I had a nightmare last night with BA from Heathrow. Trying to fly to Geneva, all flights gradually cancelled through the morning expect mine the last one of the day. Kept checking all through the day, still listed as flying. Got dropped at the airport and ran inside to check the boards, still listed as flying an hour before departure time. So I say thanks to my lift who drive off, go back in and get directed back to the desks by the depature security people. I queue for 10 mins to be told my flight is cancelled after all, I must re-book via BA.com. Off course every other person on all the flights cancelled during the day has got there first, I am stuck. Barstewards.

I recommend avoiding air travel if at all possible at the moment.

Yeah the Schwalbe studded tyres are about £27 each. FWIW I have used Panaracer Trail Rakers for snow and they are ace, loads of grip. Not on ice through of course! Loving the DIY tyres but too much phaf for me…

Nice, cheers Rob.

Love the bodge but can’t get my head around why anyone would want to ride a tamden off road. What do you get out of it compared to riding solo? Doesn’t it just hold you back in terms of what is rideable? Is it just a another different challenge?

Given that last years World DH champion uses clips, and this years World DH Champion uses flats, I’d say that is conclusive evidence that its entirely down to personal preference and technique. They both work. Personally I gave up riding anything but flat pedals years ago and my feet never bounce off the pedals on anything. Technique plus 5 10’s and proper rebound settings.

Oh my god, a man just rode past my window wearing a Gimp Mask!

Buy one of those cheap plastic tubs with grab handles from a builders merchants to cart the logs in, I keep a basket full in the garage and then have a stack for evening next to the fire in a small basket.

Get some 2.5 Maxxis minions or high rollers and the biggest brake rotors you can and your bike will be fine. I did a whole week of blatting down the Mega tracks with an RP23 shock and had no problem with mine. Brake power is your friend, especially once your arms pump up. And snake bite punctures get very boring very quickly if you have weedy tyres.

Yes Patriot 66 is the one to go for, super versatile, try to get a later one with the revised swingarm.

I recently managed to get a refurbished Patriot 66 frame off e-bay and built it up with sturdy wheels, my coil Pikes, a 65mm stem and some light DH bars, Dual and bash up front and flat pedals, everything else XT or LX. 205/185 hope floating rotors, and an as new RP23 air shock from an Alpine. Having had a five and then a blur 4x I’m loving the new build, its a fab all rounder and feels super planted. So far I’ve used it for some Alpine xc and lots of general mucking about, and the Pikes are working great with the frame. I thought about trying Lyrics but I don’t think I’ll bother for now.

I badly broke my left collarbone a few years ago, I found that swimming was an excellent way to get mobility back and start to build up a bit of strength the whole area. I smashed it into 4 pieces and I remember cleary the cracking noises of the scar tissue freeing up as I started to do a bit of breast stroke and front crawl five weeks in… A few weeks of that and it was feeling much better. Good luck.

If its turned out a bit watery and your lasange does too then I suggest you try browning the meat off for longer, and fry any veg you add to the sauce / mince for longer too. If you really brown the meat well, until its starting to catch on the bottom of the pan, it helps the flavour to develop and frying it all for longer should drive off more of the water. Cheers 🙂

I’d defo say that is its fun you are after then a shorter travel bike is the way forward.

Trek Scratch now £1999 at evans. Or how about a Scott Voltage?

Went for lunchtime ride in the French Alps today, unfortunately didn’t take my camera with me but the colours are amazing out here at the moment. Will get some pics tomorrow and post up.

I have visited twice, my impression was that it is mental but interesting. I had fun and hassle in equal meausure but enjoyed the experience a lot. I was travelling on a budget so I’m sure working there you will be able to live in much nicer areas that I stayed in! There must good ex-pat areas to live and that it is relatively safe, apart from all the usual issues in India like the crazy traffic, street hawkers hassling, heat, rainfall, filth, illness etc. I wouldn’t fancy doing a commute in rush hour though!

You be better trying one of the ex-pat forums for info I would think.

One not mentioned that was ace is Flight of the Concordes.

+1 for Isla bikes, they are lovely little things. Can’t wait till my lad grows out of his current one and I can start looking a bigger ones!

