Here’s the thing….I used to have a Boardman Team Carbon, got one in 2009 as my first road bike. I really liked it, did the Marmotte on it….then sold it and for the life of me I cant remember why. I should probably just go and buy another one but I know I wont.

For that budget look at Canyon. You’ll get a very nice bike for £1.5k.

I dont think they do bike2work though right?

Yes that Giant isnt a bad set up at all. Not sure I can face paying an extra £130 admin fee though….I’ve done Bike2work before and never had someone try and charge that.

Yeh they never seem to have 58 or 60″ when I check the website……

It’s nothing like the same as buying a stolen bike though, however many times people say it.

Actually there’s a little thing called The Law which says it is.

Do you wear a fake Rolex and drive an old BMW with fake M3 badge? Classy that is.

And what does it say about you that you wear fake Oakleys? You care more about what people think you can afford to buy than you do about the actual quality? Peasantry of the highest order.

Buying fake kit is theft. No different to buying a stolen bike off some scroat.

Yep…you need a GPS on this one

I’m one of the puncture victims, we were going great guns (42km in the first 2hrs) then I sliced open a tyre on one of those really steep little climbs…you know the ones I’m talking about.

Lesons learned

1. Dont bother trying a trailside repair of a tubeless tyre, just bang a tube in and get going.

2. Dont forget to check a tubeless tyre for thorns!

Tube went straight down, I couldnt find the hole so limped down to Amersham where I was glad to find a bike shop open who were good enough to charge me £8.50 for an inner tube. Yes I’m glad they were there and open, but seriously people wonder why we all buy stuff online.

Great day, thanks as ever to Chris Denman of WDMBC, that man really grafts away to put on terrific events for us. Next one I think is the Night of the Knobbly Tread and Duathlon at Black Park in October.

“Sub 7 hours past 2 years”

Does that include the hour you spent crying at the second feed station? Oh Philip.

Going to be a bit of rain between now and Sunday, think conditions will be more like 2011 (bone dry and fast) than 2012 (a soul destroying mudfest).

Nothing technical, lots of climbing, bit of road….you’ll see all kinds of bikes, I wouldnt personally want to sit on a crosser for 132km but plenty do. If you’ve got a 29er hardtail thats probably the perfect bike for this.

See you all on the start line. Chilterns locals holler on here with trail updates if you please though I think I’m going with Ralphs whatever the weather.

Chris I totally missed this….mine in XL is 23.5lb as seen

Damn impressive. How tall are you?

Burls

Good, plenty to think about. Noted n 29″. I’m a recent convert but I guess still more options in 26″ and its an all mountain bike, not a race bike he’s after.

I’ve come to the conclusion that actually we’re pretty lucky in this country with the politicians we have. Go meet your MP, they might not be your own personal cup of tea but chances are they’ll be decent and hard working and genuinely do want to do the right thing. Two Eds, Cameron, Clegg, Hague, Cable I think they’re all pretty good people. Even Hattie is probable quite a laugh when she’s had a couple of drinks.

Flame away, none of that is going to be popular in the echo chamber that is STW………just a lot of hate.

The Joolz Diamond photo website doesnt let me see the pictures. Anyone else have that problem?….maybe they are still uploading them?

It was awsome. Beautiful weather

Loads of standing water in the car parking area looked ominous but the general area was pretty dry and the organisers had put together a fantastic course. Hardly any mud at all and with a bit of moisture in the earth it was a whole lot easier to ride fast than in the height of dusty summer. All I did to clean my bike was brush off some dry mud from the downtube with my hand, oiled the chain.

If you havent done a Gorrick and fancy a go at racing there is a race for everyone, even my kids had a go. I got totally owned in the Super-Vets. I’m pretty new to XC, too many proper mtb hard men in that race.

Cool cheers.

yeah i know that but it seems everyone is calling it a tax rather than a cut/change in benefits.

Its not surprising it’s confusing, everyone being the Labour Party and the BBC. It’s a cut in benefits for some people.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9855565/Michael-Gove-may-have-lost-a-skirmish-over-the-EBacc-but-hes-winning-the-war.html

Now and again, Gove quotes the socialist theorist RH Tawney, saying that “what a wise parent would wish for their children, so the state must wish for all its children”. But his school reforms will – if successful – end the power of any education secretary to prescribe any one system for the state’s children. In Sweden, the model for the Gove reforms, schools compete over different approaches to learning. Some are traditionalist, with 25 pupils in a classroom facing the front and memorising Tennyson. Some try modern methods, where each pupil has an individual curriculum and lessons are more relaxed. The idea of there being any one correct way to educate children will, if Gove’s reforms succeed, be as outmoded as the blackboard and the cane.

I guess its just that I care more about kids than I do about teachers and it’s clear that Gove does too.

