Same dilemma as you a few months back, ended up getting another pair of Dominators. I'd got almost 5 years out the last pair so it doesn't seem an outrageous amount of money to spend on shoes when put that way.

I paid £135 in Wiggle – still have them at that price but it's a bit hit or miss on stock though.

Spoke to a colleague who was down there on Sunday – he said the Boundary Trail still had a lot of snow on it (between mast and the quarry bit) and it isn't melting much at all, pretty pointless.

Black to Mast is (I think!) OK, you could then start the boundary trail but do the top of Ho Chi Min (down the firebreak where the boundary goes left), pick up Spooky Woods, Betty Blue and back across to Deliverance.

My alu Rush had a similar problem – – just a loose rivnut as others have said.

If it's an alloy frame it's an easy fix if you can get any bolt that is in the boss out (I managed to force an old hacksaw blade between the lip of the boss and the downtube which held it enough to unscrew the bottle cage bolt). A decent shop should have the proper tool, otherwise you can do a DIY bodge if it's just a bit loose – instructions here (2nd one down).

http://www.m-gineering.nl/tipsoldg.htm

If it's an alloy frame I would be tempted to sort it myself or get LBS to do it particularly if Evans is a long way away – a carbon frame would be a different matter though.

Hope this helps – doubt it is a massive problem in an alloy frame at least and Cannondale warranty is very good in my experience.

(EDIT – Carbon frames are different as the bottle bosses tend to be bonded into the frame rather than rivnutted – potentially more serious)

Have you read "Mountain Days and Bothy Nights" by Dave Brown and Iain Mitchell (published by Luath)?

From your previous posts I'd guess you have, but if you haven't then you must. More modern folklore than mythology but an excellent book. In fact, I might just re-read it again this week…

I ride about 15 miles into work 2 or 3 days a week in the summer. I usually have a latte, Quaker oat bar and a banana when I get in and that keeps me going until lunchtime. Probably a couple of quid a day on food but still works out cheaper than public transport.

The oat bar things are ace, by far the most filling cereal bars (like portable porridge). Only Asda seem to sell them AFAIK. Oatcakes are a good alternative as well when I can't get the oat bars.

Rego is expensive and horrible in comparison. One thing I think makes a difference, especially in warmer weather, is using some electrolyte in the morning (usually just a Nuun tablet in a small bottle of water), rather than just plain water.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8631429.stm

at 1752

at least give credit to your sources.

Rick – you were with us that day. Didn't seem to do your bearings much good IIRC!

It's an aqueduct above Trevelez in the Alpujarras in Southern Spain. To be fair you didn't say they had to be in the UK 😀

A bit narrow in places, and the drop to the side is quite offputting as well.

I'm down a stone now but stopped sending weights in when the emails stopped.

I started at 15st 3lb in Dec; this week was 14st 2 1/2 lb. Going for sub-14 by the end of May, should be doable methinks.

I've clipped a pedal on a road bike and that felt like a huge lean (and I was well lucky to recover that) but if you just tilt the bike it's no-where near "knee down" lean.

I've done a, c, d and e from your list at the same time. It's always been "b" that's been the problem!

I'd say not possible but obviously someone on here will have done it.

We're under the Edinburgh flightpath so kind of get used to something going out every few minutes. Odd that it isn't happening at all. Just had an awesome evening ride, made slightly eerie by lack of aircraft noise.

Saw one light aircraft yesterday and that's been it. Cloudy today so no clear blue skies but did notice the lack of contrails on Thurs and Fri.

I did when I was parallel parking and I reversed into another car and cracked the numberplate (I had a tow bar on that car at the time). Bloke almost thought it was a wind-up when he phoned me. Gave him £20 for a new number plate and I was happy I had done the right thing.

If I'd done more damage I would like to think I would have owned up, but who knows what you'd really do…

Just riding along reckon they are 62a, which seems sensible to me.

http://www.justridingalong.com/shop.php?product=89&r=y5e4&

I don't think they are Supertacky, I think they last far longer and drag far less than Supertacky tyres do (been running them for a year or more and had a supertacky front on my Prophet for a bit).

Shame you can't put his scum prevoius owner in a sack with a few bricks and drown them in a canal.

