Welsh, but with access to lots of fruit from my allotment and a ‘healthy’ appetite for interesting booze.

Go for it. I’ve recently made rhubarb vodka, blueberry vodka, blackberry vodka, gooseberry gin, redcurrant gin, damson rum and apple vodka. Rhubarb was definitely the best but I’d happily drink all the others again. :P

Hipsters and fakengers are scum

That seems a little harsh, did one steal your girlfriend?

Confession time. I think I might fit all the criteria.

Live in London
Very skinny jeans
Silly haircut
Big lustrous beard
t-shirt with skulls on
Black hoodie with white drawstrings

But, what I don’t do is ride a ‘fixie’, it’s a track bike that gets ridden on the road and the track.

but what we wear tends to be designed to disguise our massive unwieldy bulk rather than fashion

My 2.5 mile SW London commute (barnes to putney) is particularly easy. Although, all going well in the next few weeks, it’ll be 6-7 miles each way (west dulwich to Putney).

I think this might be the bottom of the slippery slope.

My brother’s work one.

Marvellous, thanks beagle.

Now on my list too.

YES! I win!

Although the balvenie doublewood suggested by feckinlovebbq is really good too. Has anyone tried the Caribbean cask? It piqued my interest while browsing yesterday.

It’s non chill filtered and cask strength so oily, unctuous and quite punchy at 60.2%.

Just seen that Aberlour A’bunadh in waitrose for £33, normally in the low £40s. It’s like drinking Christmas cake.

if it’s offroad you’re after and can get to the river, try following these (terrible) directions.

On to the Thames path at Putney bridge
Left after Beverly brook
Cross Putney lower common (cheeky)
Across Mill Hill road into the woods
Queens ride to gypsy lane
Gypsy lane to Putney park lane (dirt track)
Into Putney heath (cheeky woodland)
Under the A3
Trundle through Wimbledon common for a while
Turn right at some point (through a car park?)
down a big hill to Beverly brook again
follow the brook back towards Richmond park
Offroad lap of Richmond park
Drop out of the park at Richmond gate
Head down to the river
Follow the river back round to Putney

Should be 35km + with very little road.

or have a look at a roughly similar route (missing the return via the river and starting with the river, Barnes to Putney) on Strava here

It’s not that taxing, I did it fixed/brakeless but it does get the wind in your hair and the miles in your legs.

This page is a bit too cheerful.

37 (38 next Tuesday) so technically an adult and I spent Saturday on the uplift at bike park Wales on my BFe.

My ‘05 e90 has gone electricity bonkers recently. I’ve lost the heater fan, cruise control and now it’s shouting at me that I have a flat tyre (I haven’t).

Just because it’s the cutest tank I’ve ever seen

Have you got fluorescent rims ?

where are you from, 2009?

2013 is all about black with deep carbon rims or full NJS.

edit: it’s a bike much like any other, just ride it.

par boil potatoes, saute potatoes.

meanwhile.

fry pork chops, put pork chop to one side to rest, deglaze the pan with a bit of cider, add cream, reduce slightly.

serve.

drink the rest of the cider.

These really are great photos, especially the inquisitive little mink.

A couple of hours ago I bought an old film SLR on eBay to document the insects on my allotment. I’m looking forward to messing around with a proper camera again.

I like the look on the stoats face in the last pic!

That’s a donkey! :wink:

coaster brake?

I gave my inbred a pre-sale last hurrah the other day by going (mild) off-road, brakeless, fixed. It certainly focuses the mind.

The Jamie XX and Gil Scott Heron album is brilliant if you fancy some good quality dubstep

For ‘indie’ country try;

Josh T Pearson, try not to cut yourself while listening (very melancholic)

Mathew E White, a bit happier with gospel/R&B undertones.

Kurt Vile, electric folk, closer to standard indie music.

I never did get my seeds

If you drop me an email. (Should be able to find it in one of my for sale threads, inbred rolling chassis still for sale :lol: ) I have some spare free National garden scheme seeds I was given by my mum, I’ll stick a pack in the post to you.

Planted mine a little while ago on a spare bit of allotment, they were covered in bees today :D

Already planning the bee garden for next year.

According to strava (keeper of the knowledge) the hills to the east of Crystal Palace average around 4-4.5% and top out at 12%.

On a fixed/SS road bike that should be doable comfortably and quickly with only a little bit of grunting on 70GI +. Something around 49-18 would be fine.

*caveat, I’ve only ever driven up those hills and have not actually cycled up them*

I can’t put brakes on it as I’ve already packed them into a box under the stairs.

Maybe I’ll try and find a hill to ride down.

Ps. Saddle and bars have seen plenty of mud.

I ride fixed mostly in flatish south west London on 49-17 (76 gi), cruising around 30kmh and spinning out at 50kph.

70-80 GI (spinning and honking respectively) is about standard for London.

Ghost bike it every time you stop?

Cannondale caad 10 comes in the right size.

Spec is a bit rubbish in comparison to some of the ones up there but horizontal top tubes are so much cooler.

now not sure

Sorry :oops:

Can you find one somewhere to sit on?

Huws – I’ve been told by several bike firms/shops that 48cm is the size i should be looking at, sat on a MEKK Poggio at 47cm and that was in the ball park.
If it is a problem i can always send it back due to distance selling regs i suppose.

EDIT : Huws, can you link that geo table please, seem to have lost it

Not all 48’s are built equally. I’m 5’9″ and ride a bike with a top tube 7mm longer than that (admittedly quite lovely) Colnago,

Can’t link but on the right of the page level with the picture there is a link to the size chart

Check the sizing as they seem go down to a 42cm, which makes me think they’re measuring the real seat tube length not the theoretical length. Top tube length on the 48 could well be 54-56

EDIT: just seen the geo table and the 48 has a top tube of 53

Could everyone doing it please keep the pace up, I live in between the out and return legs of the route and need to get back to my house sometime in the late afternoon. If you could all be past Chiswick bridge by 5pm that would be great. :-)

Emancipation Day

The same reason why it’s Yorkshire day, something to do with William Wilberforce.

edit: darn, I got confused as to which special day thread I was reading.

I rode in today on my MTB instead of the road track bike, if I ever have to do it again it’ll be too soon. A hatefully slow and unpleasant experience.

Not bought specifically as a fun car, I was looking for a Volvo estate for bike moving duties, but this seemed to be a far more exciting prospect. Rubbish for transporting bikes but it made every journey a fun little event. Massive turbo, wobbly chassis, random auto kickdown and a heavy right foot made for ‘entertaining’ direction changes.

Now unfortunately about to go on ebay with a 99p start as I’ve been given an interminably dull 3 series saloon. So sad to see it go.

That is quite a position, lots of man points.

Can I spend them at a chiropractor? Please tell me I can?

Just for njee20, a 107mm head tube.

Scrappy, bitsa build Dolan Track Champion. Used for training, longish rides, commuting and the track.

Leafy SW London’s Richmond park has a 20 mph speed limit which means cars become fair game for both drafting and overtaking. Makes you feel like Jens Voigt.