I had a Exposure joystick maxx for 11 days before it completely died in the middle of a ride! I sent it back via Wiggle (who were very good I might add) it the took 12 weeks for Exposure to return the unit. 10 days later it died again!

So it worked 21 days out of a total of 105 or 20% of the time I 'owned' it. I got a refund and 'upgraded' to a Hope Vision 2 which has been faultless!

HI WCA

I've got a Carl Lewis 'spin' bike – SPN46, I was planing on putting on Ebay if you're interested. I'm near Winchester so not too far away.

It's a bit basic, it weighs 32Kg and has a 13Kg flywheel, but you're welcome to come and take a look and make me an offer.

Maybe bigger shops (chains) can absorb the costs? My ex-demo Stumpy was £1400 when the full retail was £2200 so they do lose their value.

Just bought a MacPro with extra hard disks and RAMM but got a business discount. Fantastic machine but not cheap :-)

Hi All

Cheers I'm slightly favouring the Pace as I'm trying to keep the overall weight reasonable.

Also slight sore arm for me, no other side effects.

GP 'insisted' as I have had 'serious' illness in the past!

I was a bit worried but it was fine.

I try and use 1 finger but mostly I use my face against the ground to slow down! 8)

either my Parkpre Team TI framed XC bike or my Cnanondale F900SX with the original Lefty fork

Hmmm been a Mac user and Mac developer since 1986 so I've seen some changes. Pc's are great in a coporate enviroment IF you have the right level of skills to suppport them.

Macs are easier to look after, harder to add to cporate networks and come with more useable software.

You pays your money and takes your choice.

BTW Typing this on a MacBookPro which is running Windows XP under Parellels which gives me the best of both worlds.

Photoshop, Lightroom and CaptureNX already installed then?

Do PCS?

Train harder on a S/S and then at the lights ask "Oh how many gears do you have then?"

I'd like to say it works for me but I'm old and fat and fall off a lot which means I overtake very little unless it's stationary!

About ten years ago did this to my GT STS when I didn't see a 4 foot deep 18 inch wide ditch because it was hidden in long grass!

radoggair the point is it makes you spin and is hard work up hills

I use 45:16 btw

Also was actuall at

U2 – Live at Red Rocks AKA "under a blood red sky"

Second vote for Nirvana : Unplugged in N.Y.

All time favourite would be Hanx – Stiff Little Fingers – the amount of energy they put into it was amazing!

I saw them live when I was much younger and the only band I've seen that were better were the Clash, makes me feel old.

Replaced the Tektro brakes with XT V barkes (I had a spare pair) and it improved the braking massivly. FWTW :D

Dumb question I know but if you're using sealed (XTR) cables with full outer these aren't needed?

Thanks all.

Only really asking abut chainsuck because there's loads of comments in the forumns.

I know that fames on't cause chainsuck but the clearance is critical to how much damage is done!

Just about to be made redundant and starting my own freelance web dev company so budget is tight, hence questions!

The tektrs where an odd shape and seemed to lose power especially in the wet XT makes a big difference

I have sks chromoplastics BUT have put XT V's on as I had a 'spare' set

whitewash!

Just all around skill in my case.

My riding buddy rides a fully rigid bike and he's much fitter than me but makes it all look easy and effortless. When I follow him through the trees he leaves me for dead because I just can't go as fast as he can through tight singletrack!

:cry:

Had a very minor off in mid-Wales recently and as I fell/rolled down a hill through the heather my cleats wouldn't release.

I was fine (small bruise from the rock that stopped me going all the way to the bottom) but on close examination the shock mount omon my Stumpy is now slightly twisted and the back end of the bikes feels ultra loose.

LBS says it's a write off as it's a 2005 frame!

Costly indeed!

Mudguards – SKS work really well
Lights – I use a Hope Vision 2 and a small flasher (can't rember the make) for the front and flashers (different flash patterns) on the rear.

Also paniers are agood idea to get the weight low, I use dry bags to keep everything in working order

MTT exactly my point :lol:

Seems to be a case of creating a niche market where none exists, then find people willing to blow a large amount of cash to have the latest trend.

All the 'off-road' and 'cross-over' cars are solutions to non-existant problems.

IMHO :-)

Hairychested

I've survived 2 cancers (testicular & skin) so it's not all gloomy.

The most important thing is to get checked if you suspect a possible genetic link or if you find any symptons.

