Oh, that was me. Sorry.

Just got tired of being held up and you not having the etiquette to let a, clearly faster, guy through.

But it was a lot of fun just keeping you at arms length. I must fit a rear view mirror.

I eventually motored back to the Visitor Centre to report that old fashioned mountain bikers have terrible language and no sense of humour and should be banned

Wish I’d had an e-bike at Swinley today (okay not really). Very wet and slow going.

If there’s any bits of Swinley missing they’ll be in my car \ shed \ arse-crack.

Doesn’t the butler do it for you?

One that sticks in my mind is Pedro Delgado in ’88. I can still remember Phill Liggett’s commentary ‘Pedro Deldado has sprouted wings’ as Delgado took the field apart up some climb or other.

Hinault / LeMond ’85
Fignon / LeMond ’89

Fewer than 4 clean riders in those names above though. I really pay no attention to the TdF anymore

Yep, also had a problem with a Nobby Nic on my son’s bike.

Rim is a Mavic 319, he punctured at Swinley – took about 20 mins to change the tube.

Broke a Lever in the process

I’ll never get rid of my Kona Lava Dome frame. Circa ’95/’96, steel, rides great.

Currently hanging up in my shed. Always planning to build it up again, in a similar way to how it bought it. Rigid, rim brakes, flat, narrow(ish) bars but probably 1 x 9/10/11. Keep it for long summer days on the Ridgeway or other quick but non-techy routes.

But I never get round to it!

The Great Escape
The Godfather trilogy

We have a gravel drive. Actually it’s bigger than gravel 30mm I’d say

Cat shit is a real problem
It does migrate
We have some problem areas where it so compacted it won’t drain properly
You can’t jack your car on it
Obviously you can’t sweep it so any detritus just gets mingled in.

I’d prefer block paving

But it didn’t (and wouldn’t) stop me buying a house

Tiger6791 – Member

Can I just clarify what we’re talking about when we say ‘cobbles’?

(large pebbles packed in sand?)

Yes

My Anthem feels like Bambi on ice on them, just a slight line error and off-camber slide results.

Thats the ones

So I’m not the only one then?

The Rieu translation is the one I’ve read

Dawn: ‘warm and rosy fingered’. There’s a whole new thread there!

Riding with my boys
Riding with my boys and wife (not a reflection on her, just she’s not an avid rider so we do easy rides. But its great she joins in!)
Riding alone
Holidays
Camping
Log fires and a pint or malt (esp if camping)
Making stuff
Reading a great book
Scoring a goal

Edit: beer!

I’ve only watched half of it, just up to crashing the Volvo

And I have to say that, despite preconceptions, it looked decent

Some chemistry developing between the hosts. Remember Hammond and May were relatively unknown at the start of TG. It could be that the ‘other two’ flourish without Evans. And MleB to be the star that glues it together? Certainly has promise

Can I just clarify what we’re talking about when we say ‘cobbles’?

Are they the man made trails prevalent on the early Blue sections (large pebbles packed in sand?)

If so, I hate those sections. Not because they’re difficult – any fool can ride them. I just feel I should be ‘flying’ on them but just can’t. My Anthem feels like Bambi on ice on them, just a slight line error and off-camber slide results.

The loamy sections are just much better

Or my fatbike, grip a plenty but it rarely ‘flies’

Apologies, I not read the whole thread so forgive any repetition

I’m pretty much the same age and sometimes find myself in a similar state of mind:
Work is grinding torture; I seem to live for 5pm Friday and the weekend which passes by in a flash of teenage angst, homework, DIY jobs and, to be fair, usually a ride either locally solo or Swineley with the kids (16 yo twin boys)

I’ve read that males of around my age typically score low on ‘happiness and wellbeing’. Unsurprising really – the treadmill of work, teenage kids and exams, mortgage, loss of youth and so on.

