as TT bikes generally have a shorter top tube to pitch you further forwards and allow a more comfortbale aero position, its sometimes very difficult to draw a direct comparison between road bike sizing and TT sizing. I would guesstimate the position of your hands, when using aero bars, is greater than 15cm further forwards from the bars so you may be a bit hunched up just using the seat position changes though its what i do and a good baseline. most TT bikes have a much lower front end these days and Cadel Evans in particular rides with stem level with the top tube (though the BMC Time Machine is a rather special bike!)

have a look on http://www.timetrillingforum.co.uk as they have a good classifieds page. I thought the Transition was a bit more triathlon-centric though and the geo is slighlty more relaxed. the Dallkia F1 is a nice TT frame for the money if you can find one, bery similar to the Exocet or you can pick up a nice hand built horizontal top tube steel frame fairly cheap.

a word of warning reference Evans and test rides. Unless they have it in stock, you will need to pay £50 for each bike you want. this is only refunded if you pay a bike. If you want three bikes they will charge you £150 and you get one x £50 refunded. I was looking at two models from Ghost which are not their usual unit shifters so they would have to order them in, Evans’ attitude towards test rides is shocking, the sales staff really dont seem to care if they sell you completely the wrong size, they just want to sell you whats in stock.

someone famous once said something like “the harder I train, the easier it gets”

as for Froome, I wonder if he is too excitable at the moment and has used Wiggo this year as a bit of a sanity check, Wiggo has learnt how to win the tour the hard way, which breaks to follow, where time can be gained and more importantly where it can be lost. I have afeeling without Wiggo, Froome would chase everything like a hyperactive spaniel, tire and get picked off by a more organised team. I think Froome has learnt a lot from finishing second on the 2011 vuelta and this tour, he will be a big contender for the future as he has a year or two on the new emerging talent like Pinot.

its going to be awesome, i’m sure when we start wining some medals the doubters will get on board and start enjoying it. We were in London for the Aviva Grand Prix at Crystal Palace last weekend and the general atmosphere was awesome, multiply that by four and the Olympic Stadium will be electric.

I dont get the issues about corporate sponsorship as its been going on for donkeys years, Carlsberg were the offical beer of the 1960 Olympics and Coca-Cola pretty much bought the 1996 Olympics for Atlanta.

Sure there are some things that can be mitigated but never totally eliminated, like terrorist attacks etc but to be honest, in this day and age they would happen wherever the event is held and I personally think that GB is probably one of the best Countries in the world to be in a position to prevent such actions affecting the event.

The News, 1800 BBC 1 – its pretty awesome, every night something happens and to be honest, sometimes the storylines are really quite far fetched. The only bit that annoys me is they keep switching the main character, the newsreader, sometimes its this older guy, then the next night its a younger female, do they think we are stupid or is this part of the show? Some of it is real footage but I think a lot of it is made up.

bibs are so much comfier, you just have to believe us convertees!…

I have to laugh at all this talk about Campag being Italian as almost all of it is made in Romania these days….

Buy it because you like it, but not because you think you are getting want an Italian groupset to match your Italian sorry Taiwanese Bianchi ;)

worth knowing for those in the South that the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth is free to park, free to get in, has some nice walks around the fields full of donkeys and also has a footpath down to Weston Mouth about 1 mile away. Weston mouth is a long pebbley beach but largely empty by virtue of only being accessible by said path. Picnics at the ready, perfect for a cheap day out!

hope you are ok and you can get the compensation that you deserve.

slightly irrelevant but it was seeing a friend’s crash that made me get one of those ICE bracelets. I got mine from http://www.iceid.co.uk, it was £20 but it is well made and the engraving is clear.

Dave Robbins 0117 9550064 or 07966540644
used him for a similar job recently, nice bloke and his son Matt is a Plumber should you need one. we found him through the Federation of Master Builders website.

Bad Ass bikes built up a Cervelo RS using Sram Force and 3T components for me costing about £2k using some old fulcrum 7s I already had, for another £500 you could get some far better wheels. Definately try sram before you buy, doubletap is so precise and is very positive shifting. cant see me ever going back to shimano for road stuff again.

