yep, mine too. it stinks.
but I understand people’s reluctance to believe it (I felt like that too)

so you dont know but you have guessed it would have made no change
Neither does anyone else, so the assumption that it was a fairly level playing field is a fairly good one.

whataloadofbolox – you dont know, so you dont know!

Not, you dont know, so your assumption of a level playing field is a good one

Sounds like you’ve got lots of pretty good feedback here. I’ll say hello when we visit (I booked some time next week)

It’s not just about technology for testing and intelligence gathering though, is it? The teams and cycling governing bodies are to blame – they put sham measures in place after the Festina affair (everyone could see that the hematicrit level monitoring was a complete joke) systematically turned a blind eye to doping and just heaped all the blame on any rider who got caught.

Box hill to Shere via Ranmore Common and loop back, loads of choice

Great, thanks all. We’ll giveit a go.

did nobody ever just consider the fact he may have been a better rider?

well who knows – no one can tell can they

They have effectively stolen our sport and potential heros from us

Well, no because surely if everyone was doing it then it just made it a level playing field, so its still fair competition, they just got to the finish line a bit quicker

yes and no, but they still lied to us. My kids were brought up watching the Tour and these guys became their heros – what do we say to them now. Its not a good example is it

Did other Tour riders use banned substances? quite possibly

not “quite possibly” but definitely – e.g. read David Millar’s excellent book. What’s appalling is how relatively young riders were pressured to take drugs often when they were at their very lowest physical and emotional points

what a great ride and thread – well done!

Its the doctors, particularly Michele Ferrari that I am most pi__sed off with. They have effectively stolen our sport and potential heros from us

I’ve been using SPDs for 15 years on mtbs and road bikes but found that proper road pedals and shoes are much more comfortable for long road rides. The difference is huge, the road pedals and shoes allow your foot to relax instead of sort of folding around the small SPD.

Good advice above. – just drill the bolt heads off. – easy

Grand Raid Pyrenees- edit oops not UK sorry

Underfloor heating :-))

+1

nothing wrong with the OP’s cycling point, but everything wrong with his stereotyping of students.

Why confuse the issue by seeking to blame some apparently identifiable minority? Plummy accents could equally have indicated farmers, conservatives, or other supposed homogeneous groups. Why stop there, you could have suggested all sort of stereotypes – none of that helps your point about the dangers of being **** towards cyclists when driving

A bit pathetic blaming students when you don’t evev know who they are

So, what’s a reasonable aim for me and my v keen but not veryexperienced 14 year old when we visit CYB at half term? Can we expect to ride blue, red, black?

Try Bareges and Ardiden Velo in the Pyrenees

I think it was called MTB-pro :wink:

thx guys – thas just what I wanted to konw :-)

you might like to look at http://www.vintagecannondale.com/

I find 29ers tend to be higher at the headset and slow to through into a turn (I have ridden a highly specced. carbon Scott Scale and a similar Specalized Epic)- you seem to have to wrestle them more than with a 26er to get them to turn and flow easily round the trails. I’m much happier with a lower, more nimble 26er

the XT 2 x 10 set up is really by far the best I have ever had (I have tried pretty much everything – except XTR – since 7 speed came out), but I’d be surprised if a mix of XT and SLX didnt work very well too

gonna try the gorebike alp 2 and see how that fits – thanks all the replies have been really helpful

OK so I think Altura is out, the Kamleika Race Jacket looks interesting – tried the Gore Alp and it fitted well but at £220 seems pricey. Not sure about the Endura Stealth yet …