Whats Roc v non-Roc please?

I might wait a bit and try the new Look S-track, anyone in the trade here know when they will appear? I’ve has some bog standard Look Keo on the road bike for over three years, my first and only road pedals. Change of cleats once a year and they just go on and on.

And I’m assuming these arent the solution I’m looking for…..? Pretty though, and light……but guessing the wont be any better in the mud than SPDs.

Looks new range S-Track, up on this stuff as always njee.

http://singletrack.competitor.com/2012/08/bikes-tech/look-leaves-quartz-behind-with-s-track-mountain-pedals_34741

Very pretty but given the comments on shims and setup an unproven Look pedal prob not for me.

SPDs are fine but had a lot of trouble with staying engaged when its muddy, less in love with them than I was.

Re Time – I think I know what you mean, my pals ride some and dont think you can adjust for float, certainly not on the ones they have but they thought some of the higher end ones were adjustable.

What I’m after is almost a road pedal stiffness, I dont get knee pain (yet) so like that fixed position on the foot……

But can you adjust them to suit the amount of float you like before they release?

Why not stick a Beaver on the front? I’ve got one about to go on the back, might get one for the front if things get claggy. Used mud-x 1.8s for years on my old 26″ both ends, never felt like I needed more volume on the front for my stuff which sounds similar to your riding…..

snakeskin has much reinforced sidewalls. I had a pair of Nics like that, as a general go-anywhere tyre, very good. DD has extra reinforcement under the tread as well, might be overkill if you care about weight.

yup Bike24 is your friend for Schwalbe tyres……club together with a mate or two and share the postage cost….only about EUR5 though.

I think for a big day out in the Lakes I’d be carrying the kitchen sink, but for general southern 3/4 hr rides and racing I’m just trying to get my head round what I REALLY need.

cookeaa you’ve had the need once in 4yrs yet you still carry 2 tubes?

Who’s actually ever used a tube?

Lot of you are carrying for every eventuality as am I. Here’s the thing, if i get a small puncture, the sealant kicks in. If I slash a tyre on flint (have done this already) I repair with the sticky worm kit. How often have you found yourself actually reaching for a tube?

I know its not a huge amount of weight but I like riding without a pack so less bulk the better.

1st ride shakedawn (well, 15 miler/2hr) – it’s bloody fast. I’m guessing it’s the weight or lack of that makes it so, but on a couple of occasions I felt the bike running away from me

Very nice that is…..it’s not the weight, it’s those big wheels ironing out the bumps, simple as that. I’m quicker on mine generally but its on the bumpy downhills I’m significantly faster.

Other thing, very confidence inspiring. I thought it felt a little ‘steep’ angle wise first off, but no worries at all.

Yep I dont know what it is with 29er geometry, it all feels a lot more relaxing to ride, yet quicker.

I still think Nick Clegg did the right thing entering the coalition. So they overpromised on tuition fees and couldnt deliver, big deal. I will probably vote Libdem next time.

Lots of speculation that Balls is going to come out and say that Labour will match the Tory’s tax and spend comitments into the next parliament. All you guys on the left are going to squeel when he does that, its coming.

I run XTR shifters & mechs beacause they just work brilliantly. If I was in the market for brakes I’d not bother with XTR this time as, weight aside, I think that XT is a better set up.

This

I’ve got mostly XTR on the bike, the group before last (965?) just went on and on for years. I’m not sure the current set is as durable but I love the way it all shifts. Rear gears tick back and forward like a clock, and the front never feels like its going to let you down, it’s just exact.

All came on a new bike with a XT cassette which has just gone after 18 months, just replaced for same for £45.

Won the Pulitzer prize, the whole harrowing truth about America in Vietnam told through the life of John Vann. Damning on Nixon and Kissinger. One of my top 10 books of all time.

Really. It’s tremendous.

I’ve pretty much stopped wearing purely synthetic tops altogether now, apart from the club jersey. I like merino for the warmth and comfort, not because it wicks as well as synthetics, it doesnt. Penny dropped for me last year on a pairs race where I was off the bike for an hour at a time. Felt horrible and clammy standing around in a polyester jersey (a good one), I put a Rapha sportwool one on and stuck with that for the rest of the event……just lovely and cosy even when wet.

Sportwool is the material from heaven…..50/50 polyester and merino mix I think. All the stength of polyester and the comfort of merino. Why doesnt everyone make their jerseys from it?

Be well, best of luck fella.

I’m very happy with American Classic 29 Race Tubeless. About 1400g the pair. Havent had them long but going well so far.

That’s incorrect; what the Police object to is the systematic attack on the Service as a whole

and

This Government is hell bent on seeing the service fail

Mildred, I’m sure there are reasonable arguments to be made from the rank and file side but when you come out with stuff like that you shouldnt be surprised if the public doesnt hear them. We just see successive Home Secretaries being booed off the stage at the Federation annual conference.

OK, I will be the bad guy and bite.

The part of the reforms that the police seem to object to most is the changes to how they are paid. At present officers’ pay rises with years served, irrespective of performance. In the future pay will partly depend on performance. I think thats positive step.

