Sharing your pain.

I’ve not ridden since Christmas week, and had much time off last year, due to silly niggly injuries.

Been doing a bit of running to try to keep fit, and then developed shin splints and now have a very unstable knee.

I reckon I’m still 2 weeks away from a road ride. Got 10k and half marathons and a triathlon planned for spring/early summer (nicely spaced out to avoid injuries!) but they are all looking doubtful now too.

Still, nice weather for G&T this afternoon :-)

@ Oldgit – Looks like you’ve had your thread stolen too! ^^^

I have a pair of x7 shifters (which I prefer to x9 as they feel a bit tougher and have nice indicator windows) that I might be tempted to sell as other bikes have Shimano and I’m trying to “standardise”.

Fixes that problem :-)

I went to Joyriders on me tod a couple of years back. And had a great week. Joyriders are in Spain BTW, not Alps. Much better weather :-)

There was a bunch of folk there that week who were all mates, and they took me in as one of theirs, so I picked up some new mates too.

Contact the company of your choice and see if they have a suitable week with a few others there. You’ll be absolutely fine, have a great week, awesome riding, great weather and food if you go to Sierra Nevada.

Your lounge could do with a bit of a tidy up ;-)

Wot Clubber says. Pop the cables out of the stops, clean the grit out, smear of grease. Sorted.

If you have an ally frame the creaking can resonate through the tubes quite loudly.

I agree 3 Euromillion tickets for tonight

You can’t get 3 Euromillions for £3.31, they’re £1.50 each IIRC

So you could get 2 and haggle for a kit kat

If Brant were to knock something together :-) it would need to sell in sufficient numbers to make it worth his while, and then would cease to be niche enough for “the massive” and then “we’d” stop buying them!

If you are really looking to get a better deal on fat frames, fat bikes, fat gear, you could set up a group buy with one of the current market leaders and secure a nice trade-style discount.

I’d be interested, but only cos they look ridiculous. And I live pretty much as far away from the sea as it’s possible to get on UK mainland, so not much beach use (or snow for that matter).

17 miles each way. Twice per week. Lots of hills.

Not ridden bike of any kind yet this year due to neck injury, but reckon I’ll be back on it come end of March.

I’ve tried persevering with a hardtail for the last two years, after rupturing a disc in my lower back. I have a FS too, so can switch between them.

I’ve now sold the HT as it kept hurting my back, to the point where I couldn’t walk after a 2+ hour ride.

The problem is climbing, not descending. When riding up long bumpy tracks, where it’s too long to stand and climb, sitting on the HT with the constant small bumps pumelling me, really finishes me off. I don’t get this on the FS, as it softens the blows. Also riding on bumpy flat bits gives a similar beating.

I really liked my HT, but had to sell it as it just wasn’t getting used.

I do lots of core work with a swiss ball, and have a good physio, go to the gym etc. Good core strength workouts with specific emphasis on my back got me riding again after the initial incident.

As you have a specific condition, you should follow advice from your physio/doctor. Not sure if FS will help any with your specific problem.

Decathlon have a good cheap non-folding one. Mine was £35 and has seen over 3 years of abuse from me and my son and his cack-handed mates.

Neighbours went last week. No trouble at all. It was very quiet everywhere – as in the place was 30% full, some hotels ere closed.

I’ve got really stuck ones out by welding a hex head bolt head to the torx bolt head, then using a spanner on the hex.

Local engineering firm can do this if you can’t weld.

What Pawsy_Bear says.

You don’t say if you have tubeless rims. If so, it’s easy peasy. If not, it’s easy peasy with a few wraps of electrical tape to seal the spoke holes off (remove rimtape first).

Been doing tubeless in all flavours for over 3 years and won’t go back.

Use sealant as it will repair thorn type punctures without you even noticing. And I use a Weldtite tubeless repair kit, only needed it twice in all that time and no need to take the wheel off to sort it.

And I always carry two tubes and never needed them, but my non-tubeless buddies have been grateful a number of times ;-)

The only tools you’ll need are a couple of small spanners, 8mm IIRC, stanley knife, and some sharp cutters. If your are careful, you won’t even need to bleed afterwards.

Set the lever assembly on the bars so that it is level, undo the fitting on the hose, leaving the other part of the fitting screwed in to the lever assy. Careful not to lose the little copper sealing washer.

Push the fitting down the hose to reveal the olive. Remove the olive and the insert from the end of the cable.

Cut the hose to length. Strip off about 12mm of the pvc hose covering, ensure the fitting is on the hose, slide on the olive, fit the insert, fit the copper washer, fasten it all up. Pump the lever and you are good to go.

Sounds easy, it is, but removing and re-fitting the olive is a really fiddly job. You’ll realise why I said SHARP cutters. I think the olive is split, you’ll probably need to prise it apart a bit to get it off, then crimp it back together to get the fitting to slide back over it on re-assembly. It is a really snug fit.

Good luck.

42″ Bravia Plasma here in a good size lounge. Pretty much spot on.

When I bought it 18 months ago I also looked at LCDs at £1k, but when watching sports it was quite “smeary” (is that a word) on 42″ sets. Something to watch out for. Plasma beat them hands down, but newer ones may be much better.

As CountZero says above, with a flat TV it will go much further into the corner of a room or closer to the wall than a CRT telly, so will be further away than your current box.

A couple of mates have just bought 42″ LG LED TVs and the picture quality is superb.

I like to wind Mrs Mary Hinge up by asking her to “learn me how to do that”. Drives her nuts :lol:

I used to have a Ransom, wish I still had it TBH.

I changed the bearings all round etc, and getting the stay off wasn’t that difficult if you are reasonably handy.

Kudu Bikes were always pretty helpful with Scott parts.

Can’t remember that far back!

