oh I see buzz…I see from the list there is a few from sketchy doing it

any from sketchy like to comment?

this is the description from the website…

Fast all-weather surface predominantly on shale (from the park’s previous life as the spoil tip of Betteshanger Colliery). Testing and fun course very reminiscent of Beastway at Eastway at its best. With generally wide, but twisting and turning paths through the wooded sections, interspersed with open grassy sections.

They look fab but I would go standard crud catcher type to give you clearance as pictured below…

wife bought the DVD so hope to watch it tonight.

I agree with the comments about action films vs films with decent storyline…

hora – love the bennett re-mix!

I have repaired MTB fat tubes quite successfully in the past but I find the thinner ‘darkside’ road tubes much more tricky. The smaller circumference makes the patch ‘peel’ off as the higher pressure exerts more force on the tighter radius.

You don’t see much “obesity” in Africa, wonder why that is?

Well it is not pleasant being poor and only having cheap food to eat. going hungry is not what the ‘West’ and northern hemisphere are used to. This is hardly a decent suggestion to lose weight in our over affluent society.

well you have…

Thetford (Suffolk/Norfolk border)
North downs running from Surrey into Kent
South downs running from Winchester to Eastbourne/Brighton

all the above will give you 50 mile epics 😉

the ‘ticket’ or voucher is very willy wonkaish with a lovely silver strip going through the middle!

I did feel nearly as excited as Charlie himself 😉

I have about 20 awaiting repair!

i find that they are always not easy to repair and when you want a spare reliable tube maybe a repaired one that will give you a slow puncture is not good.

Also how do you test if they hold after repair?

You cannot inflate a tube outside of the tyre wall to full pressure?

do you repair them atlaz?

Thanks for all the comments guys…really helpful.

The thing that does not help is the kids. I have a 6, 13, and 15 year old. We buy in the biscuits, sweets and crisps for them but they are around and a temptation for me. I know more will power less gluteny!

I can extend the commute on the way home and normally do to about 10 miles.

Thanks for your comments Donk…I have cut back on alcohol and was thinking of going veggie! I do however it loads of cheese and do eat biscuits/cake regularly.

I do need to focus on longer rides and now that the lighter evenings and better weather is here I do have more opportunity

another vote for a proper cyclocross bike/frame. As you have described it this what you actually need! I have a SS crosser on a 42 x 16 ratio with drops. Works really well for commuting and light off road duties.

If you want to keep this frame then the midge or mary bars seem like an ideal compromise. Onw word of warning on your SS ratio though. If you go for a 32 x 16 for off road then although you say you are taking it easy it so frustrating on road. You will be spinning for England and getting know where!

…a MP on voting day!

Not worth restoring. Let it die in style – ride it into a tree.

I will ignore that last comment Shame-He-Likes-Bikes!

With a small amount of filing to the dropouts, you can run 32-16 without a tensioner on the 19″ version of the ’97 frame so I assume that the same trick will work for an 18″ version.

How do you do that then Paule?

It is however the ultimate bike, because i will never ever get rid of it.

I reckon I agree with you!

I do fancy a pompino as I fancy a roadrat. I guess I was talking about an off the peg bike and not a custom build 🙂

Thanks Bez – not bad price 🙂

I would like to keep the original colour but I probably got no chance matching it 🙁

just ride it, don’t get it resprayed, it works for you and must have done for a long time

Yes I have had it since 1999…we have done the south downs together three times to name but a few rides…

I have some of those stickers for rub points etc so I could use those to patch up the paint work.

The stem looks weird but works. I will try to put back the original which was less extreme 🙂

any other ideas on upgrades for this bike…the wheels are a mismatch of Mavic 221s on the rear with a shimano deore hub and Mavic 238s on the front with an unnamed hub.

Forks are P2s

Tyres I have just replaced with Kenda Blue grooves

Cranks are Raceface ride XC

Saddle is a Flyte

bars are Raceface flat

brakes are avid Vs

any idea of price etc?

The frame is a little damaged…

‘needs’ a respray? doubt it – ‘looks a bit tatty’ maybe, same as any bike will after a while

Here is some of the highlights lowlights 🙂

First the whole bike 🙂

Nice build!

I really like that…What frame is it? Obviously a spesh but an old steel version of stumpjumper?

Chain looks quite tight so do you really need that on-one tensioner?

Ok we have the langster, pompino and cotic roadrat so which of these?

As an aside I have applied for £1000 worth of C2W vouchers (Halfords) and was thinking of buying a Boardman team carbon against my SS instincts!

Lycra is more comfortable…I tend to use Lycra shorts even for off road!

