Sat round the kitchen table in Mrs RRR’s student house with herself and a few house mates.

As clear as day I heard someone run up the stairs. I looked at her house mate but didn’t say anything.

We then checked the house. Front door still bolted from inside, every room checked. Only time I’ve genuinely thought I experienced something supernatural.

Oh and the fire on the plane to turkey (the ovens caught fire)… Annoying thing was that I could smell burning at take off and my Mrs RRR told me to shut up. It was only at about 23000 feet that the cabin crew realised the ovens were alight.

.. Oh and when I was 13 my parents trusted me to fix their old cyclinder mower. After tinkering I started it, heard a bang and felt something fly through my hair.

Once I’d turned the engine off I found what had gone through my hair – a pound lump of cast iron flywheel / clutch mechanism .. In the flower bed 30 feet away :-S

Blimey. So not warfare type stuff but I firmly believed our car was going to end up under an artic lorry..

Driving home up the A1 with Mrs RRR and mini RRR, in the left lane behind a lorry and indicating ready to leave at the Worksop slip road. Aforementioned lorry was also indicating left.

However at the last second he slammed on the brakes pulled hard right (I assume he realised he had the wrong turn), he then ended up not back on the A1 but hammering down the dividing line between the road and the slip road towards an Armco barrier. He then realised he was going to smash into and pulled hard left back into the slip road.

I remember my wife shouting “Dan!” in a blood chillingly terrified scream. By this point the lorry was a few feet in front of me and I had zero time to brake. My reaction was to hoik on the wheel, bury the car into the dirt to the left of the slip road and go round it. It sounds dramatic but my wife’s cries stay with me! We then composed ourselves and followed the lorry whilst ringing the police. I’ve no idea why he wouldn’t stop nor what the hell he was trying to do :-/

That ^ looks great actually!

Gribble – sorry but I don’t fancy removing mine to find out now :-)

Pics of mine below.

^ interesting!

The wheel holding ones look quite good actually ..

Hmm. Thing is – I can’t stuff my bike in the car easily as it requires removing and reinstalling two massive kids seats (big seats not seats for massive kids).

A tow bar rack would great but the cheapest tow bar is £450 ish and then there’s the cost of the rack.

I thought about saris bones type racks but then I don’t think my bouncy bike will fit on one. Roof rack makes sense given I have the rails..

There must be some reason why Intense say the world will implode if you do clamp them?!

(And yes, yes he is)

Hmm I’ve always wondered about the fork mounts – seems like a lot of leverage from a bike swinging about in a 70mph wind? Tbh I don’t understand why more racks don’t use the simple uppy downy bar thing

Intense – and it’s actually in the manual rather than the website as I first thought. Their carbon is supposed to be developed by SEED in Germany and rumours suggest made at the same place as Santa clauses so I’m assuming they’re pretty tough?!

Cheers northwind – I do seem to dent flows and the like very easily.

Next question – what sort of price are we looking at for the cheaper end of the market?!

The thing is, I don’t want to invalidate any future warranty claim when the website explicitly warns of doom, disaster, pestilence and seven years of famine if clamp the frame in any way whatsoever..

I have a medium Giro sized head but had to get the large bell super. Comparatively it feels big but I think that’s just the shape of it (it’s wider than normal lids to allow for the chin guard).

I was very pleasantly surprised how comfortable it was in full face mode for a spin up big hills in the peaks; a bit hotter than my old lid but really not too bad.

Out of interest – how much of a weight saving is there to be had going carbon when compared to say a Stans Flow or similar “all mountain” rim? Ta

Thanks for your help Couger.

I assume it’s accepted practice within the tree surgeon world to unload half a ton of kit every time you park outside your house for a cup of tea or lunch. I assume you know these things?

What I asked for was assistance not criticism. Regardless of the security of his truck what I was hoping for was some help with the photos. Not that it makes much odds but 3/4 of the break
Ins have been people trying to steal the van rather than steal tools. I shouldn’t have to state that tools aren’t left in it overnight of anything daft like that.

TWISTY – email in profile if you think there’s any improvement that could be made. Many thanks

I’ve asked him for the original files too

Hmm, it’s a very distinctive car .. Very frustrating :-/

Couger – ok , so suggestions are welcome for highly secure transport suitable for a tree surgeon? I’m not entirely sure there’s an obviously solution.

Twisty- I removed them seeing as they were only being used for amusement purposes.

