If you’re patient you might find a used Cotic Soul on this forum and build it up.

May have to cut a few corners elsewhere but the grin it will put on your face on the singletrack will be worth it!

If you want slow release energy the higher fibre items will be better, less processed and will take your body longer to break it down. I would expect brown rice to be the highest in fibre out of these?

Porridge is also good, with unprocessed oats, not Readybrek!

Instant energy releases can help, things you can get into your system fast if you have a sustained climb approaching and feel a bit jaded. Jelly babies, flat Coke, Chocolate etc. Give it time to work though 10-30mins.

I find flapjack is the best of both worlds. Has a sugary but not to processed punch and also the slow release energy of oats. It also fills you up, doesn’t melt, tastes good and is easy to carry in a pack.

Combine this with a healthy breakfast, porridge etc, lots and lots of water and you should be good to go all day.

May also be worth looking at electrolytes for your water, I used these in Spain when it was in the mid thirties each day and I was losing a lot of salt.

What do you want it to do?

Lets add JE James to the list. Order Shimano bleed kit funnel on Feb 22nd, site says in stock.

Call on March the 6th to see where the item is. “it’s on order, will be with you this week”, great.

Call today, “where’s my bleed kit then?”, site still saying in stock. “not sure let me check, oh yeah we have three of those, i’ll call the warehouse, oh the lines are down to the warehouse I better mail them. Should go today” Brilliant!!

Cost of item £3.50, cost of postage £3.20……..delivery time, approaching 3 weeks so far.

Off the list, should have just got a refund!

If you ride smooth you will be faster, if you know how to carry corner speed you will be faster, if you choose the right line and don’t brake you’ll be faster.

I don’t think it has much to do with bike weight, but a lot to do with these other factors. This is why you get quicker if you ride the same section over and over.

They start readying the lifts mid June, officaly open start of July. There is soooooo much singletrack around there it is mind blowing. The stuff lower in the valley is better as you get into the tree line inmo also but it’s all good.

It’s quiet that time of year, the resort is still gearing up to the summer season so don’t expect to party hard.

Might be worth getting a guide as you will probably get more out of your days that way.

Take Chammois cream, lots of brake spares, rear mech hanger, big sticky tyes, sun block and blead your brakes before you go.

Be prepared to want to go back every year!!! 😆

I could probaly find you a buyer for that depending on what year it was etc.

My Mrs had one, she’s 5ft 2ish, we sold it on ebay recently. A guy was buying it for his girlfriend as a present, well he was over the moon with it because it was a mint looking little bike and his girlfriend loved it too.

To cut a long story short I got a mail from him recently saying it had been nicked and they were both gutted!! Sad news. 😥

Anyway is was insured so not all bad, just felt sorry for the guy.

So be on the lookout for a black n red 2007 FSR in small with an SLX brake upgrade. It also had aour postcode scratched on the BB shell underneath a piece of insulation tape CM2 ***

Anyway I said I’d keep an eye out for another one for him as I know they don’t come up very often and he may have his insurance payout by now.

Ps sold the bike as it was a little too big for the Mrs, she’s gone womens specific now with a Safire.

The robustness of the hydraulic connection at the post has been improved, I’m led to believe. Not a big issue.

I assume the On One model is a 2012? Doesn’t actualy say does it….

Make sure the Mega has a warranty, I know of atleast one of these snapping. Might be worth a bit of research!

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/nukeproof-mega-rear-triangle-recall-for-2011-frames

Cheap and works 😀

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bontrager/charger-pump-ec008558?query=TRACK%20PUMP

Don’t need to spend that much on a Soul, I bought mine off here for £250 ish, then got some revs for about the same. £250 for some used Hope Hoops……done. One of the best singletrack bike I have ridden and thats with a 140mm upfront, still climbs with ease, great bike.

That leaves £750 for a full susser, get trawling the forums I reckon 😀

I think there are different types. I use a DVD that is more strength biased but it depends what you want to get out of it. I use it for core strength, including legs, balance and improved felxibility.

I also use Yoga to stretch out after the previous days weight sessions helps to iron out the aches and pains of a good workout.

