Marzipan bloody 1,5kg of Marzipan

Have Flown out of Belgium to France often with it but gets me checked most of the time. I now try to remember to put it in a separate tray. Trying to fly home from Northern France they took it all. They wheren’t impressed when I confirmed I did now Semtex(sort of explosive) looks and smells the same.

I was once waithed at plane entry by police when trying to fly to Africa. Security was not impressed by my 5l of corrosive liquid Did leave stickers on container and paperwork with it just missing an export permit. They where not impressed got to visit the secret security roooms to explain. Was allowed to pick it up on return but never bothered as work needed it in Africa not Europe.

Epstein Bar is one hard nut to crack. The older you are the worse it gets you.

My knowledge is a bit old as I had it twenty years ago I have never been the same.

There are no meds except from rest. Starting training to early or going to hard to soon oftenleads to relaps and permanent damage.

Look at CAV I know other competitive cylists who started to soon and have messed up themselves for a long time/life.

I was bedridden at first off the bike for 6 months andno high intensity for the next 6 months.

When I asked the doctor how long till I am the old me again he said most likely never again….

You can get away with only a couple of % loss but in racing that’s the difference between regular top 5 and hanging on to the bunch you will still be a lot better then the general population.

Sticking on with some training and fear of dropping the bit of form you still have is basically the worst you can do for EBV or overtraining.

I am Not a Doctor but I was trained as a coach (long ago though)

We seem to be back on topic – was it the usual suspects shouting at each other about whataboutery.

So it’s a bit touch and go whether MAcron’s gamble pays off. It does seem that the Right wingers are concentrated in just a few areas from the maps that have been posted on twitter (that I can’t now find)

Nope you got that wrong right wing is ahead in Most of the country with the left coming a not so far behind second Macron’s bunch is only third.

You need 289 seats for Majority Macron already didn’t have those the why for obsessive use of law 49.3 to bypass a vote and force a law through.

RN is predicted around 200 to 300 seats left wing say 100 to 200

Macron’s bunch 50 to à 100 which ca only be seen as a Massive spanking

After round one

Seats already fixed

RN 39 seats left wing 31 Team Macron 2(yes TWO)

4 to some others

500 still up for Grabs but you need to be qualified so not all can play for all of them

its in french but the coloured map is at the end of article https://www.lesechos.fr/elections/legislatives/legislatives-2024-les-resultats-du-1er-tour-en-sept-points-clefs-2104872 coming ahead in the first round doesn’t guarantee you to win in 2nd as others might bunch up against you.

So Macron is basically out he will still be President but governement will be other orientated. Well he can still make an alliance with Others Left union or Moderate right but even in that Case his group wil almost sure be a winority partner. He basically reduced presence of his group to half or even a quarter of what he had before(based on predictions game of alliance can have funny results)

Highly unlikely or a fighting chance?

Depends Do you mean?

1)the left side coming out with a Majority? Almost impossible IMHO

2) The left side being bigger then RN seat wise? Possible say 20 to 30%

3) The left side being big enough so that RN doesn’t have half the seats in  parliament and the country becomes ungovernable? Quite likely although RN might in that case be saved by a union With the moderate/normal right side but the latter won’t have many seat and most are not likely to wanna join RN

That doesn’t alway go well.

I know I have lived in many different and often very undemocratic country’s aswell I have little hope for this one but the scenery is nice the food is (very) good the weather my style and the houses are cheap.

Some interesting perspective – maybe Edukator can comment on whether this is how folks in France see things. Macron’s risky strategy…..

https://x.com/joni_askola/status/1807484611435340016

Macron is definitely playing games to me he is more off a third world dictator desperately clinging on to power.

Last time he was reellected mainly just based on there is a war in Ukraine to busy to explain what he planned to do and too important time to have change(the last not per se wrong) it worked.

This time he banked on the left infighting and the the fear of extreme left LFI Melenchon which I personally despise or the fear from extreme right. Just banking on fear and spurring on fear and deliberately creating chaos not on what his plans are and what he and his team did.

