matt_theforce

I bet your S-Max supprises people! They handle supprisingly well and with that engine I bet its awesome

A lot of food for thought there. I love my old trangia but I have to admit I'd quite like one of these Fire Maple x3's, ideal for Tea/Coffee/Soup/Pasta/packet food. I dug out my old Rohan Bags over the weekend (my favorite pair of trousers), its fair to say I'm quite a bit larger than I was in my late teens so my son has pinched them!

Myself & both my sons (13 & 15 this year) enjoy outdoor life Hiking/Cycling/Camping but we always use camping as a base to go from. We want to take it to the next level and being able to expand our adventures. I was part of the scouting movement from a very early age until my early 20's, my eldest son is also enjoying the scouting movement and also looking to start his Duke of Edinburgh awards this year. We've been camping as a family for many years and up to now weight/size/quality of sleeping bags/carry mats/clothing/tents etc hasn't been too much of an issue for our kit so now is the time to start buying good quality equipment that my boys can use for many years to come. There is obviously a lot of information/reviews etc online & after looking at some kit at Go Outdoors/Blacks/Decathlon etc I can't help but think most kit is made as designer kit and won't last too long. I'm looking for advise on the following items, I'm going to be buying these items in triplicate so I do need to consider cost * Sleeping bags 2 or 3 season * Carry mats * 1 or 2 man tents These items need to be suitable for weekend to weeks away hiking/cycling, size/weight will need to play a part in this, at most there will only be 2 of us going away at anyone time but I would love it if my boys wanted to keep the kit and continue using it once they have left home, I still have my sleeping bag/rucksack/trangia & their all still in use although my sleeping bag is now very tired. Any other items or advise is greatly received Matthew

I work in the IT Support industry, it's not what I ever wanted to-do but is a route my parents encouraged me to take. I've been working in it for the last 22years and can't wait to get out, to start with I really enjoyed what I did, most of my work was cabling/rack building/server builds as time progressed I have moved further up the support chain, earning more money, working more hours, taking on more responsibility & having less & less time working hands on. I've been running my own Bicycle repair/servicing business since 2015 & I love it, sure there are times when I get frustrated but I think there will always be something that gets to you no matter what job you have. I intended to end my IT career in 2016 with my pending redundancy and using that money to purchase a bike shop in Sheffield, all was set until our customer decided to extend the contract with my employers for an extra 3month at the last minute, the purchase of the shop fell through & I ended up getting another job in IT. My intention is still to own my own bike shop but like you I have a family to support. My dream is still very much alive, in-fact I have no doubts my youngest son will happily work in the shop with me. I love my family & will always put supporting them & their dreams before my bike shop as I have another dream, a much bigger dream & it involves my children & wife. Seeing them happy and realising their dreams give me the biggest sense of achievement & see's me realising my dreams too & if that means staying working in IT for the foreseeable future then so be it, at the end of the day its a job & even though it can be very difficult to separate work/home life & getting the work/home life balance right is very challenging it is also rewarding. I've struggled with mental health issues for a lot of years & am currently undergoing therapy for it, it is helping me to see what my career path has helped achieve and how without it things could have been very different. I wish you all the best with your decision, try to see the wider picture and work out what your goals/hopes/dreams are, split them down into smaller manageable chunks (SMART goals), I know it sounds like a load of wishy washy codswallop but it has helped me. Matthew

Hi Chris, Glad to see you still have the Jaaaaaaag 1 step at a time, on the road to recovery, small achievable tasks will help improve your mood. I know how you feel, the 1 thing that has always given me relaxation & helped to keep my depression under control is cycling, sadly I've barely done any over the last 18 months, no motivation, no enjoyment, no point! If you ever fancy a chat or PM feel free to get in touch, I'm not trained in depression, just what I have learnt about myself through various self help sessions I've attended. I'm always willing to listen 👍 Matthew

It's great to see a grin, long may they continue 👍

I have my bikes insured on my home insurance, it was very flexible in being able to insure them at home and when away from home (stipulations apply), I myself am covered when cycling through my membership with British Cycling or We Are Cycling UK. Also consider some visual markings on your bike and adding it to a Bike Database such as this one BikeRegister If you are going to go down the route of GPS tracking your rides make sure you start/finish them away from your home, some apps allow you to create a hidden zone, I highly recommend doing this.