He's going to be a big lad, no doubts on that. He'll definitely grow into that head and those paws!

Sounds like basically know what you're doing with him (and very importantly where you need help to get things nailed down) so everything should be great. Rescue dogs are the best dogs, all the best with him and I hope you all get along great.

Update – flew Glasgow to Malaga on Sat 27th – they weighed hold bags (14-15kg) and bikes (about 25kg). Didn't look in bike bags. No problems.

Malaga to Glasgow today – weighed hold bags (same again), didn't weigh bike bags. X-rayed bike bags which looks well cool.

No XS baggage and no queries either way. Both flights were almost full and had loads of golf sticks on them as well as mine and 'er bikes. A good outcome.

Thanks all (or most, anyway)

The baggage guidance says sporting goods increase your TOTAL weight to 32kg for hold bags, which was the worry.

The notes on bicycles in the carrier's regulations add the crucial bit highlighed by steveh and rock3gozy about bikes being exempt from excess weight charges.

Anyway carriers regs printed out, highlighted and ready to wave in the direction of the check-in crew if we get into problems.

If anyone else wants it, see "carriage of bicycles" immediately (ominously?) above this bit in baggage regs:

http://www.easyjet.com/EN/Book/regulations.html#lostbaggage

I hope 25kg of a bike in a bag plus about 12-15kg of hold baggae should be fine and dandy.

Clare – I wondered if anyone would have tried the Kipps. I was tempted as it seemed so nice at Buzzards' Nest level, but I thought it was a bit of a punt too far so headed for Boundary instead. Seems like it was a (relatively) wise decision!

Deliverance was awesome on Sunday, really really fast with a few new rockgardens to add to the entertainment. Well worth lugging the big bike about for that.

Glentress was ACE today. I had a ball and I don't think I did any mincing.

Pitlochry a few weeks ago (14 Feb, it seems) was equally ace in a different way, but due to snow I was mincing quite a bit.

It's all mountain biking at the end of the day, and the day is the Solstice so summer is coming. BRING IT ON!!!!

Edric 64 – Member

I assume bigotry is fired by the fear of homosexuality, as if any gay person you meet is going to try it on with you?

One of my friends is massively homophobic and that was one of his arguments.

We pointed out he knew a lot of women and none of them tried it on with him even when he wanted them to, so what was the problem?

EDIT: FWIW I do have some very limited sympathy for the woman's "not under my roof" thing if that's how she feels but as she runs a B&B so it is not just her home, it's a public place as well, and if she is so bothered about that sort of thing then B&B is probably not the business for her. Move with the times, hen.

Sounds like you are going in dry (so to speak).

What you need is some soapy water (about 1 part washing up liquid to 5 water) – apply round the bead and it should slip and pop into place no probs.

Try letting the tyre down but leaving it seated then soap it up and pump it up – if that doesn't work unseat it, soap up the bead and pump it up again. Should pop into place at a lot less than 80psi if you lube it up nicely.

These ones are best in my experience.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Innovations_Tubeless_Patch_Kit/5360018216/

Weldtite do them too, in theory the weldtite ones will do slightly bigger holes but I find them quite faffy and liabile to pulling out:

http://www.justridingalong.com/shop.php?product=81

There's a panaracer kit that makes a decent repair but it's more of a "back home" than trailside as it works best with the tyre off the rim so you can get at the inside.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Panaracer_Tubeless_Patch_Kit/5300004598/

Hope this helps.

Yes – easy enough when doing something interesting but less so on a normal working day. Probably a couple of fillers a week on average.

Corporate tax advisor (FS specialist). We had a big dead patch in May/ June/ July last year but have been flat out since then. People seem to be doing a lot of restructuring and streamlining of businesses, and M&A is now on the up with (apparently) plenty of bargains to be had from distressed businesses, but that's only really open to those with their own money to spend. Plenty of recruitment activity in my sector as well.

"Going to Starbucks for a coffee is like going to a prison for sex. You'll definitely get it but it's going to be rough". Adam Hills, Edinburgh Festival 09.

tails – the government pulled a similar PC scheme where you could pay for a PC by sacrifice of pre-tax salary because it was being abused. Subsidised canteens and untaxed lunch allowances may well go the same way.

