Can o’worms……in short

Gels, chews, and to some extent chocolate offer quick release carbs – downside with chocolate is there is a good dose of saturated fat also (arind 30-40% in your average choccie bar).

Bars / oats / malt loaf / flapjack (home made) / sandwiches / rolls etc tend to provide energy over a sustained period and good for longer rides / all day type stuff.

Problem with sugar based energy is the spike it causes in your energy levels – look at the pro’s – they are not taking gels on until the end of the ride / race and are having sandwiches, bars, small brioce/buns etc during the race.

I don’t know if hydration means chocolate abosrbs better than a gel – doubt it as overall hydration does effect energy abosrbtion and levels – have you thought about using an energy drink instead?

TBH I hated it – rude, brash, busy. Thought Macey’s was like a big jumble sale. 9/11 sight was the subject of land dispute and just looked like a big building site.

Sights were good as you see them in so many films, and the piano on the floor in Big, with Tom Hanks is at FAO Schwartz.

I know it’s one of the flashpoints for the Gorrick races / Swinley area – talk to any of the Tunnel Hill Trolls – simply put if there is too much litter, and it isn’t cleared away or taken away, then the landowner is likely to withdraw support for riding – grim

Just put Deore ones on, I can guarantee you won’t notice the slightest difference – I’ve bought from Rose Bikes in Germany before now for chainrings, pretty damm cheap and also bought and whole triple chainset & BB (new) for £85 offf e-bay, nicked the rings and BB and relisted the cranks.

I can GPX some stuff to you – email in profile. Plenty of other good riding aroud the Swinley area to be had also. As per the above, not sure I’d travel from IOW to do it – south downs closer?

More money coming into household = more bikes & bits 😆

Look at the forecast the day you go?

Change cables to white ones, and tool shed / storage area waaaaaahhhy too tidy 😯

It’s a great bike tho’

Forget the MBR trail – shite

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Cut big fireroad loop out

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See what Ruscle said above

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Get a trail map from Centre

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Work it out for yourself

Some Bike parks in Germany are open HERE and possibly HERE AS WELL

You could also try Metabief and Lac Blanc in the Jura (east of the Alps) although I think that’s only weekends.

Finally, some XC trails in Austria (Zell am See) and Switzerland will be accessable from the mountain railway systems although the information I’ve tried to find is limited and you may need a guide.

Alps wise, it’s pretty much 1st week of July rather than mid-June for most

My own kn*b, goodness knows I’ve tried

Sung by Englebert – to prove he was (is?) hip with the kids, in preparation for his Eurovision entry

Ive bought plenty of stuff from here – good prices (for Fiamma) and pretty quick

Fiamma Linky Link[/url]

I’m guessing they’ve had lots of practice at giving a good service, must be major employer in Edinburgh

Looks tiny, as per the above posts

I’ve got a Pitch< with an RP23 on it – can’t make out what you are on about – any pics?

Eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it

You know it makes sense

Use camera on the phone, buy the track bike

Exactly

I’ve snapped both mine and never had surgery, only physio and rehab – one was sking and the other when a car hit me on the road bike.

Was off cylcling on both for a couple of weeks, then doing a range of physio exercises and riding – I remember plenty of stretching, icing and big gear riding (for strength). Had no ongoing issues, and been back to Doc for a checkup etc – he seemed pretty confident that no ongoing surgery required.

Uh, mine if it’s occassional…. 😯

Only in the wet and forecast is good 😯

I’ve ended up going OTB, flat on my back, bike above me and clipped in before now – usually as a result of a slow motion fall (the ones where you know it’s going to happen, but can’t stop anyway).

700c wheels on a MTB fork and frame, really?

Done

iain1775- have your read MBR in the last 2 years?

Read – is that same as flick through, cover to cover whilst taking a poo!

I’d suggest getting a coach, and spending time showing him/her your training diary, HR/Power output, diet and recovery regimes and gain their advice on a training programme – your questions is a very big one, with many variables and will require time and monitoring to get right for you

Got mine from Jenson, it was still cheaper even with tax/VAT 😈

I have a Lezyne one, and it’s a great pump. My experience of tubeless and track pumps is very hit and miss – sometimes they inflate and sometimes they don’t. Without looking up volumes of pumps (I just went for the one that loked shiney, and nice), it’s hard to make a specific recommendation

There is an extendable arm, if you run the camera with a normal clip it fouls the casing closure – there is an extending clip that came with mine that solves the problem.

Plenty of steep, mucky bridleways around Croydon, worth exploring. I’ve had many a good ride to the M25 and back, off road, from pretty much the centre of Croydon when I’ve been lucky enough to stay there for work.

Mega sweaty hot! I’m totally disapointed as I like everything about the helmet – fit, style, quality, price – the whole 9 yds.
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Except, it’s just sooooo hot and sweaty. I thought the cold spell might provide a backup plan of just using in the winter, no chance as it’s still hot, sweaty and no decent ventilation.
,
,
Did I mention it was hot?

Who’s the French cyclist lady, who’s won everything there is to win, and her husband’s just been done for drug stuff? – Could be her?

Only if Ellfisafety stays banned

On my Inbred I run a 1X9, with a XC chaindevice like this one, Linky Link fixed in by the BB – I’ve just left a spacer out on the DS

Sad muppet as I am, Ocado own brand / cheap ones are about 10p each

there’s also plenty of brown trout living quite healthily in it

That means something different where I come from…. 😯

Is there a UK distributor – might be worth dragging them in?

I’ve got 2.1 Ignitors (Tubeless)on an Inbred, and they are awesome tyres. Run them all your round, and grippy as sh*t to a blanket. They look like they come up narrow when you look at them, however as I’ve hadno problems with grip I’ve not really thought about it too much. The outer casing and tread very tough.
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I like them so much, I’ve just bought a pair of 1.9’s to replace them with…. 😯

Assos Speedo’s and SPD sandals…..oh the sheer joy