I have a V2 (29″ both ends) and would echo previous comments. Rides way better than the travel would suggest. For reference my previous bike was an Orange 5, and the Banshee out-performs it in all areas from my perspective.

If you’re staying near Altarnun the far west and particularly the Lizard will be a bit of a mission to get to. The A30 upgrade makes a big difference but there’s still a long way further to go for Gwenver or Kynance, for example. I’d be inclined to explore nearer to your base.

Bodmin moor will be on your doorstep and west Dartmoor is going to be easier to get to than west Cornwall. Anywhere on the coast path tends to get pretty quiet once you get more than half a mile from the nearest car park.

I don’t know the beaches there too well (I’m in Penzance), but down here the beaches are much quieter in September.  The weather’s usually better than August, too.

Some useful resources:

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment/animal-welfare-and-enforcement/dogs-on-beaches/

https://www.visitcornwall.com/things-to-do/beaches

Slightly off-topic, but good to see Robert (arsehole) Jenkrick getting put down by one of his own: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clynl828yp0o

Article said:

“In a social media post, Baroness Warsi said: “Every day before we start parliamentary business in the Commons and Lords we say a prayer and praise God – we say our parliamentary version of Allahu Akbars at the heart of democracy – a process Robert Jenrick is a part of.

“This language from Jenrick is more of his usual nasty divisive rhetoric – he is such a tool.”

I love the segue from good diplomatic language to telling-it-like-it-is.

Edited to allow for formatting incompetence

Thanks everyone, good to hear real world advice.

Think I’ll try eBay  – and free (non-stealth!) ads on here too, because why not. Great shout about the IslaBikes FB group, will definitely try that. Paisley Freight good to know about too, thanks.

I hadn’t thought of splitting, but will definitely bear it in mind if the bikes don’t sell in one piece.

OP, I’ve PM’d you

Speaking as a serial MX5 & hot hatch owner / boxster driver…

Sorry to be boring, but this is so dependant on how and where you drive.

Ultimately you will not beat a Boxster for handling, and if your local roads are fast and open, and you’re not interested in wringing its neck (or alternatively staying legal) it’s an amazing car. But the gearing is really long. Hanging on to second gear will see you well beyond the legal limit. If you enjoy ragging a car then it’s arguably not the most engaging, unless you’re happy to completely disregard speed limits.

The MX5 is at the other end of the spectrum. Get an early (pre-’94) 1.6 and the gearing and general lack of power means you can drive it like a teenager, everywhere, without having to worry too much about how fast you’re going. Where I live (west Cornwall), a good blat is mostly spent diving between 20 mph corners and short straights – roads that in a Boxster would be dispatched without leaving 2nd gear. The Mazda will be 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 3rd / 2nd all day long on these roads. I love this aspect of the car, but it’s not for everyone.

A Boxster also feels heavy by comparison, because it is. The Porsche is better balanced, but there’s more mass there.

A hot hatch falls somewhere between the roadsters. Can be a great option, depending on what you go for. Again, for my roads (and preferences) I’d go more old school, but that’s just me. But there’s a reason the first hot hatches were the death-knell for old sports cars – they can be an unbeatable combination of practicality and joie-de-vivre.

Consider the pitfalls, too. The Porsche could be uber-reliable (though more expensive on consumables), or could be ruinous. The Mazda will be utterly reliable, buy equally will rust (doesn’t matter if it’s just been restored with full cavity wax… it will rust). And don’t think the newer MXs are better for this. They’re not… they’re just a little more refined and less raw. But still rusty. NA and NB MX5s are also rattly, flexi old things compared with the Porsche (or hot hatches). If you’re used to old classics it’s part of the “charm”, otherwise it might get wearisome.

TL:DR
For me…
Porsche; beautiful balance, really practical, great engine, insufficiently engaging at sensible (boring?) speeds.
Mazda; Light, lithe, old school fun. Also utterly reliable but slow, rattly and rusty as ****.
Hot-hatch; Arguably the best option if you just want a giggle, and don’t care what car Nazis / driving gods think. Also most choice.
Also, the MR2 is an epic shout. Zero practicality and dull engine, but awesome car.

I would (and do) have the Mazda.

YMMV

This is really good info.

We’re aiming to do this with our (will be) 7 year old, also in May half term (may see you there OP?). We’re not going to try to do the whole thing, as we want him to have fun and not feel like it’s a chore. We’ll probably head straight to Stornaway missing out the drag up to the But of Lewis, and may leave out Vattersay too.

