My advice to OP is that area between Notts and Lincoln is nice if a bit quiet, Newark is not that bad, just can be a bit insular. I would pick one of the budget hotels near the station in Nottingham and can then get the train to Lincoln really easily. If you really want stop off in Newark on the way to check out then is still an option, I think you can even see Tolney lane from the train on the way through.

Does anyone else on here who grew up in Newark remember using chinga.co.uk back in the day? This thread triggered me to have a look on the wayback machine at some of the archived conversation and now can’t believe it is not a parody. Warning if you dont remember is NSFW and needs some knowledge of Newark slang and also handy to know some of the local characters from the early 2000s.

The Galloway forest is great for cycling near CD. Loads of forest roads and can put together loops of the right length. Best options for where to be based if not still in CD are Gatehouse or maybe Mossdale so can get onto raiders road. Not so much in terms of singletrack but plenty of good views and spots to stop for a swim or a picnic.

I ride in a group of ebikes where mostly mid motor shimano and Bosch but one chap has the vibe. Keeps up fine 95% of time just on steep hills noticeable that needs lower gear or more effort. I switched bikes for one ride of 20miles to try and rode much lighter than my Bosch bike so felt more nimble. Battery being smaller seems to come out about same range.
Looks much smarter and more integrated than Bosch and came with nice rack, lights and pannier.
The main issue I found when riding was missed the speed display to know when at cut off speed. Also the app seems a bit flaky e.g. sometimes resets power settings and distance data is way off so consequently range estimates are not reliable.
No reliability issues so far

Drumlanrig trails are currently closed due to storm damage and I think heard is unlikely to reopen.

Mabie is OK with diversions still some of the good sections open, it had felling on sections before the storms so got away with less damage than Ae and Dalbeattie.

Glentress seems to have had most of the clean up work first so I think is fully open although haven’t ridden recently to know for definite

Dalbeattie core path is now cleared between town and the trailhead so if staying in the town then could have a cycle down through the town wood from the old primary school to the taster loops to make into more of a family cycle

Dalbeattie trails are still being cleared from storm damage.

The taster loops are open plus the majority of the blue but with diversions. Lots of the singletrack sections of the red is still covered in fallen trees and genuinely unrideable and needs a bit of knowledge to skip around on forest roads, not sure when will be officially open.

https://forestryandland.gov.scot/visit/dalbeattie

Mabie is open but with diversions

Kirroughtree is where we take visitors with kids because is a short fun blue which can do laps of whilst younger ones can sit in cafe when tired

We have a few ebikes we use for a community project to help people get out cycling. Is a rural area with some forest trails so similar to what you are looking at and ebikes are a game changer for making it easy to get out and get started to build up strength and fitness.

For what its worth a few of our riders have gone on and bought the lighter lower power ebikes like the jimi and others the full power models and both groups seems happy.

We find hardtail ebikes work really well a all rounder bikes but also in recent years a lot of the hybrid bikes can now fit 29″ mountain bike tyres and have front suspension too. Right now is probably more about what you can find available than getting too fixed on a particular make or model.

We have a cube shop nearby and they seem pretty good at having a good spread of sizes, their hybrid models in particular have the adjustable stems which help getting comfortable.

Wow that is a nice surprise, well chuffed.
Got drenched on the ride home from work so this is perfect timing to cheer me up and replace some worn out kit. Thank you

I would recommend panniers, I used to use a rucksack and is fine but there is something nice about not having a heavy bag on your back with laptops and clothes when on the road. A combination of comfort and not feeling weighted down as much. If the aim is to cycle as much as possible then make it as easy and enjoyable as possible. Was about £100 for a set of panniers but was worth it in my opinion and just click on and off the rack so no faff. Panniers also gives capacity to have option to carry a bit of shopping or swimming kit etc to do other things on journey.

Regarding cut off speed I have a bosch 2018 performance model and is pretty seamless transition, the power tapers gradually so the main give away is the noise of the motor. I find I pedal pretty much continuously for the whole ride at a comfortable cadence for me, if I drop below the limit then the motor gets me back up to it, once beyond it is just like a heavier bike. Definitely still get a workout, just faster overall and legs not as drained at the end of the week. This is with hybrid tyres not mtb tyres.

