I take your point John but I will have been a tax payer for over 50 years.

Thanks Globalti!

I have a revised plan now, so thanks for all the helpful suggestions.

The plan is to save a bit more, then sell up and buy one here and one somewhere else in Europe. Gives a chance for things to calm down after Brexit etc.

Aiming for end of next year.

You never know, I might inherit my mums bungalow eventually! (Bless her)

I think one of the reasons as well is seeing an elderly relative who has always worked, has equity and own home have to pay for care, where as if you spunk all your money having a great time, you get taken care of in the same way but don’t pay!
Kind of selfish, but regardless of political views i doubt this will change much.

I’m thinking a small place to call home and travel on equity once I hit a sweet spot of age/time left.

Excellent plan!

Good to hear the downsides. Not keen on boats but have always thought that could be an option. I’m quite handy, so can mend stuff!

A lot to think about.

Great. Thanks everyone. Think I’m going to start looking at a cheap overseas place and save a bit more with the idea of heading off in 12 months.
The handy thing is I can come back to the work I do pretty easily if I did get sick of travelling.
Think it will be hard to adjust as I ha e worked since 16 and never been out of work.
Think I deserve a rest!

Cheers Rob

I have just over £200k equity in the house that is worth £350. Rental i would get maybe £1200 a month. That won’t really cover mortgage and expenses. I like the idea of buying a cheaper place and renting that while I travel. Seeing these places in France for £100k with land and outbuildings. That could provide as an air bnb in future I guess.

Always appreciate the thoughts of the ST brain!

Thanks guys!

Thanks both.

Rob

I have ridden the red, blue and first black on a hardtail with a piss pot and no pads. If you can get hold of a full face and some pads I would take them, some of the rock sections are pretty slippery.

Second time I went was on my stereo @140mm, just less fatigue than the HT

Love the sound of this event, will have to dig out my single speed kit!

My sektors are great, don’t get me wrong, I just think they could do with bigger stantions or better damping. I also have some fox 36 and prefer the damping in those

I have got sektor solo airs on my stereo carbon. I’m lighter than you and they felt a bit out of depth at Antur Stiniog. Wish I had bought revs

I ran my solo airs at 150 on my Bfe before moving them onto my cube stereo. They were fine on the Bfe but the on the stereo they struggle a bit because I am travelling faster/being more direct

Thanks guys. I will try jogging, cycling & walking. See what’s best!

Tudor street, so just over the bridge!

I’m going to scour the free papers at home and get some dirt cheap bikes to use. Seems the option that I like best.

Its not as bad as you would expect from the IoW!

Isle of wight…..

Great responses, thanks all!

Live on the Isle of Wight.

2 days per week in Swindon (140 miles round trip)
2 days in Birkenhead (460 miles round trip)

😀

I think you only need a full face for the harder of the 2 black runs. I rode the red, blue and first black on my Bfe with knee pads and a piss pot (plus clothes, of course) it was fine but my calfs felt battered from the rocks after a few runs.

If I owned a full face, I would have worn it.

HTH

I’m no doctor, but it sounds like a small meniscal tear. No big deal but you can get it cleaned out pretty easy. Mine took 2 weeks to recover.

No, not a private one. It was Tuesday actually! going mad. Its a bit rocky but the landings either side of the trails is nice and soft…I found out once or twice. The hardest black wasn’t open when I went though. Have fun!

I did the uplift at Blaenau last Monday. Nice tracks, a good days fun but take knee pads as a minimum

Cwmcarn isn’t really a push up track…you could ride up the road each time. I guess that take 20-30 mins. Its good fun at Cwmcarn, more rocky than stile cop and a bit steeper in places too and as you are based near Cannock I guess North or South Wales are options?

I rode there on Tuesday. Its good fun and well organised.

Plenty of air in your tyres though!

I have been running my 57 plate 140 GT Tdi for 7 months. I have done just over 20,000 miles in that time and it has been great. 52mpg average

The calipers are VERY dead! I guess I need some other hope calipers then…

Others…shimano etc etc

Thanks

I use 661 Kyle straits. Work really well for me

Agree with what the others have said…I ride it on my HT as often as I can and don’t have “downhill god” abilities. All I would say is take the right hand line at the road drop the first time, you don’t want to end play too soon!

I’m going to order the bike parts de one. Now I just need to sort a headset….integrated…tapered…carbon frame…!

Thanks Jamesy

Thanks batfink!

Ok ‘nana, you have to wait a few weeks whilst I build it up

I have a 2012 one and thought long and hard before buying it due to reliability as I tend to crash frequently….my reverb has survived some reasonable stacks at Cwmcarn on my Bfe and does not get maintained. All I have done is shortened the hose and re bled it after cutting. I never used to drop my saddle but just find that I enjoy the ride a bit more on unfamiliar stuff. Its a lot of money but I really like mine

Great advice, thanks a lot all!

I have used both on my bfe and prefer the sektors. Might just be the type of bike or way I ride? They just seem to track better and I prefer the way they travel. I am not a massive fusspot with set up, the sektor just seem really simple
HTH