Phase 1 done, SS rigid 29’er purchased. Phase 2 next week, CX tyres & mud guards….

right, SS 29 shopping this weekend…

@Kelvin, thanks, I am big at 6’4 so the Simple is an option cheers, @shortcut, I’ll take a look at all of those.

I’m in the same boat, been commuting for ages but currently finding it much less pleasurable. I’ ve been on the end of too many shouty/ranty motorists, I’ve just noticed the number of close passes has increased. I live in a small village & have to negotiate a busy road to get into the city. Now it seems the number of close passes has risen and so has the number of cyclists. I’m guessing that drivers are getting fed up & trying to squeeze by (at 60!). Me, I’m generally pretty calm about most things but this is pissing me off.
I’m trying to keep cool about it all until it’s dry enough to take the off-road mtb route again.
I do believe the increase in the numbers of folk commuting by bike has had an impact & that drivers are becoming less patient & less tolerant as they become increasingly frustrated by having to make allowance’s for cyclists.

q

State school, learn to live in the real world, that’ll be the one you’re working in when you leave. That said state schools round here are pretty decent.

Also watched the TV shows on Eaton & Educating Yorkshire, for me the passion from the teachers in the state school stood out way above those at Eaton. Although I believe that comes from the head master.

Just check before you go, I think they may well have the digger in there this weekend…

Specialized Turbo… or something similar, probably need to source it from Europe or the US.

What are you aiming at? What events are you competing in?

I think these are key to your approach. There’s plenty of good info out there online, planning your events is a good starting point then you can look at a specific programme to support your goals.

Top bloke, very laid back, the one thing you’ll end up doing most of the day is smiling.

Again I’d recommend using BC, you can set up entry online, it’s far easier. As long as it’s a non ranking event the red tape isn’t too much hard work at all.

Clearing & laying out a track is time consuming but not hard work. Lap scoring is tricky & you’ll need to get it right because everyone will want to know where they finished. Marshals it’s already been mentioned above, appoint a head marshal & get them to manage the team.

Good luck, it’s great to see more grass roots MTB racing going on.

There’s a cracking little series in Norfolk at the moment 5by3 MTB

I like it, I want one.
I love my SS cross bike and one with discs would be even better.

you’re right, I see your point of view

Got a pair on my Dialled Holeshot, work pretty well at the local BMX track, pump track (gravel surface)& the skate park, plus my mate won’t let me ride his trails (BMX dirt jumps) with proper tyres on as it’ll ruin all his hard digging work.

I wouldn’t ride them on real (muddy) off road stuff but at £8.99 from OnOne, they’re a cheap 2nd set of tyres

Cheers @campfreddie – Wicked, I just couldn’t remember

My Our next car is a Caddy Maxi Life. I’d never get the OH to drive a Transporter but I’m in with a fair chance on a Caddy.

Confirmed small wheel fan Ross took a 29’er to the Alps, he liked it!

http://www.privateer.cc/2013/07/pivot-429-review.html

I played up until 8 or so years ago, I remember that when you’d had a concussion you weren’t allowed to play for X weeks (can’t remember what X actually was)
It was at a time just as things were going pro, I also remember that in the mid 90’s things were focusing on physicality, size, speed, strength etc and I know guys who were getting a bit of extra help at the gym. I was only taking creatine to help get bigger/stronger.

I’ve got 2 lads who are both interested in rugby, my eldest has just started playing at high school and I’m happy with that, I won’t let my youngest play until he goes up to high school.

I hope they enjoy playing at school however I’d be happy if they gave it up when they left. It’s completely wrecked me, my knees and back are in bits… It is an incredibly physical sport and the hits are getting bigger & harder.

Interesting debate, I’d hate to see it toned down in any way.

Seems strange, if I was injured riding to work then my company would be in the same position as his football team, a man down.
Doesn’t seem to make any sense.

Try Winstanleys BMX, you won’t get a cro-mo bike for twice that price but they do have some decent deals. Beware of sizing as well.

I have a Spesh, my wife has a Spesh, happy with them both as bikes. They replaced my rear wheel under warranty with no dramas, that’s what you get with a big multinational brand. I’ll keep riding their bikes, I’ll also ride my Kona, Cannondale and my Dialled.
It’s easy to see why they’re so sharp on protecting their brand, it’s what their business is built on. Perhaps some common sense and more investigation from their legal dept. before threatening letters are sent would be a positive step forward.

This is the same as the RedBull / Redwell Brewery incident a few months ago.

Great film, I loved it. Just like the trails we used to ride growing up in Inverness.

By the way the other Hannah Barnes is a fairly handy XC racer as well.

I’m on the look out as well. Currently riding a a Kona Major One SS cross bike, nice and light but the brakes always annoy me in winter, as performance diminishes… and that horrible grinding noise appears.

Looked at the Genisis Day One but a 520 steel against Scandium, I think I’d notice the extra weight.

Just a personal thing but I wouldn’t strap my carbon road bike onto a turbo trainer.
Then again I lent my turbo trainer to my neighbour a few years back and I haven’t missed it.

Keys downstairs out of sight mostly, front door key is in the lock, but there’s no windows close enough for a burglar to break and access the key, unless he’s Mr. Tickle

I keep my claymore by my bed just in case, I have a clockwise staircase so plenty of room to swing it.