I love the RS, its a very nice frame, stiff enough to make it feel like your power is transferred through the chainstays but flexible enough to be comfy on 100 miler sportives etc.

You should still be able to find some RS frames but they stopped maiking them in 2011.

just back from Copenhagen where there are more bikes than people, ok, its flat and they are all pretty simple, functional things rather than carbon uber bikes with dura ace but very few of them were locked with more than a simble lock that fits on the rear brake bosses amd goes through the wheel and spokes certainly few were locked to anything as they all had a stand. there were just so many bikes around that there was no market for stolen bikes so no need to lock them with much.

the big utility bikes/trikes had hefty abus locks on but the rest just had these simple locks. maybe the Govt should buy a few thousand and then plant them around towns and cities late one night though knowing the morons here, they would all end up in the nearest canal. maybe i’m being too simplistic, everyone has a right to own whatever they want and shouldnt have to cary three locks to secure their pride and joy.

i loved the place, British motorists would have a head fit if they went there…

I have a horrible feeling that I am a roadie, albeit a roadie with only one road bike and two mountain bikes…

its probably just because i am out on the road bike more at the moment, i’ve been building a BFe for the last few months which is almost done and I can sense a shift coming on towards knobbly tyres and mud… right after I have conqured a certain piece of 1.2km long segment of strava…

*Shudders to think what you’re typing with*

it must be very small because there are no mistakes.

only been using them for a year or so as i used to be a one eyed “wiggleite” but i do think CRC are pretty good and if they cant match the processing times that they used to, surely this is a sign that they are getting busier and that cant be a bad thing really, more sales, more stock, more choice, better value….in theory ;)

anyway, the fact that each order now comes with a preprinted “collectplus” returns label is a big plus factor for me, no more faffing having to wait to take returns to the post office if its the wrong size etc. Loads of newsagents are collectplus outlets and its tracked so its perfect.

didnt want to go into too much detail just in case there was no one about with any knowledge of the ailment but thanks for the responses.
the physio i saw diagnosed the vastus medialis but as i said, this was becuase i thought it was a running issue more than a bike issue which perhaps led him ot this thought as i was running more at the time.

the problem is the next day ie this morning where there is a dull ache which feels like its behind the knee. nothing to painful but a noticeable throb, to me there is minor swelling but i have odd looking knees anyway.

based in NE Bristol but happy to travel for a good recommendation with cycling experience.

if you do go to pembrokeshire, man up a bit ;) and go on a boat trip, the RIB trips arent cheap but they are totally safe, they have life jackets etc but its really worth it to get up close to the wildlife and if there are porpoises around (the guides will go looking for them) its an amazing expereince. there are always seals around and htey are quite inquisitive despite seeing people on boats every day.

you can of course stick to the coatal path and spot them but invest in some binos, a good pair of Bushnells or something should only be about £30-40 but are worth their weight in gold when you spot something in Ramsey sound.

I really like the area aruond Sancreed, just outside Penzance. You have Penzance itself (nice for a day and the walk across the bay to Marazion and St Michaels mount is nice), then you have Newlyn, Mousehole and St Just and Sennen which are all nice villages. in my opinion, Sennen is the best beach in the country. Go to St Just and walk down to Cape Cornwall, which is great on a windy day, pop into the Coastguard hut and they let you “play” with the computers tracking the ships going past which is always fun for a while! You are also pretty close to Goonhilly radio satellite station (if the weather is bad) and Porthcurno where there is a good musuem of radio and telgram communication (sounds bad, actually quite enjoyable!) also Lizard Point which is a great coastal path and you can often spot seals and porpoises along the way. Just avoid lands end….

I dont really know pembrokeshire as well as cornwall but there are some great beaches at Broad haven, we based ourselves in Solva for a week which is a nice village to stay, two pubs, small harbour, not much else. the RIB boat trips to Skomer and Ramsey islands are great for spotting seals, puffins, other rare birds and dolphins. St Davids is a nice walk and the coastal path is just as bracing as cornwall though i dont think the scenary is quite as spectacular.

