The balance board was recommended by my physio along with other exercises, but I’d say definitely try out your hands on one!

Fortunately I already have a balance board, as I got one for my knee physio!

I broke my ankle at the start of May. I was riding up a bridleway I’ve ridden loads before, including with my son in his trailer. I was riding up the raised middle bit when the front wheel skidded down into a deep tyre track. I went over and landed badly.

Feeling like a right ****, I desperately hoped that I’d just sprained it. I rode back the 5 miles crying, dragged myself into the house and checked out the damage. My ankle was impressively misshapen, and the pain wasn’t easing, so we had to call an ambulance (my husband couldn’t take me to hospital because our three year old was in bed).

Paramedic confirmed that it was almost certainly broken, possibly dislocated, as there were some bones missing from their usual position.

Unstable fracture, no weight bearing and a cast for eight weeks. No downstairs toilet, so I’m mostly staying upstairs. God, I miss downstairs, nevermind outdoors.😭

My husband has basically become a single parent, housekeeper, carer and butler. I used to think that being laid up in bed getting waited on would be ace, but the reality? It’s a bit shit.

Cheers all! Although it’s an unstable fracture, it’s not too bad (I think?) – no metalwork required. It’s complicated by the fact I’ve got shonky knees (up to three operations so far), which I’m hoping won’t hamper any physio too much. :/

I’m 5ft 3, and I’ve got a small Specialized 2016 Stumpjumper, and small LaPierre 2017 Overvolt (which is just about bordering on too big).

Trek used to be pretty good at smaller sizes – I used to get on pretty well with the 15.5″ frames. 13.5/14″ inch Treks used to be too small, but a 14″ Orange 5 was perfect (16″ was unrideable).

I really can’t recommend trying before buying enough – sizing can be pretty inconsistent between brands.

This is horrible but I think the right decision, I raced the infamous horror year of Mayhem 2012 and the damage to the site was unreal.

Eeeesh, now I’m suffering flashbacks. I didn’t do an event for five years after that.

My husband and I used to go to gigs together, but now we have a sprog and childcare. So he stays at home because he’s a hero, and I go with my brother. My brother doesn’t get a huge say in the matter, as I’ve usually bought him a ticket for his birthday or Christmas, because I’m a terrible human being.

I’ve been 29 for 9 years now…

There’s not just the mother and the sister, but also the ex-girlfriends, one of whom he reportedly went to prison for beating. If the story about him serving time for attacking his ex is true, then it’s quite easy to believe the rest. Well, it’s depressingly easy to believe regardless – of all the women I know who have been raped or abused, only one spoke to the police. Abusers and predators are often quite capable of being utterly charming and charismatic when they need to be.

That said, it doesn’t alter the fact that he should have been able to ride his bike without randomly being shot.

I used to do TAGB Tae Kwon Do and Aikido.

I loved TKD – great work out, good mix of sparring and patterns, etc. Plus you also had to do a theory test at grading, learning the meanings behind certain patterns, Korean terms, etc. Expensive though. It’s a very cool and flashy looking martial art, but somewhat impractical in terms of actual self defence. Classes will vary according to the instructor – ours was more sparring/tournament focused, whereas a neighbouring town’s was more focused on the tradition, the patterns, etc.

The  Aikido class I did was great too, and most of the takedowns and holds are also pretty practical in terms of self defence (everyone has the same joints…). Plus you get a bokken and Jo staff. My class was very traditional. Sadly I had to give up both classes in my early 20s because of my crap knees. :(

I get more of a cardio workout going up hills on my ebike – I’ve had crap knees since my teens, so going up hill has always been a sitting in the saddle and peddling gently uphill in the lowest gear. My ebike takes the pressure and strain off my knees, so I can pedal like crazy.

I still use my Stumpy for techy stuff though, as it fits me better, its a lot lighter and more nimble. Sadly all e-bikes are slightly on the big size for me (due to having to fit the battery in the frame), and having such a small frame means that the weight of the battery is quite high up.  I love it for exploring bridleways and getting the miles in though.

WHY DOES IT HURT SO MUCH!

Because it’s real!

Yeah, the Birmingham show was stunning – the performance, the set list, the stage show, the atmosphere. The band are all amazing, but Bruce is a bit of a god. I’d like a fraction of the energy he has at 60 right now tbh!

Set list below!

1. Aces High

2. Where Eagles Dare

3. 2 Minutes To Midnight

4. The Clansman

5. The Trooper

6. Revelations

7. For The Greater Good Of God

8. The Wicker Man

9. Sign Of The Cross

10. Flight Of Icarus

11. Fear Of The Dark

12. The Number Of The Beast

13. Iron Maiden

Encore:

14. The Evil That Men Do

15. Hallowed Be Thy Name

16. Run To The Hills

I’ve never seen a bad Maiden show. Every one I’ve been to has been exceptional… with the exception of the first – it was on the X-Factor tour, with Blaze Bayley. They’d been demoted to playing smaller venues like the Wolverhampton Civic. Poor Blaze, he just didn’t really fit.