I have a cannondale tesoro neo x from a few years ago and has been great for me. It looks like they still sell a similar model but with a newer version of bosch motor. I got it to try simply because was nearby and cheap on ebay but having now used it one nice feature is that it can fit 29 mountain bike tyres which is handy if looking at any use on forest roads or fields.

I did look around at newer bikes recently to try to get a bigger battery and found the cube nuride hybrid was very similar design but in the end decided could not justify the spend just to get a bit more battery life but looked good and felt well built. I would not worry too much on the drivetrain spec because will get worn quick so better to have cheap replacements than slightly better shifts and wider range for me.

I know someone with the orbea vibe and is a lot neater set up than mine and is significantly lighter but lacks the suspension and wide tyre clearance and has lower overall assist levels. It did come with a nice pannier though.

I use an ebike on a 13 mile commute normally 3 times a week, any more and I find my legs are still a bit pooped by the weekend for regular bike rides

As others have said you will find best to just sit at the limit in a good cadence rather than push beyond but you will do this uphill and into headwind too so is probably still faster overall than a road bike and a lot less effort

I used to use eco but found sitting at speed limit in emtb is efficient enough to get there and back for me and is more fun

The nice thing is taking scenic or offroad routes on the way home on nice evenings or being able to detour to pick up shopping in town with panniers on way without the faff of parking so ticks off a job and breaks up the route

Is about 2x time for me compared to driving but OK once you plan in the routine and is quicker once there with being able to just park the bike outside

I bought a second hand hybrid ebike of ebay and is just used for commuting so have basic brakes and gears. I found that chains and rotors wear fast which I think is due to increased load and road grime. Not sure how I would feel if was a more expensive bike or components about using it so hard.

One bonus of an ebike is the lights run off the battery so no need to worry about charging lights. Another is that seem to get much better driver behaviour on fast rural roads on a hybrid compared to when I used to do the same route and time on a road bike, I think is a combination of doing a consistent speed for them to pass and also just the look of carrying panniers and sitting more upright means they give wider berth.

Have you tried cooking on a pizza stone in a hot oven? from my own trials seems to be the best way to cook and
dead easy to cook a batch whilst waiting for pizza dough to be ready on pizza night

On fillings I personally like pesto in a hot pitta, is coming up to wild garlic season too!

The derailleur does look a wee bit stretched when compressed in lowest gear but adding 4 links would take you beyond the length of most standard 10 speed chains which come in at 114 or 116 links.

If was me would probably try to find a 116 link standard chain and just run it to see if is OK e.g.
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/shimano-deore-hg54-hg-x-10-speed-chain

Ebike specific chains are about twice this price e.g. the ex1 chain recommended above but the value is up to you and if you will get twice the life
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/sram-pcex1-e-mtb-chain

There is a guide here on chainlength if you want to work it out from scratch with 1x nearer the bottom:

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/chain-length-sizing

Is pretty simple but if you have rear suspension then need to make the calculation at the point of maximum chain length in the suspension stroke

2x normal chain might still be cheaper than a single ebike chain though!

Not sure whether they last any longer but worth checking the length of chain you need which might decide if you need an ebike specific chain.

We have a fleet of ebikes with 9 and 10 speed drivetrains and find that normal chains are not long enough.

The combination of wide(ish) 42t cassette, long chainstays and bigger chainrings (38t) mean we need 118 or 120 link chains to get a correct fit.
standard 9 and 10 speed chains are normally 114 or 116 links, ebike specifc chains are often 124 or 126 link

another option is cheaper normal 11 and 12 speed chains which are generally long enough because they are designed for 50t cassettes and work ok on 1x drivetrains.

On a 26 inbred I needed to use a rack designed to fit around the disc brake fitted on the top of the seatstay. I went for a Blackburn local rack which had the offset built in to the feet at the bottom of the legs. My original rack with straight legs clashed with the brake.

