I agree it's "unfair" if a domestique is found to have doped and been a big contributor to a winners performance, but the winner still has to be able to ride with them, as do their competitors. I wouldn't penalise the winner, but I would hit the team. Docking points from the teams pro tour standings makes sense, or kicking them out altogether. Then the Directeur Sportif gets hit, and he has to balance the sponsors, budget and riders.

Having seen Di Luca in the Giro, I can't say I'm suprised he's positive.

Top quotes so far:

markrenshaw1 Thanks to Di Luca for all the hurt he put on us @ giro ! Good job UCI keep em coming…

bradwiggins Di Luca, what a ****! unbelievable

@crell999… hello Pete! ;)

It's fine, but I'd stay off the first woodwork section from bitter experience.

Barring an accident for Contador I can't see him winning. He's looking like a possible podium contender though. This week will be hard for everyone, andI wouldn't be suprised to see some more changes in the top 5. The TT could sap a few of the GC contenders up Ventoux two days later. Contador is hardly a shabby TTer though. I think they'll take the TT "easier" (it's all relative) to cover the run in to Aubenas the day after with a Cat 2 before the finish, and give everything on Ventoux. Wiggo seemed up for that though in the post Verbier interview…just hope he doesn't blow spectacularly on Ventoux if he does.
Should be a good week!

The commissaire didn't do himself any favours did he with his arrogant stance and self assured smugness. I didn't think Cav would hold on to the green through the Alps, but the commissaire's decison has effectively killed any chance he had.

With the heli shots it's clear as Old Git says that Cav remained parallel with the left barrier, and the right hand side barrier swung in to the path of the riders.

Cav did come across like a spoilt child though which again hardly wins him any friends in the peloton. He could help himself a lot more.

As for Hincapie, great guy but he isn't owed a yellow. What galled me more about that was the response from Bruyneel pointing the fingers at the other teams.

Both subjects on my blog

It was good to see Farrar match Cav for speed for the first time today. Check out the overhead shots though to see how much further Farrar needed to get to that speed compared to Cav's massive acceleration away from Hushovd.

I agree with Rolfharris on the green though, I think Hushovd will be going for the intermediates wherever he can and he'll get the Jersey.

Here

This is the link
http://www.televisiontunes.com/Tour_de_France_-_Intro_and_Outro_-_1988.html

Link fixed in the post below

Pro cyclists are like a set of pawns played out by a directeur sportif 200 metres behind watching the tv, listening to race radio while the mechanic in the back snoops on Lance's tweets from halfway up the Tourmalet. OK that's an extreme view, but the riders should be left to make more tactical decisions both individually and as a team whilst on the road. They're too reliant on receiving the orders of their respective cars.

Stages like today's would have been far better without the radios as the teams would have greater dificulty in keeping track of who'd made the jump. The team leader used to be exactly that – marshalling the troops around them and adapting their gameplan as necesarry. Now the "team leader" is a figurehead role and little else.

As for the safety arguement, give everyone a 2 way radio – to the race Director / their entourage. They can be warned of impending danger and riders can relay problems (like riders disappearing off the road) to the people that can do something immediately.

Exciting racing wasn't an issue before the introduction of race radio. Plenty of incredible racing then, and far more (succesful) attacking racing because of it.

I'd love them to ban radios from the team cars on a permanent basis.

There's no way Armstrong would chase his own team mate down(actually it's Armstrong so he would be arrogant enough to try) unless he was following someone else's wheel. If he did Bruyneel should slap him and he would turn the final screw in the coffin known as morale in that "team". Whether it was genuinely planned attack by Contador though, who knows.

Armstrong is a genius at mind games and putting pressure on those around him. I expected them to let Kloden go today rather than Contador. Then just follow the Saxobankers or Evans up the hill.

Ride of the day – Wiggo for staying with that group…now if he can repeat it that would be amazing.

The other honorable mention goes to Cancellara for descending skills par excellence. The guy has talent.

CALLING BUGOWDERDUST

Let's see some pics of the Pistol Pete please (if it's a chrome one :) )

Deleted

"too many" according to my wife, but also more worryingly; my kids.

A great flat stage today, and it’s not often you get the chance to say that.

markrenshaw1 Yesterday with 3km to go, Piet Rooijakkers (skil shimano) kidney punched me. Is he a:stupid b:crazy c:disrespectful d:all of the above? Cav

Better keep our eyes peeled for today’s ninja move then. Just watched it on the replay – assuming I saw it all. It’s a bit “handbagy”.