And on pensions, I dont think we need to argue again about the changes to public sector pensions (please lets not) but are you suggesting that the police should be immune from those? On what basis?

Done for 4hr Vets round one……I’m NOT getting fat this winter. If I do then the Gorricks and Brass Monkeys are going to be journeys through hurt and self-loathing.

Mark – Resident Grumpy

if privateer didn’t exist I doubt very much that ST mag would be in it’s new current format

Understandable conclusion but actually wrong

Thats what Samsung say too…….imitation and all that.

I like Privateer, grown up, nice pics. WMB bless it really doesnt have a lot in it these days for example….

Something I gave up on long ago was trying to persuade the left that it was possible to be of the right for exactly the same reason that many people identify as socialists. Lots of people think that free markets are good for everyone, starting with Adam Smith.

There’s a club…..bunch of lads from Jersey MBC did Transpyr this year, nice fellas. Track them down, am sure they will take you out.

Hasn’t unemployment gone down under Obama ? This appears to suggest that it has :

It has…..but a lot of people think the price of that has been another huge leg up in the national debt and the chickens are going to come home to roost for the US before too long.

You wont catch me arguing for a vote against Obama, I love the guy. But a good Republican candidate that isnt in thrall to the insane wing of the GOP could have beaten him.

So if elected he doesn’t intend to be president to 47% of Americans ?

Empathy – he doesnt have any. You can certainly argue that Obama has been a disappointment and has tried and has failed on the economy and jobs, I know lots of Americans who think that. But I dont know many/any who will vote for Romney. The Republican Party has lost its mind.

He’s not even talking about the bottom. 47% includes pensioners who have contributed taxes all their lives. And people who pay payroll taxes, which pay for benefits……How do you get elected in a two horse race if you write off 47% of the electorate? Someone do the maths and tell me how much of the remaining 53% he has to get?

Ordered my iPhone 5 at the weekend from Three Mobile.

£89 upfront for the 32gb
£37 a month
500 minutes
5000 texts
Unlimited downloads

I dont use the 300 minutes on my current contract and I cant believe anyone actually sends 5000 texts a month do they?

I think thats a pretty good deal. My iPhone 4 is on its last legs too so makes sense to me.

Thing is, I keep hearing this debate and height and 29 v 26 and there must be something in it. But even if you arent very tall I bet you dont ride a road bike with smaller than 700mm wheels no?

wwaswas – Member
I’m 4.5% faster on a 29er Ti hardtail than 26er Ti hardtail.

Is it 4.5% funner though?

All joking aside……I never really want to ride a 26er again. I’m into XC racey/mile-munching type riding so maybe 29″ suits me more than most. Its quicker over bumpy ground and I’m way way faster on the downhills, including twisty Surrey Hills singletrack.

So yes much more fun, but more than that, I just Zen-out and zip along.

edit : I think frame geometry is playing a part too. I was riding a Ti456 with 100mm forks and I dont think that was an awfully good set-up, too much weight over the front, very hard work on the wrists. The 29er feels right.

Sportives are great for the simple reason you can jump on the back of a passing train, sit on it for a while, if its too quick let them go and get the next one.

Riding in groups is what road riding is all about. I went out yesterday on my own, did 100km and 1200m of climbing around the Chilterns in beautiful weather and you know what? It was really hard and a bit boring and I love road riding. Just got battered by the wind the whole way round and didnt have anyone to talk to.

I lost all my mates on the Dragon this year, but hooked up with a lovely fella half way round and we completed together in a good time. Two complete strangers keeping each other going over the last 100km of a 210km ride…….thats what sportive riding is all about.

BA are pretty good club class…….dont under any circumstances pay good money to fly business on any American airline, they’re all awful.

BA once upgraded me to Concorde. In fact they did it twice, bless them and their Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

….and why are replacement shifters so expensive? I just cant work it out…….new one is going to cost me at least £150, I dont get it.

I’m 4.5% faster on a 29er Ti hardtail than 26er Ti hardtail.

So does anyone have a Garmin/gxp of the mother of all Chiltern XC routes?

I want to do something 40-50km, bit of road fine but lots of fast flowy forest runs up and down, and all or most of the must do downhills……

Show us what you’ve got?

So in retrospect, it seems it was yet another well planned Islamo-Fascist attack on Westerners, on September 11th no less.

I pick a side and I choose America.

Cheers scu98rkr, I might have a go at that South Chiltern Sixes route on Sunday afternoon. It’s another 7km on mine so a good 45km spin, will report back.

Here’s mine from Freith. Not cheeky I dont think. Some road but not too much, trails are hard and fast right now, its an exhilerating spin.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/217447183

Just started riding regularly in the Chilterns, agreed it would be nice if some of the descents were more twisty but thats the character of the area I think, Surrey Hills more trailcentrelike. Chilterns such a huge area, I just want to explore it.

edit – if you are using the roads to climb I think thats your problem. The off-road climbs on that route arent all lung busters, a fair few of them are lovely and gradual, you can ride them hard standing in the pedals…..more fun even than riding down them.