Black belt….brown shoes…..I’m not proud of that one.

zippykona

THAT’S NOT MILD!!!!!! THAT’S JUST PLAIN WRONG!!!!!

I always add the kids naff drawings to the paper recycling…..everybody else just has stacks of very tidy news papers….and my stacks vary widely in height and regularity…..

…..This is Switzerland….I’m surprised I haven’t been fined yet

Great thread…I’d forgotten about the Angry Inflator….and the old layout….ohhh they were the days!!

It’s handy for knowing who’s on the look out for a new job. Soon as you see someone updating their profile you know they are looking 🙂

I’ve found it to be good. Found a few jobs through people contacting me via linkedin. Connected with my current boss before getting the job which helped him get a good understanding of my skills and experience and got me foot through the door for the first interview.

There is a German equivalent, Zing…..Never ever ever use Zing…..Absolute wangers…..and it’s proper shizzer.

people exclaim “Oh, Jesus!”

🙂

Almost knocked her down in Exeter a few months back when she decided to change direction and walk out onto a zebra crossing as I was halfway over it !

Please try harder next time revs…there’s a good chap.

Someone in my circle of acquaintances mentioned she went to school with her and said she was a piece of sh1t back then too. Which got me thinking how old is she?

Turns out younger than me….Christ she looks haggered….let’s hope she continues on the slippy slope and tootles off soon…..disgusting person.

Some people are obnoxious…she’s right off the scale.

Had similar situations.

I’ve never managed to come out of it as fresh as roses. I find it’s best to sleep as little as possible when coming off shift/standby, get an early night and hopefully the next day you are okay.

But you are right, the day after does seem to hit hard.

I have an idyllic commute,it’s meditation and mindfulness all rolled in to one.

^^ This.

Miles are my meditation. (Borrowed from somewhere else).

Doesn’t matter how crap my day has been (generally they are pretty good, but working in IT always throws up a few curve balls).

By the time I get home…nice clear head.

but we don’t really need more keen cyclists, we really need more normal people on bikes.

^^ This.

Go to Denmark, 1000’s of bikes. Most of those people won’t say they are cyclists, they just use a bike to get around. The infrastructure, laws and drivers attitudes are in place that it just makes ‘sense’ to use a bike.

All the benefits that come with being more active and the decrease in environmental damage are the bonuses.

I’ve actually told my kids it’s okay not to wear them on a few occasions.

There are parents over here who won’t even let their kids pootle around on their scooters without one….far too safety bonkers.

Time and place.
If the kids are just pootling around in the play area then I don’t make them where one, would I make them wear a helmet on the swings, or climbing frame? But if we are going on a bigger ride where things might get a bit busier, they are whizzing down hills or playing over the skate park, then makes sense.

Same for me. If I’m popping down the shops via the cycle paths (These are separated from the cars). Then I probably won’t bother. If I’m on a proper ride, or commuting to work, with cars, busy streets, I’m generally reaching higher speeds, or I’m on the MTB, then I wear one.

The biggest danger to cyclist (completely un-scientific, just my years of experience) are people just not paying attention whilst driving, or just assuming bikes go slowly and completely mis-judging the speeds.

As a cyclist, your biggest protection is assuming every driver is an idiot and prepare for it.

With all that said, I’ve had a couple of big off’s, at speed, smashed helmets and I’m pretty sure I’ve come out of them a lot less bashed up for the lid.

That not drinking and going to bed early makes no difference when you get called out at 01:30…..

….Also, when you receive a harmless looking email that doesn’t really give many details, it’s probably best to investigate the mentioned “maintenance work” as it may mean that you don’t get called out at 01:30…..

i bought one of the first generation Respro ones back in the late 90’s. i used it a few times and couldnt get used to it…it was really restrictive on my breathing and left me feeling like i was riding with a sock stuffed in my mouth and cotton wool in my nostrils…i still have it somewhere in the house but i doubt i’ll use it ever again

Exactly the same….I still chuckle when I’m racking through my kit and find it in the bottom of the box.

Not bad on the really cold days though, but I’d much rather pull my snood up….at least you have half a chance of breathing through that.

