I look to do long swims at 30secs a length and can sustain that for ever (well as long as I want pretty much – I haven’t swum more than a mile without a rest)

When I enter sprint Tri’s I put my time down with 30sec lengths – so 8 mins for a 400m swim. I try and swim quite slowly as the extra effort in saving 1 min in the swim isn’t worth it and I make it up on the bike. Oddly, trying to swim well within myself often means I end up not going out fast and I slowly get faster as the lengths pass and I think I’ve always done the swim in under the time I estimate

If I really try I could do 100m at somewhere between 20 and 25 secs depending on how much I’ve been doing recently – 25 is quite easy 20 feels quite hard.

I’m not a brilliant swimmer – I just try and be efficient.

I’m in the stand up, look forward, front wheel at a slight angle, use the front brake and relax camp.

Superficial sums up what I do there ^^

Keep pressure on the pedal and if you feel your balance going one way just release the front brake slightly and roll forward a touch, balance going the other then ease of the pedal pressure and it comes back.

Standing allows you you move the bike beneath you – relaxing is key.

I think track standing is an important skill – it means you can, if you need to, stop on a climb which gives you confidence at riding very slowly.

Diet is the easiest as once you mentally accept you need to watch what you eat the hardest part is done.

When I ride at a very high pace for 2 hrs or so I consume about 1200 kcal
A shorter ride often shows 6-700 kcal

A pint of Stella contains 45 kcal per 100ml so 250 per pint so a short/low intensity ride followed by 2 pints and a bag of crisps at 200kcal means you put on weight.

You can argue the exact numbers but a lot of people ‘go to the gym’, pootle about for a bit at low intensity and then consume more kcals than they burned off because they think they’ve earned them.

I have an apple TV and it’s hard to see a better online film rental experience.
The interface is very slick, HD films look amazing and stream with no issues (OK, I have BT Infinity so they should)

Films aren’t the cheapest (but there is always something I fancy watching and it’s just so easy.

I also stream all our ripped DVD’s stored on a NAS and imported to iTunes and the iPad get used a bit to stream youTube stuff.

D

I’m sure that distance selling regulations mean they must refund you.
How on earth are you supposed to find out if they work without opening the packaging.

I’d email them asking that question and saying that you’re happy to claim the refund plus costs through the small claims court having informed trading standards.

If quote from section 3.40 in the doc that iamsporticus linked to

However, if the consumer has done no more than examine the
goods as they would have in a shop and if that requires opening
the packaging and trying out the goods then they would not have
breached their duty to take reasonable care of the goods.

Having a set of Terms and conditions doesn’t mean they can ignore their legal obligation.

Part of the point of CCTV is as a deterrent so while it may look ugly on the outside it’ll be visible.

I recently bought a Xenta IP camera of eBuyer to replace an older one that recorded to video.

The onboard software allows remote viewing and while it will email or upload stills when movement is detected it’s rather crude.
iSpy software is free for use on the local network, a paid version allows better remote access and works better as you can decide which areas of the viewable image you need to monitor.

Mine is currently sat in a bedroom windows overlooking the garage so night vision doesn’t work as the IR lights bounce of the glass.

The one I have has a rather narrow viewing angle which is just about ok for what I need and would be perfect for monitoring a specific space.

I just need to sort out power and some big ladders in the attic so I can mount it outside and run the cable up into the roof.

My current fave is

Mad Goose

I’ve probably done more road riding the past 2 months mainly due to the weather.

When it’s been tipping it down for 2 weeks, I know the trials are very muddy, so on a sunny evening I take the road bike so I don’t have to clean it when i get home.
When it’s been dry for a week and the trails are dry the moutain bike often wins unless I’m short of time.

Went to France for a week, took road and Ti hardtail and rode both in equal measures.

When it’s tipping it down I chose the MTB but I’m moving to me more equal. Both are ace (did I really just type ace ??)

As others have said, for me it’s all about service.

An LBS can’t compete with on-line for prices and they’re going to get people coming in to try stuff and then buy online. You have to be the best on service and that means getting the right staff and doing the small things really well.

The best service I’ve ever had is from our local Honda dealer. YUears ago I bought a second hand Accord and went in to talk to them about service costs and to buy a headlamp bulb. This was about 6pm just before they were closing as I was on my way home. Service chappie asks if I’d like a mechnaic to fit the bulb, and I agreed as it was dark and raining.