Spent 3 years commuting from Derbyshire to London 5-6 days per week. First class on the train wasn’t too bad, and you get to be a “regular” and the train staff look after you well. You kind of get into a groove with it. Drive to Derby station, 1 1/2 to 2 hrs on the train, then a walk or tube to the office.

Was quite good for killing the work email in-box on the journey down, and having a read of bike mags/newspapers etc on the way back.

About 3.5hrs door to door, so 7 hrs a day. Hate staying in business hotels, especially in London.

Work at home most of the time now, so the difference is amazing.

Slip a babelfish in your ear?

I’ve had a trapped nerve in my neck since early Jan. Getting better now, but for about 3 weeks I could barely move, and couldn’t sit comfortably or sleep at all. Serious pain in my arm, numb fingers, burning shoulder through to pectoral muscle etc.

Been having physio, and it’s getting there, but still a few weeks away from riding again. It’s knackered my half marathon and triathlon training for sure.

But if you are getting it in hands and feet you need to get to a doctor. Nerves emanating from the neck do the upper limbs, lower back lower limbs. So to get it in both sounds a bit odd.

Grade 1. Loving my slappy head, and get girls to put their cold hands on it. mmmmmmmmm :-)

Get clippers and save a fortune on haircuts. And shampoo. And no messing about drying it after a shower.

My dad’s 76 and has more hair than me. Mine went in my twenties.

Embrace it, not much else you can do without looking a tit.

No surgery, but when I broke my scaphoid I had 13 weeks in plaster. Many years ago before any cycling, was into motorbikes then. I’d say it was about 2 years before I got decent mobility, strength and confidence back.

Even now, over 15 years later, still get the odd reminder pain.

Sorry if that’s not what you want to hear. You might be better having surgery, as it should be stronger quicker, and if you are not in a full cast too long, getting movement and physio early will be a big benefit.

Any body got any recommendations for tyres for countersteering?

Samuri – you sayin’ my bird’s got a fat arse? :wink: The rest of your statement is true :lol:

I’m taking Mrs Mary Hinge to the Old English Hotel in Bowness on Windermere for a couple of nights next week.

Looks pretty smart, got gym, pool, spa, posh nosh, lake views, 100yds from boats, ferry, steamboats etc.

You can get a ferry across the lake, nice walk down to Lakeside, then a steamboat back to Bowness to make a nice day out.

Lots of shops in Bowness, and a couple of good restaurants (Jacksons Bistro, Positano). Not far to drive or get a boat to Ambleside for more shops, inc a sneaky look in BikeTreks ;-)

Will report back on the hotel next week.

Yup, put a set of 150mm 15QRs on my 456.

Really nice straight from the box, didn’t even adjust the damping.

Only 1 ride so far, but I like ’em.

Would love to, but still nursing a trapped nerve in my neck. physio on Monday.

Will give you a shout when I get sorted. Silly little injuries seem to be a bit of a theme last couple of years.

There’s a thread on here about middle age somewhere! But I can’t remember where ;-)

Ahem…my wife asked for one for her 40th birthday….err….does that mean she’s not a girl?

Mind you, she’s not that fussed on shoes and handbags either.

Guess who wears the trousers round here!

6’4″ 34″ inside leg. Ride a 62cm Kona Jake. If anything I think it is a gnats too big, so have a shorter stem and the seat quite a bit forward.

Only used for commuting (back lanes, towpath, bridleways, farm tracks and country park) with rack, panniers, mudguards etc., and the odd occasion that I ride on the road.

If I was to do a CX race, I think I’d like the next size down. Could be tempted to sell the frame if you want a big one! I could then get a 60cm.

Will be fitting slicks and stripping it down for a triathlon in the summer :-)

Not noticed any difference with mine, compared to Spesh and Shimano summer shoes and Time Atacs.

Maybe just keep using ’em and it’ll ease off? Or try the shim.

(I don’t mean all at the same time, although that would obviously be much more efficient)

And if things go particularly well…… :wink:

When if the Lyriks don’t turn up….

I bought some coil 150mm Sektors recently from CRC, 10% promotion, plus a voucher, plus Topcashback made them very attractively priced :-)

Only had one ride on the 456 so far, but very nice, supple, smooth, plenty stiff enough for me.

And I haven’t even looked at the settings on them, fitted and ridden.

Very happy, especially given their cost.

Yup, a few wraps of insulation tape. Been working a year or more on a DT 5.1 rim with a Mavic valve and a little rubber thing to reduce the size of the valve hole from Schrader to Presta.

Success may depend on tyre choice a little, but it’s cheap enough to try out.

Googling HiFi Pro :-)

Cubed – Had all the physio etc which works a treat, and have some good exercises that I do, so I don’t think I need an op at this point. It’s only when I ride a HT off road.

Commuting on the CX bike is fine.

The Camber does look a good option. I’ve got decent kit on the 456, so I could buy the cheapest version, swap the kit over and flog off the new stuff, and the On-One frame.

SBZ – I’m no ace that’s for sure, but a HT exacerbates an existing problem, rather than causes it. I can ride a FS no probs. I think the long climbs with small bumps is the problem. I’m a “sit and spin” kind of rider.

DB100 – I’m a Gravity Dropper user, so a suss post is out too – I did think about a thudbuster at first.

Like the sound of a Hemlock. Max height on Cotic site recommends 6’3″, I guess I’m close enough to that to not worry about it. Might need to find a demo somewhere in a couple of weeks.

And don’t forget Hopes are fully serviceable, whereas Shimano and Magura don’t do seal kits etc.

Loving my Tech M4s.

http://www.oddbins.com/products/malts

Whisky Shop[/url]

Not used them myself.

Also don’t forget Masson Mills has a good selection, just outside of Matlock Bath.