Anyone got any insider info on the ferries? If I’m reading the CalMac website right it doesn’t look like the timings are all that helpful. The Oban to Barra ferry only arrives about 6pm, so not much cycling will get done on day 1. And can anyone shed any light on the Lochboisdale to Oban ferry, which only shows on the winter timetable (and with a departure time of around 6am)? Does it run in the summer?

Thanks for all the other tips, too. Really, really helpful for planning!

stwhannah
Full Member

Also, what happens if you plug the charger in when the battery is already fitted to the bike? If it’s connected/seated properly I’d expect it to cause a display screen to light up somewhere with a charging indicator.

Nothing lights up on the bike when the battery is charged in situ… however I tried turning it on whilst it was charging and this time the screen did come to life. To tell me that there is a “communication error” (error 240). I followed the instructions (basically check the battery is properly connected and the terminals are clean) but still nothing doing. Think I may need to contact the dealer.

Which is a shame as it looks like great riding weather tomorrow. Humph.

Only display is the “Jumbotron” (on the top tube) which appears to be correctly connected. There’s a mini controller (couple of buttons) on the bars, but again all looks ok with the connections.

I was brought up in the Welsh hills and learnt to drive in the winter. Was always told to use a gear lower than normal downhill in snow, and a gear higher than normal going up. And NEVER touch the brakes – the only exception being if it’s more than couple of inches deep and you want to lock the wheels to build up a wedge of snow under the tyres (surprisingly effective).

ABS on snow is useless, so I’m very much in the engine braking camp. But neither works unless you’re on sensible narrow-ish tyres.

Fond memories of a driving lesson up and over the Gospel Pass repeatedly in a white-out in my mum’s Peugeot 104 (“you need to learn how to drive in this, so let’s go again”)… Dad must have had balls of steel!

ETA: Best tip I had was “Imagine there’s a raw egg balanced on the dashboard and drive accordingly”.

matt_outandabout

https://www.whitewaterthecanoecentre.co.uk/best-canoe-trips-in-the-south-of-france-180-p.asp

^ buy that.

Ooooh, interesting. I have the White Water Massif Central Guide Book – do you know if this has been updated/added to at all in the new book, or just given a new cover and re-published?

Brilliant – thanks of the pointers. Really helpful. Fingers crossed for a tummy summer!!

Thanks.

@Rockhopper – Yes, it’s a working farm and more than 5ha, but I’d thought permitted development rights only pertained to agricultural operations.

I know if this was to be a permanent thing (e.g. using proper hedges and being open year round) then PP would still be required for the change of use from agricultural to commercial. Whereas a new barn, PYO (remember them?) or caravans for seasonal workforce, for example would be fine.

I think I need to talk to someone who works in planning at my council. Maybe I should loiter round the smokers’ shelter at County Hall…?

Thanks both. I’ll try emailing the council, but in the past when I’ve done that they’ve just told me I need to complete the online form (and pay the fee!).

oceanskipper
Full Member

Mathematics –

2 or two 😉 = grOWTh

6 or six = eXISt …..

Posted 3 hours ago
REPLY | REPORT

Interesting. I didn’t spot that, but got the same answer by a completely different route:
Assign each number a value according to its position in the alphabet (a=1, b=2, etc.)
Add up the values for all the letters in your word, giving a 2-digit answer.
Add those two digits together
Add 1 to the answer.

Works for Growth, Exist, and …. the answer.

But I now think that’s a complete coincidence and I should have been reading backwards!!

orena45
Full Member

Doublebois is Cornwall, should be in France

Also in Cornwall:
Bay of Biscay
Sheffield
Radnor
Ding Dong (should be in a Carry On film)
Knave-go-by (should be in the 15th century)
And the ironically named North Country (couple of miles south of Portreath – but still oop north for some of us)

That’s really helpful – thanks.

Might check out Quechua too. Cheers!!

the-muffin-man

They’ve not really addressed downforce, they’ve only addressed the turbulent air issue. The problem is you can’t unlearn all the downforce know-how gained over the years.

Can someone who understands aero more than me (i.e. anyone) explain why they cannot put a limit on downforce, rather than adding contrived regulations around wings, dirty air, DRS, etc.?

Cars currently have a minimum weight limit of 798kg. Is it not possible to mount a weighbridge in a wind tunnel and say, for example, that the weight (not mass) @200kph cannot exceed 1000kg? If this is technically possible, then it would very effectively limit the downforce available. The static weight minimum would have to be retained, obviously.

