of stock now. Oh well.

Edit:- and apparently they will not be getting any more stock in.

Thanks for the PSA. 2 ordered as they are quite short. Out of stock but still orderable, will see if they eventually arrive. This is the kick up the arse I need to finally improve my security and get that ground anchor in that I’ve been planning. Cheers.

What size of cassette will you be using now or in the future? I use Apex and Rival on the CX bike so I can use an 11-32 cassette.

I don’t mind the shifters but all else being equal, I would probably go 105 if I had an option, as the double tap is occasionally a pain, particularly when I have cold, wet, muddy hands. I think a Rival groupset is lighter than 105, but although the Apex groupset isn’t much heavier than Rival, I suspect it is a little heavier than 105?

I see motortorqueuk has stumbled across STW on a quick google.

Anyway, I’d happily recommend a Rocco. Had ours for 2.5yrs and it hasn’t missed a beat (except for being half rebuilt after some idiot ran into the back of it). Room for a bike in the boot with the seats posted, handles nicely and still does 50mpg+ (we have the 2.0 TDI). Being a Cabrio, the Eos won’t handle as well and will lose a lot of boot and interior space. If you like it though…

Been for a test drive?

No FF29 experience, but to give an indication of Kinesis sizing, I am 5ft7 and ride a medium XCPro3 with a lot of seatpost showing (i.e a small would be too small).

Not much help I know, but better than nothing!

Hmm, clearly my irony radar was set incorrectly. Not being familiar with Mr Brown’s writing, I read the article in much the same way as I read ridiculous Daily Wail articles that are linked to from here. :oops:

spent Monday morning at a speed awareness course, whither I had been dispatched for failing to notice a speed camera on the other side of a dual carriageway

Err, no, you were sent because you were speeding.

quiet law-abiding cyclist like me who only rides very slowly through red lights

Err, “law-abiding”? So RLJing is fine if it is done slowly?

This article just proves the theory that c**** are c**** whatever their mode of transport.

Edit:- great minds think alike clearly allthepies (or fools seldom differ)

The Edinburgh target is 2017, not 2014.

I’ve inflated 2.25in NNs without too much issue. It is worth spending 5 minutes extra getting setup first or you’ll just get annoyed because it won’t quite inflate.

A few pointers that might help:-

– Having the tyre warm (i.e not straight out of a frozen garage) will mean it is more pliable and slide into place better
– A little washing up liquid on the beads will help you seat the tyre if it is tight to get on
– Give it a quick shot with a track pump if you want, but if you want to save lots of expletives, go for a Co2 cartridge if it doesn’t work after the first few attempts with the track pump
– Gently hold the tyres near the valve so that the air has a fighting chance of staying in the tyre rather than disappearing straight out of the sidewall gap by the valve
– If going for Co2, I’d try to inflate the tyre (wear gloves!) without any sealant in and the valve core out, then gently let the air out but don’t break the sidewall seal and put the sealant in through valve
– Once you had inflated it once, as long as you don’t dislodge the sidewalls from the rim, you should get it reinflated fairly easily (with a track pump)

Having done a good few wheels and tyres over the years, I now don’t bother too much with the track pump. If it isn’t going to work after one or two attempts, I’ve decided it is worth spending a small amount on the co2 cartridges (cheap from specialists online) to save a lot of agro.

Best of luck! At least you have Stans rims which are much easier to get tyres inflated on than ghetto tubeless setups.

I’ve got some Shimano MW81 winter boots. I’ve been using them for sub zero commutes and I now don’t give a flying duck about socks. I used to try to squeeze two pairs of socks into my normal riding shoes but they were so tight that they just restricted blood flow. The SealSkinz have been virtually unused since I got the MW81s.

Get some proper winter boots for toasty toes is my advice. Now if only I could sort my cold hands out…

If it’s SRAM crank arms, then yes, you’ll need another GXP. Price isn’t too different from a HTII though is it? Tools are also the same.

If your crankset is doing fine I’d just bung in another cheap GXP. You can use Hope or similar if you get a convertor if you want extra bling.

Stans tubeless. How do they cope with low CX pressures then. Do they not just burp at 30psi or there abouts?

Regularly run at less than 30psi for racing and I’ve yet to burp a tyre, but then I’m relatively light (and my pump’s 30psi may not be the same as yours!)

Crest users – what tyres are you successfully running?

I’ve used Maxxis Raze and now Racing Ralphs. A little tight to get on, but nothing you can’t manage with a dab of washing up liquid and some elbow grease. Both sealed up okay with tubeless sealant after lying down flat, shaking etc.

I’m currently using hope pro 2 on Stans Crest 29er rims. I was a bit concerned they might be a bit wide but they work really well.

+1. Been running these for a year for racing and commuting with no complaints. Dented one rim when I hit a water bar pretty hard, but that was my poor bunny hopping that caused that one. I’d happily buy another set.

Kinesis now do some CX disc wheels which might be worth a look. I think the guys at Shand run XT 29er wheels on their own Stooshie.

I’d suggest you look at the Edinburgh48 races (see ERC) for an example of good grass roots organisation. On a week night (or 3) in the summer so doesn’t clash with other XC races etc. Cheap entry and good crowds.

A C1 or similar will annoy the hell out of you on a mostly motorway commute I would imagine. Get something slightly bigger so it is comfier rather than tinny in traffic. 2nd hand Diesel Polo/Golf/Focus or similar?

Edit:- Obviously the STW answer will be a 2nd hand Skoda

I detest manufacturer controlled distribution.

How is Endura’s approach worse than manufacturers who give large online retailers like CRC massive discounts, making small retailers uncompetitive?

I’ll have a Smart Roadster Brabus Edition. They are the definition of hairdresser’s cars, the gearboxes are rubbish (apparently), I think cabrios are a stupid idea in this country and it would be completely useless for biking, but still…

I don’t think Genesis follow the usual “model year”. The Bike Chain are Gensis dealers now and might be able to put a call in for you?

I found the survey a bit annoying, asking which cycling traits I find annoying (e.g RLJing etc). I would have liked a box to say that I would find RLJers, pavement cyclists etc annoying, but in reality I come across very little of that and it isn’t half as annoying as being cut up by a car when I’m doing 20-30mph on a bike on the road.

On average, I probably see one bad driving maneuver by a motorist every day (at best cheeky, at worst dangerous), and one RLJer or pavement cyclist a week.

It just looked a bit like the survey had been written by a head in the sand motorist. Why can’t we have a debate on cycle safety without talking about RLJing and pavement riding?

I’ve got a Pro6 (the one with discs).

Evo4 should be a bit lighter since it has carbon seatstays. Seems to be good deals on the Evo4 now that the Evo5 is on the way.

You probably don’t want tubs for commuting. Fine for racing, but gluing tyres would be a hassle and you are stuffed if you get a puncture (e.g a tear in the tyre) miles from home.

Personally, I run normal CX tyres (currently Racing Ralphs) on Stans rims with yellow tape so I can run them tubeless. Run at about 30psi to get a good balance of grip without denting the rim.

Can’t comment much on bike choice. I’m pleased with my Kinesis Crosslight but it isn’t necessarily a cheap build. You would probably find a steel bike a bit comfier – my 5 minutes on a Genesis Day One felt very solid and comfortable comapred with my light but slightly harsh alu frame.