Ski – it is interesting what you say as I have felt I have been nursing something all winter but still kept up regular “training” etc.

Throughout Feb I had thought I was over it, I was glad I hadn’t come down with anything over the winter and had taken no sick leave etc unlike many at work which is unusual for me as I don’t tolerate minor colds etc very well.

Then upped my riding for a couple of weeks by 50% plus and then Wham.

No one has mentioned the Miro foundation/museum. I vaguely remember it being a bit of a trek? to get there but it was a long time ago

I studied at Loughborough and I wouldn’t recommend that! I ventured to Nottingham far more frequently than Derby (if ever) for shopping and nightlife etc. Wasn’t biking at the time though so access to countryside not an issue. Derby struck me as a right nothing sh!t hole.

You could go custom with the Whyte. Buy the 19 carbon frame in Red and build it up yourself. That is what I am doing … when the frame arrives

Great minds and all that !!!

Have you also looked at the Whyte 19 carbon? Looks very well specced for £2.2k and if you fancy something a bit different/niche?

I blew my budget and ordered a 2009 Carbon Whyte 19 frameset before christmas. I have had plenty of time to save for it – no sign of it arriving yet 😡

This mine a 2007 Kula Primo. Old pics now with riser bar and layback post

Is it just me who can’t face watching a program centred on the Winter just right now – I wanted some spring and summer “frollocks”

I like White Lightning Epic which I have used now for a couple of years. Seems to keep the chain a alot cleaner than the Finish Line stuff I was using prior to that.

Seems like quite a few people are “raving” about Finish Line Pro Road but you will need to keep on top of cleaning the drive chain

I am not a happy chappy.

Still recovering from some virus has knocked me out for about 3 weeks now and tiggered a fairly bad asthma episode. So I am unable to exercise until Dr says OK and still a few more days on the steroid pills for me.

Frustrating as it is gorgeous out there this morning and I can’t even go for a pootle never mind a proper ride.

I had never seen her before – the only song I knew was “Fade into You” off some back to mine album which I was reminded of this week when it appeared somewhere at the end of a TV programme. Wow I think I am in love.

Sorry to hear that.

Even in leafy Surrey I always tend to lock my bike when nipping into a shop. I use a cheap but useless £5 lock just to fulfill insurance requirements.

Call me pedantic … but when it comes to matters of one testicles I think these things are important 😆

I notice it says the “… horse bit off his testicle …” I wonder how the guy lost his other one … bad luck obviously follows him around. 😀

Duckman’s comments are interesting – how long do people reckon you get out of a road groupset ignoring the consumables?

My first 9 speed Ultegra I used for close on 20k kilometres – I did need to replace the front mech that seized somewhere along the way but other than that all seemed OK. Sold it and still in light service AFAIK. Can’t say I really took great care of it either

6~7000k miles does not seem a lot to me? Even riding in tough conditions. I am not a high milage guy but that would mean a new groupset every 2 years or less!

Not a great choice their Tim – where does a bog standard focus sit alongside those in terms of budget.

**** em. Go and spend your £80 in a decent restaurant

PR if it is any consolation my first serious GF ditched me for a guy with one leg. I used to laugh it off by saying at least he couldn’t get his leg over.

She did very well this morning. I would have struggled with a mile in that wind!

Your could try the classifieds on BikeRadar or Veloriders.

You may need to be patient – there does not appear a huge market for road forks as not really something people upgrade – as they often come matched with the frame.

Also, prices do not hold up very well even for new unused ones.

May depend on little on how much you are going to use it and state of the roads etc where you ride.

I have ridden carbon road bikes for about the last 4 years and have had 3 of them they all ride differently but all of them including even my stiffest and superlight Tour level frame (Felt F1) provide a much more comfortable and compliant ride than my previous top end triple butted aluminium job.

The difference when you first ride a carbon frame is substantial – really like riding on a magic carpet.