I liked NCFOM, found the killer a very creepy pshycopath character and I liked the ending. I think its basically is saying that there is no rhyme or reason to existence, no higher power, just events and chance. Deal with it.

Also read The Road and found it very moving, mainly because being a father to two young boys I really empathised with the plight of the Man in trying to ensure his son’s survival above all else. I don’t think it would have been half as engaging to my pre-parental self!

I’d love to but I’ve not got any pics! Suffice to say its my trusty inbred and I’ve put some Bontrager 262 or 29″ wheel compatable carbon forks on it, and I’m loving it. Fairly relaxed head angle with 26″ wheels. I rode it up the Col du Corbier on Saturday and came down off road, was ace! I will take a pic and update asap.

The new DMR Bolt full sus frame looks like it would work well with this setup. How is belt drive for freeride type stuff, I would have thought it would work well?

Its not as good over the jumps though, the Blur ruled that like no other bike I've owned….

Hey Hora. I sold my 4x frame to get something cheaper / simpler. I got an Orange Patriot 66 frame second hand for about £200, and have put an RP23 shock on it. Its ace, feels more XC than the Blur did but has more travel, and I can lower the BB and slacken it off by moving the shock slider for when I go to the Alps. Plus its burlier than a 5. I'm v pleased with it, and feel happier now I'm back on a single pivot. I've come to the conclusion that the suspension on the Blur 4x was too good for me! 🙂

I think the big story here was that she was released and killed someone within 24 hours, and that the the judge's hands were tied when it came to giving a sentence that included any kind of supervision on release.

All because her madness seemed to be temporary and triggered by close contact with her twin sister. Was quite a compelling story I think. Look out in 3 years time when they let her out and she is free to start dodging traffic with her twin again….

Hi Guy, I did the 2009 Mega and stayed with Flow, I'll drop you a mail. Cheers.

Yeah I've been out to the mega with Flow so have met Guy before. Guy if you read this I'd be interested to know when you will be keeping your show open until before Skiing takes over town.

Cheers, got fed up with thinking about it! Fairly scary but you only live once. I'll be continuing to hold down my job in the UK all being well!

Sounds great. I meanwhile will be at a Christening.

I think this is a very similar argument to the trail centre vs getting out there and exploring debate in the UK. As you say if you get out and explore then there is masses of good stuff, but if you don't have the time or inclination then the built trains do a good job of taking the heavy traffic and providing instant gratification.

I like a bit of both me.

This is a Scandinavian company who have been around at least as long as Red Dwarf… I had one of their hobs once and it was very good, and they make nice fridges. The name does make me smile but I see that as a bonus! 😆

Interesting thoughts thanks guys. Dan I'll drop you a mail. Cheers.

Sometimes we have independant B&B, which is fun but not very fast, but now we just want to get there so we are doing the big Holiday Inn in the North of Dijon. Just going for it on the way home though, no stopping… 🙂

Loving my XT brakes now they have bedded in, great power and modulation.

Just to turn this around, any tips for making my brakes MORE grabby? I have some Hope 6ti units and the rear is ace but the front ave no grab, could the pads be glazed?

Ace rear tyre, surprisingly grippy in most conditions but its not a mud tyre and doesn't claim to be. That said it does perform surprisingly well in the wet and is predictable. It won't cope with wet roots but I would think it would do as well as anything else on wet rock.

Certainly makes a difference when you have got 5 drivers from three teams with a realisitic chance of taking the win… great race. Plus Schumi and his dick dastardly impressions to keep everyone entertained.

Amazing when you consider how dull the fisrt race was, really enjoying this season.

Its not bad tyre choice its the fact that if you don't look after your tyres you'll pay for it, further evens out the playing field without refuelling and creates overtaking, all good.

1 – has not really affected me at all in fact I'd say I've seen more opportunities rather than downsides.

+1 for Dogtag

Well sounds good then, woot new bike on Saturday, with big coils front and back, ace!!!!!

Yeah there is that, maybe I just associated Progressive / 5th disappearing with dodgy product. Ho hum I'm sure TF can sort me out if I have any issues.

Cheers toys19 that sounds encouraging, as I say I'm not sure why I thought they might be a bit dodgy, I'm probably just imagining it.