Armstrong’s collar bone was broken into several pieces (as opposed to more common partial fracture or single break) and is now liberally screwed and plated together. Impressive bravery to take part nonetheless.

His stated aim is to ride for Leibheimer, which he is doing. I’ll be very impressed if he completes the distance, and doubly impressed if he completes TdF. Winning is out of the question, I think. Even a stage win is extremely unlikely, because of his age and lay-off, not because of his collar bone (although that is not exactly a help).

I have to take my hat off to him, coming back is a very brave move. But I can’t see him winning.

Accessories essential – very good point. By the time you get helmet, gloves, shorts, trail tools and the means to carry them (prob Camelbak or similar) you’ve spent a fair bit – and none of that is non-essential really. I’d also add shoes and pedals (personally I’d just get into SPDs as soon as possible, although I am aware that others differ on that point).

Also, if you’ve not off-roaded much a decent introductory skills session will give you a big head-start and likely save you a lot of pain.

Ride a few first – even among hardtails there are big differences.

I quite like the Mountain King Supersonics that I’ve got at the mo, and haven’t had many (or any, I think) flats with them, although I don’t catch many punctures anyway. I’ll go back to my favourite Specialized Adrenalines when these are spent though – such a sure-footed tyre and durable too. Adrenalines come up quite large.

Another Conti 4-Season fan – they really do deliver exactly as claimed – fast, light, decent puncture resistance (use plenty of pressure though, to avoid pinches), plus very good all-conditions grip. I live in the sticks and the roads are quite broken up and dirty with gravel and debris – so I use 25mm which makes a big difference for no discernible reduction in speed.

I make that roughly 30 years per serious injury and roughly 6 years per minor knock. And this is a poll of comparatively “busy” cyclists (more miles per year than average?).

Compared to mountain biking those aren’t bad numbers. How anyone can consider off road to be safer than on is a puzzle to me. Although I must admit that tarmac really bloody hurts when you hit it, so the minor scrapes are a lot more painful in general.

All part of the fun, amedias. Cheers to you.

Well I’m glad that you don’t find the point “incredibly offensive” (your words).

I didn’t say that you might develop additional senses (that would be a neat trick), rather that your remaining senses would presumably be better developed than might be the case in another individual.

I also strongly agree that no rider should ever be penalised for lack of care just for not being able to hear – but I do still think it is a good idea to do what you can to pick up little nuances of traffic behaviour and also to communicate with drivers where possible. When you commute a lot of the traffic is the same individuals coming past you every day – if you hear a certain car going a bit too aggressive one day (or see them, whatever), and you glance over your shoulder to remind them that you are there, then bit by bit you do as much as you can to keep safe.

Don’t be too passive, is what I’m saying. It was really the danger of putting on the iPod and switching off the brain that I was alluding to.

and if you happen to be deaf you’re unsafe?

As a person with partial hearing I find that incredibly offensive, to assume that because you can’t hear, either by birth or choice that you suddenly lose the ability to cycle safely is utter moo-poo, especially with the cacophony of urban and wind noise drowning out a lot of it.

Amedias – Don’t be so ridiculous. How can you be so easily offended? I mean, apologies if you genuinely are, but think about it – quite obviously a person that usually has the facility of hearing will be impaired when that sense is removed, whereas someone like yourself is presumably perfectly competent because they will have developed other ways to sense the world around them. I suppose one might extend that logic and concede that if an iPod is worn often enough a similar compensation might occur, but personally I find that I do pick up clues without needing to turn my head (for example).

Great fun, pretty safe and quite flattering to ride.

Watch the high boardwalk if easily freaked, and keep the speed sensible on the whoops to avoid panick if unused to getting airborne.

It is off topic, I agree.

But you are completely wrong!

Actually, just looked on Wiggle and the wording has changed – they used to have a lengthy sentence urging you not to expect the Supersonic version to be much cop for every day use.

Having said that, I use Mountain King Supersonics at 30psi and I haven’t punctured yet – but I do ride pretty gentle most of the time.

DezB

I find it amazing that you don’t feel being able to hear cars coming up behind you is relevant! If I’m rolling along and I can hear an aggressive/fast driver coming behind I’ll make a conscious effort to make myself visible as they get me in sight. Or if a car rolls by and then audibly slows as it is on my shoulder I’ll be alert that he might be trying to turn left. Or if a car is waiting for a chance to overtake me and is getting impatient – that is very clear from the engine noise too.

Maybe you just don’t make any allowances for those things – personally I need to be able to get a clue what the guy behind me is doing/feeling so I can decide if I need to assert myself (if it isn’t safe for them come by) or so that I can wave them through if it is safe. Don’t you do any of that?