Sounds like the owner has enough money saved from a career in banking to fund the shop regardless of whether it makes a profit. I wonder how many bike shops envy that position! Cant decide if i had a bike shop whether I woould follow this business model or stick to my plan of giving free coffee to soaking wet customers covered in mud from a day in the hills…. Fair play to them though, whats £10k to a city type whose bonus is six figures?

42 in velogames now, some interesting choices!…

have a look at the Audax UK web site, there are loads of routes already set up for you to complete. you just need to learn how their routing works in terms of junctions and things, they read like pace notes used in rally cars! they do all sorts form 100kmers to 400kmers and then the London-Edinburgh-London. I’ll try some soon though I dont have the pre-requisitie Dawes Super Galaxy

there was a 24 hour race at Goodwood motor circuit int he wind and rain last weekend – solo winner did 172 laps of the 2.4mile circuit.

I keep looking at this and thinking, ahhh, i’ll do that next yer, then March comes round and I think, ahh I’ll do that next year….

the awkwardness of wearing bib shorts and needing a pee, the smell of assos chamois cream and taking pride in a silent running drivetrain, thats road cycling! :) i would never be without a road bike!

Wiggo in yellow, Sagan in Green and someone in the polka jersey. Cav wont get green because he hasnt got teh team around him to do the job over three weeks, that sky team is set up nicely for Wiggo with only EBH ready to lead out Cav. Sagan has been awesome over the last twelve months and will monster his way to the green jersey. Goss will run him close though as GreenEdge have already said thats their sole intention. Kittel is a dark horse for green.

Wiggo should take yello, his only real competition will be Cuddle and Sanchez but Sanchez cant TT like Wiggo and with almost 100kms of ITT throughout the race, thats a lot of time to make up. Menchov could be a dark horse but appears to be off form.

I’m expecting the likes of Jeremy ROy and Slyvan Chavanel to have good tours, Leipheimer, Hesdejal etc all to be in the mix but its really Wiggos to lose and with Froome and Porte next to him he cant balls it up really.

The first week will suit the likes of Gilbert as there are a few uphill finishes after relatively flat stages. the mountains this year arent as tough as previous years, only two summit finishes in 2012.

Had he not pulled out of the K2 scheme, his career and popularity would have nose-dived, now he gets to say sorry and come his next tour, all will be forgotten (much like his comedy).

Value of future DVDs/Tours > Potential tax saved

The proride has a recess in the mount for cables and things on the downtube so it should be fine. I normally wrap some bubble wrap around the frame to so it doesnt directly clamp onto the frame

reading a lot of John Irving at the moment, A Prayer for Owen Meany and Last Night in Twisted River are very good. Tend to mix fiction/non-fiction so will read something like this then Left for Dead, the story of the 79 Fastnet Race that ended in a huge storm, then maybe a Sebastian Faulks, then, because its tour season, something like Fignon’s autobiography or another cycling book. Enjoy Alexander Kent’s stuff which is quite throwaway but well written. For farce/comic stuff, Joseph Connolly is ace, SOS, Summer Things and Winter Things are as good as anything Wodehouse wrote….

I’ve only been to Dubrovnik but its very nice and well worth a visit, we stayed there for a few days and there was enough to do although we had a few day trips away too. Dubrovnik gets really busy between 1100 and 1600 when the cuise liners dump passengers off and they wander through the town in groups of 100+, the town depends on the tourist market so they are treated with many false smiles. the place is transformed in the later afternoon/evening though when the locals come out and if you are still there in the evening, you get much better service as they work out that you are staying local and not on a cruise!

The walk from Dubrovnik, through Lapad and then round the headland and back to the main port is nice, this is where some of the liners dock, others just yuse tenders and park outside Dubrovnik harbour. Take a boat out to Lokrum too and have a wander round the island. The beaches are rocky but there are enough flat bits for it not to be an issue.

we got the scheduled jadralina passenger ferry to the islands of Mljet and Lopud. Lopud has an amazing beach and is wel lworth a trip, Mljet is a nature reserve and has some nice walks through forests. You can probably hire bikes on Mljet, swimming in the sea is easily possible upto late September, there are lots of little fish who will try to eat the hairs on your legs though which can be fun/terryifying. they are big on sea kayaking and that sort of thing too. we went with hidden croatia who were fantastic and stayed in the hotel komodor.

