Careful wth DEETn- it’s an excellent solvent, wrecks clothes and paint, and stings like #%#% when you start sweating or it goes in your eyes.

Buts it’s very effective…

My vote is for Bombay. But then I get it cheap at work.

Lime. And +1 for Fevertree tonic.

Go to the Lakes and try some ‘natural’ trail riding? Loads of routes on here and other mtb mags websites, stunning scenery, great towns (Ambleside Keswick especially) great local beer, motor home friendly with lots of lay-bsy, car parks and camp sites.

Toby1 has it. Any one who wears their holiness so publicly will definitely have some interesting specialist bookmarks on their browser.

Mech hangar?

Where are you going? Sounds like a good trip!

This is a tale that neatly highlights the dangers of teetotalism.

Oh as a 100kg-er I was recommended 36H rear and 32 front for spoke numbers. But went 36 both ends to be sure!

I weigh a little more than you. I trashed the stock wheels that came with my road bike fairly quickly. I was recommended a guy who built lots of the Gloucester Rugby boys’ road bikes. He recommended Mavic Open Pros, DT Swiss spokes, but I couldn’t afford CK hubs! This build with CKs would suit your budget. The wheels are excellent and I’ve done long days (100 miles) and fast (for me) days on crappy rods and they are reliable, confidence-inspiring and true! And if you’re in the South West and want his details email me!

Bigjim – I have a flock of Quail too. Cute little things! Thanks for the stoat info. The quail live in an aviary that is sitting on a slab base so I think they’ll be ok. Will stoats go for hens too? And do they come out in the day?

Wrt to the buzzard, I kill the rats despite more coming – it’s just a question of species.

Count zero – 10M square 2m high pen. Quite a lot of wire! PITA when they all used to mooch happily around in my field during the day.

Hmmmmmm I have mixed opinions about this. I keep free-range hens in my garden. I have had one killed and one nearly decapitated by the local Buzzard so far this spring. I would like to shoot this Buzzard to protect my hens if was allowed to but I’m not so I have spent a lot of time and money building a pen with a mesh roof to protect the rest of the chickens. Not an option for gamekeepers / farmers in the article mentioned. Whilst some may disagree with gamekeepers work – if the eagles are affecting their livelihood, what to do?

But I love the idea of Eagles and fundamentally disagree with poisoning them. Why do we promote one species over others?

Edit for spelling.

Went to the FOD mini Enduro last year to watch. I’d go somewhere else if you want to ride if I were you. Busy everywhere.

My opinion is that at this price range it’s all about wheels, frame material less important. In order to get a bike with Ultegra out for £800ish something’s gotta be cheap and a bike with a £100 wheel set is going to be crap no matter how good the frame/group.

I bought my first road bike last year with £1k. I got full 105, disc brakes, carbon forks but rubbish rubbish wheels which nearly made me give up road riding. New wheels have turned it into a different bike altogether.

I have come to consider my BB30 as a consumable that needs either re-greasing or replacing every 1000 miles or so (road bike).

iolo I agree that this is truly awful…. If it’s true and did happen. At the moment it’s only an accusation.

+1 as early as possible especially when here’s an event on at the destination

The other thing to keep in mind is there are many options in terms of steerer diameter, shape etc and seat post diameter etc.

If you buy from your your shop it’s their problem to get that right and also no worry for you about damage /loss in the post.

Decide what you think is a reasonable price for fitting/peace of mind, add the wiggle price, and go in and start with that figure. They want your business.

Chickens. Fence off a bit of the garden and you and your son can enjoy their company, bit of cleaning out and feeding and the eggs of course. Really very easy to look after as long as you have an automatic door opener/closer.

Growing easy stuff like sunflowers courgettes is another enjoyable thing for you both.

When the vet takes the dressing off and if it still needs a bit of protection for a bit – baby socks from the supermarket held on with tape works a treat.

Mental stimulation, games, tricks etc as above. I know what a PIA an active dog that can’t be exercised is too!

