😉

>Either way rectus abdominis is not a core muscle
Well, it is, and provides some stability when you 'zip-up', but it's only part of the picture.

>What I find good about pilates, apart from the increase in strength and balance, is you learn how to use your core, rather than your back, to stabilise yourself. That's why this comment makes me shudder:

Well put 🙂

>>tho' a lot of Pilates is specifically aimed at core >>strength/stability and dealing with muscles imbalance

>True but it does seem highly dependent on the instructor.

IMO that *ought* to be the one consistent thing beteen instructors, since it's (ahem) core to the method.
But certainly a several years ago (I was vaguely thinking about doing an instructors course myself) it was possibly easier/quicker to do some sort of matwork qualification and call yourself a Pilates instructor – or at least the bigger 'schools' – or possibly more accurately, 'brands' – currently seem to have more rigorous training requirements

Dance vs remedial ? – well, I guess there's quite a bit of crossover, and it was initially devised as a remedial method – but I suspect it could be easy to continue going to a class that tends to stick at something around beginners level and not progress.

I've probably been spoilt by the our instructor – she came to it as an injured fitness instructor, swaps things around quite a bit, and is a bit of a taskmaster 😉

BTW – re the bulging stomach that a lot of blokes have, about 20 years ago I noticed a few mate with a similar physique that had the beginnings of one, since then I've always (now unconciously) maintained a little tension in the abs, belly-button-to-spine stylee but not trying too hard. I can't say what the effect would have been if I hadn't, but I don't have the belly bulge…

>lifting my hips slightly so that my lower back was flat

Curious – I'd expect you'd do that for the second bit (which is a bit like a reverse curl), normally crunches are done with a neutral spine so that you get some tension in the middle section to hold everying still, whist you're working the upper abs (they're not bs, but only a part of a bunch of stuff worth doing).

>It's tough to do, but doesn't leave me with a hard-exercised feeling particularly.
Could try engaging the upper abs a little harder, or do more reps.

Leg raises – a bit extreme without having a decent amount of core strength already, I'd have thought.

>Maybe going back to the climbing wall would be best eh?
Downside is that it's not very targetted.

>If you want to improve your ability at lifting stuff then I'd suggest working the muscles that make up your posterior chain; hamstrings, glutes and back.

Kinda….but that comes back to his original point – he's been doing a lot of back work but thinks his core is weak – which it probably is without doing anything specific for it – you need balance between muscle groups, no sense in concentrating on one lot and ignoring everything, the whole lot needs to have some balance to it.

As mentioned, I'd get yerself along to Pilates short course in the gym (almost certainly they'll do 'em). Or a mebbe core stability class if they offer one.
Gym instructors are a bit variable tho' – there's one personal trainer in the gym I use that I overheard saying something like 'I did a Pilates course once but couldn't feel anything'. Fail…you engage your brain as well as your muscles, if you're not feeling anything either you probably don't understand what you're doing or you need the next 'level' up..but usually it's the former.

Re swiss ball recommendations – this is gym-level standard
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001BZEEXM/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_3?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001BZC14G&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1R9B717YW2DMWWWT9QT7

(Ledragomma swiss/stability ball
http://en.ledragomma.com/web/swiss-ball/
– ignore the birthing ball nonsense)

– you ought to get one appropriate to your height, I'm about 5'10 and have the 65cm version.

If you do use one with dumbells, etc, remember to zip up/engage your core to stabilise everything, which is half the point of using one.

What r979 wrote – tho' a lot of Pilates is specifically aimed at core strength/stability and dealing with muscles imbalance (I suspect that happens more as a by-product of yoga, but I've never done enough to find out, so don't take my word for it…). A lot of the exercises don't actually use a large range of motion, so are safe to do if the muscles are a little weak already.

Traditional situps are potentially bad for your lower back and can put a lot of strain on it unless your core's already strong – not to mention they tend to use the hip flexors – I imagine all gym instructors nowadays would recommend you *don't* do them.
Plank/prone is good as a whole – make sure you 'zip up' your core muscles, particularly pulling your belly button back towards your spine*, that helps engage the deeper core muscles which support the spine (google for transvers abdominus ). In fact you can even just do that while waiting for the bus 😉

Crunches work the upper abs – ie at/near the top of the rib cage.
You also need to work your lower abs (reverse crunch) and pelvic floor.
(TBH if you're doing that lot there's other back stuff that ought to be thrown in…)

Ah, just (re)read this bit:
>And yes I've been taught to do them properly at gyms etc before
I'm curious, what exactly did they teach you ?