This thread got me looking at upgrading to some newer waterproof panniers and found that the ortlieb sport rollers recommended above are on offer in a few places including Tri Uk if anyone is looking

https://www.triuk.com/sale#brand=Ortlieb

Have no experience myself but at 50% off brings them down to a similar price to other options, just hope it is not another garmin solar type typo!

There are two more in SW scotland which refurbish bikes and provide repairs:
Fin at Stranraer reuse https://www.facebook.com/communityreuseshop and Danny at Wheels of fleet https://www.facebook.com/wheelsoffleet

Both are in great locations for cycling but do not have a local bike shop so provide a vital community service for those who cannot get to CD or Newton Stewart

If you can put up with the freewheel noise the pro build wheels might suit
https://www.merlincycles.com/pro-build-chosen-hub-alex-volar-trail-wheels-29-82077.html

Add a bit for valves, tape and QR front hub adapter and should still be under £200

https://www.merlincycles.com/pro-build-chosen-hub-axle-conversion-kit-85174.html

Have had mine on a hardtail for a couple of years and have been great apart from the high pitched freewheel noise although the trade off is really fast engaging hub

I help out at a local project where we do free ebike rides and lessons to help people get started on their own ebikes. The advice so far on weight is good, but in our experience is also about where the weight is. We find that the mid drive bikes with a downtube or seat tube battery seem to be a lot more confidence inspiring than the hub drive and rack mounted battery versions. Have had several people come through to us who bought their bikes but then lost control and fell so lost confidence to use them despite being ok riding a non assist bike. It doesn’t seem to matter when moving it is more at junctions and low speed manouvering where they can take more effort to handle if the weight is higher up or the feel of being pushed by the hub drive can be unsettling. Probably not noticeable for most people but if already a bit cautious then can knock confidence.
All our fleet are mid drive and mostly step through which seems to be the most popular option for ease of getting on and off.

Some good suggestions so far near mabie, shambelie is great for just wandering and seeing where the paths take you and have some good short sections of biking. Have orienteered there a couple of times and the map struggles to keep up with what is on the ground.

Would also support the coast path round to rockcliffe is great and easy to follow although one for walking not biking maybe.

I find the D&G core paths network can be quite handy for finding rideable stuff, if a path is on the list here it is generally well used to be clear and if lucky there will be some sections ridden in off the main route just keep eyes out.

https://info.dumgal.gov.uk/mapviewers/pathsmap.aspx

Worth a try getting someone to pick up for free, in my experience people will do a lot for free stuff. Have had both ways, found someone willing to take up a load of concrete slabs on our drive for free (less than an hour on gumtree) then replaced with some decorative paving I took up for someone else for free (found on Facebook market place and apparently could have had several people take them)

No bother, maybe chilled is not quite the right word I should have used, maybe more even effort which helps keep a mixed group together. A better way may be to say the D&G 7 stanes are more like an hour or two of technical riding round a forest compared to the kind of uphill slog/downhill blast/uphill/downhill rhythm which seems more common at other trail centres. Both are fun in their way but a different experience which is why when we have visitors ride with us here can take a couple of goes to get dialled in. Compared to other places the D&G trails have not been really updated since built so other than AE there are not many flowy jump type sections in the trails you see elsewhere, the difficulty is more from just consistently having smaller technical rocky sections all round.

Maybe worth double checking which stanes, there is a bit of variation in style and terrain across them. Had assumed that if in CD would be going to Dalbeattie, Mabie, Kirroughtree and Ae (and possibly Drumlanrig although not sure if still felling ongoing). These are all a bit more chilled and undulating with features on the way than compared to Glentress which does have bigger, longer descents and would say is more like the south Wales trails centres and you might see people in armour or full face. Ae might be the one which straddles the type of riding.

The D&G 7 stanes are the nearest centres to us, all the reds are great for a couple of hours fun riding. I haven’t really ridden at trail centres in England so is not a personal comparison but my observation would be that when have taken partners family from England around the local 7 stanes they took a few goes to get used to the rocks on descents and drops. Not necessarily harder than what they are used to, just different and so felt exposed.
No massive climbs at any so is easier to keep together as a family group than at some trail centres too. Would add that we tried the blues to start with for kids but found that the amount of fire roads at Dalbeattie and Mabie meant they preferred the reds for more interest even though a bit longer and harder. Kirroughtree Blue is worth a couple of laps though.

