I bought one frame only and built it with tatty left overs, and it has been my main winter/mud bike. It’s a steel singlespeed with an old Kona style geometry, so what’s not to love…?

I was on a blue/grey trance with white bombers. How are your legs? Mine have recovered OK…

I did it in 5.37 taking it nice and careful. Good to meet The Littlest Hobo on the first climb. Brilliant event and great views. 🙂

done right could give you the edge over yourself.

That’s it exactly – the last enduro I did I felt lousy from the start and barely made it round. Looking back I was over tired, hadn’t ridden my bike enough, hadn’t eaten enough on the run in and was probably dehydrated from a long hot train journey a few days before. Not a great combination.
This time I’m hoping to feel better and enjoy it more. 😀

3 L of fluids sounds acheivable: tea, milk on cereal, regular drinks (non-caffeinated) during the day and at mealtimes, evening drink etc. It doesn’t have to be just water.
I use the ‘what colour is my wee?’ test to check that I’m hydrated. It is scientifically proven apparently. Clear or pale straw is OK, darker isn’t.
I did read the article – hence the question…

Is it really that scientific?

Second helpings of everything for me!!

Wonder how they will start that many off ?

Same as at Grizedale, all at once – 3,2,1, go. The whippets will push past everyone 5 minutes before the start to get poll position and make sure that their race faces are mean enough 😉 .
I might start near the back to experience some overtaking – albeit briefly…
not getting lapped may be a good target…

Metcheck says it might snow 😯 !

I’ll be there…
look for me at the back, while the whippets race into the distance…

Probably from studies rather more scientific than this one.

There’s nothing unscientific about doing a simple poll – epidemiologists and others do it all the time. As long as the conclusions (if any) are limited to similar riders to the group polled and there is no inherent bias in the questions, the job’s a good un. It should be statistically powered at 100 plus answers (this is a complete guess btw 😉 )
My answers:
a) one helmet returned for replacement after a high speed head-plant (~15 years riding with a helmet).
b) a fair few minor collisions with branches and minor offs .
c) stiff neck after head plant and scuffed scalp (helmet rotated 90 degrees in crash).
d) <1% helmet not worn.

Simple answer: same muscles, same heart, same lungs, same metabolism. So yes – general biking fitness improves the more you ride – anything.
For specific training e.g. technical singletrack (high intensity, low cadence) and downhilling, road riding is not so good.

…do we let the shaven-legged Anthem riders in as well?

Mines running Marzocchi XC700s 90-130 on the 06 model. Usually set at about halfway. 130 downhill is fine. Hope internal headset works well.

click for picture

I can’t quantify the losses associated with the bob

Seriously then 😉 , any energy lost is transferred to heat, so go for a ride and feel if your shock has got noticeably warm. I doubt it will. (250W would be seriously hot!).
I only notice the small bob on my FS on the road. Off road the bumps in the ground cause bigger shock movement than the bob so it isn’t worth worrying about. Some suspension designs are more bobby than others, hence the development of propedal, others don’t need it as much.
You are probably wasting more energy just thinking about it.

but if I look down and see the shock compressing with each pedal stroke

How do you know that the shock doesn’t compress when you are NOT looking down? It could be your head position causing the bob. You need to hire a datalogger or get someone to video you as they ride beside you to collect the correct information. It’s the only scientific way…

helmets – very good
compulsory helmet laws – very bad

that is all

“That old gem” is off Cancer Research UK’s web site and includes the word possibly. It only takes one cell to turn malignant to get a cancer. The incidence may be dose dependant, but there is no safe threshold dose. Asbestos fibres are in the air especially on the Eastern seaboard of the USA, where mesothelioma is more common than on the West coast.
but hey…people still smoke, and they know it causes cancer…so if you smoke, sure go ahead and pull it down yourself.. 🙄

Cooroo – symptoms are as you described, (especially the feeling better off wheat). StuE needs to eat gluten for at least a couple of weeks (slice of bread a day) then ask for an anti-gluten antibody blood test, plus the usual blood count at his GP.
It could be something different, but feeling crappy all the time should be followed up.

StuE needs to see his GP and get himself tested for coeliac – time to start some wifely nagging…

I’d not dream of doing it myself or getting a dodgy builder to do it. This is why: Mesothelioma.
Possibly just one asbestos fibre inhaled could be enough, or it could stick to your clothes and get someone else.
Personally, if I really liked the house, I’d get a quote for the roof’s removal and build it into the purchase price…my 2p

Thanks funkynick – it looks like they are talking about using bacteria to de-gluten the flour but it only works for trace contamination at the moment.

