I like to pick the odd scab off my shins and calf now and again.

I have some humvee shorts that I’ve ridden maybe 60miles in, the threading and material on the bum is wearing very badly, it won’t be long until they are falling apart at the seams.

We’re heading across for the Passportes du soliel event this year… take a look at the website. You may well decide that would be a good place to start your holiday like we did.

Time for a stupid question…

Is it a case of the ride will set off at 08:30, or meet for 08:30?

Sounds ideal :lol:

Hi, is this open to anyone?

I was supposed to be going to wales this weekend but my riding buddy is ill, so now I’m at a loose end.

How quick is the pace likely to be? I’ve not ridden for 3 weeks due to knackering my ankle and a holiday so my fitness will be a bit down, is that likely to be a problem?

Go spend two weeks In most places South and East of turkey and you won’t be so depressed.

I just spent two weeks in Sri Lanka and a bit of time in doha and couldn’t wait to get home. Infact I actually quite like the country and it rare I say that.

chipbutty said…

23 years in the RAF as a Aircraft Engineer, about to start my new job on monday as a Wind Turbine service engineer, looking forward to it.

Who for?

I work offshore, currently in the renewables industry.

I am really considering this becoming my aim in life

A happy middle ground is probably a better thing to aim for.

Work/Life balance.

Update – Got a refund from Evans Cycles, they messed me about and sold me a box with half the contents missing.

Ended up getting one from Freewheel in Nottingham for a fairly good price.

You’ll get 10% off RRP on a 2012 Five Pro from pretty much any shop.

I recommend Freewheel in Nottingham, they did a really good price for me on a £3721 RRP Five Pro, they have looked after me really well since too.

It amuses me that they say they own a £300000 house, yet have a £360000 mortgage on it.

The banks owns the house, then some.

The only deby between my girlfriend and I is our mortgage. Which is small and more than affordable.

Good choice, I was struggling to make the same choice. The Lapierre rear end was squeeking and clicking on the afternoon I had it, which for a couple of month old bike put me right off.

~I bought a 2012 5 Pro with quite a few upgrades.

So anyway, I didnt get a charger or the SD card with the OS maps. I ended up charging it with my iphone charger.

Switched on and it didn;t ask me to do the initial setup so I was suspicious, seem to have been set up for a 180 6ft 1 male and has a bit of history.

The shop were supposed to order a brand new one in for today… suprise, nothing turned up.

Going to pop back in today and see what they are willing to do as I know they have a new one in with HR and cadence sensor. Failing that I’ll get a refund on everything I bought Sunday, that will ruin there day.

I thought that was the case, I didn’t get any SD card at all. The maps in it are just basic.

I think the shop know they have ‘made an error’ as when I called they said straight away they will order another one in and do a straight swap, a bit annoying but I’ll live.

Thanks guys, got it today and fitted the mount on the front clamp. The fit is real nice and tight, will have to watch the bands on the carbon bars.

Can anyone tell me what’s supposed to be in the trail bundle box? Are the 1:50000 OS maps supposed to be already on the device, or do they come on an SD card?

I think my box is lacking content, I got…

The device
Two mounts with rubber bands
USB cable
An ac plug with no means to plug the USB cable into it which is why I think something is missing.

The device is currently charging so waiting to see if the maps are on it.

Again any help appreciated.

I think your scales are broken.

They were broke, my bad, its actually 29lbs lol.

Cheers, what would make orange use different length stems?

Hopefully the 70mm you have is the standard and mine willbe the same.

I would look at any of the villages south of the M56 and A628… Then depending on how far you want determines if you go a far as Chester, south a Macclesfield or as east as Glossop.

Plenty of 3 bed properties around in nice enough areas though.

What sort of commute are you happy with?

Tractor look is still proven to be very strong and solid so I guess not just for effect.

But Orange’s are pretty hefty aren’t they? No fun on the climbs surely?

That’s a bit of a myth because the frame looks beasty.

My 2012 five pro weighs pretty much exactly the same as my mate trek fuel ex 9.something… At around 11.5kg so no heavy weight. It climbs better than my cube hardtail too.