But… I car share with a guy 10 years older (~55). He remembers the same feelings but is now ‘out the other side’. Kids now independent, mortgage almost paid, a few quid available

Just life I guess and these really are first world problems. I’ve a lot to be grateful for; two kids and a wife I adore, nice house, car, a collection of bikes etc

Largely depends on what you need, so I don’t know

Tools are always worth investing in

Clothing?
Try some new tyres?
GPS

akira – Member

Labyrinth seems to take about an hour, that could just be me though

Not just you

…. but it could just be us.

A new set of hex keys. I’ve got 3, 4 & 5 mm Pools ‘P’ type (which I don’t really like) and lots of loose ones. Thought I’d get a decent set:

And my new GPS

That’d be a stonking quick lap

It’ll not be me that does it

Born 1970

Various BMX during early 80s. Remember yellow Skyway Graphite wheels anyone?

Got into road racing aged about 16, at first on a cheap steel 2nd hand frame.

Graduated to a Raleigh something or other quite quickly

For my 18th I managed to get 2nd hand Vitus 979 frame. It was one of the first widely available alloy frames. It used narrow tubes and was glued together. Sounds terrible but it gave a great ride. Placed (but never won :( ) in a few local races and TTs. Frame was one of these:

Work then got in the way of cycling.

Picked it up again in my mid 20s (mid 90s). Bought a Kona Lava Dome in 95/96 – I still have the frame; steel, lovely ride.

Moved to the Chilterns early 2000s and spent more and more time off road.

Various mountain bikes since, not ridden road for many years (too scary)

Currently lovin’ fat-biking

Surprising amount of ‘love’ for my black/grey and orange scheme.

Since 2 peeps have requested, I’ll put up some sort of review / info of the Bryton in due course.

matt outandabout – you really (really!) don’t want to see my riding outfit. Although I do recommend the Adidas Terrex MTB shoes I bought recently (unfortunately not available in orange/black). Mine are bright blue which does work as a complimentary colour to orange, see here:

I tried hard to avoid the usual STW pitfalls of photography; the non-matching handles escaped my quality control. I assure you the radiator is fully bled.

I can go with ‘Gimme Shelter’, but my choice is also Sinead O’Connor – ‘Drink before the War’ (from ‘The Lion and the Cobra’ – a wonderful album)

zippykona – Member

Can you post more pictures of your bike. Have just bought a Trail frame as a spare for my Fatty if it cracks.
Will be running rigid forks and want to see what it looks like.

zippykona,
I’ll get some pics up tomorrow. You may recognise the tyres – as I picked them up from you!

email in profile if you need it

Well, I keep buying a new contract. And I get a phone with the contract. Isn’t that what everyone does?

Are you even an adult?

@ martinhutch, think you may need to read again

@ cokle, ah but you’re wrong! Saddle in embroidered ‘Charge’ with orange thread

No mention of Philippa Forrester?

Met her in a pub in Ealing in the mid 90s. Seemed like a game girl

Some kind of bubble has burst; I only remember seeing 1 fat bike at the London show, last year there were loads

I’d been after one for some time and finally got one this December past. I absolutely love it. Yes it has a comedy element but it’s also very capable. It’s undoubtedly the best climbing bike I’ve ridden (better than my Anthem)

Perfectly happy for fashion to move on elsewhere. I’m happy to be the only fatster on the trail

Thanks, that’s mine, er I mean ours

If you could just remind me where I left it, I’ll be there tomorrow to collect it. Postcode and house-number should suffice. Is there a tool shop nearby as I seem to have mislaid the lock key.

Seriously, that is odd. I’m going with the posted above suggesting it’s nicked and left there by the thief. I’d speak to the police and Thorn

CountZero – Member

CaptainFlashheart – Member
a coloured bow tie
I will kill you. To death

That fate belongs to the one that spins around…

No, death is justice for a coloured bow tie.

‘To the pain’ is the right punishment for a spinning tie

colp – Member

Currently on the look out for a good deal on an Impact driver

That’s a life changing tool, right there.

He speaks the truth.