I have a set of these:

http://images.evanscycles.com/product_image/image/1e1/d77/df5/29903/endura-road-overshoes.jpg

Water will come in over the top, but I use Endura water proof trousers. Keep my feet toasty and dry.

Spend my time between where I am now and Greece.

Spend summer’s mountain biking, or a small sailing boat that’s big enough to be comfortable, but still easy to single hand.

Learn to cook fancy food, have a nice big place with a big garden and pool. Throw parties/cool BBQ’s and have enough room to fit everyone in.

Have a small cabin in the mountains and spend winters skiing. Learn how to para glide.

Have enough money to send the kids to a really good school, but also have enough time to make sure they keep their feet on the ground. Take them on cool trips to see volcano’s, go fossil hunting, see wild animals in their natural surroundings.

Probably try and work on schemes that stop palm oil plantations and ripping up the natural jungle.

Work with charities that try and offer cycling experiences to people who might not be quite so able to just jump on a bike and go for a ride.

Buy a classic car, maybe a Rover and spend my days tinkering away in the Garage restoring it.

Basically, having enough time to do the things I enjoy (Enjoy work, but it does take up so much time). Thankfully my work/life balance allows me to spend a fair bit of time with the family.

Just a thought. Are you sure the Broker hasn’t died or ended up in Hospital? Maybe tread carefully before going in with the big guns.

Very nice it looks too.

95 Kilos you say..

If you are just washing your pits twice a day….there’s your problem.

….it’s your sweaty aris that’s kicking up!!

Not sure what I will ride at the weekend.

I do….fnar fnar….

I think you tend to get more cross over from MTB to Road, rather than Road to MTB.

I know a few Road Only cyclist at work…..They’re missing out on soooo much.

Most of my riding is on my cross….but I do get a little tingle and quite a bit or urge when I’m getting the full bouncer out….

I work with a few Ruskies (all good lads and lasses actually)…Putin is proper popular back home in Mother Russia and with a lot of ex-pats too…..I have a feeling they were a little brain washed during their School years and anything goes as long as Mother Russia is okay.

Two points, far as they are concerned, there was no Ukraine until recently and before that….it was Russia.

Oh, and they have never started a war…..I pointed out that perhaps the Finns might feel a bit different about that…but no….Mother Russia can do no wrong.

nyet yet!

Not at all.

What’s that gift thing? you decided to have the kids, you pay for them?
Grand parents bought a push chair or a cot, but they wanted to do that, we never asked.

Get things for 3-6 months, romper suits…always need them.

Okay, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pop in to see the kid within the first few weeks of it being in the World, but that depends on distance between.

ohhhh boy so many of these sound familiar.

We went for the second whilst the 1st was 10 months…..2 for 1 offer that week. Came up twins.

When they were all in kindergrippe…..a years fees would have paid for a very nice car.

You become a lot more relaxed, I mean, you have 3…you can afford to loose one….although the little buggers are very good at finding their way back home.

You dream of one day having a 2 seat convertible just for you and the wife.

Crazy amount of food…I don’t even want to think about when they are teenagers.

They argue like cat and dogs, then 10 minutes later they are best of mates, great when you go anywhere, they are quite happy to mix with other kids, but will also play among themselves.

Meal times are noisy, but good fun.

You drive a van which you’ve given up caring about long ago…..there’s a new eco-system growing in the back of ours.

I have a nice big tent too…..although trying to get them not to keep tripping over guide ropes and playing with the zips and pockets……still working on that one.

Comes in phases…..I’ve been very good lately. I’m treating myself to a doss today as I had a couple of mega days last week….I’m even leaving bang on 5….

That’s how I roll.

No of course it isn’t, you silly little boy you, come here! Come here! Let daddy give you a cuddly-cuddly-cuddle. There’s a good boy! Who’s a good boy? Yeah, that’s it. You’re my good little boy.

Very funny 😆

Even my kids think I’m weird…..wife gave up long ago…..

Women forget that men never grow up….we like to play the fool.

I’ve got apidura. I think it’s good kit, fits well and is secure, but I think you have to make sure it doesn’t swing around to avoid wear. I use mine day in day out for my work commute, saves wearing a ruck sack. But due to pack sizes varying you have to make sure it’s fitted nice and snug.

