Mavic site says:

ETRTO compatible size: 559 x 19
Recommended nipple length: 12 mm
Recommended rim tape: 559 x 20 x 0.6
Recommended tire widths: 1.50 to 2.30
Valve hole diameter: 8.5 mm, supplied with valve adapter

Didn't touch my personal circumstances – kept my job.
But ended up walking out of my job cos my boss, a very insecure and scared man at the best of times lost the plot. The company I worked for wasn't doing too well either so management have been off the ball with regards to day to day running

as been said, road bikes tend to cost less for same place in the range. Don't forget as they wear out less quickly you're ongoing costs will be lower so you can afford to spank more when you buy it :-)
Don't forget to get road shoes and pedals – more comfortable when you're pedalling continually for 4 hours
and it will do wonders for leg strength and fitness.
Join a club, group riding is ace!

+1 for total immersion. Totally changed my effectiveness in the pool. You realise that 19 out of 20 ppl have bad technique. And many have appalling technique! Makes swimming far more satisfying too :-)

it's just a nice little gimmick. they're giving it away for free. Just a nice little marketing thing to link Orange with the biggest event in town along with a reminder you can get TV on your phone.

It's at this point I like to point out that Churchill (voted Greatest Ever Great Briton in 2004 IIRC) and generally revered as having been one of our greatest ever leaders, was born in a palace. (Blenheim Palace). His father was Lord Randolph Churchill) He was about as landed gentry as you can get.

It's been this way for years. And if the alternative is having thugs like Prescott making decisions then so be it.

Their job IMO is to run the country so I can live the best life I can live, not to be like me. I can do that on my own, thanks.

Never been knocked off but plenty of close shaves. 2 things to think about come to mind reading all this stuff.
1. Often its an accident. So ride defensively, assertively, make no assumptions whatsoever about what a driver might do next, be very observant and assume the worst and get ready to act on it. As my mum was taught when she learnt to drive in the 50s. Assume everyone else on the road is an idiot and drive accordingly.
2. Some people will attack you/go at you directly. Stay out of their way. Don't get angry or provoke them. Yes they may be in the wrong but they clearly have issues and as you're on a bike, you're vulnerable and unlikely to come off well in a fight with a chunk of metal driven by a psycho!
I'd rather be alive and fully able than 'in the right' and in a wheelchair

Go with what you like and is comfortable for you. I have Campag Athena on my road bike. Used to have 105 on the old one. Campag is less clunky in shifting but it's not as 'amazing' as I was led to believe it would be. The way it shifts three gears in one movement of the lever when you want it to, and can trim the front mech to stop it rubbing is ace tho

Do you leave near anywhere touristy? They'll take on summer staff.

Karma. Glad she got her comeuppance for riding like a d*ck

That cyclist is a t*t. As above, has hopefully learnt something and won't be added to the dead/injured cyclist stats. Or cause someone else to crash

Ride it and see? I have a 2004 Five with 140mm forks and an inline post and it's not stopping me get down anything. As in, I don't think I've found its limit. Recent geometry being different and all, the basic design is still ace to ride :-)

The woman definitely was not very open to change and was rather controlling of her staff to say the least. BUT:
Mary was going around telling her what to do 'because I know best'. I can see that attitude getting up most people's noses tbh. Esp if they've run a business ok for 30+ years
I think Mary's bright enough to have seen that a less confrontational, dictatorial approach would have been more effective with someone like that, but clearly decided it would make a better TV programme if she went in like she did. A lot of rather bitchy comments to camera…

Put it this way, I never watch programmes like that and here I am posting on STW about it, so unfortunately she wins :-(

Skills course? My head was a shed after two broken shoulders in 18 months. Spent a few days with Cycleactive and now feeling far more relaxed on stuff that I couldn't get my head around before

The collective insight of STW comes to the rescue!

Geronimo – your Chorlton photo could be East Dulwich (which I like) and your Didsbury one is Clapham – overpriced and full of postcode snobbery whilst actually not being that great when you look beyond the trendy bars and chichi shops…

Binners – you may find me knocking on your door asking for a guided tour at some point :-)

In the meantime, off to go and prep for the 2nd interview, it ain't in the bag yet.

After 10 years in London the idea of having the Lakes close enough for a day trip is a very, very cool idea. And if the Peaks is an hour away I suspect I'll be getting my climbing shoes back out the bag again :-)

I've lived all over SE London. Brixton was poss my favourite cos dead easy to get in on Victoria line, + the street was really friendly with a good community. We spoke to each other (yes, really!) and even had street parties. I'm in East Dulwich now – great for local shops – greengrocer, bakers etc and really easy to get into town. I'm 37 now so not bothered about local bars, I've had my drinking years… so long as there are decent places in the centre of town when I fancy a night out.
What I don't like about E Dulwich is the silliness of house prices (£250k for a one bedroom flat) and the major trek to get out on my bike

Not that bothered about riding straight out the door tbh. In London now and have chosen Manchester partly for the city lifestyle, but less of a trek to get to the decent riding (Wales/Peaks/Lakes at the moment are all weekends away and Surrey Hills is 90 mins drive so anything less will be ace

What about Altrincham?

