[*]I did get a visit from the police some years ago after a similar incident. The copper argued that I should have moved to the front of the empty right hand lane. I argued that there is often space up the side of queues to the tills in shops but I wouldn’t consider using that either. After a while he went away.

Do people suddenly ride differently or outside their envelope in the Alps or something?

Yes. Have you not been?[/quote]

Very true.

Welcome to the club, but why’d it take you so long to see the light?

In reply to PerthMTB (page 1).
My life has got me in a near identical situation, a daughter from a previous marriage and a son about 10 years younger from my current marriage. I broke the news to my son three years ago when he was 10 at the start of the school holidays. He took it pretty well and we said that the reason we hadn’t told him before was that we didn’t want him to get the idea that my relationship with his mother was anything less than permanent.
It’s not all happy families as my daughter has proven qute unreliable at staying in contact but now everyone concerned knows and understands the situation.

Turned 50 last October. For the last 10 years or more my longboard has been kept in my van and gets ridden whenever we stop at a smooth car park. I’d love to find roads like those in that video.
Maybe this year I’ll finally get round to joining in the Bath to Bristol charity skate run.

Tubeless ready = a rim that has been designed to run with tyres designed to run tubeless.

Tubeless prepared = the same rim fitted with appropriate tape and a valve. Jizz on standby.

WallingTON isn’t too bad either

‘Tubeless ready’ does not equal ‘tubeless prepared’.

The fork crown should be clean and free from burrs (possibly caused during removal of a previous race) and the new crown race should be fitted with a crown race seating tool to ensure it is not damaged as it will be a tight fit.

I’m guessing that the OP’s question was born of genuine curiosity as to the personal preferences of the staff and whether or not they still believe the hype after having had more ‘bums on saddle’ experience than most of us will ever get.

Broke the outside one on my right foot windsurfing. Wind dropped, I dropped off the back of the board and didn’t realise I was over a sandbar and going into 4 feet of water rather than 8ish. Rode my motorbike to casualty the next day so I could park closer and refused to be plastered. Was signed off work for a month.

End of week one, walking to the end of the road was very painful.
End of week two, I could manage a mile to the local shops.
End of week three, back out on the bike for 20 miles plus with no pain.

Bike Magazine (as in motorbikes) regularly features bikes owned by the staff. In contrast to the biggest, fastest, technological wonders they’re usually writing about the staff owned bikes are generally quite utilitarian or semi classics they’re forever trying to get to run properly.

A similar situation here?

Second paragraph, third line

flexible, ultra-strong, lightweight steel

I wonder how flexible?

Race number or a shirt, not a bike part that’s likely to get scuffed, broken or worn out.

I went through a brief period of bling buying a few years ago which was probably more about celebrating my shop finally paying reasonable money. Otherwise I’ll pay for genuine performance and durability but not for bling for it’s own sake.

X Fusion over Fox every time
8 speed Sora on my road bike is just fine
Chris King singlespeed hub on the winter bike — no regrets
XTR rear mech that now sits on the full susser — Why did I do that?

Every Friday I look at ‘Fresh Goods’ and hate myself afterwards for wasting the time.

Flew from Southampton to Edinburgh with my son to pick up my VW Transporter from a private seller. A bit of a leap of faith but the price and mileage were the best being advetised at the time and the seller seemed genuine over the phone. My wife liked the colour too. Three years on I don’t regret it.

A few years ago I got grumbled at by an old bloke for riding through a local park. He didn’t say anything to the lady of pensionable age 50 yards behind me riding her shopper.

Thursday is ride night with the gang 25 miles with them plus 3 – 40 depending where we start from and whether I ride or drive to and from the start.

Tuesday in my day off and the 6 hours the rest of the family are out of the house get split between domestic chores and riding.

I work Saturdays so Sunday will be an hour or maybe longer if I take MB Junior with me.

Commuting doesn’t really count as it’s only a mile each way.

Our residential mortgage is paid off and to answer a previous question, my Wife is not comfortable with remortgaging the house we live in.

I have several small pensions from previous employment but I moved jobs too frequently to accrue anything meaningful.

Conventional pansions require a rather longer investment period to be effective than the 15 years I’ve got left at work (I hope). Unless you know different?

As well as a minimum output standard for lights I’d support a minimum illuminted area. The tiny, single led ‘safety lights’ are not easy to focus on and judge the distance and speed of if they’re used as a sole light.

