[/url][/img]

[/url][/img]

This is mine. Getting on a bit now by Lapierre standards. 2008 model I think. Quality bike. Much better than the 5spot and Meta I’ve had previously.

Most entertaining part of this thread is trying to pick out the trolls from the genuine pricks.

Headsets last pretty much forever but as Northwind says, they can score forks. For that reason alone I don’t think I’d ever buy another (Lyriks started to develop a couple of marks which CK ignored when questioned). I’ve got Hopes on both bikes at the minute with the CK sat as a spare in case I ever get another frame with a standard headset.

Bottom brackets are a bit bobbins. Yes, you can regrease, but you have to be careful not to blow the rubber seal out when regreasing or it becomes a bit of a faff. Plus, you need to buy the specific greasing tool which is quite pricy.

I generally get a couple of years out of a Shimano BB so its a bit of a false economy spending loads on bottom brackets when XTR can be had for about £20. I sold my CK when I changed frames and won’t be buying another.

I was quite fortunate in that corporal punishment was abolished just as I started high school so was largely immune to it. There was a few of the teachers, however, who struggled to adjust to the new fangled methods of teaching without beating which resulted in me being strewn across the classroom into a couple of desks on more than one occasion.

In contrast to the shite it’s followed this is TV genius by comparison.
I don’t remember Saturday night TV being this shit when I was a kid.

Get Warner in.

Anyone that’s slips “releasing chocolate hostages” into commentary gets my vote

From a similar era, I think that Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile is a far better album than Pills Thrills, Bummed et al from the Happy Mondays.

I’ve had a couple. Tried a Summer Season. Worth a punt for £100 but rode shite. Sold after 3 or 4 rides.

And my old 5 Spot. Had it for a couple of years but just couldn’t fall in love with it like all the fanboi’s seem to, no matter how much I tweaked the cockpit, forks, shock etc, etc. Moved it on and now have a Zesty which I love. Obviously the Turner was too niche for me.

The Goonies was pretty much cast perfectly.

My wife’s not a cyclist so anything more than one bike kind of confuses her. That said, if I want more then its no problem to her.

For me though, I kind of can’t justify having more than my current crop of a road bike, HT and FS. Any other bike I get now will be to replace any of those 3, either through curiosity for another frame or necessity (been hankering after a Soul for a couple of years but waiting for my 10 year old HT frame to die first – damn you Cannondale and your poor quality hardtails!)

Saying that, every time I go to the Alps I decide I’ll buy a DH bike for my next trip. Not happened yet but you never know!!

I’ve only ever had one dealing with them. About 10 years ago, ordered an XT groupset which all turned up OK. Seems I was one of the few lucky ones.

Having read the many tales of woe since, I wouldn’t touch again.

Eldest has just turned 8 and is working her way through the Harry Potter books but her favourites are the Enid Blyton St Clare series.

6 year old is just getting into Roald Dahl and loved The Twits. Some of the newer editions are better illustrated than the older ones so this probably contributed to her enjoying it so much.

With both mine, the tipping point has been about 6ish when they became a little less interested in the pictures and most so in the narrative.

Perennial favourite though has to be Dear Dragon by An Vrombaut. Well, its mine anyway.

brokensoul – Member

It’ll be a few weeks before I’ll be on the right shift, but I’ll make one in, eventually. Keep posting ’em up

Shocking Chip. Where’s your loyalty man!! :wink:

Well, if nothing else, I’ve learnt that The Black Angels have a new album out, obscure or not.

Definitely still there as a caff – was there last weekend. As for whether its open on a Tuesday – not sure.

In related news, I got the Strava KOM down Keepers about a month ago only to lose it an hour later while sipping a pint in the beer garden. Shortest lived KOM I’ve had yet!!

Ed – I think the section referred to above is the the right side of Black Carr. It branches right off the main track about a third of the way down. I’ve never seen it marked as red/black though.

I’m listening to mostly Rival Sons, Kurt Vile and Grizzly Bear at the moment.

You can’t go wrong with either the High Roller or the Minions.
Personally, I ride Minion DHF UST’s front and rear, front super tacky, rear 60a. They’re as good a tyre as I’m likely to need.

[/quote]konabunny – Member

We had a pension company visit us to discuss managing our company pension. They turned up in a BMW 7 series. We turned them down on the basis that if that was their company car, they were taking too much commission.

That’s really stupid.

As a company, we actively discourage our reps from choosing cars too fancy for this very reason. The world is full of naïve irrational fools.

Me, I drive a 10 year old Astra estate. Given that I do about 5k a year and its either got messy bikes or messy kids in the back I’m unwilling to spend more on a newer car – I’ll run this till it dies.

Obviously, if circumstances changed and I was spending more time in it then a ‘nicer’ car becomes more of a priority.

People will always spunk their hard earned on things they think are important to them. Different strokes for different folks innit.

[/url][/img]

This is my Zesty. Coil Lyriks, Push’d Van R out back. Most of the time its got 2.35 Minions on Flows, gravity dropper and now 1*10 with Zee and Silentguide. Travel wound down to about 145mm front and it’ll go all day, albeit a bit lardy.

