Consider a different tack:
The Jura.
closer to nature. More suited to 'clown bikes'
More smiles.

As far as I know all 105 front sti shifters are triple and double compatible.
However, sti double levers also have a 'trim' function that is a 'click'but it does not throw the mech as far as to change a chainring.

land contam engineer working for a multi disciplinary consultancy or remediation contractor.

I'm an engineering gelogy/ geotechnical engineer working for a multi disciplinary eng consultancy in civil engineering.

Darley Dale birdy?

Not really a chuck it all in and go and be a bum story, but might interest someone:

We moved over here (around Lyon/ Grenoble area)in Oct 2008. My wife is french but had been in the UK for about 14 years. We ummed and ahhed for ages, and finally went when my wife was due to go back to work after having our son, rather than going once I had found work (me = weak link due to language)

My wife got a job,(before we moved) with a french company, and I walked into my boss's office and siad we're moving to France, either we find something that will work, or bye by and I'll look after my son.

It was agreed that I do 3 weeks working form home, and one week in the UK office. Travel to Uk office at my own expense and time. I did this as a slary for a while, but realised that in order to be able to get helathcare rights in France, as I was working in France (even from home) would mean I should be paying French social and taxes etc. So now I'm french slef employed, and my client is my old employer. Works fine so far.
Not going to be for ever, I will work here sooner or later, should help that my wife is i the same sector, so we're learning lots about our industry over here (geotechnical engineering)

Phone call wise, with our SFR/orange internet and internet phone, calls to UK landlines are free and unlimited.

ok, I shall raid my parts tins again searching for little black spacers!
As that's most likely what has happened rather than not gettin gthem when I bough the frame.

To me a better solution would be to extend the height of the drop out, but oh well.

Does anyone have a phot of the little black spacers? ideally in use?

re-registration fees for buying a 2nd hand car are expensive in France. IIRC it's about 200 euros.

The whole second hand car market in France looks very strange to me whenever I look at it: cars seem to keep their value. So much so that there's not much diff in a 3 year old car and a brand new one. It was about 1000 euros difference for the new style berlingo circa 20 000 new.

Juan: Conan, Remi,Pierrot, Didier…? It's reading like an episode of Joe Bar!

Yep, offering to help. The sun is out and I'm feeling helpful.

See my thread about offer of help in Grenoble area if that's any good to anyone.

Veloventoux might be able to help you out. Great chalet etc from what I hear. Not Avigno per se. but not miles away.

If you end up anywhere near Grenoble give me a shout.

I'll stick to my experience of road racing (bunch racing rahter than sportives) rather than general rides, as that seems to be what the question is about.

I did my first road racing last season, after 6 years road riding inc sportives latter two years with a compact and 12-25. The 1st two races were with a compact, and boy did I feel undergeared (french equiv of 4th cat). It felt actually dangerous, as when I would drop down form big to small and I was in the middle of the peloton, I felt like everyone behind me was about to slam into me, as my legs went from churning to spinning like crazy. Afte rthat I switched to 39/52 and all seemed much better and I was able to sit in with everyone much more smoothly.

So… I would say it also depends a lot on what the pack is riding! and I guess that would be a trad double i.e 39/52, 42/53 etc

Of course, dodn't assume that i actually finished any of the races. Why o why are entry level bunch races in France so long compared with the TLI, BC 4th cat etc? Standard race length seemed to be about 80km and would go form the gun at about 38km/hr….

err I don't know just something in my head, but I guess as how do the bars clamp to the stem!!

Bit of a d'oh moment… on a Saturday whilst waiting for a plane to see my wife and son when I've been away with work for a week..

Sorry..

I thought most manufacturers would say not to use lock on grips on carbon bars?

30km is a lot of string!!!

There used to be a top tips pdf style document on the Trail Cyclists Association (TCA) website, i.e the uk trailquest governing body.

Have fun. They can be really annoying in a can't stop thinking about 'what if' for a week afterwards!

I'll be interested to see what people think here, and I will reasses our decision depending on what people say
But I'll stick my head above the parapet and say YES.

We use a single chariot cougar, and if he is strapped in, then any roll will be protected by the cage of our particular trailer. Any roll that is not protected by the trailer, will prob not be protected by a helmet.

The cougar does have a recess in the back to permit 'comfortable' wearing of a helmet, but it tended to push the helmet forward over his eyes. So if the trailer falls somehow on it's back then his helmet would more than likely not protect him as it would have ridden forward.

Therefore we looked at the risk and decided that when in the trailer he does not wear a helmet. However we'll reasses depending on what people sya here

If Shovel and not spade, then the METAL avalanche shovels from the likes of Black Diamond might be worth considering.

Ah but Guides and Operators will be for it (whether they have french equivalence or not) if they get caught acting on a commercial basis on closed trails. Also, dare I say it in a nanny state way: Insurance could probably be deemed invalid.

