Rode some of the Test Way up to the John O’Gaunt at Horsebridge last week and the hardcore sections were OK but with some slippy slidey bits.

More and more I’m understanding why non-cyclists are developing such strong dislike towards cyclists.
The modern day roadie (used to play golf, middle manager on his Cannondized) is not good for cycling. They’re arrogant, selfish and think they’re something special just because they can ride 50 miles on a bike.

My first thought on reading the above was that it pretty accurately describes my attitude to motorbikes. I love riding my own one but not many other motorcyclists I meet make very good social company.

Wiggle visit there in mid-April and mid-October, it’s hardly peak season.

At those times of year the weather makes a huge difference. On a good day in those months many folks will see it as either their first or last chance of the year to get out and about.

During the summer the New Forest gets VERY crowded. On a fine weekend there will be a huge number of cyclists, walkers and daytrippers before the entrants of a cycling specific event are added. In recent years the size and frequency of events has started to have me feeling that the organisers are taking more out of the area (profits and the patience and tolerance of non-cycling locals) than they are giving back.

Did the bike shop owner fit the mech personally or did he employ a mechanic?
Is the OP chasing the wrong person?
If so should he insist the owner gives him the mechanic’s address and then accompanies him round there so they can both give the offender grief?

@MoreCashThanDash I did think that road noise was a little more evident than in the Micra but wifey’s answer to that wax to turn the stereo up. The 6 mile drive through the suburbs to work will be it’s primary use with occasional detours along the motorway for a faster but slightly longer option.

@Adam bikes normally go in my van but that’s certainly nice to know.

I was feeling better off until I got my tax bill 🙁

You’ve got to go fast to keep warm at this time of year.

Not kids, but I wound my younger sister up a treat one Christmas by teling her I was going to get here a big box to keep things in. I wrapped up the biggest cardboard box I could find and left it with the other presents. When she unwrapped it I had to point out the false bottom I’d put in to hide the David Bowie LP she wanted.

I’ve thought a lot about doing the same myself. I’ll join you in awaiting the replies.

I’ve come to this discussion a bit late but do feel the need to answer the 5th post on page 1

alpin – Member
be interested to see how the OP fairs on long 2-3 hour alpine climbs with average gradient at 15%…..

chain left!

Who actually spends their time and money to take a mountain bike to the Alps to ride UP the hills when there’s a fantastic lift system that lets you get in far more of the fun stuff than you ever would otherwise? I rode up an Alp off road once but never would again. Not because it hurt (it didn’t) but because it seemed like such a waste of time. Tarmac and road bikes are far more pleasurable if you want to ride up big hills

If you’re at all bothered about it holding it’s value don’t do anything non-reversible to it. I had one too but sold it after not very long as I’ve never got on with big singles.

14th February is also Passportes Du Soleil registration day.
I fudged that last year. I was so elated to actually get through that I missed a drop down box and entered for the Friday whereas all my mates were riding on the Sunday.

@gofasterstripes, I expect you’ll find your axle is bent.

Hope rear hubs do seem to be far more vulnerable to some types of mud than other. I know half a dozen riders locally who use them and pawl spring and bearing replacement is an annual requirement. The plastic seal between the hub body and the freehub is the weak link, allowing fine grit and water in with the result that the springs rust away and the central bearings fail after the crud finds it’s way past their seals.

My Chris King also requires an annual strip, clean and lube.

The only time I’ve come close to giving up drinking was in 2006 after I signed up for a solo place at the Mayhem. It wasn’t a deliberate decision, I just lost the taste or desire for alcohol. Other than that there’s usually more days I do drink than I don’t but it rarely goes much beyond a beer or a couple of glasses of wine with a meal.
Memories of the hangover I had after my 40th birthday party have been enough to stop me over-indulging for the last 10 years.

I live on the eastern side of the New Forest which a lot of people on here seem to think is rubbish but there’s loads of woodland singletrack even if it is a bit cheeky, plenty of pubs next to the trails and I can ride from my door to the beach in an hour and a half 70% off road (an hour on the road). True, it does get a bit crowded in the summer but then I can head north up the Test Valley on virtually deserted lanes or drive 20 minutes to the trails surrounding Winchester which are good. There’s a good biking scene in the area too.

I think big hills are very overrated on this forum.

Yes and yes.
If you go to any good LBS with your old outers they should cut you replacements from a bulk reel.

