14 miles and about 50 minutes

Its a fine balance between getting there quickly and pushing too hard that i'll be soaking with sweat for half the morning (no shower at work so only have a sink to wash with)

So good it is free – doing a big satisfying shite then you go to wipe your arse and its magically already clean

just getting a contact for availability message unfortunately

<sad bastard> The first time i watched it i fell in love with Amelie and about 9 years on every relationship i've had since sort of feels like im settling for second best if im not going out with someone who not only looks like Audrey Tautou but also has the personality of Amelie. I do realise im being absolutely nuts about this but I cant help it – The scariest thing is that if Audrey Tautou was to turn up at my door this minute i'd be pretty excited but after a few days i'd be disappointed she wasnt making plum cake with me, skimming stones or wanting a ride on my moped. (Not that i actually have a moped, i maybe in love with a fictional character, but i've not fallen that far yet!)

My girlfriend thinks i'm joking when i say it is only her and Amelie Poulain for me…but in truth she comes a distant second. </sad bastard>

Back when i was about 14 i remember watching Blue Peter and she was swimming in a lake or the sea, black swimsuit and obviously very cold as it was winter as she want interviewing someone before and after it. It was easily one of the best kids tv moments of the 90s.

Surprised the cyclist is getting criticised for banging the side of the van and escalating things – he only did that after the van was swerving into him. Perfectly acceptable to bang the side to let them know he was there in such a situation IMO

There has been all the talk by the government and the media of necessary cuts in services and how life is going to change for everyone (etc) and yet there has hardly been any mention given to the banks who got us into the mess in the first place. They had their multi billion £ bailout from the taxpayers and yet are still continueing to do much of the same shit they were doing pre-financial crisis, the bonus culture never went away, casino like trading is back and they are still not lending to the sectors which actually help create wealth and employment in the wider economy. It seems a welfare safety net and socialism is OK for those in the City yet it is austerity and free markets for the rest.

stage 16 and 17 are the ones where the tour will likely be decided but 16 has a long run in (50 or 60 km) so might be a bit of an anticlimax

stage 9 col de la Madeleine should be good

stage 12 mende could be exciting

stage 14 has a good finish but not sure about the profile before then

also really looking forward to stage 3 basically a mini paris-roubaix style of stage

anyway watching any stage of the tour, even the boring ones, is always ripe for a day infront of the box…even when nothing much is happening i can happily waste hours just watching the scenary and 'enjoying' the commentators talk shite 😀

the standard varies across the country but in renfrewshire, inverclyde and ayrshire there are long sections of good traffic free tarmac, great being able to go for an evening training ride after work and not worry about cars or potholes

I have the 3 bike one and its good. Expensive but very solid, quick and easy to fit – hardest part of fitting it lifting it out the garage and taking it to the back of the car, the actual fitting is quick – place on towball and pull the lever down then lock. Takes less than a minute

I've only recently started wearing knee pads and was initially put off when trying them on by the size and bulk of most of them, felt they would be too restrictive (eventually got the 661 kyle straits as they were amongst the cheapest and if i didnt like it wouldnt be too big a waste of money). Since then i've found them to be good once on, i dont forget im wearing them but they are comfortable and ive had a couple of 4 hour rides in them and not had any issues.

Actually feels a bit weird now when i've ridden without wearing them not just in terms of confidence but like i have less support!

The evidence from Operation Puerto which saw the likes of Basso and Ulrich banned also existed for top tennis players and top footballers too (virtually the whole Barcelona and Real Madrid squad were implicated at the time). The same evidence (from the same clinic even the same doctor) yet it was only ever the cyclists who were made public and punished the other sports stars were never named and the relevant sporting authorities didnt want to know.

the good thing with mines is you can lay them all at the start, then once you die change class (or stick with engineer and change to a carl gustav – which is pretty good for sniping with 😀 ) and you can still get a load of kills later on with the mines. then once your mines are gone go and lay some more.

Yeah i've wiped properly, can be pretty ocd when it comes to that. Never had any skids on the chamois pads ever, honest 😀

If that's your arse, can I suggest letting me come round and rub some lotion on it for you?

not my arse keyra augustinas (possibly home of the best arse in the world(

Does it hurt on the inside, or the outside?

both on the arse crack and on the sidewalls of the arse crack.

depends a bit on what size of tyre – for puncture protection and training then the 23 bontrager race x hardcase are my choice. Bit of a weight penalty like all puncture protected tyres but pumped up to 120psi they roll pretty well. And at about £15 they appeal to the cheap bastard in me. One of my mates doesnt like them though and he was using the 32 version, they were apparently a bit sketchy in the wet.

