Its not about the bike…

Commuting is all about the accessories – £300 will get you all the commuter bike you need but then you will need:

Waterproof jacket (pref hi vis)
3/4 leggings
full length leggings
2 x gloves
waterproof shoes
waterproof panniers (and rack)
clear glasses
lights
spare lights
Micro fleece towel
Lock

Its all about the kit on the commute – the bike is secondary

Do you mean that the 2.5 produced for a few years from 05 to 09 has better mpg on paper than the 2.0 or obviously the 3.0

If so then I think you will be disappointed by the reality

23-27 at best

Great cars crap mpg though

I’m not a beardy

Had two SS builds over the last 15 years or so – don’t currently have one but thinking about it when I have a couple of days spare (like that will happen)

Never had them for ‘trendy’ reasons – just fitted my riding at the time and that I think is key – i’m not an evangelist

The plus points – great for fitness, riding technique and winter mud
Bad for riding in a group when there are flat bits and long downhills and your buddies have gears.

Uphill you can generally beat most geared bikes after a bit of practice

Steep downhill ditto

Gentle downhill you will get mullered

smart phone delete post fail!

Question was basically why are 125 cc bike headlights total pants and could I use a couple of cree spotlights screwed on the side of my fairing/forks whatever for unlit road riding

you can buy running lights for motorbikes but they drain battery and 125’s don’t have that much extra power

can’t wait – love xmas, especially with two small children

However its only 3 or 4 days, not two months – not having a telly makes this possible.

Tweed rocks!

Edukator has it spot on.

20 years ago most cars had winter tyres on from the factory – they just weren’t called winter tyres. They now have stupid wide rock hard noisy slicks

Total rubbish – bad design and bad quality
Had the rear one for commuting on a folder – mounting band broke soon after purchase but Evans gave me another one, then switch started playing up and light randomly switched off which is obviously pretty special on a rear.

Mounting bracket can’t be adjusted for angle and gets knocked sideways as it sticks out so far , battery is a stupid size and expensive – in fact light is overpriced massively. i bought it as I thought that exposure would bring thier quality on offroad lights to the commuter market

So that was wrong!

nope – room on the broom doesn’t get a look in. Stick man on the other hand…

Just started Rings of Saturn by Max Sebald

Just finished The snail and the whale…..

I suspect it might be the next book I read too

if only there was some way of obscuring the tyre and rim logos and at the same time using it for its intended purpose…….

Dacia Duster please! (and I’ve got one on order so there!)

anyone who bought a ticket knew what they were getting – jeez they were old men the first time around so god knows how far past his bus pass fruitbat
must be now

its not like their music influenced a generation like the roses did – at the roses gig there were new fans, i bet there isn’t anyone under 40 at that wake tonight

I reckon bike ranges are cyclical and some years its the entry level bikes that represent best value for money and other years its the next level up, perhaps some years the level beyond that – but there it stops

in years gone by we’ve has total shocker group sets (plastic coated steel anyone?) on £500 quid bikes and then lovely alloy lx stuff that weighs less than xt the next year

i’m sure its all clever marketing and we are in a recession (really?) so there it is….

Thats because its not 1991

Spacemonkey – as per king, if your mortgage company requests a ‘survey’ then basically just pay for the cheapest drive by they offer – don’t pay more for the full homebuyer or complete survey. They just need to know that the house id worth the mortgage (not the mortgage plus your equity btw and theres the difference!) As most first time buyers just buy a standard house then its basically just an added mortgage admin cost as they charge 400 quid for a pointless 10 minute survey but you don’t have a choice.

