Don’t know about O2 but I’m ok on T-Mobile in Tod if you do need to change.

Hebden Bridge is where all signal goes to die.

Yey, I’m doing it! Have had a stupid ‘go to bed and don’t move for three days’ cold so that’s put paid to any last minute training. Last ride was the Dyfi Enduro :oops:

7 hours? Hmm, hopefully someone will chat to me every now and then as that’s quite a while…

Walker Sensations. Worst crisps ever. Ewwwww.

On the other hand, I sometimes satiate my craving for salt with Morrisons super cheapo, really really ‘value’ ready salted. And when I say value I mean value. 36p for six packets. I only ever eat three at once, honest. And for goodness sake don’t dob me in to the British Heart Foundation. They send me to saline heaven with every crunch. Whist reminding me what crisps used to taste like in the 1970s. Ok, crunch is slightly over-stating it. With every chew would be more accurate.

I’m not ever disappointed by them, you understand, because 36p for 6 does not set up any form of expectation. They have salt, potatoes and fat and they come in small packets. There endeth the expectation. Met.

However, I’ve recently discovered the Waitrose essential version. We’re talking nearly three times the cost at a decadent £1 for six packets. But they’ve advanced the quality of the super cheap crisp by a couple of decades, at least. I was overwhelmed by them, the girth, the crunch, the slice size, the flavour. This is crisp technology of the nineties or the turn of the millennium. We’re talking early Kettle chip at least. I’ll take them over Walkers any day of the week.

Mission workshop is pricy but very comfortable and absolutely completely waterproof. Probably only worth it for carrying the precious laptop and as my commute is 40 miles In Yorkshire and the Peak District I need that 100% waterproof security.

It was pre-used by said bike shop. Honest. They’d not gone bad.

How many would you like? They only need feeding at 6.30am, lunchtime, teatime and 9pm… :-)

Doblo. Just bought one second hand from a bike shop. Life changing… has the seats for sharing trips with friends but is basically a big box on wheels. Super easy to load with bikes and kit.

The bonus is the flip up rear door which makes a good umbrella as you sit on the tailgate and towel off the mud.

Oh, and it’ll take just about everything…[/url]lamb holidays by BeateKubitz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Ha! Go. Don’t mention it. They won’t. You’re English, aren’t you?

I think you can get a free copy of the DM with your My Waitrose card when you shop… just thinking of ways not to have to give them your money.

Although obviously there’s The List. Invent an alter ego? Get it delivered to work?

‘Mr H. Thespydar?’
‘Yes, that’s, well, it’s my Daily Mail name. The H is for Hitler. It was the only way…’
…snatches package from reception and runs….

Particularly when knackered, I find I’m telling myself to do things out loud.

Like ‘don’t forget to lock the door’. Or on the bike ‘get your hands off the brakes’. Sometimes I even listen… :D

Don’t get yourself in a spinny. If McDonald’s won’t pay out, he should call the copse and get his photos in the sys(tem).

Practically, if you have your own mortgage you probably won’t pass muster as a guarantor anyway. The banks look at all your income and outgoings and take a view on whether you could stump up in the event of a default. If you are just about managing, then they will probably decline you. It’s a load of work, like applying for a loan yourself. Once agreed to do it for someone but it turns out I am not rich enough.

I’ll provide the sheep. Bit short of 5,000 at the moment but 50ish is a good start, isn’t it?

Will use the fleeces to knit the coat of arms onto jumpers.

Sad to hear this, he was a great enthusiast.

Yey!

Would be ace – happy to go wherever if we can find a free weekend.

My third Dyfi. Rode round with Chipps. Yeah, he got cramp but he did clean the amazingly long technical climb before succumbing. Thanks to the nice guys who moved out of the way whilst I tried to catch him. I failed. Next year….

Love the World Cup vids, love seeing it again. I dabbed for the first time this year :oops: and then came down the final steep section just behind a bloke who was mincing looking for the line judiciously. Only realised that I was saying ‘Please don’t stop, please don’t stop, please don’t stop’ with the outside voice once we were onto the fire road :oops:

It’s the best event. Going to try and do the whole Bank Holiday weekend properly next year. And start somewhere less near the back. Maybe without a chilli stout induced hangover. Still, 1st lady of a certain age this year though :D

I’m in. Can’t wait. Although riding a r*ad bike for the last couple of months might not be the best prep. Please don’t ride over me if I’ve forgotten how to drop off anything larger than a cobble.

As a hill-farmer on the borders of Lancashire, I completely agree about being on the edge of a breakdown. I haven’t posted a bike in ages either. In fact never.

