How fit were you, in relative terms, when you got 30mins? If very unfit, then dropping 5 mins off your time is probably just a matter of training properly. If you considered yourself pretty fit when you got 30 mins I suspect 25 mins isn’t possible.

In terms of cheap-ish kit upgrades, a set of 2nd hand tub wheels is probably the best thing you can do, although I am not an expert on time trials (it has been 15 years since I last did one!)

A mate of mine has the Tig Team SL. He isn’t really an XC-type guy though and finds it a bit too XC oriented. I suspect he would have happier with a Stiffee. But if you want something more XC than the Stiffee I suspect the Tig Team SL would be a good fit.

Panasonic TZ-5 is great apart from low-light indoors shots (but then most digi cameras suck in these conditions)

Have a look at http://www.dpreview.com

Center lock is a good point. Does it look like this…

If the bolts are stuck try: penetrating oil, knocking them with a hammer, tightening them before losening, dremmelling a slot in them for a screwdriver or finally drilling them out.

Top-class mattresses cost around a grand!

🙁

I wish I had known about that software – I did it all manually, copying artwork of the web. It took me hours 🙁

Oddly Windows Media Player finds more artwork than iTunes.

GW’s solution looks very neat. I’d be keen to try it but don’t really want a meter of velcro off eBay. Anyone got any spare they would like to sell (GW?)

The Cube looks like great value if it is £800.

Alternatively, look at Merlin Cycles:

Linky

or

Linky

Regarding losing pins on MG-1’s – I have lost a fair few pins on mine but only from when I have whacked the pedal on a rock or something. I don’t know how “normal” this is as they are my first pair of flats (since “back in the day”). Its quite annoying though a a couple of pins ripped the thread out of the pedal too so I have had to Araldite replacement pins back in!

FSA Orbit II is the standard choice of “more affordable” headsets

(Brant/On-One is doing them for £20 + p&p, by the way: HERE)

They aren’t the ideal helmet light IMO as they are a full-on flood rather than spot. So long as you are happy with a flood throw on your helmet light it will be fine. I use the 5-mode version on my bars and do find the mid setting useful (low is just too low)

I have a 33" waist, found the Medium Humvees a bit too small. Bought Large and they are too large. I would have thought Medium’s would be about right if you are a 30" waist.

How many of us really have frames for 10 years any way?

NN’s seem to come up on the Classifieds quite a lot too.

I haven’t used a T3 for years (great bit of kit in its day) but I am afraid I think you have lost your data. When you re-installed Hotsync and then re-synced I am afraid you should have told it that your T3 was the master. The default is that the PC is the master and it would have over-written your T3 with the blank data from your PC. It would be worth seeing if there is a Palm forum where they can help you "un-delete" the data on your T3 – I am not aware if this is possible or not. Good luck.

If that list of "wanted" is accurate (ie they aren’t provided by the iPhone) I will be sticking with my Blackberry. I am really surprised at some of the missing functionality.

Good price. Bummer that they don’t do the version with the remote 🙁

I hate bleeding XT brakes. Have to do it 5 or 6 times until all the tiny weeny little bubbles have come out (after I invariably let air in to the system by messing up the bleed to start with!)

If they ain’t broke (ie spongy) I would leave them well alone

Dave – Thanks for letting me know. I hope it fits! I have sold a couple of things over the last week so I owe STW Towers a little donation

Oh yes, I forgot the weight issue. I have 2 boys with a combined weight of only 25kg or so but towing them in the trailer is becoming a real “drag” (pun intended). To be honest the get bored too so the whole thing is a bit of a write-off for me.

Nicolai Argon

I dont think small children (under 10 months, say) in trailers is a great idea. I have watched my 1 yr old in my trailer over my shoulder on fairly smooth tracks (Richmond Park) and his head was shaken all over the place – enough to make me think that around 1 year is when I would want my child in a trailer. A baby with poor/weak head control would get knocked about a fair bit IMO.

That said I also wouldn’t ride with a papoose/baby carrier either.

Try to see someone else’s baby in a trailer and make your own mind up.

Rich – may be you could sell a bundle of battery holder, pouch, cables and crocodile clips? Just a thought?

Turboferret – how gutting for you and for us hopeful customers.

Has anyone got any good ideas as to how to connect the battery holder to a P7 torch without one of turboferret’s screw-in adapters?

The rear wing (particularly on the BBC photo) looks ridiculous. If it makes the racing more interesting though I am all for it.

I’ve not had it done but I gather it makes the damping better for higher-speed/bigger hits at the expense of some low speed/small bump sensitivity. If you regulary ride fast, rocky trails and/or have issues with the standard damping having the PUSH’ed is probably a good idea.

I had to cut away a very small amount of rubber tread from around the front of the cleat on my Specialized shoes, which I gather is quite common with any shoes. Not a big deal at all though

LOL. I find a gillet isn’t warm enough around or under zero, as you have just found

deepreddave – email me at jamesball@[remove]mail.com. Ta.

Blur 4X – 29.6 lbs (on bathroom scales so only approx)
Tinbred (original) with Rebas – 26.5 lbs
Scandal 29er – don’t know but noticably lighter than the Blur 4X (to pick up)

LOL at molgrips – probably right 🙂

Still interested

I think part of the problem for the Drylines, at least, is that they aren’t really long enough for a 3/4 length short. They finish right on my knee so each movement of my leg tugs on the seam of the shorts and pulls them down. I suspect if they were a little longer this would happen less.

I love my Blur 4X but I would be the first to admit that the finish isn’t great and the paint is awful (scratches just looking at it)

My Altura DryLines do the same thing – bloody annoying because otherwise they are great – nice dry bottom 🙂

The RSS feed on the old site worked as you imagined. The new one has one RSS entry per post on the forum. I am with you – I prefer the old system but the guys have other priorities developing the site at the moment! 😉

I have a Gore Phantom that is a few years old but in great nick for sale (size XL). Let me know if you are interested. Nice and cheap 🙂

I am going to try to get my Tag fixed (thanks for the recommendation dooosuk) but there is lots of food for thought in all the watches that have been recommended!

Fair point about my TAG having not died – I haven’t checked with a jeweller yet. It is started stopping randomly and then starting again. The battery should be fine (it hasn’t started jumping 2 seconds at a time) and I can’t find any pattern to the stopping and starting. I am loathe to spend £100 having it sent away and investigated only for them to tell me it can’t be fixed or will cost me another £100 to fix.

I do need to speak to a TAG dealer to find out the costs of having it looked at/serviced though.

(It was serviced about 4 yrs ago when a new face was fitted)