Cougar – Moderator
Isn’t “adult chickenpox” what shingles is, or am I misremembering?

Shingles is a disease you can get in adulthood if you’ve previously been exposed to chickenpox.

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/shingles-herpes-zoster-leaflet

I had it at 40 and it was truly, truly horrible. I caught it off my son who was 3 at the time and he seemed to shrug it off in a matter of days – I on the other hand was a gibbering, sweaty, itchy, spotty wreck of a human being for about 2 weeks and came close to being hospitalized.

As far as I know it’s pretty rare for it to be serious in kids – far better to get it when you are young.

I’d agree with most of the suggestions above.

Dover Castle is well worth a visit. Wartime tunnels are very atmospheric.
Bodiam as above is lovely.

Not a proper castle but Knole House nr Sevenoaks is also worth a visit and is in a great setting.

Senor J – is the pub you’re thinking of the Ringlestone? http://www.theringlestoneinn.co.uk/

Yep. My “trail” bike is a Surly Karate Monkey with big rubber.

I live on Dartmoor so not short of rocks and techy stuff but it covers all I need for the type and pace of riding I do – I like to call it Bimblecore.

Other bikes are a Surly 1×1 and a ‘cross bike so haven’t owned a bike with suspension for 4 years or more.

I just prefer the simplicity but appreciate it’s not for everyone.

Karate Monkey. Standard forks, shortish On One stem with Mary Bars. On One Chunky Monkey on front (Smorgasbord on back).

It’s an absolute truck but I loves it.

The £150 jeans are daft, but their technical gear is priced similar to other established outdoor brands and is of equal if not better quality – I’ve got a fair bit of their stuff (all of which I’ve picked up in their regular sales – worth getting on their email list for this) and it’s well thought out, durable kit that fits well and works.

The catalogue is a bit ridiculous, but on the plus side it has a £10 voucher on the back so you can get some free socks.

@greatape, sadly you’re late to the party. Should have been here before the collective STW hordes did their mansize pillaging.

I ordered on Tuesday night and received the order on Thursday via Royal Mail but then I guess we are relatively local.

Have ordered from them a few times and they are generally pretty good – drop them an email if worried.

Not that I’m suggesting for a moment it has anything to do with delayed dispatch but the surf in Aggie is looking pretty impressive at the moment:

http://magicseaweed.com/St-Agnes-Surf-Report/1335/

Hi, my T4 Westy is insured through Clubcare (camping and caravan club) and has been since we bought it 7 years ago. We actually joined the club to get the cheap insurance but not sure whether that’s still a requirement. Either way they were by far the cheapest.

Make sure you’re covered for cooking in the van. It was surprising how many quotes we got which didn’t cover it.

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Gannets, the lot of you…

I made sure to put my order in before posting on here! :-)

Funnily enough I just posted a link to the Finisterre outlet which has some decent deals on insulation at the moment.

I’ve got a couple of their Bise gilets and they are great.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/psa-finisterre-outlet?replies=1#post-6448364

I walk on the moor most weekends with the family, surf when I can and do the odd bit of trail running.

In addition to day job, I’m also a retained firefighter – fitting work, family life and that together doesn’t leave a lot of spare time if I’m honest.

Thanks all, this is exactly the thread I needed to read whilst contemplating my commute home in the dark across Dartmoor… 8O

Finisterre stuff is pricy but very good. I have one of their Anabatic shells and a couple of their gilets (all picked up in the sale) and they’ve all been brilliant. The anabatic is genuinely one of the best waterproofs I’ve owned, and I live on Dartmoor so know a lot about rain. :-)

This gets very good reviews:

Men's Jackets

Or for something more traditional:

http://www.finisterreuk.com/shop/mens/clothing/mens-outerwear/rain/stroma-mac-m.html

Timbuk2 Classic was also on the list but stuggling to find the large size for less than around £70

I was looking at the Chrome as it has a lifetime guarantee and has a hanging tarp liner so is pretty waterproof.

Here: http://www.graigwen.co.uk/

View I woke up to from the back of our van when we stayed there last (romance on this occasuon somewhat dented by presence of our (then) 1 year old son:

I bought a 2012 Revolution Cross Pro for under £500 a few months back and I love it for pretty much exactly the type of riding you describe. It did keep me interested in riding on some pretty grim days over the winter.

