how is it when you are turning (particularly going right across the traffic) and you stop/pause for a few seconds waiting for a gap? does the engine cut out and then need to restart again?

I actually remember him saying that on TV when i was a kid (when he did the really wild show there was some question and answer section where you could write in questions)

I would have been about 8 at the time and assumed then it was just a joke to explain his spikey hair…cant believe all these years later people still believe it 😀

My session for today was cancelled due to urgent track repairs needing to be done – apparently another big crash last night in the track league!

Chinky describing a restaurant is a bit dodgy and i wouldnt use it myself but it is different in intent than using it to refer to a Chinese person.

However language changes over time and the usage of Chinky for a restaurant / meal is getting more and more unacceptable these days similar to how ‘****’ to refer to a corner shop has changed over the last couple of decades.

Bit like how negro or coloured are now unacceptable whereas in the past there were considered acceptable / polite and black was considered the offensive term, whereas black is now OK.

Cyclestore have a decent reductions on on the Cipolini gear….sadly it is understated and doesnt come in zebra print 🙁

privacy settings, fake name and starting the GPS log a few streets away from where you live should make things fairly safe i would have thought.

The only annoyance if you do use the privacy settings is that any segments starting within 1km of your house won’t register.

If you start a ride, go out your privacy zone then back into it to do the segments that in it, then back out of your privacy zone again before finishing then you can record times on the nearby segments and still have your start and stop points hidden.

havent had an alcoholic drink since my 18th birthday part which was over a decade ago now (which makes me feel ancient 🙁 )

nice video

I found it that those that were inexperienced and knew it were fine.

I was the idiots from the road clubs that think their good that caused the issues by not following simple instructions.

Yeah have noticed that a bit – like someone flicking the elbow to get the next rider to go through but then expecting you to come through on the right (as you would do on the road) rather than them flicking the elbow then going right themselves up the banking like they were told to do!

After watching the world champs last week,I am now a wee bit scared of our taster session in two weeks, those corners look stupid steep

When you arrive you go underneath the track to get your hire bike and you look up and see people wizzing by going high up the banking – it is quite daunting the first time knowing you will be on the track shortly!

I was planning to do a group session with my mates who I know and trust as able to ride in a bunch and not do anything stupid. Unfortunately, the group sessions at the velodrome aren’t happening any time soon so I’ve had to book with folk I don’t know. I’m expecting folk to bin it but am hoping that they don’t take me down with them! Hopefully, the folk riding will be experienced of riding in a bunch at speed and not triathletes or spin gym bunnies.

It is a bit of a lottery who you get. My first session the group was evenly matched so things went smoothly despite it being everyones first time on the track.

The problem with my 2nd session wasnt so much a lack of riding skills but there was a bit of a mix in fitness, after about 30 minutes some riders were really struggling to maintain a pace that would keep them upright going round the banking…that meant the line kept bunching up and then someone would slide due to the lack of speed.

Was still alot of fun though and i guess this is the whole point of the accreditation sessions to learn from these mistakes.

i got the mobi one recently and so far so good. Just the right pressure to clean muck off a bike without being too high pressure. Being able to use it off the battery pack is really useful and the battery lasts surprisingly long – although there is no low battery warning which is a bit of a downside.

I like the bit where she licks the nuts best

excellent 😀

like this one too…or rather the “OH YEAH……WOOOOOOOOOOO” after the guy crashes about 38 secs in 😀

For me handbuilts are the best value for money in that sort of price range…you’ll be able to get some nice handbuilts (like hope pro 3 on open pros (or similar)) for under £300

Give garmin a call ive had 2 replaced for free over the last couple of years, i know that doesnt say much for the longevity of the strap but their customer servive has been excellent – basically phoned them up, they asked for my product code and address and i got the new strap in the mail a couple of days later

If it worked like advertised then £20 isn’t so bad.

I switched to durano plus for winter last week and had a puncture on my first ride with them. It was glass that did it and on changing the tube noticed there was also a rather large thorn also embedded which hadnt got through the puncture belt, so hopefully it was just bad luck. I suspect the thorn would likely have punctured on the pro 4 that were on before.