I still have them but can’t get the original video easily unfortunately.

I know some people have offered advice.

I didn’t actually ask nor expect miracles I just thought that someone in an appropriate line of work might be able to sharpen them a bit more than I can on a phone app.

As for my brother’s landrover – not known for their security and when you’re repeatedly targeted strangely it’s virtually impossible to get insurance. His lock up, house and shed have all been targeted multiple times.

When the above happened his landrover was parked 40 feet away from his front door whilst he got some lunch.

Yeah ok thanks people

Ha. Guy loses all his tools and possibly his business.

Hilarious .

… If anyone sees any Pink STIHL chainsaws on eBay let me know – he painted them after the last lot got taken..

I’m not holding out much hope tbh! I know there are fancy algorithms out there but I’m fairly sure they can only make a best guess on what the image should look like.

Re the YouTube clips – obviously a slow day/night for the STW masses….

Intense pricing isn’t really that far from other “boutique” brands.

No one seems to bat an eyelid at Santa Cruz listing 7-8k builds…

Plus, the market for the real top end is absolutely tiny. I don’t know anyone who’s paid above £4K for a bike…

Plus, get one in the sales ; it’s a lot cheaper

Plus, stop ya all hatin on Intense. I might cry :-S

Yep. My “foundation” level Tracer was only half vaguely approaching reasonable as it was in a sale with 30% off.

The frame alone retails for £2600 ish apparently (although do people pay that for a frame?!)

It’s odd.

My old petrol bimmer always returned less MPG with posh petrol.

My diesel bimmer does the same with posh diesel. Why?

I’m a bit confused by the recluse.

140mm rear and up to 160mm front yet my T275C is adjustable 140/160mm and up to 160mm front. They seem very similar to be; similar angles too

With the spider and tracer the frame is the same across the range. Not sure about the recluse.

I drive a bimmer and am an it analyst so your Audi theory is flawed entirely I tell you.

I do so love the thinly veiled hatred towards particular bike owners :-)

I bought a T275C a month ago.

I’m rather wishing I’d waited now. It’s pretty!

Hmm ok thanks peeps.

Just not sure …

.. Apologies for the hijack but it’s related! I’ve been working in one area of IT for 8 yrs but have just moved to a different but related area and have been doing that for 6 months. How long would I need to do the new role for in order to not be laughed out of an agency? My old role has lots of transferable skills . Ta

I had another play with my large one (Fnarr).

I think I might stick with it – I think it’s more to do with how wide it looks at the front where the chin bar attaches compared to a normal lid, that and the fact I’ve always been a giro medium size. Might stick some pics up.

Evans agreed a medium looked too small and sat on my temples. The large one I’ve bought was from Merlin – hoping not to have to send it back ..

Hmm , so mixed opinions!

Anyone got a pic of a vpp or similar suss bike on a bones?

Well you’d think a 181bhp bimmer would be OK towing a caravan without an upgrade anyway but yep- I’m just a but unsure about independent tow bar fitters!

Well that quote was to get a proper BMW garage (4yr old 3 series touring) to do it as they refused to fit one without updating the inter cooler due to the supposed extra strain.

I’ve heard you can get them cheaper but apparently the rear bumper needs to be cut into and all sorts :-/

Hmm, yep I’m not sure my suspension bike would fit easily.

I’d love a tow bar mounted rack but the quotes for installing a towbar on my car were £1800+ :O

Hmm, I’ve just tried on a medium which definitely doesn’t fit me.

The large feels comfy but just feels a bit big but i wonder if that’s to do with the wider profile of these lids where the chin bar attaches?

Hi, so – I’ve got a bell super but ordered it online and am concerned about sizing.

My head seems to be 58.5-59cm and I bought a Large (60cm+).

The helmet to me looks a bit large but then I’m quite large!

What head size / helmet size do you have?

Ta

Wheels too small?! They’re already 1.5″ bigger than my old ones.

Are you some kind of 29er pervert?

As for lack of chainrings – I was pleasantly surprised that I was just about able to winch up all the climbs on my dark peak route when I thought it might not be do able with my level of fitness..

Yeah I need to sort out the reverb routing – it’s not ideal and the frame is really set up for stealth routing.

I think I can sort it out. Thanks though – it feels very efficient and absolutely flys down hill (140mm mode only tested so far, can’t wait to try 160!)

That’s a very pretty cotic btw^^