[list]Paying back the loan he has early should kickstart his credit rating.
If you do, it might end in tears though. Money can tear families apart, I’ve seen it happen several times. Up to you though, helping out a family member shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing.

Fitted an Endura bb to my x-control. Its not bad, at least its easy to get the seals of and regrease the bearings.
the real problem is the bb filling up with water. Drill a drain hole or take thw seat post out and turn it upside down everytime it gets wet.

As the for sale adds are part of a forum its just about ok to post comments etc on other peoples adds. At least if they are intended helpfull and well meaning.
Something like the remark, left on Drapoon’s watch add, are just plain rude !

Def my guilty tv pleasure. Highlight was that guy in Toledo who ate a 5lb Burrito in 3min 10sec ! ! !

It would be an insult not to EGF. :D

A group of us are out there in a couple of weeks, road bike thing though.
These people do guided mtb rides out of Calpe.

http://www.solybike.com/index_en.html

Got this link on the site, but its all in Spanish.

http://www.ciclostonycalpe.com/index.html

Just get the Kona from crc. Great deal, great bike.

Suitably motivated my Jack Russel can climb a chain link fence !

Getting of and pushing is a defeat for me :() It’s why I gave up on the s/s). Same with a 1/9 set up round by me, theirs far to many steep technical climbs for me to do without a granny. I like to feel some resistance when I’m pedaling on descents as well, so I need the big ring for that. But each to their own whatever works for you.

I’m a bit of a porker and my crests are holding up well. Their not down hill rims though, but if you’ve had no probs with 317’s you’ll be fine.

This is my mates Garmin read out.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/156947622

As you can see despite my legs telling me different there are as many downs as ups.
Valleydaddy. Thats Ants ride on his years old fully rigid Trek.

Did this again today. Brilliant :D ! prob my favorite event at the moment. :D

Used to hear this from drink drivers once upon a time. Your riding might be ok but not better across a range of situations. Me, I hate riding after a beer ! Usually I’m barely incontrol sober:

They aren’t races obviously, but loads of riders treat them as such. And great fun it is to. So lay of all you “proper” racers.

As I ride Mtb and road you’d think a cross bike would be my choice. But I couldn’t keep up with off road rides on it and struggle with group road rides as well. I’d give up road riding an have a lightweight short travel mtb, at least I could ride cross with it come winter.

Less than twenty now !

I don’t like the tone of this thread, of course you wife must use a taxi ! You’d have her sitting on a bus with all the rabble ? Shame on you.
Not tham I’m biased or anything. :D

If he’s good enough he’s old enough. But kids develop at different speeds. It’s not a race remember.

31,000 complaints ! How many would actually complain if they had to make the slightest effort to do so ? take away the couple of clicks internet option,say write a letter and there’d be maybe 31.

That’s a well balanced article from the Guardian.And still the hysteria goes on with no one talking about the actual detail of the bill, just made up privatisation horror stories all pure fiction, the problem is that the bill is an extension of Labour policy hence Labour not saying anything about it.

Your exactly right. But what a pr gaff from CMD. You’ve got to include people from all sides or look the fool. And he does.

Group of us are going over at the end of April. As said some great riding. Going to the Aitana observatory gets you to 1500m so plenty of climbing.
This is a local clubs sunday rides, get your self a good map and you can work out the routes. If your there Sunday you can join them for a couple of euro’s. The rides supported so well worth it.

http://www.ucbclub.org/rutas/rutas.php

This is a classic ride as well.

This page has some already mapped rides.

http://www.ucbclub.org/paginashtm/rutashtm/rutasmarinabaixa.php
http://www.abdet.com/cycling-holidays-spain/road-biking-holidays/vuelta-de-aitana.html

Another stupid thread ! Ok you like to ride with flats fair enough, but especially on a road bike don’t try and say their better ! They aren’t, personal prefference doesn’t alter the laws of physics.

Not been to Switzerland and don’t think I ever will mtbing. Surely this is something for the Swiss themselves to decide ?

The zoo’s pretty good for a day out. Might be a bit cold this time of year. Hilarious moment was Mrs Taxi loosing it in this walk through bat thing.

Can I ask why in your own car you must have a child seat but in a bus or taxi then you don’t. Am not having a go here it’s just something that I ve always wondered about. You thought the bus company or taxi would have to have provisions in place

The practicalitys of storing all the sizes of child seat in a car make it a non starter in most taxis. where would you put peoples luggage if your boot was full of child seats ?
Current advise for carrying small children is, if their big enough to sit on their own and stay still put the belt around their waist with the shoulder strap going under the armpit. I think its better for an adult to wear the belt, and to hold the child securly on their lap.
For all those suprised at the op he’s far from alone, I get people with their own child seats only going a mile or two down the road.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/yoursay/topics/bigcat.shtml

MTBing is sold as all Ruffty tuffty Grrr; out in the woods with Tree’s, big rocks and panthers

The place is full of them around here !!

I decided a long time ago not to move to a new big house with a ” new big mortgage ” Hence I can afford all the “Wales Tyres ” I want. Seriously if you have a house already, do you need a bigger one ?

I’m not sure why anyone is suprised by the farmer typss position. If his only interest in the woods is for someplace to walk his dogs. On one hand you’ve got doggers who aren’t bothering him in the slightest, he might even find their antics amusing.
And then you have cyclists, who he probably finds alarming when they pass him and his dog, maybe someone was rude to him for getting in thier way or something. If I were him I’d probably feel the same.

p.s country folks can be a pretty bawdy bunch, unlike some prigish townies.

Had this with another anti virus thing. Ended up having to write letters to Barclay card giving them permission to act on my behalf. And a letter wich Barclaycard sent on to the anti virus provider telling them I wanted to cancel. It was a pain but I didn’t want to junk the card.

P.s There was a lot of huffing and puffing but I got Barclaycard to refund me the money that was taken as well.

Seriously they are difficult to get at, but you do not need to remove the radiator etc as it says in some guides,

Can’t say for the 1.9 but on the 2.4 taking the radiator out makes things so much easier, well worth doing for the home mechanic, who might only change the plugs once.

The way I see it Cotic make steel frames, thats their position in the market. So they want to sell a f/s frame, it makes sense for them to develop a steel one. Its different and will apeal to their existing customer base. All the guff about it being the right material for the job is just marketing.

Mrs Taxi has picked me up loads of times with a broken bike or body.
Got rescued by the mumbles lifeboat once. I think it was the first time the new boat had been launched in anger.

Nothing and everything, totally depends on my mood. At the moment with a glass of wiskey in my hand and my dog on my lap nothing at all. :D

52cm at their widest ! No world rounds for m :(e then. :(

SBZ
+1

A nail probably won’t make your tyre fall apart.

If its to close to the edge no one would repair it. You could do it yourself though. Get one of those kits fro ebay. Would it be safe………..

Tyre weld seals up bead leaks pretty well.

But come on, just take it down to kwikfit or your local inderpendant.

I’ve got 44cm bell laps on my cx bike. Pretty sure they don’t flare out to 50cm. I’ll measure them when I get home and let you know. Great bars imho, done 3peaks and local races with them and never had a problem.

With that much seatpost I’d leave the stem as it is. It’ll be very racey with it flipped. 8O
Second pic looks not far off to me.

A few extra kilos on the tow bar would be fine, there’s a huge safety margin. I used to haul a KX500 around on a towbar mounted rack. But what the heck nothing wrong in finding an excuse to buy the wife a new bike. :D

Go with your instincts teamhurtmoore. The riding you describe is the same as mine. Short travel x/c, f/s is the way to go. :D