I really like it. Honestly, the pink and orange look great together.

Enjoy!

Have you rebooted the machine since installing Chrome?

I don’t envy you your job Mark. Most of the other employees, yes! Damn I want their job! The balance between advertising vs honest reviews vs pissing off the wrong industry types vs retaining credibility with the readership vs remaining solvent is one I’d not relish keeping.

I agree with hilldodger:

Only a few of the investigative roadie press (in my most humble opinion) deserve to be called “journalists” the rest are product fluffers making a living out of their love of bikes, and best of luck to them, but don’t try and pretend it’s some sacred mission to get the world a-peddling..

Every time I read Fresh Goods Friday, I think, “which of you lucky buggers gets to take that home?” You’re not changing the world, you’re living the dream. Just remember that in STW Towers when you’re working at midnight with a printing schedule looming ;)

That doesn’t look ridiculous – besides the fugly rear traiangle, of course ;)

I’m 5′ 7″ and have a lot of post showing on my Inbred. STW’ers said I’d bought a too small frame when I posted pics. That was about 8 years ago and I’ve never doubted it fits me well. Better than the 16″.

Enjoy.

Which website is it then?

Honestly, I’m a little surprised that there is such a formal, financial contract in place for this. I’d have assumed it was more of a “you’ve given our last 4 products terrible reviews. Like f-k can you have a demo product to rate again…” or “We read you liked our xxx, Here is our new xxx for you to review.”

I wanted lusted after a Middleburn Duo (when most people had 3 rings – I know, I’m awesome!). Never had the cash though.

I’ve always been really happy with their aftermarket hardcote rings.

That crank really is beautiful! Buy it and a set of XT cranks too. Put the Middleburn on the mantle piece and congratulate yourself on having an eye for aesthetics*.

*not to say it won’t function well

The agression of everyone surprised me when I was cycle commuting in London (Kilburn to Marble Arch).

I once saw a bus cut up a cyclist (perhaps a punishment pass) before stopping at a bus stop 50m down the road. The cyclist very calmly (which made it all the more interesting), leant his bike against the front of the bus, pulled the windscreen wiper off as though it were made from paper, passed it to the driver through the open door and rode off.

I chatted briefly to the cyclist at the lights down the way. He said “when they check the cameras to see me doing that, they’ll see the f*wits driving too!”

faireenuff!

it’s interesting to read what people with obviously more technical knowledge have to say but, for the type of driving I do, I love my big lumbering oil burner. A 3.0l intercooled lump. It’ll sit at 70 (ish) all day long, often not even downshifting (5 speed auto) to overtake. You always feel you have torque to spare and there’s no noticeable difference in economy driving with 5 adults and luggage in the back.

The other car I drove regularly, a 1.6 petrol corrola, feels like you’re kill it, it down shifts at the sight of an incline or speed increase and generally feels like it’s always working hard.

RIP diesels.

Cotic Soul

Assuming I had the money from an XX set up, I’m not sure I would.

Over the summer I rode both a 1×10 Saint and an XX1 bike. Although i can see the extra gearing from SRAM made for a really nice spread ratio, the Saint shifting just felt better. Double shifts on the triggers were great and although saint isn’t cheap, I’d rather smash a Saint mech than something twice (?) The price. Both of the bikes were owned and maintained by an OCD pro mechanic, he wasn’t happy with the amount of fettling the XX needed to stay performing as a top level drive train should.

Besides that, XT or Saint is, to my mind, the right balance of performance per pound with a little baking factor over SLX. Add into the equation that if I’m not particularly flush and break something in my Shi mano set up, I can downgrade and keep my bike going.

Something i haven’t heard talked about, although it was when people went from 7 or 8 to 9 gears at the back was how thethe gears would perform in sticky mud. As the basic derailleur design hasn’t really changed since then, isn’t it still a problem? Especially with all these fijentooerances people are talking about.

I’ve been happy with my X0 3×9 but can’t with for Father Christmas to bring my Saint 1×10 bits.

Northwind – Member
Squashed or unsquashed bread?

Others do this too?

Other freaks you mean? ;)

I remember the QI where they said it’s to do with vol vs surface area. I’m no connoisseur, but I guess it’s similar to the sucking air through your teeth into wine for maximum flavour.

Room temperature food and drink also has the most flavour.

Apple’s are best when they’re sliced and about to have crumble or pastry put on top of them.

I’m going to 1×10 from a well worn 3×9 so looking forward to some post-Christmas crisp shifting.

Cheers all.

At least I don’t need to worry about the £100 excess on my health insurance any more. It cost £200 just to drain the blood off my knee!

I’m also dreading getting fit again. 8 weeks out of the saddle makes a big difference.

Going to see the Dr next week. I was going to have a (purely elective) vasectomy after Christmas. It seems like I may as well get all the pain and non-riding over and done with.

Hope you’re soon on the mend Iain.

Yes. Brilliant and it gets better. The most recent series is by far the bestbe

I’ve been converted to glasses after getting mud in my eye. Now, I think clear lenses are brilliant in rainy / muddy conditions. I don’t know how I managed without them.

Pics of your friend’s eye?

I had an expensive one which broke while moving house. The cheap replacement is equally as good.

Look for a ceramic one as opposed to a metal dish. They look better if you serve straight from the cooker.

Thanks all.

thegreatape – is that 12 months per arrival or in total from when I get my UK provisional? At the moment, it’s 12 months per arrival. Never an issue for me as we’re only back for 6 weeks or so per summer.

