I run 2.1 Bonty XCRs and there’s loads of room

The strength of Fergie is that he doesn’t rest on his laurels and, even after massive victories, he knows you have to improve for the next season. Although I’ve warmed to the idea of Owen at United, Ronaldo and Tevez out with Valencia and Owen in is still a net loss – we won’t be as good next year as we were last.

Fingers crossed that Owen isn’t the end of the buying.

You’re all wrong. My entirely impartial view is that the best steel hardtail is clearly the Rocky Mountain Blizzard

Here’s mine, but that had no bearing on my declaring it the best steel hardtail. Nope. None at all

Connecting to server…
You’re now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!
You: hi
Stranger: hi
You: egg
Stranger: 19
You: 19 eggs?
Stranger: ye
You: That’s going to bung you up
Stranger: where re ufrom
You: UK, you?
Stranger: turkey
You: Turkey eggs? I’ve never had one
Your conversational partner has disconnected

It was all going so well

I got a Skoda Fabia 1.9 tdi. Thule rack with bike carriers on the roof – can carry 4 bikes with ease. It’s also pretty nippy and, without bikes on the roof and ‘normal’ driving, will easily do 55mpg. If you really try, it can do 70mpg.

I remember hearing anecdotally that the UK is odd compared to the rest of Europe in how much people think bikes cost. The market leader by units sold in France is Decathlon, who, like them or loathe them, sell better bikes that the rubbish you find in supermarkets and start at around £100.

It would be interesting to cross reference the average cost of a bike per country and the amount of bike thefts.

Fingers crossed for Kerry Katona, or Jordan

Singletrack, but I didn’t win anything
David Mitchell
Peter Serafinowitz (or something)
Charlie (Charlton) Booker
Dave Gorman
People from work
friends
family

pack as much beer as you think you’ll need, then double it. It’s an endurance event so you’ll definately need enough beer. Also, take your bikes as I believe there’s a moutain biking circuit there somewhere.

If you’re hoping for a sensible response, you’re about to be very disappointed.

Expensive carbon frames ridden by mid-pack Sportive riders?

The top one’s front QR is on the wrong side?

The bottom one has the crazed look of a madman?

I took a day trip to Chorlton (Cum Hardy) t’other week and encountered two colourful characters:

A old lad with a teddy bear in a duffle coat – she was treating it like a child and trying to get it to ‘drink’ from a cup

A guy dressed in full combats and a red beret, who tried to sell me an Indiana Jones playset (hat and whip) with the amazing sales pitch “Do you want to buy this, it’s not stolen. You can buy it for your son.” I told him I don’t have a son and he looked furious.

In my home town of Altrincham, there’s Market Dave – a proper Rag and Bone man, who pushes his cart all over the place, stopping traffic and shouting at cars. He seems a bit tame compared to some of the nutters mentioned here. He was beaten up a couple of years ago and it made the front page of the local paper.

What about if I spell agencies correctly?

Brian Sewell
Johnny Vegas
Fred Dibnah (not rudeboy)
Julius Caesar
David Mitchell
Ludwig Wittgenstein.

I imagine Sewell would leave early on in a huff, but with a withering appraisal of the other guests.

Flock of seagulls

Rudeboy – I was thinking about getting off my arse and posting that Van Eyck.

For those that don’t know, the mirror at the back of the room shows the scene as it would have looked from behind, complete with Van Eyck painting it. Around the mirror he’s painted the stations of the cross. Utter mastery of craft.

Rocky Mountain Blizzard
Kona Explosif

The mileage actually went up with slower stoppy/starty journeys.

They end up a LOT further away when you put your foot down!

Not according to the article – that made them break

I believe she was actually kicked in the face by a horse – hence the scar.

My girlfriend is a primary school teacher in an school staffed almost exclusively by young, recently qualified, females. Since most of them have trained to be teachers straight from Uni, they haven’t experienced any professional atmosphere other than that of education. They all act like schoolgirls and, as pointed out by doh, petty squabbles frequently escalate into huge disruptive arguments. There are shifting factions, friends quickly stab you in the back and individuals are bullied. It is the most unprofessional environment I have ever heard of and I have a lot of respect for my girlfriend who does her best to remain neutral and not get drawn into it.

The only male teacher is the deputy head and he’s the worst of the lot. He revels in discord and seems to create trouble where there isn’t any and act as a catalyst for smaller problems. He’s very camp and, although it’s a little un-PC, a bit of a queen. He likes the attention and has even tried turning my girlfriend against me (I think he’s jealous of the time we spend together).

To be honest, they can keep their long holidays and automatic ‘cost of living’ pay rises – I can’t think of anywhere worse to work. The guys in the teacher training class should take the hint and leave now, or else try to shimmy through all the bitching and concentrate on progressing their career.

Here endeth the sermon!

Blah blah, I thought we hadn’t had this thread for a week or so.

People rode rigid mountain bikes
Suspension came along meaning people could ride faster longer
We could ride rigid again/ continue to ride rigid as it has its charms
Suspension also has its charms.

thread closed.

I also have exactly the same problem with the Xen so have bought an E2 for Summer.

Maybe the Polish have a polish to polish their apples with?

My mum doesn’t have any apples. Maybe you should ask yours for a little chat?

I keep getting letters from the Inland Revenue. I tried telling them that I didn’t want to join but they’re having none of it.

For sale if you want. Lovely bike but I can’t justify having an unbuilt frame in my garage.

Zapp Brannigan

“Did my reputation precede me, or was I too quick for it?”

Agree with Hairychested.

I remember the commentator pointing out that the mayor of Munich had shaken hands with the mayors of Manchester and Barcelona and was preparing to leave. Sit down Fritz!

Get in.

A girl at work’s fiance finished his tour earlier this month. She sent out base layers ( I suggested merino, but was not listened to!) as it does get cold at night. Maybe a pair of Oakleys?

Booze can successfully be smuggled in the post in shampoo bottles by the way. I think the Post Office turn a blind eye.

When I worked in a bike shop, the Spesh rep had a set of tubes that had yet to be formed into a frame. He told me to whack a tube on the corner of the stell girder thing that holds the roof up. I hit it as hard as I could right on the corner and there was not even a mark.

I remember seeing a video of someone from a bike company hitting two bike tubes against each other, one CF one alu. Needless to say the CF came off much better.

I was sceptical but having seen these two things, have absolutely no worries at all about riding CF.

We went to Fairford last year – camped on the Friday night to avoid the traffic on Saturday morning. Rumblings round the campsite told us it was cancelled as the field was waterlogged. Waste of time and money really.

I went about 5 years ago though and had a great time.

Pfft – Predators

What you really wanted, was a pair of Puma Kings

Beefer

as in “Beefer bikes”

Geddit?

I love it. That story in particular is hilarious.

This is my favourite thread for ages!

My cat faired particularly well against a wood pigeon but it was an unfair battle really. The wood pigeon had knocked itself out flying into my window, and the cat went outside to find all it’s birthdays had come at once. She only ate the breast meat though – not a fan of offal.

Spesh Epic – Just felt like a big, fat, heavy hardtail. I don’t think the tyres helped though

Cracking episode (and series) though, eh?

Diesels tend to be a bit smoky. When I put my foot down in my tdi Fabia I get a bit of a puff out of the back (no sniggering).

My limited knowledge tells me white smoke = water, although someone will probably be along to correct me in a mo