double breasted suits are for older, fatter, people IME (very 1980's, power dressing and all that c0ck) and worn by the sort of people generally who join golf clubs (i.e. old, fat, pompous). Single breasted rules, esp for thinner types that should (ahem) be most people on stw. Button up if cold but if it fits well and its pockets aren't overloaded then it should hang nicely without being buttoned.

from A3 or M3 or M4 you could probably park near to Kew and get tube quite easily but if game on at Twickenham avoid the whole area. Does really depend where you are cominng from though. Typically I would say park around zone 3-4 and get tube. Trying to drive further in is probably not worth it.

one off the wrist?

Your age is a factor, if say under 35 and with good income prospects tat maight point towards the interest only option.

Another point is that housing isn't the only or necessarily best savings vehicle. If mortage is smaller you can put more into ISAs and pension and they each have various tax and other advantages.

Or you could just blow it on bikes, holidays, eating out, fur coats whatever. I've got to 41 and the thought of a 4x salary mortgage fills me with dread.

I had a WB fitted last year and v good so far, uses less gas, quieter, powerful and so on. My bro builds lots of houses and they nearly always fit them. I get the impression that despite being quite complex they are still reliable and support is good.

Black Soul being built up by LBS at the minute – most parts have arrived so should be soon. Hope hubs where art thou? Easter, please please be dry.

surely TJ is right; there is no wilderness south of Perth but the fact that the original post mis used the word 'wilderness' doesn't make the thrust of his / her point irrelevant. Namely, when out alone and somewhere where you may not be stumbled upon for a few hours, then shouldn't you be careful to reduce risk of knackering yourself? I think the answer is yes. If on my own and there is noone about as is often the case mid week, evenings, nights on quiter stretchs etc then I ride that much more carefully.

As well as the rubber base of the valve that sits inside the rim/tyre there should be a rubber washer/ring that goes on the outside, underneath the valve nut. I think the main seal is inside but this ring must help. FWIW I got my Olympic rims to inflate using just valves and yellow tape but I do use alot of JRA's wheel milk to seal the whole thing up.

As well as the rubber base of the valve that sits inside the rim/tyre there should be a rubber washer/ring that goes on the outside, underneath the valve nut. I think the main seal is inside but this ring must help. FWIW I got my Olympic rims to inflate using just valves and yellow tape but I do use alot of JRA's wheel milk to seal the whole thing up.

try second hand. They tend to be used less than expected as they are without a doubt the most successful time travel machine ever invented. Time just stops when you start riding one.

running 6 miles at lunchtime, 4 days a week (out of 5 presumably?) in the coldest winter for years, and you get a few colds. I'm surprised you lasted this long frankly.

As soon as you get an early warning (sore throat, mouth ulcer, cold sore, totally tired in morning) then back off. For several days if need be.

And you probably need to eat more vegtables.

First Direct – i moved there from Lloyds in 1995 and no turning back. I hate to be polite about a bank but they really do deliver the goods (and the service).
Backing of HSBC unlike some of the newer trendy banks.
I believe they may have monthly minimum income but otherwidse i cannot fault.

Without having more facts its hard to be specific but if they have spent £1.4 BILLION on the redeveloped / refurbished Portland Place HQ then they just must be wasting money. It defies common sense that the money is spent carefully. It runs easily the best tv channels in UK and radio 4 is worth going to war for but most of the rest could be left to the private sector. Noone should earn more than a few £'00,000. Ironically, the only person I know who does work there is a radio 5 researcher and he is paid peanuts despite having encyclopaedic knowledge and contacts.

I could save millions v quickly if i was let loose there.

a bit thick by all accounts but injure him for a season? Are you sure that isn't OTT? If he played for Spurs then I could understand your attitude.

I am involved in the care home industry and it is a free for all regarding fees and annual uplifts. The strength of your negotiating position will depend on the number of empty beds in the home and the amount in comparable nearby homes. Some homes are still trading full but nationally ave occ has fallen 3-4% in the last 2 years and many homes are gagging for new placements so you may be in a position to say to the owner "sorry, sod off" and if she doesn't want to move it will be a blinking competition. £2,900 pcm / £669 per week is quite high and should mean that either she has high / above average care needs or she is in one of the more affluent areas of the country. Most local authorities pay £475 – £600 per week for nursing care of which £106 is paid by NHS irrespective of private resources. If she is paying £669 per week for non nursing 'resi' care then she must be somewhere v luxurious.

Really fit guys I know in their mid – late 50s say that stretching becomes noticeably important and some weight training to counter muscle loss that begins to accelerate after age 40. Some of them eat healthy and some don't.

Recovery slows down so multi day stuff can be a challenge I think.

Training tends to be more focussed; hard 3 hr rides rather than longer ambles but much of that applies to people in 30s I expect and in any case is determined partly by other commitments.

Hamsterley can't be that far and worth a ride, weather permitting. Cafe was crap when i went there tho' :wink:

I can't be botrhered to read all nine pages but irrespective of right and wrong you just can't be dictated to by foreigners. If they want to invest in the islands, JV of some sort then fine but to just say they're ours, we want them so leave now after 150 years of exclusive Brit occupation is crap. You always have to stand up to that sort of behaviour.