BUT, (and I know it’s the answer you don’t want to hear!) if you’re not doing big road miles or cross racing and aren’t hung up on drop bars you’d arguably get similar versatility by just getting a spare set of cheap 29er wheels fitted with cross tyres and putting them on one of your existing bikes (they’ll fit most 26er frames no bother).

I did just that on my Surly 1×1 as a comparison and was genuinely surprised how different it felt and how much quicker it was on the road.

Taxidermied kittens (x3)
Tartan flask of milky tea
Hayes Workshop Manual for Austin Allegro (1975-1979) – slightly foxed
Duct tape. Lots of duct tape.

Used to live that way, our fave day trips were:

Whitstable (shingle beach, working harbour, lifeboat station, some nice pubs and places to eat.. always something going on in the summer)
Knole Park (Deer and loads of space for kids to run around, climb trees etc)
Broadstairs (quaint harbour, fab ice cream, nice sandy beach… you can even surf there on a low tide with a Northerly swell!)
Joss Bay – nice sandy beach just down the road from above. Good rock pools on low tide). Another of Kent’s rare surf spots.
Rye – Lovely spot for a wander. Camber huge sandy beach nearby.
Hastings Old Town is very interesting
Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway is fun. Fab fish and chips at the Pilot Inn on the landward end of Dungeness (which is worth a visit for the oddness alone).

We camped here in our van on a few occasions (you can make your own jokes). It was fine. Decent, friendly pub not far from Rye and handy for exploring Rye Marsh. There are a few nice sites near Canterbury too. I’d personally avoid some of the coastal sites as they tend to be static city.

http://thecockinnpeasmarsh.co.uk/pages/Cock-inn-caravan-park.php

Usual avid advice is sell them on eBay and buy some trp spyres in this case

I’d agree with that for Avid hydraulics, but I’ve found the BB7s are great if set up correctly.

The link Del posted is the one I use.

Swanseasurf- blimey is that still going? That used to be epically ranty. Wasn’t it run out of some shonky server locked in a cupboard in the Uni science block?

True about flat spells but I still don’t think there are any surf forums as active as STW. Last post on the main MSW forum was 9am this morning!

Not sure there is a STW surfing equivalent – surfers tend to spend more of their time doing their chosen sport rather than buying stuff / arguing about it. None of the big forums are all that active particularly if there is a decent swell!

MagicSeaweed is probably your best bet for general advice etc

http://community.magicseaweed.com/

I can remember when A1surf and Surfmagic used to be the main ones but the first is full of spam these days and the second one met it’s demise about 10 years ago.

There are some regional / local forums if you scout around though.

I have no need of a SS road bike as 1 singlespeed is probably already too many where I live (Dartmoor) but I have to admit I’ve been ogling this lately:

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-track-14?bct=browse%2fbicycles%2froad-bikes

Got one on my T4 – been on it since I bought it 7 years ago.

Have also had the problem with the ratchet straps corroding but a regular spray with GT85 means they still work just about. I use extra straps and bungees just to be on the safe side but should really get round to ordering some replacements – they’re about £4 apiece I think

The rack itself is ugly but solid. It took a clip from a 7.5 tonne Army truck a little while back and just shrugged it off!

I always forget the correct order / strap arrangement to fit our 3 bikes onto it so have taken a photo on my phone to refer to to avoid future faff!

Slightly above budget and not steel but this would be ideal for the riding you describe:

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/beinn29.html

Second hand then you should get something like an On One Inbred 29er or Charge Cooker for that money if you scour ebay. Karate Monkey if you’re very lucky.

EDIT: That Ramin looks like a killer deal though.

Nice one SJ, that what we want, more commuting vistas like that, although the stoney phallus is a little offputting

:-)It’s a cross supposedly but there is a line of thought locally that it might be some heathen fertility thing which was edited with a chisel at some point in the distant past by some johnny come lately Christian types.

:D I think you need to do a bit more to it than that!

My wife has moved to part time hours just in time for the summer meaning I can now ride to work at least 2 days a week. Pic from Tuesday’s commute:

Both the Surly Cross Check and Ogre have horizontal dropouts and will take a hub gear and cantis.

Mine’s orange, so Buckfast Tonic Wine would work… and be appropriate for a number of different reasons

Scots can’t leave UK and keep Buckfast Tonic Wine says Chancellor

Hey now there’s an idea. A hydration system for cyclists which allows them to imbibe liquid through a long straw whilst riding… hang on.

