I bought a few smartwool ones off Rock and Run last year for close to half price. No really outstanding offers at the moment but worth registering for their offer email as they do some great deals.

http://www.rockrun.com/categories/Clothing/Base-Layers/?sort=featured&page=1

That’s the biggest size isn’t it? I’m 6’1″. How do they size up?

That’s what I thought, but it’s more the climbing ability I’m concerned about…. mind you, I’m on a singlespeed at the moment so it’s got to be an improvement!

Bump

Holidaymakers also spend money in that local community. They eat out, buy food, petrol, go on “adventure activities”, all sort of things. That’s called employment.

Coouldn’t agree more. I work for a company who market holiday cottages – we’re one of the biggest employers in the area, and we bring in a fair wedge to the wider community by encouraging people to come on their holidays to the region. Plus the builders, tradespeople etc who support and maintain the properties. It’s all good.

What I don’t agree with is people buying up properties in rural areas for their sole use and then only using them for a couple of weeks in the year. It just doesn’t make sense – economically or morally.

Can’t comment on the VRS specifically as we’ve got the Scout 4×4 version of the Octavia estate (which is 150bhp v 170 in the VRS), but I have to say it is just a fantastic car. Really tough and solid, great to drive, quick enough for our needs, comfy for driver and passengers and really practical as a family vehicle. The boot is massive.

Not relevant to the VRS, but the Haldex 4×4 system is great – in normal mode the power goes to the front wheels, but if any wheel slippage is detected it starts distributing power to the rear. It kicks in automatically and is more than sufficient to get out of most sticky situations – it was a godsend last winter, and we were able to get through stuff that full size chelsea tractors were struggling in.

Apart from this and the engine output, the VRS has a few more toys than ours and a nicer interior, and obviously has a more sporty suspension set up (they’re about a foot lower when I park next to one!), but I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

We did have a problem with ours in the first couple of weeks (the DPF failed, which is a really expensive part), but it was fixed by Skoda without any quibbles under warranty and has been fine since, touch wood. Apparently fairly common on some of the older models so do be aware.

Check out the briskoda forum for further info:

http://briskoda.net/

I think it could work, depending on the location but you’d need to market it properly, and I think you’d be limiting your potential audience if you were only looking at the biking market. Someone already mentioned Fforest as a model, which i think is a pretty good one. Graig Wen in the Mawddach estuary also have a good thing going. Yurts, composting toilets, sustainability etc….

http://www.graigwen.co.uk/tent-camping-fields-2.php

Have you looked at Featherdown Farms? Even if you didn’t want to become a franchisee, it could give you some ideas:

http://www.featherdown.co.uk/index.php

This link may also be useful:

http://www.insights.org.uk/articleitem.aspx?title=Today’s%20Opportunities%20in%20Farm%20Tourism

Go bespoke. It’s not that much more expensive (if at all) and you get exactly what you want. Take her off for a romantic break somewhere with a good diamond quarter (Birmingham doesn’t count), choose your stone carefully and find a jeweller you like to design the ring and setting.

We found a guy in Amsterdam who was both a diamond trader and a jeweller and managed to do both under the same roof – he also did our wedding rings.

Antwerp is also a good destination for that sort of thing.

I do this on a regular basis albeit on a much shorter route on my commute, mainly for the sake of variety.

My commute is about 5 miles each way over v hilly “lanes” (read rutted tracks with potholes like lunar craters and a nice topping of cowpoo) around the Eastern edge of Dartmoor. There is one big steady road climb on my outward journey, rest is short sharp hills and one really steep, long descent down a holloway with no view of oncoming vehicles / sheep / cattle / ramblers. Return route has two shortish but v steep 1 in 5 climbs and a very fast downhill road run at the end.

