The GF used a Leatt a few years ago when she was riding with her full face kid. She’d liked it but wished she’d paid more for more adjustable version. They’re a good bit of kit.
Coming from background in trauma and injuries I’m happy with the science behind it.

I use a mix of Stans and nothing else.

If in doubt go Maxxis.

That’s pretty much my motto

There’s nothing wrong with the odd bitch crank

I don’t think they have excess stock left over. All the STWers purchase every last bit saying it’ll keep them supplied for years to come (or until the next time they release biking kit), I’m sure there must be people on here with warehouses full of the stuff (just in case).
Personally I’ve found some of it reasonably good and lasts well, although some of the previous stuff looks cheap and crap.

Around our way it’s all gone by lunchtime on the day it’s released.

Just track down some 2.7 Minions or High Rollers if they’re still around. Didn’t Schwalbe do a Big Betty or something as well.

I used to have some netting made from elastic bungee style material on the wall of my old van and it was great for stuffing clothes and stuff out the way. Tales up no space and rattle free

It says the whole of PDS opens on 24th June bug there’s always the chance that Zoer/Super Morzine/Linderats won’t be open on weekdays until 2nd July. It’s not the end of the world as Les Gets, Morzine and Chatel are open then.
We’ll be out there at gag time (weather depending), but will be moving around Alpes to avoid bad weather

Whichever GoPro fits your budget

26+ can’t be a thing. I distinctly remember all the bike companies categorically stating that putting a bigger tyre on a 26 bike would give none of the benefits of 27.5 as well as being too heavy and affecting handling.

You can’t tell me that all these big bike companies were either:
A) wrong or
B) lying to us the whole time.

I just can’t believe it.

Tom kp

Biking became popular and accessible to the masses and that’s a good thing. If people don’t like it they can go and find a new niche to adopt. If people want to spend the money that they earned on nice stuff then good for them. I wish I could. Just ride what you’ve got and have fun. There are plenty of people riding old stuff or cheaper stuff.
A £1k bike nowadays is pretty good compared to what was available 10-15 years ago, we just forget that and look at the really shiny new stuff. New Deore destroys old XT and in some cases it is old XT

I’ve always used Stans with good results. It last a decent time and stops most holes I’ve put in them. I’ve just been given some Juice Lubes Tyre Juice to try out this week so I’ll give feedback once I’ve used it.

It’s got to be as good as Stan’s for me to keep using it no matter the cost.

No kids, but I run my van as the only vehicle in the house and have done for about 10-15 years. Currently have an old Vivaro that was ‘well used’ before I bought it. Still going strong. Low enough to fit in most multi-story car parks

They should go up tubeless. But the Scwalbe sidewalls are super delicate so you’ll probably tear them in 2 minutes.
I’ve set up quite a few Schwalbe tyres ghetto tubeless and Stans and they go up alright and stay up. Just use quite a bit of sealant and be prepared for them to leak through the sidewalls a bit until they seal. Lots of spinning and shaking of the tyre/wheel. They might gradually lose air before the first ride so re-inflate and repeat.

Tom kp

3×12. It’ll be the next niche for STWers now that fat bikes and gravel/adventure bikes are so common.
You make my words, they’ll be modifying their new Eagle drivetrains to make gears so low you go backwards.

Tom KP

I just bungee mine to the side of my Vivaro and use pipe lagging or foam sleeping mats to space them. If it’s just one bike I lie is flat on the floor.
If the double bed is built up its either one on top and one under flat are wheels off and stowed across the van behind the bulkhead for long trips across Europe.

SRAM still can’t make a decent front mech that works properly. I’d go Shimano for road bikes every time (or Campy). And this is coming from a die hard SRAM MTB user. Also less to go wrong with wires over wireless and its proven to be reliable

Never used it. Don’t really see the point.
It’s like Reverb bleed kits and that strange red tool YT supply with their bikes and sits I a box marked random crap.

It’s April, it has showers. I believe they’ve even named them after the month.

We’re running them tubeless in our household. The GF is 60kg and runs hers at about 20/25psi whereas I’m 90kg and run mine at 30/30 (but then I don’t like my tyres to squirm so would be running about that if they had tubes anyway). No problems here. She’s on E13 rims and I’m on Mavic 321s

Tom kp

Loads of people moan about the Capra being too short but I”ve just spent the day on one and it rides really nice. The WB is shorter than my Alpine with it’s 64* head angle but I can’t complain about anything now that I’ve finally managed to get the Pikes set up properly. Only reason I won’t buy one is cos the Wife and Bro-in-law have them and 3 in the family might look a bit wannabe-team.

