elfin, you can choose to ignore all the rules you want if you do it in your own private environment. As soon as you enter the road environment where others need to co-exist, and as you rightly say are driving vehicles that are bigger and *potentially* more dangerous than you, your actions can directly affect their actions.

It's simple – if you choose to break these rules then you really have zero argument against others that do, regardless of their mode of transport.

manson, that's a really daft argument, surely you can see that? Just because someone else does it that makes it entirely legitimate for you? Because in your opinion they're worse (your guerilla sentiments are in fact quite disturbing) and you should be held as a paragon?

Sometimes I'm narked and if someone pees me off, I think they could do with a slap. But I don't do it. But some people do, and some stab people, and some shoot people and some murder people. They're a minority, but a little slap is so much more a minor offence that it should be inconsequential? Same concept, different actions…

Don't fall off that horse though, it's a long way for you to come down.

sweet jesus, there's some high horses being ridden instead of bikes clearly.

Elfin et al, you don't get to make your own rules of the road. They already exist. No ifs, no buts, they're there. If you're not prepared to abide by them I suggest you piss off onto the private land that you clearly need to own and let the rest of us get on with it.

Then the roads will be safer and all parties will be more respectful and tolerant of each other.

hora – Member
Ante your juicys only have to stop a svelte-12 stone hombre…

My brakes are required to stop 16stone+ of prime-grissle

Lose some weight then fatboy!

Juicy 5's, 7's and carbons on my bikes for over 5 years. Never bled any of them, still working perfectly, and pretty much identically to my virtually new Magura Julies that came on a bike.

One of the sets of 7's has had at least 3000 miles on them, with some of that freeriding in spain. Other brakes were cooking – mine weren't.

but then, I'm not northern so I don't need to buy hope, and wouldn't given friends experiences. Same with formula. Magura work well but they vary the pads too much between models. The only others I'd consider would possibly be Shimano, but been very impressed with juicys.

hmmm, some interesting opinions there. The material is only a component in how the bike will ride – it's all in the design.

I have a Cube Agree GTC Race – people say it's a good bike, it's full carbon, and it is a good bike – poops all over the planet x full carbon I had. However, I also have a BMC SLC 01, and it's stiffer, lighter, stronger, more compliant and rides completely differently, and in a way I much much prefer.

Then having ridden a Cannondale CAAD 9, the ride of that dicks all over both the cube and planet x in my opinion, but still isn't a patch on the BMC.

So, the net of that is that one aluminium frame will ride differently to another and likewise any carbon.

Best thing you can do is find a store with a choice of brands and ride a few – don't set the budget until you have (ok, set the upper limit, but definitely not the lower).

If it's cyclescheme you can go to pretty much any independent surely?

If that's the case, and assuming the £1k budget, the only one on my list would be a Cannondale CAAD 9, as the frame is by far the nicest riding frame in that price range.

If you want carbon, fine, but budget carbon is budget carbon – ride quality is what matters to me. Oh, and I owned a PX-SLC. Good groupset value, but dull feeling ride.

so I shouldn't be looking after my bike basically? I've a Cube Agree GTC Race that was 1800, and I've commuted approx. 3k miles on it so far to work, and occasional weekend use (I have a BMC for that).

BUT, given that I like my bike to always work well, I've kept it clean, well lubed and in good repair and would estimate it to have a decent residual value. If I'm to get hit for another £400 at the end of the deal through tax, I could have negotiated a better net deal direct from the shop myself!

Hmm, best think again on the Cervelo S1 that was due to be ordered soon.

I think Dear Deidre has a leaflet about this.

My opinion, if it was rocky before, it's over now.

chameleon, I have one, and the 56 is SMALL! I'm 5'10" and was choosing between the 56 and 58 as both fitted ok. They measure the sizing differently to other manufacturers for some reason.

If you're in London, I commute in on mine, so you're welcome to have a look. Nice enough bike, rides ok, not up there with the likes of BMC / Cervelo, but nicer feel than planet-x / boardman in my opinion. Well specced too, although the wheels are a bit budget. They're colour coded in though, so no great shakes. It actually looks a lot more expensive than it is.

ratboy, don't bum the locals. the penguins are fair game though.

Stormwind – Member
Hora.

Why not get her out biking?

My mate had a girl who he was head over heels for, she left and he was gutted. So I bought him a decent bike of ebay and he threw himself at it just to forget.

After 6 months he's a very good rider and agrees with what I've been telling him all along.

Get a ride that likes it the way you do, when you do and can be sorted out easily when it gets stroppy

Give her something to take her mind off it, we all know why we love to ride?

Once we're out there, we're free!

oh this just depresses me. there's more to life than riding bikes.

anyways hora, don't do anything different to how you've been with her in the past, as that's how she knows you and that's how you've always interacted.

Seb_C – Member
Are they permissible/bike friendly

As per the others, that's a no. Long term thing now.

Jane runs off with Cheetah the chimp.

And they have little half chimpies. They call them derek and metusula. However, Derek is able to speak, but the only word he can say is "foreskin", and he goes on to have escapades involving shouting "foreskin" a lot. So much so that he gets his own T4 show called "foreskins" about his teenage years.

