(PS Re: eccolafilosofiadelpedale – I didn't spray the teflon on the dent, but at the base of the crank arm and a few other areas that looked to be rubbing slightly. Think it may be time for a service for the bike and some fresh grease too).

Thanks very much indeed for your replies and suggestions. I've just had a detailed look after washing it and there are definitely no cracks and the dent doesn't impinge on the BB at all. Not a pointed base (which I assume would be more likely to lead to a crack?). Interestingly, mine's also an…..EX8. Must have a softer underbelly than most. I like the idea of a cut up tyre and I'll try that tonight. I kich up stones the size of housebricks on one local downhill section and the tyre will help, I'm sure. I guess my main concern was whether these dents need/can be repaired and whether they herald bigger problems. Could be a market out there for an entrepreneur to market shields for these. There are 2 allen key bolts on the underside and would be ideal to bolt on a light sacrificial shield.
Slightly off topic, the dent is down to bare aluminium approx 1cm diam. There's no absolute need to paint this over is there? Was going to leave it (I don't mind battle scars as long as I'm not ignoring something that needs sorting to prevent bigger problems later).
Can aluminium frames ever be repaired or are they all scrapped when cracked?

Is that the Pace A4 carbon armour sheet? Reassuring to hear that your frame is ok with a similar dent. I'm guessing that if it did get worse, it couldn't be fixed? Interestingly, whatever made the dent didn't mark the weld (harder?) but clearly dented the aluminium next to it. My only concern is that the thing that alerted me to it was that I had a creaking when pedalling yesterday (hollow BB) but that went after a squirt of teflon spray and I think was due to crankarm rubbing crud at BB slightly. I hope.

The actual bag itself is as comfortable to wear, the fabric is as tough, the zips haven't broken and it carries the same kit transferred over with no more free space, despite what spec says. It's even suspiciously similar in construction. The bladder isn't as big, granted, and the Camelbak bladder is better quality, but that's easy to replace and still cheaper. Honestly, I was expecting problems and far worse and it hasn't materialised.
Memories of working in a cake factory as a student. Memory Lane version = middle price, M&S version = top price, Sainsburies version = cheapest. Same cake, different box. Same production line. Camelbak is better, but not by much an no way enough to justify the massive markup. Seriously.

I agree with the buy cheap buy twice ethos, but I've been genuinely surprised by this. I actually bought the Tesco pack last year on offer at less than £10. "Nothing to lose", I thought. It has not caused any problem at all and is still as good as new. My son wanted a pack and I've donated it to him and bought a Mule because I thought it would be way better. It's not, you know. OK it is better but not even twice as good let alone several times the price. King's new clothes, gentlemen?

If you go through the wildlife park bit, you have the option of avoiding the monkey bit and I would if I were you. Have had friends have aerials pulled off, windscreen wipers pulled off and rubber teased out of window surround. Seriously.

Last time I went, there was a separate entrance for the house only. If memory serves, it was the entrance directly off the roundabout. Have a great time. Your daughter will love it. Our kids did.

Maybe not.

Helicopter?

and he's a pal of that musical genius, Jeff Lynne, too.

Yeah, but on a pig? I don't think so. I remember getting the same feeling when eating a roulade in a fancy French bistro that bore an uncanny resemblance to a cross section of seminiferous tubule (Google it). I remember stopping chewing at the precise moment that the penny dropped and the contents of my mouth kinda dribbled back out onto the plate, much to the consternation of my dining companion and adjoining tables

Dammit. Meant to post under "chat" not "bike". Many apologies.

Thanks for all those helpful comments. Crabbing with the kids, fish and chips and good pubs will suit me fine. Time for a visit! What beaches are worth a visit?

Adnams, you say? Sounds promising. Thanks also for your comments Ton and Kevin1911. Any other good points about the area?