Croats are a friendly bunch. we had a great guide book written by a local, i’ll find it tonight and update the thread, it had some good recommendations to keep you off the tourist trail.

does anyone know if the start of the DH runs are marked at all? quite fancy heading up their once the new BFe is built and wouldnt mind a look around. From this map http://cdn-18.create.net/sitefiles/18/8/8/188870/DH%20AND%20XC%20Tracks.pdf it looks like they should start just off the main trails/fire roads?

A resignation letter should be short and succinct, a “so long and thanks for everything” affair. If there are issues about current working practices, or specific reasons for the departure that need to be raised, it should be done during a leaving interview face to face with the appropriate person and if one is not offered, it should be requested. A resignation letter is not the place to start berating policies or processes.

I think its fair to say that the winning riders in each category could have acheived a similar result on almost any bike. The level of fitness and preparation was impressive. It made being able to turn up and compete (figuaratively speaking not literally speaking) with them all the more fun.

When did you last hear anything remotely similar in cycling? The rider is so much more significant that changes in equipment – be they suspension, gear or wheel related – aren’t necessarily influential to that rider’s performance.

I think this is absolutely right, stick me on a carbon gucci 29er and i am still inept….. stick the leading riders on my bike and they are still fitter and technically superior

There is a telegraph museum at Porthcurno which is a lot better than it sounds. Its all about the transatlantic cables that stretched from the each around the world but it has some hands-on stuff for kids. If the weather isnt too bad, you can walk up to the Minack Theatre

The train from Looe to St Ives is quite a nice journey through the countryside and brings you out along Carbis Bay, might be worth it for a “mini-adventure” if the kids havent been on a train before. St Ives is ok, a few shops and things and porthminster beach and harbour are nice enough to walk around. just dont walk around the harbour holding food of any kind whatsoever as the seagulls are evil monsters from hell.

“DO THE JUMP!!!!!!…..” followed by “loser” or a manic cheer!

The solo guys were awesome, some of them had perfected the “thousand yard stare” by 2000 so God alone knows what got them through the last hour.

Team Inappropriate bikes = legends

Had a lot of fun, cheers to everyone for general niceness and camaraderie.

Entered a women’s pair….eek!!

*snigger*

i may get slated for this put I would speak to your local diving club and see if they can find a home for them.

There has been so much uproar that genuine enthusiasts of sports like Diving and Track Cycling havent been able to get tickets for their chosen events due to the demand far outweighing the size of the venue that if they go back into the big pot, they still may not go to a diving enthusiast.

I know I may get slated for this given his past but I really admire David Millar. He is open about his past but is an intelligent guy and still a great rider.

My other heroes are the likes of Jo Burt, Justin Loretz, Rob Warner and Jason McRoy who opened up this sport to me in the mid 90s and made me realise that it was as much more than just riding a bike.

Also the old man who I helped on the A38 once who had a mild bonk on the return leg of a Bristol to Gloucester ride. “At 72 ” He said “I should probably give this up….” To him and all the other old guys still riding.

Quick weather update for anyone who cares. Its been raining hard all night and it was also very windy so I would expect there are a fair few leaves around the trails as well as one or two smaller branches though I suspect the branches will be moved.

Its now stopped but from the local forecast this morning, I would expect more showers throughout the day and into the evening but it looks like the wind will clear the rain and it should be dry tomorrow

I would have thought black round tyres would be preferable, particularly the ones with knobbly bits on the side.

its been hammering down in Bristol for the last two hours though it appears to have stopped. its supposed to be dry form this evining through to Sunday morning but I think it will be largely unsettled all weekend and wouldnt rulle out more rain on Friday and Saturday.

I could say that a local farmers market, a health food shop and a tupperware tub would work out much cheaper but then I appreciate its impossible to bask in your middle class superiority if people cant see you get your nuts and dried fruit sent to you through the post by a trendy company at a vastly inflated price….

as for landlords, I’ve only ever dealt with Kingsley Thomas who are a bunch of useless thieving scrotums who will lie to you to get your signature on a Contract.