Crikey! Thanks all.

Will try the daily icing, anti inflammatories and some rest and see what happens – it's actually worse off the bike, but that's a small blessing ;-) SQ225917 – thanks for the link, will try that too as I have nothing to lose.

Mary – I really hope you get much better soon!

I take the chain off after a longer ride – makes it easier to clean and I then notice how filthy everything else is :-(

Scienceofficer – have been looking at squirt lube – is it as good as they say it is?? THX!

Try using it as compost instead – when the ground defrosts – it's not too bad at all . . . . . .

You've got more chance of getting through on the MTB than anything else – safe journey!

HONC!! Am in again – looking forward to it!

Really sorry to hear about your loss, thinking of you and his girlfriend. One day at a time . . . .

Hi Matthew,

The Big Dog was outstanding – really, really great event and great atmosphere – really worth the drive in 2010 for you! The Bonty 24/12 is also excellent – hoping a weekend pass is available for you :-) and the Bristol Bike fest is also excellent fun – and for 12 hours it's worth the pass!

Both very good IME – no issues for a heavy rider either. Also look at justridingalong.com for a good comparison on the racier side of things!

Good luck with the auto – just remember that it will always move forward unless you brake. Once you get used to it you'll be fine – easy as pie to drive and great in heavy traffic or city centres. All posts above on brake wear and fuel consumption are spot on! Just leave it in drive and avoid other gears unless you're on a steep hill . . .

Really gutted for you – a frame that distinctive will be hard to hide – likely some opportunistic vermin taking advantage of you being new in the area. The very best of luck to you in getting it back.

The Tax Man – I generally hate him \ her \ it all day every day. Some gingers are quite cute however, the BA cabin crew are a mixed bag – pretty stupid as they're committing professional suicide.

Yup – suggest you use copter tape or something similar to protect the lacquer \ finish \ nice shiny bit. The lovely shine on carbon lasts until you actually use the bike. . . . Road bikes wear much better if that's any consolation.

Shortest life ever – 1 hour 15 minutes for XTR sintered at the brass monkeys. Had a sticky piston so one pad was full, the other wore down to the metal – noticed it when the pad spring got dragged into the rotor :-( I have now fixed the piston and use Clarks pads as they last longer than XTR and are half the price!

I prefer lycra – much easier to wear although I prefer not to crash in it ideally!!!!! Baggies are fine but I prefer to have gear that doesn't fly around too much – might wear them on a big trail or wilderness ride.

To be honest as soon as I get problems like that I'll change the cassette and chain, look at the chainrings and change the geat cable too. I can't stand bikes not doing what they're meant to do quietly and well!!

You could also look at http://www.justridingalong.com as they're superb wheels, very well built and their customer service is excellent. As a 15 stone rider I've been on their wheels for 18 months they'll take the punishment – not been trued since I bought them. ZTR podium rims make an even lighter build – happy shopping!

Suggest daily contacts – MUCH easier – although I wear normal bike glassess too. Try to keep the glasses about a centimetre away from your face – helps stop condensation forming (due to the difference in temperature between the front surface of the glasses and the inner surface).

Great advice from my old instructor, even more pertinent for commuters and cyclist these days:

50% of motorists don't know what they're doing and the other 50% just don't care.

Ride safe all.

Bike: Giant XTC Carbon \ Kona Hei Hei
Front: Bonty Jones Mud X 1.8 with tubes \ Nobby nic 2.1 tubeless
Rear: Bonty Jones Mud X 1.8 with tubes \ Nobby nic 2.1 tubeless
Riding: General Trail and XC – Bonty tyres are fantastic. Very good in most things, clear well and are very dependable. Nobby's are great until it gets too gloopy

Good stuff! Dualits and Gaggia's are great, although I only drink espresso – everything else is just wrong in my view – if you do too and want no mess then try these machines:

http://www.craystoneshop.co.uk/acatalog/francisfrancis_x7machines.html

I have an X6 Trio (now discontinued) and the crema is great, flavour is smooth. They take pods (compacted coffee bags, so to speak) so no grind, illy pods are excellent or try waitrose pods for half the price.

There have been a few posts on xcracer.com on this – about 5 on there . . .

Great post! Seems like Balaam and the Angel are being missed out a little here, but there you go! A few additions to some of the others:

FOTN: Dawnrazor (album and title track!)
SOM: Marian, some kind of stranger

Have 2.1 EVO NN's front and rear on tubeless and they've been great for over 1 year. Done 400+ miles off road and they're still going strong. Rear had a slash in it from a piece of glass – used a tubeless repair kit and have done some 200 odd miles on it without a problem.

Supersonics are super light and super thin – your risk in rock gardens so wouldn't advise them – if you get them FFS get some emergency tyre boots as you'll need them.

Good luck!