I've got a bit of a squint and a limp. Does that mean I'll be considered a bit "tasty"? Can't see the wife taking too kindly to me getting my @rse pinched by the locals every five minutes……

This evening I decided to try the "pump them to 120psi" method to seat my tyres properly. Trouble is, my track pump hasn't got a pressure gauge. Never mind – my car tyres are pretty solid at 30psi, so I thought I'd just pump them that hard, then add four times as much. Easy peasy.
So I'm stood in the garage, pumping for a good 5 mins, when my wife comes in to get some peas out of the fridge/freezer.
"What are you doing?" Pfft, pfft, pfft.
"Getting my tyres to fit properly" pfft, pfft, pfft
"Dinner will be 20 minutes" pfft, pfft pfft, pfft
"Great" pffffft, pffffffffft, pffffffffffffft
The handle is needing my full weight behind it now to push down on the pump. Pffffffffffffft
Wife's rummaging around the freezer drawer at floor level with fridge door open above and all is well with the world. Pffffffffffffffffffffft.
"Are you going out on your bi…"….BANG!!!!!!!!
THE-FRIGHT-OF-MY-LIFE. My wife jumps up, hits her head on the open fridge door, bottles of lager and vegetables roll out and crash on the floor. Meanwhile, the dog has run into the wall, yelping, and has limped ever since. My wife, wobbling from head to foot and eyeballs oscillating, then gives me a right ear bashing (wasted on me though because I can't hear anything through the tinnitus) and has been speaking in loud tones ever since. Through the window, the neighbours are all out, shrugging quizzically at each other and looking to the sky. Now I've got a tremor so bad that I can't put a cuppa to my thick lip and my wife's suddenly wearing a different pair of jeans (which I hope is a result of spilled lager but I daren't ask in case not)
My brother says I've got it all wrong and that I should learn how to spray lighter fluid on the rim and set it alight, because they self inflate and snap on the rim nicely that way. I learned to buy a track pump with a pressure gauge instead of relying on guesswork and that soapy water/GT85 probably works better.

Great advice. I think that may well be the problem. Thanks very much. I'll try that.

Great post. I'm relatively new to MTB riding and never had the problem with 700c tyres. I thought that I'd bucked my wheel and riding at speed, the wheel wobbled and rattled as if it was oval not round. Also a strange "on-off" feel when braking too. After lots of head scratching, I'd ruled out buckled wheel and narrowed it down to poorly seated tyre. Is this common? I've tried manipulating the tyre into the rim but it always seems to "unseat" itself. Haven't tried the 60psi method yet, though……

It's because you feel vulnerable. I try to fight these feelings of aggression when on the bike if I feel indimidated by the dangerous activities of others. Gandhi was right. That said, I remember a 6'3" member of a road cycling club 20 years ago who was prone to "giving it back 200%" when threatened by others. I witnessed him cut up by an idiot in a mini, only for him to pull a screwdriver out of his pocket and at the next junction, slam it down on the roof (it went right through). Mini driver drove off at speed with the handle sticking out of the roof. On another occasion, he was severely cut up by a bus (and when shouted at, the driver had the poor judgement to flash a quick "V" with the fingers as he drove off). He didn't bargain on the cyclist pursuing him at speed and when he got to the next bus stop, he had caught up and waited patiently in the queue to confront the driver. Driver was ashen white taking the fares and when my fellow cyclist got to the front of the queue, dragged him out of his seat and I gather it got a bit physical thereafter. I don't condone any of this, but the cyclist was not particularly violent at other times. Only seemed to happen when on the bike.

They're partial to a bit of warm flesh, by all accounts and not too choosy whether animal of human. Brushing against the undergrowth seems to do it. Because their mouthpieces carry a sort of anaesthetic, you don't feel any discomfort when they latch on and the only way you find them is by actively checking yourself over after each ride (or getting somebody else todo it). They're the size of a poppy seed when empty but can remain latched on for days and engorge themselve with your blood until they are the size of a split pea. During this time they puke borrelia into your system. Sleep well.

