My LBS usually have a good selection along with brass nipples etc. They should be able to get you things in to if it's something specific your after. And if you ask nicely they might let you use their truing stand for ironing out the final skips/ hops etc.

Had exactly the same problem with exactly the same brakes and tried exactly the same 3 solutions. Bigger disk solved it for me. Good luck.

Ride the south downs way (made possible with tips and help from a few of the guys from the forum). And take part in BB200.

Thanks Meraid, I appreciate the effort this must have taken. Funnily enough I stumbled on your blog last week but I didn't see the SDW bits. Update: Due to the wet weather I decided to postpone the trip until next weekend (20/ 21st). The SDW is firmly in my sights for this year though and I'll be po...

Another dedicated Bell customer here. Even my cheepy £25 one I bought when I was 16 still fits me better than a high end gyro helmet.

Not so much comparative but loads of guys on here including myself use wildcat gear. My experience with their bar and saddle harnesses has been great and you get the back-up of a UK manufacturer. I once emailed Beth at Wildcat at 10.30 on a Sunday night and had a reply 10 minutes later!! Now that's ...

I always wanted a trangia as a lad. Finally got one and realised how massive they actually are. It still comes out on car camping trips though. Stu's stove covers the bikepacking duties now.

Cheers chap's, I dipped my toes in the water at QE park earlier and it wasn't too bad. Chalky sectons were slippery as expected and my tyres got clogged surprisingly quickly. The car was reading -1 when I arrived but all the climbing kept me toasty. It definitely gave me some ideas for kit/ tyre cho...

Thanks for the replys chaps. I really appreciate it. I know there's loads of resources online but there's nothing better than 1st hand experience. Yes I'm going to bivi. I'm guessing that temps are still in the low minuses overnight so it shouldn't be too bad. I've been told by a few people it's tou...

Does anyone have a GPS file for the SDW route? Any info on water points would be fantastic to if possible.

I've got a few days off next week and fancied a relaxed 2 day winter ride/ bivi.

Any tips/ pointers from anyone who's ridden the route would be great to.

Cheers, Lewis

Inspired by talk about the chap who is trying to beat the awe inspiring record set by Tommy Godwin for the most miles cycled in a year (75,065 in case you didn't know), whats the most miles you've cycled in a day?

Mine is a modest 110 at the Dartmoor classic event last summer.

I've always been absolutely fascinated by bikes. Even before I could ride I remember being transfixed by a guy doing a wheelie down my road. Was given my first bike by my neighbour who's son had outgrown it. It had barely any brakes, 3 out of the 7 gears working etc. I started riding to and from sch...

Another anti-vote for shimano chains. Split link all the way! While I'm Shimano bashing I also hate that they still use cup and cone bearings in all of their hubs!

I'm a huge fan of their drivetrain and braking components though.

Agree on Specialized. Their bikes are a bit too vanilla for me (and their lawyers are too trigger happy). My personal hate is avid brakes. I've had 2 pairs develop sticky pistons and spoken to loads of other people who've had the same problem. I wouldn't buy Chris King hubs again due to their huge c...

I've worked on one of these and ridden one. They're very impressive for their age. They have front and rear suspension (which still worked smoothly on the one I had in). Very hard to find original parts for though and mechanically a bit odd in terms of cable routing. Other than that they're lovely b...

My first reaction to this was cable disks due to ease of maintenance if something we're to go wrong. But at minus 30 It sounds as if big gloves will be a necessity which means that you may not have the dexterity to tackle some mechanical issues anyway. Also think about the freezing temperatures of t...

They should be more than adequate for 99% of riding. I don't think that the brake mechanism itself makes too much of a difference to stopping power but a good set of pads is definitely worth investing in over hard, plastic-y stock ones. Personally I don't see the need for disks on a slim wheeled bik...

A guilty secret of mine has always been the old 'oh naturel' hot water bottle trick. Only to be used in times of extreme desperation.

Depending on your bike I highly recommend Ragley carnegies bars. Look odd still first but they put your hands/ wrists in a lovely natural position. Perfect for rigid ss duties but equally comfy when running bouncy bits up front.

This must have been covered before but I couldn't find anything which answered what I was looking for on the forum.... I was wondering what mats you guys use for winter camping. Obviously the big names are the Exped down/ syn mats and thermarest but I want to know what you guys favor and why. I will...

Thanks Stu,

Just ordered my meth stove along with some pole-a-bear poles for the silshelter (thanks again for the tarp review by the way, keep em coming).

Merry Christmas,

Lewis

Likewise on the revelation x quilt. Mines the 30f in regular. Combined with the PHD minimus vest I ordered (also on sale at PHD) I should hopefully enjoy a toasty and light Christmas. The quilt alone cut my current sleeping bag weight by half! Now to get a new tarp/ Bivi bag to complete my sleeping ...

Thanks for the info chaps, I definitely didn't realise that they can be hurt by running them too hard before their bones develop. I might have to do the unthinkable and leave my beloved singlespeed at home in favour of the blister inducing walking boots! She'll be out on the farm with me a lot so un...

They say that first you should get a plant, then you should get a dog, then a baby. Well I'm a long way off the last one but I have gone and got myself my own little trail hound! She's a Jack Russell pup and Ive christened her Bothy. I'm looking for tips from any of you guys who Bivi with your dogs....

seal skinz socks with my normal riding shoes all the way for me! I've put mine through allot of winter abuse and they haven't left me with cold feet yet. An added benefit is that they are also waterproof (not as sweaty as you might think). your feet can get wet when water finds the gap between your ...