OP – What saddle do you have?

Manufacturers want the tyres to be light to impress buyers, not durable. Few people test ride bikes on demanding trails before they buy. Maxxis Crossmarks are the perfect ‘salesman’s’ tyre – very light and roles smoothly in the parking lot outside the LBS.

Been up on the Pentland Hills for a run with the dog. Mostly frozen solid and probably good for riding. However, there are a couple of sheets of ice that could be a bit tricky. Might fit the Ice Spiker Pros on the 29er. 😀

OP – Reclaiming the Falklands (Malvinas) remains a national priority for Argentina. Worryingly, they have spent a great deal of money on modernising and professionalising their armed forces. They are very keen to open a dialogue with the UK about the sovereignty of the Islands. However, the UK is unlikely to negotiate while the majority 3,000 Islanders want to remain British. The sad irony is that during the 1970s the British Government was quite open to the idea of handing sovereignty over to the Argentine. Had they not invaded in 1982, then the Falkland islanders may have been lured by promises of Argentinean investment and compensation.

It is possible that the Argentineans will use their armed forces to only threaten invasion, thus causing the UK’s already overstretched armed forces to struggle with their existing operations. This will bring the UK Government to the table. A prime time would be this summer during the Olympics. British troops will be committed in Afghanistan and thousands will be providing security for the Games. Also, it will be winter in the South Atlantic which will hamper the progress of any British Task Force. A cunning Argintenian commander may also threaten Acension, and St Helena, South Georgia or even the British Antartic Territory in order to tie down as many British resources as possible.

It is possible that a small group of military extremists will set up a base on a remote corner of the Falklands. This would place the UK in a difficult position. It could use force to remove the outpost, but it could be bloody. More likely, they will negotiate. Worst case scenario is that the outpost gains the support the Argentineans public forcing the hand of the Government.

The real question is: How many British lives are we willing to sacrifice for a small chunks of rock with a population of about 3,000 people? Already, 255 sounds too much.

It’s so wrong…and not in a nice way.

Garmin Forerunner 305 are excellent value. Easy to move between bike and wrist. I’m on my third having accidentally smashed one and lost the other. Mrs R has the 405, but it’s not as easy to use. Also, the touch bezel thing can be difficult to use. At least the 305 has buttons which can be used with gloves.

Battery life is the main advantage over a smart phone.

Ascent by http://www.montebellosoftware.com/ . I’ve 4 years worth of data. It’s addictive.

What bikes did people ride?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/sport-front-page/2011/07/12/tour-de-france-2011-johnny-hoogerland-back-on-his-bike-in-tour-de-carnage-115875-23266605/ Respect.

I’m clearly not riding hard enough to slice open a sidewall of a NN. I must, I will try harder.

Edukator – your’re clearly considerate, have good manners and are sensitive to cultural differences. However, you should’nt have to appease criminals – I suspect that you don’t. Neither should emsz or anyone else who abides by the law.

When in Britain do as the British do…throw homophobic thugs into prison. It’s not a crime in this counrty to be openly gay; abusive, threatening behaviour is and should not be tolerated. Well done emsz.

Tragically1969. well spotted, although It looks like she may have tried in some of the google pics!!! Ouch. OK, just Willow then.

Wild camping. It’s Scotland!

Topeak joe blow mountain – great for tubeless setups. Not for high pressures.

It would be better if these athletes were known for their skills and ability on a bike rather than a tacky glamour calendar. Liz Hutch and Willow Koeber look awesome when in full flight over a rock garden.

+1 for NN, RR and RRons. Mine are all tubeless and I’ve not had a puncture in ages.

I have the Olympus. It is literally bombproof. However, Mrs R has the Fujifilm FinePix XP30 which is much better at taking panoramic shots.

Mrs R and I regularly fly long haul with 80 kg of hold lugguge between us. Carry on is about 9 kg each. Park Tool digital scale is my friend. OK , this includes our bikes + cycling stuff, camera kit, optics etc However, this December was the first time that we had to pay excess luggage charges. Top Tip? Don’t fly Lufthansa.

