Not got any brushed ones sneaked away then Dave? I could stretch on to a 19.5 🙂

My MG.

Ken … how did you get yours so shiny?

Not really a winter boot … more of a boot for big mountain days, but I recently got a pair of MT-91s to replace my MT-90s. Look like they will be as nice as the MT-90s were.

I've been wearing MP66s most of the time this winter, but am on flats and MP-90s with all this snow.

Me too?

Tesco ones are quite good and cheap. I always carry a Thermos and a hip flask in winter.

It's "live" in alphanumerics … 5483. You just press the red button and enter that code as if it was a text page.

I got a Humax Foxsat PVR via Ton earlier in the year. Great piece of kit. Hooked straight into my Sky+ connections and gives limited HD and upscaled SD. Great picture and also gives a DD signal to my AV amp. The unit is really nice to use, has loads of storage space for recording to the HDD and has never once crashed on me (unlike Sky+).

In the last week I've hooked up an ethernet connection via homeplugs and managed to find the code to access BBC iPlayer (which has a surprisingly good pic). ITV Player to follow in the first half of 2010. All this for **** all subscription. Couldn't be happier about it really.

Increase my power to weight ratio (i.e. lose a bit of weight) and do more multi-day expeditions and hill track exploring. Did some belters in 2009 mind.

Martin … honestly I wouldn't bother. It was mostly unrideable yesterday and it'll be worse the day with the extra dump and start of a thaw. You'll be wading thro near to knee deep wet snow.

I'll maybe be goin out in Evanton Wood later if it starts to freeze again. More than likely I'll leave it till tomorrow tho.

Ridden? You mean walked CB. You bailed soon after the fence. Like tubes we carried on 😥

TBH … the only reason we went around it today was that we expected the hamsters to have flattened it down. I suspect a couple of reasons will have passed by the time we're next on it. Now Evanton Wood on the other hand was ace in minus 9 the other night. There's also been another heavy dump since we got in tho.

I've got a Ti one now …

Bowglie … if you can stretch to a 538 A-C (i.e. half an inch unsagged) I have a Z1 Light ETA I could be tempted to part with. Mail me if you are interested.

Excellent … have gone for the Chinese eBay one myself. Just need to get a card now I guess.

Exactly which one were you impressed with everlong? Links etc please.

Exactly which one were you impressed with everlong? Links etc please.

I managed once around Evanton Wood, but it was hard work. I was pushing up hills I always ride, but only had one off! It was minus 8 and very hard and crusty snow. Momentum was very hard to come by.

Reckon I'll need to get the fat suit on when I return to work. Pushed and ground my bike around the (small) wood once today in deep crusted snow. Don't think I'll get out riding proper once during more than 2 weeks of holidays.

Many thanks guys. Tiboy, I'll keep your notes as a reference … very helpful.

My house to Ullapool is a local favourite 😛

It's hilly around here … I use 33/20. Made myself believe that faster tyres would allow me to run a harder ratio in the summer … tried 33/18 and almost had a hernia. I'll stick wi 33/20.

I'm in Highland BTW.

Never any issues with seating Maxxis tyres here using either Stans rim strips or ghetto with a variety of Mavic and DT Swiss standard rims. I use a (not very powerful) car compressor and lots of hot soapy water. It's worked first time every time with UST, kevlar and wire bead Maxxis tyres. I only really use Maxxis tyres now.

I managed to set up a tyre/wheel in my garage on Sunday when it was minus 2.

I was looking at this the other day. That frame and fork combo is beautiful … especially in dead simple SS guise. I wonder what price they could be imported for?

Not watching but recording. Saw itlast year. Fell of ma seat at the changing room scene!

It's gonna be a fab weekend Martin. Thinking I may do a dry (frozen) Orrin run on Sunday.

What we did last weekend was:

Friday night … night ride around the Badaguish XC course (if you find a rear light, give's a shout).

Saturday … start from Badaguish, do the last bit of the course before heading up over Sluggan and around to Forest Lodge, Ryvoan and Glenmore Cafe. Hot chocolate with brandy and stollen, then man it up the grass of the Hayfield and up to a really rooty traverse above the Gorms side of Loch Morlich (I've been doing this travers for years, but have never heard it named). Down to connect up to the track to Rothiemurchus Lodge then the (mostly) wet moorland trudge to the Lairig Ghru, then yahoo and back to Badaguish. We left at 1000 and got back at around 1515.

Sunday was DeVs wi the Captain's armband at Inshriach. Top cakes in the Inshriach Nursery afterwards. Seek it out.

I don't think flyingfox was one of us DeVs … unless it was Helen!

Looks really nice … I'll be interested to hear how what it's like to ride.

I've had a Vapor Rise smock for 3 or 4 years. One of my favourite pieces of kit for winter active sports.

Pinches, that's wonderful.

Well I think the eucalyptus in my front garden is coming down!

(18 miles north of Inverness)

Thanks JC, this will be good for tracks I have on vinyl that I'm too tight to buy in digital formats … now listening to Rush's Bastille Day.

I use a Fenix L2D on the lid with a lockblock 2fish holder and a DX P7 Torch on the bar and am very happy with the combo.

Another mtbr quote:

I called Seven since they are like the experts on TI, they told me they hand finish every frame with a Scotch brite pad. The dark red one. I gave it a shot and my frame looks brand new now. I was able to buff out every scratch!

They seem to come in packs of 20 these Scotchbrite pads.

I don't like the shot blasted finish on a 2nd hand frame I'm getting … not bothered about it being highly polished, but the brushed finish was nice on the On-One Ti 29er I had for 2 days!

Found this on mtbr … thanks for the tip nonk.

Fine schotchbrite and very fine steel wool will do. Deeper scratches can be sanded away using waterproof sanding paper (400 and upward in grain). When satisfied with the job wipe frame clean and apply (lemon) pledge, polish with clean cloth and the frame looks like new. Will give you a "brushed" Ti finish though…Good luck

I like shiny too and I've got time.

I've had a look around but there's not much knowledge floating around the net from what I can see.

I picked up an RP23 from a Hustler as back up to my Romic. The Romic has only very briefly been back on since I got it. I'm probably average height and weight for someone on a large 5 Spot at 6' and 13.5 stone (without gear on) and find that 150-160psi works for me.

**** … wish there was a powdercoater in Highland.

Who did the paintjob Ken? Think I may get my front end done for next year.

Watch those dodgy tyres BTW.