Shouldn’t you match the wine against wheel size?

24″ = WKD Blue
26″ = Jacobs Creek
650b = Red Bull
29er = Old Thumper
700c = Lambrini

Harumph. I suppose you moisturize too.

Some good advice above. I’d avoid skinny slicks on an MTB unless doing really long road rides. You’ll be forever switching wheels / tyres.

In a similar vein to above suggestions I run 2.35 Big Apples on my 1×1. They’re huge but roll really well, are tough as old boots, fine for gentle offroad, look cool and and are massive fun.

I had a bout of this which I’m pretty sure was riding related…

The thing which really worked for me was buying a Theraband and doing the exercises in this video a few times a day over a couple of months:

I also laid off the bike for a bit and bought some bars with a bit more back sweep – On One Marys. Still get a few twinges if I overdo it (which I see as warning signs now) but nothing near as bad as it was… and no more dropping plates!

One of our favourite spots:

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Lovely spot in Mawddach estuary. Lower camping field allows fires. Upper field if you need hookup. They also have self catering,

Direct access onto Mawddach trail for family rides (good pub a 10 min, traffic free ride away). Nice beaches nearby and plenty of family friendly activities in Barmouth and the like.

Riding is great – it’s possible to ride Cadair Idris from the door, just a short drive to Coed y Brenin. Mach trails are not much further, and loads of other natural options locally. Rest of Snowdonia is all within easy reach too.

John and Sarah are great hosts and can offer loads of advice on stuff to do locally.

FWIW singlespeed builds are pretty easy so you probably wouldn’t need to involve a bike shop. I built my Surly 1×1 for around £300 from a 2nd hand frame/forks and a mix of bits I had in the shed and ebay bargains. Took a couple of hours tops and I’m hamfisted on the tools. It’s still my favourite bike.

If you do want a complete bike and aren’t stuck on a steel frame, then this looks fun and would give you money to spare for a brake and chunky tyre upgrade…they have a 16″ in stock too:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/vitus-bikes-dee-1-26-city-bike-2014/rp-prod80998

Edit> Review of the V brake model here: http://road.cc/content/review/37756-vitus-vee-1

It’s a lovely spot.

Beach near Balranald reserve is stunning (Traigh Iar?) and well worth a visit if you like wildlife.

If you’re on expenses, Langass lodge is great for food. We stayed there on a biking trip of the Hebrides a few years back and it was lovely… they didn’t turn their noses up at a pair of muddy mountain bikers – there is a nice walk down the side of the loch there to some stone circles too.

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Some nice views along the north coast around Sollas. You can walk across to the island of Vallay at low tide to the rather eerie ruins of Vallay House (make sure you don’t get stranded though).

Some photos to whet your appetite:

As above, more great riding than you can shake a muddy stick at…another good family route is the one out of Princetown to Burrator on the old railway line.

If you get the weather generally it’s a fab area for kids if they like simple outdoorsy stuff. Some suggestions:

Bellever Woods. FC car park near the river is great for picnics, paddling etc. Forest roads also good for a family bike ride, and loads of spots to build dens etc.

Some fab spots downstream of Dartmeet for river swimming. Loads of other spots around the moor for a dip if that’s your thing. Shilley Pool and the salmon leaps below Castle Drogo both really nice. Teign Gorge as a whole is worth a visit. Fingle Bridge gets rammed at weekends but you can easily escape the crowds.

Kids generally love scrambling around the tors. Combestone Tor, Hound Tor and Bonehill Rocks are all good spots if your kids like climbing stuff.

Steam train ride from Buckfastleigh to Totnes is worth a trip. Canoeing and Kayaking on the river and other fun stuff at Dart River Country park.

Minature Pony Centre is a hit for younger kids.

Off the moor, Dartmouth is lovely and well worth a visit. Loads of nice beaches nearby too – either North Cornwall or South Devon coasts both easy to get to. Morwellham Quay is worth a visit (do the train ride into the mine), and if it rains the aquarium in Plymouth is great – loads of other stuff to do there too. Paignton Zoo also very good.

I’ve got a load of info I put together for people doing house exchanges with us. If you drop me a pm with your email, I’ll be happy to email you a copy.