When my dad died it transpired he’d been a bit unlucky with some of his financial decisions – burned by Equitable Life, annuity rates dropping etc etc, meaning things initially looked a bit tight for my mum. One thing it turns out he did have an eye for was whisky investment. Unbeknownst to us he’d left my mum with quite a few bottles that have appreciated significantly in value according to the receipts he’d helpfully left in the boxes. A couple of examples;

Maccallan Anniversary 25yo 1965

Ardberg 1975[/url]

Ardberg 17yo which is very very good – night and day compared to the petrol that is the 10yo you get in the supermarkets – It was his preferred tipple and I still have a drop left in a bottle he’d opened and we drank together the week before he popped.

So I’m a big fan of whisky as an investment. My advice? Buy low, don’t drink it, sell high 😉

Pro
– great alternative to MTB if you live many miles from the trails. Moving from trails on doorstep to no trails for 40 miles (100+ for anything decent), I either had to give up riding, or embrace the lycra.

Cons
– You look like a nob in lycra. This isn’t just me looking like a nob (I do) – its all of us. Wearing baggies and a peak on your helmet won’t help – you’ll just look like a nob who’s wearing innapropriate clothing trying desperately not to look like a nob, and get ostracised by those who have managed to deal with, and have come to embrace, looking like a nob. After a while riding a road bike your brain switches off certain parts that make you feel shame looking like a nob, so the embarrassment subsides, and then you even start yo feel a certain pride in your ‘athletic’ appearance. But when you stop and think for a moment, or your other half catches a glimpse of you as you are getting ready to go go out (just bibs and arm warmers on, hrm round your scrawny chest), or worst of all you bump in to non roadie mate / colleague whilst out on road bike, it all comes flooding back and you break down in tears of shame and self loathing. Or is that just me?
– Cars

This should be a great post – Good story, kind hearts and gestures from those involved, and a lovely looking frame as a result. However, all the good work has been undone by description of wife being ‘stoked’ – I implore you all to be a bit more discerning with who you help out on the internet in future 😉

Classy. And stick with the contrasting black finishing kit 😉

I like vittoria rubinos as a cheap tyre – you can pick them up for about £11 an end. Used them for a while and currently have the 25mm on my winter bike – not great when things are greasy, but perfectly fine all other times. The pros are lighter and a bit pricier.

THe conti GPs loo good value for a ‘good’ tyre. Guessing the puncture above was bad luck and time of year rather than bad tyres.

If its the old shape one its 200mm x 57mm. I think the new shape came in 2007.

You’ve done the low hanging fruit – well done. You are mow entering the world of marginal gains. Good luck 🙂

Taking supplements on top of that diet and lifestyle is unlikely to help much, although things like cod liver oil / omegas etc apparently help. As others have said, I’d cut out or at least down the processed stuff first – white bread, biscuits, cakes and chocolate tend to lead to energy slumps and cravings (for me anyway) and I feel I have more balanced energy when I cut them out. Caffeine in the evening generally aint good as it can disturb your sleep. Try and get your vitamins and minerals through better, cleaner, less processed food. Oh, and maybe a bit of yoga in the morning to balance out the riding? Really can help with energy levels. All this in my opinion / experience – I’m no expert

Understand your nervousness about statins, but if there is a risk in not taking them (I have no idea about the artery issues and the potential risks) then I’d at least be giving them a go or looking for viable alternatives.

Ultimately if you have kids and want to be around and active for them as they grow older, you owe it to them to take care of yourself.

Again, all this is the non-scientific opinion of a random on a forum, nothing else 🙂

Sydney Opera House – grubbier and smaller than I was expecting

Statue of Liberty (although loved NY / Manhattan). Small and far away (ok, that might have been me :-))

Hollywood (inc. sign) – pretty seedy, although I did get in to the LA vibe after a while

Florence – packed with euro school kids, although granted its objectively beautiful, but I couldn’t summon up any wow.

Mona Lisa – small and a crowd 10 people deep to get any where near it. Sure its a nice painting

Dylan Moran live – like he was phoning it in

Scallops

On One 456 – just scaffolding pipes welded together to look like a bike frame

ipads – Not an apple hater as such, but I’m using one at work at the mo and find it underwhelming, bordering on frustrating.

