I’ve got the Magicshine 1700 light on a cheap Amazon metal out front stem mount. The original supplied bar mount is plastic and felt like it might break. I’ve had it a year now and its been a neat solution without cluttering up my bars. The light has been very effective on the road and down bridleways. Not sure on its claimed lumens, but it’s plenty enough for what I’ve used it for in the pitch black.

I don’t use the quick release button to release the light from the clamp, but instead use a GoPro thumb bolt instead. The app is abit flaky at times connecting but the remote is great.

I also like the fact I can run a battery externally to keep it going (albeit in dry conditions (unless there is a way you can knock something up to protect the charge lead from water ingress).

Galibier Izoard insulated gilet. You also used to get a free buff thrown in too. Great quality, good zips and sizing is correct.

Nikwax do a cotton proof spray on for about 13 quid. I just hang my jacket up in the garage on a coat hanger and spray it on. It comes out white and stinks of vinegar, but after a few days it’s gone.

I tend to do it in the summer so I can leave the smell to die down a bit as it’s like a dinner ladies tabard!

Jesus wept, what I have I just typed….

Second Into The Fire. What a monster!

Enjoyed it.

Loved the Oliver fork on my Slate. Piece o’ piss to do the basic service too. A bike that was ahead of it’s time.

One of my kids has just gone to Salford. Nice accomodation on campus and well run so far.

CMF by Nothing watch pro 2 looks great for £69 but I don’t think they have sorted the Strava integration properly yet (mapping after activity)

A shame as it’s a nice watch for the money.

https://amzn.eu/d/1NUsfti

What Scotroutes said, no need to be rude whatever your opinions are.

Gonna guess and say it’s a faulty electronic brake unit/module.

Grizl

Brilliant first series. Looking forward to this season 2 after I’ve finished with Sweet Tooth. 😁

DJ Shadow in July.

Cinturato in whatever flavour suits.

I can’t say on the frame warranty but my brother bought a Grizl last year and he discovered the ekar shift lever was broken out of the box. He contacted Canyon and a UK rep got in touch to apologise and advise he sends it to an authorised service centre in Cheshire iirc. As he was keen to get the bike going my brother offered to buy a replacement lever and be reimbursed for the cost, I would then fit it. They were happy to do this no problem. Canyon refunded the lever cost very quickly, and also covered the cost of an ekar bleed kit.

Yes it was broken on delivery but these things can happen. It was the way they were flexible and quick to respond. Can’t fault them for that.

👍

I enjoyed nipping into their shop on London Road when I lived in Alvaston and admire the lug work and paint jobs of the bikes on display. I could never afford one but they were really really beautiful. Once the store shut you felt things were on the slide a bit. A fantastic framebuilder and a real shame for Derby and the wider cycling community. <!–more–>

Yeah cycle.travel is ace.

An incredible talent and amazing to watch. Hoping he’s at peak human capability and it’s all natural as he’s slaughtering everything in front of him.

Had a Van Nicholas Euros from new for nearly 10 years. My brother had it after me and then I bought it back from him to only sell it on to a hipster from London. Only got rid cos of the limited tyre width.

Brilliant material.

Great Giro so far but can someone tell Eurosport to sort those shitty studio rendered backdrops out. Dreadful. 😂

Another tick here for Pirelli Cinturato.

Whilst GKs were good, in my experience they seem to blister and bulge the inside lining once a good thorn had gone through them running tubeless. Did it on 2 lots for me and had to then run tubes to get my money out of em as they were buggered for sealant.

GRX!

Forget to say we tapped on Ladder 20 Fire departments door in the Soho district during one afternoon and asked politely if we could buy some of their merchandise and make a donation. To our suprise and excitement we were then offered a great tour (they let us look around the fire truck cabs and everything). They also have a cool dog to keep morale up called Tank 😁

We were told they lost a few of their crew during the 9/11 attacks and shared some incredibly personal stories of bravery and loss. It was one of my highlights that bit of the holiday. We also booked the 9/11 tour, which was left to the end of the holiday as it was so impactful, but so glad we went.

Had to visit the Rapha shop too, loads of lovely stock and people faffing about inside with weak mustaches. 😃

Like others have said, just walk everywhere if you can and take it all in. So much to do in such a short time.