It *ought* to be lime mortar on victorian/edwardian buildings or earlier (or if it's stonebuilt) – the mortar's weaker than the bricks, allowing for some movement in the structure without the bricks cracking, and it also breathes better than portland cement mortar (same applies with render). If you do get someone else to do it, make sure they're using the correct mortar for the job, if they don't understand the difference you probably ought to get someone that does.

Make sure enough of the joint's raked out – on our current and previous places whoever'd 'repointed' in a few spots seemed to just lob on a small fillet in the last 5mm or so…

>Protection around your stanchions is a good idea having learnt that mistake the hard way

Indeed – I was building up a frameset some years ago, the disk caliper (held on by one bolt) dropped off the bolt, swung down and chipped the stanchion 🙁

>If in doubt, bung it in!

Ho, ho, ho. Recipe for disaster there 😉 – actually, spinnings an area you can go wrong too – I normally spin my socks (woolly or otherwise) on fastest, but managed to felt a pair of the OH's (merino?) socks by doing so. Ditto underwired bras – take 'em out before spinning, the wire in them tries to make an escape if you don't….

With Download festival in the offing and cranky elbows/shoulders I succmbed to a thermarest neo air recently. It's is a bit lighter/packs up a fair bit smaller than the rest of their range, tho' full length – looks a little bit like an old-style airbed, but it's dead comfy, being quite a bit thicker inflated. About another 20quid more than a prolite, material's not so heavyweight but whether there's much effect on durability I dunno (yet). I imagine the standard seat/backrest thing they do for their other mats wouldn't work either.

Did you write that on arriving back from the pub, by any chance ?

😉

To follow on from TJ's post, the IAM have published this:
How to be a Better Cyclist: Advanced Cycling – the Essential Guide

– one of the authors (Franklin) wrote Cyclecraft.

>properly evaluate their manoeuvre

I probably get the bollard-swerve bit once or twice a week if I haven't firmly planted myself in the middle/outer of the lane. More usually they've moved out and then brake suddenly when they realise a) I'm a bit longer then a normally bike (I ride a recumbent) and b) I'm going a little faster than they expect.

There's one left hander near work and, regardless, I still get tw*ts overtaking me – the last prat to do so had a phone in his ear, for good measure. Two lanes, one carries around the corner, one a filter lane right, donkey overtakes in rh lane, pulls over *right* in front of me as I'm entering the corner *and* typically bloody brakes – so my cranks are about a ft off the bumper. I really ought to think about removing the chainguard…. 🙁

>Trouble is things often happen so quickly that sometime you don't have enough time to move out esp if the road narrows ahead etc?

I've been caught out a few times approaching the rear of parked traffic – although moving out with a fair bit of space there's always some prat that think that's a good time to overtake, not to mention you actually need to moved quite a way out to avoid the door zone.

As much as I try to grab my road space there's always some prat – last week a Europarts van performed one mother of a swerve to get between me (in the middle of the carriageway – mebbe even further out) and the bollards of the appraching pedestrian reservation. Which reminds me, I didn't get his number (too busy giving a cyclist's salute) but I've got an arsey letter drafted for the Europarts PR department…

>Can any old shaving gel/foam be used or does it have to be the old fashioned stuff?

Can't see why not – foam, gel, oil, whatever-they'll-flog-you-to-go-with-your-brush, washing soap – all you need it to do is a) soften the beard bristles b) lubricate yer face

I'd been inclined to do Pilates rather than yoga (than again, I've been doing it for about 9 years or so) – more focus on core strength whilst maintaining flexibility and muscle balance. In fact, the only time I've ever overstrained anything was actually in a yoga taster class…
Pilates started of as a rehabilitation technique, and still is, so you'll probably find a lot of people in the class have got there through an injury of some sort.

It'd be worth doing at least one or two courses of matwork sessions with an instructor first – they may well be able to advise in your case (tho' I'd probably try the physio first), plus getting breathing/posture/body awareness from the start is important, they'll spot if you're doing something wrong that you might miss yourself (eg engaging your back when you shouldn't etc)

…and as a historical point, pre safety razors most people only had one straight razor – if at all. My grandfather – who died in the 60's and worked on the narrowboats all his life – always went to the barber for a shave – and shaving every day was a rarity. If you were a 'gentleman' you'd probably have several straight razors (one per day of the week? – not sure) – so you'd shave every day (or have someone shave you), with the freshly-stropped blades resting in between days.

