Thanks all. I’ll go with the ‘ugly method’ to kick off with. The knives are old and ‘well loved’ but are certainly nothing special. Once I have established a decent edge to them, I’ll practice with the steel until I get the knack!

Only tend to use a camelback for seriously long rides now and then, only if it looks as if the weather could change for the worse.

Haven’t used one for ‘regular’ rides for a few years now. Best thing I ever did.

The temptation was to stuff whichever bag I had with more and more kit (because I could) and then persuade myself that I needed more and so the bags got bigger and bigger until it became a little silly. If you have limited capacity, you tend to only take what you need/what you can feasibly cram into your pockets.

Ant/Wasp powder is next on the list then.

Thanks all.

Does anybody actually know anyone who watches Mrs B? Maybe BBC execs sit in front of multiple tvs to bump up the viewing figures.

Does this age me?

Gary Foord. Did a skillz session with the local road club youngsters. We chatted for a few minutes then he gave me his bike (the Hope with the rectangular tubing), XTR all over it etc and said ‘go and play with it, come back when you are ready, I’ll be here for a few hours’. So I did and he was. Gave the bike back, he gave me help setting my bike up better, some riding tips and in due course, drifted off to help someone else.

More recently, Nick Craig came up to see what we were doing at Thetford Forest. Did a short ride with him, amazed at how effortless mtbing really is (well that is how he made it seem).

Both guys were consummate professionals and did a first class job representing their sponsors.

My sister has (literally) just asked me about the Hudl.

She needs to buy an android tablet for tutorial purposes (Kinemaster Pro). I had no idea hat to say as I have no experience of Android tablets. She has a fistful of Tesco vouchers so the Hudl might be a plan.

Any reason why she shouldn’t go ahead with this? It won’t run the app for example!

LOL

Actually, it was a genuine question but I take your point, it does seem that I was being cheeky. So, duly chastened I will check back on older posts in future. The absence of any detailed info regarding items for sale doesn’t actually constitute a warm up though does it? Does it?

Anyway, Mea culpa, mea culpa etc 😳

Thanks….

I was thinking of it as a platform to upgrade as and when…..

@hammy7272 I reckon an XL will work for me. The geometry is similar to my other road bikes. XXL would be too long and high looking at the numbers but basically what taxi25 says.

Charge….don’t they do a SS?

I was browsing through a collection of videos on the GCN channel the other day. They were talking about getting cold feet and one solution was suggested as thin socks, aluminium foil wrapped round your toes/front of foot then your thicker socks then overshoes. Haven’t tried it, the theory looks sound though.

I went off winter boots, they are too clumpy and heavy. I always stick to layered socks then overshoes. I find this a preferable alternative. Having said that, we haven’t had a properly cold winter for a while and I might just have forgotten how cold it can get. My old Shimano boots are still stored away in the cupboard just in case!

I’ll have a check during daylight hours then, see whether it makes any difference.:o)

@nemesis

No, my usual mid week routes

@scotroutes….ah…I have taken to stuffing it in my pocket (there isn’t room on the stem for mount and lights at the same time) This may be it.

Last night I did a climb which took me from 273 feet to 551 feet in less than 1/10th of a mile……..in Suffolk! I also managed a quick little sprint of 75mph the other day.

I suppose though, they have stripped them down for more speed while racing.

@toby1….it’s an IFA (FSA were the old regulators – now the FCA)but you are right. Find an IFA. Restricted model advisers aren’t necessarily bad per se, but a whole market IFA should give you the broadest range of options.

I must take issue with jekkyl here.

You don’t have to be a high earner for income protection.

Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance is fine if you are after a short term contract, two years cover maximum isn’t it? It is inexpensive but ultimately, vfm… I don’t think it is.

Income protection is a non-cancellable, long term contract which replaces your income in the event of sickness or injury. I have clients who have had claims extending beyond 10 years on income protection, some have returned to work part time and therefore get partial payments, others have returned to work only to have the problem reoccur and are back on claim, some are never going to work again. Had they taken out MPPI they would have been stuffed after two years. (Textbook stuff really)

The redundancy cover aspect of MPPI is different again.

IMO Income protection is the very first thing you should put in place. Your whole lifestyle is based on your ability to earn. Take that away and you have nothing. Not a risk I would be prepared to take, nor one I would expect my clients to take either.

:o)

If you do go for income protection beware, all policies are not the same.

Find an IFA, get proper advice and don’t forget, the good thing about advice is you don’t have to take it.

You don’t need income protection but if you fall ill (long term) have a long term disability etc, you should be able to survive without losing your house (if you have insured for the right amount). If you don’t have it, it is probably back to Mum and Dad’s for you!

Life cover…no

Income protection…probably.

Critical illness…maybe.

Probably….

I was under a bridge at the time!

Cameron has just announced the intention to raise the HRT (40%) threshold to £50k if they get in. Not sure how that helps the vulnerable and poor in the UK. It does sort of smack of self interest.

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just saying!

I have a HT. It has done 600 miles this year. My rigid has done > 1600 miles this year. I still reach for the rigid first when I go to the shed.