Rabs office is here:
Wimsey Way
Somercotes
Alfreton
Derbyshire
DE55 4LS

Tel: +44 (0) 1773 601870

and they have a shop there which has limited opening times and sells seconds/ samples/ discontinued stuff etc.

RAB and Terra Nova both have factory shops near Alfreton

Timelaps?

Or have you tyhough about the sportident system?
Dark and White events might be willing to help you out?

Une Sobre?
C'est un On One pour le francais non? http://www.sobre-bikes.com/
Mais, je ne sais pas le prix.
A+

Restez Zen Juan!

Bah.

Thee can stick all tha's triumphs and IT stuff. Tha wants a reet proper motorcycle. Tha wants….. an MZ250.

RING A DING DING RING A DING RING RING DING DING.

I'm not buying mountaineering either, or other long time involved pastimes such as round the world yachting. These things just aren't comparable. Mountaineering involves lots of sitting around in camps (I have direct experience). Having done a bit of xc skiing (classic, not skating) I'd say XC skiing or stage road racing such as Tdf. Ski mountaineering at racing level is going to be pretty nuts in terms of a work out. Adventure racing: hmm maybe, but more drawn out for certian ones i.e week long races so again difficult to compare.

By popular opinion alone, on this thread it's plainly xc skiing! And by that I read xc skiing racing on prepared trails.

With a lot of seatpost showing, you can end up with a lot of vert height diff between bars and saddle.

The Three Stags in Wardlow Mires is a contender for my best pub experience ever. Great home cooked food too.
Proper Beer, great folk music.
Just don't ask for a lager!

mapometer amongst others.

Anyone?

C A R B E D + R E L A X E D P A R E N T S

2nd Valley daddy:
Car bed all the way. Otherwise theoretically you'll have to stop every 2 hrs due to the weight on their spine.

Done it several times Sheffield to Lyon and vice versa. No problems. And other similarly long journeys. AC would really help and sun blinds essential.

Most of these photos are reminding me what I miss most about the UK and our former life.

I used* to have a right thing for Amanda Burton… in an old enough to be your mother type way. Think the accent had something to do with it.

*TBH prob still do, just not seen her for ages

Don't know what I typed for it to be a swear word…

Have you been on the Sheffrec website and left a message saying that you're keen to go out with them?

Great Guys. Full of banter. There are some who head out during the working week. But it's not an official club ride as such. Sunday rides are all about the café and no one should be dropeed. Tuesday and Thursday at a faster pace, and many regard them as a training ride, and don't hang around as much on Sundays.

I had a great time with them when I lived in Sheff. Say hi to them form Dan H.

Rutland the best? I though tit was dying.
Sheffrec are the best in Sheff.
1 Love!

5 mins per patient, 10 minutes per patient. Legal liabilities. This is peoples life, breathing and all and it's been summarised in numbers.

What a load of crap. I'm so happy I no longer have to put up with the NHS and the people who defend it.

Tiger et al,

Don't get health and illness mixed up!
NHS is a health service, it should do more than looking after 'ill' people.

I think what the NHS and most of the UK public need to get their head round, is that it's a HEALTH service, a service to get and keep people HEALTHY. It's not about 'bothering the doc only if I'm really really ill'. Therefore in my opinion, there should be no charge for people who require medical certificates for sporting events etc, such as the OP. As they are keeping healthy by participating in sports.

<sitting in France>

We went there on our first cyle tour ever this August. 'We' = Mrs Mugsy, 18 month old mini mugsy and I. We went to Istria (i.e area including Pula). It was very hot. We camped, all the campsites are along the coast, and set up for people who stay for more than 1 night. Fine for camper vans, caravans etc, not so good for cycle touring as meant places were booked up, and stayed booked up, and each night we had to get back to the coast, or stay in an hotel.

Many (not all as there were some superb ones) of the campsites were err very eastern bloc, but sadly not cheap to go with it. The good ones were very good and at about the same price. We drove from Lyon in about 12 hours (about 8 hours driving time). Mostly Italians, Germans, Austians Slovenians and lesser Poles. English were there but not in force.

It was very hot. Did I say it was hot? esp when towing camping kit and son. We had lots of punctures, many roads are not tarmacced even though map says they are. We had one particuarly epic day (our 1st) involving puncture after puncture and an epic time trial by yours truly on our last two good tubes to bail out and get the car! We learnt a lot.

Intersting place, worth going to, but we were sometimes not sure whether we loved it or loathed it. But that was I think due to how we were trying to do it, i.e. on Bikes. One day of rain in two weeks.

completely agree Dab,I'll have a look at the companies you name.

I need to book something as I'll be travelling to resort every day.
I live near Lyon. TBH I'd rather use a one man band/ small company.
I could hire a mountain guide for BASS 1:1 rates!