Mrs Tricky – you really have got the GF baking worked out! It all looks very yummy…*drool*

Candodavid – were your tests positive? And are you on a GF diet? Did you have a hair/nail test for mercury absorption (as it’s a more than a bit serious)? Not hassling – it’s just the first time I have ever heard this one and I want to ask my GP at my next check-up…

Now for the good news…
It takes about 2 weeks for the gut to get back to normal on a fully GF diet. (That’s why there’s no point in cheating occasionally) After that you’ll start to absorb iron, other minerals and folic acid properly. After about a month or so your blood count should be back to normal and as you’ve been used to feeling miserable for so long you should feel like you can fly (almost). I imagine it is like a serious dose of altitude training.
Once you feel better, you’ll get used to keeping to the diet and you’ll stay well.

@Candodavid – coeliac is diagnosed by a blood test and biopsy of the small intestine and is not done by a dietician. I’m happy to hear that you’re better – but it has nothing to do with coeliac disease.

@funkynick – I doubt it! Why would sourdough not have gluten in it?

Oatcakes are not GF.
Check out the Coeliac Society website for tasty treats recipe of the month.
Juvela white rolls are OK, Glutafin White Bread is OK toasted.
Green’s GF beer is surprisingly good and will cheer you up. BEER![/url]
How long have you been on the diet? I’m 10+ years and have got used to it…

It does work if you have a flat wall long enough to support both wheels as well. Use long screws! An architect or engineer will be along soon to explain the balance of forces – but my A-level physics says the weight is mostly vertical hanging from the crank and spread by the crank pulling on the bracket and the wheels pushing on the wall. Unless you’re mounting a downhill beast they work just fine.

You’ll be needing a mountain ledge then…hangs from the pedal and cantilevers to the wall.
mountain ledge clicky
I have two unused in my garage – let me know if you’re interested…

I just changed some Hope mini pads (Front – sintered) after 5 years of abuse – there was still some pad left. I agree, it’s a con and I want my money back. 😉
Bedded in with a few sharp sprint-stops btw.

…I can turn the volume back up. Why do the judges have to shout at each other? It puts me right off – Imagine being stuck on a train, with them *shudder*.

“mountain biking to think about nothing; road riding to think about everything”.…that is so true.
Sometimes I get too stressed to enjoy proper mountainbiking, those are the times to grab the roadbike, or do a bit of ambient off-road bimbling. Time and space to think things over.
Keep your heart rate well in the the aerobic zone and you’ll be fine…

Sounds like he did the similar to me. Think – “straight double track, brakes off, what can go wrong…” then “Oh that’s a big drop, but speed is my friend…I’ll hang off the back” then “why am I upside down in a ditch, can I feel everything…yes, is anything crunching…no, OK to stand up…phew” 😀 and 😳

I’ll be treating double track with more respect from now on…

Tacoing both wheels – that must have been quite some crash…
I’m very glad I walked away from mine, ~30 mph into a deep ditch could have turned out a lot worse…

Eggbox – tick! That’s the one. Nice site 😀
The trick is to relax and let your body weight do the work. Moderate alcohol consumption can help if your muscle is locked up.

do the last stretch in the picture but flip over and lie on your bent leg. You’ll really feel the stretch. After a good warm up you can feel the muscle spasm and let go after holding it for over a minute. Painful but feels great afterwards.

A couple of rides on flats helped convince me to put more weight on my feet and keep my heels down. It helped me and it is relatively cheap to try out.

Finish Line Green or White Lightening Epic.

Motorex Dry in summer works well unlike Finish line Krytox.

My bottle of Green oil has been solid for about a month now (cos it’s cold) so I haven’t tried it yet. I’ll try it when the temperature is above 7oC (when it melts…).

The back seats come out completely or fold up (separately) against the front seats secured by little bungee things. Take both wheels off and have had two bikes in comfortably with the seats folded. They are lovely to drive – I have the 1.9 TDCi which shifts if asked to.
Reliable so for apart from an expensive problem with the power steering.
Our previous Focus was great…

Jeez.. organised religion winds me up!

It wound Jesus up too…is that what you meant? 🙄

cult of respectability

Since when was getting nailed to a tree (naked) respectable?

They probably just ride on Saturdays…