But you as a buyer need to know the state of the drains, electrics, pointing etc as it will cost you money to put that right and that is money you can get off the purchase price. Surveyors can’t check this stuff so just produce a totally pointless report telling you the bathroom is in need of updating and that the might be something nasty lurking under the wallpaper they aren’t allowed to remove….

surveyors are a total waste of time – i don’t say this lightly but really they are.
get a drainage guy to do you a dvd £80
Sparky to check over the electrics £50
any big trees etc – tree surgeon usually free with an understanding that any work needed to be carried out will be given to them
builder to check chimney pots, proposed alterations, floors, windows etc – £50-100 for a good couple of hours

without stamp duty and moving yourself with a high top transit (130 quid) buying your first house should be the cheapest and best thing you ever do

echo whats been said about tourer, panniers and mudguards
also add that you want cheap basic transmission as 300k a week in the winter is going to wear things out pretty fast and you don’t want to be forking out for 9 speed chains and blocks. kevlar tyres with reflective bands and loads of hi vis will keep you seen
I use shimano winter boots with crank bros cheap pedals which have loads of float but still give you that clipped in feel for security in the wet slimy conditions. they tend to last 6 months of 20 miles a day commuting but only cost 30 quid a set
two sets of gloves are a good idea(one for the ride home) and spare pants/socks!!
Best thing I bought for my commuter was a brooks saddle and an eagle creek ‘pack it’ shirt folder which fits a couple of shirts and a pair of work trousers and keeps them crease free ish

Been to French Jura a couple of times on family holidays (camping)

Fantastic for both road and mountainbiking and also canoeing/kayaking

I bought a VTT/road bike route guide locally which had about 40 pull out cards with maps and instructions and there are loads of waymarked routes with various lengths and difficulty ratings

very quiet – food good if you like game (I do)
Good fishing and it will be variable weather!

The train companies need gripping – they are now insisting you fold your bike before going through the turnstiles at LB

Folder is the way forward – yes I know its basically being bent over by Southern and given one up the **** but you don’t have to buy a brompton

Mezzo, birdy, Airnimal and Dahon make some great folders which ride almost like proper bikes. I’ve riden my Mezzo D10 20 miles across the sussex countryside some days on the way home by getting off a few stations early and it does wonders for your stress! In town its a race track and folders are ideally suited to whip round traffic

Plus you get the bonus of being able to take them on planes easily – meeting in wherever? bring the bike and have a great evening cycling out to a pub/bar/taverna instead of being stuck in a corporate hotel

Ended up doing the L2B on mine last year for extra charity money
Just don’t get a brompton

Had my bike stolen and reported it
plod found it and refused to prosecute the known thief guy who stole it because ‘he bought it off a a mate’

Had my bike stolen again a few years later when my girlfriend forgot to lock it outside the gym
Didn’t report it as was up to my neck in other stuff
I then found it locked up outside a takeaway with some rubbish lock. Started to break lock so mad thai chef comes storming out and says its his bike. respectfully suggested it wasn’t as it had a custom paint job and had been built up by me and called the plod. they turned up and asked me to prove it was mine
went home and got full photo montage of the build plus a few choice shots of the bike and me riding to morocco (days before digital so got album)
plod decided it wasn’t enough proof and let the scumbag keep it

I now have a folder that comes with me everywhere and stealth bikes for real riding that look cheap

my respect for the police also took a knock which to be honest it has never really recovered from.

Was on a french campsite earlier in the year with a couple of carp pools. In the bar one evening and a blokes mobile went off. instead of answering it he sprinted out the door and down to the lake. Turns out he had some kind of gizmo rigged to his bite alarm that rang him

Really not sure thats fishing

But saltwater fly off a kayak – now THAT is fishing

I use a Hope vision one on fixed beam and alter the brightness to fit the conditions – I honestly don’t think you need anything brighter AS LONG as you also wear a hi-vis top and have reflective stuff on your shoes, tyres and if you wear a helmet, on that. Tend to have two rear lights in case one fails, one on flash and one on steady. Nothing says bike to a motorist like hi-vis and reflectors

move along now tourists, nothing to see. Loads of bonfire socs round ere, its a Sussex thing

