It's becoming apparent that womens bikes are not good value.

The thing i don't get is for a grand you'll get a decent mens hardtail but an average wsd hardtail.

Examples? I can't think of a single female specific bike currently on sale which is not either a version of the equivalent men's model with appropriate shape-related tweaks to frame/finishing kit, or which sits between two similar men's models in a range but has a slightly different component spec to both and an RRP which reflects that.

Womens bikes should also have a softer fork spring / air fork

No, bikes for lighter riders should use the appropriate spring weight, regardless of gender or spring method.

1 Cotic,1 Orange, 2 Dialled bikes, 1 Ragley. That was the hardtail contingent…or have I forgotten someone?

+1 one Pace amongst the staff.

very good indeed to see more ladies along for the ride 🙂

Minx sell the PI Lobsters in small, may be helpful?[/URL]

its only minus 3 degrees

-3 is not an only, it is COLD and there's bugger all you can do to keep your feet warm at these temperatures if you have poor circulation ime. Do the best you can but rejoice at the moment they finally die as you won't have to think about them again til they start to warm up, much much later. Or in other words MTFU. Current method for minimising pain of rewarming here is walking round house barefoot – no socks, no shoes – warms bone-white feet up far quicker than anything else.

We were there in February attempting a week of work based out of Aviemore. Some of the most amazing 'travels-with-bike' I've ever done but the actual 'turning pedals for forward motion' bit of the riding was distinctly limited by the snow. If the paths are clear then the trail round Loch an Eilean is fun and technically undemanding – Mountain Cafe for warming afters.

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Get yourself over to Minx[/url]. Separate liners and baggies allow flexibility with sizing and are much more useful than a combined pair – you can wear the outers over knickers/tights rather than faffing with knee warmers.

Remember the bridge at the top of the Feshie has gone.

Oops. Which one – the really scary decrepit wide wooden one with the "die at your peril" signs, or the really scary narrow scaffold one over the gorge on the tributary?

850s aren't old. My 740 is, though 😉

Tough, reliable (started first time yesterday after five weeks static), fast enough to make motorways tolerable, fits eight bikes without racks/roof bar (or four people and all their stuff), expensive enough to fill that I only drive when I really need to, loud stereo, heated seats – what's not to like?

Sorry to drag up an old post, but:

"I've made "kidney warmers" as an extra warm layer to cover that cold meaty bit on your lower back"

Sooo, let me get this straight, you've made kidney 'warmers', which sit on the sweatiest part of a mountain biker's body and underneath a pack, out of cotton?

Er, right.

And so moving swiftly on to proper clothes for riding bikes in…

These with one of these tucked into it are my winter base, worn down to -8 degrees so far and still warm enough with the usual multiple thin layers on top. Whether it's a hard day or a bimble.

If your undershorts are cotton based, as you hint above, ditch them and try wearing ordinary padded lycra shorts (like those you'd wear under your baggies in the summer) with your existing tights. Anything with a high cotton content makes for uncomfortable chafage. No reason to ditch the baggies but most discomfort when wearing multiple shorts is caused by multiple seams – add them up and you're effectively sitting on 10mm of seam or more. Ouch.

Ah, good old Sanctimonious **** World. Always comes up with the goods. Cheers!

So… we've just booked flights with Easyjet in October and they've cut the line "Bicycles are subject to the sports equipment fee and exempt from any excess baggage charges relating to the weight of the bicycle" from the T&C.

Is it somewhere else on the site, or has the loophole been closed?

See? Told you so 😉