Have a look at Speedplay Frogs – massive range of float & very “free” feel to the float.

Don’t forget to drain all fuel & run machine until it cuts out at end of year. Fresh fuel in at start of new year & modern petrol only good for max of 6 weeks due to ethanol content. If you’re not going to use in that time, consider a fuel additive that stabilises the fuel. The ethanol takes in water…which your mower really doesn’t want to run on.

That is definitely a bridleway & well used by bikes for many years. Ignore the signs & keep on riding!

I remember working in a bike shop many years ago. Quality mtb’s came out of the box, straighten bars, tighten stem, put in pedals, maybe top up tyre pressure – done.
Cheap Universal bikes…buckled wheels, wheels with no spoke tension, gears don’t work, brakes don’t work, cranks twisted, pedal threads on cranks at weird angles…the list just goes on. I reckon every 10th bike was fully stripped to enable the other 9 to be sold.
Bugs me seeing kids without helmets…or tipped right back on their heads. Combine that with bikes that don’t work & it is very worrying.

FP1, FP2, FP3, Quali & the race all on Sky next weekend…with massively better coverage! No EJ, no Suzi Perry to tolerate.

I should have added, that if you list as free P&P, with your postage included in item price, you are obliged to refund IN FULL. If the postage is separate, then you are not obliged to refund unless the item is not as described. Buyer hasn’t stated this & has returned the item without any authorisation from you, on a listing stating no returns. Did he open a return within ebay or just decide to send it back?
If he does return it, inspect it very carefully to ensure it is the item you sent & that it has not been used.

Refund the amount for item only. He has no right to a refund of the postage. You aren’t under any obligation to accept return, so can refuse, but as he has sent it, you’d then have to post it back to him & I’m sure it would be “lost” & not reach him. 48 hours is b*ll*cks, as ebay state within 6 days to process a refund. Stand your ground!
Ensure ALL communication is within ebay, be polite, but firm & demonstrate you are being reasonable (you have a no returns policy, the item is as described, but buyer has decided to return anyway), so just refunding item amount, excluding postage, is perfectly reasonable. Ensure you also remind the buyer you’re a private seller, not a business seller, so have no obligation to accept return.

ESET for antivirus & security…it just works, without being being obtrusive & using up hideous amounts of RAM. You can uninstall crap, but it always leaves a trace, so for a brand new machine I’d opt to do a fresh install (provided you have a clean set up disc – minus all the bloatware). If you have a partition with a backup, it will re-install all the crap too.

Oh bugger, that should be “you’re” in the last sentence.

Ok, so non business account. Did you offer to accept returns? Check the listing & if you’ve left it at default you are obliged to accept return. You can amend this as a private seller to say no returns. Does your returns info, if offering to accept return, state you will pay return cost or does it say buyer pays? Have a good read through what is in your listing info (not in your description, but what is in the ebay payments & postage section).
Returns policy
Return policy details
The seller won’t accept returns for this item.
Sellers may be required to accept returns for items that are not as described. Learn more about your rights as a buyer.
You have a contract with the buyer. If your terms say no returns or buyer pays to return, then you have the right to apply such terms & ebay, at least with private sellers, will normally accept the terms in place. If your a business seller just accept ebay will treat you like $h1t.

I’ve just looked at the council tax link above – Glasgow City council. Like for like bands are still cheaper in Glasgow…with water included, than they are here for just council tax. Moved from unmetered 4 bed to a metered 3 bed detached. Far cheaper!

I don’t get the pedalling complaints. Rear tyre really digs in when climbing & VPP design works well. Perhaps it is more what you expect a full sus to feel like & the VPP doesn’t do what you expected? On my 3rd SC & love it. Again, they often come up a touch short, so just go up a size over normal. Dropper post still drops fully, so what’s the issue? Ride something other than a SC too, just for balance.

Another + vote

Arrived when it was meant to, no trouble at all, recommended to parents & they had good service too. Good communication,delivery in slot they said it would be & good price.

If the wife isn’t going to be in, there’s either something in the fridge, a ready meal, or I go to the takeaway. Cooking really isn’t my thing. I can do poached eggs, but that’s the limit.
Effort above looks to take far too long.

V – not the remake, but original series.
+1 Northern Exposure
Flash Forward (maybe a new thread for programmes we’d like to see another series of…it was left on a cliffhanger & then cut before series 2)

Heard from someone within DoT that they can easily check for welded DPF units & will fail them unless you can prove it is complete. Also, fake units are apparently easily recognisable (serial numbers, CE marks etc) & will also result in a fail.
There are plans to extend further the diesel exhaust gas testing to tighten controls.

