This place seems to be cheaper for iTunes cards… and they email you the code within minutes :

http://www.maximuscards.com/itempage.php?cat=6

P

Unker you are a bloomin genius! Will give this a go.

Cheers,

Paul

Hmm, ok, so thats not going to work then. Any other suggestions.. is it possible to get someone else to download it on my behalf and send it to me and I'll pay the $10 ? (or would that be potentially dodgy?!)

Cheers!

Saw this at the Dyfi Enduro last weekend… Ace film.

Would love to get hold of this in HD.. Any idea if/when its coming to iTunes UK or is there a way of getting it from the CA store?

Drop bags sound like a REALLY good idea. I'd not really considered that and was wondering how I'd get on carrying 3L of water around on my back all day. How does the drop bag thing work then, do you just hand in 3 plastic bags when you sign in?

I'm also doing the K100 for the first time this year.. I think doubt can be used to your advantage as it forces you to train harder when you do get the opportunity. At least thats what I'm doing!
I'm not so much worried about the time in the saddle as making the cutoffs. I'll be REALLY frustrated if I get told I have to stop 3/4 of the way round!!

I got 38.9 miles on my Garmin GPS. Thats from the gate in Mach back to the gate in Mach. Definitely did the extra loop.

Paul

Yea, if thats harder than the Kielder 100 then I'll be a happy chap!!
Really enjoyed the Dyfi though. I was riding it with my mate (the chap on the Merlin with the smiley stickers on his backpack mentioned above) Dan who was doing his 3rd EVER mountain bike ride… thats ride… not race, or event.. he'd only ever put his leg over an mtb twice before Sunday and he gave everything a go… RESPECT!

Another vote for M&S here. Got buildings and contents with them (with 'away from home' and 'accidental damage' on the contents). They even paid out for a new frame for me last year when I broke my old one. I wasn't expecting them to but they didn't even question it.

For people with M&S already, always get a new quote every year rather than accepting the automatic renewal.. I saved over £200 off my renewal price last year!

Phew! I've convinced a friend of mine to sign up for this and it will be his first enduro type event (or event of any kind).. I don't want to have to take him back in too many pieces or he might not want to play anymore!

Crikey, you lot are making it sound like some kind of War of Attrition! Will anyone actually make it to the end?!

Surely it CAN'T be any worse than much of the other riding in that part of Wales?

Is camping at the rugby club? Do they let you park cars with tents or do you have to leave your car in the main carpark?

http://www.weather.co.uk reckons its going to drizzle all the way up to Saturday… so I'm ignoring that report!

Whats it like for spectators by the way? Is there plenty of opportunity to spot riders out on the course, or is it more a case of cheering us out, and then waiting for our return?!

As for tyres… SB8s (I know, I'll probably die!)

Also worth a look are Maxxis Larsen TT. Seem a little easier to get hold of than SB8s too! Probably a bit better braking traction than the SB8s but not as much grip through the corners.
Just (last week) put some new SB8s on my bike and I got on ok with them apart from when the going got soft and muddy, then the rear tyre simply refused to grip anything! Will be great once the ground begins to dry out… if it ever does.

Paul

Agreed… utter bogfest at the moment. Reserved only for extremes of weather… really hot, or really cold!

In fact, anything off Great Hill other than the path up from Brinscall is a total waste of time at the moment, no fun at all!

Oooh, didn't know that… might have to investigate after all then!

Thanks drain (appropriate name for the topic!)

P

we pay £600 a year I think.. unmetered.
Tricky as to whether it would be cheaper on a water meter or not… its not like you can go back once you've committed to having a meter if you find it works out more expensive!

4 bedroom detached and we pay £40 for electricity and £60 for gas, so £100 a month in total.. and I thought that was a lot until I read this!! Thats with EDF on their standard dual fuel billing. We just about break even over the course of a year so the DDs are spot on.

Unlikely I'd have thought.. the D300 is quite a bit bigger…. but I'd ask on Talk Photography for a sensible and accurate answer!

Paul

I'm in! No. 405. First Dyfi for me too, should be fun!

Whats the free camping like, plenty of space or more like Glasto?!!

Cheers,

Paul

Totally agree with crazy-legs… you've got to ride like a (sensible!) driver.. make yourself big and obvious…. and grow a nice thick skin 😉

Thats me committed then…. Must be nearly full now if 500 is the limit.