Took him 10 mins and I expected to be charged £20 for the pleasure, but service chappie said don’t worry about it and the bulb was on him.
They also have a really nice area with excellent free coffee and I often wait for small jobs and look around the new cars.

I’ve been a Honda owner since (and am likely to stay so) and if an LBS had the same approach near me I’d be a dedicated customer as well.

That chap could have made Honda £25 that night but he didn’t he made them a heck of a lot more.

Though it was only a quick chat one of the assistants said that you paid for the name Outwell rather than it being any better quality.

Did they sell Outwell tents?

My experience and research I did 3 years or so ago was that Outwell were generally better quality and you pay for that. Whether the additonal amount is worth it becomes a matter of opinion.

Our frisnds mocked us for the tent and carpet as well, until they spent time in the tent one evening.

Unless you’re only camping when you know the weather is going to be nice, I’d get a decent sized one so it’s not cramped when you’re all in there.

Let us knwo what you end up buying.

We have an Outwell Montana 6.

I did buy a cheaper tent but you get what you pay for and it lasted a year until high winds broke it.

The outwell has a pre-attached inner tent and a sewn in groundsheet so it’s quite quick to put up.
We bought the ‘carpet’ which makes a big difference especially with kids as the main living area is warmer and they can play on it.

The footprint is quite useful – it’s basically a groundsheet the size of the tent and it stops the bottom of the tent getting muddy when it rains – you can pack the tent up more easily as it won’t be covered in mud.

We’ve been camping with some friends, all with kids, for a few years now. People have bought cheap tents then the next year come back with an Outwell

If you can afford one they are worth it IMO. If you decide to stop camping then re-sale values are quite high, if you carry on then it will last longer and be a pleasant experience.

Off road for me is a Camelbak.
I keep a tube, tools, cash etc in it all the time and just fill the bladder every ride.

On road I have a saddle pack with tube, tools etc and take a bottle.

Bottles and a pack off road only work if you ride when it’s dry, if it’s wet, the mud makes it a pain so the pack wins every time as there is less to clean.

Had an accident on a road bike while at Uni (a decent story in itself) and, as the roads were in a terrible state (no change there then), replaced it with a mountain bike, joined the Uni MTB club and the rest is history.

As others have said a very enjoyable docu.

A great insight into the British Cycling set-up and how individual athletes are. Vic has confidence issues etc so they bring in a top chap to help. She kept talking about how she did it for other people – her way of coping/motivating herself – everyone is different so to put a programme together to handle a wide range of personalities and to dominate is amazing.

It might have been the editing but her Dad came across in a mixed way.
He wanted her to see how good she could be, as he regretted not doing so himself, which IMO is not a bad attitude, yet when he was looking at her framed WC jersey all he could say was that he wished he could have worn one – Nothing about how well she had done etc – he was all about himself.

Shane Sutton came out of it very well – straight talking, accepted he thought he was wrong but made decisions for what he thought at the time were the right reasons. Someone you’d want on your side.

I shall watch her riding with a different perspective now I think – I’ll be even more nervous.

I have a ’93 team Marin – with Pace RC35 AB forks.

After I bought my Yeti ASR I didn’t ride it for a while until one weekend when it called me. It reminded me why it was my only bike for donkeys years – I love it.

I don’t think student loans can be seen as ‘normal’ debt as there are conditions around when you pay it back, the rate and time period.

It’s better seen as a time limited graduate tax isn’t it?

For me no debt (excluding mortgage) is acceptable.

I have always saved up for anything I want. Every car I’ve bought I’ve paid cash and bought what I could afford.

I would consider interest free debt but only for something I already have the cash for. Most of these offers have massive penalties though when you miss payments so I would make sure I set up enough reminders etc.

Why pay interest if you can avoid it, and you can usually avoid it by not buying something you can’t afford.

Seems this sort of view is in a minority these days – when we applied for our mortgage the First Direct lady we spoke to couldn’t quite believe I had no debts at all.

Careful peeps, we’re very close to agreeing with each other here…

Define being an adult?

I was self sufficient in my 20’s after Uni.
I had a child in my 30’s

I do a lot of the things adults do but as a 45yr old Male I think I’m still classed as a child by most measures.