It has a few extras that save a bit of weight (hope stainless BB, Hope tech M4s, Fox factory RLC forks, Fox factory rp23 shock, hope headset, maxle rear, easton haven carbon bars, Thomson x4 stem, Gobi xm with magnesium rail) but also has a reverb which adds a bit. The rest is standard five pro so not the lightest spec but still as light as the trek.

I would love to know where some of these routes are, I love the slower steep tricky stuff.

I wish I was healthy enough to eat all these healthy breakfasts :(

I don’t eat anything for breakfast.

I don’t like fruit.
I don’t like cereals.
I don’t like vegetables.

I used to eat microwavable pizzas and kebabs then I stopped being a teenager with a high metabolism and got fat so I had to stop.

She didn’t quite get it did she… I can only assume her parents led a less than healthy life!

I’m still joking by the way!

Ex demo would be fine… Ex lease, hire or company car definitely not.

who amongst you would prefer to suffer from life-long disability (and therefore be a tax taker) than pay tax?

I know this is very much daily wail material, and I’m just playing devils advocate so don’t take me to seriously… But I’d be quite happy pretending to have a debilitating illness while being given £22k a year tax free and a complimentary mobility BMW X3 for my family to drive around in. Hell, I may even have time/be stupid enough to enter britains got talent, subsequently getting found out in the process.

There is a massive amount that don’t get found out and that grossly exaggerate a disability, if any at all. The low paid people assessing them don’t give a shit, half their families are probably involved in the great swindle anyway.

Extreme examples I know, and I appreciate there us equally as many genuine disabled people out there who’s parents didn’t drink and smoke during pregnancy.

Sounds about right then, I have no idea why mine turned up early, I was fortunate as my cube bent the day before I was called. RRP on my five pro was pretty high but I doubt they give preference.

I’ve only ever seen it done once on some wetwoodwork, rear tyre slipped off, bang goes the rear mech.

Is the average wage really £22k??? Is that number dragged down by all the people that just don’t bother working so earn zero? I struggle to believe it with the amount of BMWs Audis and mercs flying up and down the motorway.

We are very much a givers :(

We are a couple both on above average wages, with no kids.

So yeah, we get mugged the harder we work.

Mine took 2 weeks which I was pleased about as I was told 8 weeks due to delays on the fox 140 RLC Kashima forks and on the reverb seat post. That was for a custom colour too… Ring them and ask what they delay is, I heard reverbs were also in very short supply if you ordered one.

All off the above/comprehensive travel insurance I imagine.

I get worldwide travel insurance through my bank account with Santander, it cost £6 a month and I get free European breakdown and a few other benefits too.

Not sure what it excludes. But I’m interested in what you find out.

Does passportes de soleil in june/july class as a race or would you get away with saying its just a mass ride? I certainly won’t be trying to set any records but want to be covered.

I wondered the same thing, would love to see the risk assessment.

I can’t see how getting a helicopter that low, near various structures and hanging lights/cables was ever considered a good idea, plus he was in there on his own with no spotter.

Still, I’m sure writing off £1m+ worth of Bell machinery has taught him a lesson.

Keep it up, it’s good entertainment for us sane people and makes my journey to work that little bit more amusing.

I love watching, both parties act like 8ft powerfully wrestlers whilst in their cars, despite normally being fat balding morons with a terrible home life, normally when one takes it a step further and gets out of the car the other panics like a little girl about to get kidnapped.

You can’t beat yorkshire tea in the uk, it’s the only tea where my girlfriend doesn’t need two tea bags to make it strong enough.

Your not middle class until you own a tea factory in Ceylon, Sri Lanka and drink it fresh from the field… We make 11 different types.

Use the weather channel dot com instead. Much better.

Stretch to a H.A.W.G NV

Give her a bit of the cash towards it, although you can get them about 20% off RRP anyway. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever bought.

I’ve heard my self say it:
“I’m on the wrong bike”.
Knowing full well I wouldn’t do it on a bleedin Session 88.
Also, about the same drop –
“There’s no point going down there, you have to walk back up again”

Sounds like the Dalby Gil drop lol?