If you’ve got Eurosport recorded it’s when Harmon says “Boonen still looking for a way round on the left hand side of the peleton”. You see it from the aerial shot. A bit of pushing then what looks like a good elbow or punch.

Skil have admitted that Piet is on an ASBO

Ribble even cheaper…just get the basket to £50. Free P&P

Fit a spacer under the crown race on your fork. Magura sell them. Here’s a Ventana one. I’m sure there are others.

You might have to get the lip machined off though as it probably won’t be compatible with your headset – e.g. the Ventana fits King, and I’m not sure what the Magura is designed for. Or you could get a machine shop to make you one.

The Orthapaedic consultant looking after him is the person to answer all those questions. I imagine you’ll get a ballpark and a “it depends / it varies” type caveat. I will ask my friend (An OC) when he comes round later but I think he’ll echo the above.

Hope your friend is on the mend soon. Sounds like a horrific off.

i like Doves a lot, and of course i like the riding of mr macaskill. that’s a a rubbish video, though!

Agreed on all counts. Now if they’d only put Susan Boyle on MacAskill’s bike…

Sorry Tankslapper I missed this – Absolutely learn on flats. You will come off the back of the bike a lot.

Coffeking, that’s a really good suggestion. In my yoof on a BMX, doing backhops / balancing on the back wheel was a good way to learn how to balance the centre of gravity on the bike.

Saint rear mech closeout at Jenson USA for 12, yes 12 USD.

For those who can’t visualise it: manualing on a bmx track

It’s worth learning how to pump as well to add to your skills repertoire. You’ll know when you’ve got it ss you’ll actually increase speed through the bumps (without pedalling)- again good to practice on a BMX or pump track.

Olaf – make sure you get that on film :)

AS+ isn’t lock out so not sure what you mean? The fork is still active with AS+ on, but the threshold is determined by how you set your fork; via the initial air pressure and the gold dial. Maybe I should have caveated my climbing comment with “when I think the terrain needs it”, though at times I like to honk on the bars.
The platform control of the Curnutt air shock on my Thor equipped bike is great for getting out of the saddle; no levers, buttons or switches needed.

I do the opposite, making use of the platform in the AS+ for the rougher stuff so the fork doesn’t use its available travel so quickly (the Thor is very linear). Normal riding I leave AS+ off, with the air pressure that gives me the necesarry sag. Riding like this the fork is incredibly good across most things, including smallish drops. For rocks, bigger drops and climbing I flick the AS+ lever over.

Ignore the suggested pressure settings they’re miles out. Use the suggested sag as a guide to work out the pressure you need. IIRC mine’s about 95 PSI for 12.5 st

Open and close the the travel adjust lever and then leave it open for a few seconds. It’s really import to get the air in both chambers.

Start with the AS+ (blue) set OFF (Left) to set up the initial pressure.
When you get the sag sorted you can switch the blue lever on.
Rotate the AS+ Dial (gold) so it’s set in the middle.
The rebound control set to the middle (Base of fork leg)

Work from there. You’ll notice they eat the available travel really easily – which is where the AS+ comes in. Rotating the Gold dial when the Blue lever is set to on will make a big diggerence – experiment with it. It will take a few rides to tune them to your riding and terrain.

I guess nobody has managed to get ay jawbones yet?

Still waiting

When you’re injured it’s not fun. At the moment I’m in an “in-love” phase with biking again and having to sit out is an absolutely soul-destroying nightmare. I’ve had to pull out of Mayhem because of it.

I agree with the “try something differnt suggestion”. Like Kramer I was dragged round CYB by some much fitter mates, having been off the bike for ages and generally very unfit. Yes part of it was my own personal nightmare and reminded me about the pain involved cycling, but the highs of that ride far overshadowed that temporary pain. Riding centres is pretty new to me but I’ve really enjoyed the ones I’ve been to. For me it’s not about covering the most miles anymore it’s about going out and having a laugh.

It just inspired me to go out and get fit and I was loving biking again ’till I broke my ankle…funnily enough on a wet duckboard at a centre. Maybe centres and trying something different isn’t such a good thing :)

Oh, buy yourself a new bike as well – it helps.

I answered the same question with a Foes XCT-5. My shortlist included the Turner, 575 and 5.5. It’s 27.5 ish lbs as as you see it below. There’s so much choice though go with what you want and what puts a smile on your face. The Curnutt air shock does give a ride like no other. (sweeping generalisation but you get the point)

The wife got an eee901 when they came out. It’s great but the downside with them is the available storage because of the solid state drives. I constantly have to free up space on the primary partition which can’t be increased. The keyboard is also too small for any kind of real use beyond occasional browsing. The NC110 is a far better proposition. I had a tinker with one a couple of months ago when a colleague got one. The bigger keyboard makes a huge difference.

