2/3 for me. The 650B+ wheels Ive got on my OO Fatty dont want to be set up tubeless and are sitting stubbornly in my shed, refusing to hold air.

To explain: I have several pairs of bib shorts and want something over the top to keep the old knees and thighs warm. I have been using knee warmers, but my legs an arse are getting cold in the chillier mornings. I’ll given those Decathlon jobbies. Thanks for that.

I bought a new bike for my 40th, and for my 50th, and I did it again this morning and its not even my birthday. One of these arrives next weeeknd

If you want it back to nice n shiny, best thing will be to send if off for a strip down and respray. Argos Racing Cycles have redone three bikes for me over the years and I cant speak highly enough of them. They do frame modifications as well. Great to do business with.

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Yep you want a reciprocating saw and according to my mate Buzz who is sitting next to me watching some shit on the tele and drinking cheap larger and who is an arborist and garden fixer-upper, unless you are going to use it forever get a cheap one from Screwfix. Which sounds like good advice to me.

Disturbed Watford CostCo warehouse roof air con units are disturbed.

Yep, I get that. A good gnocci well cooked with a decent sauce is great, but there’s a fine line between a big bowl of joy and a pile of mushed, starchy gloop.

Chainring bolts?

I like my Electrons. Cheap, light and strong, really grippy and been reliable, in that Ive never so much as touched them in three years and they still spin well. Im 100kg and ride pretty heavy too and never noticed them flexing either.

Like the OP a Mini Cooper 1275 S.Bought it for $3000 in Aussie in 1988 and traded it for a big V8 thing that I can barely remember. Still hurting.

Ive got a Chef’n pepper ball – another one hander. Works ok and its been around for a couple of years but I wouldnt want to drop it on a hard surface.

Anyone else old enough to remember the giant pepper bill fad?

Get a proper dog.

The exact words a drunken truck driver who had parked some ladies in at a Tesco’s while he bought some fags said to me when I told him to move his truck and he saw my daughter’s cavapoo so I told him to have a go unless he was scared of a bald fat bloke with a little white dog and then he attacked me and I thumped him so hard he had to have a little lie down. The EXACT words.

They’re a perfectly proper dog. Lots of energy and great with kids, doesn’t shed hair and pretty easy to train. Really sound health-wise too, unlike so many pure-breeds. Downside? Our’s can be a but yappy when the door bell goes (which is her job, I suppose) and likes to jump up on strangers.

I’m the same measurements and have a 2-year-old XL 901. Fits me nicely.

As above Ive got a couple of the Decathlon BTwin base layers which are pretty good and cost a fiver.

Lots on here: Down Sleeping Bags

Cumulus bags are great too and top value.

Has anyone got experience of the Cloud Cover quilt?, seems ok for £100, I’

I have and it’s a bit pants. I bought it to layer up my 2-season sleeping bag, and it would ok if it wasnt so bleeding slippery and its simple too small and not warm enough to use on its own. The poppers are really stiff and mine are threatening to tear through after only half a dozen uses.

I sold my daughters Beinn 26 last week for £320. Cost £400 two years ago. It was a really nice condition but she used it a lot.

Yep I use them and will be fitting them this week after yesterday’s mudfest. I have had the same set for about 3 years and they’ve been battered every winter and showing no signs of giving up. The rear is excellent and the front keeps most of the crap out of your eyes but you might also look at one of those guards that attached to your downtube as well. Bike will look gopping but you cant see it when you’re riding.

I use a pair of cutdown army goretex shorts for wet trail rides – find trousers too restrictive especially over knee pads.

For longer rides I have a pair of Tenn Outdoor Driven trousers – cheap and have been quite hard wearing.

I think the P7 would be the pick if you want another rowdy hardtail. What about that Orbea Loki? I rode the demo bike from my local bike shop and it was very comfortable and surprisingly quick too. No dropper post though.

Konagirl’s got it.

I grew up in Brisbane and despite what the tourist brochures tell you the best view of it is from your rear view mirror. It’s clean and friendly and has some lovely parks and gardens, but it is pretty dull, especially for kids. If you do have a day there and want some lunch, get to the Breakfast Creek hotel for a steak in the garden.

Head up to the Sunshine Coast and rent a beach house or apartment. The beaches are amazing and while it gets busy at that time, it’s not exactly crowded. Noosa is now quite developed but still has a relaxed family feel to it. heaps of shops, restaurants and markets and safe surf, so your kids will not be bored.

For a more authentic working class experience, have a look at Bribie Island. I spent my formative years there and went back about 5 years ago and thankfully nothing had changed – just a few more houses. The surf beach is rough at times but they have life guards these days. You can rent a house 5 mins from the beach (nothing is more than 5 mins from a beach) for £100 a night.

Sydney is truly superb and a trip to the Blue Mountains well worth it for the Three Sisters and Genolan Caves, but there are perfectly good rock formations and limestone caves right here in Europe. When you’re going that far Id be staying in Sydney and go tourist mad – Opera House, Harbour Bridge, The Rocks markets etc etc.

