compressive strengths of CFRPs are pretty poor, and if in the transverse direction too, i’m not surprised. I’m not sure if it’s worthwhile sending back as I’ve never had a c.f. bike :) If you couldn’t compress it then I’d guess it’d be very thick and overengineered.

a DH bike adds another level of confusion to the ”what tyres for this ride” debate. Get a kona or similar. Don’t spend loads

Estonia, it’s dirt cheap there ;)

in holland i commuted wearing only shorts and a camelback on a trials bike. Probably that looked weird

when you mean tungsten carbide, do you mean…
– 100% tungsten carbide
– tungsten carbide with about 10-15% nickel and/or titanium binder

you can cut glass, stone or metal with poo, it just depends on the pressure you apply. ;)

Was the glass scratched or had any stress raisers? Glass barely deforms plastically, so all impact energy is given to fracture (assuming the glass is on a hard surface and not moving). The glass you have been drinking out of is full of defects (from manufacture and usage) so it does not match the theoretical critical stress intensity, and as a result, it is pretty easy to break.

bloody hell si, sorry to hear that. I’ll keep an eye out in sheffers. I’ll pass it on to SUCC too

student of material engineering, graduating in june. Turned down a big engine manufacturer in derby (easy to guess) to study a phd in tribology. 8O Does not sound so exciting when written!

why are you buying new? Small engined bikes tend to hold their value a bit more, yes, but it still applies to the second hand market. Are you sure 125 is big enough, considering if there are many hills and your weight (incl.d. kit)?

i quite like it, but i do ride GTs and Marins. I hear the front ‘triangle’ or monstermunch loop is all carbon?

The zen and 29er xc look nice.

that looks bloody fantastic

what about a marin quake? Get them with shocks on ebay about £400. Make sure to get 12mm dropouts (or whatever takes your fancy)

rivelin valley – ringinglow – roman road – descents into dore – ecclesall woods – home

bloody knackered. i need a lighter bike for rides like that

Heerlen… and there’s some decent riding near the indoor snow ski/snowboard centre. You can rent bikes too, they’re good quality and better spec’d than the ones i own!

yeap, but i’ve no idea how that relates to the mysterious IPE…

please tell me that the BMW FS-bmx is yours! If so, how does it ride?

SSBonty and Molgrips- I’ve ridden in Nuuksio and around Veikkola when visiting. Sadly, today is my last day here for a while before relocating permanently in August.

Hopefully moving to Ruoholahti, Leppavara (sp?) or Toolo and should have a PhD with VTT.

If there isn’t too much snow, what about a DH trip up in Lapland? Rent some bikes too? I’ll send you a msg nearer the time!

Also, I’m looking at buying a bike from Canyon in Germany. Besides Ridefree.fi, what other alternatives are there?

(apologies for the hijack OP)

UK has some very good plus points. For example, most villages have a pub. It came as a shock that the centre of many villages/ towns i’ve visited in Fin is simply a supermarket, Alko and a takeaway. Getting a mid-ride pint outside of HKI or the ski-resorts can be tricky. But in the peak district…. so damn easy!!!!

This is an important thing to consider for stw, right? ;)

not quite THE hans rey, but i’d like to be! He’s GT sponsored for a start…

matt23, nice bike. Quirky like my quake.

not expat yet, but moving to Finland in July. No plans to return to the UK full time. Belgium, NZ, Oz, Germany and Austria are pretty attractive atm too :)

my dad is a fireman, and very fit. His colleagues,.. well they’re not. Especially the newbies. He regularly complains that their lazyness and lack of fitness hinder operations and put him at risk. Just something to consider, if you get a full time position

move abroad and pretend to be Hugh Grant.

The best piece of advice i heard was to say ‘yes’ to everything

be prepared for mud. Still, it isnt gonna stop me going tomoro. Keep an eye out for a marin and an orange, in the aft..

well, if you could cast/ machine it for less than £20, good luck. Businesses have to survive, hence charging £20

ok, this is very helpful. I’ll sort out a few demo days; hopefully taking some featuring Kona bikes so she can try both mens and womens frames. Any recommendations for a saddle? Somethings supportive and comfortable, not too bothered about weight, etc….

I have a male friend who was measured up, the result is that he should ride womens frames.

well, it’s a bit tricky because she lives in Finland, so it’s a case of flying over to UK, booking test rides and then hoping one bike is ok. There isn’t much choice here. Having an idea of which bikes are suitable is really helpful, as I’ve got no idea!

Nicolai Helius you say?! I’d love one too! I’ll have a look at Canyon too, they seem to deliver pan-europe, have a wide range and are good value.

Just to confirm, womens bikes generally have a shorter toptube. Is there anything else i should be aware of? Lower seat tube perhaps? What are your experiences of taking a regular mens frame and putting a shorter stem on it?

well, i’m just wondering what womens specific frames are available. There doesn’t seem to be many frames suitable for her,… hopefully a mens frame will be ok!

Tandemjeremy – she says ”the views will be good, but the cranks should be lower!”

like – kyuss
dislike – acdc

go marin! 20mile ride on a quake today. Took bamford clough and mam tor in its stride; the bike could’ve gone faster if it had a better rider

celebrating a job interview with a bottle of Pakas Paavo, just about the only decent beer in Finland. I recommend a ‘pilgrimage’ to those nice trappist breweries in NL and belgium…. ;)

marin quake. 6.8” rear and 6.3” front. Nice angles, good pedalling too. I’d question the need for a true DH bike unless you’re going to be riding it very often. That mondraker looks great,… the nukeproof mega looks to be getting good reviews too.

first ever gig (less than jake) was good. They stopped playing and insisted on a circle pit, it grew to about half the size of the room.

Rammstein were pretty special this summer too, at a french military barracks. Weirdly, i was most impressed by Pink…. she put on a fantastic show, even if the music was shire

sounds fantastic. soobalias, my mail is in profile. Say when you’re done!

if this is going round, i’d like to see it and would happily post it on (perhaps afer xckeith1 is done…mail in profile). Saw PJ in Arras this summer, after many years of waiting. Saw rammstein the next day!

apologies for the hijack, but where did u find the cracks on your Quake Dirtbiker1000?

ohh no, BillMC. It’s just a bit far from the hotel, just in case there’s a need to go back…. 8O . The science museum has been recommended a few times, i’ll check it out. Cheers

well, fri night at the hotel for sure. As for trof i’m 22 so i’m sure i’ll fit in nicely ;) Been before, love the section upstairs if not too busy. Nice beers too

singletrackmind – she’s finnish. Born on skis! Good idea though
allthegear – she’s gotta see the glory of… the city nearest the airport. ;) And what’s so wrong with showing her a good time? Nowt wrong with that

Ok, for those interested. Will head to Northern Quarter and have food/ drinks, and then move onto BOTW for comical dad-like grooves from me.

Thanks for the help, Northern Quarter sounds great!

chorlton sounds great, but hotel is in centre and need to be nearish to that, if you get me drift.

Hmmm, ok, so avoid Hilton? I’ve heard mixed reviews of it, but everyone mentions the queues. Aaaand i’ve ranted and raved about curry mile to her, but i’m not so sure it’s such a good idea before dancing. Parp parp parp.

How easy is it to get to the Northern Quarter? I only know didsbury, fallowfield, rusholme and the centre… from visiting mates at uni.