Hmm, I see your problem. Will have to be a cx then and the full roadie for christmas ;-)

Can I just say Di2? If you’re getting a roadie you might as well go full hog… ;-)

Hmm, the only female specific bike I’ve tried was decidedly disappointing. I’m lucky that at 5’8″ I can pinch my OH’s bikes which are very marvellous.

Look at anything in your size! If you can do a few demo days you’ll have fun and get more of an idea of what you’re after. Also, I’ve never needed a female specific saddle. The only time I’ve had a problem was when I was on a CX bike set up that was wrong for me and carrying a 10kg pack.

Have you seen this? Full suss, I know, but I expect it’ll be in pretty good nick given Mark is selling it on here. Long way from Suffolk but the riding is fab round here. Shout if you make the voyage, we can show you round :-)

Noone?
:cry:

Why don’t you introduce her to some other mountain biking girls? I think sometimes it works better to see another woman doing something rad to make you think ‘I could do that’. I like riding with blokes now (and beating them ;-) ) but in the beginning it was quite easy to set my sights too low and not expect myself to do the stuff they could do.

B*stard work means I can’t make the early doors time. Grumble grumble.

The Minotaur at Coed y Brenin is blue and great for beginners and fun for a laid back ride for non-beginners. It’s not boring, just lots of swoopy and you can try a couple of short reds for variation (e.g. Dreamtime) and a challenge.

And you can stay at Old Skool, just down the road, where Sian and Dafydd are v inspiring mountain biking hosts as well as excellent cooks providing great accommodation.

I think there’s a blue at Gisburn but I don’t know how long / interesting it is. The Dog and Partridge is a good place to stay.

There’s plenty of blue at Glentress but it’s way further.

As a g*rl, I have every flipping colour under the sun. None of it goes together which is extremely vexing when I come to put on an outfit.

Oi, coming to Buxton and not popping in to say hi would be considered rude nbt! :D

I can help anyone leave with less cash and more dash if they like though :wink:

You can put the tandems outside my shop and I’ll keep an eye!

I am just down the road from the Green Pavilion on the other side of the road on the outer edge of the Cavendish Arcade. We have pillars too, and bunting strung between them.

Started pushing myself a bit and get cramps. Gels, drinks and easing up slightly work for me.

Of the brands/prices you’ve mentioned, try out a Saracen Kili Flyer. Really enjoyed it when I got my hands on one!

[/url]wiggo-2 by BeateKubitz[/url], on Flickr[/img]

Wiggo looking delighted at his Tour of Flanders experience. Hope he’s happier tomorrow.

Several companies do a ‘cobble classic bike’. I just won a BMC Granfondo and got to do the Tour of Flanders on it – absolutely brilliant. They’re just a bit comfier to ride over the rough stuff (the proper technical spec is better put here[/url]).

Thinking of doing Paris Roubaix next year on it, couldn’t quite justify two weekends away this year.

It’s not fair. Everyone questions my sanity. The saner half is away so these things happen.

So anyone else doing it?

I missed the start gun! Thank goodness, I was already in panic mode without it. We crossed the line at 7.39.

Thought the Flanders kit looked smart, although the Dutch guy did say he only just got it in time. Wonder if he was asked about his forum id a lot?

OK so I also accosted a bloke in that Morvelo Flanders jersey and felt a bit of a wally when he turned out to be a Dutch bloke who’d never heard of STW. But it was a cracking day out…

Anyone thinking about doing it next year, don’t hesitate. Plan it in. 14th Saturday of the year. Apparently.

I always seem to get a cold if I lose weight. It really annoys me!

I am 6kg off my racing weight and is really hard to shift without getting ill, even though I eat loads of vegetables and not much processed food. Everyone is different, you need to find what works – fluids would be a start.

Also, as those are the kind of reaction you get from immune system dealing with something, check what you eat and drink in and around exercising, if it’s something different from every day you just might be be intolerant of it. Different washing powder for sports kit??

Yes, dark it was! But we were in a group so group inertia meant we started at 7.30 and got caught waiting for a boat to go through the bridge. It was a gorgeous day, I was amazed at how it flew by!

[/url][/img]

240km in the sunshine and just check out my bike! Fab day out.

Bump – still time to enter your Ronde Rider no. & win a BMC :)

Just been doing intervals twice a week and it has made a big difference. Less than an hour on the bike (warm up the three sets of three 30s efforts then warm down). Unbelievably steam rollered the following day. Will find out on Saturday whether enough to get me round 150 mile Tour of Flanders! Plus have done some extra road rides and have even enjoyed them.

Just queuing to get on the plane. Excited and scared. I’ve never actually ridden 150 miles before. But I have written a blog, because obviously that is almost as good as training. Ronde