I'm also looking for leg (or maybe knee) warmers for an upcoming Scotland trip. The On-One Merino ones look good but prob too hot for this time of year, I reckon. I'm off to Wiggle to look at the DHB ones.

Interested in the Monkii cage(s). Is it one or two? And is the clip the adapter for use without bottle cage mounts?

I have a Montane Velocity and a tiny Montane windproof. The velocity packs down to the size of a large orange and is quite a baggy fit. It's never been that waterproof. The windprooproof packs up smaller than a tennis ball, is a good fit and is pretty showerproof.

Two lovely bikes up there ^ by the way.
Jealous.

@ composite - it's the Lifesystems one from Cotswold. It's got a huge brim which I'm sure is good for its purpose but it does make me look special. I've also just ordered a Camelback bumbag. I was going to get one of those cheap Montane Batpacks but then my daughter lost my spare Camelback bladder o...

You'll be fine with what you have. The only way to find out what you really need/ want is to try it and see.

I have a Lamina 20 and would happily recommend it. Not as small or light as down but cheaper, warm and comfy. I've used it down to a couple of degrees below freezing and was snug.

Sawyer Mini filter and pop-up midge hat/net. Now that's a stylish item!

Inspiring stuff! Enjoyed that, thanks.

I experimented with a section of old seatpost and some plastic clamps that came with a D-lock or something. It worked fine but it was ugly, weighty and not that easy to remove when not in use. I decided not to bother and so far hose squeezage hasn't caused a problem.

That's what I use. I started off with some super-thick, super-strong stuff and it was a giant pain in the rear. It wouldn't run through the machine properly and I ended up nearly tossing the whole lot through the window. Experience so far shows that ordinary poly thread works fine and is pretty dura...

I've just built up my new-to-me Swift with 9 speed. I'll stick with it while I've still got bits that need wearing out.

They're only gears and it seems to me the advantages of one system over the other are pretty marginal for just riding about. Anyway, I do most of my riding on just one gear ...

Can't offer much wisdom but I will offer encouragement. Get it done - you will learn a huge amount by just trying it and making mistakes along the way. I'd also recommend finding a cheap sewing machine. You'll do a better job, learn more about how to do the job properly and you'll do it in a fractio...

4/4 for me with another Surrey hills overnighter last night. My brother was testing out his new Wildcat and Alpkit gear in preparation for our Scotland trip next month. Definitely the warmest and most comfortable bivy of the year so far. We woke to a glorious morning and the first cuckoo of spring. ...

I nearly bought one of these a month or two back. It looks very versatile and great value http://www.theoutdoorsstation.co.uk/201 ... nt-review/

Superstar Sentinel 29er rim, spokes, Fleegle bar and ESI grips for my Swift build. Should be finished this weekend.

Sounds like a great trip. I hope the weather gods smile on you.

I've got a few days in Torridon booked for early May and I can't wait.

I seem to remember something from Alpkit suggesting you should shorten the stays to suit your set-up. If you cut them down so they don't come much higher than your bars you'd probably be fine. I've never seen a Kanga in the flesh but I made my own bar harness along similar lines and it works very we...

There's definitely some truth in this, although it's obviously a generalisation. The same thing applies to suspension travel. People buy longer forks because they want to be the sort of rider who 'goes large' even if they're not. Fashion plays its part too. I've got used to riding wider bars in the ...

Very nice. That looked like a great little trip

I've had innards dropped on me by a bird of prey, or I suppose it might have been a flying cat. I was also hit from above, while stopped in the woods on a night ride, by something warm and splattery that seemed about the size and consistency of a cowpat but composed of a mixture of digested fruit an...

I've used the type with no spring and rollers rather than jockey wheels. The first one was a Gusset and the other was a Superstar one, I think. Both worked perfectly. I always used them in push down mode because I couldn't get the chain short enough to work in push up mode. Cheap, cheerful and effec...

Obvious question: what does it weigh?

Agree about the Spoon? Anyone tried a Scoop? How do they compare?

I've had two sets of wheels from Superstar and they've both been excellent.

I like Shimano front hubs but not the rears because they need regular greasing and, more importantly, the free hubs aren't serviceable and tend to die quite quickly IME.