The people have been going downhill for the past 5 years or more…They have had enough. The debt in it’s current form will never be paid off, so might as well call it quits.

Far as I’m concerned the German state has far too much say in EU politics and the only ones who really benefit from the EU are the EU politicians….oh and the German exports…lets not forget that.

They should have stopped at free trade and free movement of people without needing Visa’s to work.

I’d be glad to see a good shake up.

GL
(Greek financial refugee).

This seems to work

Scarpa?

To be fair they are camouflaged.

You won’t regret it.

I started with a Rose, used it a LOT, even did a couple of cyclo cross races last year (f me they are quick paced).

Recently moved the bits over to a Tripster ATR.

Tripster ATR

How I had spent so much of my life having not ridden a Titanium frame I will never know….as close to Nivana as you’ll get on two wheels.

Be lovely when they finish it!

School boy error, spare pants, socks, towel and wash kit kept at work. Even try and leave a pair of trousers too, just in case. Always get my kit ready the night before…..proper boy scout me.

reich bike!?

It’s not surprising they lost.

Oh, he’s French….That’s a surprise.

Find a dude doing something nuts, he’s normally French.

Just watched the video…hmmm, the landing, bit suspicious that.

I zinc ee is pulling the leg.

^^ This, we stayed with an airbnb place. Couple of Architect lads owned the place, like a cool home from home, it was at the good end of the old red light district.

Best part of the trip, walking down the long road which the end near the station is the red light district. Walk past a shop with all the “outfits” hanging in the shop window. My 5 year old daughter pipes up, that’s a nice dress Mummy (french maids outfit), I’ll buy it for your birthday…..

Cracking place….mentally strong beer.

Another one joins the flock.

I was already riding a Rose Cross bike. I turned 40 last year and the wife wanted to buy me a steel custom. I don’t really have any real love for Steel, but I liked her thinking, thought about possibilities, read this rather lovely post and thought…hmm Tripster ticks the boxes.

Had a few little adventures getting to this point, built it up from most of the parts on my Rose. Had a spare seat tube when I put a dropper on my Scott, but I think I’d like to upgrade that…purely for tart reasons, plus those Skewers above are quite lovely.

Only problem I had with the build was the mounts for the brakes needed milling as they weren’t square…cost me an arm and a leg in the LBS, but this is Switzerland and my LBS chap is a bloody perfectionist.

First ride on my commute, mixed road, track and forest (it’s a tough life).

Man, what a bike, so, so comfy, it’s like a big car, you don’t feel like you are going fast and you aren’t hammering it, but it just seems to float.

Kind of bike you could ride all day and not feel beaten up. My Rose was quick on the tracks, but you felt every pebble, the Tripster…pure joy.

Also, LBS talked me into a Colnago chain at nearly twice the price of a Shimano. I ride and commute all weathers so took his advice of having something a bit more long living….I never thought I’d find a chain pretty….but it really is subtle and lovely 🙂

After last night’s late night build

And in it’s natural surrounding on the way to work.

Haven’t lived in the UK for 12 years, although I could have, I don’t think it’s right for me to have a say in affairs of a country I don’t live in and won’t for some time to come.

Trailer, but go for a second hand one if you can, there’s not much that can go wrong with them and the kids soon grow out of them. Also handy for popping to the shops, I actually kept our one as it’s reet handy for taking bottles down to the bottle bank, or doing jobs where I can use the bike, but have a bit to carry.

Tag along’s are great, but you have to watch it on longer rides, our daughter nearly fell asleep on the back once.

cloudnine

No didn’t face it. I’m not actually convinced it’s the bb now.. Maybe it’s the wheel.

I know where you are coming from, had the same on my Rose, took everything apart, re-greased, had a new BB fitted, eventually I tracked it down to my rear quick release.

I’ve got a set of Mavic’s on mine, changed the QR, things are much better, but not perfect.

Guided?

http://www.bikevillage.co.uk

Everything taken care of and some great riding…but there is a bit of climbing, although not crazy stuff, quite a bit of lifts up with the minibus and then spending the rest of the day coming down.

Not DH, but some pretty techi singletrack.

Cup of tea and cake waiting for when you get down and some lovely evening meals.

Cheers Chaps, some good words of wisdom there.

Keeping kicking it straight in the naggers Keith.

All the best mate.

Hmmmm, some interesting views. Actually when I think about it the idea of managing people because they need managing doesn’t inspire me. I’m very good at getting on with people and getting them to help me out with various things when they don’t really want to due to work loads etc….but generally I’m the same level as these guys. I’ve also met quite a few people who will go out of their way and point out all the faults of managers just because they are argumentative and negative, without understanding that the guy/girl is just trying to make the best of a crappy situation, that’s no fault of their own.

My thoughts were more bringing my technical skills to the table (you see I’ve already got the management wanger words down to a tee) and using my experience to shape and make decisions for the future, rather than just get on with the jobs that land on my lap.

I’m already CCIE and I’m wandering what next to do. I’ve had a few years rest since getting my CCIE and I’m in the mood for something new (apart from learning languages), but not sure whether to go for another CCIE and become even more techi or move more into techi management.

Cheers for the food for thought.

Best of luck Keith.

I really wish you all the best.