As I said they exist, but yet to see one advertised. Any magura stockist can get hold of Magura UK / Martin and try to order one.

If you’ve got a Thor, just watch the AS+ damping adjuster doesn’t hit your downtube. It just hits the gusset on my XCT-5, so fitting the (magura supplied) spacer.

Have a read of this pretty confused thread. It looks as though the Maxle Lite can be fitted – but it still ships with the 360. It reads as though the 60-less has been discontinued as the maxle lite can be retrofitted.

Ask the question on the Magura forum and let us know the answer.

…though there’s always room for more research :) I just watched the “comparison” video. Very interesting side by side, but it maybe needs a bit more of a wide angle maybe? The POV and the GoPro seem to get more in the frame on close shots.

Go Pro Hero Wide are really popular.

I had an ATC2K – It was useless so returned it. I’ll be getting one of the new VholdR Contour HD cameras.

The footage quality is close to a PoV for half the money. No screeen though, but it does have lasers to line it up unlike those crappy oregons.
Downhill vid from sea otter here, with a lot of others on the site including a comparison to the other main competitors.

No I don’t work for them, but have been doing my research :)

Yes and no. It’s the older maxle design on the Thor only I understand. Slight lie on the for sale question, as I’ve yet to see it advertised, but people have bought it as there are a couple of questions re installation from owners on the magura support forum. Again, ask the question about the maxle lite on the magura support forum. I’m probably going to fit the 60 less to mine.

I think there was a thread on the magura forum requesting a service manual, with an answer along the lines of “send them to a magura service centre” – i.e. not intended (at least by magura) for end user service.

I run mine with about 90 PSI( 12.7 stone). Faff to set up because of the need to equalize the chambers, but once set up they’re great. No issues with the seals here.

I don’t like the travel adjuster and avoid using it to be honest. The with the AS+ switch locks the compression enough for climbing and I don’t have a problem with front end lift.

Don’t panic if they don’t inflate :). I had this and thought I’d bust them. It’s back to the pressure eq again.

I thought these had the BB30 setup? How’d you get Shimano working on it? (found the Seat tube diameter BTW)

If he’s after a race bike he’ll probably be too big for a “junior” and will need an “expert” sized frame.

Have a look at bmxtalk[/url] classifieds if you’re after a race bike.

If he is going racing I would get him some armour as well though and a good full face helmet, oh and as suggested, get yourself one while you’re at it.

Very nice, I have a frame on the way. What’s the seatpost diameter on the frame, I can’t find any mention of it on the spec sheet?

Yes, rebranded now. I got my pro elite from aspire velotech

iainc – Member

I reckon you can’t beat the quality, design and value of the Islabikes – all the components are specced out with kids sized bodies in mind.

Sizing, fit and spec are ace. But a bit of bright paint and fun graphics about the place would make things look a bit nicer? No?

good point, and one I discussed with a riding pal when he was getting a bike for his daughter. The islabikes made sense to him, the pink bike with tassles on the bars was what she wanted ‘cos it was more like her pals……….

Totally agree on both counts. The best thing they could do is continue to market a great fitting and lightweight bike to appeal to the savvy parent and a range of “optional” sticker sets to give the kids some choice. The Isla bikes do put kids off (well mine anyway) as they are so dull. However, my daughter has learned that pink tassles don’t make a good bike. Unfortunately I had to buy it to provide the evidence….err sorry Santa had to bring it.

Agreed on the sizing. Youcan get away with a 20″ but they probably won’t enjoy it as it will be too big. I bought my son a 20″ hotrock just after he turned 5. Yes he could ride it but he was stretched out. He kept jumping back on to the 14″ decathlon bike. It’s the right size for him now at 7, with quite a lot of post showing.

I’m just about to get my daughter (who’s now 5 1/2) a small Islabikes Beinn (20″). It’s a bit smaller than the Hotrock. It will be too big for anything that usually involves her shouting “motocross” for a while but it’s not too far off. Both my kids are tall for their age.

As for gears, my son was using them at 5 and for me that meant less pushing, which is always a good thing :D

As for weight, my daughter wanted a “pink bike” for Xmas. She never rides it as it’s much heavier than the decathlon bike she bombs around on.

If you think singlespeed and lightweight are the answer, then look at a junior / mini race BMX. My son’s Redline Flite is 14.5 lbs, and most of them are 16-17 lbs. If you don’t mind secondhand BMXtalk is a good place to look out for them but they get snapped up pretty quickly.