This would have lots of benefits. The aerodynamicists would still be in demand, but this time it would be to reduce drag for a given downforce, striving for higher straight line speeds. And as cornering speeds would be lower (less downforce) the braking distances would be increased, leading to more overtaking opportunities, and a greater reward for drivers’ craft. And F1 could still be promoted as the pinnacle of automotive envelope-pushing as drag is far more relevant in the real world than downforce. Higher top speeds give greater willy-waggling credentials, and as anyone who’s followed Formula F will testify, the racing will be way more fun.

This is a massive over-simplification and I’m sure there’s lots of technical challenges, but surely nothing the engineering might of F1 couldn’t overcome if it wanted to?

TL:DR – Low drag = clean air and longer braking zones = more overtaking and closer racing. Time to stop fannying around with the causes of drag and just deal with the actual issue.

veganrider

I bet you believe your government cares about your wellbeing too, don’t you.

U OK hun?

ETA to be honest, right now I think the idea that the government cares about our wellbeing is so contrary to the mainstream only a CT would believe it.

In the spirit of “recommend what you’ve got”, have you considered a Salsa Fargo? Essentially a drop-barred mtb, and very versatile if you’re contemplating guards and racks.

dazh
Full Member
Appeasement isn’t a successful strategy to an imperialist nuclear armed bully.

The calculus of ‘appeasement’ (stupid outdated phrase BTW) is completely different with a nuclear armed state than it was with Germany in the 1930s. Would we have rushed to war with hitler if he had thousands of intercontinental nuclear missiles at his disposal? I doubt it. Negotiation and compromise is the only thing that will avoid further escalation. Using force and getting into another arms race will not make us safer.

Nobody “rushed to war” with Hitler. For those those of us with close family who died in WWII that’s a crass comment.

And to reposition your question, how would it have played out if Hitler “had thousands of intercontinental nuclear missiles” pointing at him?

I agree, there’s a very real danger that Putin will, when cornered, elect for world annihilation over defeat. But then again, conceding him territory will not dissuade him from further expansionism. And if we’re so sure that he’ll ultimately accept self destruction rather than losing face then isn’t the choice just down to when he launches Armageddon?

So are the scenarios
(a) land is ceded to a nuclear-power leader who will stop at literally nothing to get everything he wants – in which case we’re doomed anyway, eventually
or
(b) every effort is made to stop said leader now, in the hope that doomsday is somehow averted?

To me, option (b) is the only one with any hope of survival in the long run.

Edited to (try to) correct bad formatting

Saw the wonderful Rosie Crow (aka Rosie Vanier, of Rosie and the Goldbug) yesterday and a gallery launch in Newlyn. Just such an amazing voice – still sounding powerful, meaningful and original.

Now digging out my R&TG CDs…

Thanks all, that’s really helpful advice. The Children Museum is definitely on the list!

I’d echo what’s been said above, 3-4 days to Chepstow with kids seems ambitious and not much fun. I certainly wouldn’t recommend the tidal stretch unless you know what you’re doing with tides over flow. And after this summer I imagine there’s be a lot of walking.

Wild camping will be nigh on impossible other than on the gravel beaches, too.

To balance the negativity (sorry!), I used to work on the canoes out of Glasbury and in the lord-knows-how-many descents I did I don’t remember ever having a major midge problem.

ETA Beautiful place to go, though, and lovely chilled paddling.

In the spirit of ‘suggest what you’ve got’ I’d add another vote for the Salsa Fargo.Basically a drop bar rigid mtb, it certainly works for me…

Sorry – only just seen this.

I don’t know the Eastern half of the WKW at all. It’s on my to-do list, but I can’t really give any meaningful advice on it, I’m afraid.

As to the Western loop, it’s a mixed bag. It’s all on road from Penzance to Trethewey (above Porthcurno). From there to Men an Tol a gravel bike would be fine, and it’s still 80% road. In fact a gravel bike is fine all the way round – it gets a wee bit more marginal from the boundary stone east of Men an Tol, but if it stays dry and you don’t mind the odd push then you’ll be fine. Might be a bit scratchy through the gorse, both nothing too scary.

I’d maybe suggest going clockwise from Pz as far as Bossulow, then take the road back via Madron (taking in Lanyon Quoit). Or even better, push on to Men an Tol, turn off the route to ride right past the stones and follow the path heading to the engine house on the skyline (“Ding Dong” – that’s the name of the mine). From there there’s a track you can take south which will join up with the Madron road and back to Penzance. Very doable on a gravel bike and a nice loop.

Not even slightly relevant, but just to say I hope you enjoy your Prime as much as I’ve enjoyed my V1 over the last seven-and-a-bit years. Awesome bikes.

