Well I’m somewhere in the middle, I could set up a refreshment/cake pit stop en route

Try riding up Bostal every ride as a ‘warm up’..

Confused, what am I supposed to do if I meet someone that I assume is from a privileged background on the SDW?

I feel privileged to live literally within a stones throw of the SDW, within a National Park. I’m not from Africa though.

No mention of difficulties for young folk in the area (which I’m sure are there) etc

This confuses me more though. In a ‘WTF?’ kind of way.

Manton, are you attempting to steal my crown of negativity?

The programme has encouraged me to head further afield, seek out those blue butterflies, see the view from Black Down for myself, search for that writers/artists meeting house, sample the best of the fizzy English wine, visit Seven Sisters again, and we even plotted the walk to Cissbury Ring (under 2 hours away, brilliant!). Above all, I soaked in the camera work, which well captured the beauty of the rolling hills.

Not bad for an hours work.

Well said bikebouy. Also made me feel very proud, and I enjoyed Nicks honest delivery.

Agreed. panoramic sky’s on every ride. It’s makes for great rambling cathartic riding.

Did anyone catch the name/location of his local pub?

I like the riding. Bimblers Paradise.

It’s a great show so far

Cheers OP. Watching from my living room. Saw a yellow van with cherry picker up at Chanctonbury Ring last summer, suspected it might be part of film crew.

Did you see the caterpillar feeding ants it’s sugary dumps?!

Always thought Rougue Trooper would make a brilliant film.

Wasn’t banking on Avatar.

we do know that farting involves the emission of poisonous gases

and gasses contain minute particles of matter. so in eccence, a cheeky train fart is essentially putting poo up someone elses nose.

Ban it.

The assumption being that every STW member smokes or vapes? Really, how was that arrived at then?

Abssolutely not.
The assumption being that most STW members either; drink alcohol in establishments/play with Radio Controlled cars/construct model ariplane kits/spend hours creating GIfs/spend thousands supporting football teams/spend years arguing on internet forums/purchase bike after bike after bike etc

All of the above being scenes of one sort of another – that all of us STWers fit into at least one camp.
I was taking issue with calling one mans daft thing ‘pretty sad’ over another mans daft thing.

there’s a whole scene around it…pretty sad really.

You’ve just tarnished every STW user with a giant scenic brush.

As for vaping and producing plumes of smoke being “cool”, well, it’s weird.

Interesting. I too don’t like to be forced to passively vape, but I don’t have issue with others trying to get off the cigs – and the clouds remind me of good old pipe smokers in the good old smokey local pubs before the immigrants came and made them all into Wetherspoons.

Sigh, here comes the analogies.. Is enjoying a vape cloud any weirder than necking serveral fermented grape or potato juices in a bar?
Arent we all looking for some kind of hit?

4hrs of my life i’ll never get back.

Sat with a fat scruffy van driver proudly boasting of his 2 previous bans for drink driving, including a spell on her majesties service. Just wanted to punch him in the face for most of the afternoon.

Filled out my answers in pigeon German just to keep the boredom from driving my pen through that soft bit on the side of your skull.

Slimjim. 34 in a 30.

Dipping a jammie dodger in my brew

Reported.

Not denying that they are smart looking frames. I love the raw finish too.

For the record, I found I didn’t need to use the foam bed – just a plain old rim strip on the notoriously tricky to go tubeless on-one OEM type rims – saying that, I do have a good compressor.

Plethora? Name 3 more than phone.

If you are encouraged to make contact by email and the system in place means you don’t get a reply, why stick around in order to shell over your hard earned when there are a plethora of other options available?

They’re fortunate in that they work well, and no-one else seems to produce a clone.

Whilst waiting for a set to ship I made my own versions by purchasing a couple of extra wide latex resistance bands (be careful, most are really thick and weigh a lot), cutting to length, and then using good old puncture repair glue spread thinly over approx 3″ length and sticking the other end down and leaving overnight. (use too much glue and it burns through the latex).
Worked an absolute treat, although, only cost a few pounds less than ordering legit ones from the states in the end.

When my fattystripper’s eventually arrived I was slightly pleased to see that their product appears to be made using almost exactly the same method – with roughly the same overlap applied where the strip is glued/bonded to form a loop.

I considered it too. But they never returned my emails.

I would counter that my diet is now extremely moderate..

I actually dreamt about forgetting I was on Atkins and eating a handful of sweets. Man they tasted Soooo good.

Picking up fresh loaves of bread to merely sniff them, eyeballing each and every food label for carb content, hankering after the sweet taste of a measly carrot, and preparing the next chicken salad.
This is my life now.

Would still say the same can be achieved by a good balanced calorie controlled diet with a sensible amount of carbs

Thanks. I think you’re right. I’m just really keen to acheive the best results in the short/mid term before I switch out to a more palatable sustained balanced diet.
In the past I acheived a 5 stone weight loss over 18months with a calorie controlled diet – I created a big daily spreadsheet that kept me determined not to lapse. Trouble is, i’ve tried the same method again a couple of times over the last couple years and only managed a month or so before caving.

In my current state i’ve been strguggling to summon up any stamina to ride my bike at all – especially in the evenings. I also got to the point where my current wearable wardrobe consists of about 6 items..

Work trousers already feel a little less restrictive.

Rib-eye steak with lashings of butter, salt & pepper does not feel like a hardship.