I ride my bike a lot and like getting muddy
I make cars with guns out of Lego with my daughter 9 who yesterday commented on how I was really just a big kid)
repeat until bored…

Any other team, I’d have thought. I’m not convinced the fact that Sky is a (semi) British team would make a lot of difference – it’s one thing racing for Britain at the WCs or Olympics, but professional road racing is another matter.

Really ?

He left HTC with the best lead out train to move to Sky. He couldn’t move to any other team unless they could match his wages I’d have thought – certainly not Garmin who last night said they couldn’t afford Froome. Any new team would have to have a lead out train to at least match Sky.

The British cycling setup changed track cycling and have stated that they are taking the same approach with the road.
The management are the same and they had a bad first year, were stronger last year and are dominating this year. It may well be different but their approach seems to be working.

I REALLY want this Bianchi… but not at the expense of it being the completely wrong bike for me.

One suggestion – If it’s <£700 then just go and buy it.

Ride it a few times, see how it fits etc
You will always be able to sell it for what you bought it for so you won’t lose any money .

If you don’t get on with it and still want a road bike you can then get a bike fitting taking it with you as you might be able to tweak the stem/saddle etc to fit.

If not you’ll be much more wiser and no worse off financially.

Of course he won’t move on.

He knew the deal when he joined.
Sky have been clear about the GC being the target for this tour.
His focus this year is on the Olympics.
He’s been doing a team role where able.
He may be frustrated but he will know that the tour is really a part of his training for the Olympics.

He’s with one of the strongest, teams that is British and starting to dominate. next year will be different, with new goals etc

Where else would he go?

I had the exact same thoughts/questions this time last year when I decided to get a towbar for our Honda.
I ended up getting if from TowEquipe and getting it fitted as well.

Took the guy 2 hrs with all the tools and knowledge of doing them for a job. Would have taken me a lot longer with double checking etc and I decided it was worth every penny.

He turned up and did it on our drive as well.

Is it just me or does boardman have nothing to say? The guy admitted that when he wore yellow he didn’t really appreciate what it meant. So why are ITV4 using him as a pundit?

Who else would you have?

He’s been a professional cyclist, rode a few tours, wore the yellow jersey, works in pro cycling, understands what it’s all about, is very media savy.

That’s rather a lot of boxes ticked.

I don’t really mind him – Your comments reminded me of Otis Dely who they got to present some of the athletics.

Whether he breaks the record isn’t really the point of what he’s doing.
It’s about questioning existing thinking and having a go.

People laughed at his original pursuit bike when he rode against Chris Boardman – he beat Boardman and became world champion breaking the world record twice. Indeed he changed cycling to the point where the governing body banned his design.

He may well be bonkers but many people who have changed history have had the same thing said about them.

I think he’s brilliant – he thinks/obesses about what he does, makes his own equipment, uses his imagination and does it on his own on a very small budget.

I don’t think it’s quite that simple.

Burning 300 cals in less time means you’re working harder which will probably mean you’re muscles need more repairing which takes energy. If you build muscle then you’re increasing your living tissues which takes more energy to keep alive and hence you’re base energy requirement goes up.

It will depend on how hard you have to work and your current level of fitness – all these machines use estimates so aren’t accurate.
Without any of your details of weight it’ll be even more out.

If you want to lose weight, do more exercise and eat sensibly. Don’t weigh yourself more than once a week at the same time of day.
You’re better off going by measurements waist, thigh etc – muscle is heavier than fat so you could lose fat but not lose weight.

I think it’s as rkk says above – they appreciate good food, hence don’t eat a lot of junk, why would you when home cooked food is nicer, it also tends to be healthier.

You don’t get ready meals in french supermarkets and the fresh veg/meat is so much better than in the UK.

I love France – some things they have got right – food/drink being 2 of them.

My 12yr old daughter also has one – as do most of her friends (indeed the peer group ownership was the motivating model choice)
It’s interesting that one of her friends who owns an iPhone 4S is trying to get a BB.

I got it for her on a contract with 3 – £15 a month capped at 0 so she can’t spend anything extra on it. She uses it quite a bit but not all the time. Seems to do most things reasonably well.

Can I re-write my first part of my post in this thread ?

BT engineer Steve was due at 8.30am – he phoned at 8.15am to say he’d be 15 mins. He arrived 15 mins later having made changes at the cabinet, He had one sugar in his tea.