(I daresay there's a more accurate source of info somewhere in the web tho')

TBH, not a fat lot, but it's easier to cut yourself- especially with an adjustable. I guess for anyone that's never used one it could be a little daunting – I rarely cut myself now but used to frequently get the odd nick as a teenager, and it's not as if my face has hardened up much – it gets a shave about once week or two.

One of these days I plan to get a straight razor, but you've got to know how to strop the things otherwise you're likely to mess up the edge.

What's a 'feather' vs a normal (wilkinson sword or otherwise) safety razor blade ? Last longer or something ?

I really wouldn't recommend shaving against it (across is ok), you may get the skin closing above (or at least I do) >>>> spots and ingrowing hairs (ymmv)

Re multiblade razors – apart from the amount of non-recyclable rubbish they generate, they're ok if you've got a short amount of beard, anything longer and they clog. Also rubbish if you want to trim around beard/sideboards.

I'm currently using a 60's Gillette adjustable – (my thread on my fathers 40's or 50's thing's given up the ghost) – I wind up just adjusting it by eye, you can tell whether you're likely to overdo it within the first part-stroke, if it feels sharp it's probably gonna go peared-shaped 😉
BTW – if you've got much existing beard, you may find need a slightly more agressive setting (at least, judging by the thing I use)

BTW2 – re the 'fully recyclable' – I think they were one of the earliest examples of the modern throwaway society.

Brush ? – don't need to even with my fussy face, just washing soap (more often than not with cold water) – tho' a hot flannel feels better. Splashing cold water on afterwards helps close the pores and pushes any gunk out.

As mentioned, don't push too hard, and if necessary pull the skin from above the way the beard grows (iyswim) to help lift the bristles.

>B'rum is short (a truncated form) for the city of Birmingham.

So wrong.

Wot nobtridler/ourkidsam said. Brum, Brummagem, B'ham. The apostrophes replace the missing letters (so if anything it'd be Brum', but that's bobbins, no-one ever uses that to my knowledge)

Oh, I'm a Brummie, btw :p

'fraid I can't help on the restaurant end of things tho', last time I lived there for anything other than occasional visits was circa '88 (and that was as a postgrad at B'ham Uni, for that matter) – every time I go back it's changed a fair bit.

Ah – Brindley Place is the bit near Gas Street Basin on Broad St, then ? – the OH and myself wound up there one Christmas eve (when our folks were still there). You'd probably find something reasonable – mebbe find a few names and search for web reviews ?

Edit:
a quick search
http://www.google.co.uk/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&q=restaurants+bristol+rd+birmingham&meta=&btnG=Google+Search
(there used to be a place on the w side of the Uni I'd been to, probably not there now)

– there's a Zizzi's in Harbourne (not that far away), a cafe/bistro just up the road:
http://www.restaurant-guide.com/bohemia-1.htm
– there's other places on the same site might be worth a look – White Swan mebbe – more of a gastropub.

Re the article the main points are listed here at the bottom, in case anyone's tempted to trot out the usual 'lefty-yoghurt-knitting-Guardian-reader' rubbish:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and_canada/10337146.stm

>I do not agree with people who say that just because he's the boss of the company he is automatically the punchbag. It could have been some other middle manager cutting corners without Haywards knowledge for instance.

To a degree I agree – but that's why the further up the tree they are, the higher the pay, the greater the responsibility, and ensuring the processes are there(or the correct people installed to ensure the processes are there) so that everything further down the tree happens correctly.

>Something went wrong, maybe it was as a result of their management practices, maybe not
There was an interesting article in the Grauniad either tuesday or last thursday detailing a handful of points where BP (managers) had appeared to override or ignore industry/expert recommendations, presumably as a time/cost-saving exercise. Plus their spill contingency plan appeared to be written by the YTS lad – referenced an expert at a university that he'd left a decade or two previously, not to mention he'd been dead for 4 years. Oh, and the assertion that at 48 miles out there was no likelihood of any oil reaching land, which sounds rather like wishful thinking.

Nowt wrong with heddoctors, just the way they're used – there's something amiss if the preloading's not happening as andrewh described. Once the bearings are preloaded correctly and *and* the stem bolts are tightened securely you can lob the HD back in yer toolbox, should you wish to. (And don't overtighten the main topcap bolt, it'll probably just shear).

Is the bung section inside the steerer a) tight enough b) far enough down so it's not hitting the underside of the topcap (iyswim) – no room and there's no way to take up bearing slack.

You're about right – IBS is a bit of a catch-all term.

I rarely get cramps, but last time I had a solid dump was over Christmas…so I'll be taking a cork with me to the Download festival this weekend.