Quick industry insight for you on cover mount gifts.

They have to be crap and cheap.

HOW DARE YOU!

*lovingly caresses her collection of cheap socks*

I’d like to see a return of reviews if a poll requested it, as long as the section was renamed Reviewey McRevieweyface.

Mark, can you disclose the source/reference for your ‘facts’?  Without them it is very much reading as ‘these are the facts because I’m telling you that they are’.

Why not do a poll to see what a greater slice of people want in the mag, if the views on this thread alone are not deemed relevant?

Well, I’m guessing we can take a lot of them at face value, because it’d make no sense for them to change the mag in a direction that loses readers, or the practicalities mean that there’s more pros than cons to cutting particular types of content.  Plus it’s his job, so he’s kind of the expert in the room.

And they’ll have all sorts of analytics – it’s important to listen to what people say, but it’s more important to look at what they actually do (especially if the people that are vocal online only make up a small portion of the user base).

Ugh, the horrible tacked on romance plot. So unnecessary and badly written.

And too much bad cgi that was a bit iffy even on release, which has dated really badly.

One stung my two-year old on his face. :(

My first experience of suicide was a school friend’s dad. He was a lovely bloke, all laughs and smiles on the surface. His youngest son came home and found him dead in the car. His kids were 12 and 14. It was such a shock because he hid his fear and pain so well.

Second was my ex’s best friend, who jumped off a building. He was 21. In his notes, he said that he wasn’t particularly unhappy, but that he couldn’t imagine life getting any better. Again, it was a complete shock – he was a very thoughtful lad, but usually good humoured and friendly. A week beforehand he’d accepted my invitation to my then-boyfriend’s birthday meal that I was organising, which was a week or two later. We scattered his ashes over the Malvern hills. I’ll never forget how broken his parents, particularly his dad was. :(

If you’re ever feeling so low that you’re considering ending it, PLEASE talk to someone.

Going next week to the Birmingham show!

Chuffed to bits that Killswitch Engage are supporting too, not seen them for years, and not since Jesse Leach rejoined.

Newnham Park is privately owned & apart from the organised MTB events there you cannot ride there, outside of the cycle events it’s a shooting range so probably best not to ride in there anyway

I’ve played too many video games, I just see that as a precision timing/dodging challenge! Noticed the clay pigeons on the one section.

Does anybody have any links to any of the other photographers that were about? I’m pretty sure I was papped twice on the course, and definitely on the podium, but I can’t find any photos of me. I’m quite intrigued, as I’m fairly sure that I was pulling a ridiculous face both times whilst riding…

Also, can you ride the trails at Newnham outside of events?

Some photos up here!

https://www.ak47art.com/Cycling

Only found ones of me at the start – I did get papped by a couple of photographers, unfortunately I think I looked a bit constipated at the time. Not looking forward to those ones going up, heh heh.

Quite possibly, I was quite aggressively passed on the entry into the Bombhole Section on my first two laps, managed a clear run the third time! No contact made those times though.

I hasten to add that the vast majority of people were lovely though!

Also the dogs of Pivot article is the greatest piece of journalism ever created.

I actually got a podium place, by virtue of over half my category not turning up! 😄

There were four in my category, and I came third. I didn’t really deserve a trophy, but I’m totally going to jealousy hoard it like Gollum.

Mrs Toast I’m fairly certain I saw you, checked if you were ok after the fire road between bluebells and cottage return. Managed 90km in 8hrs.

Heh, sounds about right – I had to stop about seven or eight times on my last lap. :( I could see the muscles twitching through my baggy shorts which, given the amount of fat covering them, was quite an achievement! 😂

Had loads of people asking if I was OK and whether I needed help, it really is a lovely event. Apart from the guy who silently barged past me on a narrow rooty bit on Bluebell Woods, who actually knocked me – I was lucky to stay on. He did it to the woman behind too, she was still shouting at him as he was passing me. A nobber, but fortunately an anomaly.

Sorry to hear about the injuries. I saw a chap with a swollen shut eye and grazes all over the one side of his face in the arena too. I just hope every one who rode through the night is OK after this weather.

I had to call it a day after my third lap because I kept on getting horrendous cramp. If you passed a weary looking fat bird, in green and purple, lying on the ground or doing stretches – yeah, that was me.

Also apologies if I held anyone up!

I’m just hoping that it’s been so dry that any rain will just dampen things down rather than turn it into a mud fest!