Didnt realise the turnaround on the LH shifters was usually so long – i've had shimano LH shifters fail on me twice and both times my LBS had them replaced under warranty within a couple of days. Feel a bit bad now for moaning at them for me being without my bike over a weekend!

In san francisco one lunchtime, loads people walking about or sitting on steps or cafes eating lunch. Notice guy in the middle of the street take his shoe off hold it up in the air then throw it on the ground unzip his fly and get down and start shagging it.

Also saw someone shagging an exhaust pipe on a jeep wagoneer a couple of days later also in san francisco, weird city.

Baggies seem ideal to me for mountain biking (although below 5 degrees or so i prefer bib tights) but lycra for road bikes is much more comfortable particularly if spending more than a couple of hours in the saddle. Not just at the arse either its the lack of something swishing about the thighs and things like that.

even when just carrying the basics on my mtb i find it to be less of a burden carrying stuff like phone, tube, pump, multitool etc in a camelbak than having pockets loaded up with all the stuff. On a road bike i prefer it the other way around though!

pootle around carron valley on saturday then etape caledonia on sunday

Few years ago i remember watching a clip from a Japanese 'art' film with two hot lesbian nuns in it, first minute was great then the camera panned out and down and showed there was a priest and a squid involved too. Nightmare, totally ruined my Japanese lesbian nun ambitions in life, just couldnt do it without remembering that damn squid! 🙁

+1 for decathlon

have had assos ones in the past and they were good too but they were about £45 compared to the £8 decathlon ones i got to replace and i prefer the decathlon ones

riding my bike or thinking about riding my bike reminds me of what i was like about 14 and just discovered the art of self lovin'. It just seems to dominate life, if im not riding my bike (or cracking one off) i'm thinking about it!

i use the innovations air chuck one. Its tiny and works pretty well

Just thought i'd update this – got the shoes a couple of weeks ago and ive found them very good so far. They fit ideal with the cage on my current pedals and are the most comfortable cycing shoes i've ever had (despite also being the cheapest i think!) Very pleased with them 🙂

was great today. Not too hot either and still just a bit early for bad hayfever…ideal conditions!

There is a bikebus that goes various places (www.bikebus.net) but im not sure if it is running again. Dont know how much it costs either as i've never used it.

ive not tried that particular one but the udderly smooth and assos versions seem to work better than just a placebo effect.

thanks for the info

thats pretty decent.

horribly unfit cant cycle 44 miles and IMO if you are sustaining over 14mph on the road over that distance then you are above average for most cyclists. Its all relative i suppose, it will be slow for some but quite alot of roadie club rides often have their 'fast' group averaging about 17-18mph so you would be able to do that if you are getting over 16 riding alone.

+1 for the specialized toupe particularly if your lbs has the arse measuring thing to get the right size

just the right conditions – dry but not too dry to make it dusty and the puddles were small enough to hop over.

although the one small part of the runway with the sinking gravel almost caught me out on my first run down it 😀

conditions were good

the new runway was fun, although i never rode on the old one so cant compare it. although if i find it fun i imagine it will be pretty tame for skilled riders 😀

was just loggin on to post the same question!

apparently it was still very snowy 3 or 4 days ago and pretty much unrideable, hopefully thawed since then but havent heard anything since

the one in decathlon for about £50 is good value, its pretty sturdy.

most important thing after a mask is to wear gloves. Getting a paintball on the fingers or knuckles as you are gripping the gun is agony! A beanie can also be useful gives a bit of cover for the back of your head

something baggy also helps – cushions the blow a bit but also provides a bit of give meaning you can get hit with a paintball and it might not burst. With body armour you will get more impact protection but more burst balls. Which brings me to the other essential – a sports box.

I wont be racing just general riding. Are they comfortable enough for all day riding?

I dont get embarrassed by the bikes i ride its how i ride them that embarrasses me. Or how big my arse looks in lycra 😀

If i see someone alot slower than me out on a great bike then i dont feel envious at least they are out riding and enjoying their bike. I've got a mate who has a couple of super blingy bikes and they ride them twice a year, if that. That just seems wrong, like some millionaire buying a ferrari 250 gto and sticking it under a cover in their garage rather than ever driving the thing.

i get slightly worse mpg but i use them at least once a week and i cant be arsed with half an hour (or more if there is a problem) of farting about getting them secure everytime i want to go somewhere with the bike. It takes long enough getting the bike and gear ready as it is without adding roof bar time in too