Ah, John Tomac. Makes sense now

I know it’s a cliché, but you can’t get sunnier than a sunflower

CaptainFlashheart
Blue skies and coolness

That’s a truly niche bike – what’s the story behind that? “Downhill? Yeah, I’ll give it a go. Think I’ll use my TT bike”

The call of the road is obviously strong at the moment – just put 28mm GP 4 seasons and larger chainrings on my Guerciotti at the weekend. At 70kg I’m running them at 95 rear, 90 front, which seems the best compromise between zing and comfort. Brought back fond memories of crisp mornings at the TT start with Clement No. 5s at 120 psi :-)

iPhone 4 with Lifeproof case running OutDoorsGPS with OS mapping gives me everything I need and has survived Snowdonia, Western Isles and a drunken night in Skipton when I dropped it into a pint of beer with the ring tone set to vibrate (very impressive :-) )

A fan tribute from the time which I found rather moving :

GCU Read ‘Em and Weep to GSV Does My Mind Look Big in This?: A mutual friend says it’s time to go. Do you have any associates near [i]system ID[/i], some time in the next dozen megaseconds?
GSV Does My Mind… to ROU Not Just a Pretty Face: Fancy a detour to [i]system ID[/i], since you’re passing? There’s some baggage to collect: [i]target designator[/i]
ROU Not Just… to GSV Does My Mind…: It would stretch my schedule. What makes you think I’ve got the legs for that?
GSV Does My Mind… to ROU Not Just…: A little bird told me about your refit. Go on, you’re just itching to try it out.
ROU Not Just… to GSV Does My Mind…: “Bird”? “Itching”? Have you gone native? Oh, all right then, since you’re twisting my arm.
GSV Does My Mind… to ROU Not Just…: Look who’s talking: you’re the one with “arms” and “legs”. Bet you can’t do it in five megaseconds.
ROU Not Just… to GSV Does My Mind…: Aren’t I’m supposed to say something like “Let’s see the colour of your money”? Anyway, watch this.
GSV Does My Mind… to ROU Not Just…: I’m waiting. … OK, that really is rather nice. Next time you’re nearby I’ll send you an avatar to perform an appropriate low whistle.
GSV Does My Mind… to GCU Read ‘Em and Weep: Our friend should make his farewells, and be ready for displacement by ROU Not Just a Pretty Face at time [i]timestamp[/i]. Are there any countermeasures in place?
GCU Read ‘Em and Weep to GSV Does My Mind… and ROU Not Just…: Much obliged. No countermeasures, I’m afraid: it’s all a bit stone axes. They still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea. No displacement, either: the Arbitrary doesn’t want us frightening the horses. Scan-and-forward, if you please. The usual cover story is in place.
ROU Not Just… to GCU Read ‘Em and Weep and GSV Does My Mind…: Sigh. I’ll put my toys away then. A pity: it’s an attractive system, but I always think those little blue planets look better with a ring. Or a really big crater. Who is this guy anyway? I’m dying to meet him. Or maybe I’ve got that the wrong way round. … Scan complete. Oh, it’s him. Let me know when you decant him and I’ll drop by to pay my respects. Here you are: [i]entanglement scan stream[/i]

Some of them make sense in a ‘nobody would want to be seen dead riding that’ way.

Stayed in Malcesine last year and used the cable car up Monte Baldo. Some serious walks and rides available from the top. Might be a bit quiet for kids though. Riva and Torbole are water sports heaven with a bit of riding available as well.
Garda is hugely popular with Germans, they vastly outnumber the local Italians and may not be to everyones taste. Saw several million German MTB’ers in Riva, all in full lycra and none of them especially thin :-)

@ElShalimo – What’s Salter Fell like these days? Going up for a few days in Bolton in Bowland soon with the CX bike and fancied this. Heard it was chewed up by 4x4s.
I was hoping for something like this:

A good selection of routes at MTBDales and PedalNorth

james lovelock is a pure science researcher (a rare thing these days). history has shown that we should listen to him

OK. How about this (from http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/04/23/11144098-gaia-scientist-james-lovelock-i-was-alarmist-about-climate-change)

“The problem is we don’t know what the climate is doing. We thought we knew 20 years ago. That led to some alarmist books – mine included – because it looked clear-cut, but it hasn’t happened,” Lovelock said.
“The climate is doing its usual tricks. There’s nothing much really happening yet. We were supposed to be halfway toward a frying world now,” he said.
“The world has not warmed up very much since the millennium. Twelve years is a reasonable time… it (the temperature) has stayed almost constant, whereas it should have been rising — carbon dioxide is rising, no question about that,” he added.

Never come across a cone spanner that isn’t 2mm thick. I’ve got Campag, Cyclo and Park, all 2mm.

All set up for a special valentine’s meal at home tonight :
Two bottles of champagne cooling in the fridge
Lovely local rump steak marinading in olive oil and wholegrain mustard
Big box of chocolates hidden in the cupboard

No idea what the wife’s having though. She can make herself a sandwich while I’m watching the rugby.