I predict they’ll sell loads and they will actually ride pretty well.

Tom KP

Stick in a -1 or -2 degree headset. I’ve never had a bike that hasn’t been improved by slackening the head angle by 1-2 degrees.

Tom KP

Spent ages trying to figure out what the creak/click was on my Orange. After stripping the components and regreasing everything it turned out to be the bearings, same with the GF’s Transition. Check those.

Surely you’ll eventually get used to seeing the clamp on your bars and forget to switch that, which would mean you’d forget to switch your lockout. So then you’d need a second clamp to remind you about the first clamp which reminds you of the lockout.
Maybe fit a red flashing light that you can turn on and off.

I’d be tempted by the Vivid/Boxxer 8.0 model. Both are known performers and judging by the Dirt review of this and the Gambler I’d say the problem is the Fox X2 rather than the bike. The rest of the kit is pretty much the same. And I’ve always found Fox 40s to be a bit high maintenance from personal experience (not owned a pair in the last 2 years so can’t comment on recent versions) whereas Boxxers have always been solid performers.

The GF is 5’5″ and the small fits here. I’m 5’11” and the large is about right for me. So I’d go for medium if I was you.

A few people make something that’s just a strap to hold tube and small bits. I’ve always just taped them inside the front triangle as I thought just strapping something under the saddle exposed it yo lots of crap.

Actually, now you mention it, living in a Teepee or yurt and living off the land sounds cool.

Commencal do some great kids bikes. Everything from balance bikes and hardtail X through to 20 and 24″ full sunsets. And they also hold their value as not too many about.

I have another 30 years before I’m due to retire. The secret is to find a job you actually like/love doing.
There will always be things about it that you done’t like, for me as a Paramedic it’s working lots of weekends and half my shifts being nights, the Govt. trying it’s damnedest to destroy the NHS, etc. But I get a smile and feel rewarded every time I make someone’s life a little better or help their health. And I get a really big boost everything I see a patient that would have been dead if we hadn’t treated them. But mainly it’s because after years of doing crap jobs (for the money), in my late 20s I took the risk of quitting my job and retraining to do something I wanted. 8 years later (and a lot of hard work) I’m happy to go to work (even if I’m on less money now than 10 years ago).

Do something you love, and if you ever get to the stage when it’s making you unwell (physically or mentally) then leave and do something else. It’s only money and your health is worth more than that (as long as you keep,at least one of your bikes to ride).

Tom kp

Stick some RS Guides on there (RSC or Ultimates) they are so much better than Elixers.

Last year I would have said get the XTs but we’ve got a few sets of Guides (RSC & R) and they’re both bloody brilliant, reliable and much better than the XTs on my bike. Also I’ve found the XTs and Zees I’ve been running are a little more inconsistent than the Guides.

Tom KP

Ps Guides are a massive leap forward than Elixers were.

Don’t forget our Murican friends believe that the Metric system is a weird conspiracy created by the French to take over the world.

I was talking to a chap from NY last year who just couldn’t grasp how multiples of 1,10,100 made more sense than the simple Imperial system of 12 umphs make up 1 chumfs, but 16 chumfs make up 1 Queerbit and the 14 queer it’s makes up 1 dongle of length. But it 18 mimos of weight to each wadjit.

Whether this is an April Fool or not switching to metric measurements makes sense (if not for all the crap they mentioned).

Also does anyone else find all these Bike Industry April Fool things not funny? Maybe a few years agonwhen the first ones arrived but last year and this year just seems a bit too much “trying to be cool”

Tom KP

Rid with friends?
That way someone can stay with bikes while you order. Or get a very small cable lock that fits in pocket.

Not me I’m afraid. I struggle to buy jeans that fit. My upper legs are pretty massive compared to my waist so if they fit my legs I could get an extra person in the waist band. How I envy you people with small/normal thighs. But then due to this problem I petty much live in shorts outside of work anyway.

Tom KP

The GF has a pair of TRSr cranks on her bike and no problems with it creaking or any play. The chain ring seems to be lasting well. It gets ridden regularly no matter what the weather is. The cranks are also still black compared to every pair I’ve owned which quickly became polished silver.

Tom KP

Go 1×11

What about a Capra? £3k would get a carbon one, they’re not that heavy, pedal and climb well and plush travel

I’ve got the Grey/blue one and it’s comfy and not too hot. The XL/XXL fits my big bonce. The padding drips less than my old Fox Flux and it’s cooler.

Lots of people seem to regularly push their bike up Snowdon and then nimble down that.