Thank you all for a delightful thread.

I may have to go and get my first tattoo simply to a) ensure the enduring disdain of and b)guarantee I can never be employed by Shib.

Chapeau bearnecesites.

Blood tests. Which is quite annoying because I have to have one every year for my work medical certificate.

Its not the needle, I can have a jab without worrying me at all. It’s something hugely unsettling that puts me into a stressy upset state for weeks before. And when she does it to me I get the cold sweat, dizzy, faint! I know it’s going to happen, I’m a rational person so I try to reason it out but it’s a phobia that I can’t seem to control.

Piars Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan

Nokia 6310 hands down.

10 days battery. It was a badass too – ran it over on my bike twice, dropped it down wooden stairs.

And snakes. Nuff said.

+1 Car Talk.

Don’t know why it works but it’s just bloody brilliant.

Extraordinary. 260 km and shitloads of climbing and he can still outthink and sprint for a finish.

Very interesting watching them ‘bully’, break and drop Sagan when he got alone at the 50km ish to go mark. Just shows how vital it is to have decent teammates.

That cambs number 2 nearly went in.

I like Peover Superior.

Hehehe Bamboo – I used to rent an apartment in Halsey Hall, Hasley Knob!

Where is Dollar? Love it!

OP – conti Gatorskins are cheaper than the other suggestions so far and I have done 1000 miles of road cycling so far without puncturing. I run them at 90psi. Go for 28mm I suggest to lessen the comfort and handling difference between what you’re currently running. But you will fell the difference between these and your commuting tyres definitely, I swapped 35mm semi slick CX tyres off for these Gatorsknins and was considerably faster.

Will keep my eyes out, riding welland, castlemorton, hanleys upton today.

My LBS is a huge fan of x-fusion for that money. His opinion, and he’s a bit of a sage, is that that x-fusion slide is real quality and value.

Huge yes.imagine how good the food would be.

Where are you BBQ? South West Bike Builders in glouscester did my open pro/hope build – pleasure to do business with.

Interesting thread. I don’t commute on my bike and I’m not training to race so I have an allotted number of hours I can get off family stuff to ride each week. Riding to stay fit and because riding bikes is great.

Pre-strava I used to go and ride but I started to get fixated this time last year on miles in the bank. Basically stopped mtbing and just rode the CX on road to get the stats up.

All that changed when I my road bike was trashed and I was waiting for new wheels for 2 weeks recently. I went out on the mtb and really enjoyed it! So I’d say quantity and quality are both important. And I suppose I think miles isn’t a benchmark against other people, only for you week to week, month to month. My miles a week may be nothing to some people and loads to someone else, but it’s just right for me! (My goal this year is a weekly target of 60 to include one MTB outing!)

I don’t piss when I’m out riding, my normal bike time is 2-3:30 and I drink two 800ml bottles even in winter. I am on the sweater side when riding too.

5MPP sounds a lot, none of my riding buddies have a MPP that low.

Get a good quality bib short with a pad – and wear a pair of baggies over the top when you’re mtbing?

My first thought was a drainage gutter too. Pics?

Hi Den,

My opinion – it’s not the weight of the bke that will hold you back, it’s the weight of you! I was in a very similar situation to you 18 months ago. I bought a 400 quid bike fom Halfords that got good reviews. Since I’ve had it I’ve upgraded as the stock stuff wears out or isn’t fit for what I’ve wanted to do with the bike. This way you end up,with what suits you. If you go and buy a new bike it will still have stock bits on it.

Id say go for it on the Avalnche, upgrade as you see fit along the way, when you’re at fighting weight then you will benefit from a lighter bike!

Enjoy the riding mate.

Stihl or Hitachi.

Countrywide have Stihl sales every so often with good (~20%) discounts – don’t buy fom them without the discount.

Go straight shaft rather than curved.

If you want to be able to take on nettles, brambles etc make sure the model you get is compatible with and is powerful enough to run a disc blade. And wear Steel toe caps if you use it!