You want a real party take your kids to my local, Lewes bonfire night

We’ve just gone for V4 engineered in lounge and dining room – brushed and oiled for home maintenanc as laquered is a bit of a mare to fix if damaged

fk’n expensive but it looks the dogs

They can be as upfront as they like but its pure profiteering from those least able to understand the potential consequencies and then to extricate themselves from those consequencies.

i forgot wonga – shoulg be an illegal business model

Ryanair
Starbucks

Tried on about 15 helmets – only one fitted! Shark Speed R (white obviously)

Also bought BKS ventura Jacket, RST Ventilator Jeans , RST Boots and Richa Gloves plus two zero hi-vis vest

Even with a hefty discount was more than i wanted to spend! Still stuff should last to my next bike as long as I do, from what you are saying

Take all your points on training and will certainly get some but will have to unlearn some bad habits as little CBF is arriving tomorrow and can’t wait to get on it

totally get wet leaves, drain covers, mud, diesel, cars, lorries and deer are all out to get me

Will take care

I wouldn’t buy a bigger bike without a couple of weekends training – surely plenty of people buy 125’s and learn to ride first? Thats how my dad and his brothers did it

Don’t have time for a DAC – can;t take time off work and weekends are already spoken for.

Have theory test done already

So plan is to commute once/twice a week to practice riding and take my restricted 125 test before Jan 19th (when the rules change) That way I can ride a 33bhp bike for two years and then anything without further testing or cost. Will prob keep 125 for a year then flog it to buy a restricted 600

Not sure about the cost issue – try a car showroom for a masterclass in how not to understand your product or the person you are trying to sell it to!

But yes the stuff sure is more expensive than cyling gear – just spent 240 quid on a helmet, most i’ve ever spent on a cycle lid is £35!

Thanks for the sensible replies and to be honest I’ll be giving it a go whatever as I tend to be pretty singleminded – just wish I’d sorted out my licence ages ago before all the changes.

First thing I’ve noticed is the bike shops are absolutely brilliant – I can’t remember the last time I went into a shop and the staff took a pride in their work – been to two motorbike shops in the last couple of weeks and they were both exceptional on service

glad you appreciated it BB – perfectly willing to believe in the odd conspiracy and make no apology for it. However I’m inclined to think most of them happen along the lines of Burn after reading

CIA Superior: What did we learn, Palmer?
CIA Officer: I don’t know, sir.
CIA Superior: I don’t ****’ know either. I guess we learned not to do it again.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir.
CIA Superior: I’m **** if I know what we did.
CIA Officer: Yes, sir, it’s, uh, hard to say

Politicians will be the last to know in pretty much any scenario – conspiracy or policy decision. Thats why they are there – to take the blame as the disposable objects they clearly are.

Conspiracy makes the world go round but governments couldn’t organize a b*mming in a barracks

Yep – 5 year old and a 8 year old here in a TV free house. Wife misses it more than they do. Have loads of DVD’s though – that way we get to say what they watch – plus no TV tax either.

11 mile each way commute here too – on a folder as part of the journey is by train

As well as full guards, don’t wear a rucksac use a pannier.

I find the Surface cycling ‘jeans’ brilliant in the Autumn showers and cold mornings and they dry quickly plus don’t make you look like a freak when you walk through the office and you can stop off in the pub on the way back!. I also wear a Bontrager commuting jacket in everything but the worst showers. Spare boxers and socks and cycle home in the dry work ones as per above. I use an Eagle creek ‘pack it’ to fold up my shirt and work trousers and leave my jacket and shoes in the office. We have showers now but in the old days I just used to pedal slower on the way in and harder on the way home!
3 x back light 2x front plus a reflective vest, full mudgards

Hyundai Terracan

I always think of French cars as like printers – the actual machine is cheap to buy and looks great bristling with the latest tech….then you start to need ink and toner

S- max is your only real option here if you want sensible running costs

or you could go down the route I did and buy a Landcruiser!