It helps with my kitesurfing and snowboarding, staying flexible as you get older is important.

A lot of people snigger at Yoga until they try it, some of it’s frekin hard but worth perservering with. Agreed there’s a fair amount of BS in there too! Just skip that.

Start here

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/outdoor-gps-choices-choiceshelp

Be nice to know for sure what they will do with the Olympic course.

I hope the health and safety guys don’t take all the fun out of it!!

North & South downs aren’t a massive drive when you get bored of local trails. Peak district is still pretty close for a weekend.

I came down from Worcester, but used to drive 5 hours round trip to get to the coast, it’s 20 mins away now! Swings and Roundabouts I guess.

Lots of quiet lanes for the road bike, should you be tempted! 😀

sb – How’s that work, well?

I’d go Leon, but I’m VAG biased as I own a Golf.

In my opinion Leon’s are better engineered powertrains but that is basing my opionion on GM products of old.

Things change.

The residuals on a Leon would more than likely be higher when you come to sell it.

Have you driven both? Dont buy either until you do!

rickmeister – Do you have a front shifter? Is there enough room for underside left and shifters?

I’d like to get one oredered but would rather run it under bar.

+1 For the Malverns, they rock. There’s also free chilled spring water on tap to fill your Camelbak, if youre on the right bridleway.

Get up early to beat the Red socks (not litteraly) and enjoy a cup of Bovril at the kiosk, if its still there! Happy days. 😀

Oooh, I want to go now!

I find it all tastes a bit special when you’ve earnt it.

If I had to choose +1 for Carrot Cake 😀

Those Nike 6.0’s are indeed “Bitchin” they would look really “fierce” with the DHB winter tights I have been riding in recently. Probably look better with a pair of skinny jeans.

Shimano AM41’s seem to be the choice, better built than FiveTens?

Good choice. Hope you like it. If you get it from Honda I reckon you will get good sales service and a good product.

The Ford shouldn’t have given you so many issue’s even if your wife isn’t the best driver. Durability testing should take account of poor technique and a lot more so the thing is robust.

A friend of mine from the LBS used to do a fair bit night riding in the local woods. A couple of times, (he reckoned), he blasted around a corner to be greeted by this ghostly figure of a woman with White hair and flowing robes, absolutley shat himself. 😆

Apparently there’s an old dear around there who goes out walking in the woods at night in her dressing gown. Still not sure I believe him but it’s always at then back of my mind. I should carry a spare pair of shorts for if that moment should ever arise 😐

Interesting to hear BMW are squeezing more power and more economy out of their engines, clever b*stards those German engineers. I think they’re a few years ahead of the game with diesel engines right now.

Brycey – Nice motor, unfortunately out of my price bracket 🙁 (new M5 looks good too!)

Any of the VAG products should be good. They are pretty much the same underneath just with different materials and refinement in the cabins and probably different suspension set ups. The VAG have mangaed to get their powertrains cheaply and efficently across the whole line up from Audi to Seat. The Golf alone is the best selling car in Europe. They are a force to be reckoned with.

Normaly aspirated engines are harder to come by now due to the fact a big capacity is required for power. This means low fuel economy, poor C02 emissions and high tax. I believe the VAG TSI engines are turbo charged and super charged to allow even smaller capactity and reduce turbo lag.

I had an 04 plate Civic type R. Now that was a piece of engineering, did never and probably will never skip a beat. Best 6 speed box I have used day to day. Honda’s sales and servicing was also excellent. I remember taking it out for a test drive and spanking the thing pretty hard, as one has to, expecting to receive a ticking off from the salesman beside me, for him only to say how refreshing it was to see someone drive the car properly!!

When I picked the (used) car up from the dealership, they gave me a bottle of Champagne to boot. Unfortunately the fuel economy was the cars demise in the end, damm glad I sold it when I did.

Bought a used Golf GTTDI, 170 bhp diesel. Great car, awesome comfort, good mid range and returns 42mpgs average. Impressed with the build quality so far, nothing has broken. A Golf will aways hold its value too. Test drove a very similar A3, but the quattro, was expecting great things but it was uninspiring and more money.