Check out all the beaches but stay away from Bondi on Xmas day. Take the ferry to Manly or a water taxi from Circular Quay to Doyles restaurant at Watsons Bay. Centennial Park is nice to wander around, have a hot dog and watch the peletons smash around at 30mph (if they haven’t banned ’em of course)

Sydney Harbour is also the best place on earth to be on New Years Eve for the most remarkable fireworks. They set a new global standard in 2000 and just seem to push it further every year.

Wherever you go make sure you have a picnic blanket and a decent sun shade you can stake down.

Wider rims give the tyres more volume too. Ask me how annoying the 2.4 rear tyre rubbing on the chain stays is since I fitted 481’s.

Here ya go fella. My son was looking at these in the summer.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Fire-Extinguisher-super-soaker!-can-be-modded-to-/

Post it on here so we can share the joy then inform the landowner/managers and the police if what was done was dangerous.

I know its half term because most of my income is going on full time childcare and trips to trampoline parks, and swimming pools.

Duncan that bag should be ok for a night out as long as you don’t have to pull it over your head. Condensation from your breath and sweat will see you wake up pretty damp. They’re also on the small side, so you might struggle to get your mat in there, and it could also compress your sleeping bag if it’s down, meaning it won’t loft and won’t be warm.

Elddis xplore 304 is a 14ft 4 berth van, fully laden weight of 1050kg ish. Won’t get smaller than that! Looks great too.

Ive got one of these. Love it. The top bunk is a bit small and dont expect to actually be able to use the shower but its a lovely little caravan you could probably tow with a Fiesta. Ive got a motor move on mine but rarely use it – it’s so light I just unhitch it and shove it around.

We’re an MTB club with a big GoRide programme so spend our income on coaching courses and kit – limbo bars, cones etc. Over the past few years we’ve also bought first aid kids, walkie-talkies, rented portaloos for our race days, and the like, plus we subsidised branded hoodies for the coaches.

Because they know you’ll do it. Or that someone will do it. They’re usually the ones moaning that the fair isnt as good as last year too.

Evans has a good range of plus bikes. I like the Jamis Dragonslayer – the 2016 model had great reviews from the US bike press and you see pix of it on quite a few US bikepacking magazines. The 2017 is nice too. Looks pretty versatile as its got rack mounts and loads of bottle cage bosses.

Just read that brief bio. Bloke is unhinged. He clearly needs help and I hope he’s getting it.

For commuting Id be going for an old rigid 26er MTB with guard and rack mounts and slick-ish tyres. Something second hand and cheap so it wont matter if you wreck it or someone pinches it. A used Inbred with a rigid fork would do the trick. Over 5 miles you wont be that much slower than a CX bike.

I spent many, many, many hundreds of pounds “refurbishing” my battered Condor Pista. When it was resprayed I had them remove the bottle bosses and fill in the rear brake bridge so it wouldnt take a rear brake and could only be ridden fixed. Nice Halo wheels and cranks, Brooks Swift saddle, Paul Components brake lever. Shit I even put a Super Record brake on it. The whole thing was one great vanity project. It thought it was so pretty I stopped riding it in foul weather and bought another bike for commuting.

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The Breakfast Creek Hotel in Brisbane – the Brekky. Looks like they might have refurbed it since I was last there, but it it was a proper working man’s boozer back in the 1970s when I used to sell the afternoon paper in there and occasional accept a midi off the wood from a regular. My mum was a barmaid there for years till she met my step-dad in there. It’s still got the old Spanish Garden restaurant where you can bbq your own steaks – that will never change. Brilliant place.

Thanks for the replies but nope, not there. Im off to a VW dealer this weekend to sort it out. The tow bar isn’t a VW jobbie either so I might just have to learn to put up with it.

better still the wetscream for the hill which is just a mud chute most winters,

Defo this. Ive got a set of Wet Screams in my shed. Bought them in Morzine last year having taken DHR and DHF thinking they’d be fine. Nope. The Wet Screams are amazing in the slop but bloody scary anywhere you dont sink up to your rims.

Electric cars. Are the owners righteously smug?

Here’s the answer.

South Park Smug Alert

Yep, bought a commencal meta am1 26’er. Wanted one for ages. I hated it. Rode terrible due to the fox ctd rubbish

Me too. I replaced the Fox 32 with a Pike and it was far better, but it was a pig to pedal so it went after a year and Im back on a hard tail.

Octane 1 Zircus? My 13-year-old has one running a 150mm Revelation and it flies. He rides it everywhere – XC trail centres, to school. Drop the seat and it’s a great jump bike. He’s run it single speed but settled on 1×10 gears using the removable drop out gizmo that came with the frame.

http://octane-one.com/zircus-frame-2014/

Pinacle Iroko 1 – £640 at the mo. Runs a RS Recon fork and lots of Deore bits.