Have any of you folks run into problems with bone density loss ?

I'm about due to go back to the doctor (or should that be quack..).
I went for a once-over recently as a part of a longterm national survey/research project (Biobank, if anyone's heard of it), found out my bone density is marginal :((( – I'm 47, no indicator otherwise, up to 5 years ago was regularly cycling, doing weights.

My suspicion is it's IBS/absorption related – my IBS kicked off about 5 years ago around the time we moved house. Went to see the doctor several months later relating dizziness/fatigue/dodgy guts – who reckoned stress – but who didn't seem much interested. Saw a different GP at the same surgery re bowel behavior a year or two later – a bit dismissive too. I'm mainly lost the diziness bit (possibly a sleep issue), I've now managed to get a little more energy to do weights in the gym now- but only after kicking myself up the arse up with a 11-mile cycle commute.

Fortunately (depending on how you look at it) – anyone with reduced bone density *ought* to be now checked out for celiac disease:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Coeliac-disease/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx
– which I've only just discovered…armed with that I'm gonna start hassled the p*xy doctor again (or more likely, register elsewhere).

Myself and a mate going – we'll be in family camping tho'. Tbh I think it'd be difficult to bag extra space without having a couple of tents to spread round and soak up the slack – any smidgen left and there'll be a tent there before yer know it.

Humph – I was kinda hoping to see Ratt, having merrily ignored 'em for years

Must admit, the only time I've been in recent years, some of the smaller stages were probably the more interesting bits..well, certainly when Iron Midden were on 😉

Weather's looking ok-ish – showers til friday (tho' it will get boggy), but sat/sun look like they should be dry.

>For god's sake don't rub it down as per some of the advice on here, that's a warranty issue and you don't want to threaten that by taking sandpaper to your frame.

Take a scalpel to the edge of the paint and lift it off carefully – looks like there's enough gap to get some purchase.

>Highclimber, what you're describing is an 'internal' headset. It's all desperately confusing as there are now so many permutations between the three basic styles.

And you've been caught out 😉 – internal's also semi-integrated (ie cups)

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=68
(and I'm pretty sure that's consistent with the CK interpretation of the term, too)

>Probably Michael Schenker

And I'll be seeing him tonight 🙂

(Also one of my favourite guitarists, together with Lifeson…a pity Push has gone a bit solo-lite nowadays…always liked Nugent too, but he really is a king-size plonker…)

richmars – that must have been it 🙂

Was there another version of the Matchbox spring thing that had 'm-way' in the name (ie motorway) ? – ISTR a mate had one.

FWIW I've still got a couple of sets of Corgi Rockets stuff in the loft 🙂 – probably ought to get it back out one day and give it a whirl..
A few years ago we had a summer street party, I was in charge of sorting a scalextric track – so I now have a few big boxes of the stuff in one of the bedrooms !

To put it in perspective, his claims go back to something like 2002 or 2003 I believe. The regulations changed in 2006, but the shit only hit the fan re claims generally in the last 6 months or so – if he was still claiming (I'm not clear if he was or not) then he was being a bit stupid for not taking the opportunity to stop earlier.

I find it curious that the Torygraph was 'til *now* to release this, they must have known for a long time – I can't help thinking that they're trying to stir up trouble since the coalition isn't as right-wing as many tories would like.

>That is a really good review, thanks for the link

Glad to be of service 🙂 – mebbe you have already, but it might be worth looking through some of the roadie forums, I suspect they're rather more common there, given the power measurement angle
eg:
http://www.kingstonwheelers.co.uk/kwccforum/viewtopic.php?t=3987&highlight=500

The Garmin forums are probably worth a look, don't need to register either:
https://forums.garmin.com/forumdisplay.php?f=219

fwiw, you ought to be able to use any ant+ speed/cadence/hr sensors (eg Bontrager etc – a lot of them look like they're the same thing, rebadged – a speed or cadence sensor is about £20 each)
http://www.thisisant.com/

compatibility chart:
http://www.thisisant.com/modules/mod_product-directory.php

From what I read on a road forum in the last few days, if you've got the speed sensor fitted then it may well default to that, if it loses lock – not sure whether that's applicable to the 705, 500, or both..I may have the link squirreled away…

(I'd been looking at a Bontrager Node 1 or 2 for a cyclocomputer – on a recumbent, so wireless range/tidy wiring's an issue, hence ant+ gear – so now I'm wondering how useful the GPS mapping of a 705 might be. Tho' I've seen one thread rumour that a revised version might arrive at the end of the year. Hmmm…)

There's a decent review of the 500 here – additional q+a at the bottom:
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2009/11/garmin-edge-500-in-depth-review.html

Supposedly the Oregon 400t and 300 support speed/cadence sensors, but curiously Garmin don't list them in their cycling products – I've yet to check what the differences are between them and the 500/705.

