ah that MRP 1.X looks just the job

depends on what you call cheap-some of the 'best' forks at that travel are about £800/900 new but can be picked up for £200/250 on classifieds which Is pretty good value IMO.

I currently have an Genesis Alpitude-slightly different to the Altitude, longer fork etc but a great bike and really good value. I really like the genesis bikes in general, they look good, get good reviews and I think are pretty good value.

Looks like a bargain-especially if you buy from Bonvelo. are the forks QR?

that looks class!

I Have an atera strada 3 bike which has been brilliant since day 1! bit expensive tho!

Stumpy01-what part of the A1 is that on out of interest?

DezB-I have to go a different route by bike plus I add abit on thats off road to make it a little more fun! No idea on distance…..

I have never been myself but would assume that if you and your mates have a chat about what you intend to do that will help you decide-probably no point getting some beast of a bike if you will only really benefit from it for 1 or 2 scary runs and spend teh majority of time on trails where you would be happiest on your superlight!

if you do decide to get something beefier try the classifieds-jedi had a demo 9 on there. or maybe southerndownhill or pink bike for fr/dh bikes

I'm looking for something similar-any of the Specialized Tyres useful?

the belt should go-no need for a belt at all unless he is going for 1 Rep max tests or powerlifting competitions.

If he continues the training try to get a balanced programme of the main bodyparts with light weight and bodyweight exercises. that combined with his cycle/football work will be more than enough. you may want to do a few sessions with him to keep an eye on technique etc?

and it is really encouraging to hear of a kid wanting to improve and work!

Bit of a grey area as some people will say yes some no. It is more related to his developmental age rather than actual age-some 13year olds can be more 'ready' for it that a 15 year old! Probably best to err on the side of caution unless he is being supervised and not doing anything to hinder his development.

What sort of stuff is he doing? How often?

If he did a routine using body weight exercises it might be more suitable at his age/stage of development.

edit-good shout from JonGW there-climbing, rowing possibly swimming can help build strength and may be more suitable.

The metro in Delhi is pretty much brand new in prep for the commonwealth games but can be very crowded!

Delhi-very busy place, lots of people everywhere. be careful crossing streets and mind where you are placing you feet!

lots of friendly folk there but lots who are too friendly by UK standards-you may get stared at if you have pale skin/blonde hair etc. people may try to take pictures of you as you sleep on overnight trains!

A real culture shock so be prepared.

Bring immodium and some sort of fluid replacement powders etc as these are a help if you do get ill.

Looks very good!

cheers for that, have been looking at the pro2/stans flow or mavic 719 but still undecided.

I have just started riding a SS. Initial gearing was 36/16 which was very hard but now moving it to 32/18 to make it a little easier. Bike has worked out pretty light which helps when I need to push or lift it over obstacles or carry it! Only had a few rides and even though I am at probaly my lowest ever fitness found it quite fun so why not give it a go!

There is a decent gear ratio guide table thing near the bottom of this page: http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/page44.htm

Actually allows you to see which gears will be more difficult than others and by how much.

Cheers for the heads up, just ordered 2 smartwool tops from Cotswold!

bensales-that looks really good actually. really like the built in usb lead.

ned-do you need to carry a usb cable along with that or is it built in to the drive?

Thanks to all who posted up, its been a while since I started the thread but your pics led to this….

If they keep my feet warm as some of you say I might consider them soon….

I saw those Western Digital passports on Amazon and they look like they could do a job…

Showerman how much for the 160?

no secret supplier but wondering where you got the wheel out of interest???

I found that making sure her bike/equipment were of a similar standard to mine was a big help. I went down the route of a cheap bike at the beginning and she did not like it. There were a few mechanical issues and she said it always felt like she was pulling a trailer!

When she had one ride on my bike at the time which was lighter, beteer spec'd etc she loved it and wanted to go again the next day! She now has a bike which is probably lighter, faster, basically better than mine….

great guys, thanks very much for the info, think we have a bit of a plan now!

thanks andrewh, thats really helpful.

Cheers for the support there Garry!LOL.

I would like to do the DH stuff but have been led to believe that its pretty hard-would be a waste of a day if we paid our cash and then spent hours walking down the DH stuff…..any suggestions on the easy ones?

Also got a Falketind Jacket-The Gore Tex Pac Lite version-best piece of clothing I own! Hoping to get 1 or 2 more of their Items from Father Christmas……….

Glad to hear someone else is thinking the same as me Spence! It really does get good reviews-the only downside are some folks reckon it has a few less features than the Canon/Sony etc but the build quality and ease of use would outweigh this in my eyes! Tempted by one for myself now actually…..

Nikon D3000 leading the way at the moment I think-lots of good reviews and seems to be available for not much more tha £300.

Any other ideas apart from those already mentioned?

I was going to suggest something from the Genesis range as-well. Altitude range are very good steel hardtails.

Holyjo-what shop will you be getting the cycle to work scheme from? Some of them dont offer as good a range as others while some will do a custom build and others will not.

Barry Bethel-whats thet first one? Love that colour!

mailed you about a few things and could also be interested in nukeproof 27.2 post, 70mm stem and bars?

I think you will find people who take both sides of the arguement on here. Yesterday I rode my girlfriends bike (853 Rock Lobster with Light XC Style build-rebas, carbon parts etc) instead of my own (Genesis Alpitude with All Mtn build-revs, wide bars, big tyres) and really noticed the weight difference.

Uphill it was noticably easier and I was much fater on the climbs than usual, downhill it was fun and nimble and easy to throw around. Made me think about lightening mine a little but it certainly wouldnt be able to take the same abuse as a heavier build-especially with 16 stone of unskilled rider on its back!

Oh-and Foxychick is correct, many folk go insane during their teaching placements.

I have done my PE PGCE and am now a PE teacher-alot of what you do is classroom based and it can be very stressful as a student teacher who is being observed if you have to teach outside on playing fields then deliver a theory lesson on the other side of school and get all resources/workbooks etc there and back! Just something to think about! Also a very over-subscribed PGCE for the last few years!

P.S. where in Ireland are you froma nd where are you thinking of doing PGCE?

I dont use one but have been considering a set of the SS wheels. Look a bargain. Also be interested in seeing what people have to say about the wheels or hubs too.

Thanks very much james-o!

alankelly-what size is that inbred?