prob not for this season to be honest, thinking a little more long term.

Stevo – Yes – happy cooking for groups of up to 15-20 no probs, though never professionally.

CFH – Been better to be honest! how about you?

very tempted at the moment!

hmm. normally I can drop people from lights etc. but with the head wind I just didn’t have the right gear.

lazy sod.

AND when I did turn off the road up to work, he sailed through a red light too! he was an RLJ to boot!

right up my chuff in semi – busy traffic.

funny, a straw poll at work and a couple of people piped up and said they do it all the time – look on it as a bit of a treat!

pah!

racing your mates but knowing it doesn’t really matter

riding through leaves

bluebells

shaking when you get off the bike

kit

riding out your front door

racing people off traffic lights

skids

sore legs

that ‘got away with it feeling when your front wheel washes out and then catches again, when it really shouldn’t have

mud

Lots of other stuff that I’ll realise next time I’m out in the hills

🙂

Well, I can’t give you a detailed run down on available titanium bikes, but what I can say is that that the 19ti is probably the most amazing hard tail I’ve ever ridden, super comfy, super light, understated, versatile. I really fell in love with it.

However, My wallet didnt, so I had to step down the range to peasants frame materials. That said, Whytes are absolutely on it in my opinion, some of the nicest riding bikes out there (esp the hardtails).

Agree that it has become media shorthand, but, for those living with cancer, if they want to treat it as a fight, if that is what motivates them to do everything right, then I say get as angry as you like and treat it as a fight. It’s a very personal thing, and really, is there a correct answer on a subject as emotive and subjective as this?

yup – lump in throat at work here. fingers crossed here. I’m actually in awe of people like you and bullheart. I really don’t think I’d have the strength.

rooting for you.

Can’t say i do these days. In fact, coming quite close to quitting with nothing else to go to at the moment, as it is really starting to get me down.

🙁

personally I just use Shimano MP66 shoe with some waterproof socks.

at the end of the day I’ve yet to find a waterproof combo for cycling unless you wear full length trousers (which I hate) as the water just runs down your leg and into your socks/shoes – answer is to just wear something that keeps you at least half-warm when wet. and, as with most winter cycling comfort issues, it’s either a case of accepting you’re going to have shorter rides, or MTFU.

I normally ride a bit less 😉

They sort of accept two schemes. Taxfreecycle is their own scheme where they handle the admin for your company. They also accept cyclescheme vouchers.

surely the 456 falls into this category quite nicely?

OK, bought. Should be good for helmet mount, and I *think* it should fit the exposure helmet mount. Which is nice 🙂

awww.

I want a dog. I really, really want a dog. 🙁

well, a $30 light vs the joystick is a bit of a leap, especially when it’s seldom used and my bike budget is limited these days. (and the DX chucks out more light, though I’m sure it’s overall probably slightly inferior).

just asking the question, but if the DX light doesn’t fit the joystick mount I’ll get some zip ties for me lid..

Does anyone have the answer to the question?

that’s some suspension damping right there.

amazed he didn’t get more out of shape in the air.

I get more out of shape hopping off a curb.

Can’t see the problem druid is having to be honest – let the nose drop down and it’s solid as you like – had mine three years and it’s excellent.

Can’t think of too many situations when you need a horizontal top tube…bleeding brakes maybe, or, at a push, not having to bend down too far to adjust the front caliper? All the mechanichy stuff is at the back anyway save the headset and the front brake….

I guess the obvious option here is to go to CRC/wiggle/merlin then.

I’d say it’s not really worth getting annoyed about in the great scheme of things.

Stealth?

have you heard a 5 coming down a hill? 😉

That’s what crossed my mind.

Tricky one isn’t it – Western countries must be wary of setting a precedent as protestors in other countries may take this as a guarantee of western intervention in their own struggles, which won’t happen.

too late? probably not, wars are won from the air, and since this resolution allows pretty much anything short of invasion, the west will make sure that gadaffi goes one way or the other.

What worries me is that Libya talk of talking the fight abroad. Lets not forget what this means. it won’t be military action. Libya have a bit of form on making planes blow up.

Worrying times.

world is full of idiots. some ride bikes.

CFH – all good thanks – off out to north carolina next month to look at a new place. nice to be working back in brighton.

working in the ski business you hear this a lot.

fact is that all people who choose to slide down a mountain amongst crowds of complete strangers accepts a risk as to the ability of their fellow skiers and boarders.

I’ve been cut up by virtually every mode of getting down a mountain possible – skiers, boarders, piste bashers, ski bikes and snow mobiles. Some were accidents, some were people being inconsiderate. some were people being dicks.