You shouldn’t have to tolerate intolerance. Tell the police – it’s unlikely to be an isolated incidence. These thugs can’t be allowed to get the idea that they are above the law.

Not SID but Reba – 2.25 works just fine, but you still get a some of mud directed towards the seals from the top. I use mine with a crud catcher – makes a racket when the forks are fully compressed!

Couldn’t get my act together to get out to Inners today. Will try harder to do the next one.

rickmeister – MBTI and other Jung typologies are merely a tool and perhaps a starting point. Knowing that I have tendencies and traits broadly consistent with the INTP type I’ve been able to improve my relationships with collegues, family and friends. I also have a better understanding of how to manage relationships between members of my team. Most importantly, I can recognise how I react to stress and am able to adjust my behaviour. Have you tried this test http://www.politicalcompass.org/index ? Just a bit of fun.

chakaping – I’m an INTP. This is me http://www.personalitypage.com/INTP.html . Thanks for sharing.

Surrounded by Zulus – Some cliches are axiomatic; they are unoriginal because they are timeless and true. Your’re right – theory without practise is unlikely to deliver results. However, I believe that leaders can be made and are not born. Leadership is not the result a ‘superior’ genetics or class. Everyone has the potential to be a leader. Few see this potential in themselves. A little theory, self awareness and reflection can encourage a person to free themselves from self doubt, poor self confidence and the put downs by others.

BigEaredRider – useful points, thanks.

Managers do things right; Leaders do the right thing.

chakaping – it’s not clear that people can change their personality type. If you take the test when you are young and still forming your worldview, values and norms it’s likely to change once you reach a level of maturity (not necessarily your age). However, knowing your own personality traits helps you to understand how you are perceived by others, why you might have a personality clash with a collegue, or perhaps identify areas for improvement.

It’s useful to google the four letter result of the test as there is lot of additional info on the net.

However, you need to answer the test according to your real feelings and not how you would like to be. Otherwise the test is meaningless. Honesty is key.

Surrounded by Zulus – coaching and mentoring is a function of leadership. However, followers allow leaders to make decisions on their behalf, resolve disputes and represent their interests to other groups. This requires trust. Many people are rightly sceptical and potential leaders must earn their trust.

Inigomontoya – Darwin is leader of ideas. You don’t have to agree with his theories to appreciate that they are very influential. Being a team leader or manager doesn’t make anyone a member of a superior class. But being managed by a toxic leader may make many employees feel inferior.

How would you measure ‘greatest’? Most effective? Most followers? Most ethical? We need a common metric or criteria to make relative, but objective comparisons.

What do mean by greatest? If we use the number of followers as a metric then Christ, Muhammad and the Buddha must be in contention. Secular leaders like Mao, Hitler or Stalin don’t come close. Of course, it can be argued that Genhis Khan has been the most successfull leader as his DNA is found in millions of people today!

Yes. Which is why organisations with authoritarian cultures lack authentic leaders, tolerate toxic commanders and breed bullies.

There is a difference between being a fake and genuinely wanting to improve your relationships with others. Improving self-awareness, body language, active listening, communication skills, and emotional intelligence can help some people to discover who they really are.

Surrounded by Zulus – How is wanting to improve being fake?

BigEaredBiker – that’ s very interesting. I’ve argued for some time that there are no authentic leaders in military organisations. Leaders need followers. Followers implies choice. Soldiers don’t have a say. Therefore, the default relationship is one of commander and subordinates. Commanders have legal authority to compel their subordinates to obey their orders. Failure to obey can ultimately lead to imprisonment, and historically to execution. There’s little requirement for military commanders to persuade others to elect them as leaders.

Real leadership is about convincing others to place their trust in your abilities and integrity.

Anyone had a go at this personality test http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp ? Basically it’s a free MBTI assessment and an excellent place to start the process of self improvement.

+1 for GT for fun with friends and family. Great XC training. Awesome at night. Easy to navigate. But if you’re a gravity injected adrenalin junky then there are much better places to go.

I’ve never managed to connect to it either.

Any particular grease to use or avoid? I’ve used copper grease on my Ti frame with Ti seat post with no visible problems.