I’m actually thinking of putting it on my main bike, which means it will start to have a lot more exposure to wet weather (no longer in Greece)…so I have two reasons to ask 🙂

I saw the rubber ones too, but then that kind of defeats the object, nice looking saddles, but 160euros…hmmm, can’t help thinking that’s a more design than function/craft price tag.

If you got one 6-7 years ago why are you asking what they’re like in the weather ?
Have i missed something ? ….confused

Because most of the time I’ve used my Brooks I lived in Greece so didn’t have to worry about riding in the rain.

I can’t stress enough how careful you have to be with this sort of thing, I hit ice and ended up with Four broken vertebrae. I can still remember what it felt like when (I think) my ribs clicked back into place.

Glad you are okay, tricky stuff ice, whenever it’s 0 or less and the paths are clear my spidey sense goes into over drive.

That was an interesting read.

I asked my Greek colleague about ancient Greek (he studied it at School) and words for Blue and he came up with a couple, plus if you read the comments it’s also mentioned.

Surprised myself, I actually spotted the Green square straight away and I’d say I’m pretty rubbish with shades ect…..

…Maybe I should think more seriously about that move to interior design 😉

Had a S Max for 5 years now. Get a titanium. Recommend cruise control..dull as dishwater. But is very comfy.

Don’t stress, she’s called. Move on..

Think there are far worse things that could have happened on first date….and I don’t think I need to go into details.

find my cat dead

Hmmmmm

“but it wasn’t about YOU, mate…”

Are you suuuure ??

😉

For my tuppence.

Seiko, some nice looking watches, don’t break the bank, not pretentious and bloody bomb proof.

Wife bought me one in 2006 for our Engagement…Worn day in day out, for everything, swimming in the sea, sailing, fixing engines/bikes, you name it, it’s seen it and survived. I’ve forgotten how many times I’ve caught the glass on a wall or something else, not a mark. The only time I alter it is when the clocks go back or forward, never looses time even after years of careless wearing. Wish I could say the same for my other watches with the big names.

I’m thinking of getting another one soon, just because I’ve worn it that much the strap is bear metal in a few places and I thought I’d treat myself to new smart one.

Probably not, I spend 95% of my driving time on cruise control. It will still try and keep the set speed on slight inclines, but I find the odd time I drive without CC set on small inclines I will find myself either taking it a bit easier up the incline or I’m not pressing the gas any more than I was so the speed drops slightly……sticking my wet finger in the air I’d guess that those sort of times I’m using less fuel.

The other question is, will I ever stop mixing it up with the stereo volume control….probably not!

I think it’s a lot to do with generations. I’ve grown up with computers and work in IT, I’m always careful with what I put on-line and what I click on.

But even I sometimes see some stuff and for a split second I think it could be kosher.

I once had a lad working with me who was an “IT security” chap….he had turned ethical hacker, but he’d done non ethical stuff in the past….he was a complete pain in the ass, constantly trying to figure out passwords, hack systems, go places he had no right to go to….they are a weird bunch…we like riding our bikes, they like spending hours and hours trying to bypass a system….just because…

Thanks for your kind offer, but I’m outside the UK.

I’ll have to take a look at the measurements you mention.

Trying to speak with suppliers at the moment to work out cost of postage and import duty.

I have a friend who has a later Rose and I wonder if they changed something as he says he doesn’t have any problems with toe overlap…but on mine it’s really noticeable especially with guards.

It would be great to hear from anyone who’s ridden both bikes. I do like my Rose and the componentry is spot on, no quibbles there.

It can fly along the rough stuff, but I wouldn’t say it’s overly comfortable, quite a bit of vibration, I would love to compare the rides between the Tripster and the Rose.

I’m 183, ride a 58 and have size 43, so hardly clown feet.

Okay, okay, I’ll admit, I’m interested in this frame!

I went through this long post yesterday evening and my whistle is wet.

I currently have one of these (Rose DX Pro Cross):

Not a bad bike, but could be seen as a little stiff and for me, has crappy toe overlap. I’m due to start commuting by bike and my wife kindly offered a new bike/frame for my birthday. I was looking at custom jobbies, but I’m very much a normal size and wouldn’t really benefit (in my head) from a custom bike.

For me it’s a tool, that gets used all year around, I need something that I can shoot off down interesting tracks, but also use day in day out for my 40 km round trip commute (with gaurds and not bloody overlap).

So, plan would be to strip off what I can from the Rose and migrate it over to the Tripster. It’s about a year and a half old so everything is still in good nick after a bit of spit a polish.

Has anyone ridden both and can comment on the difference in Ride experience?

RIP to the guy, very tragic, especially for those left behind.

Makes most of us realise our livse or those of our familes can change very quickly.

Thanks robinlaidlaw, appreciate it.

I’ve got a mate who’s a proper BMW nut, he does a fair bit of work with them too. I shall be badgering him on all the things to double check.

Just seen a 650 cabriolet one….if you are going to go silly, might as well go the whole hog.

Good call.

Just today I’ve decided one of these is on the radar

645ci

I will mostly be getting to work by bike or train, we need an extra car for the odd time one of us has to run the kids somewhere whilst the other car is in service.

I’m normally very sensible, save my extra money, but I always wanted the old 6 series (might still get one of those instead) and who knows, will be dead one day.

We have underground parking and I’ll be doing such little mileage the big engine doesn’t worry me too much.

like fork it is!

Please don’t sh1* stir.

I have some of these….I like them a lot.