Great thanks guys.

I do a couple of half marathons a year but take a laissez-faire approach. I have only done one full marathon which was 2006, so I know it’s a big step up. My 2006 training strictly followed a Runners World programme (since lost), which was great for building confidence that I’d prepared as well as I could.

I’ll go with the Garmin programme given that it’ll talk to my watch.

Hi all,

I’m looking for a 6 month marathon training programme for c.3hr 45mins.

If there’s a programme which is well regarded I’m happy to pay. I have a garmin watch which I can load training profiles onto.

I would much much prefer not to have a programme which is exclusively stated in miles and which I’ll then have to convert. I’m a km person through and through.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Thanks @hoopyfrood I’ve just bought a pair for a super-bargain £125.

And yes, old tubed GP5k used to be £50 RRP but readily available at £35, which at the time seemed expensive.

Now it’s £75, no discount and no stock.

I’ve been on stock alerts for 28mm tubeless Conti GP5k for a couple of months. There’s none to be had.

Those Vittoria n.ext are not released yet, they’re on pre-order.

It’s a tyre drought.

@shermer75 I’ve been dot watching with keen interest, but I don’t really understand the tactics. In what way did Joe N play a canny game?

He, Rufus and Donnacha seem to be in a different league.

Good to know and glad to be proved wrong. Must just have been an internet rumour from years ago.

@don_biscotti

Don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade, but I’d understood that white logo Maxxis were OEM and inferior compound to the yellow logo.

I could very well be wrong.

It’s so bone dry that that area is just a big sand pit. It was loose over loose.

@gt7_casualty really pleased to hear you are relatively ok and on the mend. Also that it can be rationalised. Get well soon!

The logistics were fine despite it sounding complicated, as observed above.

I had a really good time but my head wasn’t in the last lap, I had heebie jeebies about the bomb hole causalty who must have been there for hours before getting carted off. I hate hate hate the notion of serious injury. I’m tentatively relieved to hear they are “not critical”.

Healing vibes fellow rider, there but for the grace of God etc.

@b230ftw what high stack gravel bike did you end up with?

I have a 2017. The USP for me was that the biggest size was bigger than any of the other snazzy alternatives (esp. stack), and seems like it still is. E.g Aspero, Open up etc.

Another attraction was Santa Cruz’ good rep for customer service. I’ve only had to call upon that once, when they sent me a new metal chain suck protector after the old one fell off and was lost.

I think it’s great, I use it with different wheels on the road too. If anything happened to it I’d buy it again… though I might wait to see next year’s colours!

So how did we all get on?

My experience:

First 100k: excellent varied course, feeling good really enjoyed it.
100k-150k: death march into the teeth of a 18/19mph headwind. The 3rd quarter is always going to be difficult psychologically, but to have it also the most difficult physically was a double whammy.
150k-200k: Again a really nice course and my spirits rose nearing the end. However body started failing. Hot-foot with 25k to go, lower back pain which I had been managing started to get out of control, and right hamstring/calf/back of the knee started to go.
Finish: burst balloon.

I didn’t get any punctures, and I was quick at feed stations, as such I think I was higher up the field than I should have been on power alone, meaning that for every one person I overtook whilst pedalling, I was overtaken 99 times. I have conflicting feelings on that.

Last time I went a couple of months ago there were still lots of trail closures (the official stuff) following storms back in November. That’s maybe dampening enthusiasm. Have they reopened yet?

@mrshovelhands

What tyres were you on last year?

Mechanical q:

I just changed my brake pads. The new ones rub the rotor. New ones are shimano xt sintered, old ones were shimano xt resin which must have been a narrower pad thickness. Not a major drag but enought to bring the wheel-spin to a noticeably premature halt. On a 1hr blast it wouldn’t bother me, but a 9/10hr Reiver I need to make as easy as possible.

Pistons are fully retracted and moving equally when I squeeze the brakes.

Should I try sanding down the pads? Is that a recognised technique? Disc brakes are great but this is a faff.

I do love the word “super” without suffix in the 1980s style. Vacuous characters in John leCarre novels were fond of it as an affirmation.

My 14y/o son told me Mum was out meeting the Realtor, because he couldnt remember the term Estate Agent.

@bfw have you searched up Ti repair? Your old frame could be salvaged?

I’m reluctant to be too condemnatory of Kinesis because cracks do happen and there but for the grace of god go any of us.

The Mk2’s were substantially reinforced. The Mk1’s were very light which made them such a superb frame while they lasted, but there’s always a trade off.

@bfw sorry to hear that, that’s painful. I snapped a Mk1 Tripster but that was in 2017, I got given a Mk 2 under warranty within days of warranty running out, so it could be said I got lucky even though I loved that old Mk1.

Actually one more thing, I had to discount the Reilly because even the XL wasn’t as big as I needed, which isn’t a concern for you in the middle of the size range. You’ll have a bit more choice than me, but I have only good things to say about the Etape.

Enigma Etape Ultegra. Ticks all of your boxes except perhaps budget? Was £4k RRP when I bought in Feb 21 but I think £4,200 now (BTW don’t dwell on it, it will be £4,400 or more next year) Touring in the summer with frame bags was as good as it gets, and in the winter with mudguards it made the Festive 500 a breeze. In the height of summer I even stuck some deep section wheels on it and it looked killer.

