Mrs BrownDog actually works for Coats and I just KNOW she'd be bigging up the Epic 80 or something even stronger if she wasn't at a concert with our daughter. What are you sewing? I'll put the hard word on her tomorrow and see what she comes up with. She's always bringing stuff home so she may be ab...

Weeeeeeeeeeeeell …. (takes deep breath) I think a "bikepacking" bike with a rigid fork, lots of braze ons, a triple and flat bars is going to appeal to a heap of people who go into an Evans store looking for a tough, good value bike that will get to them to work and back, carry a kiddie se...

Cheers chaps. Looks like the Firestarters are front runners for the moment. Don't really want a 135 front end as I'd have to build a new wheel and I think the Inbred handles best on 100mm forks. Charles Le Velo Mongre might be getting a few quid from me shortly.

Hi, looking for an all purpose rigid fork for my Inbred 29er so I can add bottle cages and/or a front rack for low rider panniers should the muse strike. I've seen the Salsa Firestarters which look the business but wonder if anyone knows of other options?

Tim

I'm utterly uncouth when it comes to coffee …

Or this, the mighty Airnimal Rhino. If I could afford it, I'd have one in a second.

Meh … quick to bloom and a pretty flame pattern but can it fry an egg? :D

My titanium Record 11 equipped carbon everything Van Nicholas Euros roadie weights just over 15 pounds. My OO Fatty weighs something like 38-40. Anyone want to guess which one gets ridden most?

composite wrote:Replacing the insoles of the boots sounds like a good plan as well. Torn between the Woly Unisex-Adult Woly Astro Therm Comfort Insole and the Woolly Shepherd Bootliner Insoles.

Get 'em both and stick the less effective ones into your wellies. :)

Ben98 wrote:Will 2.3" tubes work with 2.4" tires??

Yep. Ive even used skinny road tubes in my 29er when I didn't have any spares to carry. Must have stretched quite thin in the 2.3 tyre but worked fine. Come to think of it, it might still be in there ….

Tim

Not entered … coaching a GoRide weekend at Cannock Chase that weekend.

Felted wool boot insoles here. You'll have to remove the original insoles as these are quite chunky but they do pack down after a few wears and are extremely comfortable. They provide a great barrier between you and the sole of your shoe. Great for wellies too. http://www.woollyshepherd.co.uk/woolly...

A Z650 … very nice. Pix please. I am sitting here hoping she's has found one that is classic mid-70's Kwaka green. I had a 1976 Z900 for a couple of years (brown with gold pin striping) while I was living in Melbourne. It would do random speed wobbles over 120kph and brakes that were little more tha...

The stove I got about 18 months ago from a chap called Russ from Cornwall who used to sell them on ebay. It was fiver if memory serves and it's pretty good. Its made from a couple of recycled alu beer bottles. Not sure if he is still making them. The stand is a Tatonka unit - I only use it with wide...

750g for a stove and kit??!! Hell, that's heavier than my new folding chair …. ;) So I did the egg fry test and (as Ray and others point out) you can indeed fry stuff with a meths stove. The hob is perhaps not the best real world experiment, but it fried it nicely in about two minutes (in a Trangia ...

That'd be great - thanks. Might try it too. Got a little/thin alu frypan somewhere. Might try to make an omelette. Excellent - a nice little diversion from the housework.

Ive been using meths stoves for a couple of years but something just occurred to me: Ive never fried an egg with one. Anyone?

Tim

I was after some waterproof 3/4 shorts but the prices were bonkers, so I bought a pair of army surplus goretex trousers off fleabay and just cut them down and hemmed them. They are reasonably light and very waterproof, but they're pretty noisy and you do have to keep hitching them up as the shock co...

James, I think I have a shim in my spares box to take 11/8th stems down to 1 inch. Bought it for my kids' bikes so I could put longer stems on them. I'll check tomorrow and let you know.

Don't forget a bivi bag if you're tarping. you'll need one if there's any chance of rain and if you're heading out in the cold. Love my Alpkit Hunka but it's not the lightest on the market (though it was very cheap second hand)

CL

Sustrans has a map of the route - its 1:40,000 if that's any good to ya. Im sure there were GPX files of it kicking around. Its dead easy to follow thanks to the signs and because its so well used.

http://shop.sustrans.org.uk/products/5292-ridgeway

I could make the June and July dates pending the Comptroller General's approval.

Inbred 29er here too. Super bike even if its on the heavy side. First time I rode it it felt perfect for me. Handles nicely loaded up. Fork is now a Reba which is a lot lighter than this one, but Im hunting for a cheapo On One carbon/steel rigid. Bar and seat harnesses are by Wildcat and get my vote...

I ordered one of those OneUp Components 42T cassettes last year after Stu posted the link and discount code. I thought it would make a difference to my OO Fatty which I love riding but is a heavy brute on climbs. Id already swapped the original 32T chainring for a RaceFace Narrow Wide 30T ring, but ...

Personally I don't see the need for disks on a slim wheeled bike. Reduced traction (compared with a mtb tyre) and more braking power = higher risk of skidding/ wheels slipping. Yep I agree but Its not really about stopping power. Its more about taking the work and stress of stopping away from the r...