Need to go and balance this out with a few positive comments on the other thread!

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Peugeot. Steel, single speed – who knew I was a trend setter? And dress sense to die for

Good heads up – my afternoon ‘working from home’ listening sorted

OPs’ suggestion is nice and all that, but think I’d rather have a Cannondale super 6 evo;

outdoorkit > sale > mens insulated. Lots of discounted duck death to be found there from all the big brands

Yep, will be too big for collect +. Always found interparcel.com cheap and efficient. Have CRC said they’ll refund postage? I’d hope so…

2,140 miles measured, plus about 500 commuting etc. Not a lot compared to a lot of you but 25% more than I did last year, so I’m happy. Over 90% road sadly – only got on the mtb 6 times 🙁 . Would love to do more next year but as we’ve got Rocket v3 due in June it ain’t going to happen. Guess I’ll just have to front load the year as much as I can 😉

3 rides already this yr! First coming home at 2.30 this morning. Second was a quick 20 miler on the road bike at 9am which was suprisingly ok (suprised how many roadies out, but it was a lovely morning), and topped off with a ride across town to Newnham playground and a cafe with the family this afternoon.

Thanks for that Jon, we’re all so happy for you 😉

Went down on the tarmac on this mornings club run. Lots of black ice on the minor roads. Not too fast – superficial damage to me and bike. 5 out of 10 of us hit the deck at some point. Think I’ll be sore tomorrow. Oh, had a puncture later on too :'(

Also no experience of supersix (or other carbon frames). I’d go for whichever has best wheels / groupset, as thats where you’re likely to see most noticeable difference between these 2 frames. If same apart from frames, I’d go supersix.

I’m a smidge over 6’2, 33″ inside leg, and on a 58cm CAAD10. Had a proper fit after a few months of ownership and I now have a 130cm stem and the saddle right back, and more stem spacers than perhaps are aesthetically acceptable, and it fits really well 🙂 So with hindsight I maybe should have sized up, although the guy who did my fit said ‘nah, all the pros ride small frames’, which made me feel a little a little better. Sounds like proportionally you’re in a similar place with 60 / 63 (not taking in to account torso size, flexibility etc). One thing I will say is that the 63 will look like a gate – do you want to ride a gate?

But yes, the short answer is try one out.

Lovely bikes btw.

@grum: it’s primary purpose is as a tow car for my caravan – and for that it is sensibly sized.

Good man!

And grum, those guitar straps are awesome (if not a little pricey) – gonna put one on my Christmas list. I love the internet, and I LOVE upcycling 😉

Roadlite looks great value tbh. Will it have clearance for guards and 25mm tyres? A couple of friends have the defy, and they are also really good value – watch for the shonky groupsets on the cheapest ones though. Have you looked at ribble winter trainers?

I have / had a Tifosi CK7. My first ‘proper’ road bike. Its been great – solid and comfy (although I put a carbon post on it) Mine had a mix of sora / miche groupset which was a bit pants – replaced with tiagra (which made huge difference – more noticeable change than going from Tiagra to Ultegra on the new bike). I’m pretty sure it will still take 28mm tyres with reasonable clearance in the mudguards. Wheels are solid but I put Aksiums on it which made a big difference (now moved them on to the new bike).

The tifosi is now for sale CHEEKY LINK TO FS THREAD – ITS A 58cm 🙂 as I promised myself I’d sell it to go towards the new bike. I’d love to keep it with the weather as it is, and the amount of grief I got last week on a rainy club run for not having guards, and I just love the colour 🙂 but can’t justify having such a good second bike for the amount of use it would get.

What they did looks cool. The film they made to showcase it is pretty ropey tbh

Shocked by police totally in his pocket. Total scum bag. Very one sided though.

Oops, just seen other post appear as I posted.

I ask others to go on great quests, battle dragons and goblins, and join together to defeat powerful enemies.

aka computer games marketing.

Nice one Sam – my first 100 (actually 115) was Cambridge > London > Cambridge.

Previous longest was 75. I was nervous about the extra distance but it was fine – I just settled in to a comfortable pace and kept fuelled and watered. Admittedly we stopped a few times – coffee, puncture, water, buying more food – so total time taken was over 8hrs, with just over 7 actual riding. I was functioning entirely on sugar and caffeine towards the end, and reckon I could have carried on for a while longer if I just kept topping up. Don’t normally use chammy cream, but this after 70 miles was 62p well spent 🙂

Tifosi ck7 seems to cover your needs. I’m half heartedly selling a 58cm. But keep using it though as perfect bike for this summer. Also like the looks of the genesis eq.