I've got to ask – what is its mode of action? [gulp]

Oh, and the antibiotics make you throw up and feel like $hite, but far better than the consequences of Borrelia infection. How many mountainbikers on here feel worn out and tired all the time and lots of odd "unnaccountable" symptoms after unknowingly getting bitten in the past, I wonder?

That's far from being the first tick of the season. I had the "pleasure" of 2 weeks antibiotics about a month ago after getting a tick and (incorrectly) brushing it off and subsequently getting "that rash". The reason you use the fine toothed tweezers is that they can carry a bug called Borrelia in their gut and if you mash them, they regurgitate their gut contents into your bloodstream and give you the infection. If you grasp the mouthpiece with fine toothed tweezers it stops the gut contents from chucking up into you. Charming, I'm sure you'll agree. If you want to know what the rash looks like there's a useful blog on this at this medical website

We last went a couple of years ago, so please check that my information is still up to date.
Firstly, you can use Tesco clubcard points to get your tickets. Need to plan it in advance because it takes a few days to get the vouchers sent through etc. If you're staying in any local hotels and planning to buy your own tickets, some of the hotels do deals where ticket/overnight stay works out cheaper. We stayed in the Copthorne on Slough (or "Slough-Windsor" as the marketing people like to call it). It was very close to Legoland and convenient.
If you're going at a "busy time" you can pre-buy your tickets so that you can go through a fast track lane and avoid the queues. Sweets and food can be expensive, so taking your own stuff can work out a lot cheaper. I'd recommend getting there for opening (or just before) if you want to avoid the worst of the queues but beware, when you're through the main turnstiles and think you're in, you're actually held in a sort of waiting area (full of shops and merchandise – a nice touch….) so that your kids can have plenty of opportunity to pester you to buy before you even get in. Finally, the popular rides quickly develop queues. Somebody advised us to make your way straight to the furthermost part of the complex and work back rather than follow the herd and work your way along – that worked realy well for us, such that the kids had a great day and we spent more time having fun and less time queuing. Your kids will love it. Beware if you have really young kids (under five) because some of the rides have restrictions and they may not be able to go on them. If you have more than 2 children, also be aware that some rides are 1 child with 1 accompanying adult so you end up having to go through twice (with twice the queuing) so that everyone has a go (unless you also take grandparents) Hope that this helps.

Mind you, I was proud of my efforts when I finished because I'd swear that the tyres were a good 3 inches less in diameter than the front wheel before I put them on.

And here's another thing. Directional tyres. If I put them on backwards, will I slow down faster?
Maybe not.

My thoughts exactly as I sweated through the second wheel……

Just clicked on the link. Fabulous pics. Hats off to you. Sums up what mountainbiking's all about for me.

Coat the spears with olive oil, place them on a smoking hot griddle and turn once. A few seconds before you remove them, squeeze freshly cut lemon over the little blighters then place on a hot plate. Pick the spears up with your fingers and dip them in balsamic vinegar. If it dribbles down your chin, even better. All you need then is a chilled glass of wine, good company and a fine sunset.

I'm all for people not choosing to. As Billy Connolly says "Do as you damn well pleasy". But why so many? Just strikes me as very odd when the weather is perfect. (PS Has there ever been a better day to get out on the bike? Perfect temperature, sunny, wild flowers starting to burst through. Perfect. Best ride of the year this afternoon)

"Patricks" on the Mumbles is great. Superb steak and very friendly, charismatic staff. One of the best places to eat in Swansea and way better than any of the national franchises by a country mile.

I guess that it all depends on your attitude towards "evacuating" whilst in the standing position. Provided you have no objections and your physique allows, you could probably get away with a floor space of about 18 inches by 18 inches. However, I doubt if you'd get anything "off the shelf" to suit your needs and would probably have to construct some sort of Heath Robinson apparatus involving plastic guttering and a trap door. I would also budget for a pullcord to activate the mechanism, so as to avoid soiling your fingers.
Don't forget to allow an extra 2 inches headroom for the inevitable flexing of the toes prior to "the shake" at the end.