I flit between the following depending on mood, weather etc:

Rigid single speed steel MTB running 32:16 with discs and knobblies (pumped up hard)

Single speed drop-bar Roadrat with mini Vs running 42:18 on cross tyres

Slightly battle-weary geared alloy hardtail with discs and knobblies

In terms of time, the best run ever is on the SS MTB surprisingly – mainly because it’s light enough to muscle up the climbs (no suspension bob to worry about) while the discs and tyres give me loads of confidence to hammer it on the downhill bits.

The Roadrat makes the route the most fun, but the brakes and narrow tyres have made for some hairy moments meeting oncoming traffic / stray cows on the downhills. I’m pretty much covering the brakes all the time. The gearing is also slightly too high for the return climbs and I end up pushing one section of about 50M most of the time (to be fair, it’s one which you can walk up quicker than riding on a geared bike anyway though). It’s also really sketchy in the wet.

The geared MTB is the slowest of the bunch and generally feels a bit “lifeless” and boring on this route – it just feels (is) really heavy and rides particularly strangely after the other two as it doesn’t really do out of the seat climbing but it’s still my bike of choice for any lengthy offroad excursions after work.

Singlespeed. if you managed it OK on one last time, riding it geared will feel like the easy option ;-)

And you certainly won’t have the same smugness factor afterwards.

Actually, following AlexSimon’s post, I think I’m convincing myself that the GoLite Shangri-La 5 is the way to go…. just over £300 for a 5 man tent which weighs less than 2.6kg has got to be a good thing hasn’t it?

I can feel the “cheaper than a couple of nights in a hotel” argument coming on…

http://www.lovingoutdoors.co.uk/golite-shangri-la-review-comparison

Thanks for the advice all

ton – That Quechua looks great for car camping, but it’s 3 kilos heavier than the Vango one for about the same price.

The golite stuff looks awesome (1.9kg!!!!), but probably a bit pricy for us given that 90% of our camping is still going to be using the van.

Same goes for the tipi’s, Macpac and Trilight stuff unfortunately :-( …. we’re on a bit of a tight budget currently.

Thanks all.

TJ – I actually have a Blacks voucher (leaving present from my last job) – is the quality any good on their own brand tents?

Group B or C should be fine as long as it’s a hatchback – Have managed to get the following plus two people into / onto a mark IV Golf:

Huge family tent + assorted camping kit & bedding (proper duvets and pillows!)
Folding table and chairs
2 x mountain bikes (wheels and bars off)
2 man inflatable kayak, paddles and BAs
9’3″ longboard
Huge dry bag filled with wetsuits etc

bump

Charge Spoon for me too, but also really like WTB saddles – incredibly tough and long lasting.

We headed down to the coast for some respite from the heat but saw a few very sweaty MAMILs coming through Moreton when we get back. Fair play but rather them than me in today’s heat…

Not strictly a cx bike but a crossish build… would love a Salsa or X This is soon to go 1×9 with discs

Running 42:18 on my Roadrat and (just) manage a very hilly 5 mile commute here on Dartmoor. About 5 mins quicker than on a geared hardtail too – much more fun although admittedly more knackering. If I’m honest there is one hill on the way back which I have to push for about 100yds, but it’s one of those classic Devon inclines where you struggle to keep the front wheel planted anyway.

I actually bought all the kit to convert the RR to geared before we moved here, but not sure I’ll bother as it’s too much fun as it is. I still like having the geared bike as a backup though.

Hi Stumpy. Not stayed there myself, but have heard good reports about Cockingford Farm – it is in some of the camping guides (Rough Guide and Cool Camping) now though so may have got a bit too popular. I can recommend the area though – we moved here in April and absolutely love it!

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=5621

Oddly Dartmoor isn’t that well served by campsites – there are a few very regimented / commercialised partk type sites around the edge of the park, there’s wild camping on the moor itself, but not much in between.

The plot is definitely warming up.

Isn’t the mad nephew played by Timothy Spall’s son?

Good to see some other people liked Luther – it got slated by the critics for some reason but I reckon it was a good show.