For the record Ford diesel engines are designed in partnership with PSA, Peugeot Citreon group. On the whole they are well respected, may have just been unlucky. Doesn’t help I know!

+1 Golf, Civic might be worth a look if can you live with the quirky?

This years Polo’s are also good and bigger than the outgoing model.

Yep some guys in my office have bought winter treads for their Mercs. Wive’s also needs a set plus a set of steel wheels as they’re a different tyre. Total bill for 8 tyres and wheels £1400, ouch, and no snow yet either!?

😆

This is funny I though it was just me who got spooked in the woods on their own. Look at all these gritty, ruffty tuffty mountain bikers who are scared of the dark!!

Don’t fret, the first week will be a slog but you will soon find your legs again.

It’s never as hard getting fit the second time around, just try and remember where you came from and how tough it was in the very begining.

Jeez, I’m not finding many reasons to not get one of these beasts.

Lets try again, who runs winter tyres then *opening can of worms*?

IMO it makes a big difference. I made the mistake of leaving a pair of dual ply DH tyres on a recent second hand bike purchase and then pedalling it around the local trails.

Well believe me I was dying on my arse on trails I normaly fly over, massive difference. Thought I’d make a big mistake on the decision to purchase!!

Surely if you think of the wheel as a see-saw action with the hub as the pivot and you have a heavy tyre / rim you are muliplying the weight of that tyre by the distance from the hub making small changes in weight significant. Initail inertia will be high and acceleration / decceleration and changes in, poor. Even more so on 29″ wheel, hence they are often reffered to as sluggish to get going.

Also once the mass is spinning a heavy tyre will have a larger gyroscopic effect. It will be stable but changes in direction will be more difficult, I believe this again rings true in 29ers?

Perhaps I am looking at this in a too simple fashion? I’m no physicist 🙁

Ok here’s the big question, whats the real world fuel consumption on the 330d compared to the 320d?

Unfortunately my commute to work is mainly around 30-40 mph most of the way. The Golf is 170bhp and returns 42mpg’s average over this commute which is only 15 miles each way. I reckon thats pretty good.

And yes I do cycle it in the summer before any “smart arse” pipes up 😀

bikehike

You can use sites such as this to plot routes on an OS map (for free) and export GPX files to upload to your device. You can also import GPX or TCX plus more, there’s a few sites out there with this capability if you don’t like this one!

A van would be another voice but space on the drive is bit limiting and there’s a motorcycle in the garage 😳

I drove a friend of mines’ M3 conv. Awesome car, great noise, sh*t quick, but you only realised exactly how quick when you looked at the speedo, soo very smooth.

The only problem is we both live in Essex and you just cant drive an M3 conv around Essex now can you!

If one was to be purchasing a 320d or 330d, would the M-sport be the vehicle of choice or the SE spec (I think I already know the answer) having not yet driven either?

Wurz – nice pic!

bb – Windsurf gear in M3 cab, like it 😀 I too used to play that game, kitesurfing convert now kit goes in the boot!

£300 not the end of the world, would still prefer the option of folding seats though if I had a choice.

335i, very nice very jealous. Unfortunately I will be going down the dirty diesel route. Tempted by a 330d over the 320d though, dont NEED the extra power, but tempted none the less!

timc – Yep totally agree, I have had hatches for years beacause of biking but it seriously limits the choice of transport. Golf is def the best I’ve had, but I’m scaraficing driving experience for carrying a couple of bikes around once a week at most.

So what is the outlay for a removable towhitch system inluding fitting etc. I guess you need a light board and electrics fitted too?

I imagine the roof isn’t an option on a coupe?

There’s a lot of people moaning about wrist injuries on this thread, buy a set of push up bars,(wrists now straight), and crack on I reckon

I was considering a 320D coupe 07 onwards I guess this would be an E90? It would be used, can anyone tell me whether folding rear seats were standard or an option?

Guess they will be pretty hard to come by if optional.

Lovely looking car, but hard to beat the practicality of the Golf I’m running right now.