Nevegals – passable in mud, passable to race, great on everything xc in between.

a sad day indeed as it seems unlikely it will ever re-open. I rather hoped that the credit crunch / recession had made it clear to our leaders how totally cack were all the City / business services / finance jobs that the 1992 – 2007 boom was based upon and that manufacturing as part of a more balenced (regionally as well as sectorally) economy was the best way ahead for UK but closure of places like this constitutes a massive de-skilling and hollowing out of the whole economy. Where is the support for R & D, science education, engineering and so on that we so clearly need? Its pretty sad that our biggest manufacturer and engineer is an arms maker that appears to depend upon government largesse and bribery.

Ground Effect Double Happys – 2 pairs 4 and 3 yrs old and no weaknesses.

Drinking affects races and events – 4 pints before the Chiltern 100 (sorry, dark side) and I really suffered for 2-3 hours until it was all cleared out by which time I had been dropped by mates. No way did I have a hangover in the usual sense but riding I was weak. Drinking the same amount every night on cycling holidays where the pace tends to be stop start fettle faff start again and the booze makes no difference. Apparently.

I was nervous before trans wales and abstained the week before and whole week during and i held it together quite well. The early nights helped too I think.

£75 for well cut, heavy, organic denim jeans is fair value IMO when bog standard looking jeans that aren't organic sell for well over £100 in loads of places. I know you can buy jeans for say £10 in Tesco and Asda but then you are probably sponsering child labour, poor environmental practice, and they look pretty poor. I'd rather have less pairs and wear them right out.

Their merino waffler mid layer top is really good too but poss not that long lasting. We shall see.

I've just asked the lbs to give me a price for some 120mm floats and now I'm wondering if its the right thing. surely the geometry is still pretty good with 120 mm – its built to go all the way to 140mm although there is a bit of a consensus that 140 mm would be a bit sloppy (WMB review etc).

Turner Flux is what you really want. (or anyother 100mm full susser weighing up to 26-27 lbs of which there are many – take your pick)

spicey tomato juice if in restaurant etc;

Orange juice with lemonade or water;

green tea;

milk shakes or er just milk;

Your colleaugue is a ****t (pls tell him or her that I said so). The highway code, common sense and experience all suggest you should go up the right.

And even if you were weaving that is your potential loss not his / hers.

RR is very fast and I have used them over several summers with no punctures, both UST and normal both with tubes and with Stans set up. For their weight and lack of big knobs they are pretty tough I would say but I don't weigh much or ride hard by many people's standards. I got through Trans Wales last year without a puncture and not many people achieved that.

For some reason they are silly expensive now and for that reason I would recommend Nevegals as best all rounder.

ride it / them? Revolutionary idea i know but it may just work.

about six times a year on the outside and inside alot less. That said i've had seat covers on since new and try not to spill food and drink inside – make less mess and have less to clear up. Its mainly dry mud / dust in my car off the bikes.

Cheers you three, really appreciate that.

hh45

Great post, I have been researching this one for about two weeks. I can't quite tear nyself from Fox though as the two pairs I have had have been so reliable.

i've had 819s for 4 years and Olympics for a year. 819s are very strong but they are heavy and really suited (IMO) for someone wanting a bomb proof xc wheel, something freeride lite or a fat ba$tard or a bit of all three. UST tyres easier to fit but cost more, weigh more and less choice. Thicker side walls have some advantage though.

Olympics are lovely and light with all the advantages that go with less rotating weight but harder to inflate, weaker (presumably but not bent yet but then I am a light jey).

Having had both I would choose Stans for wider choice of lighter tyres.

my large black is in its box in the front room while my shoulder heals and I decide what stuff to build up with. Choices, choices…

Frame itself looks nice.

Bettina Selby – Beyond Ararat – Turkey only but with high cultural content as well as the usual 'by day 107 my ar$e was really sore etc'.

I imagine servicing an A6 is pretty expensive but Audi / VW diesals do seem to last well over 200,000 miles as evidenced by colleagues and family. My 2002 golf 1.9TDi (120,000 miles) was parked up, outside, for 7 weeks until this week and it started first time. Still does 55 mpg.

Here is Nackney, just off main road with continuous shops, restaurants and clubs it is essential – best £80 I spend every year. On sundays when its not working its hard to my park in my own road which when unloading muddy bikes and stuff is a bit tedious.

I expect that even in much richer areas where car ownership is much higher and parking in your own street is a bit of a rarity even with permits it is still good to have permits because it still helps reduce demand by keeping out non locals but clearly there is only so much space so as car ownership rises parking gets harder for everyone. Luckily, here in Hackney car ownership is relatively low.

from my experience of about 10 bike holidays with six diff companies i would say that a single girl will typically be out numbered by men about 7 to 1. of these men about half will be single. whether they are worth meeting you will have to decide for yourself.

Well worth it, got a few from Ice Breaker, Howies and Ground Effect and mid layers as well. All great. I'm a fan of all things natural but the performance of wool and merino wool over synthetics is quite noticeable plus it needs less washing and lasts well IME.

i have an mt500 jkt ands its fine apart from the hood that doesn't roll up into the collar or detach. i bought it for winter rides when you need it on from start to finish as really its too bulky to carry in case of bad weather. i have a paclite jkt for carrying in case of bad weather.