He’s got previous for this when there where big mainstream protest things where orchestrated to get out of hand to then get the people (well mainly the old and frail) to cry for order and push his way through. Seems this time his bluff is finally being called sadly don’t think he’s gonna realise and resign which is what he should do. But then who Else Neither RN with Le Pen the Left with Melenchon or the Marginalised moderate right have anyone capable or worth running the country. It a Choice between a bunch of ferocious and lethal diseases.

Which you can’t understand as Macron Basically ranked up massive debt, let salaries slide and push more people in rubbish jobs by decreasing unemployment rights. Often by avoiding parliament votes pushing laws true whith 49.3 rule more suited for dictators.

It’s a sad way of the majority system like in the UK where in France since a long time sadly you just need to make sure to get into the second round against RN and then just say vote for me cos they are pure evil. With little importance for what you plan to do or did.

Foreigner(non UK) living in France for over ten years. Politically its a massive shit show.

Not allowed to vote but would like RN to win not because I believe in them not cause the have their capacity to run the country. But cause the place needs a big bang too kill the system.

But then there is little hope last presidential elections there wasn’t one of the main 5-6 candidates worth my vote and/or confidence.

Although I’m now wondering if there would be issues with using the existing front mech on a much smaller chainset.

That could be a real issue with a 46 or smaller chainring it depends on how low the front derailleur can drop on the frame. If its clamp on or a clamp on support you are most likely in the clear. If the support is fixed to the frame often it doesn’t go low enough.

The Carb thing seems to be true today they are loading about double the quantity per hour as what was deemed possible ten years ago. Which means the riders energy tank stays closer to full all race improving lots on the capacities on multiple climb rides and recovering reloding for the next day. Only a couple of years ago a 7watt kg rider might only get to 6 on the third climb of the day nowadays he will probably be at 6.8 on the last one.

When done properly bonking should be history although you can still see it in hectic races and bad weather as combined more burning but even more forgetting to eat drink or not be able to get more from cars in time can still give you a shortage.

See it as a car that automaticlaly refuels for almost free when the reservoir gets to 75% you wouldn’t be bothered about fuel economy and just go full gas everywhere you can.

You can basically go wild as he’s stuck with you guys now:

to late for him now to

Make a run for it

To get a foot in the door with the competition

to stamp down his authority

…..

Its all about have this litlle cramp at wheigh in or just smile and be polite if excess is reasonable IE 10 to 15¨%

Probikeshop was indeed part of the Signa group. Should be coming back soon as they where saved by a capital input from some of their initial investors from long ago.

Will be on a lot smaller scale then before as only like 1 out of 5 or even less employees will be remaining.

Northwave going cheap on Merlin at the moment.

I quite like my force long and 3/4 as with Castelli size up one size for most people.

Just treated myself to two Mclaren F1 in the sales the French to really sharp promotions this time of year. A trawl in a Spanish shopping mall showed mainly high prices and (very) banged up boxes.

That’s me done with a day spare as I only got to catch the plane friday morning.

After losing interest without the badge and the Covid year decided to have a go again. Enjoying the good weather and just got back already more then half done. Must finish on the 28th though as I got a plane to catch and the bike is staying behind.

I must say I live in southern france and have a habit to jump to the sunnier side of the mountains for a couple of days to get it done.

front or rear rim height?

Had a hard to resist perfect storm conditions over the month of November.

Been booked in hospital and then was released on Black Friday itself gonna get some of my boxes/stock to ad to the collection later in the day from the Neighbours excited like a 5 year old waiting for Santa to pitch up.

why’s this thread become done an order it’s shipped/delivered? surely they are too big to order and liquidate leaving leaving people out of pocket?

Well that’s exactly what some companies in the same group seem to have done.

On the probikeshop website the claim some technical difficulties but as per comments many people seem to have been waiting already 2-3 weeks for order with no progress nor communication. Bikester (which i believe share a warehouse with Probikeshop) have a banner sorry we can not provide this item for most on there website so seem mostly shut down.