+1 for Canvas Holidays.
When the kids are 7+ take them to the Ardeche with PGL (one of their family weeks) for a week’s canoeing. Best family holiday we’ve ever had.

Take a bit of time to build a buffer between one chapter of your life and the next. For now, embrace everything in your life that didn’t involve the ex.
I went through a tough time 20 years ago and finally got out of it by telling myself to take a break from looking for a relationship and giving it a bit of time for one to find me.

Graffiti in some fresh concrete in a very prominent location. Most times I take my family to visit my folks we walk past it, 35 years on.

I wouldn’t want to be without either solo or group rides. Solo rides give me a more flexibility for exploring all those little tracks off to the side.

I’m free………..

Dean Colonel

Your own house and garden must be in a terrible state for you to feel the need to take the bike out to the street to photograph it.

Or did your wife find out how much it cost and throw you out?

Excellent.

Running a LBS it’s a huge source of frustration that manufacturers don’t back up their products with spares availability.

A minor one in the general scheme of things but I’m not looking forward to the two hours on Xmas morning that we’ll have to spend at the home of wifey’s chain smoking sister and her family, where we all have to play happy families and pretend we don’t know about the sister’s ‘special’ friend.

Better quality vee brakes (all Shimanos I am aware of and some Tekros) have the internal bushing which means the securing bolt can be tight against the end of the pivot. Cheaper brakes pivot on the stud itself so need the securing bolt to be tight on the stud but have a small clearance on the brake to allow it to move, ie the stud is slightly longer than the hole through the brake.

Mini vees are designed to have the same pull ratio as cantilevers to avoid the excess lever travel full length vees would give with drop bar levers, hence they should work no better or worse than cantis.

If the cantis aren’t working well then I’d suggest there’s something wrong with the set-up, eg dry or sticky pivots, over flexible mounts, cables in poor condition, straddle wires not correctly angled?

The Inbred is a budget means of keeping the front wheel at the front and the back wheel at the back, with a bias towards north of England trail riding ie long unhurried ups followed by long fast downs. The Kinesis is primarily a race bike, built for high speed flick-flacking along woodland singletrack and stomping the climbs as fast as possible.

I owned an Inbred a few years ago and

Both would have something else if they had the cash but are perfectly happy with what they’ve got

sums it up very well.

Pick a nice sunny day and just go and ride it. It looks quite narrow so on the dy of the sportive you’ll be unlikely to get to the top without having to wait for a gap through bunches of slower riders. If you want to compare times, I’d be very surprised if it’s not already a Strava segment.

What a wondrous and rare thing. A thread where everyone is in pretty much in agreement with everyone else. Except the OP.

We’re using them again for our regular two or three nights away between Christmas and New Year. The Hilton on Brighton sea front this time.

Has the OP ever ridden on a 26×1.35 slick? I had Conti Sport Contacts in that size for a year and it was like riding on the bare rims. I’ve now got a 26×1.5 Marathon Plus on the rear and 26×1.6 Sport Contact on the front. Not noticably slower but far less harsh.

I’m happy. I’ve got a new bike which rides really nicely. On Monday everyone here told me it’s an ugly piece of shyte, which can only mean one thing. They’re jealous!

Apologies OP. I hadn’t considered that the debt could be THAT big.

I don’t mean this to sound harsh but it looks to me that you have both put your careers before your marriage. Both an NCO’s and an officer’s pay are livable wages on their own. Either of you could have resigned and accepted the exchange of a lower standard of living for increased time together. I hope it’s not too late to make the changes you need to sort things out.

Red seat clamp wil be swapped for a black one that’s on another of my bikes when I have the time to do so.

To answer a few of the above:

Yes the wheel does turn although clearance is ‘precise’.

The guard is clip on so will only be there when needed to stop me getting a soggy arse.

I’ve always fancied a bike with bullhorns, for no logical reason.

It’s not likely to be used for cross racing but there are a number of gravelly and farm track short cuts in the middle of road rides to useful/nice places locally that would have me mincing on a pure road bike.

As I mostly ride singlespeed, 7 gears is plenty for now.

If I mounted the shifter by the brake the cable routing would get a bit messy.

Phew. Back to normal.

What? No comments? Not even about the state of the garden? Or that it’s got mudguards?
What has happened to STW?