mossimus, I think I’m in the same camp as you.

As a young un, pointing and laughing at those funny looking triathletes whom I just couldn’t fathom out why on earth they’d do that rather than clatter down mountains really fast, I just didn’t appreciate it.

However, as I’ve got older, things get harder, challenges more appealing and the sense of satisfaction of completing things more enjoyable.

Finishing the CyB enduro in the top half of the field was a pleasant surprise this year, and I’m starting to think I’m ‘getting’ the whole point of triathlon – as a friend said to me ‘it’s contagious’ – additionally, I’m hoping it’ll change the way my body feels on a bike – no more groaning at distance.

Let me rephrase this then, seeing as few have got out of the bed the wrong side this morning.

I enjoy riding my bike, it invigorates me every time I open the garage, choose a steed and throw my leg over it. Where it gets a bit dull is the road bits (i.e. getting to a trail, heading to work, or trying force myself to do an extra 20 miles on the way home from work). I’m more than happy enough chucking the bike about in the woods, and rather enjoy zinging along on the road bike.

The comment about running and swimming are stemming from a fear of the fitness aspect required to really enjoy them. Running; well I’m sure if I found a set of trail shoes I could break up the monotony, and as far as swimming, well I guess I could check out the girls before and after I swim.

I think what the point of my thread is this; who’s started from this point of utter beginnerness? I’ve thrashed about on MTBs for over 20 years, and take for granted my level of skill.

To start something new, where I’m giving myself a huge challenge, is frankly quite scary.

I’d like to think that at some point I might do what this chap (when I get to it) does, and does his first IronMan.

And ultimately, it’ll make me a fitter, better and faster rider off road – which will make me enjoy it even more.

:)

ETA: If there’s Strava involved as well, then that changes the whole game.

>snigger< When I realised that you could eat them, I was straight in there. None of us had eaten anything all day (Peaty had some shite Tesco pasta!) and I was bouncing off the walls from too much Monster energy drink.

Nonetheless, hilarious day, glad to see they left me in holding a can of beer in Peaty’s honour… :)

The video’s out chaps, fastest rider of the teams at about 59 seconds in – check out the drift (worlds smallest) ;)

I think we’ve just found Stickman’s car then.

What sort of time was that Boxfish? I was up there at about 6.30ish – saw quite a few sets of lights but mostly all riders. I do tend to never stop apart from the time for when I took a few snaps of how murky it was last night!

Nice work! Well done – a great result.

Just for everyones info, the Met (and most other forces) certainly do watch out for these sorts of things; anything you can do to help make their jobs easier, the better.

I’d love for my old Zesty to reappear in the same way one day…

Not go for a ride on Sunday with me mates at Cwmcarn in all the sunshine.

Instead I argued with the missus and then ended up at a 1yr olds birthday party.

>killmenow<

Can I offer a few of my own videos for selection:

ETA: Plenty more of those where they came from – what would sir like?

:D

More photos from The Might Ray Gun here: http://www.mrgphotography.co.uk/october-fest-2012

Ant, if you could have a small word, and suggest Broadmead for their location, that’d be ace :mrgreen:

Just slipped 50 notes in their fund; I like what I see there.

I ended up giving up on trying to find a replacement ballast for mine and bought a second hand unit from eBay.

That said, although it’s a great light, the batteries can be rewired and used with a Magicshine or equivilent, and very well do they work.

Give it a try, may save you the heart ache.

Cheapest of cheap cheese puff things when you go abroad. In the massive packets.

I spend many an hour by the pool chomping on those.

BTW, Just bought David’s book from Amazon – I enjoyed that writing, so the book must be as good. Right?

Either way, at 79p, it’s worth a shot :)

Great writeup David :D

So, were there t-shirts given out as part of the race entry?

I’ve had the same with some 3/4 tights – they were also pretty tight, especially around the legs, where they don’t seem to take into account for some of us with the bigger legs.

Seems that the uber priced brands such as Assos et al have different sizes within sizes for this very thing. I think.

>mindbleach<

Nah, only a 32.43 – but then I did get spat into the trees at one point, and held up once or twice.

Nontheless, chuffed with that.

Steve’s lap was the 1st and 5th lap (mine was the 4th)…

8O

Yep, the woomph and zzz of a well ridden berm.

It’s certainly NOT the eeeerk noise that disc brakes sometimes make.

We won our class.

I stood on the podium with my fellow team mates, which included Steve Peat. Yes, that’s shared a hard won podium with a World Champ.

Just sayin’

True, but SS’s can’t really evolve much can they?

2013? Don’t think any of us, even the locals, would be able to guess the conditions that far ahead!

I think he exploded.

True dat.

Only counts on Strava though.

>mustremembertogetStevetotakemyGPSinhisbag<

>showdownwithmonkeyboyjcsgayboytrialsteam<

Yeah, yeah.

I’m going.

Racing in Steve Peats team.

You know, as you do.

Full 60km I might add too.

>dead<

CyB was an awakening to just how much I have to go before I’m able to call myself truly fit.

93rd out of 266, and 5,33hrs – but this included a few hours in a dark place, a bit of pushing, a sit at the side of the trail to eat my flapjack and a lot of swearing at the course designers…

I’ll stick to smashing out the short stuff around AC/LW ;)

We doing to beer thing every lap? Isn’t that the done thing?

Evening Gary.

Bunged up with the evil man cold, so desperately trying to rid myself of it before Saturday.

That said, I haven’t touched a bike since last week after CyB enduro, Llandegla and Cannock, so should be fairly fresh ready for a serious outing for Team Hommestrong.

Just debating whether to use the Zesty or the Soul…

Would you like us to call an ambulance ready from when you need peeling off the ceiling?

The fins, in the UK, unless you’re bashing down Fort Bill, do very little.

They just look cool.

And shiny.

Sometimes, people just like the shiny.

I could probably cope very well with normal ones, but I likes the shiny.

I wonder if anyone is doing aftermarket jobbies yet?

Some anodised fins would be cool :)

Maybe I was just unlucky, or the City Link guys really didn’t like me, but seeing as I was sending two parcels, that was my wife sat in for two days, and two other people sat in waiting for two days.

Not acceptable really, and as such I can’t recommend them.

Parcel Monkey are f***ing useless – I went with them the other week on advice here, and they didn’t bother picking up for two days (both days my wife stayed in all day with a 11 month old, so went, frankly, mental) and in the end I had to go drop it off at the City Link courier.

The issue lies from the fact that City Link are the partner, and they REALLY hate Parcel Monkey deliveries/pickups as they’re too cheap (no money being made) and therefore you’re at the bottom of the pile (I got this from the horses mouth; the customer service lady at City Link – she said it was just as cheap to go direct with them).

Add into this, a complete lack of customer service from Parcel Monkey when things go wrong (no phone numbers) and you’ve a service that is absolutely rubbish.

Avoid.

I don’t often groan like this, but these guys really got my goat – one day I can deal with, but two, well…

****.

I had this recently – it’s a cracked piston – they’re very fragile – especially if you start trying to push them back manually…

As variflex says, proof of purchase and get it back to Shimano and hopefully they’ll replace it for you.

Mine was done without question, but that said, it was brand new.