Certainly the image of my 69-year old mother overtaking a bunch of boutique mountain bikers amused me! I’ll have to take my bike and give it a go one day evening.

“04 Enduro” getting a lot of votes but wasn’t it just a big front rotor different to the 03 Enduro? (And those rotors got recalled from models fitted with Fox forks).

The first Singletrack calendar didn’t have advertising, or if it did, it was very discreet. I remember being disappointed the next year when it was just a series of bike company adverts. From then on they have sadly just gone into the paper recycling bin.

Decathlon 2.0 mud tyres[/url] (£9.99) – probably not appropriate to the OP but for anyone looking for cheap mud tyres for enduro events, these could be worth a punt.

Sounds like a question of working on efficiency:
i) Cadence.
ii) Choice of gear (related to cadence) and shifting without loosing momentum.
iii) Less braking(?)

I have used eukhost.com and would recommend them as a UK-based hosting company. £29.95/year for a "Copper Plan".

In case it is muddy:
Last year at SITS there was a tent selling Maxxis Medusas at a good price (not sure if it was Maxxis themselves). I think they sold out before the event started though!

Preceded by "Britain by Bike: The Welsh Borders" at 8:30pm. Too naff for STWers?

BBC 4 Schedule

MTBing is a completely middle class sport as well. Full of middle aged men buying expensive toys to play with at the weekends. Sort of like Golf, but on a budget

…and who read the Sunday Times.

Similar position, similar ponderings.
Current thought is either:
a) Soul, or
b) Stick with current bike – learn to love what you've got.

Google code search – far from perfect but better than nothing. Thanks.

Real Man – I thought you were on to something there but then realised you were just being a smart arse!!

Yahoo (and Bing – no surprise there) seem to respond in the same way as Google. Seems daft if none of them offer the option. Why can't we just grep the internet??

bump

My experience has been that the people objecting may not understand what you are aiming to build. I guess the problem in explaining it would be the best example that they could see / understand is Stainburn but that is so close that the Chevin could be viewed as duplication.

From the age of six I grew up having fantastic adventures on the Chevin, from hiding in the trees, clambering on the rocks to later running the trails and crimping and smearing the classic climbs and boulder problems. If you could develop a low speed, technical circuit like much of Leigh Woods then the youth development and outdoor exercise angle might be listened to more sympathetically.

Following on from some of the more flippant posts above…

Take a 9 stone rider and a 12 stone rider; send them down the same rocky hill side. Does the lighter rider need less travel to achieve the same level of shock absorption?

Some physics please…

Lots of answers – thank you all – I didn't expect there to be so many weight weenies on this forum!

Thanks all – that gives me some good ideas.
Budget not fixed but was thinking say £300ish; could go higher if persuaded, particularly if going tubeless seemed worthwhile and required spend on new tyres.

Phone plus, if I'm out on my own, an old skool perry whistle on cord around my neck.

I'm another dad looking to buy a balance bike. This would be for the yoof's second birthday.
Sizing seems fine for Puky LRM, Spec Hotwalk and possibly Rothan but can anyone suggest what age, height or inside leg measurement I could expect before he outgrows one of these?

I had a serious 'off' last year when my back wheel skidded unexpectedly on a familar corner. I knew the tyre was getting towards the end of its life but didn't replace it soon enough. A cautionary tale!
(You'll know when a tyre isn't as good as it used to be – at that point I would suggest replacing rather than eeking out a few more weeks of riding).

Thanks.
"Strap on Bosses" look good. It's only for a commuter bike so mud / dirt shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Bikeregister – I've registered two bikes with them – one in 1998 and the other in 2003. They are definitely a legitimate company, nowadays part of Selectamark
I feel the frame markings alone are worthwhile deterrent and I would definitely recommend them although I have no knowledge of their recovery rates – neither bike has been stolen!

I went to JJB sports to do some chav bating and came out with a cheap hi viz jacket, does the job and gets me seen.

But now everyone stares at you, thinking you've nicked your nice bike?

Hi-vis cycle jackets tend to be waterproof and so prone to condensation to some extent. Are there any hi-vis softshells?

bike-specific tools e.g.

Dedicated pedal spanner
Decent cable cutters
Good quality allen keys

Lockable cycle storage 2

Bike washing facilities 3

Kit washing and drying facilities 6

Basic bike spares (tubes etc) 9

Easy Access to Pub/local amenities 5

Food and energy drinks for the next days ride 4

Drying room 1

Locally sourced food for evening meal and breakfast 7

En-suite 8

TV 10

When I phoned Lumicycle a few weeks ago, the chap I spoke to said HID was his preference (presumeably over their own LED4 system), so I guess if money is no object they may still have their place. Probably on a Ti framed bike!

you will need an extension cable (i have a spare – email me robjackson@hotmail.co.uk)

Are these available from DX or somewhere else?

Has anybody had a muddy bike stolen? Working on the theory that thieves are fundamentally lazy, it might be enough!

PS I know of somebody who had a very nice bike solidly chained up in their garage but only through the frame. Burgulars broke in and cut through £1000's of frame, took the remains and (presumeably) stripped off the expensive components later.

What a lot of closet roadies!!
Thank you all for your opinions, cleared up my tread fears anyway.
BTW I was thinking of braking security of wet 1-in-5 to 1-in-10 gradient roads of which there are serveral near home.

Here's a theoretical question…

If you spent the £225 saved by buying a 456 compared to a Soul on better components, which would be the better bike? And could the price difference allow the weight difference to be made up through lighter components?

Wow, Sidi Dominator vs Shimano MP56/66 – now there’s a contrasting choice!

Interesting!
I hadn’t contemplatd Sidi because the racer boy image always suggested mesh-tastic-ness. Expensive too, but a couple of reasonable web prices.
How’s their sizing?