Not stayed here but local to me and apparently very special (expensive though). Some great riding locally too.

http://www.gidleigh.com/

I’m also pleased to see this thread didn’t descend into a select group of pedants arguing with each other.

Give it time… give it time…

I just clocked the mention of “If” by Buzz Lightyear above… couldn’t agree more… I actually read it at my Dad’s funeral so it will always be special to me.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Surly 1×1 without question. Comfy for longer rides, tough as old boots, rides like a big BMX, top fun.

Out of my cold, dead hands etc….

Great city. Went there for a “grown up” stag weekend 2 years ago and would love to go back again. Loads of great bars and restaurants, friendly locals, some fab architecture and a real sense of history… You can be walking along a thoroughly modern street one minute and stumble across a bullet scarred facade the next. Whilst it sounds like you’re looking for a party weekend, don’t discount some of the more sobering aspects of the city – the Holocaust museum is a a truly humbling experience for anyone.

The Rough Guide to Berlin served us well when we were there… most of the key sights are in the Mitte area, but take the time to explore some of the other areas, particularly the former East Berlin. Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain has some funky bars.

One of my most bizarre memories is going through Checkpoint Charlie on one of these… beers in hand naturally:

http://www.conferencebike-berlin.de/8.html

…highly recommended!

V8s need regreasing?

We had an excellent meal at Crannog a couple of years back. Good location on the loch too.

http://www.crannog.net/

I can’t be faffed with tyre changes and am pretty much running Bonty Mud Xs on the SS all year at the moment… despite the name they’re also pretty good in the dry and float through boggy stuff pretty well….I’m new to the area but they seem to be holding up pretty well on Exmoor / Dartmoor so far.

I wouldn’t bother – Anglessey is a dump!

And what exactly are you basing that gem of insight on? Sure it’s got a few dodgy bits (I’d avoid Holyhead on a Saturday night), but where hasn’t?

It’s got some stunning beaches, lovely coastal scenery – especially on the North coast – and you can always find somewhere to escape the hordes. I grew up there and still miss it.

Seriously – what’s going on there? Leftovers from police auctions or something?

Born in Lancs, brought up North Wales, currently in Kent, will be resident of Devon as of Wednesday next week.

Vintage jenever. We were given a bottle of it as a gift when we moved back to the UK from Holland. It smells like an old man’s sick crossed with sump oil.

This is quite a topical thread for us as we’ve just been packing up the contents of our drinks cabinet, which mainly seems to consist of the horrible stuff that no one wants to drink on the basis that the good stuff doesn’t hang around that long. Some of the bottles have been with us the last 3 moves

Grade 2 all over for the summer. Keep the top a bit longer over the winter, but still needs regular maintenance as my hair goes a bit er bouffant if I let it grow. I have photos of me with long hair as a student where I look like a Crufts semi finalist.

Re earlier posts on flat tops – does anyone remember the combs that they used to use to cut them. They were kind of like an oversize afro comb with a built in spirit level…. I kid you not!

This weekend I’m mostly going to be packing boxes and deconstructing flat-pack in preparation for move to Dartmoor next week.

Would love to get out for a final local spin on the bike, but can’t see it happening… the only thing that’s keeping me going is that my new commute is going to involve singletrack rather than SE trains.

I’d put my money on a large dog killing it, following by a good post mortem rummage by foxes and other scavengers.

A vivid childhood memory is my dad’s mate’s Great Dane (a daft thing, barely more than a puppy, but huge!) escaping from the back of the car, leaping over a dry stone wall at our place in Anglesey, haring across a field and ripping a full grown pregnant ewe to bits in about 30 seconds flat. It was truly horrible to watch.

make sure the redhead’s logos and values are lined up

Was that a typo, or are you Naomi Klein?

Great post, but you did miss the really important question…..What tyres for a joyous personal epiphany?

If you do have a problem with jumping- a bash guard and an n-gear jump stop will sort it out for not much dosh. Jump stops are about a tenner or so.