Bit of a note to sharp deals seem to ony be available to UK customers I am on the continent and many recent PSA but also the Ragley’s from a while ago are a lot les discounted for us.

Be carefull out there

French subsidary Probikeshop has stopped shipping to clients about a week ago.

Bikester(which I believe shares a warehouse ith above) now mentions on lot of stuff we can temporarily not offer this product for sale.

To be followed.

Bikester(same group) website states we can’t process returns for the moment

Surely brexit has had a hand to play in CRC’s demise.

Talking to a mate the other day. He ordered a new bar from CRC for 70€. Got stung by Italian customs for 180€.

Now he uses the German sites. I’m sure lots of other folks in Europe do the same now.

I used to use CRC a fair bit, but not once since brexit.

It sure is French resident(not French not Brittish). Delivery delay’s are up a lot(so can only be used for stuff needed in almost two weeks now. and pricing is a lot less good. Note uk prices are not same as charged to continent and spread seem to have increased quite a bit. Looked at several of the recent PSA unavailable to me(when I change origin the deal is still live for UK) I used to be mainly CRC planet X and Merlin for my cycling stuff now I shop french and Germany mainly

+1 for 40mpg and dovebiker

I have several fatbikes. Your idea is unlikely to work unless you are really light or the snow is very well compacted and or you are very light.

Stop dreaming of floating over fresh snow it doesn’t work You can plow through fres up to 4 inches deep and a fat bike makes that a lot less fall prone then a normal bike.

Embrace the snow riding its hard its slow and conditions need to be right but its so much fun. Especially night riding(early morning is best for harder snow) with the lights ot even a full moon on the snow.

Edit I oversaw my former team mate so Moolman Pasio in third and bubly Danish dynamite Cecile U L in fourth for the Rodez finale

Whatch tommorow last 40 k’s it has all to be an interesting finish. I would put Wout van Reusser in The front at the start of the Colombies climb the next one is a rolling one as well with a fast but smooth descent into lavernhe which is quite a notch harder. Last 500 m flattens out time to go big ring and then tailwind into rodez a nasty hidden hill to make or break and then the last little punchy climb of 500 m at 10 % into the finish you have to get the run in right. Strava gives away that many of the ladies recced these ones beforehand.

My money is on Demi Vollering(she should start getting some Boni seconds herself) second lippert third Ludwig. Would normally be a Vos stage but think she is only at 90% this year. Finish a bit to steep for Kopecky normally. Lets hope AVV makes her team ride if Marlen Van Aert is not allowed to make the racing hard as I would set it up.

Am afraid my plan is a bit optimistic as SD worx will want to save Reusser as a GC standby.

map and ^profile http://veloquercy.over-blog.com/2021/06/bientot-le-tour-du-plus-grand-volcan-d-europe.html I do have the gpx if you want 4500 meters of climbing over 220 km was a hard day.

I did a tout around the biggest volcan around there recently. a bit over 200k and quite a lot of climbing all on roads mostly quiet ones. It doesn’t go over puy Mary itself but you can add that if you feel brave.

Offroad on my fatbike about 70 km/h throuh some alpine fields and I still got passed by the downhill rigs.

Road when I was about half my current age 114 km/h down a short but steep hill in Belgium

@avdave2

The record for people sliding over the line is most likely this one

Avoid catching a cold(you don’t want to sneeze)

Only hang out with boring people(you don’t want to laugh)

avoid sleeping on them(this was hardest for me) so I slept on the couch to avoid rolling over.

The good news.

Broken heals faster then cracked normally

I was back on the bike(road only no shaky mtb) after a couple of days. 5my broken/craked ribs got missed I only found out weeks later when consulting for a long term leg injury I was nursing as well

That was some heroic racing worth watching for those who missed it. Seeing in the chase group big guys like Demare and Groenewegen fight for a couple of K’s to get back on, get unhinged on a speed bump(bridge) repeat chase get back bridge repeat and that was only the chase group.