I used to use the ultra tacky version and really liked them for grip and comfort.

As a comparision I recently tried a set of ODI vapours Still on the first set but would say they are a good comparison for size and feel although don’t have the same stickyness to your hand (maybe a good thing – the reason for changing was got fed up of the renthals wearing out fast and leaving little black bits on my hands)

I used Oury grips years ago and thought they were good although in hindsight I hadn’t tried much to compare to at the time. They are definitely chunkier under your hands than the renthals but I would say that although the ourys are soft they are smoother than the others so slippier in rain and with muddy hands.

Cool thank you for the advice, sorry for putting you on the spot, just interested to seeing a successful set up. Will give voile straps a try, have only heard good things so will just get on and get some and give it a go.

Thanks for posting, looks really peaceful in those pictures. Do you have any good tips or sources for securing the bike? Recently got a basic packraft off ebay, have only tried a few test runs on flat lochs so far but couldn’t find a good balance of bike being snugly tied down and not interfering with paddling and feeling unsteady. Pushing bike further towards bow felt too unstable for me, plus am still well over 20 min faff before get going properly. Using paracord but thinking that voile straps or similar might be simpler and secure better but also dearer.
On location tips, have only been able to go local to me in Dumfries and galloway so far with packraft so has been a bit artificial and only short trips but still plenty of options. Further afield would back up the knoydart idea, had one of best holidays ever camping and canoeing up west coast in knoydart area, highly recommend. If had had a bike /packraft combo would possibly have been a good way to break up some of longer paddles and avoid the exposed sections going in and out of lochs.

We run a scheme locally with help from Sustrans to get people trials of ebikes and help with skills for getting them on the road.

We have had several people come through recently in similar age range who have bought an ebike and then really struggled to manage it due to weight or compromises in bike build. Each case is personal but a few observations from this are:
– If you can avoid one with a battery on the rear rack, this puts more weight higher up and so can struggle when slowing and stopping
– rear hub motors seem to also put people off when cornering slowly, hard to describe but feel more like being pushed than with mid drive so less in control and so less likely to enjoy and then more nervous when manouvering
– less universal but the handlebars also seem to make a difference when needing to hold the weight of an ebike and steer, have had a few owners with very upright or swept bars which look really cool but were just not feeling confident with handling which then led to not nerves when cornering or on rough surface. moving to a more conventional bike for sessions made a big difference

We use a few style for lessons ourselves but the step through cubes are generally a favourite. They have a good weight distribution and a well chosen and low faff build e.g. tyres, brakes, bars are all confidence inspiring and come with a rack and guards standard

We have one with automatic gears which are a bit marmite but can also make a difference for non cyclists as removing a barrier to getting on a bike.

if you are after a glaze finish rather than anything decorative then I think a salt glaze is probably the best thing to try. Salt glazing used to be used for things like drainage pipes so is low tech and robust. add salt once hot, I think water content and impurities are what gives different finishes.

ash can be applied mixed with water or dry, it will not make waterproof, it is more about decoration. results will vary depending on temperature and air when burning

the outcome of any pottery using fire or natural glazes will be about luck and unrepeatable, enjoy the process and you may get something cool out the other end

A salt glaze or ash glaze might get results and should be a fun process

Salt glazes finishes are from adding to kiln at when at high temperature and the salt has a chemical reaction with the surface of the pot. I think if does not get hot enough it wont glaze, not sure if it would still change colour but wont get the salt glaze finish

An ash glaze is a bit more hit and miss on finish and is more experimental depending on the temperature you reach and the type of ash you put on the reaction will be different. You will get a colour but finish is impossible to predict.

If you have tongs you can also put a hot pot on anything combustible e.g. staw, hair.. and will get random reactions, wont be a glaze but will add colours and pattern

If you can force air in e.g. leafblower then can get really hot to get the chemical reactions going but not always controlled! probably risky in a chimera but a metal bin should be ok.