I’m a convert to winter tyres. My BMW was more than happy to sit & spin on pull-away in mildly frosty conditions, or worse still, snap out unexpectedly – light throttle only. It was running on Conti run-flats. Fitted some Dunlop winter tyres on another set of alloys & it was like night & day.
When you can climb up “The Struggle” from Ambleside in a few inches of snow (road closed later that day) in a rear drive car & even pass front wheel drive cars struggling onto the top of Kirkstone Pass, then I see that as a result. Fantastic performance on wet roads too, especially standing water.
Mine do come off for the summer months, as I have two sets of wheels.

Parts of the black descent at Llandegla are easily 20mph+, while still being able to read the trail ahead for other users. Trouble is, you’re not looking for dogs leaping out of the undergrowth.
Trail centre’s are bike specific routes & one way – no dogs please. Bridleways are open to various users & are two way.
If your dog isn’t glued to your back wheel when you ride BW’s, then accept that your dog shouldn’t be out with you when riding. On sections where riders can be reaching high speeds, if your dog isn’t going to go that fast, then be aware of riders around you.
We all want maximum enjoyment from our trail centre rides & trundling down descents after a few hours drive isn’t what anyone wants. I’m not saying everyone should leap out of the way if there’s a faster rider about, but common sense can prevail & simply easing aside at the first opportunity is easy enough to do.

Skip the dull fireroad climb & descent section halfway round. When you hit the steep road climb just after the Dolfrwynog cafe, the trail is straight on, while road continues to climb to left. Stay on the road to the summit & take the fireroad climb on your right. You will climb to the beginning of the singletrack descent, which will be on your left (proper route brings you down the fireroad, having come out of the junction you can see up the trail on the right).
Other than that, great trail. Make a weekend of it though…Llandegla on friday & sat/sun to hit the beast, mbr & tarw (still red bull trail to me).

I went from steel 456 to ti too (Van Nicholas built 456) & chose to do the same, dropping from 18″ to 16″, so that reach more closely matched my full sus. Topped off with Van Nicholas ti post & it is impressively comfortable.

Similar story to that of gus – racing Bikefest a few years back, rider behind screaming “pro” coming through, so make way just before the quarry section (before they re-built it with new lines & smooth surface). As soon as we hit the descent I caught up to him, made my own call to be through, at which point he moved to block, did the same again at next request. Spent the rest of the descent ripping pi$$ out of his “pro” riding & took the jump line at bottom & carved across where his chicken run line would come out. Made just enough gap to hold him off on the loose climb & he was on my wheel as we entered the next singletrack descent, he shouted to be through & I ignored & charged down the descent. Made enough time that I had crossed the start/finish line before he could catch up. I always raced for fun & despise the wannabies who think they’re pro’s, but really don’t have the skills to match.
Hoping the OP makes a fast recovery.

Another Ergon grip user. Took a while to find the right angle for the grip, but did improve things.

Mine is around 26.5lbs, running 2.4 chunky monkey up front & 2.25 advantage rear. Less if I fit summer treads. Weighed on digital bathroom scale & digital hanging scale.
Blur LT alu, Fox Talas 150’s, Syntace stem, Haven carbon bar, R1’s, alu & ti bolts, Deus crankset, Reverb post.
Swapping out comfortable saddle for something racier, same with grips & ditching dropper, I could drop about 1.5lbs, but I like the set-up I have. If I was desperate to lose every gram, I’d swap XT rear mech & cassette for XTR too.

Tyre choice has as much to do with type of trail as it does tread patterns & riding styles. If you’re riding fireroad or hardpack trail centre trails, particularly in hard conditions, without much loose material, then less aggressively treaded, rounded profile tyres can actually be faster. Big aggressive knobs with nothing to dig into will squirm & skate, whereas smaller knobbles with a lower profile will find more grip.
As the OP rides what appears to be loamy conditions, then aggressive side knobs will play an important role.
Having said that, personal preferences play a big part. Some people don’t mind a drifty set up, others want it totally hooked up at all times. Personally, I don’t like the HR on the front, as it loses grip as you lean in, not so great on fast swoopy singletrack. I’d rather have a more progressive tyre, even if that means it is a bit more drifty as you push hard. I can also live with the rear tyre drifting about & currently running an Aspen 2.25 rear.
I draw the line with the Crossmark in loose wet conditions. Sideways, a lot, unpredictable sliding, until you realise that every corner will result in a slide, usually big & requiring you to stand the bike up & straighten it out to recover grip. The first few slides were fun, but every corner of a 3 hour singletrack corner-fest?