Methusula dies in a freak trike accident whilst auditioning for a popular tea commercial.

leggyblonde – Member
that was a rubbish troll pk!

is he a member of your try club?

Sadly not Phil, it's a genuine. I think he's a good guy myself and am actually happy that there's a bit of genuine political stuff and personality going on again rather than simpering lefty-shite and career politicians that we've been spoonfed for years.

Anything that stimulates active debate and engages the public into politics again is a good thing by me.

I like Zac Goldsmith. I persuaded my girlfriend to vote for him, as I couldn't and only had some wide-jawed Lib Dem shoe-in in my constituency.

Bunch of libdem stay at home mums round me. All of them fat.

my dhb ones aren't very good – think they were about £40, but the pad is too big between the legs, tends to flex wrong, and their breathability isn't the best. Won't wear them for a ride more than an hour else they chafe like a sandpaper condom.

So I guess I need to practice more long climbs to improve my endurance

Yes.

tell them he'd be persecuted if he was sent back and so he'll be let in, given lots of cash for a cushy lifestyle and then able to sue anyone with legal aid cos they looked at him funny.

aluminium – dedacciai or something like that. The ride quality will be better for the same price.

I'd discount all of those apart from the Cannondale if you want ride quality. The spec for the money is what sells the rest. Spec can be upgraded, ride quality can't.

The CAAD 9 is a very nice frame.

i'm not sure what you're saying. once you started talking gb mb and stuff my mind melted

i think technically it would do, but you'd actually have to complain quite vociferously and no-one would actually give a shite anyway. In the same way that Sheilas Wheels actually offer mens insurance it's just so exorbitantly priced that they effectively don't.

so, if you want to go, grow some boobs and a beard, stick your mister between your legs. You're in!

Fliss Walton?

She looks like me with a wig on. C'm'ere boys….

mmmmm, bella

Best to phone the halfords line with a list of bikes you want. Be prepared for them not to be able to get that many of the more 'niche' brands such as Planet-x, Focus (Wiggle), and probably BMC now they're Evans only – they just won't deal with Halfords. I was about 6 into my list before the one I got was an option.

I got a Cube (it's very good), and it was delivered pre-built direct from Leisure Lakes, but all done over the phone to the helpline.

I'm getting a Felt or Cervelo in september.

well, in the spirit of utter Hora-hardness, I knocked a tooth out, cracked my cheek from eyesocket to tooth, cracked my jaw in two places, detached my cheek from my jaw and cheekbone, and ultimately needed 84 stitches to re-attach it. I didn't have a clue how bad it was, as I couldn't see it at the time, but just felt groggy. Actually tried to get back on the bike but my mate stopped me.

Walked 10mins to the nearest pub (after jamming the tooth back in) to be told the ambulance would take about an hour. So, my mate called the local minicabs and (after posing for photos) I went to the hospital which took about 40 mins. They didn't prioritise head injuries that well then, and that was North Downs.

.

Frankly, it's probably the air ambulance cos they've got one, and are covering their arse from being sued for not taking it seriously. If it didn't turn up and someone was seriously hurt all hell would break loose.

In all honestly, there's nothing particularly big or dangerous at the jump gulley, it just encourages kids and their spoony mates to hang around all day egging each other on.

I *think* I have a set of the original ones in the garage – I took the lower legs off to sort the stiction, then never put them back on again – all that about 6 years ago.

From memory they held air perfectly – whereabouts are you based?

all that'll come down to is poor management. not much you can do about that.

Planet x – no.
Boardman – no.

Purely cos in my opinion neither of them ride that well as they're basic carbon frames, and that's coming from me who's owned a px. Admittedly I have a BMC pro machine, and even my Cube Agree feels pants in comparison to that.

To my mind, and it's a total winner compared to anything in the price range, the Cannondale CAAD is head and shoulders above the competition for ride quality.

i'd put the ultra on the front.

you'll get enough grip out of them both, but the 4000 will feel a wee bit nicer sat down i reckon

you paid him more for erecting?

you should have saved money by asking him to do it flaccid.

do you have a few beers or couple of bottles of wine in lieu of cash?

Yep. Or give money to charity anyway.

Right on. While you're there, never swear, never be mean to animals, and above all love Jesus.

It's also not murder if you creep up behind them, and it it definitely isn't rape if she was unconscious at the time.

but they're minor compared with the wrong change. silly jon

if the person that gives me too much change is an attractive girl, I will own up.

If it's a minger or a bloke with a skin complaint, what's a bit more hardship?

that's the least of your worries. you went to see Stevie Wonder

mine's largely time and social. If I want to ride for a couple of hours, it's the road bike as I'll get a couple of hours complete riding in. If the boys want to play mountain bikes, I'll do that.

If i have *time* i'll often choose the mountain bike, purely as I don't get that much free time so need to do it when I can. But if the weather's been shitey i'll take the (non-race) road bike as it avoids the chore of cleaning etc post ride.

thallium

Well done.

I'm sure you can, but hey, I've got these.