Konabunny – The info I’ve found says you must have a residence in the UK that you have stayed in for 185 days. It doesn’t say “for the last 185 days before applying for the licence” or similar. I have kept my house’s address for things like bank statements. Bills in my name to that address. I’m on the electoral roll, have kept up my NI payments etc.

I take driving laws very seriously (hence this thread). I got my provisional licence when I was 16 (1998) so I won’t be applying for my provisional so much as renewing it. I might take the don’t ask don’t tell approach to questions of residency!

Although I’ve got my various driving licences 100% legally, considering the rigor of the tests, I’ll be doing the driving public a favour by taking a British test where I’m actually taught something important. One of the questions on the Filipino multiple choice test was “if your parking brake is broken, when you park should the wheels be turned towards or away from the sidewalk?”. This wasn’t a trick question. The answer was “away if facing uphill and toward if facing downhill”.

I’ve been really surprised reading this thread.

There have been bikes I’ve loved more than others but each has had enough positive points to make it enjoyable in its own right.

I’ve learnt in 20 years of mtb’ing that there’s no allrounder (although modern tech is getting us closer). Get an XC bike that’ll batter the hell out of you on the way down or a full sus that’ll a pig going up but worth it when the trails head down.

Having said that, the bike I loved least was a Cannondale F3000SL. An ex-team bike. Carbon lefty, absolutely dripping in bling but it felt like it was trying to shorten my spine. Ridiculously stiff. The stiffness though translated into an absolute speed-machine on the ‘soft’ 90’s XC courses.

I have great memories from rides on that bike, as with every bike I’ve owned. There are better bikes and worse bikes in the world but, two wheels good

Accusing the OP of OCD?

From the website where a new bike will be fastidiously checked for logo / vale alignment before anyone comments on component choice ;)

It does seem to be taking it a bit too far, but a lot of the STW threads with C2W bikes are bikes that certainly won’t have half their milage as a commute.

I don’t have time to read the two pages of posts. Am I right in thinking “Broadway Hotel Blackpool is a dirty stinking hovel?”

edit: STW is being beaten by the Daily Mail. Oooh! Gotta hurt. C’mon SEO pros!

I’d be a little nervous doing ‘bigger’ stuff but the ride you described, I wouldn’t have a problem doing.

Cheers all.

XT cassette but, like Mike said, I didn’t think it made a difference.

Oh, I thought that was true for 9 speed but Shimano had the same ratio as SRAM now for 10 speed.

I saw one of their road bikes over the summer and it looked like a good bike.

Having quickly googled their mtb range though, although there are some good things like 1x gearing for simplicity, I’d avoid suspension forks. They’ll never work properly, add lbs and lbs to the weight and probably seize fairly quickly.

I’ll leave it for those with first hand experience to add to the thread though.

rucksack (Osprey) for me. It means everything’s kept in the same place and ready for a ride.

I also stay better hydrated with a bladder in a pack than a bottle. More likely to sip whilst I ride.

Makecoldplayhistory@gmail.com

Happy to help

My truck needs the bumber, front grill, battery (for offside) and air filter all removed before you can get to the bulb!

fractured elbow and partially torn ligaments in my arm.

Thanks a lot.

I have a black North Face one. Ended up gluing a big reflective strip on it though.

They made the ultimate sacrifice so we wouldn’t have to. Incredible generation(s) of men and women; and some barely more than children!

Fortunately all of my relatives came home. One wouldn’t (or couldn’t) talk about what he’d seen. He’d been in a Tanks Corps. Another was in the Artic Convoys and thankfully I was old enough to listen to, and be interested in, his stories before he died.

I’ve never been as silent for as long as when I walked around WWII cemetries in France. All of those unmarked graves. There are no words…

This song sums up all I know of the World Wars.

I thought it was gratuitous and too long.

Ben Affleck was pretty good though.

Another vote for team viewer.

I can help my mother in law in Ireland from a beach in Thailand. No endless cups of tea though!

I’ve gone from Mono Minis > M4 > Tech X2 > XT.

I got a new bike and the Tech X2 hoses weren’t long enough. Being too impatient to wait for new hoses, I bought some XTs and WOW!

The XT don’t have the modulation of the HOPEs. Something I’d never really understood before. There’s just an on/off feeling with the Shimano brakes. Nor do they look as good.

However, the power is amazing with the XT. The lever design is fantastic and, like others said, they just work.

In my mind, I couldn’t justify the not cheap swap. If you were asking what you should get for a new build though, I’d certainly recommend the XT.

Got a bit bored of it now (don’t tell my wife).

I’m kind of worried my wife will get bored with it.

The problem is though, she’s so hard to buy for that as soon as she mentions she likes something, I jump on it.

I can only see the top tube & bars when I ride. You seriously wouldn’t ride because the bike didn’t look good?

That’s not what I said is it? I do get pleasure out of thinking my bike looks good. Not ‘blingy-good’ but aesthetically pleasing.

The weather’s different here so need plenty of water even for an hours blast but back home I always used a back pack. Could fit a waterproof, 3 x tubes, tools, sandwiches, phone, pump and other bits and pieces. I find it easier to drink from a bladder than a bottle cage and it kept all my stuff together when I wasn’t riding. Could get my bag and go.

I was first converted to a bag and bladder when my lights (10+ years ago) had a battery designed to fit into the bottle cage on a bike.

Plus, even Sam Hill can’t persuade me that bottle don’t ruin the look of a bike.

I’d say an XBMC too.

or

ducktape it onto the handlebars of an exercise bike

Samsung N150 struggles to play anything above 720p

Add more RAM for very little money. Mine’s maxed (all the way up to 2Gb ;) ) and can play 1080p onto the TV happily.