I survived one cancer by luck (and oustanding care via the NHS) and the other by being parinoid and checking with my GP because a mole had changed colour.

If in doubt get checked.

Good luck.

sofatester:

No, as he would have signed a consent form which will have informed him of all possible side effects of treatments he was about to undertake.

Actually no as I was admitted as an emergency after losing 4 stone in 4 months and suddenly started pi**ing blood instead of urine. Straight in for surgery, no consent signed as I was semi-conscious from the combined weight and blood loss! After the event I asked about the whole chemo & fertility issue and was told I would already be infertile due to the progression of the cancer, apparently this happens in rare cases.

Having children is a privilege not a right

Easily said if you are able to father children naturally. The issue of over population is mainly down to families having 'lots' of children, but they have that right and therefore unless we adopt (no pun intended) the Chinese attitude to birth control we have to accept that our population is growing.
Possibly the hardest decision I've ever had to make was to not try for a second child via IVF, my wife would have liked a second child but the stress/costs/risk (we're 'older' parents) meant we didn't.

rogerthecat

Oh how I love a bash the NHS thread.

Me too:

15 years ago I was diagnosed with testicular cancer, given a 30% chance of surviving – had 7 operations and 3 courses of treatment (Chemo & radiotherapy) which left me sterile!

Did IVF 7 years ago total cost £11,000 (paid by my wife and I) by the time we'd tried twice and allowing for my needing very specialist treatment to father a child. We have a 6 year old and he's worth every penny spent!

My point is not to say I've had it hard but to ask the NHS bashers to tell me at what point should the NHS have stopped treating me?

Just for good measure I was diagnosed with a malignant skin cancer in March of this year which was dealt with swifty, professionally and with fantastic emotional support by the NHS, maybe they should just have said "bugger off you cost us a fortune last time!"

Sella Italia Flite

Continental Cross Country 1.5 or Schwalbe Black Shark Muds 1.5

Both very good but you need to expect to slid a lot!

Hmm loads of good stuff in the elan valley. I'm there on the 13th August for 3 days including 'Ride the Dragon' a 50 mile route taking in the Claerwen reservoir, Strata Florida Abbey, the Devils staircase and back to Rhayader. If the wheathers good it's a great ride if not I'll just be pleased to survive it!

Been running a Racing Ralph tubeless but have had a terminal cut within 3 rides!

Reverted to FireXCPro 2.1 on 'spare' wheelset as it's wet down south!

Hope Vision 2 gets my vote

I had an exposure light which lasted 11 days and then failed, took 6 weeks to come back repaired and then lasted 3 days!

Now using Hope Vision 2, six months, no issues even after big crash with the bike landing on the lamp!

I've been commuting for a few years, on a SS, and it will increase your fitness.

Remeber to start easy say 2 days a week with a rest day between the 2, work your way up to more days/and or more miles and expect the fitness improvement to take a while if you want a long term benefit.

I've gone from 8.5 miles each way 2 days a week to riding 6 days a week (including my weekend & weekly night offroad ride) and on a hard week I ride 200 miles and on an easy week about 130.

I do try and make sure I listen to my body though, if I've done a hard week and I feel fatiqued I take it easy for a couple of days or even take 2 – 3 days off riding.

If you want to get really fit either find a fit riding partner or join a club, trying to keep with a fitter rider dags your fitness up!

cable tension? New mech & new cable? If so maybe the cable has stretched?

"it starts with oh and ahh"

"then the running and screaming and killing starts"

Jeff Goldblum – Jurassic Park

Cheers JonnyHuge

In a blatant self-back-slapping fashion I forgot to mention the 6 weeks I had off the bike in March after an operation on my leg.

:D

I ride a Tricross SS and do the following:

Mon & Friday min 18 miles each way

Tues, wed, thurs 13 miles in, 18 miles back

Either Wed or Frid 20 miles MTB cross country ride (not SS!, Winchester end of South Downs) chasing my much fitter riding buddy!

Sat or Sun 25 – 30 mile MTB cross country ride (not SS!, Winchester end of South Downs) in 2.5 – 3 hours

If I’m tired I slow down or cut the route short. I also do 2 x hard weeks followed by 1 easy week to ensure I’m not totally knackered all the time.

I’m actually getting faster on all my rides, very slow change though as I’m 44! I’m aslo finding I’m eating less which is odd!

Tracklogs works fine under Parallels, go for the ali model it’ll take a few more knocks