It’s not just as simple as a LNE from the commando to the car there are also signal pins and a handshake process and by the time you’ve bought a lead that can do this the cost isn’t much difference to a wall unit. The Ohme smart one mentioned above is £400!

Also to comply with BS7671 722 if your installing a dedicated commando for EV use it should be RCD protected and earthed as such, again bumping up costs. Whether you tell your electrician it’s for general purpose use is up to you?

IME a more expensive unit is easier to install and requires less additional ancillary devices so the total cost actually ends up similar/less than a cheaper unit.

Zappi, Podpoint and EO (and Anderson but they are £££)

It then depends on if you can claim the OLEV grant and if you need any of the features the additional cost brings.

Building Regs only apply to new build/extensions and major refurbs.

The replacement of a consumer unit is notifiable work.

I’m reliably informed a tacx neo is worth a few watts

Your havin’ a laugh. Check out the Dc rainmaker or gp llama reviews. They’re supposedly the most accurate trainer you can buy and don’t require any calibration. I’d trust someone on a Neo more than any other trainer.

Are you sure your not confusing it with a Vortex?

Trying to recall a conversation with a coach at Derbados. I think the red line is 6m further. Blue is 15 and the fence is 35. The white lines are the pursuit start lines at 200m.

I can’t get a GPS signal inside but do have the wheel & cadence sensor thingies and on a fairly standard 2hr SQT I do 40-50km.

https://www.komoot.com/tour/96768537

I’ll second the monastery climbs.

This was the “big day out” loop I put together for last time we were out in October. The roads North of Manacor to Arta are IMO some of the best on the island. Worth 2.6 Audax AAA points too if that’s your thing.

You do have to wonder about Rapha at times

https://byborre.com/collections/on-pattern-edition

It’s not Rapha. They are actually cheaper than the brand they’ve collaborated with.

Can’t believe it’s not been quoted yet….

Ice white shoes, ice white socks with navy blue double cadet stripes, shorts, t-shirt with chevron action flash, and a tossed pink sweater.

Only way I’ve found is create or import a route on connect.garmin.com. This then appears in the training/courses folder in connect app and can be transferred to my 820.

However the connect website is not mobile friendly!

Increase the budget and get a Gore Shakedry.

The holy grail of breathable and waterproof. I got mine when they were on sale for £140 but would happily pay full price to replace it.

ProbikeKit have currently got 4iii 5800 for £240 and 6800 for £270

I’ve got a pair of Raceface stash and really rate them but they are liner shorts only due to the large mesh sections on the legs.

Rapha are releasing a cheaper version (£110) of the cargo bibs next month.

1) As I’m sure your aware they work by doubling one side. My power balance is never perfect and usually around 54 / 46 so say for example at an FTP of 300 it could be reading anywhere between 312w and 288w add in the 2% accuracy margin most powermeters are rated at and the gap could be even further. Whether this matters is up to you? For zwift racing it could actually be a benefit!

2) Sorry had neither so can’t comment

3) My two Quarq Dzero’s work fine with an old 800.

4) I paid that for a unused Dzero BB30 carbon from the wiggle ebay outlet and paid £400 for a Dzero GXP aluminium from Merlin’s so definitely possible.

True to STW form of recommending what you own and being (slightly) over budget.

Focus Paralane 9.9

Mines last years so was cheaper but does without the carbon wheels.

any info on the units above?

Cheapest range Ikea kitchen units with a plywood worktop. They’re only 37cm deep rather than 60cm so not the biggest workspace but means I could still get a decent size car in that side if needs be.

There’s three 800wx1000hx370d wall cabinets on the other side and IIRC the lot was less than £500.

A timely thread. Just this weekend finished the flooring. Still need to swap the lights for led panels and maybe paint the ceiling (I realise this is the wrong order but got a v.good deal on the carpet tiles)

Before Jan 2017

After

Done the 200 twice with 35mm Gravelking SK’s with no issues.

There’s only 2 really rough sections that warrant anything bigger. Tubeless is a must though.

Ordered bars and a stem Thursday evening and also just had the dispatch email.

Early Rider Spherovelo

We bought ours when she was one, took until about 15 months before she showed any interest. She’s now also 21 months and we’ve recently removed the stabilisers (castors) and she fly’s round on it.

I’ve got a hand me down Spesh Hotrock which I’ll try her on when she’s 3.

There’s an Audax guide to hilliness (AAA points) with minimum rates of climbing of 15m/km for a 50km ride down to 11.67 for a 1000km ride

http://www.aukweb.net/results/aaa/aaavnts/aaaqual/

A useful guide to all things di2 :-

http://carltonbale.com/shimano-di2-everything-you-need-to-know/#chargers_pc_usb

Try the corrupt time fixer on fitfiletools.com

Has worked for me in the past when either Strava or Garmin connect has refused the file

– No idea how to deal with the rear brake hose, never done that. Do you need to empty it or disconnect at one end and block it ?

Take the lever off, you’ll need to chop a small amount off the hose to take the nut and olive off, feed the hose through the swing arm then into the underside of the down tube. Make sure you leave a loop of hose between the swing arm and down tube (like pic below) and test it at full compression. Feed hose out of right side of head tube, reconnect lever (you’ll need a new insert and olive) Bleed and your good to go.