That said if you riding is limited to perhaps 2-3 hours rides then alu may not cause you too much fatigue. Although personally I would say the benefits of carbon are there from the off and not just on longer endurance rides.

No looking back for me once I switched to carbon. I also prefer carbon over Ti from a ride perspective although accept Ti provides the classic timeless look etc

Oooooh …. that Parlee is **** gorgeous … Z3 is reasonably priced as well is it not … in the sense that £2k for a frame could ever be considered reasonably priced!

This is my all year round workhorse

And my summer toy

I have been laid down with some crappy virus for about 10 days now and it is not really showing any great signs of shifting either. Peak flows through the floor.

I was off work for a few days then went back in for a couple but then took some leave in order to get me to the weekend rather than going sick again.

Docs on Monday for me if no improvement. They probably can’t do anything but they can at least give me a note so I am not killing myself trying to go to work.

whytetrash – your correct I should have used the word collar rather than cap. Think people still understood what I meant … hopefully anyway

Do they provide the flip charts in advance or will you have to improvise on the day?

The words assesment days strike terror in me – too many bad memories of trying to get a job after graduating a long long time ago.

Good luck

Inbreeding? but I guess that could be an all year round activity 😆

Oh …. Then perhaps it is a mistake/error on their behalf.

I was expecting mine to be capped at 3.23% (the original 2.75% floor + 0.48%). So when they said they were reducing their floor to 2.0% then I expected mine to bottom out at 2.48% but currently I am only paying 1.48% before the change yesterday!

If it is a mistake then they have made it on at least two and perhaps even 3 occassions

Thanks Shandy – so it is not an error and they may decide in future to instate the 2% cap that they have chosen not apply at any point to date. So long as they do not do it retrospectively which of course they won’t.

I doubt very much Evans will say it is genuine. If they do then I would report them to your card issuer.

I would not reply under any circumstances whatsover even if Evans said it was Kosher. No expert but it does not follow any standards of best practice of personal data security.

I must confess to having 8 pairs across road and mtb, five of which I only bought last year. I probably have about 5 pairs too many if truth be told

Dibbs – Member

Have you got a 19 carbon coming this month?

Noooo! I daren’t

I have a Whyte 19 carbon jobbie on order – hopefully this month, I was originally told mid Feb but I was never optimistic about that date.

Will obviously post the obligatory pics in due course.

dibbs has one. He posted a thread a couple of weeks ago now with some tempting pics

Am I not justified in being miffed at working hard for a £1500 p.a. payrise, then getting £1750 taken off me in extra tax?

No you are not justified in being miffed IMO.

You had the choice of leaving school and going straight into work, but chose to further yourself by getting a degree. You knew the loan repayment terms when you started and you now need to live by your earlier decision.

Look around you and you may notice that a lot of people are losing their jobs rather then being awarded pay rises.

You may have been to University and obtained a degree but you still seem very capable of acting like a spoilt child.

I became a modest collector of this Artist’s work when living in NYC – although not necessarily unique – more custom

http://www.lepageny.com/LP.Artist.html

OK just spoken to the shop and the most they would go to in terms of a discount is £50 so it looks like a new machine will be on its way. I would have accepted £75.

They did say if I wanted a new machine then I shouldn’t use the one they have fitted as it then wouldn’t be accepted back by Siemens. To which my reply was then simply refund me the full £570 and come and collect it. They softened their tone a little then.

So looks like those who said 5-10% were pretty spot on. Thanks Guys.

flatback – its a Siemens free standing if that make any difference???

The shop have said it is new and not the one that was on display – but I am not 100% sure. The top had clearly been exposed to dust and dirt etc.

I am sort of with Smee and really would be looking for minimum £100 off otherwise just give me a new machine and I will happily pay top whack

Thanks – sounds like the consensus is 5-10% so perhaps the shop were not being completely unreasonable with their offer of £30.

Still sounds very low to me – I know I am not very price sensitive – but I would expect many people to say no – for the sake of £30 just replace the machine with one in perfect cosmetic condition?