A traditional glaze type finish is probably not achievable both from getting materials locally and also getting a high and controlled temperature

Would be interested to see results

We have an Epson eco tank and is very low faff and ink lasts for a long time, much longer than cartridges, one refil in 3 years. Not super fast for general prints though and high quality takes ages

We started on a poly tunnel and then expanded to animal sheds and then one section of house as refurbished. Plan to do rest of house with rainwater but not grey water. We are not on mains supply and did it to take pressure off communal loch in summer.

Some tips from my own experiences doing it on the cheap:

– black ibc tanks are a cheap storage solution for water. Cost £25 second hand from our local animal feed supplier and have valves etc built in. Just make sure previous contents are harmless.
– 3 stage rain water filtering with gravel, particle filter then UV seems to work well
– grey water filtering is a lot harder and pretty grim, we tried with just a washing machine and as already mentioned means you end up pretty much doubling your plumbing and filtering.

We have ebikes stored in an ISO container for loaning out. Do not underestimate the space needed for getting access for removing plug covers, plugging in charging cables and checking displays in situ. Can be fiddly and really frustrating in a limited space and prevents achieving storage spacing would expect just from bike size alone. Also yet to come up with a good system for ordering sizes, no matter what I do I inevitably need to get one from the back!

Have had 9 speed advent on a commute bike for about a year with no bother and got 10 speed a few months ago to replace a worn out 1×11 on a budget earlier in the year. Works great and feels about as robust as the slx it replaced and actually had a wider range 48t v 42t. A couple of things to think about though; the shifter is band only so for me had to compromise on positioning to get sitting nicely with brakes. I also struggled to find a long enough chain, most 10 speed were in the 114 link area which was just too short on a large 29er full suss, in the end found a kmc ebike chain which had enough length. Sorry can’t help on sourcing, I bought from bike24 but they are now out of stock. Although advent works great not sure if value is worth it given risk of not being able to get replacement parts due to apparent rarity in uk

Cannot recommend mezcal on front. Put some mezcals on my commuter bike to use on local forest roads during lockdown where full suss is overkill. Rear is good but front has washed out a couple of times. That is dry dusty and pebbly tracks. Have stuck with it for now and just ride within capability of tyre but definitely not confidence inspiring.

Apparently the Pnw coast dropper post is the first in the world
40mm suspension travel
Only 120mm drop though
I saw these launched last year but then couldn’t find anyone selling in the UK so just got a normal post. Reviews on their own site seem pretty positive though.

COAST SUSPENSION DROPPER POST

I managed to get an advent X drivetrain from bike24 in Germany which arrived last week. They seem to only have a few bits of advent X left now but look to have more in 6-8 days.
Have only had a couple of rides so far but pretty pleased. The cassette in particular is much nicer than the 9 speed advent.
A couple of things to think about though: The shifter has a band clamp mount only, has quite a blocky body and has short ish levers which I found hard to get to sit nicely with my brake lever (trip slate). I ended up needing to increase the gap between brake and grip and fitting shifter clamp in between to get a comfortable enough lever angle and position.
On a large 29er with 32t chainring I needed 120 links for max chainstay length. The only 10 speed chain I could find long enough was a kmc e bike chain. Most 10 speed chains are not designed for such a big cassette so are 114 or 116 links as far as I could see.

This video was released last week when he went into hospital was really heartwarming:

I use both viewranger and OS Maps depending on circumstances.
OS maps app has got a a lot more stable and user friendly over the years and now seems ok with downloaded maps. If you are lucky to have bought a hardcopy map in the last few years then there will be a code inside the cover which lets you download that to your phone for free which is really handy for having a detailed map for small scale navigation or replanning routes.
For following shared or pre planned routes I find viewranger much easier to use and I like knowing I have the buddy beacon feature which has genuinely been useful for getting picked up after a catastrophic wheel break. Viewranger does let you buy OS map tiles in app but I have stuck with the OS maps for this simply because I didn’t want to pay twice. If starting from scratch then I would maybe go pure viewranger.