Royal Navy called in to assist in Surrey

Loads of good stuff at http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/ including forecasts from all the major models
For instance the wind this afternoon

Amoebic dysentery should do the job

At least the strobe is on a separate button so you don’t have to cycle through it. Though I’ve never understood what the purpose of a strobe on a bike light is.

the idyllic natural oasis provided specifically and exclusively for the mental wellbeing of local dog owners by God Himself at the dawn of time

Nice one. Saved for future use.

The Tory guy was a bit of a stooge

Tory Boy was embarrassingly useless. ‘Minister for Skillz’ or something. Although I loathe the guy, watching Galloway effortlessly put him down was quite entertaining. As evenly matched as Julian Clary vs Mike Tyson.

I got her some washing up gloves from the pound shop last week. Who says romance is dead?

I’m assuming the article is by David Compan, right?

How did you guess?

Last Thursday Activist David Compan was released from the London Park Royal Mental Health Centre.

A rich vein of looniness there
Food manufacturers want GMO death programme kept secret
Black magic cathedrals of the Knights Templar
Beta blockers are mass murder
and of course the old favourite
Chemtrails are there to reduce population

Or as Obree said “It’s like someone pulling your fingernails out: you’d do anything to make them stop. But you can’t stop. Your body is racked with pain but you mustn’t slow down.”

“the course is not expected to be hard packed as recent rains have created mud bogs that will stay sloppy for race day” Should be fun :D

I bet there’s no chance at all of it going off due to a fault and causing accidents either.

Of course not. The scheme will be run by someone like Capita or G4, so will be inexpensive and totally reliable.

Whatever happened to the snowmageddon we were promised by the Daily Express?

They’re still at it – we’re all going to die, apparently. ’APOCALYPTIC’: Storm Brigid rages towards UK bringing 150MPH KILLER winds, rain and SNOW

Works Components here and works well.

+1 Works works

All open as Matt says. There’s a diversion on a small bit of the Red due to a landslide but that should be fixed by March. There’s some work due to be done to clear infected larch in various places but no dates or details known at the moment. No firm date for the windfarm work yet either.
It’s all a bit wet at the moment, but that’s not really a surprise!

I will point out that the Enduro Rider in my historically accurate picture is pulling a manual whilst simultaneously giving the Bosche a lead lobotomy

Some people are trying to keep these old skills alive (but a bit slower on the draw)

Had them 4 months. Fairly light use on a carbon weight-weenie hardtail with lightweight tyres, no problems so far.

Yes, I’ve got a pair. Not running tubeless, but they’re strong-ish, light-ish, cheap and very bling. I’m happy with them.
Presume you’re looking at the On One offer at £149?

Its definitely more dangerous (in terms of firearms deaths) to live in the USA instead of the UK

Roughly 4 times as likely to be murdered in the US (4.7) as in the UK (1.2).
But both are hugely safer than places like Honduras (91.6), which coincidentally has the same firearm ownership rate as the UK.

Didn’t quite go according to plan. He was supposed to end up with the word ‘Sky’ permanently burnt into his back to prevent him from switching teams.

Not legal concealed ones there isn’t.

I looked into this last year and ended up doing the BC MBLA 2. Reasons were :
– Already a BC member
– BC course was available at Plas y Brenin which I’ve used before and is excellent
– Impressed by BC’s professionalism and depth of support
– BC seem likely to be come the most recognised and accepted qualification

The MBLA course and qualification is definitely oriented towards leadership, rather than skills.

That’s not true now is it.

But it must be, it was in the Daily Mail – Health and safety axe on 800-year-old right to collect firewood.
Except it was all twaddle, there was no such right, and it was back in 2008 when Labour were in government anyway.

I wouldn’t rely on 112 in India

Nor USA and Canada. Some service providers will redirect 112 to 911 but not all. Using 911 is much more reliable.

The bit about registering texts is useful, though everything I’ve seen says use 999, not 112. See emergencySMS[/url]

What do we win?

I think you’re currently leader in the ‘Anorak Of The Year (Road)’ award, so that would be the coveted Cagoule Jaune.

Almost certainly British team in 1955 TdF. Later British teams had the national flag on the shoulders in the shape of a shield (due to sponsorship by Viking I think).

Was organised by British Mountain Bike Federation to start with, not BC (or BCF)
Tim Gould won mens XC in 1991, David Baker in 1992, 1993, and 1994 I think.

IANOFS* but there seems to be an assumption that we get 85% of the combustible energy, assuming we eat a ‘mixed diet’, as used by Atwater? What if this figure has changed, because of changes in gut flora as a result of antibiotic use? What if we’re eating a very different diet now?

Yes, quite possible that this will have changed a bit, but not that much. Certainly not to the extent that you can get 5000 calories of food energy from eating paper. Nor to the extent that you could reduce your calorific intake and put on weight, as MikeWW is suggesting above.

*Me neither.