I like Elounda – Crete. I’ve been to Stalis, it’s ok, but very “english”, one “traditional” restaurant served the swordfish steak battered. Now, I like fish & chips & nothing against battered fish, but really? Did find some nice places to eat after a bit of searching.
Paleochora on the south coast of crete – lovely beach & gently shelving with clear waters. Town is small & very relaxed atmosphere. Visit Elafonisi if you’re Chania end of the island – Chania nice for a wander round too. Samaria Gorge too. Heraklion end of the island, visit Spinalonga, but get boat from Plaka, not Elounda, as you can then stay on the island as long as you want. Also Lasithi Plateau. Vai if you’re happy to drive – very eastern tip of island, palm trees on the beach, very nice.
I like Zante too, lots of good beaches, Blue Caves & Shipwreck well worth a visit, as it turtle watching boat trip. Just give Laganos a wide berth! Gerakos is nice to chill out, beach & a taverna or two, nothing else.

Not fun coming round a corner at a trail centre to find a dog in the middle of the track. Personally, although I grew up with dogs around & my parents still have dogs, trail centre’s are not the place for them. Trail centre’s are one way, bike only routes, that allow riders a little more freedom than your standard bridleway where you have to always consider oncoming walkers etc. (although I have had a run in at a trail centre with walkers coming up the track…they complained we were going too fast, we politely pointed out the “no walkers” sign a few yards behind them, yet they continued up the track!)

Mine has just recently start to stick maybe 1/2 an inch to an inch short of full return. Barely used, so a little worrying, but hoping there’s a quick fix without need to return.

My car needs a wash…any chance of the lovely young lady in the link above coming to wash it, while I “supervise” (the sills are still dirty, can you scrub them again?).

Depends on how long is spent in the cafe halfway round & how many of their lovely cakes we consume.

The 2.25 Ardent & Advantage are bigger than the 2.35 Minion/High Roller. 2.4 is bigger than the 2.5 HR/Minion

Out earlier, dry conditions – Chunky Monkey Extreme 2.4 front, Aspen 2.25 rear.
Like 2.25 Advantages as general all-rounders, front & rear. The Aspens are great when it is dry & have front & rear set-up.
Hoping the new bigger Maxxis Ikon comes to the UK in a 26’er size & that it sizes up like the Maxxis 2.4’s.

As I understand, car must be insured, but direct to MOT centre & also from there to a repair centre if it fails MOT, is legal.

Check your ebay settings & amend if needed, but the soonest you can open an unpaid item case with ebay is 4 days. It could be as much as 30 days – check your settings!!
If you don’t open a case, you will be liable for the ebay fees regardless of fact buyer hasn’t paid. Don’t forget to close the case too, unless you have ebay’s automated process in place.
I am in similar situation – sold something Sunday evening on ebay, not a bike or bike related, but still £100 sale…absolutely nothing from buyer so far. I did send the ebay invoice immediately & item was auction, with winning buyer placing bid with just minutes to go.

If running tubes, lots of talc – helps the tyre & tube move independently. It won’t stop the tyre moving, but might save you ripping valves out of tubes.
If you go tubeless, provided you can get them inflated, then the sealant effectively glues the bead of the tyre to the rim.

Based on the fact that it seems some want these for the school run / high street, then you need some new wheels…something like these perhaps?

Cable runs smooth…no tight turns?

Odd, as I have never had a repair fail. Use the bradawl, then plenty of glue with the repair strip & job done, fully finished repair on less time than it takes to fit a tube & re-inflate. No messing about setting up tubeless later either.
I also leave the bradawl in the hole as I prep the repair strip & glue – saves losing any more tyre pressure than you have to.

Why are they a faff? Piece of cake to do & can repair & inflate faster than I can fit a tube & inflate. As for bits sticking out…you do trim the excess don’t you? It also means I don’t have to take the tyre off, repair the hole & then re-seat tubeless – not too much fuss if I’m home & can use my compressor, but more of a chew if away somewhere.

Chunky Monkey fits comfortably in a Fox 32 – my trail extreme dual compound 2.4 weighed in at 700g – less than I expected.

Happy with chunky monkey on front of mine – goes where I point, which seems fair enough to me.

More crazy attitudes from UKIP here[/url]
Not sure if this has been posted in another thread.