Which month’s MBR was the review in Mattrgee?

Same problem here.
I’m 6” and their sizing calculator recommends a Medium Spectral. Playing around with it a bit I spotted that the only body measurement that makes a difference is the inseam, mine is 86cm, push it up to 88cm and I go Large. This seems quite a basic calculation as I would expect torso or arm length to also have something to do with it.

The frame reach is also the one that concerns me: 415mm (M) and 440mm (L). Medium just seems too cramped looking at the numbers. For comparison I rode the Remedy 19.5” which feels right but has a 432 reach. I suppose this is the dilemma of buying online.
Keefmac did you throw a leg over the Spectral at the Bike Show, how did the reach feel?

I think I might be over analysing this! Does 25mm reach matter that much!? Maybe the Spectral is just a more upright riding position? Can any owners confirm?

I’m familiar with the spot where he was killed. The lamp post in question is on a pavement, which I believe he was cycling on, so the van wasn’t overtaking him just passing him. Unfortunately for this chap there were no cars parked along the side of the road at that spot (which there often are) so he fell into the road.

We’ve stayed at this site a couple of times. It’s about 10 mins from pedalaway, basic but they allow open fires, which wins it for me! http://www.greenacrescampsite.co.uk/

Mountain bike holiday for your honeymoon??? You found yourself a good un there! Want to swap?

Ergo is great for simplicity without all the faf of those rucksack frame type carriers. We still use ours with a nr-3-year-old. She starts off walking but then when she tires she gets a ride in this. Pretty comfortable too with good weight distribution between the hips and shoulders

I’ve been using Poolmate for a few years now. 99% of the time it accurately records laps. One significant annoyance on mine is that once you finish a set it goes straight into timing the rest period, without showing the time for the previous set. So you only get to see your times once you stop and review the log. This might have been fixed in a later version of the firmware.

Depends what sort of riding you’re after, but Hell of the North Cotswolds (HONC) in April nr Cheltenham is worth looking at. 50k is easy if the weather is dry. It’s XC.
Sells out quickly, but you’ll always find entry for sale on here. Relatively cheap too.

My son’s five, so the local club’s not an option yet scaredypants.
Great photos matt!

It was 1974 when is became compulsory in UK schools according to the Metric Association (I bet that’s a fun club to be in!)

Metric just makes more sense.
It’s been the primary system taught in UK schools since at least the early 70s.
There’s no need to remember all those different amounts like:

1760 yards in a mile
36 inches in a yard
versus
1000 metres in a kilometre
100 centimetres in a metre

Bushwacked, I’ve also been comparing those two Spectrals and decided the 8.0 was a better choice. The difference between the shock & fork isn’t just the Kashima, the internals are also different between the Factory and Performance levels. But I decided that and a few other spec changes weren’t worth the extra £600.
Interesting that you also discounted the 9.0EX – the 1×11 put me off

Are we allowed to measure in kilograms or is bike weight one of those things like wheel sizes that always has to be Imperial?

He had the right to evict you with reasonable force. But wisely chose not too.

Happy to be corrected, but I think he can only use ‘reasonable force’ (whatever that is) if the OP refused to leave when asked.

Plastikote spray paint is excellent and comes in a wide range of colours. I did some melamine wardrobe doors – 2 coats of primer, 2 coats of gloss and for added optional protection 2 coats of clearcoat. 30 minutes between each coat, you should get a kitchen done in a morning.
Not the cheapest mind you, but the result was surprisingly professional!

I’ve been dreaming about this bike since it was announced at Eurobike. I think the 8.0 is the one for me as I don’t think I’ll get the ratios I need out of a 1×11. For £400 less the spec and value is still great and you can get that bling chrome-red.
What do poeple think of the 650B version over the 29er?

I have the MBR 1st edition. l’m hoping it will be worth a small fortune in a few years when I take it along to the Antiques Roadshow.

I’ve settled on a Crudcatcher plus a Neoguard, the combination works perfectly and keeps all the crap off the front body parts and face.

your garage/shed have at least a lock of five lever locking points

Where did you read this Suggsey? I poured over the M&S T&Cs for ages and didn’t come across that. In fact a mate has just successfully claimed from M&S and his shed was just locked with a padlock.

do you work out replacement costs at what you bought a bike at, or total price of components?