My previous winter bike was a rim brake Genesis Equilibrium, so this is a quantum leap forward.

Im also confident that whilst the Ti Etape mightn’t be super bang on-trend right now, it will retain its alure and its appeal for decades to come.

Many thanks to Kimura for making the intro.

Kimura – I think Grum is your next target!

Just to book-end this thread (or maybe not), I have just bought a second hand LaPavoni Pro. they look rad, have a cool name, there’s interesting upgrade potential, they have a lot of character, and require more human interaction than most. I appreciate that this might not produce the most scientifically perfect espresso every time, but whatever will be will be. I feel like I’ve been on quite a journey in the last three days.

So in summary; expect to see me in six months time asking advice for something highly computerised and automated after I’ve failed to tame the Pav.

Ah… thanks for the heads-up. I saw that the mod/admin/reviewer had given Lelit some technical feedback (which they acted upon) but I hadn’t inferred commercial influence. I’m in no massive rush as the grinder will not arrive until March, so I’ll try to research more widely.

Cost wise I’m rationalising it as being the equivalent of a respectable frame (for the machine) and and some mid-range wheels (for the grinder).

I wonder if La Pavoni could be the additional retro bike you have in your shed just for pure theatre once in a while. Those refurb/modded ones look brilliant. I’ll bet they sell fast.

The Lelit Elizabeth has a 73 page thread on the UK coffee forum. Does that make it the barrista equivalent of the Kinesis Tripster Ti?

It’s not pretty and it has a silly name, but I think it’s currently the front runner.

Silvia Pro/Pro X does look good but it’s pretty enormous front to back.

Yes I had noticed that. The Elizabeth is relatively compact by comparison, and Lelit do seem to be held in high regard.

Thanks very much for all the great advice! Some very good looking machines on display.

I’m in Edinburgh so very soft water. The general theme seems to be that DB is desirable for milk-frothing. Any views on the Lelit Elizabeth?

I think La Spaziale looks tremendous, but it is just unfeasibly large.

Any views on this one? I think it’s a work of art.

I bought a pair of Hope RC and initial impressions very good.

There’s a rock solid connection between cleat and pedal (no rattle or unwanted play), and a meaningful range of spring force. Engage and disengagement feel smooth but positive. The float does not not feel entirely free, it does seem to lightly self centre. That’s on the tighter 4° cleats.

I’d be keen to try the supplied 5° cleats. Very very minor fly in the ointment is that they only supply one set of bolts and cleat bolt plates, which is annoying if you have two pairs of shoes.

Yes I think the late 90s, early 00s were Time’s heyday. There has been a bit of value engineering to the product since then.

That is an option, but I’m feeling a bit stung by Time. My XC8s will have had <100 rides in them.

Also, binning pedals that frequently does seem wasteful.

Minor qualms, just exploring the options.

Yeah the RC Hellion Elite 46 is no wider than 2FO Roost or 5:10 freerider pro. Too tight for me (284×115), so sending them back.

Going by the other comments on this thread the Tribes are ok in the dry so I’ll hold onto them for summer use.

I’m snookered in the wet though, maybe I need to return to spds.

ok so it sounds like they have a wide forefoot but a narrower toe box. I’ll see how I get on.

By the way its Burgtec Penthouse Mk5 I have, not mk10!

I didnt buy the Tribes to wear in winter. I’ve just been in the habit of wearing the same pair of 2FO shoes all year round and haven’t ever perceived a change in grip in different conditions.

@Onzadog, I have my own insoles so no worries there, but concerning that that you say they are no wider that 5:10 Pros. I was just going on BillOddie’s advice.

Tribes going to charity shop.

Hellion Elites size 46 ordered.

I’m so scunnered with this quest that if the Hellion Elites work out then I thik I’ll buy ten more pairs to see me out the rest of my days.

Maiden voyage for the Tribes today. Pouring rain and drenched trails.

Fit is excellent, grip is really poor compared to Specialized SlipNot 2nd gen compound/pattern. I have Burgtec Mk10 pedals which have prominent pins, but I was all over the shop today.

My 47 tribes arrived (I’m a 46 in everything elese). The fit has a broad forefoot (at least equal to the width of the old/wide 2FO). Toe box is almost square so genreous there too. I didn’t get excessive length by sizing up either.

Not ridden in them yet so cant comment on grip, other than to say the soles are sticky to the touch like a box-fresh tyre, but that prob doesn’t mean much.

One thing I do notice just walking around the house is that that uppers do feel quite quite flexy and unstructured, compared to the old 2FOs which were basically hard plastic. Again, yet to see how that plays out on the trail. I think on refelection that the heavier-duty Clans would have been more comparable to my previous sets of 2FOs, but I’ll see how I go with these tribes first. No harm in trying something a bit different, especially for £60.

I’m 46 in most shoes inc. 2FO but I do have NorthWave roady winder boots in a 47. The reviews say the Tribes are snug, so I ordered 47 in them too.