Thanks all.

The bait boxes haven’t worked for us, not sure why. I like the anteater idea, Kormoran, plus it would be an exciting addition to the pet cemetery when its time was up (really confuse the archeologists in centuries to come).

Are ants like bees in that if you kill the queen they just “make” another one?

Might just try hitting them with a combination of exterminants and then dig out / blow up the nests afterwards.

ETA I get the feeling it’s going to be a long summer.

[snip…] People really are being sold the lie that there’s no room left in the UK […/snip]

And yet, population density:
UK – 279 / sq km
Rwanda – 525 / sq km

I know this section very well.

When are you planning to ride it? It’s really weather dependent – I’ve not been up there for a couple of weeks, but it shouldn’t be too bad at the moment as long as we don’t get any more rain.

Like the rest of the WKW, this section is a curious mix of really nice mellow riding with some much more difficult stretches (never for long, and not TOO hard, but enough to put off beginners or anyone after an easy pootle). It’s not particularly gnarr, just some awkward bits which will have them off and walking.

If you’re looking further ahead, I wouldn’t take youngsters between say mid-June – early October as bits will be overgrown with gorse and heather. And definitely avoid if there’s been a reasonable amount of rain over the past few weeks.

Feel free to PM me if you want any pointers. I’m very local and happy to suggest shuttle drops, etc….

I’d consider a lilac (depending on your soil type). Nice to get the lovely scents wafting in through open windows.

What an honest post. Respect.

I can understand where you are. I was always child-agnostic, partner actively against it. However, once she became pregnant (she 39, me 49), she was adamant against a termination. We now have a 5 year running around. When he’s 20, I’ll be 70, so I empathise with you!

My sister is 3 only years older than me, but her youngest is nearly 27, so I can see pros and cons to having children at different times in life. Yes, the overlap when we can do sporty things as equals will probably be when he’s about 10, but I think I’m a much better father than I would have been 15, 20 years ago. I’m much more reflective and aware of how my behaviour effects the family dynamic.

My advice would be not to overthink it, though I appreciate that’s easier to advise than to achieve. People have been bringing up kids for millennia, and – spoiler alert – nobody knows what they’re doing. Everybody is just making it up as they go along. Try to relax into it and be as empathetic as you can. There’s often a reason when they’re being a complete terror. It’s amazing how much you see your behaviour reflected back at you.

And remember, they’re gonna turn out ok.

All kids are different, but FWIW ours is more effected by fresh air and diet than anything else. Outdoor time (in any weather) has a real positive effect on his behaviour. Processed food does seem to have the opposite effect. But it’s all about balance. It’s not fair to be mega strict on everything, and the occasional bit of what’s bad for them is probably good for them (a good motto for life, that).

His mum got her pre-baby figure back within 6 months (without breast feeding), whereas I’ve put on 10 kilos, so there’s no telling how it will affect you both.

Overall I’d say the important thing is to relax. Yes, there will be hard times. Yes there’ll be times when you’re washing shit off every surface. And I know he’ll think I’m a massively embarrassing dickhead within the next 10 years. But all the negatives are outweighed by the fun he brings. It’s life affirming to see the world with a 5 year old’s sense of wonder and excitement, and the pleasure of sharing laughs is off-the-scale.

I’ve not articulated this very well. Feel free to PM me if you’re having a wobble and want to talk through any part of being an older dad (though you’re a whippersnapper from where I’m standing)!

Good luck, and enjoy it.

Wow – thanks for he quick replies.

I’m getting “avoid the city centre” and “head for west end” as stand-outs. At the risk of sounding really dumb, what constitutes the west end?

Interested to know why you say, of a proper upright “but we can’t get one of those“?

We have an upright that we’ve looked into getting rid of, as have a number of friends/acquaintances. The consensus is that you can’t give them away.

Might be worth investigating, if you’re being put off by the perception that they’ll be horrendously expensive. Maybe talk to the music teacher at your daughter’s school, or even contact local amateur orchestras – see if they know anyone who’s got an actual piano they want rid of. I’d offer you ours, but from your user name I’m guessing you’re a few hundred miles away.

Of course, if it’s an issue of space/transport, then this advice is no use at all.

Personally, I’m hoping that Boris rides out this storm and stays PM until the next election.

To be clear (as today’s politicians would say), this is not because I have anything other than complete contempt for hin and his party.

My worry is that, if he goes now, that gives two years for his successor (Rishi, Hunt or – God preserve us – Truss) to steady the ship.