I think that tells my story pretty well!

On for a sub 5 as hoped for but 2 punctures on Box hill with only one tube and glueless patches that refused to stick in the wet conditions mean’t I was standing around and thinking of how to abandon when a good Samaritan stopped and gave me a tube. Thanks so much who ever you were.

Finished in 5:31.

I really enjoyed it, thought it was really well organised and a good atmosphere. It’s expensive  for anyone not living local (over £3 a mile cycled when taking everything into account!) but I’d definitely do it again.

Another maintenance tip; Regularly remove and re-grease the collet axles or come bearing swap time you may find them seized in.

I was lucky and got away with a £40 bolt kit rather than a new back end!

DHB trail socks are borderline triathlete!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-trail-sock/

Another first timer here. I’m about £250 in so far and I’ve not even got there yet so it’d better be good!

From memory I think I put 5:30 but a sub 5 would be nice if everything goes well and it’s as fast as everyone says so?

I’m loving my new Diverge. It’s a Future Shock model so would be out of budget and was out of mine until a test ride convinced me to up it but the Camino, Pinnacle Arkrose and Cotic Escapade were all on the list. Again not test ridden any but all well regarded.

Just to give an example (and a humble brag) I’d say I was ‘reasonably fit’ with an ftp of around 4w/kg and I got up Hardknott on the Fred Whitton so 90 miles and 3000m+ climbing in the legs with a 34-28.

I haven’t got an on-bike power meter but strava estimates 270w average for the 10 and a bit minutes which I’d say wasn’t far off but it’s skewed cause there’s a flatish recovery section in between the proper hard bits. Peaks are around 600w.

http://www.barnfarmcamping.com/

Would recommend here. Great facilities – showers, shop, play area, etc. Pub just down the road.

Only downside is the bloody peacock screeching that’ll wake you up at dawn every morning 😉

I’d like to think they cover brick built garages. The line below is a copy and paste from their renewal email.

£unlimited Contents cover <b>(</b><b>would cover all your bikes at home</b><b> – <u>no limit in the garage unlike other insurers</u>)</b>

My first attempt too.

Got in via the reserve list with 2 weeks notice so pleased with a 7:52 and managing to get up Hardknott, Wynrose and the bonus finale on a 28 cassette.

I’d echo the comments about it being a fabulous event. The crowds cheering on the grass bank with about 10 miles to go are the closest I’ll ever get to feeling like a tour pro.

Tucked up in a motorhome I felt for all the jennriders bivvying in Saturday nights non-stop rain!

I realise it’s not post 24th June but what about

https://www.thedistance.cc

as a tryout / test ride.

Fits your requirement of a social, organised, group ride with some support if it all goes wrong. I believe it’s the team behind the Dirty Reiver so I’m sure it’ll be well organised.

I’m a 1000 miles up on this time last year, mainly due to Zwift but done plenty of 100-130km offroad rides, a few days road riding in Mallorca and the Flanders Sportive and was really looking forward to it this year.

However I had to collect my daughter from Nursery Monday due to illness and the walking germ factory seems to have passed on whatever it is she’s got!

Currently debating whether to bother with the Moors & Shores in the hope of being fully recovered for next weekend.

Hope 20five Wheelset?

Mine have been bombproof. Obviously not the lightest but standard J bend spokes, flexibility with various axle / freehub types and fairly easy (with the correct size tape) to setup tubeless.

~£550 from the likes of Athleteshop.

FRIDAY-13 will get you an extra 13% of that today only.

Bought my Drivo from them and had no issues.

I think I could do 2 weeks in whistler for about £2k with the cheapest accommodation possible and getting the cheapest flight possible on odd days.

We’ve booked for 2 weeks late August / September and paid £430 for flights and £450 for 2 weeks self catered accommodation.

Lift pass will be £300, Transfers £80, Upgrade to annual travel insurance policy £30 and I usually budget £50 a day so £700ish spends. Add on the other boring stuff you usually forget about (fuel to airport, airport parking, etc) and £2k per fortnight sounds about right.

 Boxelder’s one of the organisers, so I’m assuming he knows what he’s talking about. It might not have caused an issue for you, but from experience I expect it probably causes merry hell in the timing system…

Ahh right…then ignore me and listen to him then!

In my defence it wasn’t as if you had to jump a barrier or anything you got to the split and picked a direction.

From memory, no. That and the one after the 150km feed station seemed the steepest but obviously your feeling it by then.

I’m in again this year after saying I wouldn’t. All my talking it up convinced 3 mates to enter so I couldn’t really say no.

Setup will be same as last year, Crosslight Pro6 1×11 (38t – 11-36), 35mm Gravelking SK tubeless 50psi f+r. Mandatory kit and spares in a saddle bag and food in a top tube bag.

Did it under 10hrs last year so that box ticked I just want to enjoy it this time, hopefully the weather’s the same?

You can’t jump up to 200km on the day

I did with no issue last year. There’s a chip timing sensor just after the split so they know which way you’ve gone.