You want to put the cost of the latest model of your bike plus all extra components at RRP ’cause that is the maximum they will give you if it’s nicked.

I used to when it got muddy, but since installing a Neoguard last year I haven’t felt the need.

Another thing to be cautious of is putting your full name on Strava. It’s easy to link full names to your address with sites like 192.com

You’re keen, there’s still lots of 2013’s fun still to be had!
Entry opened this year on 5th January. The route is perfect for CX. The ‘Hell’ of HONC occurs after heavy rain. If it’s dry it’s just a nice ride in the countryside. Practise on any piece of gently rolling bridleway and you’ll get the right idea.

I went there 11 years ago and visited a few of the islands, which was quite easy to do using cheapish internal flights and ferries (visited Sao Miguel, Pico, Faial and Terceira).
There’s not a huge amount to do on each island, but the atmosphere is very laid back and the scenery is stunning.It’s not a bucket-and-spade destination, there’s minimal nightlife, but we weren’t after that. Lots of great walks by the sea. Didn’t try riding there though. We loved it!

This Tile has got great potential.
What about if the police used the app to locate stolen property (bikes), in the same way that those ANPR cameras ‘ping’ when they spot a stolen car.
My neighbour’s bikes have just been nicked and I’m sure if we cruised around a few streets in our town we’d soon find them with the help of this app and a Tile.

I dislocated my shoulder last night at Haldon and the docs popped it back in with me knocked out, plus a shot or two of morphine. I don’t feel too bad now but my shoulder rotation is limited. I feel I could ride a bike gently now, but don’t want to make it worse.
I had the rarer posterior dislocation (all the staff at A&E came to see it!)
Thanks for the advice Carloz ^^^, my doc said don’t use a sling so the muscles don’t sieze, but I’ll wait and see what the physio says.
OP what’s been your experience so far?

Why not plan it yourself? They are both easy countries to get about in with plenty of bus and flight options available to get you to the good bits.

I had the same situation with a handlebar PSA at Halfords a couple of months ago. I did click and collect and when I turned up the bars weren’t there. I eventually walked away with a gift card for the full price of the bars, which I’d paid 50p for. Result.

Are they available online?

Malverns, western Cotswold escarpment (Cheltenham, Stroud etc), FoD.

I did click and collect for a 50p riser bar at Halfords last week. I turned up at the store and they couldn’t find it. Dug my heals in a little and walked away with a £17.99 gift card, the original price of the bars!

I found this blog useful in explaining why my (Garmin) times were slower than my mates (iphone) times, it includes some useful responses from the Strava team.

Take heed of monsteryeti’s “if it’s dry” warning for Cranham. The way the weather is, I doubt it’ll be fun riding by the end of the month.

Cheltenham is worth a visit, you could take the family with you and drop the missus + kids off in Cheltenham for a couple of hours whilst doing the (Lecky) Leckhampton hill trails (2ish miles S from town centre).

Mine was cancelled too.
Plyphon, accurate stock control is possible with well designed and managed IT systems, which can take account of the human factor.

I’m also hording WMB and MBR magazines, including the MBR 1st issue. It seems like destroying history to just bin them!

If the number of riders on Leckhampton Hill is anything to go by they’ve made a good choice of location. Six years ago when I first started riding it I used to hardly see a soul, today I’d seen 6 riders before 8.30am.

Don’t bother looking beyond Shimano. Fit. Abuse. Forget. Their cheapest pedals are fine unless you are bothered about saving a couple 100g of weight. Avoid Crank Bros, or you’ll be spending far too much time thinking about pedals rather than riding.

Excellent, thanks Neal, frame fixings is just what I need. Expensive bits of plastic though!

how deep would you go into the brick? I need a 45mm hole for the plug, so should I drill a 65mm hole so the plug just sits in the brick not the plaster? (thanks for your help guys!)

I too climbed up Villarrica in Chile. It was a great experience. Due to the snow you need crampons and an ice axe (in case you slip) and a gas mask for when you stand next to the crater. The authorities mandate that you have to use a guide to climb it, but costs are reasonable.
It’s a long way to go though, both in terms of the flight and the number of metres you have to climb!

Thanks for the views guys. We’ve been onto the organisers and they’re happy for us to enter as a 5, but we’ll be flagged as ‘non-competitive’ so wont win any prizes.
One of us will be registering in drag :P