It was no problem at all, as I said last night, if you have any questions/queries you know where I am 👍 I'm pleased that it has gone to someone who I believe will enjoy and cherish it as much as I have. Thank you for the kind words, I really didn't want it to sell so had no intention of lowering the price too much. It would have been good to meet you though as we missed out when I bought the Columbus stereo from you for my mk2 Octavia (my parents met you nr Bristol to collect it) My youngest boy asked if my car had been stolen when he saw it missing this morning, he assumed you were here to have another look at it! According to him I can't go back to the Auris and need to sell that & then buy old Scooby, SWMBO wasn't very happy with his idea 🤣

😭 my car has now gone to its new home

How cool is this

Quick Update Mileage now : 24,000 miles Last MPG of 36.9 was 300 miles with x2 bikes on the roof rack, a mixture of motorway/A & B roads

Hi, I'm in no rush to let it go (I'm hoping for a miracle so I get to keep it). I took out a service plan when I bought it, based on the mileage I do the DSG Gearbox service is due around 60k @ 6yr old. Matthew

Replied

Those SMAX's handle pretty well for the size of vehicle. I only had the 2l tdi but it was upgraded to Eibach springs and 18" Alloys. That 2.5t engine will make it an awesome car

My Wife starts her teacher training on monday and has a nice wish list of educational material that she needs to purchase. I will take a p/x if the car is right and we can come to a deal. Preferably a MK2 Octavia scout or 4x4 Yeti/Tiguan Matthew

I know its not bad, I'm still furious that I did it. Wish I had the spare ££ to put it right before sale but food & bills come 1st!

Fuel Stats

2015 Octavia vRS Estate DSG 220bhp Low Mileage Remaining Skoda Approved Used Car Warranty Date of Registration : 06/03/15 No. of keepers : 2 former keepers : Dealer Principle then sold to his father and now me. Mileage : 22275 I bought it on 18500 miles (will rise as is daily use) Full Skoda Service History at DM Keith in Wakefield PDI : 27/01/15 - 10 miles Service History Oil Change : 30/08/16 - 7802 miles Inspection & Oil Change + Dust and Pollen Filter : 02/09/17 - 11914 miles Oil Change + Brake Fluid : 07/08/18 - 16177 miles Oil Change + Dust & Pollen Filter + Spark Plugs : 18528 MOT : 05/03/20 Front Tyres : GT Radial Sport : 6-7mm tread Rear Tyres : Toyo Proxie Sports : 5-6mm tread HPI Clear Warranty Remaining Skoda/DM Keith Used Car warranty will be transferred to the new owner. Warranty valid to 27/05/2020 August 2019 - DSG Gear selector replaced under warranty after seeing the following common error : Error service: leave vehicle only when selector in position p Standard Features Xenon Auto Headlights Auto Wipers Sports Seats Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror Space Saver Spare Wheel Cruise Control Lane Assist Dual Zone Climate Control Auto Stop/Start Great Looks Great Drive Extras Heated Seats Heated Windscreen Heated Washer Fluid Columbus Head Unit and larger screen, Android Auto working Front & Rear mud flaps Boot Liner Rear bumper protector I purchased the car on the 28/5/19 however my wife has now given up work and going into teacher training so we need to re-jiggle our finances which is a shame as I do really like the car. Apart from a badly filled scratch and the kerbing to the front left alloy which I did on my drive when washing it for these pictures it is in very good condition. (Bad marks can be seen in the next post) The car is located a couple of miles from Penistone in South Yorkshire Price : £14000 £13500 with the Columbus unit : £13500 £12750 without the Columbus unit (Standard Bolero with the Kenwood/Garmin GV60 SatNav installed) If you have any questions, please ask

How about the rarer Sport front bumper to keep the car more individual?

Used for a very short time Check here for engine suitability https://www.knfilters.co.uk/air-filters/33-3005-replacement-air-filter £40 posted Matthew

£30

I do approx 20k per year & wouldn't consider a diesel.

Correct

No, they don't have to be run on high octane. I will run this car the same as my Auris, Payday tank will be Super Unleaded, the rest of the month will be standard (always use Shell where possible). Another cost to factor in, the TDI is a cambelt where the petrol is a timing chain so there is more money you can put to fuel instead of servicing 👍