All the forecasts apart from the BBC show less than 1mm of rain over Friday, cloud cover varying from 30-80% so either a couple of showers or a bit of very light drizzle. Same for Sat. I’m still hopeful of a pretty much dry weekend!

Pfft, did you not see that I’ve entered this year? I bring the rain – this year’s drought could have been avoided if I’d entered more events! By Sunday, you’ll all be wishing you brought canoes instead of bikes.

dabaldie, do you know if the course has increased in technical difficulty this year? Last year I felt that it was perfect (apart from the mud) – despite being very enthusiastic and having ridden for over 10 years, I’m actually a bit rubbish at mountain biking (partly down to missing ligaments in my knees, partly down to not learning to ride a bike until I was 27), so I’m always a bit paranoid at events they’ll suddenly ramp up the difficulty!

Told my mate that her bloke was a manipulative, controlling scumbag, but she stuck with him for another year or so. She was rarely allowed to see her friends or even her family, and she always had to walk on eggshells around him.

She eventually left when he lifted her up by the throat and pinned her against the wall – she managed to break free, lock herself in the bathroom and called the police.  She didn’t leave him as soon as I would have liked, but I’m glad she didn’t stick around until he killed her.

Me, 12 hour solo!

I thought I was going to miss it this year as my husband got into Ride London on the ballot. He’s deferred until next year at the last minute though, as he a) felt guilty that he had quite a few events to do this year, and Pivot was the only one I wanted to do, and b) mangled his feet doing the Jurassic Coast challenge weekend just gone.

I did Pivot for the first time last year, which was also my first event after having our son. I absolutely loved it – despite the rain, the course held together really well and was good fun (certainly when compared to Mountain Mayhem 2012, which was the last event I did prior to that, heh heh), and the atmosphere was brilliant.  I got cramp on one of my laps and some helpful randoms straightened my leg out and gave me water, whilst holding a brolly over me.

I’m just hoping it’s dry this year, but I’m not counting on it (I don’t think I’ve ever done a mtb event where it’s not chucked it down at some point…)

Hope she makes a full recovery swiftly and that the driver is nailed (unlikely though the latter is). Must have been terrifying for the both of you.

I’m 5ft 3 and I often struggle to get bikes that are small enough in terms of standover (especially as I’ve got a comparatively long torso, so a lot of the smallest women-specific bikes seem to have really short top tubes).  Both Trek and Specialized tend to do smaller full sussers (I’m just about big enough for a small Stumpjumper, they do an XS Rhyme that’s the same frame though, IIRC).

However, at the Malverns Classic I was told that at 5ft 3, I’d probably be between a small and a medium on an Ibis Mojo, as they’re small bikes.

So sorry to hear of your loss. :(

I was on sertaline a few years back – I started to feel a lot better, but I don’t know how much of that was down the medication and how much was down to the stress control course I was sent on. I didn’t really have any side effects, not even why I stopped taking it. I don’t drink though, and I don’t have a penis, so no experience in that department.

My mom was on antidepressants (not sure which one though) and did drink alcohol, and let’s just say that the results were… fairly awful. Not recommended.

I usually wear jeans with a t-shirt or jumper. T-shirts are normally metal or geeky. Looking around, that’s pretty much what everyone wears…

I’m short, with a tendency to gain weight, have a stupid round face and a horrible nose – when I was little, it used to upset me and I really wanted plastic surgery from the age of 9. My first boyfriend once said that he “tried to see past the way look and focus on [my] personality”.

Still, as my mom said, I’m lucky to be plain, as “you won’t regret losing your looks as you get older as much”. (She was Miss Pelsall 1960).

Mr Toast fancies me, but he’s weird. Gorgeous, funny, but weird.

One of my colleagues had the new Necromunda in the office last week. We’ve got loads of board games here though, such is the nature of the industry…

Heroquest is awesome! I recently gave my copy of Space Crusade to a friend to play with his 7 year old, he’s planning on handing it back when my son is older and his son has graduated onto full on Warhammer…

Just worried about stability and comfort, which I know is a bit silly.

Have you considered the Weehoo Igo Turbo?

I was looking at the Igo Blast, as that’s for younger children (our land’s too young to have the one with pedals, sadly). Bit dubious about the one wheel though!

Arise, necrothread! Arise!

Still looking for some means of taking my son on rides. Can’t do a front frame mounted seat because my bikes are too small. Can’t do a rear mounted one because one’s a full susser with a drop post, and the other is an ebike (according to Evans, no rear seats will work with an ebike :() .

I’d like a trailer, but it seems a faff getting a maxle kit (and I’m not sure if it’d be a bit weird on the full susser), and I’d prefer to put it on my ebike due to my decrepit knees. Anybody pulled a trailer on an ebike?