Everyone looking at Atkins etc should read the book Proteinaholic.

Every argument is countered, you only have to look at the longest living populations with the lowest rates of heart disease, cancers, diabetes etc and look at what they eat.

gobuchul- you mention the cereal companies, what about the meat,dairy and egg industries… bottom line is the more of these things you eat the worse your health.

DezB, I remembered incorrectly about actual cause of death, but the information came from Atkins autopsy, he really wasn’t a well man.

His autopsy was accidently released, you are correct about the head injury, but he did have severe heart disease and the fluid retention was minimal. Your version of events is the official Atkins line, reeled out to protect the Atkins brand.

Read proteinaholic by Garth Davis M.D. It goes through every fad diet and is all backed up by proper long term peer approved studies.

Atkins died relatively young of heart disease weighing around 270 pounds…

Bird every time, compare the warranty! Great bikes, great team and peace of mind.

I have both and would get a new Yari for the stiffer chassis and the warranty. If your CSU starts creaking on a second hand fork you are screwed, as said above you can always upgrade the damper if you feel the need.

Still happy with mine, although slightly more reach would be nice.

Defo use something with wheels, did it in summer and it was hard going carrying a huge box and case.

I’m 5’11” on a large with 45mm stem, feels perfect for me. Long legs and short body. Also ride a size large commencal meta V4, which I really like, but wish it had the length of the Bird.

I am 5’11” on a size large meta V4 with 150mm reverb, plenty of room for the dropper, I do have fairly long legs though. Previously had a large Mega am275.

Unless you have tiny hobbit legs you will want a large. I’m only five eleven and my Bird zero is a large (19 inch)with loads of seatpost showing.

Edit, I meant you will need XL.

Can’t fault my zero, light, comfortable and confidence inspiring.

It really is stupid, but I don’t like to run mismatched brands, time to man up and go with performance.

selection packs in the shape of a boot covered in mesh, full of spangles and marathon bars, not these plastic trays covered in more plastic.

Also the original snowman, although the snowdog has grown on me. My eldest is six and is hopping up and down with excitement. Understandably he loves presents, but he loves to see his family too.

I have the Bionicon eco, not dropped a chain in the near two years I have been using it. Not used that much by many peoples standards, but a few trips to Antur, BPW, Cadair Idris, week in Finale/Molini, trail centres, Aston hill etc.

This is what I do before exercising, especially squats, made a big difference for me.

Nooooooooooooo!

Bird zero for me, much roomier in the tt than the commencal, pretty light, maxle rear, love it.

Time constraints and location can be a real issue and lets face it, getting to the gym can be half the battle. Other benefits of home gyms are you can wear what you like (deadlift slippers for me), listen to what you like and there is nobody dropping weights on the floor, squeezing past you as you power clean… Sometimes I will go for a social workout, but mostly I’m glad I’m out of it.

If you have acess to a good gym it’s great, but so many gyms are like ants at a picnic. My wife came home recently moaning she had to wait nearly an hour to use either a smith or squat rack! If you have specific training goals home gyms are great.

Think carefully how heavy you will be going?! I started with Olympic dumbells and rubber coated Olympic plates, only to realize you can’t get more than a max of 40kg including the dumbbell. Since then I have had to buy a load of cast iron 5kg plates to fit more weight on.

For exercises like lateral raises, curls etc the long dumbells are a pain to use, so I have fixed rubber coated hex dumbells from 5kg – 20kg.

For Olympic plates try to get properly sized plates, otherwise you are actually doing deficit deadlift due to the smaller diameter.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ironman-Olympic-2-Rubber-Coated-7-Hole-Disc-25kg-Weightlifting-Plates-/182173424168?hash=item2a6a61da28:g:XvgAAOSwBahVdX4c

These are a great price, properly sized and rubber coated.

Thing is mogrim, cooking from a recipe only gets you so far, how often do you follow a recipe to a t and feel disappointed by the taste? When you are stood relaxed with a drink in your hand cooking can be a pleasure, you make little adjustments and taste as you go and you know when you get it right. Sauce too thick or thin you know instinctively what to do, but the rules have changed and the ingredients have changed.
It will take time and experience to get to that stage with Vegan cooking, by the time I am finally finished everything I am fit to drop and just want to sit down.

Thanks mogrim, I think…

Just to make sure we have the same lives, please confirm does your wife have post natal depression meaning you have pretty much a third child to look after? Has your youngest just started to walk and spent most of the last month ill and too clingy to put down? I do all the cooking, but I cook things I know off pat that I know my family will eat.

I also currently do all the cleaning, washing… so pardon my laziness.

The one qwerty posted looks good! It is nice to have a variety of grips and not to worry it is going to fall down on you!

Even though my wife is of Indian descent, neither of us like eating curry that often, once a week is maximum for me really.

Drac, out of bed at 5am, start work at 6, home at 2.30 to walk the dog, collect son at 3.15, back home around 3.35, settle him with a snack and go to my home gym until 4.50, collect other son from nursery, home around 5.30 to make them both dinner, check homework, bath, stories, bed at 7, have dinner and spend some time with my wife, bed at 9.30.

This doesn’t include swimming lessons etc and having my childrens friends thrown into the mix. There just isn’t much free time with a young family.

Thanks for that Malvern Rider, some helpful suggestions there.

It isn’t daunting in itself, but I literally have no spare time. You can make certain things on autopilot while looking after demanding young children, not so easy with new recipes.

Malvern Rider, my son is a bit picky, actually very picky! Family meals would typically be shepherds pie, Bolognaise, chilli, curries, casseroles… just average family meals. Dairy isn’t off the menu yet, but I do plan to reduce and hopefully give it up.

Thanks for that info Malvern Rider, I’m no stranger to cooking or spices, the main issue I have is limited time and making sure the whole family will be happy eating it.

tonight I am making this

African Peanut and Sweet Potato Stew

I am vegan-curious and am starting a meat free week from today, mainly for ethical reasons, I am finding the prospect of relearning to cook quite daunting. Any simple high protein recipes would be appreciated.

Five ten EPS high with sealskinz for me, so far so good.

You mean leave the wife, child and dog at home?

Roof box and roof mounted bike carrier have been essential for me since becoming a parent, the dog alone takes up most of the boot!

Fit and forget, get a Hope or pretty much anything. If you want to have to keep taking it apart, cleaning and greasing bolts, checking torque to stop the maddening creak… get a Renthal Duo.

Had my zero tr since August and really can’t fault it, love the long tt and short stem, feels great up, down and along, jumps nicely…

Getting the bike already set up tubeless, with no leaks was a real bonus too!

I used some on holiday when I broke my RC’s, they didn’t feel anywhere near as good on small bumps, hence I ended up running the pressure too low, causing a big off. Possibly just the set I used, but I have heard similar stories elsewhere.

Just to complicate things have you considered the Bird Zero? Absolutely loving mine!

Thanks weeksy.

Thanks for that. Just checked what bearings I need and they are

2 x 6804S, 6 X 6802 2RS, 4 X 6800 RS. Does anyone know what size bearing pullers I will need for these?

Thanks for that, shame I was hoping to use a socket press to remove them. Might just have to use the hardtail.