Whilst some may look on in envy at the fleet of Orange 5’s at (insert any Welsh trail centre) when unloading their 2007 Spesh Hardrock, there are those that smile at the thought of roughing them up and leaving them behind on a bike costing a tenth of theirs. Be one of the latter, you’ll be happier 😀

Had my fiat doblo for 10 months now and it’s not put a foot wrong so far, but it is a chore with the 1.6 multijet engine as it lags a fair bit. I’d look at a 2.0 multijet one in future and a remap (165bhp out the exact same engine elsewhere) or a Peugeot Partner Tepee (not as big but supposed to be more agile) and revel in not giving a hoot !

aracer – Member
Don’t forget compulsory helmet and hi-viz, and making cyclists pay road tax. Presumably if you tot up enough points you also get banned from cycling. Such measures would doubtless help a lot.

I think you’re missing the point just a bit here, as neilwheel said it’s about responsibility. Part of responsibility is repercussions for actions or in-actions which is where cyclists differ, injury or death seem to be the only consequence for bad cycling…….not very off putting to people who can’t even see an indicating bus etc ! I do like the sound of the points, that lad who I used to see every day riding with no lights, on pavements, no handed and headphones on (all at the same time) being a great example for why !

I hate the stickers, just prove that people think cyclists are incompetent to ride on the roads, hence why I back the education and enforcement route.

Unfortunately, stupidity like in that video happens all the time and without any punishment. A cycling CBT, points added to driving licence and mandatory 3rd party insurance should be in place just so when such a muppet clatters up somebody’s nearside doing something like that, it isn’t left for others to pay for their idiocy !

Was always told by my driving instructor when pulling away to check both mrrors sweeping from the left to right before checking the blind spot. When moving, check the inside mirror relative to your next manoeuvre after checking the rear view mirror.

So with this in mind, why would you even need this sticker on a car or van ? For the same reason people would rather cut you up on a left turn, or don’t indicate, or force an overtake instead of waiting for the opposite side to clear…..laziness and no repercussions for their actions. Same as them cyclists on pavements, or those cutting red lights etc.

I wouldn’t go Japanese personally, the parts prices are high compared to ford or vauxhall. My old Corsa 1.8 SRI needed only a handbrake cable change in 12 months at 108,000 miles. No rust to worry about and they look smart enough with enough poke to entertain and attainable for a grand.

But I’d buy on condition first and foremost, and worry about what it is secondly.

I had to fit a site-light on my friend’s 08 transit in 2012, what a rusty old heap that’ll be in 2015. Rust spots popping up all over the roof, and they go on the arches and sills so pretty poor in this day and age. My dad’s 2004 Caravelle however is rust-free, and my Fiat Doblo on a 10 plate (same age as friend’s transit was) is rust free as well. Doblo FTW 😀

He said he has a long torso (relatively short legs in other words) which would result in the need for a longer toptube to somebody with a shorter torso/longer legs, and therefore the next size up frame is required.

If your stock stem is short, you may be able to make it up with a longer stem without making it too slow steering. Otherwise wider bars may help too or even a layback seatpost.

If you want a bargain then you take the chance, it’s a competitive market which is selling by the bucketload so why would manufacturers potentially shoot themselves in the foot offering something none their direct competitors do ? I have a “lifetime” warranty on my cannondale, however it’d need new wheels and shocks as there’s no direct replacement which could easily cost more than a good 2nd hand frame !

Since I was an apprentice at 16, paid £100 a month to my nan and grandad who I was living with, now renting a place with my mum and going halves on everything albeit on trademan rate.

I’d be seriously tempted to make like our Easternly cousins and buy into a bigger house for the family. Too much emphasis on everybody having their own little place, when a bigger house to accomodate more people works out cheaper per head, and offers more stability in case of any job losses. The family opposite my old house had it nailed, about 40 people in 2 big houses extended into each other 😯

I will second the cannondale prophet, a bike which saved the company and was so far ahead of its time, if you compare it’s geometry to a similar bike now it was already there in 2004 ! It went practically unchanged aside for tough versions, and in it’s final incarnation gate crashed WMTB’s bike of the year with a killer value build (still a USA built frame set) . A 27.4 mm seatpost limits dropper choice, 1.5″ head tube doesn’t.
I just bought one to build up, just wished I’d have plumped for one instead of a blingy scott nitrous in 2005

£25 truvativ AKA stem at CRC, mine came today and it looks sound.

Re-useable cable ties are such a useful bit of kit to drop in your bag, and this being one such moment of use. Great having a slack chain for removing the link, not so great breaking the thing open for the first time……I like the look of that tool MSP !

I’d leave this one with your electrician, he’s the guy who’s going to be signing it off as being compliant with the current regulations and will (probably) be getting discount from his supplier which you won’t. You will have to bury it at a minimum depth and there is a derating factor for it being buried, personally can’t see it being less than 16mm^2 SWA. Haven’t got my reg’s book handy otherwise would add to this response. Ryan

The HSE haven’t really ruined anything, it’s the people who are “health and safety experts” with no hands on experience or legal knowledge, employed by our firms who do little but impose PPE rather than tackle the real issues.