Yeah was a great night

Sitting there in my shorts and tshirt whereas my mate had on lined jeans and a thick lumberjack style shirt just made it all the better…he had believed me when i said he better wrap up warm because it was like being in a fridge with the air conditioning 😀

Looks good value

I have no experience riding an Opal but Orbea make some really good road bikes (the Orca is particularly lust worthy) so if i needed a frame in that sort of price range i’d be tempted to get.

I think they come with a lifetime warranty too

thats not just any old Specialized either its an S-Works….i’m not a good enough rider to justify one of those 🙁

And the Canaanites and others were there long before the Jews and Arabs so the claim on the land based on who was there first is pretty weak. In any case ethnically speaking there is alot linking a large proportion of Israelis and Palestinians, they are fundamentally the same people who have been divided by religion and from then on culture, conquest and history so neither side have an exclusive claim to call it home at the exclusion of the other.

now that really is a sweeping statement and incredibly stupid thing to say…

As opposed to your original thought on this thread of “Israel well done”?

but aren’t ultra-orthodox jews mostly anti-zionism?

and in fact, some are acvtually opposed to the existence of the state of Israel completely

So, why would the increase in births amongst ultra-orthodox Jews be ‘worrying’?

Historically yes (and for those outside Israel probably still the case) and a sub section like Neturei Karta are still very anti-Zionist but much of the growth in settlements in the last couple of decades is from the ultra orthodox along with the Russians, Americans etc.

It is worrying because the growth of any group with an extreme and/or literalist form of religion is a worrying development – particularly when they are a part of a conflict where negotiation and compromise between both parties is going to need to happen if there is ever to be peace.

Yeah big divide in Israel at the moment – particularly because a high proportion of those that hold the most extreme views also have exemptions from military service because they do religious studies (they dont work either)…so they ramp up the rhetoric, act like a bunch of dicks in the settlements, but then disappear back to their religious studies when the shit hits the fan again.

The most worrying thing is that the birthrate amongst the ultra orthodox is huge compared to the rest of Israeli society (over 3 times the average) of so is likely going to be a bigger problem in the future.

Einarsson was arrested last year

Going up past Loch Thom is a bit shorter so it wont take that much longer despite it being more difficult. From the Largs end it isn’t that bad a climb either – no scary gradients and often a tail wind.

It can be quite busy and fast with big trucks belting past.

It will add on a few miles (probably 15 – 20) but going across country a bit and joining up with NCN7 (goes past Glentrool) will be a bit more pleasant.

66 isnt that old for cycling – i regularly see a woman out cycling with her husband with them both going along at a fair pace and slipstreaming each other. Just look like a couple of roadies out for a training ride – only one of them isa veterans world champ from 30 years ago and they are both over 80 now. Heartwarming to see.

With a bit of frost my local trails might actually become rideable again, been avoiding some of them since May!

I hope Obama (i think he deserves a 2nd term too- he has done an alright job considering the mess he inherited and then the oppositional tactics in the senate) and think he should just about scrape it

However i’m wary of some Republican shenanigans – the attempts in some areas to disenfranchise voters has been disgusting.

swimmers tend to view triathletes with the same disdain as cyclists do 😀

Yeah it was the Pre Cursa, was a nice stable ride (first track bike i’ve been on) which surprised me a bit, was expecting it to be more twitchy.

bump

That is great!

Sprinters are superb descenders but due to them being the in the groupetto you rarely get to see their skills on tv

I want cycling to be clean and have a harsh testing regime (and penalties) for dopers.

But at the same time as that i dont really care that much about what happened in the past.

Actually my biggest annoyance in recent weeks is how cycling is once again the scapegoat for drugs in sport when other more powerful and wealthy sports the problem is completely ignored and/or covered up.

according to garmin connect 80450 m / 263943 ft

Battery lasts longer on a dedicated device, they are also more water resistant than a phone, easier to use with gloves on when on the go etc.

smart phones are great bits of kit these days and will do the job fine but i take mine with me incase i need to make or receive a phone call. Using it as a gps logger risks that – either from the battery running out, or the phone being damaged when on the bars.

It was better than the digital version that replaced it. I suppose smart phones and tablets have made that redundant too

Anyone remember digitiser on c4 teletext? That was awesome!

I got the rapha cross 3/4 bibs in their sale earlier in the year, they are nice and warm and comfortable. Cant justify spending £160 on another pair but if they go back on sale again i will no doubt not be able to resist the temptation 😀