Enjoy it, CHB. I've been running one from new for the past 4 yrs and we absolutely love it. Ours has been ultra reliable (I've done it now….). I bought mine because one of my jobs demands a 4×4 (at least one person owes their life to it) and we are a family of 6, so need the seats. It's absolutely perfact for a family, tough as old boots and very, very well thought out. Although there are much better 4x4s for proper mucky offroad stuff, mine coped admirably during this winters snow and got to areas that ordinary vehicles couldn't due to the "winter" button and ground clearance. The only downsides are the rough engine (compared to other manufacturers diesels) and appetite for front tyres no matter how carefully you drive. I would strongly recommend independant Volvo specialists rather than the dealers. Everyone I know loves theirs.
I once heard someone mutter something derogatory about 4x4s as they walked past in a car park last year. It really highlighted to me the ignorance that is sometimes attached to this blanket hatred of 4x4s. As a family we cycle everywhere, only use the car when we have to. I paid extra for a special catalytic thing on the front of the car (I think it was called "premair" or similar) that converts ground level ozone to oxygen (may be hype, but felt responsible to "do my bit"), it's diesel and the car is used for my work which involves a "lifesaving" element and access all weathers if that doesn't sound too dramatic. Enjoy it. Best car I've ever owned by a mile and I'd buy another without a moments hesitation.

(I think it was called "Cellars" and just down the road from KwikFit, same side of the road. Was a long time ago, though, so not sure if still there)

I agree. Just wonder how long it will take for somebody to turn up and try to convince us that it's another essential performance enhancing option for the bike.

There used to be a homebrew shop on Cowbridge Rd, Cardiff. I've tried it in the past and was surprised at how drinkable the beer was. From memory, you'll need a large plastic bucket about the size of a beer barrel. A warm place to keep it (or a heater). Add ingredients (I used one of the kits and results were good). Then when done siphon into bottles or a large plastic pressurised barrel. It then undergoes secondary fermentation in the barrel and pressure builds up. Unless you get your mates round and polish off 40 pints in one sitting, it's worth using a CO2 cylinder to keep the barrel charged up. Only other thing you'll need is tubing to siphon out into barrel or bottles and something to sterilize the lot. It was a long time ago that I tried it, but that's about it. I used barrel instead of bottles, because I couldn't be bothered with sterilising all the bottles. Surprisingly easy and good results. You'll see a lot of your friends too!

Crank your rebound up to the max and gun it.
Top tip: Wear a gentleman's support.

I've used rugdoctor before when we moved in to a new house where a few of the old carpets were retained. It's reasonably good and cheap. However, the last time we had our carpets cleaned we used these and the difference was incredible. Vastly superior to rugdoctor and the carpets were dry afterwards. I thought that one carpet was beyond cleaning (just finished a 9 month extension job and ground in dust creeped in everywhere. The results were astonishing and way beyond what a rugdoctor would have achieved. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again and so far superior to rug doctor that they were worth the extra outlay. We also paid MUCH less for them than your professional quote too. I was under the impression that they're local (Cardiff) but looking at the URL they cover the UK too. I would say that if you just want to spruce up a mildly dirty carpet, go rugdoctor. If the carpets really dirty and you literally want them like new, then I would use Queensland every time.

Many thanks for your suggestions. I guess the take home message is that I need to crank the rebound up to the max and try it again tonight quickly before the sun goes down. I guess it would have spared the reproductive organs if I'd avoided flat pedals too, although I'm a bit of a liability with cleats, it has to be said.

I'm sure to a non-mountainbiking casual observer it would have looked hugely impressive as it was the kind of manouvre rarely seen outside of the circus environment. I have to say that I felt very relaxed on the run up and there was a certain anticipatory excitement as I hit the hump at speed. It was the experience of reaching down for the handlebars, mid air, that I found a little disconcerting. Would a hardtail have allowed me to do this properly easier or do you think that the dual suss simply potentiated my own inadequacy?