-6lb for the week.
Recurring headaches have eased, a good long dog walk across the Downs yesterday fuelled by nothing but water – no dizziness, no blood sugar crash, no appauling fatigue after.

Am craving sweet things in the sense that if I were allowed, I would eat my fill – but the lack of general hunger means i’m already having to remind myself to eat regularly.

Ketostix confirmed I am pissing out 99% pure nail varnish.

Weirdly, am feeling a bit more spring in my step – slightly fewer aches and pains in the morning. Certainly wasnt banking on that so soon.

Shall report back when I hit my first real target… (in 60 lbs time)
Wish me luck.

http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/fatlab-hoggar-titanium-fat-bike-frame-12095-p.asp

You can make a pretty good fence out of posts.

SingleCrackWorld

It’s really good. I’m a bigger fan of his early days but the BBC4 footage is, as usual, excellent

For the record, I don’t even know what ‘the phrase’ you are referring to is – my comment on last thread was in relation to being offended by being accused of smuggling drugs (which seemed surreal to me in its context). Certainly wasn’t trying to frame anything as anything.
Unless ‘smuggling drugs’ is a phrase that I’ve never encountered before? In which case, Ill retire from speaking ever again, it’s too easy to offend people.

Well the good news is that as this is completely subjective, then I’m right.
May as well close thread.
Where are those bloody mods when you need them?

Hell yeah!
If someone accused me of the same I’d probably feel smugly adventurous.

Where’s the like button for aP?

My vote:

Perfect pop? Of course it is. Introspective, life affirming, infectiously catchy.

Irony wolf bonnet. Now I HAVE seen it all.

Why would you be offended by accusations of recreational rectal hide and seek? In as much as, why would you take that seriously?
Genuinely interested

If you’re keeping it – sound deadening will make a marked improvement.
I’ve tried the budget route before with sticky back rubber insulation stuff off ebay, and it does a good job, but it’s surprising how much better the good stuff ( dynamat etc ) is.
If you go down the cheap route, best sure it’s not a bitumen based product as you’ll be sitting In a stinking shed come summertime.
Can be done in a day/weekend – once you start pulling panels off it’s hard not to get obsessive and hunt down every single gap you can find to stick more of it down.
Also bear in mind that it’s around 25kg per large roll.

‘Large’ – sorry, can’t recall the ETT.
I waited what seemed an age for it to be released and bought one of the first.
If anything, i’d prefer an extra 10mm on the TT, but im currently happy with it running an 80mm stem (and 777 knuckleballs). Sounds like you may genuinely prefer a shorter reach than me though.

I totally relate on your sizing issues, I’ve done the measurements in the past but never a proffessional fitting. Everything always seemed to point to an ‘inbetween’ size. Ie, 57cm TT on road bikes. 19″ on MTB (when 18 and 20 are usually only options).
Im certain I wouldnt get on with the medium Dune though.

Do you have anyone local that you can demo ride? Your welcome to try mine if you happen across West Sussex.

I suspect the large frame would stretch me out too much and upset my lower back.

Just fit a nice short stem?

You and I have almost identical stats, although im taller at 6’1″ (on a good day) – and i’d always go for longer top tubes.

As much as I love my Dune, those dudes are shweeet, and thats a nice discount.

going out for a pootle knowing you could ride almost anything you happen across.

I think that sums up nicely the exact reason I like my Dune so much. It’s an adventure curious bimblers delight.

It would indeed be great to see the updated Dune hit the shop floor. What could be the hold up I wonder? I’d imagine it’s very hard to provide 11sp and Bluto without having to ask for the same money as the big boys

I don’t mind digression, but I draw the line at UFC.

KFC, maybe.

nice work prawny. Get some decals on and it’ll look even sweeter.

I am not wanting for gears with the 11-46 and 30t front though

Belgium’s flat though innit?

agree about the tubeless faff, I did manage to get them tubeless using my fatty stripper clone idea, but I managed to pick up a set of mint Mulefut 80SL’s for rediculously good price which were a straight swap for OEM wheels, and went up tubeless *b-e-a-yootifully*

If anyone needs help in the tubelss dept. I have a new set of FattyStripper rim strips available which arrived from the US after I found the Mulefuts.
IMHO they are the best way to get the OEM wheels tubeless, I managed mine without even using the backing rod/packing foam method.
If you want to save several £’s Im also happy to help show how to copy the fattystripper design with cheaper components.

Weighed myself at the GP clinic this morning. Yup. Currently heaviest ever. Im genuinely too embarrassed to even fess up.

On a positive note, hunger pangs have been flat for last 24hrs – I already feel like I can sustain this for the forseeable.

Breath is currently only as stinky as usual too.

Please may I ask some fat owners if the Dune is still a good buy for a first fat bike?

If the last 50 pages are anything to go buy i’d suggest its a safe purchase.
Mine was N+1, its since become N. Your XT brakes will make a worthy upgrade as IMO the originals are barely capable offroad.

There are a couple of other options in your price range, such as the Wazoo and discounted Fatty Trail, but its largely horses for courses.
It may boil down to whether you dig the paint job or not!
(although the Dune certainly has proved easy to upgrade with its range of standard fitments)
I also think its geometry is more trail oriented than some other fat bikes – which may or may not be a good thing depending on what you intend to do with it.