>you're guilty until you prove their systems wrong

Judging by a mate/colleague's experience, that may be difficult to do. He was convinced he wasn't speeding (had for some reason just checked his speedo). Got the photos, judging from the measurement points (ie on different parts of the car) that appeared to confirm an error about equal to the speed he'd been clocked at. IIRC, there appeared to be several hurdles after that:
a) although there are guidelines, not using the equipment according to the guidelines isn't admissable in court (one of the them is using the equipment on a slope, which was as similar issue in his case I think – you need the laser to hit consistent points on the car otherwise the measurement's wrong).
b) despite it being simple schoolboy physics, you need an expert witness to submit that sort of stuff in evidence (since the courts only capable of legal argument)
c) the expert witness he got hold of (was assigned? – I don't know) wouldn't provide a report/statement because without the manual for the detector (which he couldn't obtain from the police or otherwise) he wouldn't commit to anything. Which to me, as an engineer, sounds like a complete crock – but I suppose courts are only capable of dealing with a yes/no, not a qualified answer with an error estimate or probability…

At least a few times he turned up to court to find out the CPS were applying to delay it further 'cos they weren't ready. I think it eventually cost him 2 or 3k over and above the cost of the fine.

That's not to say you shouldn't contest it, but if you pursue it very far, you might wind up chucking a lot of money away 🙁

>Society should reward hard work and give people the will to work hard for themsleves and not rely on the state.

It's not the reserve of the long-term unemployed, I'm sure most people could think of at least one some well-educated, well-paid employed freeloader that doesn't pull their weight. But it's not that simple.

We had a cook here at work for a while – she was pretty damn good too – already had a child that was in daycare, funded by her ex-partner. She'd just got through her probationary period when he decided to chuck his job (iirc) 'cos he'd be better off unemployed and not paying childcare. Her only option was to take the child out of daycare because she couldn't afford it. So despite *her* efforts, she was screwed because of factors out of her control.

>Can you give me a good reason why I should be paying for YOUR children? If you can't afford them, DON'T HAVE THEM.

The second point would be fair enough in theory, but life's not as black and white as some would like to believe – eg you could cap child allowance at one child but it's the additional kids involved in low-income families that are likely to suffer, it's not going to be a magic form of contraception.

There's loads of examples of what's effectively cross-subsidy – or even how you view it (eg is your tax supporting kids education, or the education you received as a youngster ?). Likewise public transport – people whinging about transport they don't use but the flipside of the is the more people use it, the more freely the other traffic on the roads can move – it benefits everyone. Or the lottery that's one's own health – you may be fine now, in 30 years time you may have to rely heavily on the healthcare system.
The incoming government made a lot of noise about how labour approved a lot of spending in the last year as if it was all a bad thing, yet one of those is a public transport development that the local tory MP wants support for.

I don't have kids, not intending/likely to since I/the OH are 47 and 48. However, what I *do* want to see is a bunch of educated, well-rounded, useful members or society (tho' some on STW seem to fail at least one of those 😉 ) – and taxes are a part of that.

betd :
http://www.mountainbikecomponents.co.uk/
or
http://wheelsmfg.com/content/section/4/27/

>Greenbee must be AXA underwritten

They were last time I looked, sometime last year

>The extra water resistant layer stops you getting a soaking arse

Ah, that's what crudcatchers are for.

😉

Have you tried:
http://forums.amd.com/devforum/index.cfm
http://www.rage3d.com/board/

?

>Try the Meridian one, no added shite like sunpat and the like, actually tastes like peanuts, it's mega. comes in a big bucket from most health food shops.

+1

Indeed, a nice big (relatively cheaper) 1kg bucket 🙂 – it's loads better than the other stuff, plus palm oil production is very unenvironmentally friendly, should you care (deforestation/loss of habitat..). There's really no need for all the added crap…just mtfu and mix it every time you open the lid 😉
Usually all Holland & Barrett have is crunchy – it does come in smooth too, but I've yet to find any. Lobbing the crunchy stuff through a pestle and mortar is hard work, but do-able, if you're so inclined.

Fattening ? Dunno, I seem to eat quite a bit of it with no ill-effects to the waistline, tho' I guess it adds a fair bit of protein to my meat-light protein intake.