Depending on your size, just buy this. Job done 🙂

Received my one s yesterday. Loved it but has wifi connection issues – drops randomly, and much worse wi-fi reception than my desire. Seems a common problem on one s and x – google htc one wifi issues. Bit gutted as overall I think its a lovely phone but its going to have to go back.

Will contact cleaner from halfords do the job?

So, I went to Swinley. Thanks all for the tips. Turned up at Disco centre, bought a map and day licence and headed off in vague direction of ‘expert mountain biking area’, diving off the fire road when anything looked decent, and riding a few of the routes off sureey hill. There is clearly a shed load of decent trails there and I reckon I barely scratched the surface. Don’t think I found any of the new or more developed stuff, but definately got a sniff of some nice fast flowy stuff. Very quiet – I was hoping to ask / follow someone – but didn’t meet another rider the whole time I was out, which probably meant I was far from where the real action is. Held up well considering recent weather. Definately not a wasted afternoon as I enjoyed what I found, and was 10 miles away with bike and a pass for the afternoon anyway so nice to explore somewhere new. All in all look forward to a return visit as what you guys have said / linked to now all makes sense.But hooking up with a local would definately be the best option.

You lot are awesome – some good tips there. Is it going to be a mud bath? Guessing so…

I’ve got a WC Zephyros 1. Good little tent – quite light, reasonably robust and fairly cheap. It did 3 nights rainy windy wild camping in the highlands and I stayed dry. I’m 6’2 and whilst it wasn’t exactly a mansion I found it fine. Friend got one after using a gelert solo and much preferred it.

To respond to the op – had 4 hondas in my intermittent car ownership history between 1991 – 2011. Proper hondaboy I was. My folks also had hondas. Bought my first non-honda a yr ago – vw passat. Wouldn’t go back. Hondas have great engines but everything else not that great really in comparison. VW (and the golf my other half used to have) just felt solid, better made, more comfortable, and quieter. Just one persons opinion of course!

Turn right out of Fishbourne ferry on to Fishbourne Lane. Follow this for about a mile until you get to a T junction with Kite Hill – turn left on to A3054 / Eleanors Grove and you’re on the route going clockwise 🙂

Enjoy – lovely ride. Keep an eye out for the signs – they can catch you by surprise.

(Edited as I forgot which way a clock goes round)

munrobiker – thats lovely

Picking up a 58cm one of these in 18 hrs. Just a little bit excited.

17 hrs 59 mins…

Cool as f*@k

Any one want to buy my old copy of Dung 4?

I’m doing a similar thing as I was just gorging on sugary crap from the vending machine all day at work. Have completely cut it out during the week, then allow myself a treat or 2 over the weekend, which gives me something to live for look forward to. Found my energy levels noticeably improved – not checked weight but not too worried about that. I eat a lot more fruit now as theres loads free at work – i know its got lots of sugar in naturally but I reckon fruit sugar is so so much better than the processed stuff in chocolate bar / cake / haribos etc. Always have a bag of unsalted nuts around too. I still look longingly at carrot cakes and double deckers though, and get really grumpy when some jolly muppet brings cakes in to work.

I was there in 2001 just as the maoists started having a go. They introduced curfews as we were there, which of course we obeyed. Don’t remember ever feeling threatened – what I do remember is the people. I went because I wanted to experience the himalayas, but that (amazing) experience was eclipsed by being amongst the most wonderful people imaginable, who were suffering massively as their livelihood was being taken away from them by the drop in tourist trade. Use common sense, don’t trek alone, don’t trek at night, listen out for local info / updates, and you’ll be fine.

Coffeeking – not quite sure where you’re coming from with the implied but un-substantiated scare stories. As I read it (apologies if I got this wrong) they are based on second hand experiences from well over 15 years ago, and from another country?? Perhaps better to either shed some light or keep it to yourself in case you put off more people from travelling to a magical country.

New 8gb 6th gen arrived today, replacing an old 4gb. Thanks Apple, and thanks stw for the heads up