I think the base is weighted so it doesn’t attach to the floor – unless you have eyelets and can tie it down using them.

I never knew Apple geeks could get so engrossed in a primarily PC-orientated past time…interesting…

What is jailbreaking then?

Looking very good…assuming you are going for the stealth look!

Rampant Rabbits…I have them littered around the bike storage area and have them set to go off whenever I enter the room…makes sure I leave with the only thing not vibrating!

When were you last up? Several months ago – probably done, last week – probably still there…

Local paper? Cycle mags? anything that isn’t online?

Was the £11 for postage?

Only differences between the 2 bikes is the XTR has carbon brake levers/fancier saddle/carbon seatpost and bars plus RLC forks instead of RL…saying that the price is significantly more.

I’m going back to my XT choice…practical head has won out rather than the need to waste more money after reading the comments…biggest issue wouldn’t be the initial purchase but the on-going costs…which is a very fair point, I don’t have the cash to waste on replacing XTR with XTR…XT is more manageable…

So is it XT or XTR for you Dave? You’ve had a small rant and question but you haven’t given your preference ;-)

A lb in bike weight can make a difference – get a set of wheels a lb heavier than your existing ones and you will feel it more…extra weight on the rider isn’t the same as extra weight on the bike…extra weight on the bike is felt more readily as your body is being used to move the bike…

I’m posing the question as I’m curious – I was pretty much decided on the XT-specced machine but thought I’d have a look at the XTR version anyway…and that tickled my fancy but my practical head tells me XTR isn’t worth getting as it is expensive/doesn’t last any longer and doesn’t have any functional improvement over XT…so I thought I’d ask as I’ve no real experience of XTR (other than the XTR rear mech on my bike – which works just as well as the XT mech on my commuter).

Saying that, although I fancy a new bike, I’m needing to find the cash to purchase it so no doubt this will all fritter away to nothing…

Best advice is to do the Homer Simpson way – write a letter –

“Dear X,

Welcome to Dumpsville…population YOU!”

Puts the message across in a firm and definite way…

If I join up to this Twitter thing and join both – can I get the £50 and the hip flask please?

Will check Homebase at lunchtime…thanks for the tips folks, I’ve never had to buy anything like this before so have no idea where to look for or really what to ask for – if I ask for a non-slip bath mat amd I going to get laughed at?!!!

wwaswas – got one of those but she tends to float and then gets uncomfy – 8 months old so just started moving around more than just floating…

I’m not happy having our forests, don’t forget that they are public property, being used for short term topping up of political coffers.

Neither am I – but unfortunately, that is what is already happening in a large number of cases…most folk are ignorant of it, but it is there to be seen if you have a look…most of it isn’t to top up political coffers either…

I went on a couple of Diabetic Camps when I was younger – absolutely brilliant they were…I’m expecting this course I’m attending next month to tell me similar things I learnt whilst at those camps. They were seriously useful…and great fun to boot!

I have some suspicions about way this seems to have only just appeared. There is something worrying about the way mountain biking in scotland is being manipulated by some organisations. And how all the supposed consultations are so poorly advertised.

Good point – why do we need so many consultations? I’ve filled out at least 4 over the last few years…and I suspect another one will be getting churned out shortly as the answers they get from us bikers aren’t the answers they are wanting to hear…

Forgot to add – this article shows the CX races of yesteryear and they look rather challenging!

CX from yesteryear

Compared what they do now to what they used to do, I think the spectator value is much lower now.

The Scottish CX series held an event at Carron Valley 2 years back – was well attended but I think most of the ‘racers’ thought it was too rough for them – which I thought was a shame as it made the event a bit better to watch. Only aware of 2 other people to have ridden a CX bike at CV – so yes, it does happen, but I’ve no idea how often.

Thanks Votchy – like I said – my personal thoughts on it were that, but I’ve no experience other than having it myself…I was so young when I developed it, I don’t know anything other than diabetes so to me, this is normal. I’ve not had to experience looking after someone else with diabetes so don’t have anything to relate it to – other than what is in my head.

I’m curious (and not trying to stir things) – but if you are diabetic and are aware of how it all works and goes together – is it as much of a shock if your offspring were diagnosed diabetic as it would be if it was totally new to you?

I’m asking as my 8-month daughter seems to be doing fine but I was about that age (apparently) when I first started showing early signs…I asked the doctor’s and maternity folks about the risks of her developing diabetes and they said as the diabetes wasn’t on the mother’s side, the risk was so slim it wasn’t worth considering.

My own view on this, is if she is unfortuinate enough to be diagnosed with diabetes it isn’t going to be a big problem as we are aware of it and how it all works…it won’t be good but it isn’t as earth shattering as I’m sure it was for my parents when they found out.

This is just my own view and one I hope will prove to be correct if it ever happens…but I’ve no experience of it so can’t relate it to anything…

And very sorry for the thread hijack…wasn’t deliberate…I’m also curious about food supplies and stuff for biking as my riding has changed over the last few years to have less longer rides…but I’m looking to get these back on the go again so want to make sure my ‘techniques’ are still on par with others.

P20 – proves the exception to the rule…I know about 3 NIDDs and they are all grossly overweight and do no exercise…I also know not every NIDD is like that…takes all sorts…hopefully he’ll get this sussed without too many scares and will start pushing himself to more…I’ve never found my diabetes has stopped me trying anything – normally lack of knowledge and ability has failed long before the diabetes has kicked in! ;-)

I’m afraid I don’t know any non-insulin dependent diabetics who exercise…I knew very few and they are all seriously overweight and became NIDD due to their eating and lack of exercise…but I’d guess it was similar i.e. take some spare food, make sure you are well fed with decent food before, during and after the event…if you know you are doing exercise, eat some more stuff to make sure you are a bit higher and can burn it off (higher but not astronomically higher…I’d suggest 2 mmols but no more than 4 – it needs to be burnt off)

I don’t know what it is called – it isn’t a boot camp as such but I reckon being told what I was taught as a kid is going to be similar to a boot camp!

Yeah probably is…I don’t actually make them but it sounds a much more interesting job than I do just now…

I make those…biggest selling line we do as well…demand is over 300% compared to other revenue streams…

Has the website been updated? I was on this morning and it is still showing 08 info…

I’m up a ferret…think there may be 3 teams of folk heading down so should be a laugh if nothing else…

For all the insulin junkies on here…how long have you been diabetic and what age were you diagnosed? I’m being sent to a Diabetic boot camp as the teachings of the Dark Art of Diabetes has changed over the years and they want me to become reacquainted with carbohydrate counting (which is something I tend to do anyway – every now and again!).

I’m 32 years diabetic and was diagnosed at the ripe old age of 17 months…

I’m Type 1…I tend to take some chocolate with me in my back pack but don’t generally need to eat it – I tend to have a decent feed in the morning before the ride, take less insulin to make sure the blood sugar level is slightly higher than normal and then go ride…I have no appetitie whilst riding and it tend to take me 15 minutes from stopping ebfore I can eat, so I have emergency food with me and some hypo-stop – but it never gets touched. I make sure I have a decent lunch (either sandwiches and stuff brought with me or buy something decent), then ride in afternoon…I have a good feed for dinner and take slightly less evening insulin so that the sugars don’t drop too much next day – during the activity I’m fine, but the day after I tend to get hit…