that looks crazy steep for a XC course. I wanna go.

I had a reoccuring injury which I thought might put me out of biking forever. I was surprised how pissed off and flat I became. It took around 3 months to adjust and luckily a year later I was biking again.
I wish I had this thread then with ideas, experiences would have helped. There is life after biking and occasionally the pleasant surprise of a return to biking; which I appreciate so much more now.

Never seen before but looks interesting for light loads on non carbon hardtails and for preparing milkshakes on full bouncy alu bikes

I love riding the Cheviots it’s a great place to chill out and get some offroad miles in away from the crowds. It’s not techical riding; I much ride up and down pretty much everything with a rigid forked bike. Leave ya body armour in the car, pick up an OS map and work out some loopy routes.

Nothing much in the way of knarly downhills, big drop offs, seesaws etc. If you want that kind of stuff then 7 stanes is v close.

The Cheviot itself isn’t that great – busy and boggy.

I’m sure compulsory helmets would make cycling safer but duller.
Compulsory walking helmets would make walking safer but duller.
ditto driving, sailing, football.
I had a light fitting fall on me whilst recklessly using a P.C. without safety kit

Make em all compulsory or F*** off my cycling

Yarr. Your point being?
The toffs’ll be awlright for land so forget you plebians.

They have a good resale value so it maybe worth trying a couple out and flogging the one that suits you least.
I sold my swift as it was narrow for me. I have a 20 year old B17 for long rides and a newer ti railed B17 which I’m breaking in on short rides.

As above really
– an o.k. magazine
– some legal protection
– supporting a body which has the energy to advocate for cyclists

I’m with TJ on this one. Generally being patient and ideally having a bell helps keep the peace. You’ll always get idiots but they’re a minority.
My one bike without a bell is a singlespeed as I couldn’t ruin it’s simple looks with accessories. Luckily as I am unfit my wheezing approach alerts all.

prod, poke and check for lateral movement on bits like mechs, forks, wheels etc to see if pivots/bearings are shot. Cracks on welds /deformation on frame.
If the chain is shot then the cassette and possibly chainrings are as well.

My children
But then again, if Natalie Imbruglia turned up at my door wanting shelter I’d have to think………

“Oy Natalie look after the kids whilst I go cycling.”

I’m interested too – all my posts are 27 2

I use these posts which appear every now and again to check the first aid kit that sits unopened at the bottom of my pack.

Current contents:
Insulating tape, steristrips, one tray each of antihistamines/water purifying tablets/painkillers, sewing kit, plasters, tiny swissarmyknife, 2 dressings, lighter, minilockknife,tickremover tool,suncream, antiseptic cream, fingerstall, compas, whistle, mini-led.

One too many knives and who pinched the super glue and sweeties that used to be in there?

I bottled out after having to drive a work colleague to a vocational course over a Winter. She can no longer drive at night because surgery left her with a permanent halo/seeing double distortion in her vision in low light.
Probably proceedures have improved since she had her work done but I’m not going for it.

thoughts anyone?

I’ve used one with a saddle bag and like the contrast between 1930s and 2010s technologies.
I did swap out my carbon seat post as I didn’t fancy biking home standing up with a saddlebag held in my teeth.

mmmm thanks JW the avid brake/700c option sounds interesting.

Yup it’s got disc mounts – when I had it resprayed, Steels added IS mounts to the back of the frame. The difficulty with discs would be losing the dropped bars which I’m not keen to do.
Thanks for the tip with the brake adapter though.
I’m after speed rather than load carrying so wonder if rims to fit tyres narrower than 1.5 road tyres would be the way to go.

I have XTR socks

‘orrible roads at the moment I’d be less worried by dropping my bike and more over getting wiped out by some sliding cars. I suggest staying allive until the thaw and keeping the bike in the shed.

They keep muck/stones/pollen out of my eyes. Specs are great.
And make me look intelligent.

Who else has already got their bike for life? – I think I’ve got mine.
It’s a 97 Trek 970 mountain bike which I’ve had disc mounts fitted by M Steels when they still made frames.
Its current incarnation is as a heavy duty road tourer with dropped handle bars, cantis and horrible wheels in desperate need of an upgrade.

p.s. this thread is crying out for some bad taste Frankie Boyle joke about how long you’re likely to last on a bike on British roads.

He’s lost me as a reader.

I’ve not spent any cash with him as my slothfulness in buying stuff is as strong as Jo’s to make anything.

No he’s lost me as a reader because since I hit 40 I can’t read all that little text at the edge of all his cartoons.

One day perhaps I’ll get round to buying reading glasses.

I’ve got an early marin mount vision – 27.2 for that.

Very nice winter boots and yup I too went for a larger size than usual

if you get all medieval with punishments then conviction rates will drop.

And the inevitability of high publicity miscarriage of justice case

“oops sorry we’ve got it wrong but here’s 1000 quid, your goolies in one jar and we’ve given you a second jar containing racing ralph’s goolies as he made the daft law”

My road bike has a Caradice Saddle bag – off of the ’50s.
Maybe 30+ litres size and unfashionable enough to make it unstealable.

It’s ace. I had a boxed printer for my PC stuffed in it the other weekend. That wouldn’t have fitted in pockets.

…is remarkably free of the drearly looking adverts they originally said they wouldn’t include. Well until the Evans cycles advert on the back page.

White plastic plumbing pipe available from homebase (B+Q) etc It’s helpfully sized in Imperial.
I bought a crown race removal tool from ebay for 20 and a bit pounds to take away the anxiety of carving bits out of my nice SID World Cup forks with a hammer.

I’ve had one. It was ok; reliable and good enough for a commute. It was superior to the older battery lights available.
It had disadvantages
– basic models go dark when you stop.
– put an expensive heavy wheel on a commuter bike
– lamp prone to vandalism
– marginally slower for riding distances

Modern LEDs are so cheap and efficient that I won’t be bothering to buy another dynamo hub. I find my LEDs better value, more flexible for switching between bikes, chucking in a bag and not worrying about.

I bought a crown race removal toy for under £20 from ebay.
It’s good to have tools.

Ride between kielder and newcastleton

I know Esme was quoting but it seems a bit frivolous to describe the death of a party member as being “silly situation”
It’s hardly a jolly student jape to return to the student union with one fewer alive people than you set off with.

I notice them as the consequences of a low speed crash involving a 4×4 (or a truck) are more severe than with a car.

Correct. I’ve borrowed a Torx 10 and it seems to fit.
Left lever has 2.5mm hex and right T 10 🙂
Thanks folks.

lol@ allthegear.
I feel entirely reassured with the defense’s argument – she’s fine. See she works with primary school children now…

re route guides.
There are only so many perfect 3-4 hour circuits. I’d like them to do route guides with maybe 2 – 3 day rides. Let the reader worry about the logistics of getting back.
Or Irish/Continental routes?

Go the whole hog – slick tyres, drop bars, cantis, rigid forks, slap a testosterone patch on your goolies and you too can be Floyd Landis.

Sounds like the medium will work fine……..now where did I put that credit card

What bike does he ride? Singlespeeder I should think