See what I mean

Gove does seem to drive people insanely angry. I’m not sure why that is but it’s probably because he is unarguably clever and takes such obvious delight in winding up his opponents. Daniel Hannan is another one like that…..libertarian, urbane and always polite, unless he’s addressing Gordon Brown and I think we can all forgive him that.

Well I dont come here all that much anymore (aww diddums) but I thought I would pop in to give credit where it is due. Dont think I’m bigging up New Labour though, I’m pointing out that Gove has supporters across the political spectrum, just not amongst the dead-eyed educational establishment.

I love Michael Gove

Here’s what New Labour stalwart John Rentoul thinks.

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/02/06/goves-liberation-theology-speech/

As Ian Leslie argues, equally brilliantly and passionately, on his Marbury blog, Gove seems to bring out some people in a form of derangement. He deliberately provokes educational conservatives, because it is fun, but because his arguments are unanswerable this seems to drive them to a particularly irrational state.

As Leslie points out, the idea that Gove is an ideologue reckless with evidence is just rubbish, and his Social Market Foundation speech is a detailed rebuttal of it. The argument for the English baccalaureate (although why it has to be called that I don’t know) is powerful.

Just recently, Gove announced the end of the AS-A2 split in A-levels, which means pupils will no longer have to take exams every year at 16, 17 and 18. I don’t agree with him on resits; I thought modern liberal Conservatives believed in giving people a second chance.* But I do agree on course work and only wish he would do something about the silliness of personal statements on Ucas forms too.

Yet all this – not to mention his tactful but firm commitment to the principle of all-ability state schools – is treated as if it were a return to the strap, the workhouse and aristocratic elitism.

Leslie asks:

What is it about Gove that bends even sensible minds out of joint; that drives intelligent people absolutely batty with rage? His programme is really just a continuation of the last government’s, just speeded up. I don’t remember the left burning effigies of Alan Johnson.

There’s some weird personal stuff going on that I can’t even begin to explain (much like Blair, the very sight of him seems to make some people’s eyes flash red and the green pen to jump out of its scabbard).

But I think the deeper problem is that Gove came into government to get big things done, and he is doing them. We’re not used to that in this country. We find it downright offensive. And that explains a lot about the mess we’re in.

I try and order from Merlin even when they arent absolutely cheapest. Just always had a good experience with them. Think you’ve hit nail on head as to why they are so good, they dont try and stock everything, just what works in the real world. And their email shots are some of the only ones I always read.

FWIW I’ve got a set of AC Race 29ers which are as light as a feather and have to put up with me at 85-88kg. Running perfectly straight after 6 months of use, mostly XC type riding but up some big hills in Scotland too. I’m a fan.

Thanks Cougar, that Blue-ray player would do the trick for streaming and watching discs. Think the Sky On Demand package could be the future though if they have the content to back it up.

Maybe this is what I need to get.

http://www.sky.com/products/ways-to-watch/on-demand/

Pay per view new release films, stream iPlayer, 4OD etc……..need to go HD though, which means a new TV.

Why am I now browsing £1500 pound HD plasmas?

Yeh I dont really want or need loads of storage, maybe another Xbox or PS3 is all we need. I use the Sky+ box to record TV series.

How are we going to rent new films now? Is there anyone offering streaming of new releases? Apple looks fairly up to date but I cant see Mrs McBoo huddling round the iMac to watch a film on a 24″ screen.

I had the same question for a 29er build, went with Reba as I really wanted 15mm maxle. I dont know about DNA but I’m really happy with these forks. Maybe the best I’ve had and i’ve used much more expensive Fox and DT Swiss. Take a bit of fettling but I’ve got them how I want them now.

Here’s mine

Justin will build you exactly what you want, he’s really a pleasure to deal with. I was looking for a Ti 29er, couldnt get excited about Lynskeys and so on and couldnt face dropping £3k on a Kent Erikson or Indy-Fab. Mine spends most of its time dressed for XC racing but I just had a week on the big hills in Tenerife on it, all I did was add a dropper post and some big tyres and happily picked my way down.

Went for a ride today with one of the very fast guys from my club, he’d liked the look of mine, sent Justin the geometry of a S-Works Stumpy and asked him to replicate in Ti. Another lovely bike.

I mulled getting SIDS for a 29er build, went with Reba from Merlin with 15mm bolt thru for £360. Taken me a while to figure out how to set them up properly and get all the travel out of them but very happy with them.

I´m afraid you´re going to have to lift your skirt and tell us your budget. Albert Hall is right in Kensington, loads of hotels nearby and maybe a couple of places to eat too…..

Justin Burls will design for you exactly what you want for a grand.

Redwings are only work boots if you are an East London creative and your name is Nathan Barley. Damn nice footwear though…..

I just fitted a Ralph and a Nic to new 29er Crests…..went on now problem and inflated tubeless with just a track pump. Oh and funnily enough mine came from those nice Germans too.

Redwing – accept no substitute

The old one is broken and needs a service…£100