One thing I will say is I wouldn’t trust the water proofness, In one particular heavy downpour stuff inside was damp. I use a separate dry sack inside.

The frame bags fits quite a surprising amount.

Anyone had problems with nipples failing on the stock Kinesis wheels?

Nope, I’ve been using mine for 4-6 months now, daily commute, use it on the rough stuff have also done a mini tour with a bit of weight over rough ground.

No problems, still true and running well.

Being accused by Mr Beardy Jesus look alike that I hadn’t handed in my Religious Education GCSE course work….I had, the **** lost it and then failed me….

….If it wasn’t for that I may have become a Vicar…. or maybe not.

Looked a cracking ride. Had a good mini tour myself last month, going to try and get a knobbly tyre one in next year. Looks like you were quite lucky with the weather too considering where you were. That makes a massive difference.

Thanks for taking the effort with the photos, enjoyed the read.

You’d almost think it’s fake considering the lack of crashes….crazy stuff.

God…I really am hung over today…didn’t even flinch….I suppose there’s one advantage to a sore head.

looking at his/her gearing they were going at a fair old lick…..bet that got their heart rate up a notch or two whilst bombing along.

Strange, when I placed order for Switzerland price jumped up to nearly 100 CHF….should have been around 50….looks like it’s just for those in Blighty. 😉

Started life as a sparks….beers during working hours were few and far between.

Then I was lucky enough to blag a job in IT, started at the bottom, batch runs, tape monkey etc…Within a couple of weeks I was asked to do some overtime on a Saturday.

Come lunch time, boss and a few others decided it was time for a pint of several. I thought, okay, one hour, we’ll head back…lasted about 2.5 hours.

By the time I got back I had to walk around a data centre the size of two football pitches loading up tapes….I struggled to fit a few of the correct tapes into the correct loaders a few times.

Made a decision there and then….

…

…

…I needed to improve my drinking capabilities then and there.

I’ve dedicated many years to my rigorous training….those were the days…I suppose riding in most days puts a stop to getting wangered at work…although funnily enough something big is planned for tonight….my head is already hurting just thinking about tomorrow morning….actually reformed character…don’t like wasting time being in a ship state.

Not just me then….Same age, thinking the same thing. Got a few pump tracks near to where we live and I thought it would be more fun to play around on than my hard tail.

What you doing? panto?

🙂

I was never one for that new fangled technology….

This is where it’s at

I’d be wanting to sort the issue you actually have, not start running a random hotch potch of bits… Have you considered asking a bike shop?

Well I have sorted it. Granted I bought a cassette by mistake, I thought it was a straight for straight swap, made a mistake, had already fitted said cassette so couldn’t return it, so thought, well….might as well see if it works…what’s the worst that can happen, the chain jumps around and it doesn’t change properly….but guess what, all’s well that ends well.

If I’d bought the bits from said bike shop, then I’ll ask them, as I’d purchased the bits else where and couldn’t return then, thought I’d throw caution to the wind and try things out myself…..I’m just crazy like that.

Okay to answer my question just in case anyone ever finds this thread after a search…

I hadn’t had a chance to see if the 10 speed cassette I have would work with my current 11 speed ultergra shifters.

Anyways, came down stairs this morning in a mad rush, trying to get the kids to school and get to work when of all mornings, I have a flatty. First one in over 6 months of commuting to work by bike.

So, grabbed the spare set of wheels with the 10 speed cassette, chucked em on, quick adjustment of the limiting screw on the derailleur and off I go.

Apart from a tendency to drop straight from the 6-8 sprocket, missing out the 7th, worked no problems. I can probably sort this out with an adjustment, but this morning it was a bit like a F1 pit stop, chuck on some wheels and get going.

So, in summary, from my experience, running a 10 speed cassette with 11 speed Ultergra levers appears to function. Although I’m not sure if it’s better to have the spare gear shift at the the low end, or the high end of the cassette…..or whether it makes any difference…

The first, not so great.

Aye, you have really big, big toes!!

Keep being a tough bugger fella. Life throws some real curve balls and you just have to deal with them.

All the very best mate.