You don't want to be getting random advice from a forum on something as important as your back! Get a personal trainer for one session to make an assessment of what your particular weaknesses are and a set of exercises to sort them. What works for me or any of the others may not work for you, or worse, could give you an injury. Oh and warm up properly for 10 mins beforehand!

+1 for LaSportiva. Used mine for lots of serious mountain walking. Weren't cheap but the most comfortable boots I've ever owned

I'm 37, single (no kids) and after a decent quality 2 bed house with bike storage (4 bikes!) and garden/patio/yard to clean them in. Decent area but not worried about bars and that, I can go to the centre of Manchester for that.
Just looking at the map, SW of town would work too – easy ride out to Cheshire on the road bike, easy drive into the Peaks and not too much of a trek to the Lakes either really…
So what's good round there. And sensibly priced – I won't be going anywhere Wilmslow/Alderley Edge etc any time soon!

If I get the job, Salford. My aunt used to live in Bury. What's that like?

IME the control freaks came out of the woodwork in the recession…

small company usually means fewer procedures.
If it's being micromanaged it sounds like you have an owner who is either a) not able to let go of the business he created as it's got bigger or b) a control freak. Either way, not great if you want responsibility and freedom to do things yr way

Um. You weren't descending slowly on the STW Surrey Hills ride Nick!
(on the Cotic with the magic slow pinch puncture)

Bargain, bid for it!

I know it's extra expense but my Hope is still running smooth after a year's use

it's quite dusty at the moment… easy for the front to wash out unless you're weighting the front

http://www.cycleactive.co.uk/courses.html

2nd for Cycleactive. Ask for Rich. He's very bothered about you having a good time and learning something. Very nice guy, very understanding and encouraging. Did amazing things for me after a couple of bad falls knocked my confidence. Based in the Lakes.

Have been 1 but due to move to the Lakes for the summer living off my savings so likely to move towards 2.
TBH, buying forks for £400-600 doesn't make £100 every year a sensible investment – just encourages buying new and selling the old ones on Classifieds. I'd prefer to buy something I like and use them till they totally wear out

All you need to know is here:

http://www.lovemoney.com/news/grow-your-wealth/boost-your-income/10-reasons-wealthy-people-have-all-the-money–4958.aspx?source=1000450

It's great news for me. I don't really like U2 so was going to have to find something else to do on the Friday night. Now I'll hopefully get to see someone I like.
I love Glasto, it's ace, whoever plays :-)

I've been in London for 10 years. Lots of great stuff about it but with its challenges too. For example I earn well above national average salary but can't afford a house in a decent area.

I'm moving to the Lakes for the summer and expect my standard of life to go steeply upwards (fresh air, friendly, community, hills, need a whole lot less cash to live well, and some of the best biking in the UK (obviously!)If things work out I won't be coming back to London…

Wimbledon Common? Not a lot but a few trails.

Cheers Angela. I know Andy through a friend. Will definitely try him, it's a great shop

[gets back in box]
I'm with JonEdwards on the getting frustrated with your own performance rather than other people's tho'

All the above seems sensible to me. I would add:
1. Go thru all your stuff and sell what you don't actually use or need. I've made around £1,000 in the last couple of months emptying my cellar of old bike kit I'd swapped out or stopped using
2. Buy what you know you need and want, not what your peer group does or magazines/media/everyone else wants you to
3. Avoid friends/other halves who are status driven and expect you to be the same. They tend to choose expensive places to go out/want expensive presents/holidays etc. In any case friendship's based on values and deeper stuff IMO
4. If you buy a lot of bike stuff, go to the classifieds here… usually top quality kit but dead cheap

Cheers SFB. Tour de Coniston looks especially good :-)
Are Bogtrotters around over the bank holiday weekend? Do you have space for a guest?
May well join the Tuesday Evening ride too – so long as there's enough daylight not to need lights

Evans – avoid
Cycle Surgery – good
On Your Bike – good, although more commutery than MTB
Condor – bling bike stuff

Google is your friend for maps and locations

Tarmac is reckoned to be easier on the knees – if you're running long distance (5 miles+) there's a lot of shock going through your body each time you run so anything that helps reduce that is reckoned to be a good thing.
A girl I work with is competing for Commonwealth and Olympic games and she says avoid anything but grass or a proper track if you don't want to be injured. Reckon she knows her stuff!