It amazes me that some people are all for passive safety (ie helmet wearing) and then do very little with active safety.

Porntastic Pegoretti!

Speed King Supersonic – hey they should put a warning on the publicity that these are race only tyres and not sufficiently durable for every day use. Oh – wait.

Re cars turning left on you – if a car comes past as you approach a left turn always eyeball the driver as they come by (can also try a slight move to the side to catch his attention). You can hear when a car lifts off the gas to turn – it shouldn’t take you by surprise. Unless you’re wearing headphones, in which case you just aren’t safe imo.

Avoid basic SRAM – made of cheese in my experience.

Both suggestions above are good – the Giant is a bargain.

Sounds like you are riding too much on your hands and not catching the deceleration with your feet. Maybe the new bike has a more forward position/shorter front-centre. But I wouldn’t blame the bike – if your riding hasn’t altered you were getting away with it previously, rather than getting it right.

Tip your head back more and push down with your heels behind the pedals – get the weight off of the handlebars and drive the bike forward with your feet.

Oops – bit too much info – for more in-depth you could try allbikedup.com

Glen

Too long.

Never.

Quite a few cross words, raised fingers and hands banged on sides of vehicles.

Having said that, I must confess to falling off all on my own a few times.

There’s a sort of self-fulfilling effect at play – the more fearful you are, the more you might be inclined to cower in the side of the road and then the less visible you are and the more vulnerable to being clipped into the kerb etc. I personally feel older and wiser these days and I do take the official advice: Use the prime position (ie take the road) unless it is safe to allow traffic to come past you, in which case move to within a metre of the edge.

Also, I do feel that my own observation is much better now – I don’t think I’d ever get a car door opened on me for example, because I do look inside the parked cars, or ride wide if I can’t see for sure. I’ve just asked for it there of course!

Joxster – I was being sarcastic. My own fault – lowest form of wit!

Yea – who wants to be healthy and safe? Pah.

Rob – you think mountain biking is safer than riding on the road? Duh.

Do you really not know?

What is slowing you down when you ride a bike? Why can’t you just go faster and faster? Go on, I’m sure you can work it out.

You just need to push the pistons back in – use something smooth and flat; insert where the disk rotor should be and twist/lever. The pads will retreat and give you more clearance. You might find it easier with the pads out, but take care not to damage anything. Don’t let any fluid out.

Don’t cock it up by fitting 100mm forks though! Did that to mine – big mistake, despite it feeling not too bad to start with… over time I realised that the spark had gone from the handling. I wouldn’t go mad on the stem shortening either – 100mm min.

I ended up getting some short Project 2s – super rigid and super fast steering! And “right” for the bike. And light. And cheap.

Why not try not cleaning your chain vs cleaning? All you guys that reckon you’re so dead right have never tried the alternative! I stopped cleaning my chains quite some time ago, and I think they last longer.

Funnily enough that is exactly the phrase used here at work – and a very good description too.

Kinesis Racelight T, or Tk – very nice frames if you happen to see one.

I ended up with a pair (intended to get protection version, but when these arrived in error decided to go with it) – they are really really light. Feel fast in rolling, not that that matters much off-road. On balance I think I’ll go back to my favourite Specialized Adrenaline 2.2 (fantastic tyres), but they are pretty good all-rounders with very low weight and spritely feel.

It is very hard to tell where a noise is coming from, especially if you decide early. I helped a guy a while back who was experiencing a noise from his pedal every time he cranked hard – turned out to be the saddle rail, but once he told me it was the pedal it took me a while to look elsewhere.

Don’t buy a bike that doesn’t fit!

Reduce tyre pressures, nice firm and committed cornering technique, don’t look down = quite a bit less slippery, but slippery all the same!

Be certain that you can stand the noise if you go Hope – personally I just couldn’t. Ditto King for that matter – give me silent (or nearly) any day.

Have a look at a Kinesis Racelight Tk Kinesis site

You might be able to get a deal in your budget if you google around – great bike, very versatile and lovely to ride.

Oh – in the pic he looks like he is stopped (brake full on, leg down)?

You might get a more sensible debate if the thread title was more honest.

It is through red when going left – massive difference.

Can’t think you’d ever need even 180 on the back for general trailing about. Surely it will just lock with the slightest squeeze?

There might be some sort of selective history going on. But – I have heard similar stories with 5.5s. Maybe the 09 model is different.

However it isn’t all Commencals – we have hardtail hire bikes which are very thoroughly used and frames are all 100%.

Yep – good prices on that place.

They have dozens of v good regular shorts (ie not cycling-specific). I frequently just use normal cotton cargo shorts over some old lycra/padded, which is just fine for most of the time.