Your argument that you paid full whack for something so you are entitled to steal from the Treasury to get something else seems a bit ill-concieved, don't you think?

Is not taxing your car, or benefit fraud, or nicking things from government buildings OK in your book as well?

Getting a bike on "bike to work" and not using it as set out in the tax legislation is tax evasion, it's very simple.

You are knowingly claiming a tax benefit that you are not entitled to and is no different to under-declaring your income (eg cash in hand) or keeping money offshore.

EDIT – The tax exemption is in Finance Act 1990 s.50. The requirement for the employee to use the bike "mainly for qualifying journeys" (defined as home to work or from one workplace to another) is in the primary legislation rather than guidance. Taking the tax exemption but not using it is very obviously tax evasion – the law is clear and unambiguous.

One of gf's friends has one. (2WD – most appear not to be even a 4WD).

It has about the same interior space as a Focus or Astra hatch, let alone the estate.

If you're after something big with lots of space look elsewhere – miniMPV (Scenic/Piccasso/Zafira) or pukka estate. Apart from the higher driving position it's hard to see what the advantages of the Qasqai might be.

Yes, air is getting past the base of the valve. Try cleaning up the existing valve and tightening it up – otherwise a new valve will sort it.

No idea why it's only coming out 3 nipples though, when I've had this it's come out all the nips.

Try Kit Carruthers of this here parish. His MTB pics are often very impressive.

Forum

I've done Edinburgh – Bristol and Edinburgh – Swindon a lot over the past few years. My findings are thus:

If you're into flying, Easyjet Edinburgh-Bristol probably best
Bus to Bristol Temple Meads (only 20 mins)
Train to Chippenham

Edinburgh – Heathrow – Heathrow Express to Paddington – FGW train to Chippenham would probably work as well, but BA/BMi to Heathrow are probably more expensive and the Heathrow Express is "having a laugh" expensive.

Birmingham is probably third best airport – train from International to BTM then Chipenham. But you might as well get the train all the way if you're doing that as only an hour or two in it.

EDIT: Train takes almost 7 hours to Bristol whether you go via London or Birmingham. Sleeper could work out OK though.

£25-30 at best I'd say. Old frames aren't worth much and the 6500 was fairly basic when new.

Haven't tried it on an MTB but use one on my road bike. It's quite interesting to have it but not exactly useful, find the computer/HRM far more important and the Edge is a great bit of kit.

I'd be pretty unconvinced about putting one on an MTB – the sensor really isn't at all robust; I'm on my second one on the road bike as the first one was killed by water getting into it and it's really difficult to stop it from moving around as well. By all means give it a go and report back, but I don't fancy your chances of it lasting TBH.

Totally different riding. To generalise massively:

Morzine is generally fast and flowy and braking bumps and roots and uplifts and that.

Sierra Nevada is rocky and tight and twisty and tech where you pedal up and rattle down. Good for the skillz, definitely.

Been out with Ciclo Montana five times, fantastic set-up and brilliant trails. Counting the days until the return visit 🙂

Defenceless, totally!

Foie gras is an analogy for life. Take it from The Man, be happy in it, you're going to die anyway.

Bunnyhop – Member

Chocolate.

Made from force-fed cocoa plants that just couldn't get enough NPK rich fertiliser, no doubt. I hope you can sleep at night Bunnyhop 😛

10C here this afternoon (West Lothian). Was sweating like a big hairy rapist in a coach station on the bike today – at least 10C more than I have been used to for the past 3 months.

Maybe we will go straight from Narnian winter to summer? Wouldn't that be amazing?

But if they hated it that much, why would they not run away from the goosekeeper and his funnel?

I love Foie Gras. Don't eat it very often, but if the geese didn't like the corn why would they eat it?

Rare ribeye must be my favourite steak though. Tonight's effort (albeit slightly out of focus).

Cow by Well Hung And Tender.[/url]

Cooked by me.

Approved by the Vegetarian Society (perhaps).

I quite often do an extensible commute past the end of the airport access road.

Supply your start point and how much "spare time" you can make and I will sort you with a route.