Whereas if BJ stays there he’ll inevitably lunge from crisis to self-made crisis until even the Great British Electorate have had enough.

Depressing though it is,I can’t see the Tories losing other than by a protest vote.

For me it would come down to whether I could relocate back easily if it didn’t work out. In line with JohnDoh’s post, people tend to either last <3 years, or they’re here for good.

There are lots of great things about living here, but there are a lot of negatives – and it depends on how you prioritise things…

As Timber said, it’s a long way from anywhere:

If you’re into your biking then yes, we have The Track, and Woody’s (and Cardinham, if that’s your thing), but the latter 2 of those are an hour away from large parts of Cornwall. I’m guessing that there’s a shed-load more good riding within that travelling time from where you are now. Natural trails are there to be found, but we just don’t have the space that you do in Yorkshire so they’re much more constricted.

To put Cornwall’s location into perspective, central Spain is nearer to me than northern Scotland! I’ve just been to see my dad today, who only lives in south Herefordshire. That was a 500 mile round trip for the day. Where are your family?

The “beach” is great – but generally too full to be pleasant when you’d want to be there. And don’t be hoodwinked by the “Visit Cornwall” blurb – the weather in July and August is unutterably shit. Cool, misty and wet. April, May, September and October are often amazing, and we definitely get more sunshine in a year than most of the country, but don’t come thinking of hot sunny days. 23 degrees really is unusually hot round here. On the bright(?) side – we don’t do snow.

If you like city life, don’t do it. Truro – the county town – wouldn’t qualify as a large village in the south east. Plymouth (not exactly Leeds) is a couple of hours by train from Redruth.

This might all sound like I’m trying to put you off. I’m really not. [Full disclaimer – I work in tourism in the far west of Cornwall, so it’s in my interest to attract as many people as I can to the place].

I moved here 22 years ago to marry a Cornish lass, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. But what attracts me is what puts lots of people off (no, not the missus). If you stay away from your Falmouth / St Mawes / Padstow type places I’ve never been anywhere less pretentious. People just aren’t into acquiring “Stuff”. Muck in, don’t come the “incomer”, be ‘who you are’ and not ‘what you’ve got’, and you’ll fit in just fine. Yeah, there are more than your average “localists”, but most folk are just fine.

My advice at your age? Set up an escape plan and then do it/

tl:dr What oldmanmtb2 said ^

ETA DusterBunny (and OP) – let me know if you want to explore some riding “out west”

A lot of very good advice up there ^^, but particularly:

If you want it to appreciate, keep it in a garage
If you want an investment, get an old Ford (if you can find one)
If you want an investment, you’re going to need to keep it for more than a year.

I’ve always had cars that were too old to be mainstream but too new to be bona fide classics (the count is around 40 in the last 35 years). Some have been fleeting, some I’ve kept for ages.

I’d just say get something fun and if it doesn’t lose too much (or even goes up), then that’s a happy bonus.

And yes, the MX5 is always the answer (on my 6th and 7th at the moment), but it’s not the right answer. A MK1 MR2 is a better driver’s car in every way. If you can find one in budget, get it!

I certainly am – but I prefer to think of it as “under-skilled”.

If you’re happy with your bike and what you feel comfortable riding on it, then does it matter? Why does anyone care what anyone else is riding? So my enduro rig helps me cope with the occasional errant stone on the canal tow path? What difference does that make to anyone else?

Bikes are like dogs – you should get the type that you like best, and neither care what others think nor judge others for their choice. They’re all ace.

ETA: Unlike dogs it’s perfectly OK to get bored with what you’ve got and decide to change it 6 months later. Do not do that with dogs.

Ton, that sounds awful. It must have just hollowed out Christmas for you. Like others have said, even when it’s clearly the only fair thing to do it just feels like such a betrayal of their love and loyalty.

All I can say is try to remember how lucky you were to have her in your life, and how lucky she was to have you in hers. And when the time is right, get another – not to replace her (since nothing could), but just because dogs are ace.

Yeah, my 5 year old and I rode up to the Nine Maidens (Boskednan stone circle) to greet the Solstice. Had a little dance at 15:58 to celebrate turning the corner, then headed home. Felt properly meaningful.

I still think the West Kernow Way is neither fish nor foul. Too much road for a mountain bike, but too boggy for even a gravel bike over the moors (for about 10 months a year it’s too boggy for pretty much anything).

Looking forward to trying the eastern loop some time, as I’m less familiar with those trails. Give me a shout if you fancy completing the rest and you want some company!