Medical opinion please:

So I sprained my ankle a few months back, swelled and bruised around the outside damaged area, around my toes and inside of my ankle, difficult to walk on etc, couldn’t face going to A&E, mainly because I was in denial, already got a fractured scaphoid and clavicle, my wife would kill me, and yes I really should consider giving up trail riding, anyway I’m still getting the odd twinge on a daily basis, I assumed this is just ligament damage rather than a fracture? I can walk and run on it, it’s painful if I’m kneeling with my foot out flat.

How about Lapierre Zesty 514 or Cube Stereo, upgrade seatpost with a rockshox reverb.

If you can track down Shimano AM40’s I’d seriously go for those, I’m a wide footed 11 and they’re ace, super grippy and a nice lace flap that keeps you dry, I’ve heard Shimano have discontiued the AM40 and replaced it with the AM41 which IMO doesn’t look as good, might just be my taste. Danny Mac wear AM40s so must be good.

Happy Birthday :D

Saw the Moda up close at the London Bike Show, very very nice, not your usual spec, magura forks american classic rims, not ridden though.

Not ridden since Jan 6th, had a wrist op, once plaster off then plate comes out of my collarbone, won’t be riding until March. Hopefully trails will be drier by then and I won’t be too fat.

I guess it’s just to stop slippage in the frame? I’ve heard it used on carbon bars.

I was hoping someone would say that.

old school tour de france riders used good old raisins

To be honest I’d go for the Zesty, especially if you got a hardtail. I’ve got a 514 and it’s more than happy doing all day XC rides,nice to have the travel there when you need it. Buy your missus the x-control.

How much is the X-control 410 2010 and do you have a large?

You thought about doing a holiday instead, do some b&b’s along the route, stop off at brighton, do some trails around stanmer park, head over to alfriston, more trails around friston forest, beachy head and seven sisters, then down into eastbourne for fish & chips.

Usually a Tag Heuer F1, but unfortunately a fibre glass cast to fix my broken scaphoid. I was thinking of drawing on a Breitling though.

I hope things work out for the best.

PORC is fine for just session-ing DH, but not really ideal for XC or trail riding. Ashdown Forest really would be ideal. Anyway not sure all this internet debating and ranting helps, those who ride Surrey Hills need to listen to Sonor and just get on with it.

Try other locations if you get bored locally: North/South Downs, Friston Forest is pretty good and Tilgate.

Happy riding :D

We need to be careful here, we need to be grateful to the landowners in the Surrey Hills, if we loose access there’s very little in the area to match the quality of trails. Yes, the current trails are getting overused, traffic will only increase as more riders are drawn to the area. The Access All Areas debate in this months mag is very timely, we need more riding areas in the South East, a great potential area is Ashdown Forest, which has for as long as I can remember has a strict no bike policy, surely allowing access could ease some of the traffic at Surrey Hills and reduce the need for people to build new trails. There’s also the North Downs Way which people seem to forget about, time to think further afield.

Love my 93 Aero HOT, getting a bit old now but in no hurry to change, huge boot and fast, probably a bit too fast for a front wheel drive.

I share your pain, mine all off road bike realated: fractured scaphoid, then broken collarbone with plate and then a twisted ankle that still doesn’t feel right and now my knee is making funny grinding noises when I bend it. I’m 41.

Sometimes, nothing fancy though, local pub or restaurant.

Sorry…too much coffee.

I use V12s and Easton Flatboys, got my eye on the podiums that STW rated.

catnash – good shout re: Answer pro, I’d be interested how they pan out. I’ve heard there’s a bit of flex on the Eastons.

Northwind – I’ve heard that on bikeradar too.
forgotmename – I assume from US?

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference – I do it Swiss Bircher stylee, soak overnight in apple juice until creamy, then add blackberries or raspberries and natural low fat yoghurt. Beautiful.

If I fancy something warm then porridge slowly heated with a smoothed banana, no sugar needed. The slower the creamier I find.

mud x

Mykonos? Grrrrrrr! :D

Yep, was doing 30 miles a day commute, then weekend social rides. Hit the torq recovery drinks to help, but now I just build in a rest day and save money, I’ve read quite a few training books that suggest rest days are an essential part of fitness – no brainer really.

Yes, Apple TV is just streaming or downloading from iTunes. I looked into it but decided to get BT Vision and a PS3 instead, that way I can stream films from either BT Vision or the PS3, you get iplayer and 4oD on both, BTVision box as a huge harddrive for recording freeview, then I can also use the PS3 as a media storage device and a Blu ray player, and oh yeah I forgot you can play games on the PS3 all in glorious HD.

Love the music: Nucelo Antirapina” Album: “Beretta 70: Themes from Italian Police Films”.

Agree with Jon.

I’ve done the Nirvana ride on a Sunday, it was pretty technical, 20+ very good riders, mild pace on the climbs very fast downs, lot’s of steep drop offs and jumps, went on some out of the way trails that I’d struggle to find again. Great crowd, would go again if I wasn’t injured.

Go for it, I bought one again at 38, and a pair of bauer turbo rollerskates, although they call them quads now, you won’t die, just takes longer to heal. I’ve had more injuries at 40 on my bike, fracture scaphoid and collarbone in the same year. I’d rather do that than stroll around a golf course.

zesty 514 is amazing, not tried cube though, have you considered ghost?

emusic.com – soundcloud is not always legal

Yes, Simon or Jackie in Nirvana can point you in the right direction, I’d start from Nirvana and aim for Leith Hill area.

What width bars with 50mm stem?

If you’ve not done before and money is an issue I’d try and borrow some or go on an organised ride and hire, it’s not for everyone, you’ll probably need to spend £200+ for anything decent, I’m happy to be proved wrong though.

I can recommend Lupine – nice spread of light and good battery life.

If it’s the lever bolt mine kept on falling out of my Formula R1’s, I managed to get another one from the shop but was told that the bolts from DMR v12’s fit Not sure if they’re the same size though.

I’m not telling you.

I’m with TJ, commute with skinnies on my mtb, but really ride xc with hills

The A the M the 4 the T, all the way. Although my V12’s have chewed up my sole like a rabid fox.

God test my sole