Impressive from Jasper thought he might be digging his own grave but he seemed to have near endless energy today, well done chap?

Tell some more about yourself weight? how much luggage will you take? FTP or 20 min power.

Do you want to just finish the ride or have time to stop for pictures eat at restaurants during the day and so?

Good would be an idea how many meter you climb an hour on a climb of at least 30 min and that at endurance speed so far from flat out as you will have to do it again and again and again. Are you used to 1 to 2h continious climbing.

I have doen something in that style but a bit harder. At 5k 5k 3,5K 5K 2.5K long days 250k short ones 150. I needed al day to ride quick eat stops and IMO opinion not enough to enjoy the scenery and certainly to take pictures.

Take your 4000m day even if you climb at 650 an hour you spend 6 hour climbing you still need to descend valley time eat enjoy it.

Well in short don’t be to ambitious…

Also 100 km + is that 110 or 150 as 150 compared to a hundered will mean close to four hours extra riding for most people.

Krypton your last post makes me think more in the same sense.

Many highly intelligent people don’t see themselves as intelligent as they see/focus on the lackings and/or overthink things. Its far from a guarantee for good grades or a succesfull career as  well. Or can explain poor grades but good work process. As many tend too run on talent too long, so never learn to learn in the standard way(learn by heart as a parrot) So when they need to further on its too late way harder too get.

Too strong work ethics, socially akward, just getting things, not getting leadership and so all goes in that direction.

I have started reading a book about it today but have read on this before. I would normally not share(as its often seen s bragging) but I have read on it cos I know I am. Normally I wouldn’t say but none one here kno me so its fine. IMO life would be have been easier if I where not highly intelligent but then thats my personal case and opinion it can translate to some and many others but doesn’t have to.

I am myself struggling with similar things I might help to know whats different and just now there are many others like you.

A quote I really like is you are not different or weird… There are just more of these normal one they are the norm cos there are more of they but that doesn’t make the better than you or make you need or want to be more like the main crowd.

There is some overlay similar with Autism the Asperger variety. might be worth having a look at too.

IQ test should be quite easy and not too expensive(not really online as most are crap) Asperger is a lot harder and longer.

Question is is it worth it and do you really need to know or know exactly. It might be already worth quite a lot If you identify as one of those two or something others have mentionned. The knowing that others are like you/ similar can often be enough and as a way to embrace you beiing a bit different(like one can be different in many ways but doesn’t necessarly mean less or better). Might just help you too understand yourself a bit better and focus on the points that are important for you and those around you to let go a bit more for example and make life a bit easier on yourself.

Note I am not a doctor or a health professional. But have seen people close to me go or going through the process of being tested as beining gifted and or autism Asperger. Am myself still/again on the journey of finding out, not sure if full test are worth the money and time. I guess knowing there are other people who are or work just a bit different in their head might already help a lot and help you some points to work on. Not really liking the expression work but English is not my first language points to focus on and make this a bit smoother easier to cope with or give it a place for yourself.

Have you done an IQ test in the past. Quite some of the things you says seem typical for(very) high) testers. Who have a different way of thinking and working you get too attached to your work/projet overthink over worry about things, don’t manage to shut off/ stop worrying whilst most will be allright or is out of your hands.

Its a simplified way of saying but might be worth exploring

Don’t you mean the great memberships pop up?? It opens from the top every 5 seconds? Been to the site maybe 4 times today and must have seen it close to fifteen times(logged in)

Singletrack outdoing itself again pissing people off.

I would like to read the magazine but over the channel shipping makes it expensive and don’t like to read PDF’s already spent plenty of time behind a screen

Done the course yesterday at a leisurely pace.

Believe it favour a technical rider with guts and lots of time spend on TT bike, very few long stretches to get the power down.

First part lots of moderate corners but with often poor visability and uneven road surface,, whoever recced it several times will have a massive advantage. Two powerhouse inclines at moderate gradient in first 15k).