Anyone know if there is still camping space available… not managed to speak to the campsite yet.

Cheers,

Paul

yea, I wouldn't go spraying GT85 around the lower bearing area if I were you.. it will probably just work its way in and thin the grease which will make the bearings wear out quicker than they do already!

I just give mine a wash! Don't go pointing your jetwash hose directly at the bearings though… apart from that, an occasional strip down and grease should keep things running smoothly. (this is much easier if you've got one of the new Blurs with the grease nipples underneath!)

P

*edit* Er, yea, what Tinsy said!

Seller is "open to offers for quick collection"… Yea, I bet!!

This HAS to be from the Jungle break in… I wouldn't be shocked to see some nice SC frames turning up next!

Wasn't Stif, it was Jungle… I know the two are related in some way but I think it was Jungle's stock that was taken…. see here : Santa Cruz UK Robbed[/url]

Agree that this looks highly suspicious..

Been following this thread since the beginning.
Can't begin to imagine what it must feel like to go through something like this.. Hoping your next update will be bringing good news.

Stay strong and positive.

Best of Luck,

TeaBoy, Mrs TeaBoy and the little Tea Leaves!

Found one !

Is there a trail map/guide for Gisburn or is it just a case of following your nose?! Thinking of having a look on Saturday afternoon…

This should do it :

http://www.hopegb.com/page_mep_force_37.html

Paul

I know it doesn't help in the mean time, but find out when your house insurance is due for renewal and change to M&S. They cover any single item up to £4k and are fantastic if you need to claim…

I'm going! As an End2End virgin I'm not really sure what sort of terrain to expect so have no idea how long it will take me, but looking forward to it all the same!!

#183

Paul

IOM end 2 end I guess?.. me too… I suspect there are going to be quite a few going over on Friday/Saturday so they may have made provisions for extra bikes….. possibly!!

Just had my frame replaced by M&S after a 'just riding along' incident… Can't fault them, all sorted in a week, and the money in my account 2 days later. As long as you have 'away from home' and 'accidental damage' cover on your contents I don't think you can go far wrong!

Paul

The Superlight is a single pivot design, not vpp…. surely that counts it out?!

I did have a really good think about not claiming, but then I figured what is the point of having insurance if you are never going to actually make use of it!

I know what you mean about keep riding it, but its been playing on my mind since I spotted it… I wouldn't want to be 25 miles from home when the downtube began to slowly split before my eyes! Will be keeping hold of the frame anyway… she's been good to me!

Well, after much fannying about by Wheelies (I gave up and rang them in the end) and the offer of Intense frames left, right and centre (everything from a Spider 2 to a 6.6) I eventually got them to agree they couldn't supply me with a Santa Cruz frame and so I went back to speak to M&S.. They were implausably helpful and even went through looking on the Santa Cruz website for a price whilst I was on the phone rather than me having to 'send in a written quote'. M&S were happy (once they had confirmed with Wheelies that it was as close to my frame as is possible to get) to give me the cash to replace with a new Blur XC Carbon… result!!
Now I just need to decide whether to get the XC Carbon or something else + new forks…. decisions, decisions.

Another Positive result from M&S insurance though!

Cheers,

Paul

A bit naughty but why don't you just put in a claim saying ti was nicked from yer shed?

Well for a start, I don't own a shed!! Anyway, there is no need to be underhand about these things. I've got accidental damage cover on my house/contents insurance so I'm going to see if M&S will play ball. I have spoken to SC about a crash replacement, but they don't have any small 'classic' Blur front ends available any more. The best they could do was an LT front end matched to my old back end.. Not ideal, therefore I'm going down the insurance route first to see where that gets me..

I hear the people who say 'don't claim on insurance it will put premiums up' but then I've never claimed before, and whats the point of having it if you are not going to claim when you need to!?!

Many thanks to all for the words of wisdom (on both sides of the fence) and the moral support!

Will let you know how I get on.

Cheers,

Paul

@BlingBling..
No, I didn't expect Jungle to give me a disclaimer to ride it.. I got what I expected, just not what I'd hoped for!

Pending further communication with Jungle, I'm almost certainly going to ride it to destruction (whenever that may be!) unless I can convince M&S to shell out £2300 on a replacement Blur XC carbon frame for me!! 😯