I’ve cut people up myself (by accident, and I did stop to say sorry) in the past. I snowboard, so that probably helped reinforce the stereotype.

With regards to sitting underneath a crest, I’d say thats a cliche, and you might ski over 100 crests in a day, and the one time you see a snowboarder underneath one, the cliche is reinforced. One could ask the question – should anyone be skiing at full speed over blind crests?

thats my two pennies.

South African model, Kitzbuhel, 2003. There’s still a photo somewhere I can’t bring myself to get rid of.

not working harder at school – I was bright but lazy. I feel sorry for my parents seeing the potential there but watching me chuck it away.

not being a better friend.

That said, I’m happy now, and have ended up here due to all the other screw ups, and in balance life is pretty ace.

🙂

Got friends who ride the kinesis km810 – same geometry as the XCpro3 (I think) and they love it.

They do ride for kinesis though 😉

cheers chaps

already been on T4 forum – advice was to “rip it out”

got a couple of ooptions – annoying though, I don’t want a fricking alarm!

couldgetacarforthat – I think the OP is maybe a bit frustrated that his home town isn’t seen as a ‘real’ place anymore, existing on it’s own merit, and has turned into some sort disneyland experience for retirees.

I can see his point too, that if you live somewhere, antique shopping probably isn’t quite as high on your list of priorities as, say, getting a bottle of wine on a friday night.

shops and attractions in rural towns can’t just be about satisfying the people who spend one or two weeks a year there – they need to serve the community.

hmmm. interesting thread this.

I guess all places will evolve over time, and the things ain’t what they used to be brigade will always cherry pick the memories of what things were like.

Progress innit.

that said, if you end up with a ageing population, why would the young uns want to stay there if they a) can’t buy a house/afford t live there and b)have fun int eh town where they live.

The thing with ageing populations is that they don’t tend to be around for too long, so maybe this type of things turns into a cycle.

it’s like a mountain, I watch it co its there.

They have done some great TV over the past few years, and it’s worth watching in case they pull it out of the bag for an episode. If you’ve got nothing else on, of course.

Tonights was pretty poor though.

Amber = not bothered about gun toting not-very-good-actors even if they are rather aesthetic.

the comedy combine section had peaks and troughs. running out of ideas?

Seems like a fair deal to me – as JHW says, bike maintenence is bloody easy if you have a shed/garage/hospipe but it takes a ridiculous amount of time to do it if you reside in a top floor flat (with cream carpets), not to mention pissing off your other half when they find a cassette degreasing in a saucepan.

a tenner? why not? I might bumble down to evans tomorrow.

On the other hand, my cynical side says that once the bikes in the workshop, Evans will suggest a couple of new chainrings, a casette and a chain, or maybe a full service to boot. So pretty shrewd move by Evans.

I love this song.

Well, on principle, I’m going to find an old, incompatible hanger and take a file to it til it does fit.

Like I say, i’m generally happy to pay for most things on bikes, it’s just this one component, that is DESIGNED to be sacrificial and replacable is so expensive. would be good if there was a standard among hangers so there wern’t so many designs.

£20 for a bit of cast aluminium seems like a **** of a lot to me.

I don’t normally balk at stuff like this, but seriously, the cost of manufacture compared to retail is off the scale…..

sounds odd, i’m noot sure I’d want to hear it to be honest.

wish her the best, let her know you’re not bitter, but not up for dragging up old ghosts. Then ignore

yup, on my second in 15 years – just fantastic, great value watches. look good too in my opinion.

I was in a supermarket stacking shelves. brought in £3 an hour back then.

Wish I’d had Blands entrepeneurism!

Bike shop bitch?

Frankly, at your age you’ll not find many people willing to pay you much, so the real money is in pulling together your own little business, be that washing cars, walking dogs, collecting cans etc etc.

CFH you’re very well informed – wasn’t you was it? 😉

YEs I was chatting to one of the guys from cyclescheme over xmas who told me that and was surprised that they hadn’t gone for a replacement. Shame as the potential was there to build on the great growth while I was there.

To be honest, you’d do worse than to go to cyclescheme, it just precludes you from getting sale bikes. I’de venture its probably the lowest maintenance scheme for employers at the moment.

so would a 1996 T4 1.9 non turbo be ok Nick?

organically sourced, fair trade and the crop is read poetry as it grows.

new job is good thanks – local, nice guys and i’ve got so many more hours in the day due to the commute shrinking from 2 hours to less than 5 minutes.
Ironically, since I left the bike trade I’ve also started riding my bike more 🙂

interesting that you only pay tax if you use more than 2500 litres a year…. I’ll not get anywhere near that this year!
😀