I went to Daves too BillMC. Bought some of their own brand tees n sweaters.  Great family run shop.

The Highline is a pleasant walk not too far from there too.

I went last September and took my grown up kids after promising them for years. The ferry trip on Hudson river is great. This takes you along the financial district, Brooklyn bridge and past the statue of liberty amongst other things.  The open top bus is good value for taking in the sites too and tickets are easily obtained from ticket agents on the streets everywhere.

The Natural history Museum (we had a lovely walk through central park to get there) and grand central station is worth a trip.

Get ready for deep pockets it’s so expensive in Manhattan. A 330ml bottle of beer from an oitside shack in Times Square was about 12 dollars. But you’re in Ney York!

Top of the rock (Rockefeller) and Empire State are great views.

We stayed in the theatre district in an apartment which was great in terms of location. The architecture there is an amazing site to see when you first step out of the subway. It was raining when we got there and what with the steam rising from roads it looked like Blade Runner 😃

I’m of Irish stock so I hit their great downtown bars, if you like a drink you’ll love em. We walked around most places (Hells Kitchen etc) as most of it felt safe now it’s gentrified.

Have a great time!

I was fortunate enough to meet Stuart Adamson whilst working at HMV around the mid 90s in Derby. We had a few people at the time pop in, Hugh Cornwell and Bruce Dickinson amongst others but he was the best. He came to the store and did a set for fans to promote his music. I’ll admit I wasn’t a big fan then but got him to sign my brother’s vinyl copy of The Seer which I brought in with me. He came across as such an approachable warm hearted man, I was saddened to learn he later took his own life.

Great sound.

Not one for these kind of events really but I did the Glorious Gravel Peak ride thats started and ended from Buxton Rugby club afew years back which was well run. Plenty of feed stops and a free 0% beer at the finish line.

Remember the route being really well thought out and also quite spicy at times (even for my Slate with its bit of suspension).

Cost about £50 and the staff running it were great. I’d do one again.

OP, those new Boardman ADV look great value. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Decent geometry and not some bastardised hardtail with drops and 650b wheels. 🤢

Nice to see a double chainset too 👌☺️

Happy days.

Heart in Nottingham. Can’t wait.

Why not try the cycle.travel website instead of komoot?

Allows gravel routes and it’s free. I find it pretty decent.

The riders blogs are good to read on there too.

4 pot was all the rage on here once! 😄

Saw a VW Arteon shooting brake R Line estate parked up the other day in a shade of grey.

Looked the nuts.

There’s also the option of drawing a pension early. Yes, you may get penalties, but you could be recieving it for a fair few years at a reduced rate that is worth more overall than a scenario where you may only get 1 or 2 years at your official retirement age only to go and pop yer clogs!

Agreed TJ

It’s a depressing outlook for our younger generation. They’ve been badly let down.

Getting them into affordable rented housing or even the first footsteps into their own home is becoming  unreachable now and don’t start on Uni costs. The state of this country is shambolic. I’ve got 2 young adult kids and it’s a hard outlook.

I agree on the comments regarding the state pension, it’ll be gone to some degree. Means tested so those with sufficient funds will not qualify. And to be fair, that’s how it should be. Why are we also giving out free bus travel and winter heating payments to a section of our society who clearly don’t really need it financially?  Those payments again should be means tested and redirected to resources within our society that desperately need it more.

Working till 71? What? Increase the older workforce into the labour market potentially taking jobs that could be occupied by the young who may need them more. Where is the light at the end of the tunnel when an individual who is transitioning into working life start to comprehend that they have potentially 50+ years of employment to get through. The thought of being able to ease back and say, ‘hang in there it’s not long now’ when the goalposts are constantly moved will feel alien, then only to retire into poor health cos you’ve burnt yourself out to provide.

Bring on the GE and use your vote. It may or not change things, but what alternative is there?

A beauty. Similar ears to my rescue. ☺️💕

Millennium

American Gothic

Stella Street

☺️

Agreed, Galibier and Altura. Solid kit for the money. A worthy mention is the Galibier insulated gilets, they’re brilliant.

They belong in Greece.