Last 10 k’s might do quite some unexpected time damage 1,5 k at 5% twisty technical(on a TT bike) descent into the valley and then climb out not finishing at village bu towards the vantage point so 1,5K at 7 % mostly rather smooth resurfaced though.

Lovely area for road riding either going south to the real ardennes or North Pays the Colinnes is lovely and the nearby flemish ardennes is where cycling history is made.

On the mountain bike front there is more forest riding just across the border in France and the old Terrils(mine refuse) are fun playgrounds. Again Pays the colinnes and area around Geraardsbergen can be fun. Don’t expect long climbs and you will have to accept some tar and concrete to link up the nice bits.

Have been away from the area for about ten year, try mountainbike.be for calendar and dutch forum

Many canal towpaths are tarmacced an trafic free for most bits.

Between Bruges and Gent there are two good options(done thme not too long ago). There is a canal beteen OOstende and Bruges and another one beteen Zeebrugge and Bruges that most likely offer the same.

From Gent you could include some legendary cycling grounds and cobblestones if you first got to Oudenaarde and from there to Brussels. Belgian especially flemish climbsare just bumps in the road and the cobblestones are not like those from Paris-Roubaix

Just short of 400 mles at 636KM did stop for a one hour shower and meal about 18h in as I decided wasn’t n that much of a rush.

Shorter rides did à 200 km in about 5h30 long ago with 11 mates around 3000m of climbing(three proper moutans on that route).

@asbrooks

@hofnar Not the right thread to voice your political opinions. However, be careful for what you wish for.. Considering all the presidential candidates you have to choose from, if you are not careful you’ll end up with your very own Boris/Trump.

I believe some background on politics can only make the weird french decisions timescales a bit more comprenhensible. Elections are in april and likely(and sadly) to influence greatly on Covid decisions.

I personally have no presidential candidate to choose from neither to defend(as as I do not hold right to vote for those elections. Its gonna be a classical French not vote for someone but rather vote against someone. Would be hard to vote as non of the current top 5 seem to be a decent/good fit IMO choice between quite bad, horrible and disastrous Trump immitations.

I think there are different rules for entering the country and venue entry. We are off to Avoriaz Saturday (storms permitting). 5 adults and 2 14 year olds but we are all at least double jabbed (adults boosted), with last jabs within last 4 months. I THINK that means we can go anywhere, but will update if we have problems!

You should be fine as because of 4 month rule(was 7 till tuesday, first weak leniency should be applied fo those between 4-7 months)

You will have to wear masks in closed area’s but not anymore in open lifts(was a daft rule anyways)
Just bring you certificate and copies(for eating drinking etc on/near slopes) Enjoy the tip most areas had fresh snow the last days and more coming(being a bit lower myself seen quite some rain )

Out of interest ive seen under 16s travel as the same vaccination status as their parents but one place said although they could travel there they couldn’t go into any venues but another article said they could, very confusing

Its actually very complicated

under 12 nothing needed
over 16 same as adults ie double jabbed needed and if last one over four months old 3d jab needed
12 to 16 double jab needed but no booster

FOR ALL valid from one week after the 2nd/3d jab

Altenative is having had covid recently and a recovey certificate will clear you for four months as well.

PCR test an alternative only for essential travel.

IMO being french resident since long but non french.

Its all a way of the governement to push to vaccinate as they failed massively to convince people by normal ways. They gambled high on the vaccine certificate around year end. So now need to keep it up for a while to save face and blaim unvaccinated for all the issues and not their own many faillures.

Don’t forget its presidential elections year so much is more about being top dude then real medical based choices.

Easing of rules mainly masks etc normaly for end of feb.

The pass vaccinal(vaccine certificate) whilst they pretend its till summer to push people to vaccinate or boost is very likely to go a lot earlier. Likely end of march early april so that president MaCON and health minister can claim their great succes just before first round and get rellected.

Disclaimer:

I am not anti vaccine, i am double jabbed just against French governement taking people fo idiots and lying though their teeth to keep shit rules and paperwok around.