RCD’s have taken the fun out of things somewhat, especially when popping some toast on whilst having a bath. Never were the stakes so high.

I shall be ordering around £400 worth of parts for my bike I’m collecting tomorrow, pretty much all of which will be from CRC. Typically I’d fit whatever I could, then get things like pressing bearings, truing wheels or facing done by the LBS (fred williams Wolverhampton-brilliant guys, good availability and good prices) and purchase bikes from Leisure Lakes, local and do 0% finance on a comprehensive range of bikes.

Leisure Lakes I feel have played a massive trump card with their demo day’s, the discount through VIP membership coupled with the 5% extra for demo’s should retain custom. Where else could you get a no obligation test ride on such a good variety of bikes, get 10% in store credit back and 0% finance ? Top marks for them for doing it, a fine showcase of how the LBS (well sort of) can hit the internet-only firms where it hurts.

Actually Swindon, ahem, is near to Dudley……closer to Wombourne mind you 😉

Demo’d: Lapierre Spicy, Whyte g150, trek slash 9, orange alpine and a cube fritzz race. Bought none of them (yet), but it would have to be the Orange for me. Not as ruthlessly good a platform perhaps, but equally confident and much more fun.

I wouldn’t travel that far personally, but living half an hour away it’s a regular. Maybe use it as inspiration for your own local trails, as a lot of gradient change has been extracted from not massively hilly terrain.

Without a doubt this bike is the most fun bike I can remember swinging a leg over. It’s probably overkill for a lot of the riding I do at present, however the confidence it inspired and the fun it provided on relatively mundane trails (FTD at the chase) says to me it’s one of them bikes you can take anywhere and hit it hard. Slow on the up I hear ? More reason to get fitter I suppose 😆

I demo’d one in my usual large size and it didn’t feel overly long to be honest compared to a lapierre spicy and orange alpine. Have you tried anything else similar out of interest ?

My dad has had his 53 plate T5 2.5Tdi Caravelle for a good 7 years now, a rear suspension spring chipped and until recently that’s been about it…..but it’s now in need of a new turbo. Personally I think that’s reasonable for a 10 year old vehicle with nearly 150k on the clock.

Unfortunately whilst it is plush for a van of it’s era, my 10 plate Fiat Doblo (yes yes) shows it up for lack of refinement pretty comprehensively. Then again, the caravelle has some street cred 😆

A bit harsh, but all them local bike shops that bemoan the tough climate, yet when you go in and ask for parts an enthusiast would consider standard (external/press fit BB, 9 speed mechs, hydraulic disk brakes, integrated headsets etc) there’s a look of confusion, or worse still an attempt to sell you a square taper BB or some other outdated kit !
Keep with the times or die, like any other industry guys.

Fiat Doblo……..no running or hiding here as that’s what I roll 😀

Buy a house in Cumbria, near Whitehaven/Cockermouth and get a job up there doing whatever…..handy working in the area’s big industry already though 😉

TBH I’d live in some ex-council house safe in the knowledge I’d never need worry much about what job I’m in as long as I can pay the bills, and just enjoy riding one of the best landscapes England has to offer!

Tried an Orange Alpine 160, Lapierre Spicy, Whyte g150, Trek Slash 9 and a Cube Fritzz and the Orange was far and away the most “fun” bike to ride. All were my usual large frame size and the orange felt the longest in reach (780mm bars mind), gave the most harsh ride/best feedback depending on your take but never troubled my footing despite using most of the travel. Didn’t feel weighty or inefficient in this company, but quite frankly I was having too much of a giggle to really notice.
Only the Lapierre troubled the Orange IMHO, it was ruthlessly smooth in comparison but perhaps at the expense of enjoying the trail somewhat. The Slash felt too low at the front and not long enough or perky enough despite being a good £1/2000 more than the others. The whyte and cube bored me to tears.
Tellingly, the orange was the one I crashed going too fast into a rather gravelly corner that never usually catches me out. Also tellingly I bumped into a guy riding the same Trek Slash I tried, he had also ridden the Orange and said it was the more fun bike too !

In short, I doubt very much you’d regret buying the orange alpine. In fact, I’m ordering one very soon ! 😀

Every time this is mentioned, the Lancet report springs to mind and the one that sticks out like a sore thumb to me is ecstacy, class a supposedly dangerous stuff sat below lighter gas in the danger stakes. Why is that?
All I can imagine is that should it ever become legal, a few policticians may well not be getting their golden handshakes from Mr Carling and Mr Heineken possibly because they’d be out of business when people realise that getting drunk sucks. Volvic I feel wouldn’t object 😆

Could be worse, could have been the music that Red Bull wagon was playing at the Cannock demo day, was waiting for them to pull out an old TV and pass a song-book around to wannabee-Elvis !

Music on the trails, no thanks. IMO proper music needs proper speakers and a proper venue…..something a walkman and the local woods aren’t