Baggies rut up and get caught on things. There is nothing more comfortable than a good pair of Lycra shorts!

the tops are a challenge with my extra body fat 🙁

do they do a full build or is it buy the frame and build it up yourself?

That does butter my muffin!

Just lovely!

however I have four bikes already and just requested £1000 worth of Halfords vouchers on C2W scheme so another on the way…

Have to get rid of some first!

Tyre spec…

Kona cindercone – Blue Groove Kenda

Klein Attitude – Geax 26 x 2.3 tubeless

Kona Unit – Maxxis 29 x 2.1

interested in the swift but wondering if it would be any better than my kona unit?

The climb data varies for each ride (should not have done – same course) according to my GPS. Varies from 508 to 714 feet.

I think generally the 29er is a much better option for the larger rider. I think I am on the borderline on this at 5 10 and any shorter I think 29ers are not suitable.

thanks Lab Monkey. I am not that close to you but I might see if I am close to an alternative Lab?

I live in Kent 🙂

I like the not feel burn to burn the fat and I could work with that. It is interesting that most training guides advocate building the base miles and doing much more low intensity training then I would normally imagine useful. I think most believe training should be very intensive stuff but most training regimes are full of recovery rides and the like. In fact the one i tried to follow a few months back I found i difficult to cycle slow/low intensive enough to meet the targets.

Ok first results just in for the first run (rode last week but I have been busy)…

Title Distance Duration Climb MaxSpd AvgSpd
test run off road – cone 4.99 00:35:25 577.3 21.44 8.45
test run off road – unit 4.92 00:37:37 714.8 20.77 7.86
test run off road – Klien 5 00:37:48 508.2 19.66 7.93

The oldest. cheapest and most shonky bike came out best in the first run. The old cindercone has a chain tensioner, one gear, no suspension and v brakes!

The other two newer bikes came out at similar times.

Ride wise the cindercone pretty much nailed it. It felt fast, planted and flowed well along the singletrack.

The unit was still good and the 29″ wheels rolled over most obstacles with not too much fuss. Every now and again it felt a little hesitant and I had to pause to re-align the bike if that makes sense.

The Klein felt the most comfy but didn’t feel fast. The suspension and gears made it feel easier but not particularly faster (born out in the times above).

Whether the first run (cindercone) had an advantage being the first run because I was ‘fresh’ I am not sure?

No not rocket science but it does not make it any easier TBH!

I think the eat less and ride more is an over simplification and is not that helpful.

The cannot measure it accurately only in a lab maybe correct but are there not some ‘rough guides’ or rule of thumbs to use even allowing for the fact we are all different.

There’s obviously a thin line to walk between eating enough to stop the ‘starvation mode’ and not eating too much to gain the weight.

Ok so because of the commute I was eating in the works canteen at lunchtimes (stuff like casserole, curry, etc) rather than the sandwiches are usually take. Maybe this is a mistake!

However I do get hungry when I ride and if I have not had a mid afternoon snack I get really hungry before the end of the five miles…also makes me terrible a self control when I get home if the wife has not got a dinner waiting 🙁

I have seen/read this before…

If you want to burn fat you have to ride slowly, for a long time, and often.

If you ride fast you burn lots of calories, but most/all of it will be carbohydrate and not fat.

But what sort of HR zone is ‘slowly’ equate to?

How much ‘effort’ do I need to put in to achieve this?

Its how to eat in relation to the cycling…I am pretty hungry after a ride so tend to consume anything that does not move. This of course can mean I end up eating multi grain muesli bars for example which are 181 calories a piece!

I have a similar dilemma to the OP…

I am 84kg (13st 8lbs) on a 5′ 10″ frame so I reckon about 1.5 stone or 10kg over weight.

For guys they say that the waist line measurement is critical and I am the wrong side of 34″ waist. I have been as high as 36″ but want to (and have been) slim as 32″.

I cycle (commute) to work which is 5 miles each way although the back journey is mostly uphill and hard work.

I tend to eat more when I cycle and ‘fuel up’ on bananas, energy bars, etc. I also ‘allow’ myself the odd biscuit and cake because I am doing the exercise!

I read widely and I read about ‘recovery’ meals 20 minutes are exercise so attempt to meet the advice. Should I just do starvation rides and only eat when really hungry and try to eat low fat food?

I will start a new post – on reflection this is a little bit of a hijack!

I would be very interested too…just getting back into my steel 29er and a Ti option would interest me (and bumps your thread as well) 😉

my kona unit 2-9 is sweet!

didnt like it at first but just beginning to realise how good it really is…

I also love purple!

I am 5 10 with a 31 inch leg and the 16′ frame is a little small for me.

so are they the material of choice given enough cash?