Have 2.1 EVO NN's front and rear on tubeless and they've been great for over 1 year. Done 400+ miles off road and they're still going strong. Rear had a slash in it from a piece of glass – used a tubeless repair kit and have done some 200 odd miles on it without a problem.

Supersonics are super light and super thin – your risk in rock gardens so wouldn't advise them – if you get them FFS get some emergency tyre boots as you'll need them.

Good luck!

Just had a heart attack looking at the price in CRC for an outer ring for M970 – £127 for one ring????? WTF?? Does anyone know if a generic (middleburn or blackspire) will fit?

Ergon's are fantastic grips and bar ends – very comfy in use and they really help avoid discomfort on long rides. Well worth a try!

The Mud X tyres are superb – I run 1.8's in mud and they blow trail rakers away. Good clearing, excellent grip and well worth a go for £20 a tyre!

Yes indeed. Great course and just awful conditions – perfect for winter racing! My front brake piston seized and one pad was down to the metal, the other pad was perfect. It took one lap to wear away and started twisting the pad separator – retired at the end of lap two. How rubbish is that??

I have a dodgy left knee Your knees are more likely affected by saddle height and your foot placement on the pedals – the hardtail will hammer your lower back (it does on mine after a few hours) but a full sus will sort that one out. A nice comfy saddle and a carbon frame will make a world of difference. . . . :-)

Always a tough choice! I tend to go for hand built wheels as they're easy to look after and being 95 kilos light weight factory wheels don't stay true for too long. I recommend http://www.justridingalong.com – the site is excellent and they'll email you with advice on rims, spokes and hubs for price and riding style – £300 – £400 is a good bracket for some tough and 1600gm wheels. If you ride a lot in winter think about hope hubs though – they'll last longer.

Interesting debate but glad you're well and relatively unharmed Kit! Try some Arnica for the neck ache! I've crashed once off-road at Afan and landed on my head, on a big rock. Lucky escape there – and was T-boned by a boy racer on a roundabout and luckily landed on my head again having bounced off the car – the helmet both times just gave me a second chance. The brain trauma may well be more of a risk that the fracture itself. Everything about us – our memories, personalities and those we love – is in our brain. Take that away, we're just meat. So I like to look after mine.

Bushwhacked,

Really sorry to hear about the impact on your wife – to be expected sadly, but the good news is you're taking affirmative action and your solicitor is making progress also. Chances are they'll go for a compromise agreement to mitigate costs and avoid any further nastiness…. The lack of a pool and the clear evidence of planning to replace you is a smoking gun – don't let them forget it! Also – make sure they're not aware of this on STW just in case!

I was in a similar situation 8 weeks ago and it's worked out well for me and my new carbon hardtail . . . Oh yes.

Keep it going and good luck!!!

I rode MM, SITS and Bonty 24/12 solo this year and much as I like the (Saint) Patrick Adams events the bonty had the best course and the best vibe all round. 24 ora of Rome seems like a laugh if I can get a long weekend pass from the missus . . . . .

I've used all three and prefer the bonty Mud X – rode the whole of 24/12 solo on them and they're great. I use the Black shark mud at SITS as the mud is sticky if it (ALWAYS) rains – it makes a harsh ride on the 1.5 tyre but gets through mud very well indeeed. Trail rakers are ok but really hate corners and can clog up. Hope it helps!

For what it's worth I think the Giant xtc advanced is lovely – built one up as an alternative to my Hei Hei and it's absolutely awesome – very comfy and is a great value package if bought new. Scott Scales and Sparks are awesome rides too but watch the weight limit if you're a heavy rider. . . .

Bushwhacked,

Really sorry to read of your situation. I know others including myself who've been in a similar situation and it's very hard. Human Remains (not resources) are there to support policy, not people. Suggest that constructive dismissal could be hard to prove without a clear portfolio of evidence – the burden of proof is on you to prove it, not them to disprove. If you are the only person in the process then unfair selection criteria is much more likely for you – and a robust legal response often drives towards a compromise agreement in order to reduce costs. They need to provide a fair an open process, which they haven't – they also expect you to roll over and die quietly. Do not. Dig in and keep at them – good luck and remember that it's only business for them. Hope your lawyer is a help to you – and it's good to see the STW forum supporting you.

….cheap red – cape hope or something – and it got better the more I drank, funnily enough.

Still a funny article though if not taken toooo seriously!

I'm sooooo in for this. Loved the event this year and can't wait to do it again! It's the only event that I've worn out the rear brake pads and chain & cassette – haven't even done that on SITS! It is a very long way though :-)

Agree with all above – I have a pair of hope mini's and they're superb, great power and modulation. The support hope offer, especially on the big 24 hour races is excellent. XT's are great too, very easy to set up and look after but not as powerful – I'm 94 kilos and they aren't inspiring confidence on fast descents. . . . All depends how you ride and what you want! You can also pick either up second hand for around £80 on the forum so good luck on that!