Thanks Kev. Putting it in my wife’s name isn’t an option as she has her own business which in recent years has shown a similar profit to mine.

I’ve looked briefly at a mortgage calculator and as long as I don’t lose the rent for long periods and the interest rate doesn’t rocket I should be able to clear the mortgage on a 1/2 bed small house locally in 15 years without too many sacrifices.

Thanks for the replies. The attraction of the single property option is it’s relative simplicity with only one tenant to deal with.
I’ve recently finished paying a loan so the money I was putting into that I really want to be investing rather than spending. I’m not bothered about making an immediate profit, I just don’t want to have to work for ever, at least not full time.

Any of the following:

Worn/dirty cables? Replace inners and outers.

Bent mech hanger?

Chain too short?

Worn rear mech?

Plenty of layers with a windproof on top for me. Winter boots and gloves and a buff under my helmet. Don’t squeeze such thick socks into your shoes that your feet feel squashed. Neoprene cuffs I made to seal the tops of my boots help.

Finally. A few swigs of something strong from a hipflask really does help keep the blood flowing to your extremities.

That lot kept riding fun at minus five last Thursday and I am a skinny xc whippet.

Things I’ve noticed at XC races in the last couple of years:

29 inches is by far the most popular choice of wheel size.

Anyone still running a 26er will insist their bike allows them to make up ground in the twisty bits over the 29ers. But when pushed they’ll reluctantly admit they have never actually ridden a 29er.

The only riders on 27.5ers are sponsored. No-one actually buys them.

There’s always a super fit rider on a fat bike who passes you at warp speed and throws it round like it weighs nothing.

When you catch up with the fat bike rider at the end of the race you realise his bike really does weigh nothing and probably cost more than the deposit you put down on your house.

Some people REALLY don’t like being beaten in a sprint to the finish line by a singlespeed.

It’s winter isn’t it. It’s cold, grey, wet or all three. If your riding still feels rubbish on the first genuinely warm and sunny day of spring then you’ve got problems.

Nothing much new except maybe JC admitting that RH was correct with his verdict on the Lambo, but an enjoyable hour’s watching nonetheless.

Who’s downloaded ‘Come Up And See Me (Make Me Smile)’ yet?

The nearest good beach for swimming to my house is 20 miles away by road or a little less with some gravel shortcuts.

On a warm summer’s day a road bike and a CX make perfect sense.

I’ve always been happy with Shimano boots. I made some neoprene ankle cuffs a few years ago to stop water running down my legs into them, which work really well.

Thanks for the replies, you’ve confirmed what I strongly suspected.
I’ll probably continue with the yell.com entry for now.

I took my son to Borovets in Bulgaria for his first ski trip when he was 10 with Nielson. Great holiday, the local instructors included in the package were very good. We had superb snow but I’ve found out since that it’s not always so. Maybe one to leave for last minute bookings.

I rode some of the SDW east of Brighton on my CX last summer when it was bone dry. After one long downhill I had to call into a cafe to wash the copious amounts of blood off my left hand where my watch had worn through the skin on my wrist.

Recent Hope hubs use pawl springs half the size of the older ones to reduce noise and drag.

Halo Supa Drive?
Cheaper and quieter than a Hope and just as infinitely rebuildable.

I’ve had road bikes for 32 years and MTBs 23 years and can still enjoy both.

Would never have a CX bike and I don’t “get” the point of riding terrain suited for MTB but then have to get off and carry the bike because it’s basically a road bike off road. Huh?

Round my way there’s plenty of rides I can do that are 50/50 tarmac and hardpacked trails so a CX makes good sense.

About 22lbs for my Salsa Marmasita singlespeed with X-Fusion fork, Halo Vapour rims on DMR hubs.
I could probably drop a couple of pounds off it if I spent another £500 to £1000 but that wouldn’t make the sun shine any more often.

The cleaning.

I’ll ride Thursday night with the gang whatever but Tuesday (my day off) and Sunday there’s just so much more I could do with the hour or more I’d spend cleaning the bike and kit. So unless we’ve had a reasonable dry spell I’ll ride road or run, or ride somewhere with my running kit and a lock.

Surly also now sell a 26×3.0 Knard if you’re looking for a less aggressive tread pattern.

The Schwalbe Hans Dampf 2.35 on the rear of one of my bikes measures 2.32in accross the casing and 2.in height.

EDIT:
If you’re into fattish tyres and low pressures there are various trials rims available for £30ish at 50mm width and with cut-outs to reduce weight.