For uplift and alps holidays, stick on the 2.5 tyres and burly wheels, offset shock bushings to slacken it off a touch and wind the forks out to 160mm and its a pretty awesome bike.

Weight wise, I’d guess at 33-34lb in normal guise, 36-37lb when done up for have a go downhill.

I’m doing the Cheshire Cat sportive over in Crewe tomorrow.

Having only been out on the road iron twice in the last 3 months (Mon & Weds this week)and finding out that the route has been extended from 62 to 76 miles I can’t say I’m filled with joy at the prospect.

5’10” here with 31″ inside leg on a 54cm here. Stem could do with being a little longer but otherwise good fit. 58cm will be mahoosive for you.

Not that I’m condoning it, but have you got an Evans or similar close to you? I slung a leg over a 56cm and it was like a garden gate.

Thanks for all the input guys.

So, as long as its not ruptured then I should be OK nursing it through a bit of exercise along with eccentric exercise and a few anti-inflammatories.

I don’t have a chance of getting in to the GP’s any time before the weekend so I’ll rest up today and tomorrow and see how it feels after the sportive on Sunday.

In terms of professional advice, with the GP being a Jack of All, Master of None (no offence DrP) would I be as well just making an appointment at a decent sports physio and letting them check it over? Or would you go GP as first port of call?

+1 for the Bad Brains lot. I’m down the road in Gildersome and have been riding with them for about 7 years now. At least 2 organised rides a week all within 30 mins drive of me and lots of varying abilities. Always starts and ends at a pub so it’s got that covered.
Also worth checking out the Garage Bikes shop rides. Big Al knows the area very well and runs rides about once a month with a social emphasis. In fact, I think he’s got one tomorrow from his shop in Morley. I’ll check start tea and report back.

EDIT: Just checked his twitter feed, ride tomorrow from his shop in Morley starting 9.30.

Wrighty, take a bow son. Seems you’re having quite a weekend.

Called at the chippy for fish chips and curry sauce all washed down with a can Ben Shaws lemonade.

And if you don’t like this one then you’re dead from the neck up. Takes me back to the Arks at Leeds Poly

Some good shouts up there. Particularly liking the LFO one.

This one always brings a smile to my face and a shiver up my spine

Thanks for your input guys. Lots to mull over but all very useful.

A lighter bike will get more nods of approval from your mates when they have a spin on it during the car park test.

Unless of course they study your form quite closely and notice when you’ve dropped a pound or two.

It still amazes me that its only over the last couple of years I’ve heard the Lo-Fidelity Allstars stuff – I must have been living in a bubble 15 years ago.

And Underworld as well. I always gave them a wide berth after that Born Slippy annoyance which was never off the radio. 2nd Toughest is a great album, which again, I heard for the first time about a year ago.

jam bo – Member

What’s the worst that’ll happen?

Bum wee 40 miles from home??

Probably the most over rated player of his generation, fuelled by the media frenzy that followed him. That said, still a half decent footballer. Kind of see Waddles point but not sure who the 1000 better players would be.

These High5 ones are pretty cheap

1991 Emmelle Corniche
1995 GT RTS x2
1998 Trek 7000
2000 Cannondale F700
2004 Cannondale Furio hardtail
2008 Commencal Meta5
2009 Commencal Meta5
2010 Commencal Meta5
2008 Turner 5 Spot
2010 On One Summer Seasons
2008 Lapierre Zesty 714

By far and away is the 2004 Cannondale Furio which has the black BadBoy graphics of that year. Ridden weekly since I got it as a warranty replacement for the F700. Has had many different guises over the years from lightweight XC machine to burly DH and is always a joy to ride. Currently hankering after a Soul but until this breaks (and it will) I won’t be spending my cash.

Medium Zesty with Van R shock
Lyriks
Flows with Minions
Gravity dropper
Zee 1*10

Not sure on weight but she’s a tad lardy – I’m guessing 33-34lbs

I could lose a couple of pounds by getting some Revs and putting an air shock back on but tbh, it rides so well I’d rather lug the extra weight.

Haxan Cloak would fit the bill nicely.

35 rear and 30 front for me. I’m about 12 stone but if I run them much lower they start squirming when pushed in the corners.

Sram over Shimano purely for the powerlink making fitting less of a faff.

Saying that, Sram is the only chain I have snapped so I moved to KMC a few years ago. They just work.

I’ve been 1*9 using a 36t chainring 36t cassette on the hardtail for about a year now and tbh, it’s not very often I don’t get up the climbs that I used to get up with the granny ring but these do take a bit more effort.

Recently gone 1*10 on the full sus with the Zee set up and have a 34t chainring, thinking being that the bike is about 5-6 pounds heavier so climbing will be more of a hassle. Its early days but so far so good. In fairness, my front mech was always full of crud anyway so seldom dropped the chain onto the granny ring and was pretty much ornamental.