If she’s starting to enjoy it then as the others have said I’d get her a fitting sorted out first.
You can then look at bikes knowing what’ll work.

It will involve her in the buying process so she’ll be more knowledgeable and will have confidence that when the bike feels different it’s still the right size for her.

Crell ? 5ft 10 ?
Have you grown since Mayhem then.

You’re never that tall mate unless this is all a part of your usual exaggerations :-)

Rambo riders are all present and correct.

I have the same wheels on my Yeti.
Had it serviced at LBS a few weeks ago who noticed the same thing with twisted spokes and when trying to true the wheels 2 snapped.

Mechanic managed to lube the rest to allow him to sort it but he said the Mavic wheels have a 3 year life and I should start thinking about a rebuild.

I was planning it for later this year anyway but unlikely to be buying Mavic but mainly because I want something a bit lighter.

They’ve served me well and came in a build kit.

Damo – It does need to be quite near the phone socket.
Cable from new socket goes into new white modem.

This then connects to the HomeHub.
There is some flexibility as to distance but not a lot unless you get a different cable. No reason you can’t change the modem <-> hub cable

Engineer/Technician Steve told me that the white router box can’t sit on carpet as it can get hot and would shutdown if there was not enough air circulation – needs to be on a hard surface/wall mounted.

We also had a homehub 3 installed a few days ago.
If you’re upgrading you get a fibre broadband as well so you need 2 power points.

It was the most pain-free experience I think I’ve had with technology.

BT engineer was due at 8.30am – he phoned at 8.15am to say he’d be 15 mins.
He arrived 15 mins later having made changes at the cabinet, changed the phone socket, tested the line, informed me we’d gone from 6Mb/s to 80Mb/s plugged it all in, I tested bbc.co.uk from the Macbook, he ran a test, he finished his cup of tea and left.

It does 802.11n and all our devices work. You get 2 stickers with the key on it and there is a plastic wedge in the back with all the admin info and keys on it – all very handy.

It has WPS for fast setup but I’ve not tested that yet.

All in all a no brainer of an option if you have the option of upgrading to Infinity.

D

I asked the question of total elapsed time to the timing people and the response is

Under normal rules you are correct. But Patrick decided due to the weather you could declare at any point.

IMO this is the wrong decision, it penalises those teams that stayed until the end.
You can’t go changing the rules while you allow people to still ride the course. It might have been very bad conditions but the race wasn’t abandoned, so if you make the decision to retire you shouldn’t be ranked in the results.

Just to but my fellow team mates minds to rest – The results are to be updated later today to reflect the correct number of laps done.

So those riders, ahem crell, who on all the current photos are smiling and mud free, can resume their rightful place.

My understanding was that every team that completed the event should have a total time that exceeds (or is) 24hrs.
There should be a results list for those teams that did finish with a last lap and those that decided not to.

It was one thing that got me around that last slog.

I used to have a similar view before I got disc brakes.
Not possible to do trail side maintenance if things go wrong.

However, I’ve since found that they are more reliable than cable discs once set up and just haven’t gone wrong.
There is no cable to stretch and have to adjust they just work and when pads go there’s no additional adjustments bar pushing the pistons back a bit.

Cheap hydrolics all the way if money is tight.

Are they available yet? I fancy trying a pair

Well they are on the website.
£20 for the single compound £30 for the dual.

If they work out well as all rounders – which they look like they should – then they seem pretty good value to me.

I’ve had/got similar symptoms but not quite as bad by the sounds of it.

I know a local sports massage lady who is very good in diagnosing issues like this – very similar to what a physio does but more than a basic sports massage.

Mine is due to too much cycling :-) and a desk job causing tightness in some core muscles which pulls the lower back.
Saw her 3 days ago and she painfully stretched the muscles – hip flexor and some in my stomach. Made a remarkable difference.

I now have a regular stretching regime which has helped and this week it has been better than normal.

Also worth having regular massages to address tightness/pulls before they become apparent. I thought it was a bit of a scam at first but it really does help – I used to go every 8 weeks and could tell when there was something wrong by the amount of pain I endured – one leg fine with nothing wrong, the other excruciating as she did the same on it.
Not real surprise to me that I got a bad back as I’ve not been for 9 months.