@DaRC L you have a Fuquay?

He built me a TT bike many years ago. A work of art, went like the wind but had all the turning capabilities of a container boat. This is what he warned me about to be fair.

At the time he asked whether I didn’t want a MTB instead as he preferred making them but at the time I had my early Spesh Hard Rock and thought it was pretty radical so I didn’t ‘need’ one. Foolish youth!

Filing it in the ‘pre loved’ forum! 🙂

Sometimes it could mean involuntarily riding into a damp trench but not this time.

I had D0nk’s problem. I needed a L body (shirt) and XL arms so had to go for the XL in the end. It is too big though not flappy. Interestingly, it seemed to grow last night as our ride went on and it got wet. The fabric isn’t very ‘technical’ (no surprise really) and it seemed to hold onto moisture. It is taking an age to dry (on the line) – all the other kit has dried and been taken in already.

Overall, fine for a tenner and if I don’t get on with it I’m sure my B in Law will use it. He is erm….wider than me!

ATEOTD it isn’t a big deal.

I know someone like this….he rides his bike to the pub and gets kudos. Best thing to do is ignore.

Discs….ah yes….forgot about that! 🙁

60cm I think.

My son is playing the Beta version of the new Elite.

Wow!

Still love the original one but on a high def 27 inch screen the new one is awesome.

Starglider anyone? Loved that….truly addictive at the time.

Just relieved myself of £80.

Some guy went in and cleared the whole stock of base layers, every size! I managed to get one he missed.

Mainly got socks….loads of them, plus a shirt and jacket. It means I can retire some of my (very) old winter kit.

Also a jacket and winter shirt. Not sure about the cut, a big baggy round the middle but hey, we’ll see how they last.

Ta

I’ll finish my coffee and pop down to see what is left!

Do Aldi take debit cards or is it strictly cash only?

Almost. You could do north to south and back. I do south to north….I suppose what I was getting at is it is a pleasant destination. I know you can ride from BSE right up to the North Norfolk coast so it stands to reason you can do it the other way.

I may not have made it obvious in my post but it was clear as crystal in my mind! 😀

Shouldham Warren is apparently fun too.

Here you go

http://www.gps-routes.co.uk/routes/home.nsf/RoutesLinks/491?OpenDocument

Not too sure about the ‘pro rider’ bit on the video.

What lunge said.

A Pair of CXP22s with lots of spokes paired with fat tyres or fatter tyres, make a lot of sense for the winter commute. As I don’t have a commute any more it is largely academic for me. I usually try to run tyres with more volume anyway. Winter roads are a lot rougher plus, where I live, the rain tends to wash flints and stones into the road. This in turn calls for bigger tyres albeit ones with some puncture protection.

Head down the Peddars Way to Castle Acre. Tea shops, ruins, pubs, quite quiet. We do an outing o/r from Bury St Edmunds to Castle Acre then home via Thetford Forest and Kings Forest two or three times a year. Never taken it further though but that might be one for next year.

If you come off in ice or snow then you will have trashed your good bike.

Gritting and salting tend to degrade bikes.

I’d generally use a good bike in winter if it was dry and comparatively warm. Once it gets cold and wet….out comes the hack bike.

Plus, you will appreciate your ‘good’ bike more when the spring comes.

At the end of the day it is up to you.

My ‘local’ is Thetford and I occasionally ride through it as I go to other places. Generally, I avoid the place. Ironically, I’ll be headed there for a play tomorrow.

Whenever I have been to Wales I have ridden ‘natural’ trails but that’s only because I have had kind locals show me around. I daresay I’d consider the N Wales centres but whenever I go to Wales nowadays I look at the challenges that some of the road riding offers and I am mighty taken by that.

Scotland, it has been a mix of both and I must say I enjoyed the 7 Stanes centres immensely. The ‘natural’ stuff has been less inspiring because I never knew where to find the good stuff (where I was staying).

Normal, everyday riding tends to be everywhere except trail centres.

I love the concept for a bit of a blast now and then, particularly when you are somewhere new for a few days. What I don’t get are the guys who turn up week after week after week and ride exactly the same trails, round and round in muddy circles. They might call it fun but I don’t.

I guess it is good that there are people in both camps otherwise life woudl be pretty boring!

Love mine but strangely, I ride my Swift more.

I found that the Flash was pretty ordinary if you didn’t ride it hard. As soon as you put the power down it is fantastic. The trouble is, it keeps calling down to the engine room for more gas. Result is that after a medium ride (30 miles maybe) you are wasted.

I don’t grin that much after riding it cos I am generally so knackered.

Recommend!

This

Dacia Duster is pretty huge inside as well. I looked at one a few weeks ago. Top of the range car with all the toys for about £15k (2WD Diesel). Apparently it is the running gear of a Nissan Quasquai (previous iteration) with a different body.

I was very impressed and when our Berlingo shuffles off its mortal coil, we may well get one of these.

One duff note is that the rear seats do not quite fold flat. I could probably live with that though.