I’ve got a DeWalt 10.8V Li Ion impact driver and it’s a great tool. Small, light(ish) but robust enough for heavy DIY use, though I’m not sure how it would stand up to brutal daily professional use – but IANAB. Came as part of a twin set with a drill / driver – so two batteries.

The drill is a bit gutless – fine for pilot holes in wood but that’s about it.

I also have a 14.4 cordless ‘Hammer’ drill. It’ll take on harder jobs but won’t tackle really hard bricks or concrete.

For those jobs I use a bogo standard 25 year old Black & Decker corded hammer drill. It’ll tackle pretty much anything I’m likely to throw at it – the only irritation is that it has an old fashioned chuck with a key.

I’d echo the above – if you’re drilling masonry get a corded drill. Needn’t cost much. If it’s heavy work get an SDS drill if budget allows.

And if you’re driving a lot of screws, ditch the drill/driver and get an impact driver. Until I had one I never realised the difference

BTW – impact driver is great for (undoing) disc rotor bolts. And re-fitting provided you take care and finish them with a hand tool

Kilt – no question.

And don’t wear a clip-on bow tie; they’re crap (would you wear a clip-on neck tie?)

Looks like a child’s bike; primary colours and isn’t it rather small?

TBH the cost of chainlube is pretty much an irrelevance in the grand scheme of bike spending

This ^^^^

I’ve got 16 year old twin boys

They’re difficult, accept it. It’s normal.

The more you push him to do ‘something’ the more he’ll sit on his arse. Let him find his own way and interests and make sure you care about them when he does.

My dad (RIP) was a great dad and a big birdwatcher. I can identify pretty much every British bird but I’ve NO interest in ornithology. I wish he’d come out on the bike JUST ONCE with me.

Exactly that molgrips

My first ride on moving to the Chilterns was on my (then) rigid Kona Lava Dome.

Tyres so clagged up that they jammed in the seat & chain stays.

I don’t ride much locally this time of year – just load the car and go to Swineley (35 mins) which holds up pretty well in the wet

When i posted the ‘5 albums for a desert island’ thread this was a real tough choice. Like picking you favourite child

Both are favourite albums of mine

I picked Ziggy simply because, for me, it’s more consistent.

And it has Moonage Daydream! But oh bugger, HD has ‘Kooks’

Happily listen to either anytime. Can I muddy the waters further and mention ‘Low’? Sorry

Fair enough molgrips.

Squirt works for me in the Chilterns as long as ‘topped up’. Your conditions are different.

I guess you need something heavier – though that will lead to an inevitable build up of crud on the drivetrain

Well I’ve been replacing fence posts this weekend after Doris

Two post rotten and snapped. One was a 4″ post that has been in since before we had the house (>10 years). It was cemented in place but had rotted just above the cement line. That’s what happens

The other was a 3″ post I replaced about 5 years ago – same thing. So a 3″ post lasts about 5 years

Most durable fence will be with concrete posts – obviously won’t rot

4″ posts considerably better than 3″

A Picket fence is much less affected by wind – you could do a ‘double picket’ – slats both sides which will still allow the wind through but gives privacy

Or best of all a beech hedge

I started using squirt a few years back and it works for me

I used to be obsessive about drivetrain cleanliness – completely cleaning and re-lubing every ride (almost)

Now my boys ride with me every week and I just can’t be bothered – better things to do

I just re-apply a bit of squirt when required and do a full clean when I can’t see the chain

Not noticed any difference

To be honest, I think most of us overthink it. Just keep some form of lube on the chain. Most of the crud on a chain is on the side plates and does no harm

I’d definitely go short travel FS (whatever wheelsize). But I’m old and my body ain’t what it used to be.

Or my fat bike

Definitely lamb

Either cooked rare and pink, sliced and served with fresh mint sauce. You need to know what you’re doing though as if overlooked it’s not good

Or….

Slow cooked all day in a really low oven with rosemary, anchovies and lots of garlic. This method provides better cold lamb leftovers as the fat is rendered. It’s also really, really easy and timings become pretty irrelevant. Put in the oven in the morning, go ride all day, viola ready when you’re home