I occasionally pass my mate on my commute as he rides the other way, always makes me smile.

always mounted cables & hoses with a single cable tie and a small 5mm or so length of rubber hose.

Cut a 5mm length of thin rubber hose (diameter of hose = width of cable tie) Push the tongue of the cable tie through the hose, wrap the tie round the cable/brake line, push the tongue back through the rubber hose, then use cable tie in usual fashion round the frame tube, fork leg etc…

Keeps the cable/hose away from your frame or fork and also provides a flexible mount should the cable/hose snag on anything…

I commute on a Kona Major One, SS cross bike, full mudguards, really good front light, couple of LED flashing units on the rear.

Leave shoes, jeans etc at work, take them in once a week. Use a rucksack to transport suff, get one with a rain cover. Carry spares with me, well tubes, pump etc.

As for a bike, I’d look at the Pompy from On-One, cheap enough in SS spec. Get some tough tyres as well for this time of year when the roads are crappy.

I really like mine, it felt long/slack coming from an XC race type 26″ bike.
I raced Dusk 2 Dawn on it twice, done a jumps & drops course with Jedi. Usually point it at more trail type stuff than xc, it’s a great all round bike. I’ve never been a Specialized fan before but now…

eBay – army issue goretex trousers – big pair of scissors – ta da!

It’s a bit hit and miss between us these days. At one time she was mailing me everyday with various updates, then for some unknown reason she went all quiet on me, was it something I did, something I said, did she find out I was married….
Then all of a sudden she’s mailing me again like nothing’s happened….

Both my knees have seen better days through rugby injuries, binning the motorbike and a ‘comeback’ in BMX at the age of 38.
When the temperature drops I tend to ride in fleecy backed 3/4’s to keep my knees/ham strings/quads warm. I steer clear of painkillers as they only mask the damage being done.
I always try to warm up by spinning gently for the first few miles as well. Currently commute on a SS road bike but I’m running a fairly light gear, spin to win!

Try these guys, they do made to measure. I do not own one, a riding companion does.

http://www.this-is-cambridge.co.uk/

My road cycling now consists of me commuting sometimes with added miles when the mood takes me.
I’ve dropped the club runs, as it becoming more dangerous in terms of the volumes of inexperienced golfists who are now riding and the irate care drivers who are also losing patience with the golfists and their inability to ride.
Really got back into my MTB’ing this summer and intend to keep it that way, I know the risks, where as on the road you can’t account for everyone else.

Might be a bit snowy, my mate is out there currently and they’ve had some snow, nothing sticking yet though… He went for a few months in October and didn’t take his bike as he thought it’d be too snowy, he has since bought himself a new bike out there..

No, don’t use gels in everyday riding. I do use them in a full on event if I’m riding hard for 2 hours or more. Tend to use the Torq stuff, as it doesn’t upset my stomach.

I’m no athlete but I do think they help when your energy stores are getting depleted in longer event. That said, the last few 100 mile road events I’ve ridden I’ve opted for chunks of malt loaf and that’s been fine.

Don’t get sucked into the old skool BMX thing, pretty to look at dream of those great days back in the ’80’s but riding one is like getting a piggy back from a drunken midget!

No, I’d want to read it online..

Being able to commute by bike, I love it, it’s changed my riding no end, I can take the long way when I want to, I can pretty much get to work off road when I want. I don’t feel ‘the need’ to get out at the weekends, I ride at the weekend because I want to.

The 2nd thing was a trip to see Jedi, he re-ignited my love of MTB & all things off road, for the previous 5 years I’d got very into road riding, HRM’s, cadence, sportives, races etc but my day with Tony reminded me what I’d been missing, even though I’d been riding MTB I’d been riding it like a roadie, all about getting there quickly and efficiently, I’d forgotten the fun but that’s back now. I now ride trails looking for the opportunity to get off the ground and looking for sections that are fun to ride.
I’ve also realised that I’m never going to be the fastest racer, road or XC so I might as well enjoy my riding, probably an age related thing (43) but since that point I seem to smile more on the bike. Just building a 4X bike as well, really want to get jumping sorted..

Shortest route for me is 6 miles each way. Usually I tend to do more, only have access to a sink in the toilets at work, so just have a good wash in there, tend to try an ride easier on the way in and for it a bit on the way home.
Ride every day that I’m in the office, so 18 out of 20 I guess…

I tend to leave clothes at work at the start of the week, I still carry my rucksack every day.

I love being able to ride every day

My boys are 9 & 11,

11 year old is on a 14″ Scandal with Fox forks, running an XT 2×9 set up – kids don’t need a 42 tooth ring, all pretty much 2nd hand stuff, I’m impressed it’s a light weight build. His wee brother is on a BeOne Karma 15.5 Hardtail, dual air Rebas, again XT 2×9, probably not as light as the Scandal but shorter in the top tube so more suitable for him.

They both used to ride my wife’s Gary Fisher Tassajara, that’s when I realised that they could fit on and handle small 26″ bikes. They didn’t want her bike as it only has V’brakes, TBH, they’re better off with disks the speed they seem capable of getting up to.